The Shards of Silence

Chapter 7

“Who do you work for?” a man in a black suit shouted at Jabbar as he lay there on the white floor of a cramped enclosure.

"I don't know what you're referring to," cried Jabbar. "Please, let me go. My wife would be worried about me," he pleaded.

Since the night of his capture, Jabbar had been held in captivity. He couldn’t comprehend what was happening, but he knew one thing for certain: he had to escape and find Amara. Despite enduring torture, he continued to call out for her, using her memory to bolster his strength and keep hope alive. He knew that the day he let her go, he wouldn’t be able to survive, and giving up wasn’t an option Jabbar had the luxury of.

Jabbar found himself confined to a minuscule cell, scarcely larger than 7 by 6 feet. Its stark, bright white walls made sleep elusive, blurring the boundary between day and night. Guards would enter sporadically, subjecting him to brutal beatings until he lost consciousness. Left alone, Jabbar endured torment as freezing air flooded the cell, leaving him shivering uncontrollably. Initially, he cried out for help, but as time wore on, he retreated into himself, curling up like a helpless child, enduring the bitter cold until it subsided.

After a long torture, one day a guard entered the tiny cell and threw cold water on Jabbar. Jabbar was bewildered and sat up in fear looking at the guard while breathing heavily.

"Get up, you swine!" the guard barked, his voice echoing off the sterile walls of the cell. With a rough gesture, he signaled for another guard to join him inside.

Jabbar moved swiftly, knowing that resistance would be futile against the massive guards. He lacked the strength to stand, let alone fight back. The food they provided smelled like rotten flesh, and most nights, Jabbar couldn't force himself to swallow even a single bite. As he approached the door, struggling to maintain his composure, the second guard stepped behind him and abruptly pulled a black cloth over Jabbar's head, plunging him into total darkness.

"Walk in a straight line, terrorist," one of the guards spat, jabbing his baton into Jabbar's stomach.

As Jabbar was ushered through the corridor, he was led into a dark room. A faint glimmer of light seeped in, but with the black cloth shrouding his eyes, Jabbar couldn't discern its source. A guard shoved him to the ground, chaining him to a hook on the wall.

"Please, let me go," Jabbar pleaded for mercy, but his cries fell on deaf ears.

In a brief moment, Jabbar discerned two distinct sets of footsteps entering the room. One echoed with the distinct clack of high heels, while the other reverberated with a heavier, more deliberate tread. As they drew nearer, one of the guards roughly yanked on Jabbar's chains, forcing him into a seated position.

"Hello, Jabbar," greeted a man in his mid-30s as he arranged a chair before Jabbar and settled into it comfortably. "I'm Samuel Dwane, and I'm from the CIA. We don't want to hurt you; we want you to tell us the truth. If you cooperate with us, we'll set you free. Then you can meet Amara, who is waiting for you." A faint smugness lingered on his face.

"Jabbar, talk to us," commanded the woman interrogating him. "We're not your enemies."

"I swear, I don't know anything!" Jabbar's voice cracked with desperation, tears welling in his eyes. "Please, you have to believe me! I'm innocent!"

"Ah, interesting. So, you only talk to women, you pervy Muslim," Samuel remarked, ripping the black cloth from Jabbar's head. "Now, let's hear the truth. We know all about your marriage to that poor American girl, Amara. Just a scheme to get residency in the USA, right?"

“That’s all a lie,” Jabbar retorted to Samuel’s accusation. “We love each other, you can ask her or her family.”

“We asked the family and they told us that they didn’t want you guys to get married,” Alice replied. “Jabbar, we are here to help you to get back to Amara. She is out there waiting for you.”

After hearing the comment about Amara, Jabbar’s eyes were wide open, and a tear fell down his right cheek. “Is Amara all right? Did you find her? How is she? Please, I want to meet her and—”

“She is perfectly well,” Samuel responded. “But she doesn’t want anything to do with a terrorist!”

"I'm not a terrorist! I'm just a simple accountant at AT & Co.," Jabbar pleaded, but his truth fell on deaf ears.

"Then explain your relationship with this man!" Samuel shouted, throwing photos of Jabbar and Dr. Ali bin Abdullah onto the floor. "We've caught you conspiring with him!"

"I don't know this man; he's just a stranger who wanted to help me find my wife," Jabbar responded, his eyes fixed on the pictures. "Please, let me meet Amara. I need her to know I'm not a terrorist. Please, I beg you."

"Why would a stranger help you evade the police?" Samuel continued his interrogation. "We know he has ties with you, so tell us what you know! Tell us where he is hiding, and we'll consider letting you see Amara, if she wishes to see you!"

"I really don’t know how to make you believe my words, but I honestly don’t know him!" Jabbar shouted back at Samuel.

"Don’t you dare raise your voice, you piece of crap!" the guard shouted at Jabbar as he kicked him in the stomach.

“You will only be allowed to leave if you tell us about Dr. Ali bin Abdullah and his next move,” Alice continued as she knelt to wipe Jabbar’s blood off his burst lip. “Don’t become a terrorist by protecting someone like Dr. Ali bin Abdullah. Amara is all alone, waiting for you.”

“Just take him back to his cell and continue with his treatment until he tells us about the terrorist Imam,” Samuel commanded the guard.

“Please, I just want to hear Amara’s voice. Please, just once and I will tell you everything,” Jabbar bluffed, trying to play the cards fate had dealt him.

"Stop," Samuel's voice sliced through the air, authoritative and commanding. "Tell us what you know, and I personally assure you that I will convince Amara to come and see you. In fact, I will free you myself."

"No, I want to meet Amara!" Jabbar's voice reverberated with desperation as he pleaded with Samuel.

"Ah,” Alice interjected, her tone cold and resolute. “He's useless to us. Take him back to his cell and torture him until he reveals the Imam's secrets."

“You heard the director, take him away!” said Samuel.

The guards dragged Jabbar back to his confinement where he stayed for years. He didn’t know anything about Dr. Ali bin Abdullah, and that was evident in his silence. Each new day, he was asked the same question, and Jabbar had the same response, “I will tell you everything just let me meet Amara,” but no one could come to terms with his demands and he was left alone in his solitude.