CHAPTER 70
“Good to see you again,” Sandra said to Stephanie.
“Please, have a seat,” Koger said, his voice light and friendly.
The recalcitrant subject of an intelligence interrogation must be broken, but broken for use like a riding horse, not smashed in the search for a single golden egg.
Wise advice from the CIA interrogation manual.
The arrest should take the subject by surprise and should impose on them the greatest possible degree of mental discomfort, in order to catch them off balance and deprive them of the initiative.
It should take place at a moment when the target least expects it and when mental and physical resistance is at its lowest.
This scenario, about to be played out, definitely qualified.
Each interrogation is carefully tailored to the individual subject. It is a battle of wills in which the turning point is reached as the subject realizes the futility of their position.
Sandra sat in one of the chairs.
“Look,” Koger said, his voice turning hard. “We can go through the whole bullshit interrogation procedure, following the manual and slowly beating you down until you break. I’ve done it many times in the past. I’m actually really good at it.”
He walked to the bed, grabbed a pillow, then reached beneath his jacket and removed a pistol. He nestled the gun into the pillow and brought it close, aiming it straight at Sandra. She tried to get up but Koger motioned that she should stay put.
She stopped resisting. Her face filled with fear.
“I’m going to ask you some questions. God as my witness, Sandra, I will blow your damn brains out if you lie to me. We’re in a no-rules situation here. And I really, really love no rules.”
Terror now filled Sandra’s face. True, she was CIA.
But she was administration, not operations.
She hadn’t worked the field in a long time.
And surely she’d never had a gun pointed at her before, especially by an extremely agitated individual whom she’d betrayed.
She had to know that Koger never bluffed.
“Question one,” Koger said. “Do you know Monica Butler-White?”
Sandra stayed silent, surely trying to ascertain how bad things were. How much did her boss know? Was he fishing? Could she lie her way out?
The most difficult subject is one who will not talk at all.
But a silent prisoner may find it hard to revert to complete silence if caught off guard.
The device of starting with questions easy for the subject to answer is useful with many whose replies to significant questions may be hard to elicit.
“Let me clarify,” Koger said. “For me, silence is the equivalent to lying.”
Another few tense moments passed. The gun never moved off her.
“Yes, I know her,” Sandra said.
“Question two, did you sell us out about the flight south?”
The gun stayed aimed.
Everything possible must be done to impress upon the subject the unassailable superiority of those in whose hands they find themselves, and therefore the futility of their position.
“I can’t… Derrick.”
“You can. If not, I will shoot you right here, right now, with not a hint of remorse or consequences. You’re an enemy of the state. A traitor. Your life has zero value.”
The questioning itself can be carried out in a friendly, persuasive manner, or from a hard, merciless, threatening posture, or with an impersonal and neutral approach. At all times the interrogators must show an attitude of assurance and unhurried determination.
“I will give you to the count of three, then I’m going to end you and deal with this another way. One.”
Except as part of a trick or plan the interrogator should always appear unworried and complete master of the situation.
“Two.”
In the arduous examination of a stubborn subject one must guard against showing weariness and impatience.
He moved the pillow closer to Sandra, never taking his eyes off her.
“Yes. I did,” she quickly said.
Koger stood silent, gun still aimed, staring without a blink.
Sometimes a long period of silence will unnerve the subject.
Finally, he asked, “Why?”
“Why not?” Sandra said.
Was that defiance in her voice?
“I’ve worked for the CIA nearly twenty years.
You know what that gets me?” She paused.
“Nothing. Not a thing, except a paycheck once a month and an occasional good job mark in my personnel file. But it’s all meaningless.
There’s nowhere to go in my job. Nobody cares whether I’m there or not.
You included. If I leave, I’ll just be replaced by another nobody who no one will care about either. ”
Interrogation is a probe for an opening. Once found, however small, every effort should be concentrated on enlarging it and increasing the subject’s discomposure. At this stage they are allowed no respite until they are fully broken and resistance comes to an end.
“You did this for recognition?” Stephanie asked. “For ego?”
“I did,” Sandra said. “And each time I felt wanted. Important. Somebody who was needed.”
Koger lowered the pillow and the gun. “You’re a fool. A stupid, idiotic fool. They just used you.”
“No more than you did. No more than the people who were my bosses before you did.”
“It’s over, Sandra,” Stephanie said. “All that remains is what will happen to you. You’re headed to federal prison for the rest of your life.”
“They want to meet,” Sandra suddenly said. “I was called earlier.”
Interesting. Stephanie had not seen that coming.
“Where and when?” Koger asked.
“The Vasa Museum, 6:30 P.M. I chose the spot.”
“Why is that?” Stephanie asked.
“A public place with metal detectors. So no weapons.”
“Will Monica be there?” Koger asked.
Sandra nodded. “She asked for the meet.”
In order to achieve results it may be necessary to use as many as three different approaches to an interrogation. First, the cold, unfeeling individual whose questions are shot out as from a machine gun, whose voice is hard and monotonous, who can be threatening showing no compassion.
Koger had played that part perfectly.
Second, the na?ve and credulous questioner who seems to be taken in by the prisoner’s story, making them feel smarter than the interrogator, building a false confidence that may betray them.
Stephanie had tried to play that role.
Finally, the kind and friendly person, understanding and persuasive, whose sympathetic approach is of decisive importance at the climactic phase of the interrogation.
“Do you know what they want?” Koger asked.
Sandra shook her head. “You never know that until you get there.”
“Then get there,” Koger made clear.
“If I do this, I want immunity. No jail.”
“You’re in no position to bargain.”
“I disagree.”
Stephanie glanced at Cassiopeia, her eyes saying, Your turn. Be kind and friendly. Cassiopeia had stood silent, watching, but she stepped across the room and stood before Sandra. “Do you realize what’s at stake here?”
Sandra said nothing.
“Do you know how critical this is?” Cassiopeia asked.
Still nothing.
“Princess Lysa is dead. John Westlake is missing, presumed dead. What’s happening here is vital to not only Sweden, but the United States and NATO as a whole.
This woman, Monica, is responsible for all the bad things that have happened.
Not you. She’s in charge. You say you feel underappreciated.
Unimportant. Here’s your chance to do something really important. In fact, you’re the only one who can.”
“I don’t want to go to jail.”
“Then let me ask you this. If you did not go to jail, would you tell us, at some point, all that you have told them. All that was passed on. That way we’ll know what they know.”
Sandra nodded. “I can do that.”
Cassiopeia smiled. “That would be wonderful. But today, in the here and now, we need you to go to that meet so we can arrest Monica. To protect your cover, we will arrest you too. That way it does not seem you are cooperating with us. Does that sound okay?”
“And will I be credited for doing this? Will Langley know I helped make it happen?”
“Without a doubt. You will be fully credited for everything you did.”
Sandra Koss seemed pleased. But was she that na?ve? That low on self-esteem? Koger stayed silent, doing what they’d agreed he would do. Be himself and scare the crap out of Sandra.
Then Stephanie and Cassiopeia would reel her in.
All by the book.