The Assignment

Chapter Three

April 3rd, 1912

Ellicot

Undisclosed Location

9:00 pm

In retrospect, they should have realized it was a set up. The overheard conversation was too convenient. This did nothing to help their current situation however, as they found themselves captured, locked away in a windowless room with a guard stationed just outside where they could see his boots under the door.

Vato sat on the thin mattress against the wall with his head down, Heymans paced the small room looking for a weakness in the walls or floor. It didn't help that they had no idea where they were. They had been following the men at a safe and discrete distance when someone came up behind them and knocked them out. They woke up in this room a short time ago.

"How long until check in?" Vato asked quietly.

"Thursday." Heymans said with a sigh as he threw himself down next to Vato. "Two days."

"That's… not good."

"It's what we got. Unless we come up with something first."

Vato sighs in response before leaning sideways until he's flat on the mattress. Heymans follows suit, they both were suffering from the aftereffects of whatever they had been given to bring them here. A dull headache and dizziness seemed to be the extent of it. Though both men felt very tired as well. After a few minutes of silence, Breda sighed. "Even with Thursday check in missed, we're going to be here at least a week unless we find a way out. Mustang won't send anyone after us until Friday. That is if the Innkeeper isn't in on this, which I think he is, it won't worry him enough to send back up the first day."

"At least a week." Vato agreed with a sigh. "Provided we are not further from town than I assumed. We had to have been given something, depending on how strong we were out anywhere from fifteen minutes to a couple of hours."

"We need to find a way out of here." Heymans said with a frown. "I don't want anyone else on the team caught up in this."

"We have no idea what is truly going on either. This was more complex than it appeared on the file."

"Damn straight. First of all, at least three, or four people are involved. Five if you count that Innkeeper, unless he was the guy they were headed to meet. I assume the Manager is not involved, he reported it, though that's really no guarantee either."

Vato didn't respond, which concerned Heymans at first, until he heard the low rumble of the other man's snore. Heymans rolled over with a frown to face Vato, and considered trying to wake the older man, before slipping back to sleep himself.

April 4th,1912

6:00am

Vato and Heymans woke with a start at a loud clanging near their heads. Standing above them was a large man in a masquerade mask holding a tin bucket which he had banged against the wall. "Oh good, you're awake." The man said. "Now up and at em, I don't have all day you know. Lets get you fed and cared for so I can get back to my real job."

He set the bucket down next to the bed, then pointed at a second bucket near the door that had a tray on top of it covered in a then towel. "This one here's your chamber pot, that one there's your water. I'll be back tomorrow to switch em out. No funny business or I'll just not bother, got it?"

He waited until both men nodded before walking back over to the door and knocking his knuckles against the wood twice. The door opened slightly, just enough for him to slip through but neither prisoner could see beyond the door from the angle they were laying. As soon as the door closed again, Vato climbed off the mattress to carry the empty bucket to the far side of the room. Heymans went over to the other bucket and lifted the tray off of the top.

He wasn't sure what he expected, though he hadn't expected it to be so heavy. He carried it back over toward their mattress, then went back for the water to carry over as well. Vato rejoined him on the mattress, and they lifted the towel to reveal two loaves of bread and a wheel of cheese. This relaxed them both slightly, in that they agreed the captors wouldn't bother with feeding them if they intended to kill them. At least not right away, which gave them time to try to think of a plan.

9:00 am

Heymans was ignoring his bladder. He had been for the last twenty minutes. Heymans hated having to go in front of anyone. He even used the stalls in Command instead of the urinals. He hadn't willingly used the bathroom in front of another person since he had been toilet trained.

He was also a bit jealous of Vato, because he clearly didn't have the same problem. He simply walked over to the bucket, used it and came back as if it was no concern for him at all. Heymans had been sure to look the other direction while it was happening, but he couldn't bring himself to wander over to the corner.

"I could face the wall for you." Vato said as he slowly chewed a hunk of bread.

"I'm sorry?" Heymans said as he squirmed.

"You need to urinate and cannot bring yourself to do so if you think someone can see you. I can face the wall. I'll even close my eyes and cover my ears if it would help." Vato replied before brushing the crumbs off his hands onto the floor and pointedly turning toward the wall.

Part of Heymans wanted to deny his hang up, after all he didn't want to show weakness, however his bladder was grateful to Vato's offer, so he stood and made his way over to the bucket. "Promise you won't look?" Heymans said with a cringe. He sounded like a damn child.

"I will not look in your direction until you return to the bed." Vato confirmed before closing his eyes and covering his ears humming for good measure until Heymans tapped him on the shoulder.

"Thanks. I know no one else has a problem with it, and after serving in Ishbal I shouldn't have an issue with close quarters- "Heymans began.

"Everyone has something they cannot bring themselves to do, Heymans. I am just relieved it is something I can help you with." Vato said. Heymans nodded.

Vato was able to sleep last night, only because he had still had whatever drug they gave him in his system. Normally Vato could not sleep unless he had at least a light sheet to cover himself. Heymans considered the towel they had been given to cover their food. Perhaps Vato could use it tonight to help him sleep.

Both of them had gone to dinner in civilian clothes to not stand out, and Heymans also had a light jacket he could offer if the towel wasn't enough. They still had a few hours before they had to worry about it however, so he didn't bring it up yet.

10:00pm

Heymans had offered up the towel, and his jacket, to help Vato sleep. Vato gratefully took the towel but refused the jacket, concerned that Heymans would grow cold overnight. He also admitted, rather begrudgingly, that since they had been forced to sleep so close together it helped him to sleep nearly as much as a blanket.

Heymans made no comment about his apparent status as a makeshift comfort item. He simply gestured for Vato to lay down, then laid next to him. Vato moved closer to be able to throw the towel over them both, before settling in with soft snores. Heymans was glad he could help, even if he wasn't used to having someone share his bed like this. Both men fell asleep rather quickly now that they were cuddled together under the bath towel.