Shinaya nodded, though her heart was gripped by an inexplicable anxiety.
There was something about this man, something strangely familiar.
She was led into an interrogation room.
The detainee sat at a table still not raising his head.
Two officers and Freeman stood nearby.
Sir, Freeman began, by law we must establish your identity.
Officer Johnson will remove your dark glasses and mask.
The detainee did not respond or move.
The officer approached and carefully removed his dark glasses.
Then he reached for the mask covering the lower part of his face.
Shanaya held her breath.
When the mask was removed, a heavy silence hung in the room.
The detainee’s face was a nightmarish sight.
Deep scars furrowed the skin leaving gouges and deformities.
The right side of the face was worse.
The eye socket was sunken.
The cheekbone was crooked.
And most of the ear was missing.
It looked as if the face had been melted and then attempted to be remolded by unskilled hands.
