The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel

CH. 3 (A signet of power)

“Are you ready to confess or do we still need to take this interrogation session further?” The tall man with a scar on his face who'd become Jonathan’s kinsman of pain, asked as he forced his fist onto Jonathan’s already bleeding face.

Jonathan groaned and spat blood.

“You – you've been asking me that –” he coughed and spat more blood as his head lolled forward. “– that question f– for the past t– two days. And j– just like before… I don’t know what you are talking about!” Jonathan yelled the last sentence with all the strength he could pull out of his already mutilated body.

He felt pain and anger at the fact that he was going through so much pain for something he knew nothing of.

“Fine.” The senior police officer turned around and picked up a damp towel from the table, wiping his bloody fists. “You leave me no choice.”

He rushed hastily out of the room, frustration carved in the hunch of his shoulders.

Immediately he left, Jonathan burst into tears. How could this be happening? How can someone sleep and wake up in captivity and torture? He really hated his life. Why did bad things always happen to him? He had been a good person all his life but each time bad things kept happening to him.

He had been tortured brutally since the moment his eyes had opened. His last memory had been of collapsing onto the pavement, after he was thrown out by the Jackson’s security guards.

He'd been beaten so much that his vision had become very blurry and the pain in his head was too intense for him to bear.

He was innocent of the crime he had been accused of! He hadn't participated in the vandalism on the Hazel’s property! As a matter of fact, it was after he woke up that he learnt that one of the most highly priced properties belonging to the Hazels had been vandalized.

And according to the information that he had heard upon regaining his consciousness, one of the most respected stewards of the Hazel Empire was coming to the police station and to finalize the case against him for vandalizing such a highly priced property.

At that point, Jonathan knew that there was no hope for him, and that he was going to die there. He thought to himself as the tears continued to stream down his face. There was no way he was going to get out of this. The Hazels were not a family to mess with, and now that he was involved with them, he knew it was the end for him.

He was still there wondering what will happen to him next when the door opened and the senior officer who walked out earlier, entered, accompanied by another man who had a weird look and a very bright smile on. 

His name, Harrison Stones.

“Why was the man smiling?”

Chills ran the length of Jonathan’s spine. That smile was obviously not because his situation was comical.

“Oh confess already!” The weird-looking man exclaimed in a cheery tone. Then he grinned even wider and took a sip from his Starbucks coffee.

“I’m not sure if your body can take what’s about to hit it so this is what will happen. I'll ask my question once. And I only want the correct answer. If you remain stubborn by giving me the wrong answers, this session is going to be extended and –” he smiled broadly, his eyes hard as stone “– the intensity is going to be so much more.” The man warned. His scary smile still in place.

He turned around to set his coffee down.

“But first, how about an introduction? I'll go first. My name’s Harrison Stones, but you can just call me, Mr. Stones.” What's your name?”

Drawing on the very last dregs of his strength, Jonathan tried his best to be audible as he said,

“Jon– My… name is Jonathan.” 

He adjusted his knees. The knees that'd been hit multiple times with spanners yesterday. The pain was unbearable.

“Good boy! Jonathan is such a nice name but… it isn’t befitting for a vandal like you. Nevertheless, we just made progress, and see, nobody was hurt! This is what I was talking about! You work with me, and I’ll work with you too. You are happy, I am happy. And let’s not forget my friend over there is happy too.” He pointed at the senior officer.

He paused then walked to the window. Then turned around sharply. His smile gone and his face as hard as a rock.

The tension in the room suddenly skyrocketed and Jonathan squirmed in his seat, wondering what evil was going to befall him now.

He was so soaked with sweat that he was sure the officers thought the tears streaming down his face were sweat as well. He could barely raise his head to look at Mr. Stones’ suddenly silent form.

He moved forward and bent low, his face only a few inches away from Jonathan. He was so close that he could hear the sound of every breath he took in.

“Now for the moment of truce. Where are the other guys with whom you vandalized the Hazel property with two nights ago?”

Mr. Stones’ voice was all seriousness and for a moment Jonathan wished he'd actually vandalized this property so he could tell them and the torture would stop.

But he was innocent! And that was the truth!

“Please!” He sobbed. “I didn’t accompany anyone to vandalize any property.”

Mr. Stones sighed.

“Officer, roll in the tray. I’m no longer interested in being nice,” he said quietly to the senior officer.

The senior officer jumped up immediately and was out of the room in a second.

“P– please,” Jonathan begged. But Mr. Stones said nothing.

The senior officer returned almost immediately,

“The Police Chief has arrived and he's requested for him to be brought out for inspection,” he announced, referring to Jonathan.

“Damn. You’re lucky. But trust me it's not going to last for long. As soon as he’s done, it's me and you again.” Mr. Stones snickered.

The senior officer unchained Jonathan and dragged him up.

“Let’s go!” He yelled as Jonathan crumbled to the floor, unable to stand. He pulled him up viciously and dragged him out of the room. “This is going to be quick. And don't you dare create a scene.” He warned.

“Is this the man who vandalized the Hazel’s property?” The Chief demanded.

“Yes sir!” the senior officer affirmed, throwing a salute.  

“Your hands above your head,” The Chief requested, looking directly at Jonathan in the eye.

Jonathan responded by weakly raising his hands. His head bent forward, and his vision blurred.

The Chief's mood changed seconds after. He looked into Jonathan’s face searchingly. Then peered at the tattoo on his left shoulder, seeing that Jonathan was only wearing a singlet.

It was a signet well-crafted beyond an ordinary tattoo.

Jonathan had had it all his life. He'd never known what it was or meant, it'd only made him look cool but currently, all he could hope for was that the tattoo would not cause him any more suffering.

But things took a sudden odd turn when the Chief, his eyes wide in shock, took some steps back and saluted Jonathan. The officers not knowing why their boss saluted a prisoner accused of vandalism joined in confusion to salute Jonathan.

“What was happening?” Jonathan could only wonder.