But I'm on the Outside
And I'm looking in
I can see through you
See your true colors
Cuz inside your ugly
Ugly like me, I can see through
See the real you
When the plane landed Nina opened the door to look outside in the warm night air to see a small army waiting for them. She smiled at the fact that no matter where they go in the world there is always some group willing to help stop the Capitalist Pigs and their meddling policies. She walked back inside and could see the uncertainty in Jack's eyes he tried to hide it, but she could see the slight change, "Time to go." She said pointing her gun at him. She walked over and uncuffed his legs from the chair. She said, "I wouldn't try to much. These guys really hate Americans, and especially American agents. They would be more than happy to put a bullet in your head or even just beat you to death." She smiled at him knowing he was contemplating his chances. She grabbed his arm and helped him stand up. Holding on to his elbow she escorted him out of the plane. She had remember being on the other side before and was happy not to have that experience again.
Jack stumbled some going down the stairs he was not use to having his hands and legs confined to moving only a slight distance. He looked around trying to find an opening to use to his advantage. He could feel Nina's tight grip on his elbow and he knew he could break that just by yanking his arms quickly away, but how would he keep her from shooting him, or the others for that matter.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs another woman walked over and looked at Jack than to Nina, "We have a place you can stay for the day. It's a hotel ran by one of my people. What do you want us to do with him?"
Nina never thought about letting Jack out of her sight, "He's coming with me. He does not leave my sight."
"Don't trust us?" The woman smiled sadistically at Jack letting him know she was more than willing to kill him on the spot.
"No I don't trust him. You don't know this mans capabilities. I do and if you even give him a slight window he will find a way to make it into more."
"OK. Would you like more me to help you?"
"They can keep watch outside." Nina said flatly.
"Ok. We'll take you to your hotel than." The woman said turning around and walking to a car.
Nina followed her still keeping hold of Jack's elbow. She helped Jack into the back and than two big men sat on either side of him. Both me were at least two times Jack's size, and Nina was sure there was no way Jack would be able to make it past the two men. Nina got into the front seat and glanced back in the rearview mirror to see Jack scanning for a way out, she knew he was now scared, he didn't show it, but she could feel it.
When they reached the hotel Nina scanned the outside before she got out of the SUV. She wanted to make sure that there weren't any surprises waiting for her. She had not dealt with these people before nor did she trust he contact fully. She got out of the SUV and followed the woman to the room. After checking the room, Nina smiled and thanked the woman. The two men dragged Jack in, literally dragged Jack in.
Jack had figured if he was going down he minds as well go down now rather than later by the hands of someone else. So he fought the entire way in trying to get free, part of it out of fear, and another just the need to survive or at least attempt to survive.
One of the men got tired of fighting with Jack so he took his free arm, which when flexed probably would have been the size of Jack's head, and punched Jack in the head twice dazing Jack long enough to get him through the door.
"Where do you want him?" The other man asked Nina.
Nina looked around the room for a place to secure Jack. She looked at the bed and noticed that the legs where bolted into the ground, "There" she said pointing to a leg of the bed.
The men dragged Jack over to the side of the bed by the bathroom and uncuffed one of Jack's hands. Jack tried to fight but one of the men's strong hands held his arms behind his back while the other secured the cuffs around the post. When they finished one of them decided to kick Jack in the side, causing Jack to tumble over on to the ground. His cuffed hands keeps him from fully lying on the floor. Pain had erupted through his body all the injuries catching up with him, the broken ribs, and the gash in his arm all hurting all at once. He was breathing heavily in pain, which ironically caused him more pain. With that thought he began to laugh, the stress of the day finally hitting him.
The man who kicked Jack looked down at him when he heard what he though was a laugh coming out of Jack. When he saw Jack was almost laughing hysterically he lost it and started to attack Jack who kept laughing for awhile as more kicks connected with his body causing it more pain. Eventually his laughs turned to cried of pain.
Nina grabbed the man after a few minutes and screamed, "Stop it damn it. I don't want him dead yet." Nina looked at the man angry. She looked down at Jack who had blood coming out of his mouth, nose, a cut above his eyebrow and his arm again.
The woman said, "We'll be leaving now. These two will stay outside to watch both you two and the outside. Call if you need anything."
"Thanks." Nina said watching the people leave the room. She walked over to Jack and shook her head at him, "What was so funny?" She asked partially angry and partly worried that he was seriously hurt, which in the end would not be good for her.
Jack felt all the pain of the beating and with blood still coming out of his mouth as he spoke he said, "Nothing at all."
"Great." Nina said thinking that maybe Jack had received more damage to his head than she thought he did earlier, she never remembered him being that stupid.
Nina walked into the bathroom the grit from the day bothering her, she needed to take a shower. She looked out at Jack who still lay on the floor looking off into space. She left the door open as she undressed to get in the shower when she looked back out she saw Jack glancing at her, she liked the look in his eye, she knew she still could get to him no matter how much it bothered him he was still attracted to the woman who killed his wife. She got it the shower listening for anything out of the ordinary coming from the other room. She finished her shower and walked out in a towel.
Jack still lay on the ground the pain causing him to breath shallow. He was searching for the strength to sit up and than try to lift the bed up so he could get his hands out from underneath. He slowly struggled to pull his mangled body into a sitting position when he finally was sitting up he grimaced in pain.
Nina watched in fascination as she saw his struggle, she had admired him even when she hated him she had admired his ability to move through the pain. She looked at his face blood all over smeared, his shirt covered with his blood. She walked over to him and kneeled down.
Jack looked at her not sure what she was going to do. He didn't move back because he couldn't there was a bed post at his back. She looked into his eyes and he saw nothing left in her, at least nothing he had recognized from before.
Nina stood up and walked to the bathroom grabbing a damp wash cloth. She walked back out and kneeled by Jack again. She gently wiped the blood from his face. When she finished she stretched and said, "I'm starving. I'm going to grab something to eat." She left him sure he wouldn't escape. She stopped at the car with the two men in it and told them to watch the hotel she was going to get something to eat. One of them recommended a bar down the street and asked her to bring back a coffee for him.
While Nina was gone Jack tired with all his might to lift the bed, but after multiple attempts he knew there was no lifting it. It was bolted into the floor and the blot was not going to come up. He had nothing he could use to try to pick the lock on the cuffs, there was nothing to help him escape the situation. He would just have to wait for the right time, and hope he got away this time.
Nina left the bar with a small box of food, and two cups of coffee. She stopped by the car to give the man one of the cups and was told that everything had been quiet while she was gone. She was sure it wasn't quiet, but the U.S. wasn't there, and Jack should still be inside. She walked up to the door balancing the cup of coffee on the box of food and unlocked the door with her free hand. She opened the door to see Jack turn his head to see who was coming in.
Nina walked into the room setting the food and coffee on the table she sat down turning the TV on to watch the news. Jack's neck was getting soar from the angle he had it so he could see what Nina was up to so he turned his head back looking at the wall saying nothing. He could smell the food and he felt his stomach rumble in hunger. He focused on the pain to block out the hunger he felt.
Nina glanced back at Jack a few times during the world news report on CNN. She watched as he just stared off into space, she could tell he had been up to something while she was gone by the sweat on his face. She smiled because she knew he tried to lift the bed or something like that to free himself. He was desperate and when he became desperate he stopped thinking on real terms. She would not have just left him like that it would have been like uncuffing him and saying, "please stay here while I go away for a few minutes." She also knew he had to be hungry and she purposely brought food back to the room. She waited for the news to end before she even addressed him.
"You want something to eat?" She said as she turned the TV off.
"No." Jack answered he did want something to eat, but he knew there would be a catch.
"Fine. Have it your way." Nina sat at the table and made sure it was in the peripheral view of Jack as she ate some of the food she brought back.
Jack heard his stomach growl causing him pain as the already sore muscles tightened.
"Oh I thought you weren't hungry?"
"No I said I didn't want anything to eat." Jack snapped back angry.
"Are you sure?" Nina teased him. She walked over and kneeled by Jack holding the Styrofoam box of food. She grabbed a fork full of mash potatoes and held it up to Jack's mouth. Reluctantly Jack ate the mash potatoes that were already cold and far to lumpy for his liking, but he was hungry. Nina continued to feed him food trying not to laugh at how funny it was to her. When she finished she got up and threw the box away.
She went to lay down when Jack spoke up, "Is there any way I can use the rest room?" Jack's bladder was about ready to exploded. All those days of endless running catching up with him.
"Nope." Nina said not wanting to uncuff him, but than she didn't want to think about the alternative so she said, "Let me go get one of the guys."
She returned with one of the men who stood outside the door daring Jack to try something again. Nina went to Jack and uncuffed one of his hands. Jack walked into the bathroom with Nina trailing him. He stood there waiting for her to leave.
"I'm not leaving you alone Jack. And it isn't like I haven't seen it before." Nina said putting her hands on her waist.
Jack reluctantly did what he had to do. When he finished he went to wash his hands and he noticed the blood in his hair and on his shirt.
"Go ahead and take a shower Jack. It'll probably be your last. I minds as well be nice and let you have that." Nina said sitting down on the toilet seat she put down.
"Thanks." Jack said hoping the warm water would help his aching body. Jack undressed with Nina watching enjoying the show. Jack had a nice body that got even better looking when he would wear a flack jacket or anything like that. Nina had enjoyed admiring his body before and after he found out who she really was. She did miss the sex with him, it was always good almost too good at times.
Jack finished his shower in ten minutes when he was ready to get out Nina graciously passed him a towel through the curtain. Jack dried off than wrapped the towel around his waist. He stepped out of the shower grabbing his boxer to put them back on.
"The boxers are good enough for the night." Nina said not wanting to give Jack more time than he already had, and also she had not thoroughly checked his clothes and he could have something hiding in them. She walked him back out to the main room he sat back down for her and let her cuff him without fighting, mostly because he could not take another beating that night and he was tired. He tried to lay on the cold floor and curled up the best he could to stay warm.
Nina thanked the man and closed the door as he left. She locked all the locks on the door, turned the light off and went to bed. She had an early morning and a lot to do before they left for North Africa. She had trouble sleeping knowing what would happen in the end to Jack, for some reason it bothered her now that he was not a threat to her. She felt sorry for him as she could feel him shaking slightly from the cold room. She got up and grabbed one of the pillows off the bed and a blanket. She walked over to him. She put the pillow under his head and covered him with the blanket.
For this she got a thank you from him, and he began to wonder what was going on because she was being nicer than he had expected. He had expected to freeze his ars off most of the night.
When he woke the next morning he was still on the floor curled up with the blanket still on him. He tried to sit up struggling without the use of his arms. He looked around and didn't see Nina anywhere. He was unable to do anything so he sat and listened for her foot steps coming back. It seemed like forever before he heard her come back.
When she walked in she had two new big muscled men. She walked over to Jack and said "time to leave sleeping beauty."
She watched as one of the men uncuffed Jack. Jack dressed in his old clothes. He waited for the opportune time to make his move. He had to catch them off guard. After he finished dressing the man who uncuffed him came back to replace the cuffs on Jacks wrist. Jack waited until the man made the stupid mistake of holding the cuffs in one hand and opening the with the other, therefore occupying both hands and leaving himself open to an attack.
Jack threw himself back into the man, both of them falling to the ground. Quickly recovering Jack threw his fist violently into the mans nose breaking it causing the man's vision o blur with tears. Jack quickly reacted before the other man could charge at him, he blocked the first two punches the man threw and was going to block the third when he felt an immense pain in his leg. He had not seen the man on the floor, who's nose he had broken, had gotten up and pulled out a three inch pocket knife. The man inserted the knife into Jack's leg missing the main artery. Jack screamed in pain because of the distraction the other man was able to get three punches past Jack's blocks connecting with Jack's face each time. When he finished Jack fell to the ground dazed with blood coming out of his nose, and a cut on his lip.
The man kicked Jack a few more times to make sure all of the fight was out of Jack. Satisfied that Jack would not be getting up to fight anymore the man leaned down turning Jack over onto his back. He pulled Jack's arms back harshly cuffing them. The other man now standing looked at Nina who was laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes. "What's so funny?" the man asked irate.
"Nothing at all." Nina said laughing harder. "get him out to the car and check his leg I don't want him to bleed to death before I get him to North Africa."
When they reached the plane Nina watched again in satisfaction as the men dragged Jack up the steps to the small two engine plane. She boarded the plane herself and made sure the men had secured Jack in his seat, so that he would not be able to escape. She contemplated whether or not to sedate Jack, in order to be certain that Jack would not escape, she looked at him and decided she would let it play out and see if it was needed.
She took her seat across the small plane and waited for take off. She looked over at Jack a few times who looked as if he had zoned out. She wondered where he was at in his mind, which memory he held on to in order to get through the hard times. She smiled with the thought that she had taken one of those memories away, like he had with her. When the pilot finally took off it was about twenty minutes before he said it was all clear to move around. Nina was not worried the man might call the authorizes because her people had paid him very well and she was assured this was not his first time in flying cargo like this. She pulled out a bottle of water she had packed and took a drink. She asked, "You want some?" To Jack who was still zoned out.
She walked up to him holding the bottle in front of his face. He did not react to her she knelt down and looked over the stab wound, it wasn't anything really, more of a scratch that was deep enough to need a few stitches but only ten at the maximum she thought.
"This will be almost over in twelve hours." She stated trying to break him out of the trance. "Guess you don't want to talk than." She pulled her phone out and turned it on to check the messages she had received. The phone rang before she had a chance to check the messages.
"Have you taken care of the package yet?"
"The Cargo's on a plane to the camp. Should arrive in twelve hours."
"I thought you were going to destroy it?"
"No. Why would I do that when the package is worth so much to us? You know how many more camps or even events we could fund with just a little information from the package?"
"You know keeping the package for a prolong time is not going to work out. It always works it's way out."
"It won't this time. I've got all the bases covered and I know it to well." Nina said with confidence.
When the plane landed Nina felt like doing a victory dance. She had finally won. CTU was no where close to getting them, and soon enough they both would just disappear as if they never existed. Almost like the people who were caught by Big Brother in 1984, all existence of them would be null. She smiled at Jack as she celebrated, "Welcome to North Africa. Please enjoy your trip. Our next destination is a training camp." She said smiling as she looked at Jack's stone face that made her celebration a little less happy.
Some of her men got on board and carted Jack off the plane. Jack tried to fight but the men were able to control him. There was no way he was going to escape this far into the mission. Nina followed behind whistling to herself out of happiness. She got into the jeep that held Jack in the back cuffed to a bar. She looked at him still smiling, she could see the fear in his eyes for once, and she enjoyed it. It gave her an electrical charge to know he was scared, and rightly so. He was about to go through a long hellish process.
Jack watched as they went to the camp. It was so dark out he was not sure if they were even on a road. The driver had the lights turned out, and he was sure it was to keep the satellites from seeing them. They couldn't stop the satellites from finding them if they did an inferred scan, which he doubted they would do, so he had no hope left. No way of escaping or contacting CTU. The realization that Nina had just won set in, and he felt his stomach tighten in fear.
When they reached the camp there was a small welcoming party. They shot their guns off in the air in celebration of their victory against the capitalist pigs. Nina went to the man who was her employer and they embraced. "Good job. I hope you choice will work out wisely. We have some of our best going to work on him. How was your trip?"
Nina walked with the man to get food and she filled him in on the entire trip all of the events. From fooling CTU and Jack into believing they had actually captured her, to how she had captured Jack, kept him detained, and flew him back to the base. She ate and drank like a queen that night while Jack sat in a small damp room in a underground bunker that had to of been built at least twenty years ago. The room was cold, but there was nothing he could do about. He sat on the damp ground his hands retrained to a metal pipe in the wall. He waited for his slow agonizing death to begin. He knew eventually he would tell them whatever they wanted to know, and when they were finished he be killed and possibly turned into food for whatever animals they might have.
--------------------------------------
The prisoner sat in what had become his cell. His hand cuffed to a rusty old pipe that refused to come out of the wall after what seemed like days of struggling. Had it really been days? How long had it been? Everything just seemed to mold together. The only time he knew was the waiting period between the times the men came in to ask him questions roughly. He could not remember the last time he had actually seen day light or another person that was not there to hurt him. He felt his face with his free hand and could feel the beard that was forming, so it had been longer than a day. His body ached with ever movement, and he long since had gotten use to the smell of the room. The smell of his own sweat and burnt flesh. He looked down at his stomach where they had burnt him many of times and wondered how long that would take to heal if given the chance too. The thought had occurred to him already that he might be meeting his end soon. He knew he only had a few more times before he would not be able to deny them the information. They had not pushed him as hard as they could yet, but he knew why. They enjoyed seeing him in pain and suffering as he was.
The door opened to the room and the men approached there prisoner. Roughly grabbing him they uncuffed his hand from the pipe and pull him to his feet. The man had long since stopped fighting them. They carried him to the center of the room. With the help of another person they cuffed his hands to the pipe in the ceiling. The man hung from the cuffs. His toes barely touched the ground. He just stared straight ahead, he knew what was coming and he knew it might be the last time. All the pain he felt was present, but his mind was focused else where on the memories he still held on to.
A few minutes later the man that inflicted all of the pain walked into the room. He had a hose in tow. He walked up to his prisoner and looked him in the eyes, "Are you going to tell me today?"
The prisoner continued to look forward.
"I guess not. Time to get some of this stench out of the room." The man said as if speaking to himself. He turned the nozzle on the end of the hose. He turned it so the strongest stream of water would shoot out. He pointed it at the prisoner and allowed the water to hit him in the face and every where else. Blood washed down with the water into the drain.
The prisoner began to feel the cold again. He knew he was underground and that was one of the reasons why the room was cold, but he had gotten use to it long before, but now he was freezing from the cold water and the cold room working together. He began to shiver and someone made the crack, "He's scared finally!" The man tried to stop from shaking, but the water was so cold. Finally getting most of the blood off the prisoner the man looked at him and said, "That's better I can see your face again."
The torturer uncuffed one of the prisoners hands. The prisoner fall to the floor still shaking from the cold. His lips were turning a shade of blue. Two of the guards grabbed the man off the floor and placed him in a chair cuffing his hands behind his back. A moment later Nina walked into the room.
Jack had not seen her since the day of his arrival, he was unsure of how long ago that had been.
Nina smiled at him, "Jack how are you feeling? I see you won't answer these men's questions. You were always to stupid to know when you were beat." Nina said pushing Jack's chin up so she could look in her eyes. She could see his resolve slowly fading and she knew it was only a matter of time before he would tell them what they wanted to know. She was not sure what to do with him next. Her boss wanted him dead, simply because he was a solider of the infidels, but she reminded her boss she too had been one once. She was hoping that Jack might join up with her and they could make millions together, she still had a physical connection with him. Every time she touched him she felt this ping of something. The last option was they could just keep him down there until they found a better use for him, she doubted the last option as a viable choice. "Well I'll talk to you later." She said letting Jack's head drop back down. She and everyone left Jack restrained to the chair.
Nina's cell phone rang when she left the room. She answered it knowing it could only be one person, "Are they on to us?" She asked her contact at CTU.
"No. Is he still alive?" the male voice came over the phone.
"Yes. That was part of the deal. I get my information from him than we let him go."
"Is he on to me yet?"
"No." Nina said doubting the last thing Jack would think of now was of a mole at CTU nor could he even begin to identify who it was.
"When will you be finished with him?"
"When ever he gives us the information." Nina said. She had been wondering about the moles loyalty recently as he had become increasingly worried about Jack. "Why are you so worried about him all of the sudden? When we entered this deal you wanted him dead, than you changed your mind half way through. And now you are worried about his well being."
"Nothing. I just can't live with his death on my conscience." The man said.
"Just remember if you turn on us we will come back to get you, and your fate will be more painful than anything you could ever imagine." Nina warned him.
"I know." The mole said knowing exactly where Nina was. She had been stupid enough to not only stay on the phone long enough for him to trace their whereabouts, but stupid enough to use a cell phone to aid in it. Where they were the cell phone towers were nonexistent so it was easy to trace the call off the satellite she was using to transmit it.
---------------------------------
Kim walked up to Chase, who had been weird with her ever since her father had gone missing. She was worried about her father immensely and wanted Chase to be there for her. She had practically begged him to let her stay over at his place while her father was gone, the thought of going back to the apartment where he was not, bothered her. She thought maybe he was feeling bad about going behind Jack's back with their relationship. "Chase can we talk tonight over supper?" Kim asked when she got his attention finally.
"Yeah sure what about?" Chase asked.
"Nothing really important." Kim said not wanting to get into it at work. "Any leads on where my father might be?"
"Not yet. I'm sorry Kim. We'll find him."
"I hope." Kim said feeling the tears in her eyes. Chase got up and hugged her trying to console her.
He had been working most of the day on devising a plan to find her father. "I promise we will find him."
"I better get back to work." She said hurrying away not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes.
Chase watched Kim walk away. He walked over to Adam who was busy at work he asked him, "Can you do me a favor Adam?"
"Not really Chase I'm kind of busy. Can you get Chloe to do it."
"Sure." Chase said walking away. He went to Chloe, "Chloe I need you to look call up satellite photos for me."
"UHm Sure. Do you have Jack's approval?"
"Chloe how am I suppose to have Jack's approval when he's missing." Chase said calmly thought he was clearly irritated by her stupid question.
"God Chase no reason to get mean about it. What type of satellite and where at?""Inferred. I have some information on Jack that I got from a source. Look over North Africa deserts places where we think terrorist camps might possibly be located."
"That's going to take about an hour." Chloe said.
"Can you do it any faster? I don't want them to move him before we find him."
"I'll try to make it faster. It's not like I can control these things Chase."
-
AUTHOR NOTE: I RAN OUT OF VERSE SO I'm GONNA REPEAT A VERSE JUST BECAUSE.