Thank you to drumboy100, guest who reviewed my story and candylou(I'm sorry Im not sure of what you're trying to say the second time.) Thank you to drumboy100 for the long review. Got me thinking about scenes. Anything I write here is purely coincidentally if it reminds you of another story. Thank you to the follows and favourites have gotten. I hope to repay that in kind. Someday.

warnings: torture,mention of rape

Joe was inside the dark, windowless room until the goons came at 5 am to check on him. The goons, Daniel and Emil were brothers. They ripped Joe's blindfold and then proceeded to beat him. Joe's stomach growled and Eric backhanded him. He fell to the ground

Goon 1 spoke in a tone full of hatred. "Do you not remember me? I am Daniel and this is my younger brother, Emil. Your father arrested mine because that Shaw girl couldn't keep her hands off him. She's such a harlot.

"You know that's not true". Joe protested. "Don't you dare talk about my friend like that. " . Joe defended his sister-in law.

"Where is Callie Shaw and her good for nothing husband?" Daniel demanded.

"There's no way in hell I'm ever going to betray my family." Joe glared at them.

Emil backhanded Joe across his cheek. "Let me see if you'll tell me where they are or there will be penalties."

Joe didn't deign to answer. "So penalties it is" Emil replied in a matter-of-fact tone. They attached the twine to a pulley and Joe was pulled to his feet until he was suspended in the air. The twine cut into his raw wrists. Joe groaned.

"Last chance. Joe." Daniel said.

"Go to hell." Joe yelled.

"You leave me no choice." Emil put Joe's blindfold on.

"I think fifteen lashes ought to curb your attitude". Daniel said.

He took a whip and started to flog Joe. Joe didn't know fifteen lashes could last so long. Joe screamed and screamed as each lash was harder than the last. Daniel's pent up rage was channelled into the whipping and he broke Joe's skin. Joe's skin was still sore from the whipping that he received yesterday.

"Are you ready to tell me, vermin?" . Daniel asked.

Joe shook his head. Without mercy, Daniel started to whip Joe again and again ignoring his painful cries. The welts coloured over his already-existing ones.

Daniel stopped. He pressed Joe's broken skin and Joe flinched. They took a bucket of icy water and poured it on Joe making sure every inch of him was soaked. Joe choked on a mouthful of water which he accidentally inhaled.

"Are you ready to tell me, vermin?" Daniel repeated the question again, growing impatient.

Joe looked defiantly into his eyes and said, "I'm never going to tell you. So go die in a hole"

Emil said, " Feisty one are you? You're going to regret messing with me. I had to look after my brother when my father went to jail and you won't tell me where I can find yours. I guessed my brother was too lenient with you. I'll give you a punishment that you'll never forget."

" Joe is getting late." Callie wondered as she was waiting for Joe. She was in the living room with her husband, Sofia and the kids. Sofia was keeping an eye on them.

"I don't believe Joe is on vacation. He's in trouble." Callie said for the third time

"That's highly unlikely, Callie. You said it yourself, Joe is a selfish prick."

Callie rounded on her husband, her brown eyes flashing, " How dare you pin this on me? Joe would never be a selfish prick. I may have said that, but time and time again, he has proved me wrong. He may have had his reasons. Frank, you're letting your emotions cloud your judgement" . Callie took a deep breath. "If you were missing, Joe would move heaven and earth for you. But I guess the feeling isn't mutual. Even if you know where he is, he could be held against his will."

Frank sported a look of hurt on his face as Callie insinuated that he didn't care about Joe. " Callie, Joe's my brother but..."

"No buts. Joe is in danger." Callie reasoned. "For one thing, there is no way he would leave Erica by herself. Frank, you're not thinking clearly."

"Cal, there's no evidence..." Frank started to say.

Callie sighed. Frank is never going to believe me without proof. I knew that he needs evidence and facts and I accept that about him.

Daniel placed the cloth over his face and he poured the jug of water over his face, water so cold that it paralyses his muscles to the point of numbness, creating the illusion that he was drowning. Joe truly felt that he was drowning. He knew it was a matter of time before hypothermia kicks in-or worse death. It continued two, maybe three more times before Joe went limp.

A great idea formulated in Daniel's mind and he voiced it immediately, "Stop it! Emil. That's enough". From the urgent tone, he knew his brother wasn't having growing a backbone. He had something else in mind. Not turning back he asked, "What do you have in mind?"

Daniel whispered in his brother's ear and his brother's face lit up. He nodded.

Taking the cloth from his face and then stuffed it in his mouth and then sealed it with duck tape. He dangled a 15-inch knife in front of his eyes. He made sure that Joe could see every inch of it . He stabbed the top part of his right leg. Joe screamed in agony and struggled to get out of his bonds causing the twine to bit into his flesh. Unsatisfied, he drove the knife in further, causing him to incessantly whimper emitting from his mouth. He took it out half way and then plunged it all at once, causing him to struggle and cry out in pain. A few minutes later, he took it out in one smooth swoop. Joe had despair etched into his weary blue eyes.

"Daniel, you may think that I'm crazy, but we need to let Joe go."

"Listen, at this rate, we're never going to break Joe but if we let him go and stimulate a domino effect. If my brother hated me, I would consider suicide. Likewise, we can make Frank hate him. We can ruin their brotherly relationship. Once and for all. How about... Emil whispered in his brother's ear and his brother's face lit up. What Emil whispered in his brother's ear would change everything. They knew where the Shaws live, so Emil had a devious plan that was set in motion when they touched Callie.

Eric broke the laceration on Joe's ankles causing Joe to cry out in pain. They poured alcohol on Joe's ankles. Joe winced as the alcohol stung him like he was bitten by a swarm of bees.

They untied Joe and Joe rubbed his wrists. They were swollen from being tied so tightly. There were red welts around his wrists.

Daniel kissed Joe and then they threw him outside. Joe's lacerations tore slightly. A trickle of reddish-orange blood streamed down his ankles.

Joe saw a elderly woman that was close to him and requested for her to let him borrow her phone. The lady agreed and handed him her phone. The first thing he did was to call Sofia but she didn't answer. So he then called Frank and before he could get a word out. Frank hung up on Joe. This hurt Joe more than their mistreatment of him. He couldn't call Callie because of what happened between her and Daniel and Emil's father. Daniel and Emil's father raped her two months ago. He kissed her and touched her in inappropriate places, but the ramifications of being violated left her in a fragile state. They managed to evade the police.

"Excuse me ma'am. Can you take me to the..." Joe cut himself off mid-sentence as he was feeling light headed. Joe collapsed, cracking his head against the pavement. A pool of blood oozed from his head wound. He laid motionless. The woman dropped everything she was holding and went by his side. She called the ambulance and waited with him until the ambulance arrives.

Ten minutes later, the ambulance arrived. One of the paramedics recognized Joe,pulled out his phone and said, "Let me call Fenton Hardy."

After a few minutes, Fenton call them and he was startled at the news and silently berated himself. He should have known... Fenton inquired about the details before cutting off.

Joe was taken to the nearest hospital. he was unconscious when they loaded him into the ambulance.

Hope you like this chapter. I didn't want to leave you guys hanging. So I'm still writing this even though I'm on holiday with my family. I just came back home. I never done a phone conversation before so if its wrong, I sincerely apologized.