Chapter 40:

„Alright, Agent Taylor – you have been very brave, you tried to suppress your pain and desperation and so far you have done good, but this will be over now. I give you this one last chance to tell me what you know about Elizabeth Tejar's investigation results, otherwise I will have you killed."

They had returned, had returned to the darkness of his room and this time it would be the last time – he knew that, the other man's words told him so. He wouldn't answer their questions and they would no longer bother trying. This whole ordeal would finally be over – for good.

„You will have me killed either way, you goddamn bastard. I won't help you."

Danny was barely able to announce the words, his lungs were hurting, as if they were on fire. But he was angry – he was at the edge of desperation and he was angry. He had been used like a toy, had been laughed at, had been hit and he had been robbed of his dignity. He had been forced to endure a form of torment that felt that sickening to him he simply had wished to die.

He had cried about it – he knew it was pathetic and it was in no way helpful, but there had been nothing he could have done about it. The tears seemed to have streamed down his face automatically. He had felt ashamed and exposed and he had simply wished to close his eyes, forget about this and never be forced to open them again, lying in complete darkness – the only companion by his side his imagination.

And this imagination provided him with images that were even worse than what he had gone through so far. It was coming up with ever new possible forms of torture and pictures showing him how he would die. He wasn't even able to shake them off, there was no way – it was not like he could open his eyes and see reality around him. It was the same darkness he saw when his eyes were closed and the images stayed.

But the longer he had been forced to lie here, wait for them to return, the more his feelings had slowly, very slowly changed. Rage had taken over desperation. The only thing he wanted to do – his one most urgent wish – was to kill his assailant, who had put him through so much pain. But still he was afraid, afraid of what they would do to him now, if they would cause him any more pain, any more embarrassment.

"That's too bad – I had hoped we managed to convince you to cooperate. There is no need for all this."

He knew it was most stupid to be brave on this one and come up with some cocky remarks. Apart from that he physically wasn't in any shape to actually say much of a thing after all. He had difficulties breathing and there was no region of his body that didn't ache or throb. He knew he shouldn't make this man angry – he was the one in charge, the one who would punish him if he did so. Still he was too angry for that, he couldn't really help it.

"Like it hasn't been a pleasure to you."

He could literally see the other man's features harden in the darkness of the room. He had managed to anger him, but the reaction came quick and brutally. Though he didn't physically hurt Danny in any way. He managed to do something far worse – only by words.

Danny hadn't even realized the man hadn't entered the room on his own, he wasn't alone. But the words he was saying clearly let him know.

„You want to have him again?"

„No! Good heavenly lord, please don't do this to me. Please don't, don't hurt me – not like this. Please just don't."

He could feel the other man's hand on his hip as he sat down at the edge of the bed now and sheer terror overwhelmed him for one other time. His breathing quickened and he tried to force himself to stay calm, not let his emotions rule him once again. He wouldn't cry again, he wouldn't plead for a second time.

It had happened so easily for a second time - he had lost all his will to fight, be strong and sought strength from hating these people. They had managed to make him break down by a few words a simple threatening question and he had completely lost his dignity for the second time within hours...

It was a moment of desperate realization – he would never escape them. Even if they would set him free, he couldn't escape. They would stay in his mind – in his soul, for the rest of his life. Scenes like this one replaying over and over again whenever he would feel frightened or ashamed. They would not ever go away and he couldn't even do a single thing about it. He had lost that strength he had vowed to hold onto – he had let them break in and now they would stay...

„No. Just finish him off. I'm not interested."

He winced by the words, but the very next sensation he felt was relief. He wasn't even afraid or desperate about the other man's proposal. He simply felt grateful – it was a strangely sickening feeling, but he was content all of this would finally be over. He wouldn't have to go through any more pain, there would be no more gruesome pictures, his own imagination came up with. No more insulting treatment – no more memory.

He realized that maybe this was the reason why he had been so very angry with them in first place – why didn't they just let him go and ended this. Well – they had come to this decision now. He would finally be set free from his captors and in this way they would never again come back to haunt him.

His arms were once again released from the bed he was tied to and he perfectly knew what would happen to him right now. They would hurt him for one last time, get him tied to the damn ceiling again to do what they were told and he had not even the slightest chance to steady his injured body.

He screamed in pain as soon as he felt his full body weight on his arms – his already injured wrist not capable of coping with the pressure put on it. The restraints were cutting deeply into his wrist and it felt like he would be losing the hand simply be the pressure put on it.

Fortunately his already weakened state and the long darkness without much of any sleep, no food or water, left him barely aware of what was going on around him. But he could feel the pain, the old wounds and the newly inflicted one – the aggravation of the already severe injuries. He could feel it to an extend he never believed would be able – not without passing out.

None the less he knew unconsciousness couldn't be far any more, he could feel it and he appreciated it. This would be over in a matter of minutes and there was nothing more for him left to endure. But something strange happened right then, something he hadn't expected, hadn't even imagined – Adamén spoke up in his behalf.

"Stop it! That's enough."

He was released from his attacker's grip, unable to react, to steady himself... Hell, he was unable to properly breathe or feel anything else but searing, blinding pain right at the moment and he knew he was losing consciousness - the dizziness told him. He knew if he would do so, he wouldn't wake up again – never.

Danny was aware of the fact that something was very wrong with his breathing – it felt like he had water in his lungs, which probably meant the aggravation of injuries had caused one of the broken ribs to enter a lung wing, causing an internal bleeding. The deep wound on his side didn't feel any better and he knew it was heavily bleeding.

He fell to the ground, not even able to minimize the impact of the fall as he wasn't able to balance his weight – on two broken legs - probably making some of the injuries even worse. But that wasn't a thing to worry about – he would die either way, this way round probably sooner than later. But he didn't get why they had stopped, why they hadn't just kept on until he finally stopped breathing. He knew it couldn't have taken much more time...

The man who had been questioning him, inflicting pain through the hands of others, who had put him through a living hell, leaned down to him, close to his face. He could feel the other man's warm breath on his cheek and although he was barely conscious, the searing pain robbing him his consciousness, he could hear the whispered words.

„I'm not gonna kill you, Agent Taylor. I know you would appreciate this outcome of events, but I won't do you this favor. You weren't willing to help me, so I won't help you. I know you don't want to have to endure any more of this pain and that's why I'm not gonna kill you. I'm gonna let you live, so that you will always remember what was done to you, who broke into your mind and stole your pride and dignity. I want you to live – for it will be far worse than dying ever could be."