Chapter Seven: Encounter with the Wretches

'Yeah sure, you may go, I and Mark are also coming with you.'

'Okay, I am also coming with ya.' I said.

The three of us went to the jail where everyone was packed.

'Here you go sir, have a talk with these wretches. I am also curious to know that why did they ever want only you.'

The criminals including and excluding those kidnappers were sneaking at us from behind the rods with a revengeful look. I really got feared but that time I didn't express my feelings to anybody among the both of them.

'Sir,' said Ionen. 'I want to have an interview with any one of them by sitting face to face. A proper interview can never take place when the rods are in between and when there is a group of them. Please select any one of them. I want to talk to him face to face on by sitting on a chair or sofa. And I assure you, there is no risk in that. They would never even try to escape an active, on duty police station.'

'Yeah okay, you may select anyone of them.' Said the young General.

Ionen thought for a while, carefully observing the gang. All of them were throwing a fierce wild look at us. I was terrified, but Ionen and the General were not at all scared.

Ionen was unable to select one after a long time. He looked at me, I gave a look back to him. 'Mark,' he said. 'Select anyone among them. I am not good at this work, as I understood right now.'

I never expected that Ionen would fail in a matter and ask for help from me. I started thinking and was observing the gang. One of them was having a tattoo at his neck and his face was like a toad. One of them was a big macho man with a big beard carrying up to his chest. All of them were very weird.

Then a thought came to my mind, in most of the Hollywood movies on crime, there is a criminal gang, and every gang has a leader, and the maximum information is always with the leader. So this gang also must have a leader.

'I think,' I said 'that we should select the leader, if we know him, it would be the best.'

'Yeah, you are absolutely correct Mr. Nora.' said the general just when Ionen opened his mouth to give an answer.

The general went towards the jail and said, 'Hey you nuts, who is the leader of your gang?'

No one replied but were fiercely looking at him.

'Okay fine,' said the General. 'You will get a plate full of tasty noodles each in both lunch and dinner if the leader shows up. Or else no food for this week.'

This was a nice idea. All the kidnappers pointed greedily towards one of the member of the gang and that man stood up.

'Am the leader of the team,' said he, 'now give us noodles!'

The General took that guy to the living room. Ionen and he sat face to face on sofas. The guy had an American ascent in his English.

'Your name sir?' asked Ionen respectfully.

The man sat there stunt for some time. Probably he never got such a good behavior in his life.

'Hugo Macadam is my name sir.' He replied.

'You are from?' asked Ionen.

'West Indian I am sir.'

'Good, we must know each other before a conversation. I didn't know you before, but I know you now. But, you know me from a long time. Right Mr. Macadam?'

'I don't know you sir.'

'Nope. Tell the correct statement Mr. Macadam. I am sure of it that you know me. I will not tell you the reason and waste my time now.'

'Really I don't know sir.'

'Tell it!' screamed Ionen. 'Or else you will be killed right now!'

The criminal sat there stunt. He didn't expect this sort of behavior after the kindness and respect Ionen had shown him.

'No sir,' he said sobbingly 'Please sir trust me. I don't know your name sir.'

That time it was seeming to me as if he is telling the truth. I was about to say my thoughts, but I stopped myself cause I knew that Ionen's brain was much clever and intelligent than my one.

'General,' Ionen said, 'please give me your gun.'

'No, no please, no.' cried Hugo. 'Your name is Mr. Ionen Delbis.' Hugo was in a big relief and disappointment as he said these words. He was in relief because he was going to live more and disappointment because he might had done a mistake by telling these words.

'So why did you want me?' asked Ionen.

'Sir, I am not in this matter. Ask the------'

'Stop giving me stories and answer fast!' ordered Ionen. 'Or else your end is near.'

'No sir, I am telling.' Cried Hugo. 'Actually sir, I am not the actual head of the gang. The actual head is my younger brother. He is currently hiding somewhere in Russia. This time I really don't know where he is. He ordered us to do it by email by giving us your address.'

'In Russia you said? Where in Russia?'

'Sir, I really don't know. We usually don't inform each other where we are so that it becomes difficult for the police to catch the other after catching one of us.'

'So how that you know that he is in Russia?'

'Sir, he doesn't have a passport. He won't risk escaping the country.'

'Is he completely alone wherever he is?'

'No, our gang has a total of fifty one members. Only thirteen of us are here.'

'When did you see him the last time?'

'About a year ago, in our house. I and he went to two different of Russia without informing the other where.'

'Where is your house?'

'The house you invaded and caught us.'

'Where is the phone which you used to communicate with your brother?'

'I threw it from the jeep and destroyed it.'

'What is your phone number?'

'I really don't remember sir.'

'Does your brother know that you are in jail now?'

'Yes, I e-mailed him before throwing away the phone.'

'Last question, why did you ever want to be an international kidnapper?'

'I and my brother have worked together in different jobs but our business was always a failure. Thus after that we started being burglars and attacked many houses. We also went to jail many times and became famous as Wanted Criminals. We now decided to kidnap kids from country to country so that even with the best police and detectives, the parents can never find us. We tell the parents to come at the place we tell them for the money by living a note somewhere in the house after kidnapping the kid. This thing was impossible to conduct without some men. Thus we then appointed many men from worldwide using some money which we looted and hid under our father's home's backyard. We hid anywhere in Russia and never inform each other where so that the police can't detect the other one if one of us is caught except for this matter of getting you. My brother just said me to come to Moscow and do it. And that's our story.'

'Hmm, I see.'

'Ionen,' I said. 'Are you sure that he said everything correctly?'

'Yep,' said Ionen 'I can read someone's expression and detect whether he is correct or not. This talent too I learned right now.'

'Hugo,' called Ionen. 'Tell the name of your brother so that I can detect that I know him or not.'

'His name is Cruisons Macadam.' Said Hugo.

'What!' Ionen cried. 'Are you sure?'

'Yes sir, I am.'

'Okay, general, put him back to jail and give them tasty noodles today if you can.'

The general locked him in the jail and came back.

'Mr. Richardson,' Ionen said. 'I know this Cruisons very well. When I was small, I learned about him.'

'Please share your story with us.' Said the General.

'He was a famous Wanted Criminal of Russia about a decade ago. He was indeed caught many times, but in about the last five years of his reign, he started doing crimes at his highest pace and was never caught. But, no one knows why, he suddenly stopped doing the crimes and suddenly disappeared. No one knows where he is now. General, haven't you heard about him?'

'Maybe,' remarked the General. 'But I can't recall now. And you might know, I haven't been even a part of the police forces since last three years. I quite quickly got the General post.'

'Okay, general, can you please make me and my friend temporary police agents. I promise you that I will bring him behind the rods within a month if you make us so.'

The General seemed to be very happy to hear it, but the problem was that Ionen didn't have any degree. He thought for a while and finally spoke out.

'You know,' said the General 'we may get rich rewards if we manage to catch him. I will give you ninety percent of it to you and keep ten percent for our society. I really wanted to make you a professional detective from the point when you did your deductions.'

'Do you mean that we can be the agents?'

'I can't promise you now, but I will talk about it to the governor, General of the Russian Forces and our president. I will request them to give you degrees. And of course, you must get an award for your saving so many young lives.'

The general gifted him a sum of 220$. He was feeling shy as he never got money in his life. I took it for him and thanked the General.