Commander, Please Spare Your Little Merman

ogation room and sat him beneath a la

was almost black. Vincent sat across from h

s your

an S

ld are

about it, Nolan an

erman, sir?" one of the interro

e." Nolan picked

he room yesterday?" th

gent

you doing

ow, Nolan respond

interrogator could

g to Nolan. His blunt an

no interest in Nolan's private life. "How do you know him? Did anyth

that their suspicion wa

he interrogation table. "

Nolan in

t. If he went too long without it, he could have trouble breat

r commander here. Getting close

to stay alive. The thoug

't even know his name," Nolan

8, 000 dollars. You saw the money yourself, sir. I guess you

eant to pull suspi

him alive, Nol

blocked the light as he drew closer, one measured

a shallow breath,

leaned in. Their shadows met across it. He spoke gently, but Nolan

dn't you cal

as sc

incent tapped a finger on t

hed the table's edge and

you think h

k and bully me again i

. He slammed a hand on the table, a

not l

d of him, so yo

gun. Tha

is palms had gone numb. "An

r, giving Nolan no time to breathe. His

ssed. Nolan felt as if the exc

the hotel room with him. Nolan needed some way to get ahead of that. The commander didn'

d Nolan's arm and drew a vial

cted, handing the vial to a nearby lab techn

s,

the hotel with last nig

ortly, sir." The technicia

tayed at the table, his hands red

lan. "You know what happens

swered, though h

e find him, do you want to pr

ens to him?" Nolan asked.

cruel or try to intimidate people. He believed he was mild-

feared him. No

If one of our people did this, he'd face serious consequences," Vincent

Nolan's face. "Even

at once, "He do

rogation room door cut Nolan

we f-f

ed a shameful secret and couldn't bring himself to say it. He didn't da

ad no patience for timid subordinat

tched th

ts and moved closer to Vincent, as th

up a hand t

the Bureau, everyone knew what that look me

rotection & Control Bureau wanted that stare turned on them. To

, and mumbled his answer. "Sir, the person w