She gasped.
Felt air going into her lungs. Her eyes snapped open to take in the surroundings, but everything was overbright and stark. Attempting to lean forward, she coughed violently, and realized that she was seated.
Restrained.
Leather straps locked her wrists and ankles to place with the most irritating fastening wrapped around her throat. Her eyes were clear enough to see her environment, no longer subjected to an aura that caused the maddening distortion. Nothing but the thrumming on the inside of her skull that threatened a terrible migraine. Though in comparison, the ache that wracked her body was a grim promise of the misery to come.
Her body felt raw all over as if she'd been through a cheese grater.
Shaking the musings away from her pain, she turned her attention outwards to her surroundings. The room around her was no longer drowned in obscurity and the projector was put to sleep.
It took a little longer than she was proud to admit making sense of her situation. But her recollection needed to rewind more than just a few minutes to fully grasp where she was.
Hours ago—was it really only hours?-she was initially exposed to the trials.
After her mocking comments urged an early introduction to the process, she went through the combination of bliss, music, and electrocution a total of three times before she lost consciousness. Around 10-20 minutes later, after they returned her to the cage, Avery woke to find the last of the bliss just dwindling from her system.
Whoever placed her on the concrete didn't take much care in setting her down. Judging by the fresh scrapes on her arms, she suspected they tossed her limp body through the door instead of carrying her in.
Two new guards were posted at her door, and like the previous duo of Peggies, they paid her little mind.
That was until she tried to take a nap to spend the last of the bliss off.
Who would have thought? The hose served a purpose aside from teasing the thirsty deputy.
Whether it was used to keep her awake, or for the guards' amusement, it was clear that any sleep would not be easily earned. Really, unless she fast-tracked evolution and grew gills, she suspected sleep would not be attainable during her entire time there.
This was a new kind of torture.
If her anger alone could heat her body temperature like it did in cartoons, she'd imagine steam would have been rolling off her. An intimidating display to the guards with how much she appreciated being sprayed with frigid water. But this wasn't a cartoon or her overactive imagination.
Thus, the guards merely chuckled; warned against falling asleep and went back to their conversation as if she was little more than a fly.
It was hours later, in which she thought she would die of boredom, when the guards turned their attention back to her. Similar to the first process, they strolled in, ordered her up, and marched her back to the fire station. When she crossed the threshold to the lobby, no self-assured blonde was there to greet her. Instead, they continued to the garage, up the stairs, and back to the dark room with the projector ready to flip through the red-hued images once again.
She didn't know what exactly she expected. Perhaps, the anticipated meeting with Jacob Seed. Maybe a radio with John speaking through it, mocking her poor decisions that led to her inevitable capture. Even a change of photos on the projector wasn't too much to ask for.
At least, that's what she thought.
Clearly, she was wrong.
The 'doctor' arrived. Then the man behind her held her in place, and the torture commenced. The only difference was she kept her comments to herself during the presentation.
Obviously, it didn't help improve her situation. In fact, it only dragged out the lecture longer—which she would argue was just as torturous- before the men bombarded her with the trial process.
Presently, she emerged from her third session in that visit, and surprisingly, remained conscious. As with the earlier times that the electricity was turned off and music box shut, the doctor arrived at her side and that mysterious hand pulled her head back into the chair to keep her in place. While the strap around her neck was loose enough allow some movement, she didn't think it was a valid excuse to hold her head still.
For the doctor, there wasn't a need for a flashlight with the overhead lights on. After evaluating her pupils, the doctor turned his attention to her wrist and began his count of her respiratory functions.
The hand remained on her forehead.
Not exactly pleased by the unwavering contact, Avery pushed against the palm, hoping they would get the hint and release her.
It did little to deter the owner.
"I have to ask," she prodded after a tense moment of silence. Her jaw felt cramped from clenching while being electrocuted. On the plus side, her voice didn't crack when she spoke. "Is there a point to all this, or is it just the Project's way to torment an innocent girl?"
"Well, you're not exactly innocent, are you?" the main, olive complexion man explained off-handedly. He was watching the doctor take notes on his assessment.
"So, there is a point to it? Do tell…"
"We wouldn't be wasting our time on nothing, even for someone like you."
"Someone like me?" she echoed. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
The man finally pulled his attention to her as he contemplated answering. If he was going to, he decided against it.
The doctor than interrupted any chance of a response with his final evaluation.
"The bliss is nearly out of her system. We can continue with another round, but her dosage will have to be smaller. I can guarantee one more session, at least, if you'd like to continue."
The man in front of Avery gave it a little thought before deciding. "No. We'll call it for the day."
"How kind," Avery commented dryly.
The hand on her forehead finally released followed by the sound of the door opening behind her. Nearly half a minute later came the entrance of her two guards who set to unstrapping her from the chair. When they stepped back to allow her to stand, she was in for a wakeup call.
Her legs were near jelly beneath her, and she immediately fell back to the chair for support. Neither of the guards looked pleased at the sight of her displayed instability.
Huffing light, the first guard, just happened to be the one who sprayed her with the hose, hooked his arm beneath hers and hauled her to stand.
Avery took that moment to look behind the chair, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man that hid in the back only to find a propped open door to the hallway.
Narrowing her eyes, she pushed aside her curiosity and looked to the impatient guard beside her.
"I'm sure I can walk without your help."
"Not down the stairs, you can't," he retorted and she knew he had a point. Stubbornness alone would not help her down without a pride-bruising tumble.
As she was escorted back to the cage, she could feel her fatigue edge in. Her body began to feel burdensome, as if she was packing wet sandbags across her shoulders.
The second guard trotted ahead of them to open the door to her cell and the man on her arm guided her to the center. Unwinding his limb from hers, he turned and walked out, not able to leave her side fast enough.
Avery wanted to verbally acknowledge his retreat, but the amount of energy that it was going to take was too much in her opinion. Sinking to the concrete, she leaned back until she was lying down, and spread her arms out to the side.
As if sensing the pair of eyes that landed on her, Avery raised a hand to the air and gave a half-heartened wave. "Relax, Aquaman. I'm stretching, not sleeping."
She could hear one of the guards chuckle, finding the comment funny before it was cut off by a grunt from what she guessed was a punch to the stomach or shoulder.
The view beyond the bars was a nice reprieve from the sun. Evening had arrived with the clouds shifting to dark navy tones and the sky a few shades softer; just as the last of the day's illumination ebbed away. The chillier temperatures were encroaching. Despite it being summer, the nights cooled down considerably, particularly in the mountains. Staring at the darkening sky, she wondered if she would manage to sneak in any rest, or if they would pull her back out for more trials throughout the night.
As the deputy gazed at the rolling clouds through the steel bars, she reflected on her situation. It was decidedly bleak. Avery had been there one day so far, and not once was she presented with a hole in the Project's defenses.
Yeah, but how long did it take before you found one in John's ranch?
While true that it took well over 24 hours to pick out an opening, Avery didn't like the idea of staying for days to come. Not when the barest comforts of food, water, and sleep were off limits her. If they continue this for the following days, she was in trouble.
A person could go 3-8 days without water and longer without food. But without sleep, her ability to evaluate and make sound decisions would be compromised. After 24 hours, her memory, coordination, and judgement would become impaired. 36 hours would start to impact her physical health.
She'd only been awake straight for 39 hours before for an assignment and that was one of the most dangerous and horrible times of her life. She didn't appreciate the fact that her entire team ended the mission safe and unharmed until after a 12-hour rest. When she woke up, she realized how much her brain was struggling with basic functions. And that was with regular meals and plenty of water.
If it stretched on to 48 or even 72 hours, her mental disorientation would degrade further. She would unwillingly be hostage to microsleeps where her brain shut down for 3-15 seconds at a time and then the hallucinations would start.
But they wouldn't drag this out. As the strange man said, there was a purpose to their process. If death was the end goal, they had plenty of times to put a bullet in her and call it good. But, instead, they were investing resources to keep her alive, as was evident with the 'doctor'. And it wasn't just a simple torture for the purpose of extracting information. That required them to question her about a topic, and as it turned out, they were more than pleased to ignore her than engage in conversation.
Her mood improved a little with the rise of relief. By that logic, she only needed to last for a couple days max. The combination of taking away all necessities needed to live would surely shorten the torture sessions, right? So, it wouldn't last forever.
A couple more days she could manage. It would be hell, and filled with misery, but she could get through it. The downside, and a major one at that, was she wouldn't be as strong or sharp minded as she was in that exact moment. The more time passed, the more her wit would become impaired.
She would have to do everything she could to preserve her strength. Maybe use the hose to her advantage to get water. That was the highest priority resource for her body.
Across the facility, lights had begun turning on around the building. The streetlamp between her cage and the empty one adjacent lit up the parking spaces, momentarily blinding Avery.
Wincing, she brought a hand over her face, and tried to view the sky beyond. But the lamp obscured any visuals with the glare. Closing her eyes, her hand fell to rest on her stomach. Apparently, stargazing was out of the question as well.
Realizing that her lying there with her eyes closed would soon entice the hose-armed guard, Avery tried to appreciate the moment as deeply as she could. The unyielding concrete at her back, loose gravel sticking to the exposed skin of her arms, the stretch her body eased into, no longer forced to stand or sit. Alas, it was fleeting.
Hearing the lull in conversation by the guards (likely checking to make sure she was indeed still awake), Avery sat up reluctantly. She brought her knees up and rested her elbows across them, meeting the eyes of her escorts beyond the bars.
Which is worse? Being isolated, having no sleep or food, or being tortured?
Avery flashed them a smile with a mock wave. It wasn't a surprise when neither guard returned it. Instead, the one in charge scoffed and turned his back to her, dropping the hose at his feet.
It was all equally and irrevocably terrible, she decided.
*)*)*)*)
"I'm telling you, Eli, somethings wrong." The voice was unbending as it came through the radio. "Jacob has her-I know it."
Dark, unruly hair lifted from his forehead as a hand wiped at the dirt covered brow. The tight unease in the tone and hint of urgency wasn't lost on Eli. Even as he sat on a rocky ledge, high in the mountains, he could clearly picture Dutch pacing in his dimly lit bunker. The wrinkles would be pitting deeper with his scowl setting in.
Understandably, of course.
The worries emitting through the speaker was the last thing Eli wanted to hear from his long-time friend. It didn't keep the bit of guilt in his chest from expanding either.
Having followed a lead on Jacob's hidden compound, Eli, Wheaty, and Walker were under radio silence as they trekked through unknown territory. It was only two days since they had last checked in with the Wolf's Den or Dutch, but apparently a lot had occurred in those 48 hours.
While Dutch did warn that the Deputy-Avery Mason was it?- was on her way to the mountains, Eli hadn't figured he needed to intercept her so soon. He was on a fresh lead and working tirelessly to pinpoint the compound. Instead of reaching out, he decided to push off meeting the deputy until after his team had a chance to search the range. There was only so much time before the trail went cold. Surely, a few days alone in the mountains wouldn't put her in a bad situation. After all, she proved capable and resourceful in the lower elevations.
What he hadn't accounted for was the deputy to use those resources right away by taking back the Lumber Mill, along with other stolen property. As a result, Jacob's crosshairs soon zeroed in on her.
"Are you sure she isn't laying low? Maybe her radio was damaged, and she hasn't had the opportunity to reach out," Eli countered reverently. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, especially if it was worse-case scenarios. Making a mistake like that could cause him to put his people needlessly in harm's way.
"No, man. I know this girl. Something's happened to her… Jacob called over the radio and said his hunters were coming."
"And he addressed her, specifically?"
A lull from the other end of the radio. As if Dutch was recalling the threat the soldier issued.
"Well, shit-he didn't call her by her name or blood-type-but he didn't need to. It was clear as day."
The guilt, coupled with unease was solidifying now in Eli's stomach. "Alright, easy. Where was her last known location?"
"Not far from the lower end of Moccassin River. About 10 miles from the Lumber Mill."
That was a decent stint away.
"Where was she heading?"
"Hell, Eli. I don't know. That woman goes until she finds trouble, or it finds her. Always flying by the seat of her pants. There's no rhyme or reason to what she does, as long as it gets her closer to retrieving her team." An inkling of amusement creeped into Dutch's otherwise flustered tone, but it diminished by the time he added, "Trust me. He's got her."
Eli mulled over his options. The lead they were previously following had brought the team to a dead end. Even if it hadn't, he knew that recovering the deputy from Jacob's hold took precedence. If she became brainwashed, Jacob would find all the joy in turning her against the militia. Fortunately for them, the brainwashing wasn't completed overnight. It took days, even weeks, for a victim's mental and physical reaction to the music to take hold.
They had time. One would argue plenty, but Eli wasn't so optimistic.
They had to find where she was being held, travel there, and hope that Jacob didn't increase security at the compound to deter a rescue attempt.
There was a fat chance that Jacob would overlook the latter. If he went through the trouble to capture her so early in her entrance to the region, then the soldier had plans.
Eli's thoughts turned to the river where he mentally traced the channels and nearby roads, remembering a landmark here, an outpost there. Having scoured the mountain range for months since the Seeds' arrived, he no longer needed a map as a reference. Nearly everything in the region was memorable to the middle-aged hunter.
"Alright. I've got a few places in mind where she could be. We'll make our way south in a few hours and see what we can dig up."
"Which places were you thinking about?"
"There's the abandoned Ranger Post and a Fire Station. They're spread out from each other. May take a little while to check."
"Fuck, I knew it was a mistake to let her show up without meeting someone."
Eli felt the words hit him, but knew Dutch wasn't putting blame on him. That didn't matter because Eli was blaming himself.
"Don't worry. If Jacob's got her, we'll make sure to get her back."
"…Yeah." Dutch didn't sound so certain from the other end. "I'll… I'll reach out to a few other people and see if they can keep an ear out. Maybe someone can narrow down the search to save time."
Glancing behind him, Eli evaluated the sleeping duo. A glow from the fire cast a circle of light and warmth over Walker and Wheaty who rested after a tiresome day. They would be allowed a couple more hours before Eli stirred them awake with the news of their new assignment. Wheaty wouldn't be pleased that they wouldn't be returning to the Wolf's Den as planned.
"Don't worry, Dutch." Eli turned back to the vast wilderness beyond the ledge he perched on. Lights from small towns and radio towers flecked across the mountain sides and sea of trees. It was a beautiful view of a landscape that held so many dangers. "There's no chance in hell I'll let Jacob turn her into his pet."
*)*)*)*)
Miles away, a pair of boots propped themselves over a foldable card table. Clumps of dirt crumbled from the soles across the textured, white top, though cleanliness had long since been a concern to anyone in the area.
A plastic chair was pulled next to the table with a man lounging back, his head tilted as cerulean eyes stared absently at the ceiling. He rocked back on the hind legs of the chair, using his braced legs for control. Across the heather grey shirt, his large hands steepled over a black device that rested on his stomach.
The night was crawling by sluggishly, the moon peaking from clouds and lighting the shadowy room he relaxed in. Reflecting over the day, the soldier scratched at his auburn beard before returning his hands to the receiver.
Over the last two months, Eli and his militia had adopted healthy precautions when they realized that Jacob had found their radio station. As a result, they implemented a practice of changing to different frequencies at set times to decrease the chances for eavesdroppers. Over the following weeks, Jacob worked to dissect the pattern in hopes of listening in to militia's plans, with the determination to pick out the discrete location of the famed Wolf's Den.
But Eli was cunning.
A fitting rival to the eldest Seed brother.
Two times had Jacob stumbled upon a channel in use where he listened in to the enemy's secrets. Sadly, by the time the frequency was rotated to the next, he would lose the trail and have to start the search again. The difficulty was that a channel in use usually lasted a few hours to a majority of the day. But that didn't mean anyone would be actively talking to one another on it. For all Jacob knew, he could have landed on the correct channel, but no one was discussing anything, making it sound vacant. Majority of the days, he was meeting dead air and would end his search after 20 minutes.
But today was not one of those days.
After Avery was taken away to her cell, Jacob decided to turn in for the night to prepare for an early morning. As he unwound, he pulled the radio out to check his luck. Perhaps he would stumble upon a nice conversation between that brat, Wheaty, and one of his friends. Or maybe someone from the militia would be in mid panic as Jacob's men pinned them with rifle fire.
Doubtful, but he tried his chances, nonetheless.
And… would you look at that…
Now that voice was familiar…
Currently, the radio across his stomach had fallen silent in the passing seconds; the two men on the other end, oblivious to the third occupant on the frequency.
The pair of men were troubled. Deeply so.
That old, paranoiac bastard, Dutch, was convinced that the woman was captured by Jacob. Well, indeed. What else would have happened to her? She wouldn't have disappeared from the gameboard without a trace by just anyone.
What was interesting was Eli's claim to recover the deputy. That wasn't very common of the man. He was a solitary hunter that only created the militia because there was strength in numbers. Even newcomers fleeing the other regions into Jacob's had very little luck in getting into contact with anyone from the Wolf's Den because of Eli's hesitancy to trust others.
But not Avery.
Then again greatness recognized greatness, so go figure. And while Jacob disliked Eli, he respected the man's lethality and cunning enough to acknowledge it, though never, ever aloud.
He'd rather be stabbed in the eye.
Before his thoughts wandered further, the radio stirred beneath his folded fingers.
"Alright." It was that bothersome Eli that broken the silence. "I've got a few places in mind where she could be. We'll make our way south in a few hours and see what we can dig up."
"Which places were you thinking about?"
"Oh, do share," Jacob said to no one, never taking his eyes from the ceiling though amusement drenched his words.
"There's the abandoned Ranger Post and a Fire Station in that area. They're spread out from each other. May take a little while to check."
A smirk curled his lips. The worry dripping from their conversation was entertaining. And Dutch… He was actually having doubts that Eli would retrieve Avery, though not verbal admitted. That was rich.
It wasn't until Eli's parting comments came through that stirred the soldier's gaze away from ceiling and to the radio.
"Don't worry, Dutch…. There's no chance in hell I'll let Jacob turn her into his pet."
My pet?
Jacob's smirk turned wicked as the chair crashed to all four legs with a thud. The radio was set on the tabletop, removing the temptation to respond to his rival's tease.
"You're one to talk," the soldier retorted, instead to himself. Afterall, they both sought to use the woman to their advantage. Whether one was manipulative by appealing to her good graces, or just conforming her to be obedient, they were both the same.
Once he was sure that the conversation between the resistant members was ended, Jacob looked to his watch to see it was half past 11pm. Eli would be heading south in a few hours which meant before the sun was up. That would leave half a day of traveling until he reached the southern region by early afternoon. Maybe sooner if he had appropriate transportation.
For the first time since he stumbled upon the radio channel, Jacob's smirk fell as he realized just what that meant. While part of his plan was working flawlessly by pulling Eli out of hiding earlier, it also countered the main objectives. Jacob needed more time before he let the rebels take the deputy. He decided to weigh his options that he had.
On the one hand, he could give the woman a couple hours of break and continue the trials through the night and into the next day. That would allot for 5 more trials if he shortened the rest period between them. The only problem was the quality of the trials would be lacking. With little rest and nutrition, her body could go into a unconsciousness sooner, or worst, shock if he pushed that hard. Even if he had the doctor use lower dosage of bliss each time, it would only last for one or two session per trial and still risk her overall health.
That was not acceptable in the soldier's eyes.
With boots firmly on the ground, Jacob rested his elbows on his knees.
While Avery was a tool, he still found he valued and respected her enough to consider humane treatment. That was why he called in the doctor to issue continuous health checks. Not to mention that the new method of conditioning her was not the usual practice applied to other followers. It was already an expeditated process that could end disastrous if he pushed too much.
The other option available was to call in reinforcements to keep Eli from interfering until Jacob was finished. The benefit to that was he could, possibly, get lucking and a bullet finally make its mark on the elusive hunter. Then he wouldn't have any need to torment the deputy further. Although, if he did increase security of the compound, then there wasn't a way to make it believable for Eli to finally acquire Avery when Jacob was finished. Eli would still collect the officer, Jacob was sure, but there would be a hefty amount of suspicion whether she was compromised or not. More so than if Jacob pretended that he wasn't aware of Eli's arrival. One did not simply withdraw reinforcements so suddenly for no reason.
And then there was one last option he had.
Abandon the Fire Station and move her to the next closest outpost to buy time while he continued the trials. The Ranger Post would not do. But there was the Grand View Hotel….
If he did that, then by the time Eli realized the Fire Station and Ranger Post did not house the deputy, he would turn his attention to the hotel, as it was the closest. Avery would have her trials scheduled out to allow ample recovery time, and he wouldn't be rushed.
Deciding that was the ideal choice, Jacob stood to his feet and went to make the arrangements. There would be no sleep tonight. By the time Eli started his journey south, Jacob and his pet would be arriving at the Grand View Hotel to continue what they started.
*)*)*)*)
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Avery sputtered, stumbling to her feet with her arms out to the side. She imagined she looked ridiculous, but any self-preserving care was thrown out the window when the fast movement elicited pain through her stressed muscles.
Her hair, once in a decent bun, had sopping strands sticking to her face and bruised neck. The soaked fabric of her shirt clung to her like second skin and her pants weren't any better. As she took a step to get away from the shallow puddle forming beneath her, the squelching sound of her boots only added to her irritation. Not to mention that, while she did unintentionally swallow a lot of water, some had gone through her nose, making her eyes water from the burn.
"Told you not to sleep," the guard shrugged innocently, dripping nozzle still in hand. These were a new set of guards, having switched out a few hours ago. They weren't as chatty with one another as the previous pairs, nor were they as rude.
But any redeeming qualities the new guards tallied up went straight out the window.
Avery set to wringing her shirt out, trying to repress a shiver from the freezing water. Her fingers shook and were starting to turn red at the tips.
"You hack! I hardly dozed off!" A breeze shifted and only fanned her volatile mood as a fresh set of goosebumps prickled her skin. "Did I miss something? Am I a Prisoner of War or are you just a Witless Dishcloth?!"
If Avery wasn't fuming, she would have felt proud of the stunned guard. He was taken aback, mouth agape as he tried to make sense of her insults.
"Did-did you just call me a Dishcloth?"
"Witless-Witless Dishcloth…." Avery enunciated, sitting down away from the puddle to take her boots and socks off. After she pulled the second sock off, she tossed it away from her in a huff. "Can I at least have some dry clothes?"
Both guards exchanged looks, obviously neither knowing the answer.
Growling under her breath, Avery curled her knees up and started to rub her exposed arms to work friction into her skin. It did little to warm up when she was soaked. She was right in a foul mood.
"Just. Don't go to sleep," the guard repeated, his amusement dulling. Avery wondered if it was the strangeness of her insult or if he felt mildly guilty that the suffering extended past just waking her up. It would be an hour or more before she was dry now.
Not having luck from rubbing her arms, she opted to wrap them around her legs and pulled them in close, trying to huddle as shivers started to wrack her body. A cool breeze shifted again, and Avery groaned.
It was torturous. She was bored, exhausted, freezing, drenched, in pain, and was increasingly hungry. There was no way to tell time except for the passing of the crescent moon as it dipped in and out of the clouds. On the bright side… she had a significant amount of water to drink, though wasn't her intentions.
Dropping her head to her knees, she started to rock back and forth. By this point, her eyes were closed, and she let her mind drift off to anything she could think of instead of the cold. If the guards mistook her for falling asleep, then they'd be idiots. Her shivering and rocking were a fine display of her misery.
After a while, though she couldn't be certain of how much time had passed, activity from across the parking lot tugged at her attention. She had half a mind to ignore it, if only to simmer in her suffering. But then the sound of a vehicle starting up and pulling to the fire station, while passing in front of her cell, was enough to rouse her.
Lifting her head just enough to peek an eye over her knees, she saw a 4-door truck parked at the entrance of the building. The driver was some unknown Peggy who ran up the stairs, leaving the truck running.
Out of shear curiosity, and lack of anything better to do, Avery lifted her head a little further, eyes darting to the distracted guards at her door. She carefully evaluated the distance they stood and tried to pick out where the keys to her cell would be by the shape of their pockets. Oh, if only she could reach through, knock them out, and free herself before jumping in the truck and barreling out of the gates. Regrettably, Avery could not make out which guard had the keys or determine an accurate distance they stood from the bars. She also couldn't work up the energy to check, deciding that the odds of the payoff being successful was less than the effort.
Avery was about to dip her head into the cave between her body and knees when someone darted out of the station. They were carrying what looked like a strange leather bag over their shoulder and a boxy machine hooked under their arm. Another Peggy followed after the first and dropped the tailgate so they could load the equipment. Then the second ran back in as the first started to strap the items down.
Moments later, the first familiar face showed up, calmy striding down the steps with duffel bag in hand. The doctor opened the front door and set it in the middle seat then started directing the follower on his process of strapping the equipment down.
Was the doctor leaving? Avery perked up, as much as she could muster, hoping it was true.
The way he was telling the second Peggy, who came out with another box, definitely made it look like he was packing his stuff and going somewhere else.
Good riddance.
Any reprieve she felt was snuffed out when two new faces started heading in her cell's direction, holding some materials she couldn't make out.
She felt herself tense but hoped it was just a switch in shifts and didn't concern her outside of that.
When the guards stopped in front of the others, they started to discuss what she assumed were orders. The one who had sprayed her, tossed her a glance over their shoulder before returning their attention to the others.
Something was happening. And she didn't think it was a trial.
Unravelling herself, Avery slowly got to her feet before returning her arms around her torso. She didn't bother taking a step forward, still unsure what was going to happen next. Shortly after, the four men turned toward the door and worked to unlock it. Avery let her eyes run over the materials they carried and noticed the zip ties and a piece of fabric.
The door creaked open and the tallest of the men called her forward. But Avery didn't move.
"I said, get over here."
Again, her feet stayed planted.
Instead of repeating or issuing a threat, the man stepped forward, followed by the other two. The one who opened the gate stayed by in, likely in the event she squeezed by the three men and tried to make a dash.
Despite hating her situation and wanting nothing more than to find a way out, Avery wasn't dumb. She despised the idea of being carted off to somewhere that likely held more torment for her, yet she knew that fighting back when the odds were against her would push her further into exhaustion. She needed to preserve the little energy she had.
The three men approached her cautiously, fully expecting her to lash out. She wanted to. No denying that. But she waited, only fixing them with a glare until the first man reached her.
"Hands out."
Avery let the two seconds linger between them before holding her hands out. He worked to tie one and then the other. It took some willpower to not send a punch into his stomach even with the knowledge that it would only go badly for her.
But when someone behind her wrapped a fabric over her eyes, reflexes kicked in and she jerked her elbow back. The sharp joint hit him squarely in the chest, knocking the wind out of him in a strangled grunt. Her arms had just been tied together, but that didn't stop her from using them as a weapon. Someone's hands grabbed for the rag, trying to tighten it while another pair attempted to still her by latching onto her upper arm. She wasn't sure which she hit but both arms swung downwards, her knuckles colliding against a head of hair.
People were shouting, some closer than others, but she was disoriented by the moment of blindness and the sudden tackle from the side. Both her and one of the men fell to the ground. The man quickly shifted to straddle her back, her arms pinned under her. A hand was on the back of her neck as he cursed at her for being so stupid. She felt someone tightening the fabric once more after straightening it over her eyes from when it had shifted.
"Fuck. Maybe we should've put her arms behind her back."
"It's not too late for that. Well? Do we need to do that, or will you behave?"
That was obviously directed at her.
"Get. Off. Me." Any further civil retort was too much to ask of her. The deputy's patience was long depleted.
The man above her grunted but didn't comment as he pulled her up with him. His hand remained on her upper arm as he guided her out and closer to the running truck. She half expected him to push her around aggressively, but he kept any hard feelings tucked away.
Once they reached the vehicle, she was pulled to a stop when the man holding her ordered someone for a towel. As someone jogged off, he turned and address the others.
"You two are relieved of watching her. We got it now."
"Eh… Are you sure—"
"That's what the boss said."
Shuffling was heard as another voice joined them. "Here's the towel."
No one verbally acknowledged the offer, but Avery felt the cotton fabric blanket across her shoulders.
"Alright, get it." The hand returned to her arm and guided her into the truck.
It was awkward to determine the height and to slide in without the use of her arms. But she managed, hopefully as gracefully as it felt. The man crawled in beside her before releasing his grip.
"Where are we going?" she questioned to no one in particular. She heard the familiar voice of the doctor say 'thanks' to someone she couldn't see, followed by the sound of him jumping into the front passenger seat. "Why's the doctor coming?"
A hand came up to expand the fabric across her face. Likely suspecting the blindfold not properly placed. The unexpected contact made her jerk away before that hand came to her arm to keep her in place.
"Damn it, woman. I'm making sure you can't see, not trying to hurt ya."
"Well, what do you know?" she snapped sarcastically. "I tend to be jumpy when I'm bombarded by men, blind folded and bound, and then told to get in a truck."
Once the man was satisfied that she couldn't see, she felt him sit back in the chair and release her arm. He didn't bother to respond to her retort, so she eagerly filled the silence herself.
"That didn't change anything. I still can't see the same amount as before."
"Just had to make sure."
Avery scoffed. "It's called situational awareness. I saw the doctor loading his stuff in the truck before you showed up. Not to mention that I spent the day off and on in his care. You tend to pick up on traits like people's voices when you're in their presence for extended periods of time."
Neither man acknowledged her explanation, clearly not stirred by her sardonic remarks.
"Alright, if everyone in the car keeps ignoring me, I'll find ways to make the ride more entertaining. But I can't guarantee you guys will like it…."
"You've got to be kidding me. Are you really so damn childish?"
"Childish, no. Serious, though… Yes."
"For fucks sake. What?"
"Are you going to answer my questions?"
"If you fucking ask them."
Avery wanted to roll her eyes. She couldn't believe she had to repeat the questions so soon. They really were blocking her out. "Where are we going and why is the doctor coming with?"
"Don't know," was the quip response by the guard on her left.
"You don't know where we're going or why the doctor is coming along?"
"Why do you even want to know? It's not like it'll change your situation."
Avery furrowed her brows but knew it went unnoticed.
"It's a simple. Fucking. Question."
The man must have realized that she wasn't going to let up by the huff of annoyance that left him. "I don't know either. I'm just supposed to make sure you don't try anything stupid."
Not willing to drop it, Avery turned to face the passenger seat, or what she assumed was the general direction of the doctor, and sent a light kick under the seat. "Well? Feel free to chime in. You'd probably know better than the henchmen."
"The…what?" the man beside her sputtered. "Fucking henchman?"
Avery continued, ignoring the flustered guard beside her, and still facing the passenger seat. "Who are you anyway? Are you actually a doctor?"
She could make out the doctor shifting his weight from the rustle of his clothes. Was he looking back at her or uncomfortable with her attention?
Before she could press further, someone shuffled into the seat on her right and the sound of the front driver side door shutting announced that two more people had joined. No one said anything as the truck started to lurch forward.
Were they taking her to Jacob now? Was she being carted away to the Veteran's Center? Would Pratt be there?
So many questions started to swirl, but she found that she couldn't keep voicing what was on her mind. While she was able to determine who two of the people were, she had a sinking feeling that the other two were not simple Peggies. The doctor was coming along. That was enough of a reason for her to choose analyzing her situation than voicing what she knew.
And something told her that her situation was turning for the worse, not the other way.
Easing into that harsh acceptance did bring one thing to light for her….
There was no hose in the cab of the truck.
Small victories, she mused as she slouched back with her bound wrists resting across her lap.
The warmth of the two men beside her was appreciated. In fact, she welcomed the close proximity if it meant being a little less cold. Still, it wasn't enough to fully chase the chill away. A shiver wracked her body involuntarily, but she refused to feel ashamed. It wasn't like she sprayed herself out of some yearning for self-punishment.
Frowning, she pulled the towel a little further over her shoulders.
Unexpected, a gravelly voice implored, breaking the quiet that settled over the truck.
"You cold?"
Lifting her head at the new voice, Avery tried to pinpoint who asked, if it was the man driving or the one on her right.
The sound of the dial turning, and air being pushed through the vents was proof that whoever asked her didn't need a response to know that she was freezing and that it was the driver who noticed her shiver.
After a slight delay, the temperature shifted, warming the group inside. There was a slight dampness to the air, which she knew she was the cause of. Hopefully there wasn't too much of a fog creeping on the windows. Avery didn't want to be blind folded and end up in a car crash because the driver couldn't see through the haze from the moisture.
As minutes passed, and the truck accelerated down the main roads, Avery felt herself relax as her apprehension ebbed from her tired body. It wasn't until her head jerked that she realized she was falling asleep.
And no one said anything to her.
Maybe I should take advantage of that, she pondered, letting her head rest back on the bench seat, her heavy eyelids shut behind the fabric. Who am I to complain if I get a warm ride and a nap…
That's just their way to keep you obedient, the voice in the back of her head warned.
But Avery shoved it away. She needed her strength. So, for now, she would go along with it. As long as she didn't make a habit of it, she would be fine.
She just needed rest…
Hey everyone! Thanks for the wonderful review and fav's! I've been trying to improve my writing a little more each chapter and I'm excited with the progress of it all.
Now this chapter took a bit of a turn then I originally planned. Going through this new and improved process of conditioning Avery is necessary to the plot but would drag out extensively, so I'm trying to find that easy balance. And then all of a sudden, I find myself diverging and adding the move to the Grand View Hotel. Well, it adds a little more to the overall story, I suppose, so I'll allow it to stay in the chapter.
Until the next time, hope you enjoy it! I appreciate any feedback or constructive criticism.