Liam paced his cage much as Scott had before, staring in the direction Scott had been taken. At first concern warred with impatience but eventually, his concern blossomed into something close to fear. He couldn't stop his brain from manufacturing worst-case scenarios, which might have been humorous under other circumstances.

How much worst-case could things get than being kidnapped and held in a dirty, electrified cage?

Unfortunately, Liam's imagination provided plenty of creative alternatives.

The worst of those scenarios all involved Scott not being brought back so it was with a heavy sigh of relief that Liam detected new scents – one of them Scott's – before he heard them approaching the outside of the building from the direction they'd gone before.

Not long after, Liam retreated backward from the door of the cage when the over-anxious guy with the baton gestured that he do so. Scott stood with a stony face and holding a wrapped bundle in his arms. A flick of a remote at the box high up on the wall and the sub-audible buzz of the electricity ceased. Electric batons were held in threat as Scott was unshackled, the door was opened and Scott was pushed in. Without a word, the formation of men that had ushered Scott turned and left.

"You okay?" Liam asked him. Scott seemed to be fine, no worse off than when he'd been taken away.

"I'm fine," Scott confirmed. "Just had a little chat with our host."

"Did you find out what we're doing here?"

"Yeah."

Liam felt a shudder of trepidation at Scott's somber answer. He wasn't sure he wanted to know but it had to be better than not knowing.

Just as he was about to press Scott for further information, Scott reached somewhere in the middle of his bundle and pulled out a bottle of water and tossed it to Liam, who caught it greedily. He had become uncomfortably aware of a burgeoning thirst while waiting for Scott to be returned. It wasn't unbearable yet but was it definitely unpleasant and he had tried not to let himself wonder what they would do without a water source in their electrical cell.

"What's that?" Liam gestured at what resembled a bedroll that Scott cradled in his arms.

"Some things that might make us a little more comfortable."

Liam looked around their cell with a judging eye.

He hoped Scott had a shower, an air mattress, a TV and a buffet wrapped up in that bundle.

Hell. He'd be happy for a toilet.

Liam twisted the cap off of his water and sucked down half the bottle while Scott unrolled the rest of the items he'd returned with.

They'd been provided two blankets reminiscent of something Liam had seen in his grandfather's WWII trunk, thin and scratchy and infused with an unpleasant odor. He didn't care. If it helped cut the chill of the frosty air that was cool enough for him to see his breath on, he'd have gladly taken anything he'd been offered.

There were a few more bottles of water and several granola bars. Liam wasn't sure if he was glad about that or not. They had sustenance, at least, meager as it might be. Also, you didn't give food and water to someone that you didn't plan on keeping alive, right?

You also didn't give food and water to captives that you planned to let go any time soon, either, Liam's more negative little voice reminded him. That was the voice he'd begun calling his damsel-voice. The one that brought up only the negatives and acted like a victim. The voice that was hoping for someone to save him. He was quick to shut that voice down. It never had anything good to say and he had no desire to sit back uselessly and wait for rescue. Only positive thoughts from now on, Liam, he promised himself.

Last in the bundle were towels. There were four of them and they were not very big. They were the same size as the frilly decorative towels his mom liked to hang in the kitchen and the bathrooms for drying their hands. These weren't nearly as decorative, which was a good thing because Liam didn't think they were going to be used for anything as mannerly as clean hands.

"I talked him into giving us something we could use to clean up a little," Scott confirmed, gesturing at his own torso where the dried blood flaked. "Here," Scott offered, tossing Liam one of the towels.

"Thanks." While not one of their most urgent concerns, it would be nice to get rid of as much of the grime and old dust that coated his face and arms as he could. He looked around absently for a moment before his eyes settled on the bottles of water Scott had set on the floor. "I guess we have to use some of those."

Scott's brow furrowed before he reached down for one bottle. "I don't know how long these have to last and I don't know if we'll get more when it's gone," he admitted seriously. "We're gonna have to be careful, okay? We'll use one bottle between the two of us now for cleaning up. The rest we should ration."

Liam nodded in agreement.

Being kidnapped was definitely not as exciting as they made it look in the movies.

"So…?" Liam couldn't hide his impatience as he eyed Scott expectantly.

Scott sighed as he carefully dampened one small towel. He handed it to Liam in silence, then wet another for himself before he spoke.

"We're here to survive, Liam," Scott answered cryptically. "Just remember that. No matter what happens."

The hair along Liam's arms raise and he broke out in chills. This time it wasn't just from the cold.