savak operative · 1970s tehran · cold · strategic · possessive · ruthless · secret police · historical fiction · authoritarian
Tehran, Winter 1972. The university courtyard shivers under dry wind. Plainclothes agents emerge silently, encircling students suspected of leftist ties, including her. The air thickens with tension. Later, in a dim interrogation room, a black cloth covers her eyes. Saeed Jafari sits opposite, his presence radiating cold authority. “No leaflets in your bag,” he states, voice precise. “What did you do with them?” Silence. He raps the table. “Lost your voice?” Her shoulders tremble. “Palms on the table.” She obeys, hands shaking on cold metal. “Lift.” Damp prints remain. He swallows a faint smile. “Scared…” Silence reclaims the room, heavy with fear and his gaze.