A fist slams into his gut out of nowhere, winding him. His grip on his gun loosens just for a second, but it's enough. Fast as lightning he feels the gun wrenched from his grasp before it meets his skin again, crashing into his temple. The world starts spinning as he falls back. He hits the floor with a thud, his head banging painfully against the crappy carpeting. He has only one thought which he voices in barely a whisper, "Javi…" before everything goes black.
He jerks upright, heart pounding, his chest heaving as he sits alone in the dark. The place beside him on the bed is painfully empty and cold with no soothing arm rubs his back, no soft voice reassuring him that he's safe, promising him a mug of warm honeymilk. No, Jerry Tyson took that away from him too.
It had been the last straw for his now ex fiance Jenny. She'd been absolutely terrified when the news got to her about Lockwood. Although she'd mostly been kept in the dark about the whole mess, she knew they weren't telling her everything. She knew that something terrible had either come far too close or had happened. It only got worse when he started having nightmares, that of course and the physical evidence he'd failed to hide on his body. The angry looking bruises on his stomach where the rim of that trough had bit into his skin. The paleness of his skin when she'd first seen him despite it being hours later. The way he shook in her arms. The rawness of the abrasions on Javi's neck and wrists, his own wrists too. The burn on his neck from a shell-casing that got stuck between his collar. Then the emotional, mental effects on him, the dreams of course but also the sudden aversion to certain things, ice water for one, really any water touching his body that wasn't near scalding.
Then came the incident with 3XK aka Jerry Tyson nearly a month ago, he'd tried to convince her to leave town as soon as the case dropped, but although she was scared, she was determined to stay. Until she got the call that he was being driven home with a concussion. When he arrived home that night, led in by an overprotective Javier a large bruise was already swelling up on his head. Although she welcomed him with open arms, assuring an overly worried Javier that she'd be fine to look after him that night, things weren't so great after he left. A large welt was also visible on his midsection, prompting questioning. If he hadn't had a concussion at the moment he never would've told her the whole truth, but he had one so he did. He rambled on about the case, every single detail. It was too much for Jenny, she couldn't live in near constant fear anymore, she also said something about coming in second but he can't remember exactly what. She broke off their engagement and relationship about a week after that.
So now here he was, dreams waking him up every other night with nobody to comfort him or talk to. True he could've talked to his friends but he'd just appear even weaker than they probably normally think he is. That was one thing he'd agree with them on; he was weak. That was the other thing that kept him up at night, the guilt gnawing at his insides. He'd thought that his screw-up back from his Narcotics days would be the stupidest thing he'd ever do as a cop, but now he knew that was wrong. How could he let his gun out of his hand like that? Especially into the hands of an accomplished serial killer, who thanks to him, is now still at large. If only he'd found a way to move a little faster, react a little sooner. He knew it would stay with him for the rest of his life.
By telling his mother that he loved her, Castle had done more than he had that night. It was also Castle who had figured it out. Kevin hadn't thought for a second that it could be Tyson and he spent a few hours more than the rest of the team alone with the guy.
He began to drift away from his friends, they blamed it on his broken heart and gave him to his space even though all he wanted was for someone to press him until he answered what was wrong. He could feel that Javier wanted to, but Beckett was holding him back.
The lack of sleep, guilt, stress and his decrease in appetite was covered by a carefully constructed chipper, happy-go-lucky mask but it couldn't mask the physical effects, not all of them at least.
It was a long case that week and late Thursday night they were tying up the last few loose ends. The day had been absolutely miserable for Ryan but he pushed through, refusing to take anything, claiming that the medicine would knock him out cold at worst and at best he'd be incredibly drowsy. And that was no state for a New York City cop to be in, homicide or not.
"That's it!" Espo declares closing the folder he had opened, loudly. "You're going home now," Ryan opens his mouth to protest, but Javier beats him to it. "No buts. Now do I have to drive your stubborn Irish ass home myself or can you handle it?"
"I'm a big boy, I can handle myself, Espo," he snaps back. "But, it doesn't matter anyway. I'm not going," the response is automatic.
"Yes, you are," states Javi, firmly.
"Not going."
"Yes, you are!"
"No, I'm not!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
Their shouting draws Castle and Beckett's attention from the break room and Captain Montgomery pokes his head out of his office. "Detectives!"
The boys fall silent and turn in unison to look at their captain. "Go home Detective Ryan."
"But, Sir, we're still in the middle of this case and there's a lot to do. I can't just leave," Ryan begins to protest.
"Your partners can handle a few hours without you, Detective. It's not as if you haven't earned it; you all have several times over. Now I don't want to see you back here until Monday morning, use a sick day or two."
"Cap-."
"It's not up for discussion, now you can go now and take a sick day or two or I can suspend you for a week if that's what it takes to make sure you stay home and get yourself feeling better."
Sighing, Ryan closes the folder on his desk and gathers up his things. As he walks away from his desk and towards the elevator, he says, "Bye guys, I'll see you Monday."
This elicits a chorus of "feel better" and "see you Monday" from his partners.
When he reaches the door to Montgomery's office, the captain blocks his path and holds out his hand. "Gun and badge please, Detective."
Ryan doesn't move. "I'm leaving Captain, you don't have to suspend me."
Montgomery laughs. "I'm not suspending you, Detective. Let's just say I'm putting overly worried minds to rest."
Frowning Ryan hands his gun and badge over. Making a mental note to get his backup gun out of the safe at home, he heads to the elevator and steps inside. He waves goodbye to his friends as the door slides shut.
As soon as the doors close Montgomery hands Ryan's things to Espo in exchange for a ten dollar bill. "Thanks Captain. I owe you one."
"You don't owe me anything, I was ready to do the same thing myself but, you beat me to it." As Montgomery steps back into his office with a small smile, Javier makes his way back to his own desk.
He unlocks a drawer in his desk and places the gun and badge inside before locking it. Sitting down, he picks up one of the picture frames on his desk, smiling down at it fondly. Matching sparkling white teeth smile up at him and brilliant blue eyes shining with happiness and mischief grin at him standing out in an otherwise brown photo. The picture was courtesy of Castle. A chase had ended in a solved case, two very happy, very muddy partners and a great photo opportunity. Setting the photo down he sighs, it had been a while since he'd seen Kevin that happy. Longer than the last night they'd spent together. It had been the night after Jenny left him.
Javier opens the door to find Kevin Ryan on his doorstep tears staining his cheeks and more to come brimming in his shining bloodshot eyes. He's also soaked, his clothes dirty and torn. Ryan collapses in Javier's arms, crying on his shoulder, the strong scent of alcohol hitting him like a wave. He lets Ryan cry for a bit before helping him to the couch.
"Hey bro, you look like shit-," he starts, his eyes running over his partner's messy appearance.
"Thanks a lot Javi," sniffles Ryan, interrupting.
"You didn't let me finish. What happened?"
"Jenny left me. She was too scared. After Lockwood and then all this mess with 3XK, she saw what happened to me and she didn't think she could handle that everyday. I told her that it's hard, being the significant other of a cop and that it could be worth it. B-but then she s-said it w-wasn't worth it, t-that I-I wasn't w-worth it," his voice breaks and he stifles another sob.
Javier feels a rush of anger at the petite sweet blonde. 'How dare she do this to Kevin?' But he knows it's not really her fault, it's Hal Lockwood and Jerry Tyson who are to blame. He grips Ryan by the shoulders and lifts his chin to look him in those damn blue eyes. "You listen to me, Kevin Ryan. You're worth it. You're worth anything and everything, to me. It's Jenny's fault if she can't see that, how lucky she was to have you. I would do anything for you Kevin, never forget that, you're worth it."
Ryan sniffles and Javier releases him. Biting his lip, Kevin looks at him, capturing his eyes in the blue depths of his. "Will you just... hold me for a while?"
Javier feels his heart melt and he's about to reply with his body when he catches a whiff of the Irishman. "Phew, after you take a shower. What'd you do, roll around in the garbage?" Kevin looks away his cheeks blushing with embarrassment. "Kevin, what happened? Where were you before here?"
"Getting thrown out of The Old Haunt drunk," he whispers.
"Ohh, Kevin, come on let's get you in the shower," says Javier, standing and helping Kevin up.
"I got it, thanks, Javi," he replies before crossing the apartment into Espo's bedroom and into the bathroom.
A few minutes later, he hears the water turn on and he walks into the kitchen, retrieving two beers before returning to the living room.
Opening one of the beers about ten minutes later, he's just taken a sip when he hears the sound of bare footsteps on the hardwood floor. "You take long showers, bro, it's not normal," he says.
"Umm Javi…"
He turns around looking behind the couch and chokes on his beer. Standing behind him dripping water on the floor is his partner. His very naked partner. That is all except a towel wrapped loosely around his waist and hanging off his hips just right. "I, uh, well, I don't have any clean, well…anything."
"You don't say," comments Javi absentmindedly, his eyes running over every inch of his partners exposed, dripping wet body.
"Is there anything I can borrow or should I put my clothes back on?"
"No!" Javier shouts a little too quickly. "You'll get a cold, putting those wet, dirty things back on. I'll find you something," he puts his beer down and leads Kevin back into his bedroom.
Javier pulls out a drawer to search for something Kevin canwear, aware of said man sitting on the bed. Javier takes a deep breath imaging what other outcomes there could be of the current situation. He pulls out a pale blue tee shirt that he'd outgrown and a pair of boxers.
He turns back to face Kevin and tosses him the clothes. "These should come close to fitting. I'll be waiting on the couch." Without looking at his partner again, he hurries from the room, forcing himself to take deep, calming breathes.
A few minutes later, Kevin emerges and Javier about has a heart attack. The shirt is really really small on Javi meaning it hugs Kevin's body like a glove. The boxers however are a different story as they barely cling to Ryan's hips. But as Ryan is still under the influence it seems he doesn't notice or care. He also doesn't notice how much of an effect he's having on Javier, something said man is very thankful for.
Javier props his legs up on the table in front of the couch as Ryan takes up the rest of the couch laying lengthwise with his head on Javier's chest. Javier curls his arm around his partner's shoulders and rubs his back soothingly.
Ryan looks up at him for a moment with unfocused too blue eyes. "I love you, Javi, never leave me."
"I promise I'll never leave you, Kevin. I love you too," he whispers around the lump in his throat as he holds back tears.
A few minutes later the two men breathe in unison as they sleep in each other's arms.
Javier wakes up about an hour later to use the bathroom so he drains the rest of his beer and the one he'd opened for Kevin before gathering said Irishman up in his arms bridal style and carrying him to the bedroom. He lays his partner down on the one side of the bed before he pulls off his own shirt and pants to finish getting ready for bed. A few minutes later, he climbs into bed besides his partner, almost instinctively Kevin rolls into him, curling up against him. As he falls asleep, maybe it's because he's drunk but he realizes how well they fit together.
The next morning, however, Ryan ruins it.
"What the hell?!" Javier wakes to his partner screaming at 5 o'clock in the morning.
"Would you shut the hell up! My heads killing me!" He grumps rolling onto his back to glance over at the Irishman in bed with him.
"Javi? What the hell happened? Whose clothes are these? Why does my head hurt so much? And why the hell am I in your bed!" he rushes all at once.
"Chill. The clothes are mine; yours are all wet and destroyed. You were drunk, it's called a hangover. You fell asleep last night so I figured I'd do you and your back a favor by putting you in bed with me," he pauses at Ryan's look. "That sounded dirtier than I meant, you know what I mean. Anyway next time I'm going to leave you on the couch to get a sore back if you don't shut up for at least another hour. I, unlike you haven't had six hours of sleep yet."
"Oh, okay," with that Ryan lays back down and is sound asleep again within minutes. Shaking his head Javier turns on his side so he can fall asleep watching the innocent sleeping face of his partner and within minutes he too is asleep once again.
"Espo," Beckett's voice shakes him out of his head. "Are you okay? You zoned out."
"Fine. Just worried about him is all," he admits setting the photo down.
"He just needs some rest, if he doesn't come in on Monday then you should start worrying a little," replies Beckett before returning to her work.
Kevin starts on his way home rather annoyed by recent events. He's a grown ass man, yet he'd been forced to go home due to his cold, a cold albeit that was his own fault, but still.
Traffic, despite the ungodly hour, was still terrible and meant by the time Ryan turned into the parking lot for his building he was stressed out and pissed off. Then there was no parking which meant he had to drive and park down the road about a quarter mile and walk. And then, as if that wasn't enough, Mother Nature decided to screw with him too. The sky opened up and it began pouring.
So now here he is sloshing through the rainy back alleys of New York City in the middle of the night. He passes by a couple standing in a doorway passionately making out and his heart pangs with sadness. He'd never told anyone this, not even Javier but he wonders if they are destined to end up alone, will their partnership be the closest to marriage they got?
He's too lost in his thoughts to notice the couple who were kissing had left the doorway and are following him, at least until strong arms grip his arms from behind and pin them tightly. He struggles cursing, but if anything, the grip on his arms becomes tighter. Blinding pain shoots through his body like white fire and he hangs limply in his captor's arms panting. The damn girlfriend had kneed him in the crotch and then in the stomach. Next thing he knows he's on his stomach, rainwater soaking into his clothes, a heavy boot pressing down on his back, his arms twisted behind him, held in the air. He struggles against his captors, attempts to call out for help but, all he can manage is a wheeze. Next, he feels metal closing around his wrists and he curses; they'd used his own cuffs. Then, he feels a sharp pinch in his neck and his eyes widen briefly as the needle empties its contents into his body. They drop his arms and his struggles weaken, his body is completely numb within seconds before the world slowly fades to black.
He awakes to an all too familiar situation and one that any cop feared. For one, he can't see a damn thing because he is blindfold. Although, he guesses he's somewhere nobody can hear him scream even though he can't because of a gag. As he moves his body assessing how tightly he's bound, every movement sends discomfort shooting through his neck Damn, his weight is being supported by something metal digging into his neck, although his legs touch the ground he can tell they just barely. His wrists are still bound behind him probably still by his own cuffs, as he shifts his shoulders rope or something constricts his shoulder movements. His ankles are also bound together and as he shifts his legs he can hear chains rattling, probably connected to whatever's digging into his ankles. His legs are also bound further up his legs near his knees. Even the slightest movement sends pain and or discomfort through at least one part of his body.
Time loses meaning. He doesn't know how long he sits there, legs stretched out in front, arms bound behind, held up by his neck. Maybe hours, maybe days, maybe only minutes but eventually he hears a voice. "Ah, you're awake, how nice of you to join us, Detective Ryan."
The first is a feminine voice, then comes a masculine one, both vaguely familiar. "Yes, we were beginning to worry we'd overdosed you."
"Now I'm going to remove this gag, but please don't scream, it's tedious," says the feminine voice.
He hears the sound of heels on concrete coming closer to him. They stop and she pulls the gag out. "Seeing as how he's already seen our faces, take the blindfold off too. It's more fun when they get to see, when we get to see," the masculine voice says this time.
"Good thinking, Shadow," the feminine voice replies before she takes the blindfold off. She walks back towards the man he assumes to be Shadow before his eyes get used to the dim lighting. "I'm Star by the way, he's Shadow."
"Something tells me you already know who I am," he replies.
"That we sure do," Star agrees.
"So, now that we've gotten to know each other a bit better why don't you explain what's going on here? What's your interest in me?" Ryan suggests casually.
"You've been very naughty, Detective Ryan," giggles Star. "Been poking your nose in places it doesn't belong, you, your cop friends and that writer."
Star makes a tsking noise, waggling her finger before Shadow continues. "Now if you give us what we want, we can all go home and forget this ever happened, if not, well you're not important, we've been instructed to be…creative."
"Oh?" he feigns confusion, "and who gave you those instructions?"
"You'll never touch him, but I do believe you've made the acquaintance of a mutual friend of ours…"
Something clicks in his drug addled brain. "You were there. A few months ago. In that basement. You know Hal Lockwood."
"Ding Ding. We have a winner. How's good ole Javier doing?" Star taunts.
He struggles despite the discomfort. "None of your damn business! You leave him the hell alone!"
Star and Shadow exchange wicked grins and he mentally curses himself for letting his emotions get the better of him. "Hit a nerve, did we, Detective? After all, couldn't believe our luck finally getting you alone. Attached at the hip much?"
"Go to hell."
"Watch your language, Detective. It's not our fault he doesn't want you anymore. We're not the ones that screwed up," Shadow says quietly.
"What are you talking about? He's my partner and he always will be," Ryan retorts shaking off the sense of dread and self loathing.
"Then why'd he pay to get you sent home? All alone, weaponless, vulnerable, unwanted, unloved," Star asks in a whisper, each word echoing in his mind.
"Now I know you're lying, he would never-."
Star cuts him off, she holds up a video recorder and presses play.
It's of the twelfth probably right after he left. Captain Montgomery hands Esposito Ryan's gun and badge in exchange for a ten dollar bill.
"Thanks Captain. I owe you one," on camera Espo says.
"You don't owe me nothing, I was ready to do the same thing myself but you beat me to it," Montgomery replies on camera before Star turns the video off.
Ryan remains silent. "What? No witty comeback? No snide remark? No denial? Shame. Truth hurts doesn't it?"
"Now here's the deal. Nobody's gonna be lookin for you until Monday at the earliest, today's Thursday, do the math, Irish. That's four, five days with me and my girl here. If you don't cooperate, well let's just say there's a lot we can get done in that amount of time. If you do cooperate however we'll have you back in your apartment nursing your cold by tomorrow night. We clear?" Ryan nods and Shadow slaps his cheek lightly. "I'm glad we have an understanding," turning back to Star he says. "Told ya he's the weak link."
Star glares at him. "We ain't sure of that just yet. You'll get your money or you'll be paying up after we're done."
Shadow grunts in disapproval but doesn't continue with the conversation further instead he turns back to Ryan. "Okay, Irish, talk. How much do the cops know about Hal Lockwood and his employer?"
Ryan forces back the urge to roll his eyes, 'not this again.'
He bites his lip, casting his gaze about, appearing to be in thought. "Lockwood and his employer you say? Lockwood and his employer. Oh! Right. Okay, I'll tell you what. I'm going to tell you the same thing I told your buddy Lockwood after he dunked me in ice water repeatedly," he feigns thought again. "You guys listening? Here's what I told Lockwood before we arrested him: I'm gonna have to go with option B. I'm definitely gonna jerk you around. You may think that you've got yourselves the "weak link" but you got it all wrong. You see there is no weak link, no baby of the family, no easy prey or target. That detective your employer is gunning for happens to be a very good friend of mine and you're not getting a word out of me. Nothing that could negatively affect her or Castle or anyone else I care about. So if that's what you're here for I have two things to say to you: Good luck and go to hell."
"Impressive speech, Irish, I'm afraid however we're a bit more creative than our buddy Lockwood. You see he was torturing you to break your partner, bad move if you ask me, but anyway as you can see you're the only one here which means we get all the much more liberty to do wherever the hell we need and or want to to get you to break. That was your last chance at option A though, you may find yourself wishing you'd taken it," says Shadow while grinning widely at Star.
Star walks back over by him. "Now you may have noticed the peculiar way we have you tied up here but as you'll soon find out everything is for a reason," with that ominous statement she presses a button and he hears the sound of a mechanical lift kicking into function.
First the tightness of what he's determined to be barbed wire around his neck increases, each tiny spike of metal trying to gouge it's way into his neck. Then he feels himself leave the ground ever so slightly, his legs which were just barely touching the ground before now barely brush the concrete as he swings ever so slightly entirely supported by the barbed wire around his neck.
The pain increases by more than double as soon the lift starts back up again, his feet are several inches off the ground before it shudders to a stop leaving him swinging softly in the air, blood dripping down from his neck as he hangs.
"Answer the question, Detective and it all goes away," Shadow reminds him.
"Go to hell!" Ryan spits at him, spraying a bit of blood.
The lift turns on yet again and this time they keep going until they're essentially forced to stop by the chains attached to his bound ankles becoming taught. The rope that bites into his ankles is nothing compared to the excruciating pain in his neck, blood now streaming freely, staining his clothes red.
He hangs there for God only knows how long before his sight becomes blurry from insufficient air supply, blood loss or both and he slips into unconsciousness.
The next time he wakes up, he's in a new position, bound a different way He's also pretty damn close to being naked. He's lying on his back on what appears to be a wide, wooden table, only it's vertical. He's in his boxers and button up shirt and that's about it. His legs are spread wide apart and chained by his ankles at one end of the table. His arms in a similar position above his head at the opposite side. His neck is constricted by what appears to be an ace bandage wrapped really tight and tied off underneath the table, this means he can only lift his head and move it so much, there's also a constant tightness. His forearms and thighs are also shackled down to the table, as is his chest. A metal restraint runs across his chest up close to his armpits and hooks into the table on either side of his body. In short it doesn't take a genius to figure out he's in a seriously bad position. Oh yeah, and that's the other thing he can't think straight because of the I.V slowly dripping more drugs into his veins.
"Oh good, you're awake again, at least somewhat. Now the fun can begin," he can't see her but he can tell it's Star, her words confirmation of his fears and enough to turn his blood to ice. He visibly stiffens as Star comes into his vision by the I.V, she's clad in what appears to only be a robe as she unhooks the I.V from his arm. "Now that you're all drugged you won't be able to resist."
Star walks over to him, then she slowly unbuttons his shirt, making her way down button by button. When the only thing holding the shirt to his body is the restraints she rips it free of his body piece by piece with her teeth.
Star puts two fingers on his middle and slowly walks them down to the elastic band on his boxers. She reaches one hand over to a tray near by and grabs a pair of scissors. Her other hand slides over his boxers down one leg to the bottom and then playfully slides back up underneath the fabric. She withdraws her hand and uses it to hold the waistband on his boxers in place while she cuts through just the elastic. She puts the scissors back and plays with the cut portion of his pants. Then her hands go back down to the bottom and go underneath on both legs. Her hands underneath the remaining piece of fabric on his body she digs her nails into his thighs, stretching up until she's right in his face. Then she's gone.
Star steps back and hooks his I.V back up whilst she goes about unlocking the frame from the board he's on. Then she unhooks his I.V, walks away and presses a button, the wooden board/tabletop he's on lifts off the frame and hangs suspended in midair. Star pushes the frame away and rolls over a set of table legs before she presses the button again and he's lowered into place, now horizontal. Star hooks his I.V back up before busying herself with the task of locking the legs to the board.
She climbs onto the table and straddles him, bending down right in his face she whispers. "Time to play, Detective."
Star bends down even closer and leaves a trail of light kisses down his neck, then the kisses become painful on his sore neck as she bites at the open wounds. She makes her way down his chest until she reaches his belly button. She slowly slides backwards on the table, letting her nails drag along his skin until her feet can hook around his bound ankles. She sits back on her heels and whips her robe off, she's wearing a black mostly see through piece of lingerie that stops at about her waist and that's it. Star leans forwards again, pressing her legs flush with his before bending over the cut she made through the elastic of his boxers.
Ryan sends up a prayer that they've pumped him with drugs and he closes his eyes. The last thing he remembers clearly after that is the sound of Star ripping his boxers off.
When we wakes the next time he's the most free he's been since he'd been abducted. He's in a cage his ankles were bound together but with a long enough chain in between them he could walk. The same for his wrists but in front of his body now, the ace bandage or whatever the hell it is is still wrapped tightly around his neck but is now hooked to the chain running between his ankles. He wakes up curled in a ball but as he tries to stretch out everything is sore beyond belief, blood oozes lazily from scratches that all along his legs and from the gouges on his neck. He's covered by a thin scratchy blanket and that's it. He feels dirty and not just because he's lying in a dog crate in some basement mostly naked, but he feels violated and sick. Bile rises in his throat and he pukes in one corner of the cage. Pulling the blanket tighter around his body he lies there wondering when will it end and what is in store next.
Next time he awakes he can tell it's going to be a long visit to the land of consciousness. He's bound similarly to how he was the first time except that time he had all his clothes on. This time he's shirtless and he's wearing a cheap pair of boxers one might find at a grocery or dollar store, but at least it's something. This time, his ankles are again bound together and chained to the floor. He's suspended in the air by barbed wire he can already feel cut into his neck but also by his wrists. His hands are cuffed (by his own cuffs again) in front of him meaning that the cuffs (have the ability to and) are hooked over the same bar he hangs from via barbed wire.
Below him Shadow paces a hungry look in his eyes. "Next time you wake up, it'll be you and me going at it but, first, Star wants to have some more fun with you."
Ryan gulps and his body reminds him how sore he still is after Star's treatment.
Focused on Shadow he doesn't see Star creep out of the shadows until she's right on top of him. He grits his teeth as his flesh burns beneath the hot branding iron pressed into his side. The smell of burning flesh is bile inducing but he refuses to give them the direct satisfaction.
Star removes the branding iron and douses his entire body with ice water. He closes his eyes, fighting a full on panic attack as memories flood his mind.
Then comes the whipping. Each blow seems to hit harder than the one before. His body swings forward every time the whip makes contact with his flesh and that only causes fresh wounds to his ankles and especially his neck.
He's close to blacking out when Shadow's voice filters into his conscious. "That's enough for now Star, he's on the verge of passing out again and he hasn't screamed yet. You had your turn with pretty boy and if you keep this up there won't be enough of him left to have any fun with."
"Fine, I'll save the rest for tomorrow and then the day after will be the big finish. Let's get him down so you can have your fun later."
Ryan goes limp in his bonds even though it just makes them cut in deeper. He feels the release on his ankles first, then he feels the longer shackles from the cage close around the raw flesh there. Next, the lift lowers him to the ground, his knees making contact first, then Shadow (he assumes) lifts him up by the arms off the hook and then drags him on his stomach a distance before rolling him into the cage. Ryan bites his tongue to keep from screaming every time he lands on his raw, bloody back.
Before they close the cage he feels the quick pinch and prick of a needle and he quickly succumbs to the darkness.
When he wakes up he knows this round is going to be hell. He's back on that vertical table, the I.V pumping his body with drugs but with some key differences. For one he's on his stomach, his wrists and ankles bound the same as before but if even possible wider apart. He's also in nothing but the cheap pair of boxers he'd been in earlier. His head lays sideways on the board so he has no warning when a half naked Shadow comes from the other side around behind him.
He locks his hip with Ryan's and whispers into his ear where he can't see him. "That Detective Esposito of yours ever do this to you? Have you ever wanted him to? Wanted him so bad it hurts?"
Ryan keeps his mouth shut though he's dying to make his feelings known, but not here, not to this slimebag, not now. Shadow pulls away and unhooks the I.V, pinching Ryan's ass as he does so. A gun barrel pushes his cheek into the wood, daring him to make a move. Shadow unlocks the shackles holding Ryan's arms and his whole body sags. Ryan feels the metal of his cuffs close around his wrists again before Shadow hoists him by the arms up on a hook. Then he's all over Ryan. First he locks his hip with Ryan's again but keeps his weight off Ryan's raw back.
But Shadow can't help himself. Shadow lifts him off the hook and shackles his arms back to the table. He steps back and Ryan feels himself go momentary airborne before the I.V goes back in while Shadow locks the table in. Now horizontal Ryan takes a few deep, shuddering breaths and screws his eyes closed preparing himself. Shadow climbs onto the table and straddles him, he sits on his heels which are locked with Ryan's.
He lays his body flush against Ryan's, taking care to put weight on his back he whispers in Ryan's ear. "No partner here to save you, he doesn't care about you. I know you want this with him but he'll never go for it, you disgust him. You might as well enjoy this because I'm the closest thing you're ever going to get to your partner. Now I want to hear you say it, out loud. Tell me you want him."
Shadow presses down on Ryan's back and crotch. "Tell him, Irish. Tell him how much it hurts, tell him how much you want him. Tell him how much you love him."
Ryan presses his lips together as Shadow presses harder against every part of his exposed body. It was true he wanted Javier as his own but not like this. Never like this. But he's not about to spill now. He's not about to cave.
Frustrated, Shadow growls and pulls out a wicked looking knife and presses the point into Ryan's calf. Ryan remains silent even as Shadow carves his name into the flesh of his calf.
Shadow loses his patience and with one quick movement cuts the bottom away from Ryan's boxers before he drops the knife and leans all the way up to whisper in Ryan's ear. "Tell him," he presses down hard on Ryan's very exposed crotch as he says this.
Ryan can't stifle the moan this time because of the cool air running over every part of his exposed body, the pain of Shadow pressing down on his back, crotch and against his legs. "Go to hell," he spits.
Shadow has had enough. He finishes the deed, taking the final intrusive step inside Ryan's body faster than his mind can even process. But the drugs flowing into his veins work their magic and he slips into blissful unawareness.
When Ryan wakes he's not naked in a cage while his body recovers from the sexual abuse instead he's in a new pair of boxers hanging like he was before Shadow...
Shadow begins by branding Ryan on the opposite side of his body that Star did, then the ice water, which of course takes all his remaining strength not to go full blown panic. Then they walk away, leave him hanging there.
Ryan's body is impossibly sore and he knows he's probably covered in bruises from the abuse he suffered on that table. It's been days since he first woke up in this hell hole and he hasn't eaten since the morning before that, he's only had a mouthful of water as well. Nobody knows what's going on, for all he knew it's the following week already and nobody cared enough to check up on him. After all, he wasn't worth their concern, he was the screw up, the weak link, the one that nobody wanted.
He's so lost in thought he doesn't see his captors approach until the knife is rammed deep into his leg. He isn't prepared, he can't stop the shriek that rips from his body. Shadow and Star just laugh before they each ram a knife into his arms. He hollers again, he's not even trying anymore, he just wants it to end.
Star and Shadow twist the knives in his arms before pulling them out and he screams again. Blood begins to gush from his arms and when Shadow carves out a hunk of his thigh pulling the last knife out he knows. This is it.
They lower him to the ground and unhook his arms and neck. They unchain his ankles from the ground and together Shadow and Star drag him across the ground by his ankles and the barbed wire around his neck. He loses track of how far they drag him but suddenly he's not moving anymore. No, he's tied down in the middle of a bed, it's not just any bed though, it's his bed. His arms are cuffed underneath him, his ankles held loosely together by a ziptie, Star grabs a pair of socks from his drawer and balls them up before shoving them in his mouth. Shadow cuts the crappy boxers off, which by now are practically shredded. Star and Shadow each suck a hickey on either side of his neck before they pull the covers over his body up to his chin. Star closes the bedroom door on his way out and Kevin just lays there, wondering if this was all some elaborate trick.
But then someone pounds on his apartment door. "Yo, Kevin! You okay man, open up."
Kevin can't believe his ears. 'Javi?' He manages to spit the gag out along with a considerable amount of blood and takes a deep breath, hoping against hope that it's really him. "Javi!"
"Kevin?! Kevin I'm coming in," the all too familiar voice responds but Kevin barely hears him.
He feels so odd, light headed and the pain has dulled considerably. Then he hears a shout, a crash, pounding footsteps but they all seem so far away, his bedroom door bursts open and Javi's by his side in an instant. Kneeling besides the bed, eyes wide.
He yanks out his phone and barks into it. "I need an ambulance asap, we have an officer down," he rattles of the address and hangs up. Then he presses the second speed dial number. "Beckett it's me, I'm at Kevin's, he's hurt in a bad way. Bus is on its way, meet me at the hospital," he doesn't wait for a response just hangs up.
Javier leans over him and Kevin flinches away. The last thing he remembers is the panic and love and worry on Javier's face before everything fades to nothing.
Esposito rereads the same sentence he'd been rereading for the past few minutes. He can't concentrate, he hasn't heard from Ryan since Thursday night when he'd left the precinct. He didn't officially call in sick on Monday and it's Tuesday afternoon now.
Beckett looks up from her desk in time to catch Espo look at Ryan's empty desk for the umpteenth time. "Espo," he looks up at the sound of her voice. "Go take your lunch, check on Ryan."
Espo doesn't need anymore of a push, he grabs his coat and strides towards the elevator. He can't get to Ryan fast enough, he just has a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.
He finds himself pounding on Ryan's door minutes later. "Yo, Kevin! You okay man, open up."
There's no response so he continues to pound on Ryan's door. He almost misses it but it's definitely Kevin's voice. "Javi!"
"Kevin! Kevin, I'm coming in!" Javier goes into full panic mode, turning out his pockets. "Where the hell is my key?!" Frustrated and sick with worry he pulls his gun and slams a foot into the door. It breaks away under his foot and he charges through the apartment. He throws the door to the bedroom open and nearly faints.
Rushing to Kevin's side he drops to his knees tears threatening to fall. Because in that bed lays his partner. His skin is too pale and has a sickly color to it. Blood dribbles down his chin and his skin seems to hug his bones. His eyes are dull and unfocused, haunted even.
Javier whips out his phone and dials 911. "I need an ambulance asap, we have an officer down," he recites Ryan's address from memory before hanging up and hitting his second speed dial number. "Beckett, it's me, I'm at Kevin's, he's hurt in a bad way. Bus is on its way, meet me at the hospital." He hangs up, dropping his phone in his lap.
Javier bends over his partner and reaches to brush back a few strands of matted hair from his forehead but Kevin shies away immediately, panic and fear evident in his hazy blue eyes. Javier began to see red, someone had done this to him. But then a thought strikes him: why bring him back to his apartment, why let him live?
Bracing himself Javier throws back the covers and gags on the bile rising up in his mouth. The sheets around his partner are dark crimson from the sheer amount of blood the from two stab wounds in his arms, blood also oozes lazily from deep gouges in his neck. Ryan's skin is even paler than normal save for the large purplish bruises that cover most of Ryan's body. Seeing Ryan's bound wrists he carefully rolls Ryan onto his side recoiling when he finds even more bruising and long cuts from what could've been a whip. He pulls out the key to his own cuffs and unlocks the cuffs, pulling his arms out from under him, gasping a bit at the abrasions there before ever so carefully returning Ryan to his back. While doing this he realizes his partner is completely naked and Javier pulls off the covers over Ryan's legs from the side, trying to leave Ryan with as much dignity as he can. More bruising, more scratches more blood. He finds the hole in Kevin's leg where a large hunk of flesh was ripped out and he covers it back up, applying pressure.
"What the hell happened to you bro?" He whispers in horror.
Then the paramedics arrive, they waste no time loading Ryan onto a stretcher and getting him down into the waiting ambulance. Javier follows right alongside as much as he can answering the questions he can. They load Ryan into the ambulance and Javier climbs in right after them, gripping Ryan's hand as if his life depends on it. They hook Ryan up to I.V fluids and a heart monitor as they work to stabilize him. The beeps are quiet, slow and far apart and then nonexistent. For the longest minutes of Javier's life Kevin lays before him on the edge of life and death. For five long minutes Kevin Ryan was dead.
When the beep of the heart monitor starts back up again Javi lets a single sob escape him as the ambulance screeches to a halt. Javi follows until they go through a set of doors and his path is blocked. "You have to let me through! You don't understand! He's my-," he stops; partner just wasn't the right word anymore.
He paces the hallway for hours, Castle and Beckett arrive soon after he does but he refuses to acknowledge their presence. His thoughts are all dedicated to one person and one person only; Kevin Ryan.
The only thing that drags him away from his pacing is the door opening. His head jerks automatically towards it and he freezes fixing his eyes on whoever happens to be exiting, staring at them until he knows they're not there about Kevin.
A voice rings out. "Family of Kevin Ryan?"
Javier freezes for a heartbeat before racing over. "Is he gonna be okay? Do you know what happened to him? Can I see him?"
"We managed to stabilize him but we lost him, twice. He'd lost a substantial amount of blood and he was severely malnourished and dehydrated. We've determined the gouges on his back were from a whip, those had also become infected. He suffered three stab wounds and abrasions on both his wrists and ankles, suggestive of bondage. The cuts on his neck were most likely from barbed wire. Contusions suggest he was probably suspended by means of barbed wire wrapped around his neck. He was also suspended by his wrists with the use of the handcuffs you found him in."
Sick to his stomach the only thing Javier wants is to see is Kevin. "Can we see him?"
"Yes, but only one at a time. And I wasn't quite finished. It appears that Detective Ryan was sexually assaulted and raped several times in a way that was also physically abusive. There may be mental effects as well."
The effect is immediate. The small family feels their hearts break in two. All is silent, each member lost in their own thoughts.
Raped? Sexually assaulted? Physically abusive sex? Although Castle's gifted with a very active imagination he just can't fathom this. He feels an overwhelming urge to find whoever did this and punch them to a pulp. It hits him all at once these intense feelings were familiar to him, akin to something he'd feel if Alexis was hurt or in danger. The protectiveness that comes automatically with fatherly love. Kevin had become like a son to him, he just never realized this fully until now.
Sexually, physically abusive assault? Rape? Kate feels like she wants to hunt whoever did this down and show them what happened when somebody messed with one of her boys. Because they are her boys; Kevin and Javier. Kevin's her little sweet boy and they did these terrible things to him. It didn't break her like anything to do with her Mom's death did, no this fueled her with rage and revenge. The natural protective instincts of a mother.
Javier pushes the door to Kevin's room open slowly, closing it behind him quietly. Kevin's eyes are open and he stares listlessly at the wall. Kevin turns his head to look at Javier at the sound of the door closing.
His plan originally was to walk slowly to the chair besides the bed, make a wiseass comment and pretend like everything's normal. But as soon as Kevin's eyes meet his, Javier's legs turn to jelly and he feels his heart break a little. He about collapses into the chair, his hand reaching out to grasp Kevin's. The instant he moves towards him however Kevin jerks away in a panic, eyes wild. The steady beep of his heart monitor becomes panicky and his breathing quickens.
Javier fights through his tears and the pain in his heart grabbing his partner's hand he rubs small soothing circles. "You're okay now, Kevin, I've got you and I'm never gonna let anyone hurt you again."
Ryan calms and he fixes Javier in those bright damn blue eyes of his. "Javi, I… I…"
Javier just smiles and presses his lips against Kevin's. "I know Kevin, I know."