Author's note: I'm really sorry I've not been updating regularly, I've been posting on A03 and am having more feedback so have decided to stay and post on there. I am uploading all chapters today so this is complete. There will be a sequel, if you're interested once you've finished this I'll be over on A03, under the name Improvise22. Thanks to anyone who's been reading.
Cage was talking to the psychologist Matty had brought in, bringing her up to speed on all James had told her. She was the best in her field and had helped hundreds of people come back from all types of trauma, she specialized in people who'd be tortured, so she'd be perfect for Mac.
"If I need to I'll tell you every last word James said to me, it might be easier for you to watch the recording though, it might take me some time to get it all out," Cage said, knowing she didn't want to talk about what she'd heard, but wanting to do anything if it'd help Mac.
"I can tell that it'll be hard for you to relive, so I'll watch the recording. The more I know before I see Mac the better, if the first session doesn't end well, he won't trust me, and I won't be able to help him."
Cage nodded, pleased that she was being read like a book, it was unusual for her show her emotions so easily. But after the interrogation with Mac's father she was on edge, her emotions on show like an open wound.
She'd walked into the room with confidence, interrogation was her specialty, she knew how to push her emotions down.
"Hello Mr MacGyver, I'm Agent Cage, may I call you James?"
"I know who you are Samantha, where's Director Webber?" James had replied, leaning back in his chair.
"She was called away, you'll talk to me now," Cage replied, ignoring his use of her first name.
She sat down, looking at the monster in front of her and getting ready to make him spill his secrets.
"I need you to tell me everything you did to your son, the more details the better."
"You like the details don't you, I think you and I are a lot alike, Agent Cage."
"We're nothing alike Mr MacGyver, believe me. Now where would you like to start?"
"Shall we start with the first time I beat my son? Do you want to know why I did it?"
"Why?"
"To get the fire out of his eyes. The fire that's in your eyes right now. A broken child shouldn't have such defiance, a broken child shouldn't be able to look his father straight in the eye."
"And you had to teach him a lesson?"
"Exactly," James replied, smiling. "First I made him afraid, and then I made him vulnerable, then I disorientated him. Soon he was naked, blindfolded and secured tightly in place. Then I alternated beating him, catching him off guard with loud noises, as soon as his body relaxed it started again, the final humiliation was dousing him in cold water and leaving him to wonder if there'd be any more torment. I came back and dried him off, couldn't get him catching pneumonia, I was as rough as possible though, had to keep up the pain."
Cage kept her face emotionless as James continued the story, calmly telling her that he'd brainwashed the kid for hours straight after and that the kid had been broken.
"Unfortunately, it didn't last," James said, sighing as if it was a terrible inconvenience.
"What didn't?" Cage asked, thinking she already knew.
"Him being broken, a few days later and the defiance was back, the brainwashing that worked so well didn't have any effect."
"Is that when you decided to up your game, I hear you tortured Mac for five days."
"That's exactly what I did. I knew torture worked, so instead of just a few hours I figured if I did enough to the boy in a few days, he'd break completely for sure. Are you ready to hear all the juicy details?"
Cage wasn't sure if she could, not knowing that it was Mac that James was talking about, but she nodded, he was smiling, and she knew that this was the sadist Matty was talking about. She just hoped she could handle it.
"You have to be careful when torturing someone for that long, you have to know how much a human body can take and a human mind. There's no point breaking someone's will to have their body broken too much and visa versa. Plus, Angus's body had already been beaten once days earlier, the canvas wasn't fresh."
Cage reacted to that, it sounded like something Murdoc would say and that chilled her to the bone.
"The first two days, Angus held his own, he was hurting and wanted it to stop but he could obviously take more, by the end of the third day I could tell that he needed a break. Not he was broken so I should stop, but if I carried on like I was, I might take things too far. That night I let him sleep, I couldn't go without sleep anymore either, I'm not getting any younger, so we both had a reprieve, it lasted eight hours. Now in my eight hours I slept in a comfy bed, warm and peaceful, Angus on the other hand I wasn't going to give him anywhere near that, he still needed to be suffering, I returned in the morning refreshed, and we continued. He was more alert, ready for the torment to continue." James took a break, leaning forward to look at Cage. "Are you enjoying the story?"
"It's not much of a story, I still don't hear any details," Cage hated her words, but she had to get him to reveal more. She knew that Mac had suffered, she needed more.
"You are very impatient, but very well. I'll give you some details." And he began, telling her every little thing that he had done, starting at the beginning. "Angus didn't know what to expect of course, I took him in to the room and hung his hands from the ceiling, blindfolding him. I then stripped him of his clothes, that bit of dignity gone, he stayed that way from start to finish, was easier that way. Like I said when I started, he'd been beaten not long before and I was worried about hurting him again that way, even though he was expecting it. Didn't want a rib to puncture a lung, that wouldn't do. So, I had to hurt him another way. I poured freezing cold water over him and shocked him with a cattle prod I'd made. Seeing the way his body arched, the way he screamed, it was the best way I could have started it, lots of pain but no permanent injury. I kept that up for a couple of hours, giving him some breaks in between, dumping more freezing cold water over him. He wet himself halfway through, he probably was thankful for the water after that, I left him hanging while I had some lunch, had to keep my strength up."
Cage shifted in her sit, trying hard to stop the pictures forming in her head.
"When I came back I let him have some water, just enough to keep him functioning, then I disorientated him, loud noises, slapping and hitting him, I kicked his legs out from under him a couple of times, each time it took longer for him to stand up. Throughout the whole thing I was telling him how weak he was, how pathetic, how he might as well break and stop wasting my time. It was getting late and he'd been hanging from his wrists all day, so I let him down. I didn't give him time to register that he was even on the floor, I dragged him over to the corner, I named it his corner after the five days were up, he spent a lot of time there. I couldn't have him falling asleep while I was having dinner, so I gave him a stimulant."
Cage looked up; she wasn't expecting that.
"It meant he couldn't fall asleep even if he wanted to. It was so good that I decided to have a power nap, knowing he would be on edge until the drug wore off. When I came back I pulled him away from his corner, taking him over to the wall off to the side. I chained him up, spread eagle, stretching his limbs as far as I could but still allowing him to stay upright. I fixed a restraint around his neck so he couldn't move it and used my cattle prob again, it was even better when he couldn't move an inch, he couldn't even get away from the pain. I kept it up all night. I few shocks every hour, every hour he thought it was over, by the time the sun started coming through the clouds his body was so tense I thought it would break. Shall we move on to day two?"
Cage nodded, she had four more days to get through and she was already feeling sick. He rambled on about the pain he caused, the torment, she listened to every word. He had said he'd finally let Mac have something to eat at the end of the second day, he needed him to keep some strength.
"He had to rely on me for everything Agent Cage, I kept him tied up throughout, drinking water I had to put the bottle to his lips, I had to feed him, having him open his mouth like a baby bird, I even had to help him empty his bladder, telling him he needed to say 'I need to go' when he felt the need to urinate. The one thing we both forgot about, is what goes in must come out, I was feeding him small amounts and eventually it would be digested. He soiled himself on day three, I made him lay in it for hours, telling him he brought it on himself, when eventually even I couldn't take the smell I hosed him down, moving him away, chained him back to the wall and leaving him to shiver. I didn't feed him for a while after that."
Cage shifted a little, her hands closing into fists under the table. Basic human necessities and James had made Mac completely reliant. No wonder he must get permission to eat and use the bathroom.
"After he'd soiled himself and I'd left him, it was getting late, I decided to use the cattle prob on him some more and then that night I slept again, but Angus wasn't allowed, I made sure he was tightly attached to the wall and filled him full of stimulants, I knew he'd be uncomfortable the whole night, unable to move or sleep. I came in the next morning to find he'd wet himself again, he was mumbling, calling out for Jack."
Cage looked up, thankfully James wasn't looking, or he would have seen the emotion in her eyes.
"I soaked him with water, slapping him hard across the face, how dare he speak that name. I released him and left him shivering on the floor again, tying him tightly again so he couldn't move, I had breakfast and then I beat him. I started beating him while he was on the floor, then hung him from the ceiling and beat him some more, so much that he passed out. I left him hanging and went to have lunch. When I came back I knew I shouldn't hit him, but I was angry, I felt his ribs break and I stopped, bringing out the cattle prod again. I once again left him hanging all day, putting him back in his corner for the night. I decided to let him sleep so I sedated him, knowing that the last day would be intense, I needed him strong. I fed him in the morning, let him drink a whole bottle of water, I think he thought that I was stopping the torment. I wasn't, I hung him from the ceiling again, alternating beating him, and using the cattle prod, deciding that the last day needed to have more psychological torture, I changed positions so he was attached to the wall again and went and got the tapes, put them on repeat, alternating with the drugs, sedating him, then giving him a stimulant. By the time, the day was over he was shaking so much, it was finished. I'd decided that the next day I was going to let him out of the room. I left him in his corner that evening, but didn't give him any drugs, I don't know if he slept but he was awake the next day. And the next day he was as obedient as a dog, did anything I wanted, eager to please. Would you like to know anything else Agent Cage?"
Samantha had stood up, looking at the man with hatred in her eyes. "No thank you James, I think you've told me enough." She then walked calmly from the room, only making it across the corridor outside before she was being sick, she was leaned over a trash can, breathing quickly when she felt a hand on her back.
"Cage?" It was Matty, she let herself be led to a chair, her head pushed between her legs, she was hyperventilating. "In and out, just breath Sam, it's ok."
"He's a psychopath, what he did to Mac, I can't believe he's even functioning," Cage said, through gasped breaths. "I need some time, then I can go back in."
"The hell you are. I'll have someone take James to holding, and you are going home. Tomorrow I'll get another agent talk to him."
"Matty," Cage tried to reply.
"No buts Cage, don't come back until the morning. I need you here, I've contacted a psychologist and she's arriving at 11am. She's the best in her field, she'll wanna talk to anyone who's had contact with James."
Cage nodded, praying that the woman could help, it was going to take a lot to bring Mac back, but they would do it. She knew they would.