Chapter 4.
He didn't know what time it was when the door opened again, and the lights was turned on. He didn't bother to react but could feel how he tensed. He kept his eyes closed as he heard footsteps walking towards him. He hated himself when he realized that he was scared.
"Hey!" Someone kicked him in the side.
Mike grunted and blinked his eyes opened. "What?" He said, turned his head a bit. He didn't bother turning on his side. His ribs throbbed from the kick. At least three of the guys were there. What was going to happen now? But they just walked past him towards the table.
Mike got angry then. Where they just going to ignore him now? Walk by him, kick him and then leave? He could hear them talking to each other. Someone laughed.
"Hey!" He screamed. "I need something to eat."
"Shut up!" Someone called.
"I haven't eaten in days. Just give me something."
They ignored him. Mike hated them. He called out again. Nothing happened.
"You can't just keep me like this, without getting me something to eat!" He practically yelled. He steeled himself when one of them started to walk towards him. The man stopped pretty far away from him.
"You want to eat? Here!" He threw something towards Mike. It landed in front of him a few feet away. It was a half-eaten sandwich.
"No, come on! Get me out of the ropes!" Mike screamed, suddenly furious. That was just so humiliating. "Cut me lose!"
He kept yelling, but they just told him to shut up, and then ignored him. Eventually Mike gave up. He glared at the men, sitting at the table by the light, talking and eating. They had actually brought food with them and ate next to him. He could see bottles of water there as well.
Mike turned his attention to the sandwich on the floor in front of him. This was probably what he was getting. His stomach hurt just to look at it. He wanted it desperately, but at the same time he couldn't force himself to move towards it. He just couldn't eat it off the floor like that. He couldn't. He wouldn't do it! He pressed his lips hard together and closed his eyes. But then he couldn't resist the hunger anymore. What if they took it again if he didn't eat it?
He painfully moved a bit closer to it. He closed his eyes when he took a bite of it. It was dry and a bit hard, but he ate it anyway. He ate as much of it that was possible, avoiding the parts that had been rubbed too much on the floor. He felt like crap. He was treated worse than a dog, having to eat like this. He turned away from the rest of the sandwich when he was done. He didn't want to see it. At least he had gotten something in his stomach now.
They started walking towards him again in what felt like a couple of hours later. Mike closed his eyes and wished that they would just leave. He didn't want to talk to them, and he didn't want them to bother him.
His wish wasn't granted because they stopped next to him. Someone said something and another laughed. Mike didn't get why they joked about all the time.
"Why didn't you eat what we gave you?" A guy asked behind him. Mike ignored him. They could all go and screw themselves.
Something in that foreign language was said.
Laughter.
Mike jerked when hands suddenly grabbed him and lifted him up to sitting. Mike yelled and tried to heave himself to the side to get away from them, but two of them held on to him.
"You are eating what we give you." The third man, now standing in front of him, said. He then bent down and picked up the rest of the sandwich Mike had had from the floor. The man then grabbed hold of Mike's hair and pushed his head back. He pressed the sandwich towards Mike mouth.
"Open up." He said. Mike moaned and tried to get out of their grip. They couldn't do this! He shook his head with his lips pressed together. He wasn't going to!
He screamed when a hand clamped down over his mouth and fingers pinched around his nose. He trashed and yelled. He couldn't breathe! What were they doing? He felt panic rushing up at him when he started to become lightheaded. They were going to kill him!
"Calm down and open you mouth." Someone said. Mike nodded frantically. The hand disappeared. He panted.
"Open your mouth!" A voice said. Mike did so. The sandwich was pushed into his mouth. He didn't have a choice but to chew and swallow. They wouldn't let him go. He hated them so much. This was so humiliating. He could taste the dirt on it. They forced him to eat it all.
The next thing that happened was that someone pushed a bottle of water to his mouth. He drank greedily as fast as he could. He had been so thirsty. They didn't let him have it all. Instead someone grabbed his hair again, forcing him up to his knees. Then one of the guys tipped the bottle to the side and started to pour the rest of the water out on to the floor. Mike had to watch. They yet again laughed.
After that they pushed him forward down onto the ground. He landed hard on his stomach in the small pool of water. They walked away and the lights were turned off. Mike felt how the cold water started to spread around his front. He didn't bother trying to move away, it was too late anyway. He just laid there and tried to disconnect himself. Once again, he thought of banging his head against the floor, but didn't do it. Instead he felt tears coming to his eyes again. He didn't bother trying to stop that either. Instead he let go. He cried for a long time after that. He felt so humiliated, violated. It all replayed in his head. He moaned at the thought of it. They had force-fed him food from the ground. Then taunted him by pouring water on the floor. He didn't want to do this anymore. When would Harvey come?
He didn't know when it happened, but somehow he fell asleep. He woke up from being cold. It was terrible. His shirt stuck to his skin and was freezing. His whole body was shaking. He wished he had a blanket or something. He couldn't do anything about the situation, so he just waited.
They came again. Not so much time had passed. Mike didn't know why they were back again. He kind of suspected that maybe these guys used this place as some sort of office. They just walked past him, totally ignoring him, and sitting down at the table again. Mike wanted them to leave again. He preferred laying in total darkness than being in the same room as these men. They were capable of anything, and apparently took joy in humiliating him.
He felt himself tense his whole body when he heard how they were starting to walk towards him an hour or so later. He felt so scared and he hated himself for that. He stayed still as they stopped next to him. He was pretty sure it was all four of them this time.
"Your boss hasn't paid yet. He probably doesn't give a shit about you." A voice said. Mike didn't move.
"Yeah, you are not worth his trouble it seems." Someone else said.
"It doesn't look good for you." Someone kicked his legs a bit and Mike moaned before being able to stop it.
They left again after that. Mike almost felt relieved when the light was turned off. He couldn't help but let out a few sobs again. He felt exhausted and their words got stuck in him. They had said that Harvey hadn't paid. Harvey wasn't going to pay for him. Why wouldn't he pay?
-SUITS-
It was early in the morning, but Harvey knew he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, so he got up. He checked his phone in the hope on more messages, but nothing. He got dressed and left his apartment without eating breakfast. He went back to his office spent an hour getting addresses and phone numbers organized and headed out. What transpired during that Saturday wasn't something he was proud of but at the same time he didn't care. If he was able to get anywhere with this, it would be worth it.
He searched out people related to the case in their homes. He called and demanded to meet them, met them outside their buildings. He was civil with a few, he yelled at and threatened some. Once it almost got physical, but Harvey stopped himself in time. If he got himself arrested, he wouldn't be able to get Mike free. He chose to not tell them about Mike. It was possible that some of them was involved. He took a gamble by just seeking them out like this. Mostly it was dead ends. He didn't get any names. No one he talked to seemed to have any information that could be relevant.
Late afternoon he got a list of employees emailed to him at work. But it was a few hundred people on it. Harvey didn't know how to proceed with that. It was the best he got though. Donna came unannounced a little after six that evening.
"I've called you at least four times Harvey. Is there any news?"
"Have I found him? Have they contacted me again? Is that what you mean? Of course not Donna! I would have let you know in that case. There is nothing new!"
"There is no need for yelling Harvey. I worry about Mike too."
"Yeah? Where have you been all day then? I don't see you trying to do anything for him."
She looked hurt when he met her eyes, but he didn't apologize. He meant it. She ignored his harsh words though and sat down in front of him.
"What can I do?"
"Help me go through this list." He threw the transcripts at her. She studied it for a minute.
"It's at least three hundred names here."
"I know. But it's all I got."
"Okay. I'll take these pages." Donna said and went to get her computer.
They worked for a few hours but didn't get anywhere. It was just no way of knowing, even if they did stumble upon the right person, since they didn't have a name to begin with. But at least they were doing something. Harvey had to do something, otherwise his feelings would take over and he couldn't let them. The anger and feeling of helplessness were close to the surface at all times.
After a few more hours Donna went to get them something to eat. Harvey had only half of his portion. He couldn't help but wondering if Mike was getting anything to eat. How was he kept? Was he being hurt?
He had tried again to text the number and even tried to call, but it didn't connect. It was late when they left. Donna was the one that convinced him that he wouldn't be able to work productively for Mike, without any sleep. So, he agreed to head home.
He had trouble falling asleep though, he felt guilty when he tried. Here he was in his bed trying to fall asleep, while Mike was kidnapped. He found himself out on the balcony looking out over the city. Mike was out there somewhere. Mike was being held against his will, and it was Harvey's fault. Mike, who never hurt a soul. Why couldn't they have taken him instead?
He laid awake for hours that night, tossing and turning in bed, unable to stop the thoughts about Mike's situation. He was so damn worried. He hated the fact that the he had no way of contacting Mike's kidnappers. The only communication he had had was that single text message. Four sentences, fifteen words. That was it. They just expected him to wait until Monday and then pay the money. He would pay. It wasn't an option to refuse, he wasn't going to gamble with Mike's life. As soon as he got Mike back, he would do anything in his power to get to the ones who did this and make them pay. But for now, he had to wait. That killed him. It wasn't in his nature to just obediently wait and do what he was told. But it was too much at risk not to do so right now.
He had bad dreams and decided to head straight to work when he woke up the next morning. He couldn't just sit at home and do nothing. He wished that time would pass faster though, that it would be Monday faster.
-SUITS-