Freelancer

Freelancer
-Ram Prabakar
“One more word and I will put a bullet through your brain and I mean it; I mean it so bad, so just shut up” Veera could see the rage in Ram’s eyes.
The room was dark and dingy. Veera could make out a reinforced window to the left of where he was sitting. Not much light came through it. As far as he could tell the room was isolated from any means of transport or contact. He could hear no vehicles; not even the sound of the loudest blaring horn. Escape was not on the horizon. The chair he was tied was fastened to the ground by bolts the size of deodorant cans. All he could think for now was that somebody had designed this place so perfectly to prevent people from escaping. He could make out the smell of blood; some of it was his own and others were maybe a few days old. Somebody had been here and something had happened to them.
Ram was walking to and from the window like a man expecting somebody. The hand he held the gun was shaking; it always did at times like this. Ram was in his late forties and was beginning to get tired of the job. He never complained about the job itself; the conditions made him feel a little uncomfortable. In a lot of ways Ram was a person who could be called a freelancer. His job was simple; where all methods failed, he got things done. Where there was a lot of red tape, he cut through it. His job was to make easy the job of the people who employed him.
Veera was thinking about the day he was kidnapped. He was not sure when, because of the light but he was sure that he had been here for more than two days. He was just stepping out of the selection academy the other day when he was taken prisoner. He was so much used to seeing it in the movies that he almost saw it coming; but it was too late to react. He was wearing a red checked shirt that day. He looked down at himself and recognized the shirt. The color matched with the blood.
Ram figured that this guy would be tough but he had no idea that he would last whole three days. Most people started singing in a matter of hours. He was beginning to like this guy. He was actually standing up for what he believed in and that was good. Few guys ever lasted this long and these guys truly got what they deserved. Ram was beginning to think that Veera was one of them. But it was not for him to decide. The kidnapping and the questioning were his job everything else was theirs.
Two or maybe three days ago Veera felt like the happiest man on the planet. His childhood sweetheart agreed to his proposal. His career was taking a turn. He was asked to interview at the academy. Not many people got call letters from the academy and it was a big deal for him. He was walking out of the building with the sun on his back and a spring in his step. He wanted to call her and give her the happy news. His superiors always knew that he would make it big but the call from the academy was unexpected; the kidnapping even more so.
The instructions were simple and clear. Tall guy in his early thirties clean shaven and well groomed. Academy entrance at 12 noon. All Ram had to do was show up and wait. The guy did not as much as flinch or try to escape. Ram was party surprised and partly disappointed. And for three days the questioning was tough and unforgiving.
“What do you do at the academy?”
“For now, nothing”
Ram slapped Veera across the face. “Do not try to be smart.”
“So you’re a lefty, interesting, me too.”
Another hard slap across the face. “What part of that did you not understand?”
Veera began to observe his captor. The guy was ruthless and tough but there was order in everything that he did. A certain kind of discipline that was taken for granted. He guessed that Ram was ex-military or something; but the age did not add up. He had a doubt but he certainly was not prepared to put it out, not just yet. The questioning and beating up became an everyday routine. Ram did the questioning and a guy with a scary mustache did most of the beating up. He cursed the academy for having gotten him into this mess.
“Okay, so let’s do this again, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE ACADEMY”
“Same answer, I don’t know yet. I just attended an interview and I have some hopes that I might get through but honestly I am about as blank as you are now. I think that you have the wrong guy.”
Ram took out a photo of Veera taken prior to the kidnapping and shoved it in front of his face.
“Does it look like we got the wrong guy or do you have an identical twin that looks exactly like you?”
“Yes?”
“Again, if you ever get cheeky one more time, I promise you that the consequences won’t be pleasant.”
“Define pleasant; I mean do you honestly think things could get worse than this?”
“You know for the situation that you are in, you do have a big mouth.”
“Look I am not telling what I do not know and even if I did I would not tell you anyway. So bottom line is that I end up dead or worse; so I do not give the slightest damn if my words get cheeky.”
“Look kid, just tell us what we want and I assure you that you will walk.”
“If you mean that then fix me up with a wheelchair so that I don’t have to buy one.”
“Are you serious; I mean can you hear yourself talk? You would do this for your job? Your academy? I mean what do you even get form this. It is not like you will live a life of luxury once you are discharged from service. And what can you assure Akshara?”
A small look of concern mixed with fear ran across Veera’s eyes.
“Yes I know all about you and Akshara. You don’t care for yourself. But what about her? Will you be able to give her a future if you get out in a wheelchair or worse? Will you be able to forgive yourself? Tell me what we want and just walk out of here.”
“Are you done? I have been here three days and you still don’t get me do you? You have threatened me and my fiancé. Who next? My parents? My friends? I will give up their names and addresses and you can go find them as easily as you found me but get this in your head- I AM NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING. And I will retire with the pride that I did something for the country. I will retire with the pride that I am not some disgruntled service man who was discharged just because he wanted more comfort. I will not be you and I will be happy.”
“Who did you call a disgruntled service man?”
“You”
“Don’t ever say that again”
“It’s just so obvious. You are ready to kill for an anti-national cause. So either you are a terrorist or you are an ex-service man and honestly looking at the organization around here I will stand by the latter. So how did you get fired? Selling intel? Dealing with terrorists? Just grant a dying man’s wish and tell me.”
Ram had reached his limit. Rage was always part of the job description but this guy had gone too far.
“One more word and I will put a bullet through your brain and I mean it; I mean it so bad, so just shut up” Veera could see the rage in Ram’s eyes.
“Try me”
Ram pulled back the hammer, put the barrel right in the middle of Veera’s eyes and pulled the trigger.
Veera remained still and did not move. He could not comprehend what was happening. Suddenly a man in a suit walked into the room and greeted Ram. Veera still could not understand anything. He saw the trigger being pulled but he felt nothing.
“So Ram, are you done with him?” The guy in the suit asked Ram.
“Yes sir”
“So how good is he?”
“He will take a bullet in his head before he talks. He is as good as gold. You can trust him”
Veera looked shocked and surprised. He began to recognize the guy in the suit. He was one of the interviewers from the academy. He looked back and forth form Ram’s face to the suit’s face and got the hang of what was going on.
“So I guess you were not dishonorably discharged, is that right?”
“Once again kid, take this from me. Next time you are in one of these situations please do watch your mouth because that guy will have bullets in his gun.”