Chapter Four: A Deadly Promise
After so long in darkness the sudden flooding of the chamber with harsh electric light dazzled Oliver, and instinctively his eyelids shut to shield his eyes from the glare. They stayed shut; something within him told him to fake unconsciousness, and he allowed his head to rest motionless on his chest, as if exhaustion had overtaken him. Even as he did so he knew that it was pointless, and that whatever his captors had in store for him, it was now about to happen. However, the subterfuge gave him a few precious seconds of time, time that could be used for him to summon up the reserves of mental and physical strength he knew that he would now need to survive the ordeal that lay ahead.
It was Akunin's voice he had heard as the lights came on, and now as he listened he could hear her footsteps coming ever closer, the heels of her boots clicking crisply on the hard floor. The woman unnerved Oliver, more than he cared to admit. Lex's hate he could understand, even use as a weapon to be turned against his old school friend, and Carter was no more than a hired thug, a sadist in a sharp suit who got his kicks from torturing others. But Akunin – she was something different altogether. There was a coldness to her, an icy steel, that made her somehow all the more terrifying. It was she who had broken AC, and even when he had held her captive she had succeeded in getting under his skin, seeking out his weaknesses and vulnerabilities and exploiting them to devastating effect. She was a heartless killer, a woman who got her kicks from breaking men from within, and he was now entirely at her mercy, her next "project"; although he hated to admit it to himself, Oliver knew the truth – he was afraid of Rachel Akunin.
Akunin punched the access code into the keypad next to the gate to the cage, before stepping inside. She stood for a moment, gazing up at her prey who hung so helpless before her. A twisted smile curled on her lips as she thought of what lay ahead, the culmination of so many weeks of work. Breaking AC had been the hors d'oeuvre; now it was time to feast on the main course. And what a magnificent main course it promised to be! Oliver was everything she'd hoped the Green Arrow would be - tall and strong, perfectly shaped muscles filling every inch of his tight fitting leather suit. And his face – what a stunningly handsome face he had! No wonder he was the toast of the paparazzi, for he truly did have the features of a god; the strong jaw line, the sparkling brown eyes, the pure complexion, all crowned by that shock of casually styled blond hair.
And he was hers! Ever since she pieced together the mystery of the Green Arrow's identity she had fantasised about this moment, hardly daring it would come true. But it had – and Oliver Queen now hung before her, utterly without hope of rescue and entirely dependent on her for his survival. The Green Arrow, the mysterious, fearless crusader for justice, was her prisoner, her toy – and what games she had planned for him! Lex and Carter would break him physically, but she was interested in more than that – she wanted to break his soul. He would be a challenge, of that there could be no doubt. She'd done her research on Oliver Queen; orphaned as a child, marooned for two years on a desert island with nothing but his own ingenuity to help him survive, and now leading a double life as a costumed vigilante. Those experiences must harden a man, make him emotionally strong, but she would find his weakness, that chink in his armour that would allow her to get inside his head and slowly break him. And of course there was no hurry, for Queen wasn't going anywhere – like any fine meal, this course was to be savoured slowly, to be relished to the full.
"Come now, Mr Queen, don't be shy – I know you can hear me." Akunin's tone was playful, but laced with menace, like a cat toying with a mouse moments before it dug its claws into the tiny animal's fragile body.
Oliver did not move. Akunin stepped forward, so that she stood directly beneath the stricken hero.
"That was quite a reunion between you and Lex, you know – so good to see old friends getting reacquainted, don't you think?"
Stll there was no reaction. Akunin began to circle Oliver, all the time staring up at his body. Close up he was even more impressive, the stress placed on the muscles in his powerful upper arms forcing them to strain to their fullest extent. He was magnificent, but also exposed, vulnerable to any attack on his defenceless frame. The combination of masculine strength with the reality of weakness thrilled Akunin. She could not help herself; like a child reaching for the forbidden candy bar, she stretched out her hand, a frisson of excitement passing through her as she gently caressed the side of his leg, before allowing her hand to slip around to feel his firm, rounded ass. The leather felt smooth and warm to the touch, stretching taut across his exquisitely developed thighs and glutes.
"My, my, Mr Queen, it's true what they say – you really are a most magnificent specimen, aren't you? America's most eligible bachelor, the darling of the press – how will they cope without you, I wonder?"
Akunin's touch made Oliver's blood run cold, but he desperately tried to remain still, not wanting to give his tormentor the satisfaction of a reaction, however slight. There was a gentleness to the way her hand explored his defenceless body that was truly chilling; he knew her true purpose, her desire to break him, and to be objectified in such a way, the focus of her perverse desire, caused his gut to knot with fear.
Suddenly the hand was withdrawn. "Still, the world will move on to its next celebrity obsession," she continued. "And their loss is my gain, isn't it, Oliver?"
There was a moment's pause, Oliver sickened to hear his first name spoken with such malignant intimacy by his captor. Then suddenly, entirely without warning, he felt himself falling. Within a split second he hit the floor, his legs crumpling beneath him as he ended up prostrate in the center of the cell. It did not take him long to realise what had happened; Akunin had released the chains that had suspended him, signalling that the next phase of his ordeal could only be minutes away.
Having hung in the air for so long his muscles objected to so sudden a change in circumstances, and every one seemed to join together in a silent cry of pain. His arms in particular felt useless, the sinews of his biceps and triceps rendered momentarily impotent having been put under extreme stress for so long. He barely had time to register his new circumstances before he felt himself being flipped over on to his back, two strong thighs digging deep into his sides and pinioning his arms to his torso. He looked up – to find himself staring into the eyes of Akunin.
"I'm sorry about that, Oliver, but you were ignoring me, and I can't have my handsome hero ignoring me, now can I?"
Oliver stared up at the woman who now straddled him, his eyes blazing with defiance and hate.
"Ahhhh, but don't be angry with me," purred Akunin, placing a hand tenderly against the side of Oliver's face. Instinctively he tried to turn away, only to find himself grabbed by the hair and his head pulled upwards.
"Now, now, don't be shy, Oliver – let me look at that beautiful face of yours."
For a few seconds the two of them stared at each other, one intoxicated by a sense of overwhelming power, the other desperately trying to hide the fear that gripped his heart.
Akunin then reached towards her jacket pocket, pulling out a small knife.
"Now stay very still Oliver – Lex wants you undamaged, at least for now." She then placed the knife against the side of Oliver's face, carefully cutting through the layers of duct tape that had been used to gag him. Eventually she succeeded, then tearing the tape from Oliver's mouth.
"That's better, Oliver – you don't mind me calling you Oliver, do you? Mr Queen seems so formal."
"As long as I can call you sick bitch." Oliver's voice was cracked, parched through lack of water, but there was a defiance to his words.
Akunin chuckled. "Ahhh, Oliver, you never fail to disappoint me. The sculpted body, the beautiful face, the leathers, the bravado, and that oh so superior sense of right and wrong – you are every inch the hero, aren't you? The mighty Green Arrow, living out his comic book fantasy – well you're in my fantasy now, Oliver, and here, I make the rules."
Again she reached into her jacket, this time pulling out a bottle of water. She unscrewed the top, before holding it to Oliver's lips.
"Here – drink this," she ordered. After a moment's hesitation, Oliver allowed her to pour the water into his parched mouth, his need to slake his thirst overcoming any qualms he had about accepting an offer of aid from his tormentor. He drank greedily, draining the bottle in seconds.
"Of course this was how I broke your friend AC," said Akunin, as she drained the last drops of water into her captive's mouth. "Water was his weakness, and eventually his need to drink robbed him of his arrogance. A physical craving destroyed his heroic pretensions, reducing him to a pathetic, wimpering boy." She paused, carefully placing the bottle to one side before leaning in close to Oliver's face. She was just a couple of inches from him, her scent filling his nostrils as she searched his face for any sign of fear. "I wonder what your weakness will be, Oliver?" she whispered. "What will be the key to breaking the great Green Arrow? You'll be tougher than your friend, I know that, but I will find it – that weakness that will allow me to get inside that head of yours. It may take weeks, months even, but sooner or later I will find the key – and then you will be mine, Oliver Queen." As she finished speaking she leant in closer still, hovering over his lips for a split second. Then she kissed him, gently, tenderly, but with the lethal intent of a Black Widow sealing her promise with a touch of the utmost intimacy.
Her words had been barely audible, but they carried with them a terrible power. There was such certainty to them, Oliver had no doubt that Akunin was telling the truth. Physical torture he was prepared for, but she wanted to break his spirit, destroy his very soul – and now he had no doubt that, sooner or later, she would do it.
So things look bad for Ollie, and they're going to get a lot worse before they get better, I'm afraid. Thanks for reading, and a special thanks to all you wonderful reviewers - love you to bits! Please keep letting me know what you think - I love hearing from you!
