Foot tapping. Clock ticking. Tension increasing.
Not a word is spoken. After Yohana entered the white room and sat on the other side of the table, Zack just stare at her in silence. Crossing his arm. Tilting his head.
“I don’t recall agreeing to a session of interrogation.”
“Well… while you’re waiting for your ID Card to be processed, we might as well ask you a few questions about that incident. You in?”
“…”
“Playing silent treatment, aren’t we?” Yohana shook her head. “Don’t give me that look! Do you have any idea how scary you are with that stare?”
“I do.”
“That’s good… pretty self-aware, aren’t you?” Once again, Zack doesn’t respond to her jokes. “Ahem… Come on, have a drink. Don’t be shy, okay?”
Yohana pointed at the coffee as she took a look at the document in her hands. For a moment, the room is engulfed in tranquillity. As if isolated from the hectic work that is never far from the daily life of this headquarter.
Zack glances at his surroundings, not letting his guard down even for a bit. Shortly, his eyes landed on Yohana who is still busy scanning words written on the document.
To think that she did give me coffee, what an odd one…
Yohana clears her throat, “Right… so mister… Adrik Nikolaev…?”
“That’s me.” He nodded lightly.
“Age 21… Birthday August 13th …Occupation, watchman… Live in Tosvok, the slums of South District… along with your father and sister… Anything else?”
“Nope.”
“Everything that’s written on this document, I can confirm this corresponds to your circumstances, am I right?”
He nods firmly. “It’s the one that filled for the ID card application, ain’t it?”
“Yeah, it is… Would you like to be responsible if there’s any fake information regarding your data?”
“I’d agree to it, regardless.”
“Well then, I look forward to your cooperation, Mister Adrik.” A friendly smile appeared on her face, greeted by Zack’s poker face. Unmoved. Uninterested in the slightest.
The silence has enshrouded the room’s atmosphere. For a moment, Yohana takes her time well before asking any questions. As for him, he can hope everything will play out until he gets out of there.
Still, something unnerving is hiding behind her pressuring composure, especially when Yohana stares at him. As if his soul is being transparent for a moment.
As she said earlier, questions about the warehouse incident were asked. Thoroughly Zack answered all of it, with the drive of quickly bailing out of that room becoming apparent with each question thrown at him.
After 10 minutes long of explaining the chronology, she stopped. Satisfied.
“So, Adrik Nikolaev, based on your testimony, on your way home from watchman duty, you stumble into a conflict and noises from a warehouse on the edge of the pier. When checked, numerous unconscious men were in the facility, and a girl was assumed to be their hostage. No information on the culprit. And one of our investigators was passing by before you could report it. Correct?”
“Yes, I told you many times. The whole thing every time you asked the details.” Annoyed, he exhaled heavily.
Yohana writes it down on her note while nodding. “And then, was there something else that you noticed from last night…?”
“I don’t think so...” He averted his gaze, recalling.
“So much to keep your mouth shut, eh?” She lets out a chuckle. He immediately sticks his gaze back at her again.
“Excuse me?”
“I was joking, okay? Your presence here is enough to make me on the edge.” Instinctively Yohana leans back on her chair even though he only stares at her. Feeling nervous. “Then, regarding our findings inside the building. I want to ask something.”
“What is it?”
An unnerving silence seeped from the glaring ceiling above, acting as the only witness to what happened inside the white room.
Right the moment she said it, Yohana lose all the resolve she gathered to give him another question. As if her inner is being shaken violently just from the sight of the scene crossing her mind in a glimpse.
Her gaze slowly swept the table, looking for a document in the messy pile in front of them. Zack follows where her hand is reaching out. At a certain spot, between stacks of papers and files, her fingers stopped. Just floating there, reluctant.
“As important as it is… I really hate to ask you this, Adrik. I’ll make sure this is the last one…”
“Is it this one?” He initiatively points out the thing that made her so hesitant before. Yohana nods nervously. “A photo, huh…?”
Both his eyes widened upon seeing it. An unstoppable dreadful feeling is gushing in waves, overflowing as he gripped the photo tightly.
Gritting his teeth tightly. Frowning in disgust.
What is captured in the picture, is a dead man drooping limp, leaning his red-stained body on the wall behind, along with a trail of blood splattered on the floor. Dripping from scars that covered his whole. Almost formless to look at.
All that's left of him, is his torn face, hardly recognizable or even can be called one in the first place.
The longer he took to gaze, the greater the sinister feeling seeping through his bones.
Staring blankly. Solemnly contemplating. In silence, his thought is wandering.
After another 10 minutes, their session ended.
The moment they stepped out of the room, the waves of liveliness greeted their face instantly. The noisy chatter. The buzzing computer. The hectic workflow of people nearby. Altogether bring Yohana back to reality. Back to the unfinished piling work.
Sitting on her seat. Letting out a big sigh. She throws her gaze around. The First Division is getting filled with people as the day progressed. Still, the person she’s looking for is nowhere to be found.
Just when she’s about to make a call, Reuben comes in. With his new phone and its box. Who knows what’s he searching for the entire time? Sitting back in his seat with all the noises and commotions made by himself.
Yohana resignedly shook her head.
“Oh, hi Miss! Did you already finish your work?” Greeted Reuben almost dropping his phone when turning his seat.
“Your friend Adrik, despite being indifferent, he’s a nice person, isn’t he?” Instead of answering, Yohana traced her memory during the interrogation.
“Huh? Who…? Ah… yeah, well kinda…” He frowned for a moment. Shrugging afterward. “What’s the matter, miss?”
The moment she opens her mouth, an incoming call on her phone interrupts them. Buzzing. It’s from an employee of the administration. Picking it up without a second thought, what hits her is another nuisance of her work. An emergency at that. With a loud hiss, she cut the call.
“Reuben. You’re free, right? Go to the lobby and talk with those angry journalists.” Yohana impulsively instructed, not even waiting for his reply.
“Eh? Why me?”
“Cuz’ you’re one of them! it’s your coworkers, right??”
“Ah… good point. But, what did you do to make them so angry, miss?!”
“Complicated! None of your business! Just go will ya?”
“Wa-Wait, miss! What should I say to them? Do you want me to politely invite them here or-”
“Invite them, and I’ll kick your ass outta office! Of course to drive ‘em away! Tell them I’m busy!”
“What if they don’t buy it…”
“Then, I had a sudden urge of business to visit other districts right now!”
“Uhuh… And then…?” Reuben nodded.
“Then, tell them that I’d kill myself if those press bastards ever come close again to me!!”
“Kinda harsh… Is this all, miss?”
Looking at her with a dumb expression. Blinking his eyes. Waiting for her order innocently. Every time Yohana said it, Reuben took another note on a piece of paper. Including her irritated face, he wrote down her reaction.
“DID YOU THINK WE’RE PLAYING WAITER, HUH?! OFF YOU GO DAMMIT!”
A loud rupturing shout is what is needed for Reuben to instantly disappear. In fear of getting her wrath in broad daylight. Of course, all of it isn’t missed from her dictating stare.
Not even a minute, Kruger suddenly barged into the office. Surprising every worker inside, including Yohana. Quickly switching back to her composed self. A complete 180 of her yelling at a subordinate.
“Sir, what’s your opinion about someone who faked their identity?”
”Hm? If so, then they’re questionable. Did you find something?” Kruger who stands by her rises his eyebrows. “Oh? That’s the one from yesterday’s food distribution.”
“And that’s the missing witness of last night’s case.”
“Adrik Nikolaev and Aura Nikolava, huh…? How did you know they faked?”
“…It’s just… my feeling. They both registered themselves for ID Cards just now.”
“Then, there’s more of a reason to check their background thoroughly. Especially the young man.”
“For that morning case? I already sent Reuben to do some digging amongst his journalist peers. I hope we’ll get something out of them.”
“No, I have another intention to do so.” His voice floats as Yohana turns to him. Peering her eyes judgmentally.
“Don’t say, that you want to add him to our team?!”
“Keep your voice low, Yohana.” Kruger immediately shut her mouth with her index finger. “I want to keep it as confidential as possible.”
She tilts her head. “Why? You know how ridiculous my work is right now?”
“Doesn’t matter. Give your other work to your subordinates. Every last of them. You’re the only one that I can trust for this.”
“…Huh? That still doesn’t explain it.” With her bashful face, she gnashingly replied.
“Listen, what we’re after might be an outlaw. Even in our internal, I can’t fully trust my peers and subordinates with such a task. What if one of them were to leak the information to the higher-ups? Of course, you know who it is, Yohana.”
For a second, she falls silent. Contemplating then nods. “Understood. I won’t tell a single soul about this. Good thing she’s not here today.” She pauses. Taking a glance at the room. “I’ll sort my work and the paperwork for them to do then. So, what do you want to call this investigation, sir?”
“Nikola Family. Make it only between me, you, and Rukevic.”
“Oh? You want to include him also? I thought you want to keep it as confidential as possible.”
“Well… actually, it’s about time he gets a new friend. Or, you want him to be all lonely, after all those years, Miss-Ex?”
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