Chapter 59: Interrogation
The Protector was waiting for me outside, leaning on the side of an inconspicuous black sedan. The cigarette in her hand was just about done by the time I walked over. Without saying anything, she opened the door and gestured for me to get into the back seat. There was one Protector already there, and another one behind the wheel. They put a black bag over my head, making me blind. I heard a door open and close, and then the car started.
A hesitant voice sounded to my left.
’Ma’am? Shouldn’t we... restrain him?’
It was nice to hear fear in a Protector’s voice for a change. Caught or not, I was still a deadly threat.
’No need.’ The Protector answered from the front seat. ’He will behave.’
Her tone was without a hint of worry. A weak pulse of anger appeared in my heart and dissipated. I was past getting angry. And she was right. She had me in the palm of her hand now. Any attempt to free myself would be suicidal. What’s worse, even if I were to somehow survive, she held Claire’s life in her hand too, and that was a risk I would never take.
She didn’t have to restrain me, because I was already inside of an invisible cage, bound tightly by indestructible chains.
I lost.
I expected to feel suffocating despair or blinding fear, but defeat was actually liberating. Giving up brought me the feeling of overwhelming, physical relief. My beaten body slowly unwound itself, released from the bone-crushing pressure of the past day. Suddenly free of it, I even experienced intense pleasure. There was no need to fight, flee, scheme or worry anymore. The worst had already happened. It was all over.
What’s more, I was also released from the fear of being discovered that had controlled and dictated every aspect of my life for so many years. The cat was already out of the bag, so why bother? My mind, too, was free from worry now. It was like a mountain was lifted from my chest. I could finally rest now.
Without doing what I would usually do in a situation like that -- counting turns and measuring the distance to understand where the car was heading, coming up with plans and contingencies, preparing convincing lies -- I sat comfortably, leaned back and peacefully fell asleep.