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Chapter 13.
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'Water and death'
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"Oh damn you!" Tom hissed angrily as the piece of wire slipped out of his scratched and stiff fingers and fell on the floor again. Last one and half hour he tried desperately to open the padlock in the bars which stubbornly kept the gate closed denying Tom to escape from his cold prison. He was using a thin gold–plated handle of broken dark–glasses he found lying in the corner of his cell. Apparently Guardian lost it in their struggle during his last visit.
Tom swallowed uneasily at the memory. Still he had to fight waves of nausea at the very recollection of Guardian's sticky touch, a touch which caused Tom felt dirty, tainted. After that he almost welcomed with relieve the proceeding beating, though it left him extremely painful and weak, and this time certainly with broken ribs. The worst was the knowledge that Guardian didn't finish with him yet. That thought kept Hanson stubbornly fighting with the damned padlock. He had to get out of here.
But there was something else. Something he didn't take into account so far, he didn't think of, but now it scared him. Guardian knew how to torture people using not only fists and force but also without even touching them as well.
The thirst.
The young officer licked his cracked lips. After he regained consciousness about two hours ago every thought was devoted to his thirst. Not the pain pounding mercilessly in almost every part of his body nor hunger, but to the thirst. Firstly it confused him, but then he remembered vaguely it was his fourth day he was locked in here. Without any single drop of water, nor food. He recalled what he was taught in the police academy about dehydratation. A man could survive without water three to five days.
Hanson closed his eyes, drowsiness and cold overtaking him at last. He listened to the rapid rate of his heart, calling to him, repeating him only one word: water!
Tom looked powerlessly down at the shining thing lying on the floor. He had to open the padlock now, before he will be so dehydrated and weak he won't be able to move and think clearly. But looking down at it, so far from his reach, he started to wonder if after he goes down to pick it up will he find enough strength to gather himself and stand up again.
Soon his concerns were solved, as the sudden dizziness disabled his body forcing his legs to buckle under him. He couldn't help a loud groan leave his mouth as he slid down the bars on his bottom, painfully jarring his bruised right thigh. Stifling a cry Tom turned himself carefully on his left side trying instinctively to get away from the pain. Unfortunately the movement woke up dormant pounding pains all around his body into throbbing sensation threatening him to faint.
It took Tom some time to get his acts together. Ignoring pain he gathered the wire, struggled to the sitting position and propped his back against bars. He stayed in that position for several minutes focusing himself only on breathing until the pains decreased to a bearable level so that finally he decided he is ready to act. But soon after he made first move to push himself up, he suddenly heard the hateful sound of key opening the door to his prison. Tom froze terrified and tried to hide the precious wire in the pocket of his jeans. Unfortunately he wasn't fast enough, and Guardian noticed Hanson's strange movement. Without a word, with a snooty look in his eyes, he approached Tom, caught both his wrists squeezing them painfully and causing Tom to lessen his grip on the wire. Guardian looked at it falling on the floor and then turned his gaze towards the padlock.
"Trying to escape, Tommy?" With those words he pulled Tom's wrists roughly up forcing him to stand on his feet. "Jimmy! Bring the chains!"
Hanson managed to rest his body against bars, all his weight on his healthy left leg. He didn't say anything to deny Guardians words. He didn't dare for fear his voice brakes down showing how defeated and depressed he felt now. The last and only chance to get away from this mess was lost. Tom watched helplessly Guardian pushing the thin wire, which was part of his own glasses before, inside keyhole in the padlock and then broke it down.
"It wasn't wise on you, Tommy. Now the rest of your time here you will spend chained to the wall..." Guardian smiled before continuation. He looked at Jimmy holding heavy and rusty chains and a hammer. "...and very uncomfortable..."
Tom looked at him with disbelief. How any human being could threat people like that, with such hatred and pure pleasure of seeing them hurt and humiliated. How it happened that Tom was here anyway. Why nobody came to rescue him. Why his friends left him alone, with that... beast.
Tom watched Guardian coming for him.
He fought. Of course he did, although he knew how useless his actions were He was no match for them in his current condition, beaten and dehydrated. He tried to get away from Guardian's grip using his fists and legs. Only what he gained were more bruises on his body. Guardian managed to drag Tom along the room and press him to the stony wall. In this time Jimmy hammered an iron peg holding the chain to the wall. Tom started to fumble again as he saw Jimmy closing a heavy hoop around his neck causing Tom to choke because of the uncomfortable pressure on his trachea. Then he noticed Guardians grip loosening. Defeated and shocked, Tom let his trembling body slide down the wall too weak to hold straight. Surrounded by sounds of malicious giggles Tom's mind started slowly slipping away into darkness and most welcomed by him obliviousness.
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Next time when Tom opened his eyes he noticed he was alone. Alone and chained to the wall. He tried to swallow but the action caused strange pressure to his neck. The hoop was so tight it didn't leave any place for even basic movement like swallowing. Tom closed his eyes trying to stop increasing feeling of panic. His heart started to race so quickly, hammering into his damaged ribs, he found difficult to breathe. God, how he wished it was over. However awful his end would be he wanted it to come now and finish his misery.
"Doug, where are you? Help me please!" The desperate and full of pain inner cry appeared in his foggy mind, forcing him to think about his friends. They didn't forget about him. They couldn't. They just can't find Guardian's place. "But they will" Hanson reassured himself. And he will not give up.
Tom turned his head cautiously and looked at the iron peg above. He knew it was impossible and even insane but he decided to remove it. He had no idea what he will do next, but he had to try anyway. The alternative was sitting down and going mad from worry, pulsing pain and cold. And the fucking thirst.
"Water."
It was the word that haunted him, conscious or not, driving him almost crazy. He tried to swallow at the thought, but the hoop tightened on his neck again. But he ignored it. More important for him became the fact that his mouth was completely dry and sticky. It meant he had little time left. His body was loosing more and more water with every passing hour. Soon there won't be a single drop left in him. He was dying.
"No!" Tom refused to give up. He closed his eyes and struggled on his knees, then grabbed the chain and pulled.
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"Doug!" The called man stirred and moved away from the voice. But then he felt somebody shaking him stubbornly. He made angry sound and waved his arm dismissingly. Nobody had right to distract him now. Nobody had right to demand him to leave his friend alone. Not any more. No more…
With tightly squeezed eyes he bent his head down and stifled cry. He tried to not think about the heaviness of the body resting still and safe in his arms. Thinking was simply too painful. It was tearing his soul, his body, all his conscious being.
After so long time of searching for their lost friend they finally managed to track Guardian. But it was fucking too late for Tom.
It was Judy who found him first. He remembered a scream of horror which led him to his female friend standing above stone altar and looking at deathly still form lying on. And even after he turned her around away from that sight and took her into tight embrace she was still screaming and screaming and screaming…
And Doug himself with his wide eyes stuck on the body of his friend spread in front of him with hands and feet stretched and tied to the sides of the altar and with silvery dagger sticking out of his chest, he was screaming as well.
"Doug, for God's sake!" This voice again.
"Go away!" The police officer jerked away hand squeezing his shoulder. The movement caused that he loosened his strong grip on his friends limp body resting in his protective arms which started to slide down. "No!" He cried away desperately and made a move forward to catch his friend. But suddenly Tom was out of his reach. With terror he watched his body disappearing from his view.
"Oh come on! Wake up man!"
Startled, Doug opened his eyes abruptly and met with tired, but how sweet face of his partner Judy Hoffs.
"Judy?" He asked, still a bit dozed.
"You ware screaming in your dream, Doug." She informed looking straight into his eyes. She looked concerned. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah…" He answered weakly. But giving it second thought he said earnestly: "No, not really, Judy."
The young woman just stared at him and waited silently for continuation. Taking from his wild tossing during the nap and pale face she guessed that whatever he was dreaming about it was terrible enough to shake him very strong. She had never seen him like that before.
"I had a dream." He started uncertainly. "About Tom."
Judy moved back from his side as he raised and sat up on Fullers couch and then joined him sitting down next to him.
"Guardian killed him" he continued, "during sacrifice. And… And I hold him in my arms." Doug stretched his arms forward and looked at it as if he expected to find Tom still lying there. "It was so real, Judy." He looked at her with his eyes getting more and more wet. Unwilling her to see him crying, he covered his face and exhaled deeply. But he broke completely when he felt her taking him into cuddle and started sob silently.
"Shhh…" She rocked him. "You'll see everything will be all right." They stayed in that position for several minutes, until Doug moved away with small embarrassed sound and wiped his eyes dry.
"Erm… Thanks Jude." He mumbled.
"It's okay." She smiled to him. "What do we have friends for, eh?"
Doug returned the smile and stood up. "Time to go back to work."
They moved towards the main hall when in the door appeared Ioki.
"Good. You are awake, at last." He stated. "It is my turn…" his mouth tore into wide yawn. "ahhh… to sleep now."
"Feel free, Iokage." Doug moved on the side to make free passage for his friend to get to the couch. As he observed him lying down and propping his head comfortably on rolled jacket he asked: "Anything new about Tom?"
"No. Nothing. Dennis will tell you anyway. Oh…" He sat up abruptly, as he remembered something. "They called from hospital. Michael Cooper's state worsened. He is in coma."
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