Title: Torture, Chapter One
Author: Pinkcat4569
Description: Torture and how it impacts members of the team, especially Becker and Jess.
Rating: Teen or Adult for two disturbing, in detail depictions of torture, but I tried to pick ones that didn't have a lot of gore. It's more of a psychological disturbance. Mild adult situations and some language.
Pairing/Characters: Jess/Becker; Becker and Jess personal struggles. Team series 4/5
Disclaimer: I only write for fun. I don't own Primeval or the characters.
Author's note: For Trope Bingo: Category 12: Potential Triggers: Torture
Again: Not my usual fluff, though there are scenes. However, parts are quite dark. Don't read if you think you'll be disturbed.
6754 total words, in five parts. 1393 this chapter.
Torture, Chapter One
"In less than three hours a deadly toxin could be released into London and we have no idea where or how," said Lester.
"What if they're insane enough to do it through infected creatures?" asked Connor. "It takes time to round up billions of creatures."
"And if the toxin is released," said Abby, "we'll have to create and distribute anti-toxin."
"And we may need to conduct evacuations, as well," said Matt.
"In other words," said Becker, "we're out of time. And so is he." Becker gestured to the small office holding their only key: a man found with a tiny amount of toxin not far from where they closed an anomaly.
He'd led them on a chase, then boasted that they and the rest of London would soon be dead. Abby later confirmed the toxin could be just that lethal.
Lester sighed. "Very well. Do it."
Becker nodded grimly.
"I'll help."
"No need, Matt. Only one of us needs to...get dirty." Becker was solemn. He glanced at Jess, who was watching them all with wide-eyed innocence. He looked at the monitors above her, focusing on the one that showed the small cell. Did it have to show everything so well?
He knew they were all watching, but he walked over to her any way. "Do me a favor?"
She smiled. "Anything."
"Don't watch."
"Excuse me?"
He bent down, leaning right over her. "Don't watch the next few minutes, Jess. Please."
She looked confused.
"Just...don't," he said, and walked away, entering the small room.
Jess looked after him, having no idea what he meant. She turned back to the monitors, ignoring his request.
Becker walked slowly in, smiling at the man. There was...a strange, frightening look in Becker's eye, or so it seemed to Jess.
The man just smiled grossly back. Becker traded banter with him, which were really badly concealed threats and insults. Then Becker sat down opposite the man. The ARC captain seemed so cool, so calm.
What did he not want her to see?
"Jess, there is no reason for you to monitor this..." said Lester.
"You too? What's the big deal?"
"You have never witnessed it before, have you?" asked Emily.
"What?"
Emily smiled sadly at the young innocent woman. "Torture."
Jess' eyes grew wide. "What...you mean he's going to threaten him. I've seen that, lots of times."
"No, Jess. This will be quite different."
"I know that he's a soldier, Emily. I know he can be...violent. I've seen him. He's beat people...even killed."
Emily leaned in. "This is different."
Jess heard a blood-curdling scream. She snapped her head toward the monitors. Blood oozed across the table, and the man's face was pushing into it. Jess stared at those hands, the ones she'd always wanted to caress her. Now they were bulging with violence, and covered in blood.
She grew pale.
"Look away," said Emily.
Jess couldn't.
She watched Becker hold the man down with one elbow. With the other hand he slowly pulled the man's arm back, to the sound of sickening crunching. He then took the man's fingers, slowly bending each one backwards. Screams from the cameras filled Ops. Jess took one of her ear pieces out.
Another scream. She flinched.
Becker let the man go and Jess breathed.
The man laughed, calling Becker all kind of names. He'd never talk.
Becker stared at the man with a smile that made Jess' skin crawl.
He was still and calm. Then he threw the table to the side, grabbed the man and threw him to floor, stepping on his back.
It crunched.
"Oh!" cried Jess.
"I warned you," said Emily. She put a soft hand on Jess' shoulder.
"He...he has to...do it," said Jess.
Emily nodded.
Jess didn't take her eyes away. It was horrible, Becker twisted the man's legs, bent them unnaturally, and certainly broke more than a few bones.
"He won't talk," said Lester. "Damn it! Millions will die!"
Matt nodded. "I'll go in. I've learned some ways that you just can't learn in a...thriving society."
Jess gasped, looking at him with horror.
Matt kept her gaze. "It has to be done," he said quietly.
Jess just stared.
"What is Becker doing now?" asked Abby.
Jess turned back to the monitor, even though her heart cried to her not to.
"I didn't know he carried a knife," said Connor.
"It's awfully small," said Lester.
Matt sighed. "No, it's the perfect size, for this...business."
Jess shook her head. She still didn't understand.
Becker pulled the man, bloody, groaning but defiant, into his chair. Becker knelt in front of him. "How is the toxin being released?"
The man grinned.
"Where?"
He laughed. "I won't...talk," said the man through gasps.
Becker sighed, and glanced without realizing it, at the camera.
Jess shuddered.
Becker turned back. He said, "You will." It was so calm, so unemotional, that it terrified Jess.
Then Becker brought the knife and held it in front of the man, who still smiled. Becker kept his eyes steadily looking into the man's defiant eyes, even as he ripped open the man's shirt.
"What..." muttered Jess.
"Jess, look away. Now!" commanded Emily.
Jess shook her head. "I can't. I need to see..." She finished the thought in her head, 'what he's capable of.'
Slowly Becker sliced into the man's chest, right above his nipple.
Jess gasped.
Becker made a slight, barely skin-deep incision.
The man flinched.
Becker asked again, "the toxin?"
The man grit his teeth and shook his head.
Becker moved the knife under the man's skin, moving down. It was a long straight, slow cut.
"Oh...God!" cried Jess softly.
Becker sliced just below the skin, from the nipple down to the man's belly.
"Where is the toxin?"
The man moaned. He shook his head again.
Then Becker cut deeply.
"Ah!" screamed the man.
Jess cried out, grabbing her mouth.
"The toxin!"
"No!"
Becker then pulled the knife nearly out, but keeping the skin between his finger and the knife. Then to Jess' horror and disgust...he pulled the knife and skin backward.
"Oh my God!" she screamed, finally looking away.
Connor gagged. "He's...skinning him."
Abby gasped and looked away. So did Lester. Matt and Emily did not. They held their gaze steady, wearing masks of no emotion.
Jess cried as the man screamed in agony.
Then she heard a nearly inhuman voice below over the monitor, "Tell me! So help me I'll flay every piece of your sorry carcass!"
Jess gagged, grabbing her mouth.
The man screamed again.
"I..I have to...leave," she said, jumping up. She didn't even wait for Lester to OK it. She ran from Ops.
Emily and Lester exchanged looks and she followed quickly after Jess.
Abby frowned. "I'm going too."
Connor looked green. "Yeah. Definitely."
Matt sighed. Lester had moved away, but was still in Ops. "He'll talk now," said the Irishman.
"I hope you're correct," said Lester, with an awful taste in his mouth. "I need a drink."
Matt watched the monitor. "Lester, look."
Lester forced himself toward the ADD and the monitors. Becker had moved closer to the camera. Behind him lay the man, slumped on the floor. "Lester, Matt? It's going by water, transmitted by eels. I have the location of the distribution center."
"Excellent!" cried Lester.
Matt immediately barked orders into comms.
"Good work, Captain."
Becker nodded. "Matt, I'll meet you at the trucks."
"No. You've done enough. You wait here. See if there are any reports of contact or bites. You may have to lead medical teams in, depending on how bad the situation is."
"Right." He looked back at the man on the floor. He was a killer who would have killed many more. Still, this wasn't Becker's favorite part of the job.
He nodded to the sentries, who took the man to medical. He walked out of the room and into the loo, to wash the substantial blood off. He closed his eyes.
"Damn." He rinsed his face. "Damn." He stared at the mirror. He sighed deeply. "She saw." He knew it. He heard her scream. "Now she knows. I'm a monster."
End of Chapter One