Author's note: Sorry this a bit late. I'll give you three chapters to make up for it. There will be quite a lot of violence and some uncomfortable scenes coming up, just a warning
Mac's return to consciousness was about the same as all the other times he'd been drugged, the difference this time was that he couldn't move or see. He panicked for a second until he realised he must still be in the car trunk. He guessed he'd woken up too early, he would of thought his father would have given him a pretty high dose seeing as he said they had to travel, but maybe his body was metabolising it quicker, seeing as this was like his eighth time. He realised though that the car was still and there didn't seem to be any noise, maybe they'd stopped somewhere.
He was extremely uncomfortable, his ribs were hurting as he seemed to be lying on top of his new bruises, his mouth felt like the Sahara, and the gag was making it worse. He was tempted to try and take it out with his shoulder, but knew that his father would be furious, best not to piss him off any more than he already was. He hated that it was so dark, he knew that he wouldn't be able to see a lot being in the trunk of the car, but at least there would be some faint light.
Just as Mac was trying to decide if making some noise was a good idea, he heard footsteps.
"You better be awake Angus," his father shouted, banging on the car.
The trunk soon opened, Mac only knew because there was a noise, so he moved his head slightly, so his father could see.
"Good you're awake, it's about time."
Well if you hadn't drugged me then you wouldn't have had to wait, Mac thought, really wishing he could say it. He felt his father's hands around his legs untying the bonds, his ankles were then grabbed and spun towards the opening of the car, Mac's breathing got faster, he didn't know what his father was going to do next as he couldn't see a thing. He felt himself get pulled forward, a hand under his knees and one on his head, it might have even seemed caring if he didn't find himself on the floor when he couldn't keep his balance.
"Come on Angus, we need to get inside," James said, gripping his upper arm and dragging him up, he then pulled him along until they were walking somewhere a little warmer, Mac guessed they were inside. "Welcome to your new home."
The blindfold was taken off and Mac's head immediately started to hurt so he shut his eyes. The light was bright.
"Your eyes need time to adjust, I'm guessing being in the dark for so long wasn't good for you," James said, his hand still on Mac's arm.
Mac blinked a few times and then his eyes stayed open, taking in the room in front of him, it was a kitchen, a rather large one.
"You'll need to help me maintain this place, don't think you're not gonna have to earn your keep, I've already given you a lot for nothing in return," James said, as if it was Mac's choice to be here.
He moved the material slightly in his mouth, trying to get some moisture to his dry throat, his father must have noticed, and Mac was glad, he'd obviously forgotten it was still there.
"I like the quiet Angus; we'll keep that in until we finish the tour and I get you settled in your new room. You should get used to wearing it, if you talk too much while you're living here it will be a permanent accessory."
Mac closed his eyes, it seemed like the personality he didn't like was back, he hoped he didn't stay too long.
"Let's get back to the tour, you need to know where everything is. If I tell you to go somewhere it means I want you there quickly, so pay attention." They walked over to a door in the corner of the room, it looked like a pantry. "This is where we'll be conducting our experiments, I've got it all set up ready, the first session in the new place will be later on today, would have been sooner if I'd had the time."
Mac was worried about that, he knew that he was going to have to go through it again, but that was when he was trying to be obedient and before his last escape attempt, he had a feeling it was going to be ten times worse than the last time.
The tour continued, living room, two bathrooms, James's bedroom. Every room he was shown included added features that were just for him, rings on the floor and walls, boxes full of handcuffs, rope and material. Looked like this James was sadistic.
"Two more rooms to go, and they're both for you. Now I had to change this last room quite a bit, after I realised I could never put you in a normal room, at least in the foreseeable future." He opened the door and Mac froze, confused, there was hardly anything in there. "This room did have all the features that mine does, unfortunately they're now out in the garage. This isn't the room you'll be sleeping in; I prefer that to still be the basement, no this is the room you will be secured in when I can't risk using drugs."
James pulled Mac further into the room and he saw some of the new additions.
"I want you to know this at the start, so you'll try your best to behave, I can't trust you, especially after your most recent stunt, so you will behave, but you still won't be allowed to roam around freely. I can't watch you all the time so that's where this room comes in handy. The windows that were here have been boarded up, the room has been stripped as best I can, although with the tightness of the restraints I don't think you could pick a lock even if you found something. I'm calling this the 'secure room', if I tell you that's where we're going you are to head straight here no hesitation. The better you are, the more I'll trust you and the less the room gets used."
Mac swallowed hard, he prayed that this side of James was the only one who would use the room, the other personalities seemed better. He might still be tied up but maybe not as badly.
"Now to the basement, it's like the last one, except there are a few changes. You'll go down there now and stay there until I have everything sorted up here. I'm not a monster, you can eat something before we start any experiments. I may even let you use the shower."
James pulled open the door to the basement and flicked on the light, pulling Mac down the stairs and into the corner. His father turned him around and took out the gag and then untied Mac's hands, he kept a grip on his wrist fastening a metal cuff around it, he then did the same with the other wrist and both ankles.
"These will mould to your skin so you can wear them all the time, it'll be easier when securing you in each room, a chain clips on the edge using the lock attached," James said, as if he was explaining the use of some article of clothing.
James clipped a chain to Mac's right ankle and stepped away.
"I wouldn't try to remove them, it will only hurt, just think of them as part of you. There's water over there in the other corner, those chains will only stretch to that side of the room, the bucket is also there for you to use."
Mac was standing in shock, he couldn't quite believe what was happening, he looked down at the strange cuffs around his wrists, not sure he'd ever seen anything like it. He was scared and that didn't happen a lot. He watched his father walk up the stairs and open the door.
"One more thing, in this house we don't leave lights on, so when I leave I will flip the switch. There's a small window over this side so they'll be some natural light coming in, can't keep you in the dark completely Angus."
The light went off and it wasn't too bad, it was early morning, so the sun had started shining. Mac was numb and he had a lot to think about, but he needed a drink and he needed to empty his bladder so those came first. Once he'd sorted out his needs, he sat down on the floor against the wall, pulled his knees up towards his chest and he cried. He tried to do it quietly, he didn't want to make too much noise, but he couldn't help himself. He didn't think he'd ever been this scared, even getting tortured by terrorists wasn't as bad as this. He also couldn't shake the feeling that he was stuck here forever, the team obviously weren't coming, James was too good at covering his tracks and it was very doubtful that he'd be able to escape, and to honest he really didn't want to try again. He just had to keep it together and pray that things weren't going to be as bad as he thought, he supposed the way things were, hope was all he had.
A few hours past and the door opened, and the light came back on, James came down the stairs and Mac prayed that one of the nicer personalities were back.
"It's time to eat and shower, and then we're going to give the sensory technique we used the other day another try, I'm determined to get it to work."
From what Mac could tell this personality seemed to be the one who was meticulous, a bit like his dad used to be as a kid. Everything had its place, rules needed to be followed to the letter and there were consequences if they weren't.
James came over and told Mac to stand up, that was different, usually he wanted him sitting down. His father crouched down and removed the chain, spinning Mac around and pulling his arms behind his back, the special cuffs were then attached to each other and they headed upstairs.
First stop was the kitchen and it looked like James was being overly cautious, he had Mac sit down and he attached chains to both his ankles, he then took apart the cuffs on his wrists and attached one to the table.
"If you hadn't tried to escape that last time then all of this wouldn't be necessary. The trust has completely gone, you need to build it back up," James said, turning away and walking towards the fridge.
An orange juice and a plain bowl of cereal was put in front of him and his father walked away, telling him when he returned he needed to be finished.
Mac polished off the meal quickly, not wanting to still be eating when James came back, he was sitting quietly when the man appeared. James just as quietly secured Mac the way he was when they had arrived and walked him to the bathroom that was for him. It was a wet room, bare of anything but the shower on the wall and a table in the corner.
"You will shower quickly while I wait outside, you will dress only in your underwear and you will face away from the door when I come back in."
James released Mac's hands and shut the door and Mac breathed deeply, this was probably the only time he wouldn't have to be in restraints and it probably wouldn't be for longer than five minutes. He took off his clothes and turned on the shower, finding it strange to still have the bands around his wrists and ankles, he guessed that whatever they were made of was waterproof, James wouldn't have used them if they weren't. Mac wanted so badly to stay under the hot spray, but he hated to think what the punishment would be for talking too long. He soon turned the water off dried himself the best he could and put on the fresh boxers. He stood facing the wall opposite the door with his hands behind his back. It felt like he was in jail and he was standing in position waiting for the guards to put on the handcuffs, he supposed in a way it was similar. In prison though he wouldn't be about to be subjected to brainwashing.
The door opened and his hands were secured, he was then taken to the room he'd been shown earlier, the one that looked like a pantry. James sat him on a stool, pulled his arms back and attaching them to the wall, then he secured his ankle cuffs to attachments on the chair legs. A blindfold was put on and an he was gagged and then his father seemed to stand back.
"We'll begin like we did before, I'll play the first tape which will last an hour, this time there will be no stopping, there'll be a pause and then the second tape will play, this will also be an hour long. The second tape will stop, and I will remove the headphones, you will be left for another hour and then I'll release you." James paused and Mac could feel him stepping closer. "I am wary giving you drugs after you've recently had a high dose, but the technique works best with them in the subject's system." Mac felt the needle go into his neck. "I'll consider another form of keeping you secure this evening, especially if we need to repeat this procedure again tomorrow."
Mac felt the headphones placed over his head and heard the door close and lock, he was shaking slightly, already feeling himself go drowsy. He didn't know if he could take three hours of this, he knew what to expect from the first tape but had no idea what was on the second. The words started and he didn't have any choice but to listen.
The first hour was over and the tape stopped, there was a pause and a click and then the whir as the second tape started, Mac was still hearing the words "I will behave, or I will be punished" when the new words started "I will not try to leave or there will be consequences."
Mac let his head fall, his chin to his chest, he probably should have known that was coming. He was desperately trying to think of anything so he could block out the words, chemical formulas, math problems, even movie quotes, the drugs were clouding his mind though and everything was jumbled.
He wouldn't let this beat him, he needed to stay strong, he knew that eventually brainwashing worked, especially when it was done properly. His father clearly knew what he was doing.
The second hour was over, and Mac breathed as deeply as he could, his throat was still roar from the car ride, he could really use some water. The headphones were removed, and he heard the door once again close and lock. Just another hour and then it would be over, you can do it MacGyver. He would have dozed but he was too uncomfortable and every time he felt himself dropping off he heard the words, as if they were still being said.
He was so grateful when the door opened again and his father removed his gag, he licked his lips, trying to get a little moisture into them.
"I'm going to ask you some questions and I want you to answer them, no hesitation," James voice sounded, thankfully Mac's head was clearer, he hoped he answered correctly. "Repeat the words from the first tape."
"I will behave, or I will be punished." Mac remembered that one, how could he forget.
"Repeat the words from the second tape."
"I will not escape or there will be consequences." Mac wasn't sure that was right.
"Repeat the words from the second tape," his father spoke again, now Mac knew he wasn't right.
He paused, the words had just been playing, why couldn't he remember them. He gave his father the same answer, even though he knew it was wrong. "I will not escape or there will be consequences."
Mac heard the rustling of papers and then James spoke again. "What have you learnt from the two tapes?"
"I have learnt to behave, or I will be punished and if I try to escape again there will be consequences."
"Tell me again," James said.
"I have learnt to behave, or I will be punished and if I try to escape again there will be consequences."
"Again."
Mac wasn't sure if he was getting it wrong or this was part of the brainwashing, but he repeated the phrase another few times when his father said again.
"Do you think you need to go through this process again?"
Mac was thrown by that question, he knew his father expected him to say yes, but would he think he was saying it because he thought he should. Saying no could cause problems, but it was the honest answer. "No."
"Does that mean you think this technique has worked? That you will now behave and be completely compliant?"
Again, Mac wasn't sure what to say. "No," popped out of his mouth before he could stop it.
"As I expected," James said.
Mac was worried about what was going to happen now, he prayed James wasn't going to make him sit through the tapes again. He flinched when hands touched his legs but sighed when his ankles were released, his wrists were removed from their attachment and the blindfold was taken off. He remained sitting, blinking to focus his eyes.
"We will repeat this process tomorrow and then again the next day until your answers change, I will enhance the experience each time, we will get there."
Mac certainly didn't like the sound of that, what did enhance the experience mean?
"Follow me," James said, turning and walking from the room.
Mac did as he was told, although he stumbled as he got up, his legs wobbly after being on the stool for over three hours. James led Mac to a room they had yet to go in, he wondered why it hadn't been on the tour. They went through the door and Mac realised it was his father's work room, there were half made things all over.
"Get dressed and then sit against this wall," James said, pulling his wrists apart and then pointing over to the corner opposite the work bench, there were some clothes folded neatly on the floor.
Mac put on the t-shirt and trousers and sat down carefully.
James grabbed some restraints from a box by the table and then came over, he attached Mac's ankle cuffs together and pulled Mac's arms attaching the cuffs again, he then lifted them and secured them above his head to an object attached to the wall. James stood back, satisfied, he then grabbed a bottle of water and helped Mac drink.
"You'll stay here with me this afternoon while I work, I want to keep an eye on you and it'll give us a chance to talk," James said, walking over and taking a seat at his workbench.
Mac didn't know what his father wanted to talk about, a lot of their conversations over the past few days hadn't ended well. He was glad that he'd been given a drink, he guessed his father didn't want him to dehydrate. He tried to get comfortable, which was hard when your hands were pulled above your head, he was finding it a little hard to concentrate, the words from the tapes kept popping into his head at irregular times. He tried to focus on what his father was doing, looking around the room, taking in all the things that he could use.
"I know what you're thinking Angus," James said, Mac's focus back on his father. "There are a lot of useful things in this room, I'm sure with the way your mind works you could use any number of them to make an escape."
Mac gulped; he didn't think he'd made his search that obvious.
"I know you Angus, I know how your mind works, a bit like mine. I brought you in here to see how you'd react, I thought maybe after being subjected to my tapes that you might have had more sense, but it just shows that you've not taken the words seriously yet. Don't worry, that'll change. Soon you'll be able to come in here with me and the thoughts you're having now, they'll be gone. All you'll wanna do is help me."
Mac really hoped that didn't happen, no matter how many times he had to listen to the man's tapes. Thankfully, there wasn't any disappointment in his father's eyes, only acceptance, like he knew that this was the way it was going to be.
They spent the next few hours sitting mostly in silence, James asking Mac questions every now and then, asking his opinion on some of his projects. His father looked at his watch and got up.
"I didn't realise the time, suppose I should of, it's been getting dark for a little while now. I get into my work though, I'm sure you know how that feels," James said, walking over to Mac.
Mac was finding it had to concentrate again, this time because his arms and shoulders were on fire, he didn't know how long he'd been sitting in the same position, but knew it had to be at least a few hours.
"Sorry Angus, I should have removed those restraints a while ago, I can imagine that you have to be in pain by now," James spoke, the remorse in his voice genuine.
He gently removed Mac's wrists from the wall and brought them, carefully down in front him. Mac couldn't stop the whimper that came from his mouth, looking up at his father to make sure it hadn't caused a reaction.
"I'll secure your wrists in front for a while and I'll get you some painkillers, then we'll eat dinner and it'll be time for bed."
Mac wished that his father could just leave him untied, he wasn't going to try anything, he knew suggesting it wasn't the best idea though, at least this was the side of his father who seemed to care. James helped Mac to his feet and led him to the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of water and same pills and helped Mac take them. Once that was taken care of he sat him down at the table, attaching him once again, although this time only with his wrist. Mac let the other hand rest on his lap, grateful that it was in a better position.
An couple of hours later and dinner was over, his father seemed in a chatty mood, talking about all the things he'd been up to over the years, how he had finally found this house and thought it would be the perfect place to lay low in. He'd hidden the sale well and was confident that no one knew that he was here. He said he never had any visitors, he didn't even have any deliveries, getting them sent to a different address. Throughout the whole story Mac was slowly losing the hope of his team finding him. There was no way even Riley would be able to find the place it was so well hidden.
Finally, James announced that it was time for bed and that he better get Mac settled. He wasn't sure what that meant, he knew that he wasn't getting any sedatives and he was glad, he was hoping as his father was being so nice that he would just put on his ankle restraint and that would be it.
They headed to the basement and Mac noticed his father pick up a bag, he didn't think he wanted to know what was in in.
"Why don't you use the bucket and have some water and then we'll get you sorted. You can't have any sedatives, so I'll have to make sure you're secure before I go to bed, don't worry I'll be gentle."
Mac slowly relieved himself, conscious that his father was behind him and then took some water.
"Come on Angus I haven't got all night," James snapped, and Mac was worried he was going to change personalities, so he hurried over. "Now lay down, try to get comfortable." James started to remove items from the bag. "I really wish I didn't have to do this but it's necessary."
Mac sighed, he kept hearing that. He got as comfortable as he could on the hard floor and watched his father attach chains to not one ankle but both, he also clipped the bands together. He did the same to his wrists, attaching the chain to the wall.
"If your shoulders weren't hurting I'd just put your hands behind you back, this is the more comfortable option."
Yeah, so comfortable, he could move, but hardly. He closed his eyes thinking that was it but jumped back slightly when he felt fabric against his face.
"I have to have you quiet, I'm sorry," James said, tightening the gag around Mac's head. "There, I'll come down as soon as I can in the morning and take that off. Hopefully, I can give you some sedatives tomorrow night, so we don't have to do this again."
With that statement James got up and carried his bag up the stairs, turning off the light as he went through the door, "Goodnight Angus."