Chapter Eleven
Warnings: Mentions of torture.
Barton falls over himself in shock, "They've been doing what now?"
Sebastian looks down at his lap once more. "It hasn't been that often. We thought it was a prank caller at first. Then I thought they were just crazy...never told Barry that, though. And now look where it's gotten him!" Sebastian angrily wipes at a few stray tears tracking down his cheeks.
"Oh my god." Barton mutters to himself as the headmaster wraps an arm around Sebastian.
"I'd suggest you call in a few more officers to patrol Dalton." The headmaster coolly informs the detective.
Barton hurriedly rustles around for his phone, "Right away! I think it would be best if you hand over your phone, Sebastian, so one of our CSIs can look it over for any traces."
Sebastian pulls out his phone and shoves it towards the detective, "They once even used Joe's caller ID."
"Joe?" Barton asks in confusion.
"Their foster father." The headmaster replies. "Do you need anything else from Sebastian?" At the detective's negative head shake, he then asks, "Anything else to tell Detective Barton?"
"No, sir."
"Then let's get you back to your friends and then into your dorm room." He then leads Sebastian out of his office and offers him over to his waiting friends. "Why don't you all go back to one of your dorms and spend the evening together."
"Power in numbers?" Cisco asks.
The headmaster gives a wry grin, "Indeed. Now, off you all trot. And please come to me, any time of day, if you remember anything else that might get Barry back sooner. Or contact any of the officers that will be patrolling the grounds. Mr. West will be here tomorrow morning."
"Of course, sir, thank you, sir." Thad replies before he turns and starts to shuffle the group back to his room.
Several miles away, Barry slowly wakes up, noticing the pounding in his head and the pain in his wrists and ankles from where the ropes were tightly bound around his limbs. He tries to make a noise, but is cut off by a rag shoved in his mouth. "Oh look, the sleeping beauty has finally awaken." A sarcastic, thickly Russian accented voice drawls. Barry blearily looks towards the voice, fringe falling in his face.
"You may be wondering," An equally sarcastic voice giggles, "why you are here and not on a date with your little Alex." The figure moves closer, out of the shadows revealing a fit blonde female. She bends down and caresses Barry's face, causing him to flinch away, "My name is Alla Popov and I'm here to convert you to our cause...with force, if need be." She allows her nails to bite into Barry's cheeks. "Do you understand?" Barry frantically nods his head in understanding. "Good. You and me will get along just fine then." Alla gives Barry a sickly sweet smile, tapping his cheek once before moving off. "Why don't you and Kristoff get acquainted, hmm?" She turns to address the older male, "I'll be back in the morning."
Kristoff flips open a wicked looking pocketknife, a large smirk taking over his face, "I'd be delighted to get to know our little guest."
"Excellent." Alla titters before sauntering off, hips swaying in what Barry assumed she thought was attractive.
"Just you and me, moy dorogoy mal'chik." Kristoff sarcastically says as he draws closer to Barry, knife glinting dangerously in the harsh industrial lighting. Barry screams as the first cut is made.
Several hours later natural lighting starts to show through the openings in the warehouse ceiling, shocking Barry awake and bringing back awareness of the throbbing pain radiating on his chest from the intricate carving of the Bratva symbol. Blood slowly weeps out of the fresher wounds, older ones stopped by old and crusted blood. Barry groans, his head rolling limply against the back of the chair.
"Oh, look who's awake!" Alla cheerily greets, "Thirsty, honey? 'Course you are!" Alla shoves a bottle of water next to Barry's lips and forces him to drink. All too soon she pulls the water away, "Can't have you getting sick! Now, are you willing to cooperate?"
"Why would I cooperate when I just spent the night getting carved up?" Barry groans, half delirious with pain.
Alla rolls her eyes, "Why that wasn't nothing! That was just the cursory tattoo that all new members get!"
"Why don't you get an actual tattoo?" Barry sullenly asks.
Alla smacks him, "Stop asking questions! Now, are you going to cooperate or not?"
Barry glares at her defiantly through half-lidded eyes, "Go screw yourself."
Alla smirks, "Excellent. Dzhon, idi syuda." Another man moves forward, holding a wicked knife like Kristoff had, "This is John." Alla introduces the man to Barry, "You and him will get to spend some quality time together. Enjoy. Don't go easy on him."
"Of course not." John easily replies back in Russian. Barry once again screams as blade touches skin.
A knock sounds on Sebastian's dorm room door back at Dalton Academy. "Sebastian?" Joe calls, sparing a glance at the two police officers stationed outside of the bedroom.
A few seconds later Sebastian opens the door, hair flattened and clothing rumpled. "Hey, Joe."
Joe pulls Sebastian into a hug, "They'll find him." Sebastian clings to his foster father. "They've got so many people looking for him." Sebastian sniffles, causing Joe to clutch him tighter to his chest. The other Warblers appear in the doorway, all staring at Joe with expressions of despair. Finally Sebastian pulls away and Joe offers the other boys a weak, 'hello' which gets vaguely returned. "Have you ate yet? Any of you?"
When no response if forthcoming, one of the officers offers, "No, they haven't left the room yet today." Her mouth pinches, "Even though it's already ten."
Joe sighs, "This isn't doing anyone any good. Come on, let's all go get something to eat, I know it won't help much, but you'll feel a little better for it." The same officer nods her approval at Joe's words.
"We will of course be following the group." She tells Joe sternly.
Joe nods, "I would expect nothing less from a protection detail." Joe promptly grabs Sebastian and drags him out of the room and down the hall towards the stairwell, the other boys and the two officers following close behind. "The school is shut down until the problem is neutralized." Joe tells the boys, "And until Barry is returned to us." Sebastian wetly sniffs.
The group of Warblers and Joe has hardly left the Warbler practice room, save for the occasional break and rotating staff of police officers. Every once in awhile a staffer for Dalton enters the room and checks in or plies the boys with food, but for the most part the room has existed in a somber silence broken only by the sound of the decks of cards slapping against each other. About an hour into the vigil, Hunter and Oliver joined the group. At the 24 hour mark of Barry being missing, Joe gets up and starts to irritably pace. At the 26 hour marker, Joe forces the group of high schoolers to go back to their dorms and get some sleep, the police detail dutifully following.
At the 18 hour marker, Barry refuses for the fourth time to join the Bratva. At the 24 hour marker he begs for mercy, at the 26 marker he is forcibly woken from being passed out. When he's been in their hands for 36 hours, Barry starts pleading again for mercy and refuses yet again to join them.
At 38 hours, Joe slams doors and Sebastian hardly moves out of his bed. The Warblers, Oliver and Hunter watch as everyone break apart around them. The 40 hour marker passes quickly by, the Dalton staff growing more irritated by the second and the police force starting to angrily snap at each other.
At 43 hours, Alla approaches Barry once again, "Join us, darling?"
"Will it make the pain stop?" Barry sobs.
Alla's tiny smirk grows into a shark's smile, "Of course it will."
Barry frantically agrees, "Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!"
"Excellent." Alla nods at Kristoff. "Hose him off. John, get him some new clothes. Can't have our newest member looking like you do, now can we?"
At 43.5 hours, the heavily armed police task force storms into the warehouse where Barry is being held.