Disclaimer: I do not own Call of Duty

Welcome to the world of Stockholm syndrome

"Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come."- Carl Sandburg

It was quiet much to his pleasure in the late of night. Valik was trying his best not to sleep even though his body and mind wanted it. His blurry eyes were looking back and forth at both Katie's and John's sleeping forms in their cells. He knew when Katie was asleep she would have her arms around Boris like a child holding on to their stuffed animal. Though John, the new prisoner, Valik did not know the man's sleeping pattern.

It has been two weeks now since John was made his prisoner, much to Valik's pleasure. John was not any prisoner that he has encountered since working in the prison. He asked questions, but his questions were like riddles or had a deeper meaning behind it. Valik understood little of the questions, one minute it was civil and the next it turned to some interrogation. John could manipulate by saying just the right sentence. The guard knew that he wanted more than just a simple story, he wanted a confession. John wanted answers and Valik held that information, even though he hated the idea of holding it but things were complicated as it was.

He let out a sigh with such thoughts running through his head that a headache was throbbing at the veins in his temples. The building was warm in some parts due to a fire burning inside. Though, Valik kept a fire going every night it would get below freezing some nights and it would just get cold. In order to keep warm, he had to sacrifice nights to keep the fire going.

'How old are you?' She asked.

'I'm only twenty-eight."

Valik gave her a side glance but had a hint of a smile forming on his lips. She looked to him with her own smile though he knew she had it on her face. He was focused on his gun that was on the desk in front of him. The sound of moving objects and clanks echoed silently but she kept her eyes on him; on his back.

He could feel her eyes scanning him waiting to say something else. Valik could only guess that she was trying to form the words, how she was going to say it without having to offend or open something that was already healed.

'How did you deal with the death of your brother's and father? '

Valik quickly stopped cleaning his weapon almost close to dropping one of the pieces and looked down to Katie with wide eyes. Boris was enjoying the rub that he was getting from her oblivious to what was going on around him. He was lying across her legs as she was sitting next to him. Breathing slowly to get the right answer or trying to think of something to say, he put down his weapon with the cloth that he was cleaning it with.

'It wasn't the easiest thing for me to deal with. When I was with my parents at the house, these men came to our door. My mother...' He paused for a moment before he started again. '...She dropped down to her knees and screamed as she cried. My father held her so close. At first, I didn't know how to feel. It was all just hatred and anger.

When those men left, I left the house and went to the bar. I got drunk that I didn't care about my own feelings or the world around me. I didn't care if I left in a car and got into an accident because life is not worth living when your own kin are gone. It's still so goddamn hard to think that my two eldest brothers died in a war that had nothing to do with them. I hated God so much.' His voice lowered with anger.

She looked away from him as she seen the anger filling in. He hated God for taking away most of his family. Surely enough that is why he was so distant. She was slowly beginning to understand why he was the way he was. Always so guarded and quiet that no one could climb his walls. Blaming God couldn't be the right answer or blaming someone else. He entered a dark time in his past that he will never forget or want to. It only makes sense that he might feel hate towards God himself. Maybe he felt some kind of hate inside.

'Do you still hate God?' She tried to say to him.

'I don't know if I should even believe in him at all. My father suffered a heart attack in the barber shop for all that He cared. He was depressed and all of a sudden his life is taken just like that. No one was around to save his life.' He closed his eyes then opened them again with clenched fists.

'From there, my family was gone with only my mother and me. Pretty soon, people in my community started to give us pity. Telling me 'sorry for your loss' and some other stupid shit like that. I've lost the closest people in my life. My mother didn't stop crying until only after a year. Then the doctor tells me that she is going blind. I tried to ask God why and the answer is always the same. Nothing. If God exists, then why do bad things happen to good people?'

He looked at her with so much going through him. Hoping for some sort of answer from Katie but it was useless. No human being had the answer. She slowly got up from where she sat; Boris sitting up as he looked at her. When she stood in front of Valik she went to her knees. Holding his hands with hers, closing her eyes, Valik knew what she was doing. She was going to pray which he did not want.

'It only seems hopeless to some, but if you give up on something you never really understand it. My father used to tell me that. I may not know how it feels like to lose somebody from war or a heart attack, but I know what loss is. Someone once told me that God has a plan for everybody. Good or bad. It's just how you live your life.'

Valik slowly took his hands out of her grasps leaving her hands on his knee. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. Brown looked lighter when the light in the room shined upon her, he could see the beauty behind the sadness and the care that she has for him. If only he could melt away the ice cold blue in his eyes, then maybe he would be much of a caring person. Valik knew that he could not do that, even though his blue eyes have always been ice.

'We come from different aspects of life. You will never understand mine even if you tried.'

'Maybe I will never understand you enough, but I know that you're a good man. You have heart, you care about Boris. You care for your mother. You care enough about me to be there when I need you. You protect me. You fought and killed a man, which was wrong, but you did it to save your life and mine. Think about it for a second and tell me that I will never understand.'

She placed her hand on his cheek. Valik's eyes began to soften at her touch. Beginning to smile at him; that beautiful smile she always gave him. He never met anyone like her before. Each person in this world is different and some people attract others, though Valik could see that this was affection, something that was scaring him. So many boundaries have changed between them. Their relationship, if you would call it, was growing stronger; a bond that was beginning to form.

"Valik."

He opened his eyes groggily to the sound of his name. Looking over to Katie's cell she was still fast asleep in her bed with Boris in her arms. That could only mean that he was awake. Silently getting up from the chair, he stretched popping his bones and his muscles relaxed a bit. Looking over to John's cell he walked to the front with the bars separating both men.

"What do you want?" He whispered annoyed.

"I've noticed the little fire was going out. I wanted to wake you up before it begins to freeze."

Valik looked behind him to the fire. John was right the fire was going low. For a second, he thought about thanking him but his mind has changed. He walked away from the cell without a second glance or a train of thought towards John. Getting some firewood on the side of the door he threw about four or five of the wood inside the pit. Once the fire was going, he walked back in the room.

John stood firmly in his cell looking at his surroundings. Valik became cautious at the actions of the soldier. Whatever he was thinking or planning on doing, Valik wanted to keep him from achieving that goal. There was no telling what John was capable of in this situation, the outcome in Valik's mind would be an outcome of disaster.

"Go back to sleep." Valik ordered.

"I'd rather not let the fire die. Sleep is less of a worry for me."

"Well, no need for concern over the fire. I've got it from here. Just do something to keep you occupied until the morning light comes. It is still early in the night, rest as much as you can." Valik placed his hand in the pockets of his vest.

"There is nothing to do here in these walls. Just let me out and I'll keep watch of the fire while you get some rest." This caused Valik to raise a brow.

"And why should I trust you? I do not know what you are capable of doing. If you were to do something that would bring more attention to you, it would only cause trouble."

Valik moved around in his chair. His muscles ached but they were not stiff. The guard was used to being able to stay still for a certain amount of time, but tonight his body was slowly giving in to rest. Months of not properly resting, Valik felt the strain and the unrest, but he had to keep going. Pushing himself was the last resort for his body. John could see the physical toll on the guard.

It was clear and with an observant eye all John could do is give him time to rest. Valik was a stubborn man that was clear to John. His observation on the guard was a mixture of tiredness and a fighter. Valik held more than what the eye could see which John wanted to try and find what it was that the guard was hiding.

"I spend more hours awake than I do asleep. When you are in an environment such as this, you have to keep your guard and not show weakness. When I do have the chance to rest my body and mind, I could sleep for a certain amount of time. In order to keep some sanity, I find it best to talk even if it is little conversation."

"Why would you want to make civil conversation with a man who is your guard? I am not as ignorant as the others you find here, but I know you have been observing with those eyes. You can try your luck with me, but certain things I will not say."

John lightly smirked at the comment. Of course, he has seen through the game. I have to be more careful around him.

"You seemed to be a likely candidate for a conversation. You might have eyes and ears, but you can also see what others ignore or choose not to see. They underestimate you just by a glance, but I can see that something bothers you. Your warden has his ties in it, does he?"

Valik quickly stood to his feet causing the chair to slide back a few inches. The small screeches from the metal echoed in the room causing John's smirk to widen a little more. Like a fox with a signature smirk of a trickster, the soldier watched with his eyes as Valik tried to find his footing.

"What do you know about the warden?" He asked as he walked towards John's cell.

"Not as much as I would have hoped for. But I need someone that knows him; someone like you. You're always called by him for whatever business it is. I need to know what he is planning and I need to know ASAP." John's voice sounded serious.

Valik was silent as he stared at the wall behind John. The options were slim like he was hanging on by a mere thread. The odds were against him and it seemed that he was going to hang by the thread. One: Betray the warden and wait for the reinforcement to obtain him or option two: let John be free from his cage and have the odds stacked up and wait for the chance for him to kill. Not much of a good choice, either way Valik would be dead or more likely hurt. He didn't like those options no matter how hard he tried to make it sound less of a threat. It was true that he knew more about the warden then most people but if talking to John about his options; how would he contact who ever will rescue him?

Being called a traitor wasn't on his list and being the suspect of supporters was not sitting well in Valik's mind. Then he would put Katie's life on the line, something he didn't want to do. If it meant her getting wounded or worse getting killed, he'd rather not say anything at all.

"Are you going to tell me?"

"The options I have before me are not what I want. I am looking out for the welfare of Katie, whom is already part of this ordeal. Putting her into an even bigger danger makes me look like a failure."

"What are the options you have?"

Valik walked to his cell once again, having a look of annoyance to his face. John knew that he was pushing his buttons, but it was all he needed for that push to get the guard talking. Even if Valik did not see the game that John was playing, it was what the soldier wanted. Something was bound to come out without the guard's knowledge.

"You should not even be alive in a place like this. The warden wanted you dead, but I showed a little weakness to him. Now that I have showed that you are alive even though I could have killed you."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because… I did not want to look like a monster in front of Katie. You do not know the situation I am in right now. And with you asking me questions for whatever you're planning, I want nothing to do with it. You do not know where I'm coming from. You do not guard someone you respect. Let alone care for. You may be military and you may have others to protect you, but when it comes to my safety, Katie is first."

John was silent. He was actually speechless. It would not be the first time, but it was rare for him. He is usually outspoken and tough, but in something like this. His words were not coming out of his mouth. Maybe pushing the boundary with this man was an intention but seeing how he was very bonded with Katie, getting the information was not going to be an easy one. And he was slowly running out of time.

The guards were once again cheering for the spill of fresh blood. The prisoner's once again in the background watching as they went at it like pitbulls in the ring. Katie alone was watching by one of the guards with sorrow filling her eyes. This was complete and utter madness. It was like watching an illegal cock fight, but instead of roosters they were men.

He threw a strong punch to the bald-headed man that was muscular than he. Swirling around quickly, Valik kicked him in the side and the man fell hard to the ground cracking something within his big body. The referee, who was another guard, looked down at the fallen man. Seeing as he wasn't moving a muscle the referee shouted Valik's victory.

Everyone was cheering for the fight that was won by the guard that became a top fighter even if he did not want that title. The warden up in his office with other men exchanged money and words. Shaking hands with these men, they were not disappointed in the fight that happened. The warden was a man of business and of terror. He would invite some of his other business men knowing that Victor was undefeated until just last month when Valik killed him.

The men that were in his office stood tall with smiles across their sinister faces as the exchange now done with. They were mysterious and dangerous to those that try to cross paths with them. The warden had some good connections to bring them nuclear arms for the war or for something else that will cause destruction. So far, he was enemy number one. The most wanted man. How he became a warden is his business but he was both corrupt and dangerous.

They sent their best fighter to go against Valik who was smaller by weight and height. But when it came to agility and strategy, Valik had it all figured out.

She closed her eyes as everyone was now walking away or talking to Valik with fake smiles. Boris stood by her side staring up to his master. Walking up to her, he knew the disappointed face she wore. She opened her eyes again looking at his body that has sweaty and mixed with blood. Scars lightly covered his muscular chest from weapons used. Even his lip was bleeding from when he was punched numerous times. Since the warden was now fighting him Katie was feeling alone.

He motioned for them both to go back inside of the building without even having to speak to her. Everything in the yard was going back to normal and the man's body was being dragged out by his fellow guards.

'What the hell is wrong with you? Fighting for what? Your life isn't in danger anymore Valik!' She yelled at him once they were out of ear shot.

'It's not like I have a choice in the matter. I must do what I am told or else you and I will be dead. You think I want to do this? You think I wanted to be the toughest guy? No! Now just shut up and try to help me.'

Katie stood there not surprised by his anger tone but more so shocked that it was getting out of control. Looking as Valik got some water in a small bucket and a rag; sitting on the chair he ignored her while cleaning his wounds. The tense feeling was suffocating and it was driving both of them to the deep end.

'What happened to the guard that I became friends with? When you came back from seeing that damned man last week, you haven't talked to me let alone want to be near me. Now look at you... You can barely clean your wounds. Talk to me Valik. Please.'

He threw the towel to the ground in frustration. Looking at Katie tears were starting to fall from her face as she held her hands close to her body. This was a mess. All of it was just a mess. As much as Valik would not like to say but she was right. Valik was now becoming a shadow of his former self.

He felt Boris brush up beside him, nudging at his hand with his wet nose. Valik did not even look at his dog, his most trusted friend. He was whimpering slightly for his master's touch or for affection. Valik felt that he was neglecting both of them.

'Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get all angry. But Katie, you must understand that I have to do what I have to do. I do not want them to hurt you. If you understood the warden like I do, then maybe you would start understanding. Right now, I do not want to hurt you more.'

Wiping the tears from her face, she slowly walked up behind him. Handing over the wet towel, she began to clean his wounds, the blood, and the smell from his body. There was a tense silence that engulfed both of them. She placed her hand on his shoulder feeling him tense up. They did not speak

He closed his eyes when he began to relax when her fingertips. Then before he could react to his action's he felt something warm touch his lips.