Informative Interrogation

   (When we last left Fred, he had been grabbed by some evil people and forced to suffer horribly cliché interrogation)

   “What questions?” Fred asked. “You haven’t asked any yet.”
   “Well yes,” the evil voice said. “I had to establish what a dire situation you’re in first, you know.”
   “Oh, right.”  Fred closed his eyes against the light. “It’s established, please continue.”
   Someone slammed a hand down on a table. “We will decide what happens here!”
   Fred sighed. “Okay then, fine.  Don’t continue and let me go.”
   He had the uncomfortable feeling of someone glaring daggers at him, then the voice said, “Just shut up, boy, and answer our questions.”
   “But you haven’t asked any!”
   “That is immaterial!  Now shut up!”
   Fred glared as best he could with his eyes closed, but didn’t say anything.
   “That’s better,” the voice said. “Now tell us, how did you come to be associated with Jonathan Toque?”
   “Jonathan?” Fred asked. “What’s he got to do with anything?”
   One of the rough hands slapped him. “We will ask the questions here!  Now answer!”
   Fred rubbed his cheek. “I bumped into him at the airport.  While I was chasing your man, I might add, after he stole my peanuts!”
   “Oh really?  Our man?”  The voice sounded interested.
   “Yeah,” Fred scratched his head where he had an itch. “Why do you want to know?”
   The hand slapped him again. “Quiet.”
   Fred sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Fine.”
   Then he realized what he was doing, and what it implied.  His hands where untied!  He had no idea how it had happened, or when it had happened, but he was free.  He jumped to his feet and started to run.  The escape was going perfectly, up to the point where he ran into the wall.  The rough hands dragged his dazed form back to the chair under the blinding light. 
   “I’m afraid escape is not an option for you,” the evil voice said.
   Fred gave his head a shake. “Yeah?  Well just you wait.  I’ll bust out of here eventually.”
   “No, I really think you won’t.”
   Fred tried to put on a soulful, innocent face, but it was hard under the direct light.  “Then are you gonna let me go?”
   “Of course.  Not.  We haven’t finished questioning you.”
   “Oh,” Fred’s face fell.  “What else do you want to know?”
   “Why did you think the man who stole your peanuts was our man?”
   Fred rolled his eyes. “Because he was wearing a toque.  Duh.”
   The voice laughed loud and long. “A PEANUT?  You think we’re PEANUTs?  Whatever gave you that idea?”
   Fred began to tick the reasons off his fingers. “Well, let’s see.  You’re evil, you kidnapped me, and, oh yeah, earlier I nearly got blow up by a PEANUT toque and was shot at by a PEANUT sniper.  I think the PEANUTs are out to get me.”
   The voice snorted. “You?  You’re nothing but a speck of dust on their radar.  The toque was probably unintentional.  Whenever they change toques they blow up the old ones.  And if I recall correctly, the sniper shot the attendant and left you alive.”
   “Nu uh!” Fred protested. “He shot at me!  After the attendant was dead.”
   “A mere warning shot, to scare you while he retreated.”  A finger came from somewhere and poked him in the chest. “You, my boy, are now important merely by your association with Jonathan Toque.”
   “Jonathan?  What’s he got to do with this?  For that matter, if you’re not PEANUTs, what’d you got to do with this?”
   “Jonathan Toque is quite the mysterious man, with quite the connections.  And possibly the more powerful man in the world, if our suspicions are correct.  Therefore we need someone to watch him.  To keep us updated on his movements.  Lo and behold, here you are.  Not sure how you got where you are, but it suits our purposes.”
   “Whoa whoa whoa,” Fred butted in. “Why would I help you?”
   The voice sighed. “Have you not been listening?  If you do not comply, you die.”

   To be continued…