Cross Country

space. For torture? Interrogation? Execution?
    Everything was left to the imagination — on purpose, I was sure.
    The police and guards left me there, with my hands cuffed tightly behind my back, secured around one of the posts. The column was rusted steel, about four inches thick, and going nowhere. Just like me.
    I stopped struggling as soon as they walked away. Better to save my strength, I figured.
    I didn’t know who wanted me here — the Tiger? The police? The government?
    Someone else?
    A multinational corporation, for God’s sake? Maybe that was it. Anything was possible here.
    If I was extraordinarily lucky, Flaherty would come looking for me again; and if I was even luckier, he’d be able to find me down here. But that could take days, and then more time to find Adanne.
    If she was still alive.
    If they hadn’t gotten the secrets out of her.
    If . . . if . . . if . . .

Chapter 110
    A LIGHT CAME on . . .
two
lights actually.
    Quickly, one after the other.
    I didn’t know how many hours had passed. Or what time of day it was. I knew that I hadn’t slept.
    The man I now thought of as the police commander, the one I’d hit with Adanne’s car, stood by one of the doors.
    His hand was still on the wall switch. Two single-bulb fixtures shone brightly overhead. They weren’t meant to be easy on the eyes, or the brain, or the soul.
    “Tell me what you know about the Tiger,” he said as he strode forward. I noticed he’d changed suits — and that there was a rectangle of gauze taped to his forehead.
    “Where’s Adanne Tansi?” I said.
    “Don’t make me
cross
, Cross.” The commander chuckled softly; he’d been a jackass joker the last time too, I remembered. The accent was Yoruban and the voice was calm. Too calm. He had more self-control than I would have thought he should, given that I’d tried to run him over and put tire marks on his ugly face.
    “Just tell me if she’s alive,” I said. “That’s all I need to hear from you.”
    “She’s alive. Somewhat.” He spread his hands. “Now — the killer you chased here? What do you know? Are you CIA? Or are you working with her? The
reporter?
”
    At least he wanted something from me. Quid pro quo was better than nothing, I guess.
    “There are lots of Tigers, killers for hire,” I said. “You know that. The one I’m after is physically large. He operates internationally, with teams in Lagos and Washington at the very least. I believe his name is Sowande.
    “As of two days ago, he was in South Darfur. I don’t know where the hell he is now.” I paused and stared into his eyes. “I’m
not
CIA, definitely not CIA. Tell me where she is.”
    His shoulders barely shrugged. “She’s here. At Kirikiri. No need to worry about her. She’s close by. Look! Look at that. There she is now. The news reporter is here.”

Chapter 111
    A POLICE OFFICER I didn’t recognize was pushing Adanne into the room. She shuffled ahead of him, with a wad of tape over her mouth. Blood streaked both her cheeks.
    Her braids had been cut short; they stuck out at angles from her head. One of her eyes was swollen shut and colored blue-black. She saw me and nodded that she was okay. I didn’t believe it for a second.
    “Now maybe there’s more that you can tell me,” the commander said. “Something I don’t
already
know about the Tiger. Why did you come here? Not to solve a murder case. Why would I believe that? How do you know Adanne Tansi?”
    I began to shout at him. “What the hell is the matter with you? I’m a cop, just like you. I’m investigating a murder case. It’s that simple.”
    The cuffs tore at my wrists. Then the pain in my shoulder turned to nausea. I thought I was going to throw up.
    The commander nodded once at the cop who’d brought in Adanne. The underling threw a hard uppercut into her stomach. I felt the cruel blow in my own body.
    Adanne groaned behind the tape and fell to her knees. The dirt on her face was streaked with tears, but she wasn’t crying now. She was watching me. Blood from her mouth was turning the tape red. Her eyes were pleading. But for what?
    “Why are you doing this?” I spit between clenched teeth. I could imagine my hands around his throat. “My friend was killed in Washington.
That’s why I’m here
. That’s all there is. I’m not part of some conspiracy.”
    “Take the tape off her mouth,” the commander ordered.
    The guard ripped it away and Adanne said, “Alex, don’t worry about