Hi everyone!

I am sorry, I didn't update any of my stories for too long. I had a lot of work during these past few days, and I will have even more before the end of holidays: preparing to move away from home sucks.

Anyway, I've decided to translate this chapter and share it with you. I hope I have written with no mistakes this time.

And I will answer to your reviews:

Justicerocks: Yes, she has every right to blame Antonio. He played with Matt and especially his ethics. And I am glad you liked my writing ^^

jewel2687: I added more details and included emotions/feelings in this story specifically BECAUSE the show hadn't let us see more of Gabby's reaction. And it's not over (obviously)

Michelle: You really imagine it should have happened in the show? No problem, I wished to as well :D (what a cruel thought). And I am glad you liked this

Edelmira Gil: I can't speak Spanish (yet) and I have to use a translator, but I am glad you liked this chapter. You will love this one then

texterlover: I really like this story too, that's why I decided to change the first version of 3TBU for this one ^^ I have more inspiration, you will understand what Matt went through etc...

It is time to read now. Enjoy it!

Day 1: the beginning

Matt didn't know where he was. He only could feel that he was in a dark, cold and stinking room. Yes, stinking humidity. A foul odor stormed his nose. This odor made him sick, to the point of making a huge effort to swallow his saliva to avoid vomiting. Suddenly, images invaded his mind. Katya. Had he dreamed? These guys had really killed her before his eyes? She was dead, he had felt it when he had thrown at her to press the wound, he felt her soul leave her body and her heart die slowly. These images of Katya dying in his arms made him sicker. How Nesbitt could have accepted that? How he could have allowed Oleg pointing his gun at her and shooting her in the chest without an ounce of hesitation and remorse? Shouting that she would never have done that. What did this mean? She had no right to do anything? She had no right to escape from the grip of Nesbitt? All this awful nightmare? Matt tried to move, but he soon felt something around his wrists and ankles. He was tied up. He tried to struggle, but a sharp pain stopped him and crawled along his spine. Something had just cut his wrists and he could feel his blood flow and fall on the wet ground. The smell of his own blood came to his nose, mixing with the stench of humidity he wanted to suppress. But he was no longer able to do this. In a hasty move, he got to his knees without opening his eyes, and threw up the content of his stomach on the bare floor. Until there was only bile coming out. Everything was burning. Everything. A jackhammer was banging in his head as he collapsed to the ground, trying to move as little as possible, his whole body was shivering. Suddenly, the door opened in a dull cacophony. He forced himself to open his eyes, gradually accustoming them to the lack of light. It wasn't Jack Nesbitt, he was sure.

"Back in the land of the living?"

this accent, this voice, it was Oleg. Matt didn't reply, he didn't want to.

"You have made friends with barbed wires and played with them!"

Barbed wires. This horrible thing had entered his flesh.

"You move too much, and you cut your radial arteries. One way to escape us, but I don't think you have enough guts to do that. Am I right? Well, not yet."

Oleg slowly walked toward Matt, kneeling in from of him.

"On your knees."

Matt didn't move an inch, he couldn't without feeling any pain. And he didn't want to feel this pain, not now, not today.

"I said: on your knees."

Reluctantly, Matt obeyed without a word. He slowly, hardly and painfully got on his knees, still struggling against this urge to vomit, then began to straighten. Without mercy, Oleg struck him a violent kick in his stomach. He fell back on his knees in a crash, making Matt wince. He swallowed hard his iron saliva.

"I never said get up."

He stood there, not moving, he went back up to Matt and smiled.

"I need a special information, Matt. And you're the only one who knows now."

He still didn't move, his eyes still closed. He thought: the notebook.

"Why did you betray us?"

Matt still didn't move or look at Oleg. He understood what he meant, but didn't react.

"You talked to the policemen at your firehouse! What did you say to them!"

But Matt remained silent. He wouldn't talk. The urge to vomit was too important to open his mouth.

"I won't repeat the question twice."

Matt continued to stand up to Oleg. He was looking for trouble, but he didn't want to throw up on him. He heard then Oleg sigh and get up.

"Alright. I have plenty of time here. You have not. But it is no big deal. I am very, very patient. I will come back in an hour, to see whether you changed your mind or not. And if it's not the case, I will take care of you."

Matt heard the door close by making this same horrible noise. Matt felt then tears burning his eyes, then his cheeks, and falling on the contaminated soil. Deep down, he knew that this nightmare wasn't over, and that he had to find a way or another to escape. The only thing he had in mind at this precise moment was to talk to himself. As a hallucination.

You've never given up, never. Each time you were ready to explode, you reacted. You took a step back, you turned and went ahead. You succeeded to get out of this! You can get out of this again!

But Matt was stuck here, tied up, undoubtedly tortured soon, probably to death, so how to cope, how to get beyond that?

Gabby. She helped you after Hallie's death. Kelly helped you too. They all were there for you. No matter what, when, how and why, he will all be there you, always. You can't give up, you have no right.

His own voice invaded his mind, this inner voice was right. If he was still alive, it was because he had held on to Gabby, he had held on to her after his first love's death. He still had to hold on. At least, try. The door opened again, creaking even more than the first time.

"The hour is over. You changed your mind?"

He didn't see the time pass. He hadn't moved, tears had dried long time ago. Everything happened so fast when speaking to oneself.

"Have you thought about what I said earlier?"

Matt hadn't even thought about. He had just thought about how to mentally get out of this. Paralyzed by both fear and pain, he didn't allow himself to talk.

"I presume you don't want to talk to me. But you will. You don't even know what I am able to do... Not yet."

Matt didn't blink. He remained still, fixing the ground, avoiding the angry look from Oleg. The latter kneeled, grabbing Matt's chin and turning his head toward him to look at him. Finally, he allowed himself to look him in the eye, trying to show him that he wasn't afraid while he was terrified.

"I will make you swallow your pride. Trust me."

He dropped Matt's head, put his hand in the other and cracked his fingers. Matt was right: he was going to be tortured.

Think about what I said earlier. Don't give up. Otherwise, what you did to save Katya will be in vain.

But Katya died in his arms. He was powerless to save her, he did nothing. What should he do to survive?

You must speak in no case. If you talk, the girls and your friends will be in danger. Gabby will be in mortal danger.

He didn't have the right to talk, it was a certainty. If he talked, it was over. His family, his friends, the girls, himself. Stay alive as long as possible to allow someone to find him was his best option.

That's it. You have to hold on. As you always do. You did this when your father abused you, when he abused your mom, when your mom killed your dad. You did this when Hallie broke up with you, when she died, when Andy died, when Shay died, when Kelly needed you. And each time, you held up and turned the corner, then don't give up. If you don't do this for you, do this for the girls. For Katya.

"It is time to start, Matt. It is time to talk."

But Matt wasn't in the mood to talk, he thought back to what the man in front of him had done. He reproduced the scene in his mind over and over, changing scenarios but, each time, he couldn't save Katya. In vain. Without noticing it, two men had come to help Oleg, cracking their fingers. Without a sound, without blinking, Matt gritted his teeth inwardly.

"Get him up and tie him to the chair."

A new wave of nausea had overwhelmed him, he decided to shut his eyes again and swallow the little saliva his mouth still managed to produce. He felt trapped by these two hulks he had seen earlier, be raised and seated on a chair. They undid the ties to his wrists and ankles, but he couldn't fight. They then tied each member on the chair, avoiding any of his movements. He opened his burning eyes, at least to see what was going on, not to seem frightened by Oleg, to show him that he was strong.

"I will destroy you, Matthew Casey."

Without warning, he received a huge punch in the face, on his cheek. He felt his jaw slightly crack under pressure, but he said nothing, he didn't even narrowed his eyes in pain. Nothing.

"Where. Is. The notebook?"

Suddenly, Matt heard himself laugh. Why he was laughing, he didn't know. Was it nervous, maybe it was the pain, maybe it was reckless. He raised his head, opened fully his eyes, and faced Oleg's glare.

"You will never find it."

In this sentence, a fist came knocking again his jaw, but on the other side. Matt opened his mouth, still feeling his jaw crack. He knew that whatever he was going to do, he would be tortured. So, Matt decided to make the game more... Fun for him, and most irritating to his tormentor.

"Could you knock my left cheek again please? My jaw is still not replaced."

But Oleg smiled and took his chin.

"I won't give you this pleasure, Casey. Not yet. If you don't talk under physical torture... Maybe mental torture will help you to loosen your tongue?"

Matt didn't really know what he meant, so he said nothing.

"Untie him and suspend him from a rope. We are going to give some news to his friends."

Matt hid in plain sight the terror that had just invaded him. They were really going to tie him like an animal, to suspend him like he was going to the slaughter, torture him while taking videos? It was a nightmare for Matt.

You have to hold on, to Gabby. To all your friends, to your family. If you talk, you're dead, and you will never see them again.

The two men grabbed him, loosened his bonds and got him up without even taking care of him. Then, they tied him from the rope hanging slightly over his head. His arms were on fire, he hardly touched the ground with his toes. Oleg smiled briefly when he took over the camera and lit it. He closed his eyes and waited.

"Say hello to the camera, Matthew Casey."

He didn't reply, he didn't raise his head. He didn't want to make him that pleasure. Oleg gave a nod to one of his guys, who straightened violently Matt's head to make sure that it was facing the camera. He tried to struggle, in vain. The men were too strong for him.

"So, Casey. I will ask my question again. Where. Is. The notebook?"

Matt decided to stand up to his tormentors. He smiled, raising his head.

"I will give my answer again: you will never find it."

As recompense, Matt received a huge punch in the stomach. He gritted his teeth, frowning, but he didn't cry out.

"I need this information, Matt."

"I need you... To wash your mouth... You reek from the mouth."

Once again, Matt received several punches, this time well placed on the stomach and above. He felt one of his ribs crack.

"I won't ask a third time."

He continued to grind his teeth, but straightened his head again to face Oleg.

"And I won't give my answer a third time either."

Oleg smiled from the corner of his mouth. He bent down, then grabbed an iron bar and turned around Matt. He stopped behind him, took a momentum and struck him blows on the back. The beating was so powerful, Matt couldn't hold back his screaming. Each blow was stronger as the previous one, his cries became increasingly stronger and strident, resonating in the room and making Oleg and his henchmen laugh.

"Still nothing?"

Matt could no longer bear this situation, but he knew it wasn't going to stop, even if he talked.

You have to hold on, not for you. But for your friends, for your family. For the girls. You don't have the right to falter, it would mean that the dream of Katya and her efforts will have been wasted.

Matt had to stay strong. He had to hold on, even if it was going to last days, he had to hold on.

"Well... My back is still scratching, just below my shoulder blades. May you..."

Oleg smiled, then laughed. Matt heard him move away. It was over. Or at least, he had hoped. A huge blow woke him up, making him howl in pain. This pain was so big, his body was covered with spasms, making him shake as never. He felt something flow slowly in his back, then fall to the ground. What had fallen mingled with the putrid water of the frozen ground, and Matt realized then that what was running through his back was his own blood. Oleg had hit him so hard that he had come to make him bleed.

"I will make you swallow your pride. Matthew Casey."

At this moment, the nightmare continued for Matt. Oleg hit him, again and again. With this iron bar, stronger. He didn't count the blows, or rather, he stopped counting them because there were too many. Sometimes, he heard another of his ribs crack, another time he felt his muscles twist in all directions. The pain was so strong now, Matt decided to play dead, so that Oleg stop hitting him. He lowered his head, holding his cries and tears to not attract attention. After two minutes of blows without interruption, Oleg stopped hitting him. Matt heard him laugh.

"If he loses consciousness with this, he won't last long."

Inwardly, Matt laughed. He was firmly determined to prove him wrong. He was going to hold on. He had to. For Gabby. For Katya. He didn't want her death to stay unpunished, but above all, in vain.

"Come on, untie him. And bound his wrists and ankles. We will come back in a few hours."

He then felt the men untie him and his body fell to the floor with a thud that made them laugh intensely. He didn't cry out in pain as he felt these men tie him again with the same barbed wire, this time wrapped around a rope. He didn't cry out in pain as he felt that his right shoulder was slightly dislocating under the force they used to tie his wrists and ankles. He didn't cry out when they left him alone in the wet and icy metal box, slamming the door behind them. He decided to half open his eyes, only to see a sad view: what he was living was the reality, it wasn't in his head. He was living a nightmare, but everything was real. This video Oleg had done, he knew deep down that he would send it to the most loved ones he had. He closed his eyes, his body still covered with painful spasms. He was determined to show Oleg that he could last long under these conditions, he wanted to believe in it. But he didn't know himself if he could hold a second longer in this icy hell. He didn't know what time it was, and he didn't want to. All he knew was that he was in almost total darkness, tied up like an animal for slaughter, tortured for a simple notebook. He heard nothing but the sound of raindrops falling on the rusty and contaminated soil. How long he would hold on... He then remembered the survival course he had when he was in high school: a human being could usually hold four days without drinking, nine days without eating and eleven days without sleeping. He remembered that because he had been impressed to know that the human body could resist that long. Would he succeed to survive days in pain? No drinking, no eating in the cold and the humidity? Nothing was sure at all...

A/N: As I said in the explanation of the previous chapter (before the beginning of this story), the next chapter will return on Gabby and her relatives _also including the investigation, etc..._, day 2 (the day after Matt's missing then).

Please, tell me your thoughts in a review ^^