I know this is longer than my usual updates, but because of the heavy subject material, I wanted to the whole story of Vaughn's torture in one update. Bear with me.

These next several chapters contain graphic images of Vaughn's torture. If you don't with to read about those topics, I would suggest not reading these next chapters.


Chapter 166: And Darkness Comes

"How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in one's culture but within oneself? If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox. One must live in the middle of contradiction, because if all contradiction were eliminated at once life would collapse. There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light." – Barry Lopez

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." – Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Dolendi modus, timendi non item." (To suffering there is a limit; to fearing, none.) – Sir Francis Bacon

"The world is not respectable; it is mortal, tormented, confused, deluded forever; but it is shot through with beauty, with love, with glints of courage and laughter; and in these, the spirit blooms timidly, and struggles to the light amid the thorns." – George Santayana


"That should do it," Adolf said suddenly, making Vaughn jump slightly, as he came back into his line of view.

He turned and grabbed something from the cart that Vaughn had seen on his first visit to this room.

Silence pervaded the room until his ears detected something that was clicking…a steady and rhythmic noise…it sounded…electric…

Adolf smiled wickedly, "This is a stun gun…their intended purpose of course was self-defense and subjugation, but they also work quite well as a torture device. I keep rather up to date with the latest news, and I found it interesting that Amnesty International reports governments all over the world routinely use them for extracting information, including your own country…the CIA uses them…don't you find that fascinating?" he asked seriously.

Vaughn didn't respond, and found it difficult to swallow as he listened to the stun gun and watched the blue light flicker and click. This was gonna hurt like hell…

"They leave almost no marks…" Adolf said in wonderment, "Truly magnificent…"

He stood seemingly transfixed by the rhythmic pulsing of the gun. He snapped out of his revere and looked down at Vaughn for a moment before he quickly moved the stun gun to Vaughn's chest.

He only let it sit there for half a second, but that half a second was pure hell for Vaughn. A painful jolt startled and awakened his muscles. Adolf smiled at his outcry and then brought it back again, this time letting the gun lay on his skin for two seconds. Vaughn knew it was two seconds because Adolf cruelly counted out, "One-one-thousand, Two-one-thousand…"

In those two seconds, a shock like Vaughn had never felt before rippled through his body. It was like receiving a shock from someone amplified by about a million times. His muscles spasmed violently and if he wouldn't have been so dazed, he would have screamed.

Adolf waited, watching Vaughn's dazed expression with a sense of accomplishment and admiration. He waited until Vaughn seemed to regain control and then pressed the stun gun in again, leaving it there for five seconds…then ten…then fifteen. Vaughn's body couldn't process all the current that was surging though him and it seemed that all his motor functions, all the signals his brain was trying to send him effectively stopped. His body jerked lifelessly along with Adolf's string of prods.

The only thought that ran through Vaughn's brain besides that of pain was that this was what it must feel like to be electrocuted; to touch a live electric wire and keep your hand there.

Adolf stopped before he lost consciousness; happily smiling at Vaughn's traumatized and weakened state. "Mr. Sloane?" he asked.

Sloane moved over to Vaughn's line of vision, "Yes Adolf…that was more impressive, very enjoyable…"

"Would you like me to continue?"

Vaughn groaned incoherently, his brain processing that little bit of information.

Sloane smiled cruelly, "By all means, let's move to the next one…"

Adolf snarled and grabbed his next toy. He looked down at Vaughn again, who was now covered in sweat, the distress caused by all the shock making his body overexert itself, trying to compensate.

"This is a different sort of stunning mechanism Mr. Vaughn," he explained, "This is a taser gun, what is called a 'flying taser…'" he paused, admiring this new toy, "It's called a 'flying taser' because it has a trigger, that when pressed, launches the electrodes like firing a gun. The normal electrodes would have barbs that attach to clothing, but these have been modified," he said with pride. "These…these are my own special creation. They have the same barbs, but instead of attaching to clothing, these attach to skin…and you should know…the moisture…the perspiration…only serves to make the electric current more powerful…"

Adolf approached Vaughn with the electrodes, placing them on his chest, above his heart, one on each side. After carefully checking the electrodes, Adolf delightedly informed Vaughn they were going to begin. He started the taser and watched in fascination once again as the crackling blue-light flame danced before his eyes. He smiled a repulsive smile and depressed the trigger he had specially made, making the current travel from the taser base to the electrodes, down through the wires onto the circular patches attached to Vaughn's skin.

His body lurched against the restraints as the current swept over him, the water amplifying it to a new level of pain. His teeth gritted and ground against each other as his body was racked with the rushing electricity.

When Adolf turned it off, Vaughn was completely paralyzed; the muscles in his body not able to handle all the commands the electricity was trying to send it. He lay listlessly on the table, the feeling of current still waving over him, his skin prickling from the water, his limbs burning in shock.

Vaughn wanted nothing more than to succumb to a rising darkness that was beckoning him, but it seemed Sloane had other plans. "Make sure he stays awake," he said ruthlessly.

Adolf nodded and grabbed a bucket of cold water, dumping it over Vaughn. He was awake again in no time, the warring sensations, hot and cold, pain and comforting darkness all too much. He pulled unsuccessfully at the binds that held him as the aftershock tremors coursed through his body.

Adolf began to remove the electrodes from his chest; small, round, red, circular burns in their place.

He looked over at Sloane, asking permission for his final task, and Sloane nodded his agreement. He looked wildly at Irina and Sark, both of whom looked like they'd witnessed enough torture for one day.

"What sets these apart is their function," Adolf began, "These are not made for affecting the nervous system or for incapacitating people…these are made for the simple purpose of movement…to get something moving…to cause pain…" Adolf explained as he turned the long, slender instrument in his hand.

Vaughn wasn't really paying attention anymore, his heart was racing; his body weak and drained. His body was wet and he could only imagine how this next round of electrocution was going to go. Of course, as always, he didn't have to wait long, and he just tuned Adolf's accented voice out as it droned on. He did catch, "Prod…and cattle…and wound…" before he was hit with the painful sensation of the prod making contact with his moist skin. Adolf wasn't lying when he said it was meant to cause pain…Vaughn screamed more than he though possible as Adolf repeatedly touched the prod to his wounds, new wounds he created and wounds that already existed on his body. The agony that tore though him was unbearable, and he finally succumbed to the inviting darkness, Adolf still prodding him excitedly.

Sloane was not happy that Vaughn had passed out, "Wake him up!" he yelled frantically.

Adolf tried more water, but Vaughn was totally unconscious.

Sark piped up, "No one can withstand that much electricity for much longer…it was bound to happen…"

Sloane stormed off angrily, waving him arms erratically, "Cell! Take him back to the cell!"

Adolf unhappily unstrapped Vaughn and motioned for the waiting goons to take him away.

They lifted Vaughn's unconscious form and dragged him back to the cell, leaving him cold, wet and injured on the hard cement floor.
End Flashback

"I didn't think anything could get worse than that…but it did of course…Sloane always found something else to push it further…I was out for a while…I'm not sure how long…but I think it was more than a day or so…I'm not sure…I just remember waking up and being really cold…which made sense when I realized they just threw me in the cell, wet of course, no clothes…I was shaking…pretty much in shock I think or past that…I just tried to keep my mind off of the pain, tried to think about Sydney…"

He stopped, thinking, "I hadn't had anything to eat or drink for that time I was out…coulda been hours, coulda been days, I had no clue, no sense of time…and I mean…I was in so much pain…it's not hard to tell when you have injuries to know the extent…I knew…I just…there wasn't anything I could do about them…they bled, they hurt, but…what was I supposed to do? I couldn't fix anything…and they just kept doing more."

"I was actually really happy though after all that, that I passed out…because it became the only way I could rest. They started to keep me awake after that, Sloane got pissed cause Adolf let me pass out I guess…they'd come in at all hours of the day and night and wake me up…I never got a full night's sleep after that…the solace…of unconsciousness…it was like my only power…and yet I had no power over it. I couldn't really will myself to pass out; I just had to wait until they did something bad enough that would warrant the blackness. The cell…was dark, but it wasn't the same as being unconscious. They could hurt me in the dark, but once I passed out, they could do whatever they wanted and it wouldn't have fazed me…"

He stopped again, looking at the stress ball still locked in a tight grip in his hand, "I remember that my fingers were really cold…I couldn't feel them…and the ones that were broken…I just…I couldn't hold onto anything…I could only imagine what they would do next…I think that's part of the reason why they left me in the cell for such long time periods, because it made me wonder what else I would be subjected to…"