MIND CONTROL
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Warning: This chapter contains some graphic scenes of torture and abuse.
A ragged scream was torn from Starsky's raw, abused throat. The strain on his shoulders was unbearable, his hands stretched over his head and fastened securely. His feet hung six inches off the floor, his wrists supporting his entire body weight. He no longer had any feeling in his hands, his fingers numb and swollen. He had been stripped of his tee shirt and his torso glistened with sweat. Colby had alternated between tormenting him with the stun belt and watching as the other three men beat him with their fists.
Now Colby stood in front of him holding a knife with a long, lethal looking blade in his hand. He smiled mockingly as he traced one of the numerous scars on Starsky's chest with the tip of the blade. Although he used very little pressure, the blade was razor sharp, leaving a thin trail of blood behind. Starsky barely noticed the slight stinging sensation from the cut or the warm trickle of blood that ran down his skin.
"You never could do things the easy way, could you?" Colby sneered, as he continued teasing Starsky with the blade of the knife. "Now you're going to have to pay for your insubordination."
"Is that what you call it?" Starsky said "From where I'm standing, it looks to me like just another excuse to get your kicks."
"You know, you really should watch that mouth of yours when I've got a knife in my hand. I could cut out your tongue. Maybe that will keep you quiet."
"Go ahead." Starsky dared him defiantly. "You're going to do whatever you want anyway."
"You're right. And right now, this is what I want to do." Colby said, suddenly slashing out with the knife, cutting a deep gash down the middle of Starsky's chest. Starsky bit back a scream, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out. He closed his eyes tightly, gasping as he rode out the searing pain of the wound. Colby knew exactly what he was doing, cutting deeply enough to hurt but not deep enough to be life threatening.
"Commendable." Colby said, turning to one of the three other men in the room. He lowered the knife and held out his other hand, accepting something from his companion. Stepping closer to Starsky's suspended form, he leaned in so he could whisper in a curl covered ear, "I love to hear you scream." With those mocking words, he raised his hand and rubbed his palm against the freshly cut wound on the brunet's chest.
Starsky screamed involuntarily, reeling against the pain as the salt was rubbed into the open wound. His fingers clenched and unclenched as he pulled against the restraints around his wrists, his body twisting and turning as the burning agony overwhelmed his senses. His breath came in short, panting gasps as his eyes rolled back in his head. He felt the darkness closing in around him and he welcomed it like a lover in the night.
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A deep groan rumbled in his chest as Starsky slowly regained consciousness. A slight swaying movement, along with the distinct sensation of hanging upside down assaulted his senses. A wave of vertigo swept over him, his stomach churning uneasily, as he slowly opened his eyes. He slammed them shut again almost immediately, his heart pounding in terror, as he realized that he was suspended almost three stories in the air, hanging by his ankles from an elaborate pulley system of some sort.
His head pounded relentlessly from the reversed flow of blood to his brain and his handcuffed hands hung down towards the ground. Starsky was terrified of heights. It was a phobia that he could control on the job when he had to, but these circumstances were drastically different from the ones he usually encountered. As long as he didn't open his eyes and realize how far up he was, he would be okay.
"How's the view?" Colby's voice called from above. Reluctantly, Starsky opened his eyes a crack and glanced up to see Colby leaning over the restraining wall on the roof, grinning down at him. His eyes snapped shut again as a wave of dizziness swept over him and the contents of his stomach almost made a repeat appearance. He cried out in terror, his eyes flying open as he felt himself fall rapidly for a few feet, stopping with a sharp jerk that jarred his teeth together. "Pay attention when I'm talking to you!" Colby yelled "I think you need to hang there for a little bit and enjoy the change of scenery."
"You son of a bitch!" Starsky screamed, struggling to keep the fear and panic from showing in his voice. "You can't just leave me here!"
"Oh, yes I can." Colby said with a smirk, disappearing from view.
Starsky took several deep, shuddering breathes to calm his ragged nerves as he tried to calm his racing heart. He knew it was useless to beg or to expect anything from his captors except more pain. Very few people knew about the brunet's fear of heights. Colby had found out by accident during a training exercise when they were in the academy that had triggered a panic attack. Luckily, Hutch had been with him at the time and had been able to talk him through it. Now Colby seemed determined to use one of Starsky's greatest fears against him for his own sadistic pleasure.
As he hung there, Starsky could feel the panic starting to mount. Even with his eyes tightly closed, the sensation of hanging upside down and the accompanying vertigo was wearing on his nerves, driving him closer and closer to the edge of hysteria. His heart rate increased, along with his breathing until he was close to hyperventilating. His muscles began trembling as his anxiety and fear mounted. Unnoticed, a high keening sound escaped from his lips as his struggles to escape increased. Time seemed to cease as he retreated deep within himself to control the panic that threatened to overwhelm him.
Sometime later, his eyes blinked open. He was surprised to find himself back in his room, lying on the bed. In his confused state of mind it would have been easy to convince himself that it had all been just a bad dream except for the neat row of tiny stitches down the front of his chest where he had been cut with the knife. His limps felt limp and heavy, the lethargy making him feel weak and drowsy. He knew he had been drugged again, more to keep him calm and sedated than to ease any pain he might be in. He sighed and closed his eyes, resigned to whatever fate lay in store for him. It was not in his nature to give up without a fight but he was enough of a realist to know that not all fights could be won no matter how hard you tried.
The sound of the door opening demanded his attention. He opened his eyes as Missy slipped into the room and hurried to his side. Gently brushing her fingers across his cheek, she whispered,
"I'm sorry. I just found out what they did to you."
"Help me…" Starsky choked out through his dry, parched throat. His eyes filled with unwelcome tears, his fragile emotions dangerously close to the surface.
"I will. Later tonight…I'll come back and I'll help you get out of here." She said breathlessly. "I can't watch them hurt you anymore."
"Thank you…" Starsky said with a surge of relief and renewed hope. Missy smiled and stretched out on the bed beside him, her fingers trailing through the soft fur on his chest, carefully avoiding the new cut down the center of his torso. They lay there like that for several minutes each of them lost in their own thoughts.
Starsky relished her touch, feeling his body responding to her gentle caresses. He squirmed uneasily as his penis began to harden, tempted by the woman lying next to him. Missy noticed his state of arousal and smiled faintly.
"Want me to help you do something about that?" she cooed seductively.
"I wanna fuck you." Starsky said crudely, his voice thick with desire. He rolled over so that he was lying on top of her, grinding his aching groin against her to emphasize his need, as his hungry mouth found her willing lips. Their hands reached out to touch each other, seeking to give pleasure instead of pain.
Starsky fumbled with his clothes, pulling his sweat pants down around his knees and then kicking them off. Missy giggled as she tugged at her own clothes, making it easier for him to reach his goal. His lips closed around one pert little nipple, suckling greedily, as he drove himself home, entering her with one hard thrust of his hips.
There was no time for foreplay or romance, his burning need to take her overruled his normal sense of chivalry and good manners. She cried out in pleasure, wrapping her slender legs tightly around his hips as he slammed into her, further inflaming his lust. He growled, deep in his chest, as he exploded, spilling his seed deep inside of her. He felt her body tremble beneath him as her own release overwhelmed her. Exhausted and sated, Starsky rolled to one side, letting her up.
Missy quickly straightened her clothes and gave him a deep, lingering kiss. "I'll be back around midnight. Be ready." She said as she stood up and prepared to leave. Starsky nodded to show that he understood as he watched her slip out of the room. For the first time since his ordeal began, he fell into a peaceful slumber, dreaming of freedom.