Chapter 12: Mind Games

How long had she been here? She didn't know any more. Days had blurred and memories had trouble sticking. It certainly seemed like an eternity. Somehow she wasn't dead. She wished she was in her more lucid moments. But even then, she just couldn't bring herself to make Jay kill her.

Jay. She couldn't think of him without a thrill of fear running through her, an electrified version of the unremitting pain. Lately those two things—the fear and the pain—seemed to be all she could feel any more. At first she had clung to thoughts of her family, and of Andi and Pam, but the memories soon became worn and brittle. Meaningless. All there was anymore was Jay, Jay and the twin fear and pain he inspired.

She had given up resisting him long ago. He called her Harley now, and she responded to the name like a dog to its master. The one time she had tried to insist otherwise he had pulled out his knife and—

She choked back a sob. She. No. Not just 'she.' Leena. Her name was still Leena no matter what he did to her. No matter what she told him. No matter what he did to her.

He didn't seem to particularly want to do anything to her though. Oh, he still kicked and cuffed her sometimes—or, even more frighteningly, called her Harley and ran his filthy fingers through her hair and across her battered face, as if Leena was a child or small animal—but whatever he had wanted to 'teach' her seemed to have been forgotten. For the most part, Leena was ignored unless she called attention to herself. She always vowed that she wouldn't, that this time she would be tough enough to starve or die of dehydration first, but after the tortuous experience of—four? five?—days ago, she had never lasted more than half a day before she begged him for help. Her body always clamored for resources to heal itself, never realizing that the person who gave her the food and water was also causing the problems. Sometimes she got what she asked for. More often, uproarious laughter or a blow to the face was her only answer. Once or twice it had been a beating so hard that she had blacked out.

Where was he now? For all that he ignored her, Jay usually walked in and out during the day, muttering to himself, but Leena hadn't seen him at all. From the stifling heat, she thought it must be midafternoon. At least there weren't flies in here.

A new fear suddenly joined the ones lurking in the pit of her stomach. What if Jay simply left her here? What if he never came back, if she went mad—what if she was already mad? Leena looked up at the ceiling, lips moving in silent prayer. No. No, she couldn't be mad yet. She hadn't been to a synagogue since high school, but surely God wouldn't abandon her to that.

Panic and giddy relief coursed through her when the door opened at last. The bruises in her ribs kept Leena from curling up like she used to, but she pressed herself flat against her corner and hoped it would be enough for Jay to ignore her.

He didn't walk in right away though. Leena could hear him muttering to himself, and saw that he was bent over, dragging something, something heavy and long, very low to the ground—

A body. Had she really thought that Jay would spend all his time just hanging around hurting her? Of course he was up to something. Something that involved killing, hurting others… she thought she would have been sick if her stomach wasn't so empty.

Jay at last succeeded in pulling the corpse inside and slammed the heavy door into place. "C'mere Harl! I've gotta, um, present for you."

Leena didn't want to move, not closer to Jay and certainly not closer to the dead man, but she had learned from experience to obey Jay's commands to the letter. Sometimes that was enough to keep him from hurting her. Sometimes. She made herself stand up, hunched over slightly to ease the pain in her ribs, and stumbled towards him.

She was worried that she wasn't fast enough, but Jay waited for her, rocking from his heels to the balls of his feet. He was smiling—really smiling, not just with his scars—but his eyes held a hungry, predatory gleam. As Leena got closer she smelled smoke, clinging to him and the body like a cloud.

"What did you blow up?"

The words slipped out before she could stop them but Jay didn't seem displeased. "Oh…" he rolled his eyes to one side, "The police station." His eyes snapped back to her and, at her horrified face, he leaned in confidingly. "Ya know, you shoulda seen all those coppers run. It was hi-lar-i-ous. Mighta even made you laugh. And between you and me Harley, you're a bit of a killjoy."

Leena knew from their therapy sessions another lifetime ago that he was a pathological liar. But a quick glance down at the body showed a slightly overweight, middle aged man dressed in a navy blue uniform. The police station. For the first time she could remember here, the fear she felt was for someone else. "Andi?"

"No. No. This isn't An-di. This is… uh…" Jay bent close to the body and read off the nametag, "'Sergeant Bailey.'" He patted the unconscious man's cheek with a gloved hand, then stood up straight again. "He's for you."

He seemed to be in a talkative mood. Leena decided to risk another question. "Why did you give me a corpse?"

Jay stared at her for several seconds, then burst out in huge whoops of laughter. Leena fought the instinct to run. Laughter had always come before the worst abuse. But flight would only make it worse for her.

"You—you really are—too much Harley." Jay burst out, holding his sides, "You just—you always think the worst of me don't you?"

Leena was too afraid to answer, but Jay caught her confusion. "He's not a stiff," he drawled, "He's a-a-live! He's a... friend for you to play with. And help you with your, uh... group therapy."

Therapy. So he had finally remembered his promised 'psychiatry.' Leena found herself trembling. Whatever hell the past few days had contained, they had at least settled into something routine. She knew what to expect. If Jay was bringing up lessons, that was about to change. And she doubted it would be for the better.

"Well. Not that this isn't fun," Jay shook his head, "But I need to work on some other stuff. You kiddies behave yourselves."

He headed for that other room of his, only to poke his head back through the door almost immediately. "Oh and, uh, don't let him escape Harl. I… uh… wouldn't wanna hurtcha." He winked at her and disappeared again.

Leena waited for thirty seconds to make sure that he was really gone this time, then bent over the officer, shaking his shoulder with both hands. "Mister? Mister? C'mon, please wake up, please." All her medical experience went out the window with her desperation for there to be someone else, anyone else who was still sane, who wasn't a part of the bubble that had held only her and Jay. "Please, please, please get up."

He groaned and one of his hands twitched. Leena froze, watching him avidly. Perhaps it was selfish for her to be glad that he was here, that he was still alive. She didn't know and at that moment she didn't care. There was someone else. She wasn't alone.

Slowly his eyelids fluttered open, one hand reaching up to the back of his head. "Ow." His eyes rolled in their sockets, as if he didn't have complete control of them, then found Leena. He squinted.

"Who—"

"I'm Leena. Or Dr. Quinzel, but you can call me Leena," she said, "Most people just call me Leena, even though my full name's Harleen. And it's not—not—Harley. Never Harley. You understand that right? I'm still Leena, I'm still—"

Oh gosh, she sounded crazy. Leena snapped her mouth shut, but the officer didn't seem to notice anything strange. His eyes closed again, but he spoke slowly. "Doctor—Quinzel—" He drew a ragged breath. "The Joker. He has us doesn't he?"

Leena flinched at the reminder. Whatever held Jay back from actually killing her, she doubted this man would have the same immunity. She had thought the abuse had ground out everything in her except survival instinct, but the thought of him being hurt proved that it wasn't true. As little as she wanted to be attacked by Jay, she wanted to protect this man even more. Somebody deserved to come out of this ordeal unscathed.

"You should get out," she muttered, "While you still can. I think we're at the harbor judging by the smell. It's bound to be crowded. There'll be someone who will help you."

He didn't answer, just opened his eyes again and watched her.

"Come on." Leena pushed his shoulder a little bit to get him moving, "The door's that way. You can—"

"What about you?"

Leena found a crooked smile on her face. She pulled the hem of her shirt up a little bit, just enough to show him some of the bruises on her stomach. They weren't even the worst ones—those were the kicks on her ribs and the knife wound Jay had given her—but her companion still flinched.

"I doubt I'd get far," she whispered, "That's probably why he keeps me so beaten in the first place. It's hard to escape when you can barely walk. You need to get out before he does the same to you."

Something firmed in his face.

"No. No, I'm not leaving you here."

"Don't be… don't be foolish." Leena swallowed. The image of someone else being hurt too… no, she couldn't allow that. She really would go crazy. But she shouldn't tell the officer that. "Once you're out you can bring help."

"The minute I'm free, he'll know and probably kill you. I'm not leaving you to that." He sat up slowly and winced again. "Besides, my head hurts."

"Let me see." Leena moved in behind him, carefully probing with her fingers. "Here? It hurts here?"

"Yep."

"Can you still see straight? No blurriness? Are you dizzy?"

"A bit dizzy." He touched his scalp gingerly but didn't flinch. "It's mostly from getting dragged around and sitting up suddenly I think."

Leena felt her lips pull up the tiniest bit. "I don't suppose recommending you take it easy for the next couple of days would be effective."

"Doubt it. But I'll keep it in mind anyways."

Leena stood up, then reached down a hand. "Come on. We should move."

"Why?" He ignored her hand and stood up on his own. Despite the blow to his head, he still seemed to be steadier on his feet than she was.

"Jay crosses through this path every hour or so. We don't want to be in his way, drawing attention to ourselves and such, if we can help it."

He had put up with the things Leena had said before—and she was no fool, she knew that she had sounded slightly unhinged at times—but something she had just said made him stare at her like she was insane. Leena's voice went defensive. "What?"

"You call him Jay?" His voice was about the same tone as Leena's when she'd learned Pam wanted to keep a pet tarantula in their dorm back in college.

"I was his psychiatrist," Leena sighed, "I didn't want to keep calling him 'the Joker' like a freak."

"But that's what he is!"

"Not what he could be though. I believed—still do believe—that there is something good, something worth saving in every person. Jay… I named him Jay because I wanted to see him as that person. He's not a force of nature or some icon of evil. He can't be."

The policeman snorted at the idea, but when Leena beckoned again he followed her. She didn't take him all the way back to her corner, just a wall far enough away that they wouldn't be in Jay's path and could see bits of the sky through the high windows. That was important. Leena always tried to stay in view of the sky, even when that meant taking extra summer heat. She sat down, leaning her head against the wall and turned to her companion. "So. Jay said your name was Bailey."

"That's right. And you're Leena? Taylor told me a lot about you."

"Taylor?" Leena's voice rose to something close to a shriek and she grabbed his shoulders, "You mean Andrea Taylor? Andi? You know her? Is she alright? Did Jay hurt her? Did he really attack the police station? Was she there? What—"

"Hold on. Calm down." Bailey carefully pried her off of him. "Yes, I mean Andi. She tried to save you when the Joker first kidnapped you, but her injuries from that weren't life-threatening. She stayed in the hospital for several days after some nasty stuff got into her system, but she's better now and was released today."

"What about the police station? Jay said he blew up the police station! Was she there?"

"No." Bailey frowned. "No she wasn't. Said she had some 'personal business' she needed to put out of the way first. I was supposed to guard her, but the Commissioner called me off, I went back to the precinct to wait for her…"

"And then Jay attacked," Leena whispered, "I'll bet he thought Andi had already come back when you did."

"Luck," Bailey muttered, "Amazing luck."

"For her at least," Leena pointed out, "Not so much for you."

He paused. "At least the Joker didn't get what he wanted, though. That's something. And if Andi had been there, he would probably have grabbed her and let me die when he blew up the station."

Leena didn't want to say that his luck was still down if he had been dragged here instead of dying, so she just changed the subject. "How long since I was kidnapped?"

"You disappeared five days ago."

"Five?" Had it only been that short of a time? Leena had thought it was a week at least. How could she have slipped so far in only five days? "What else has Jay been doing?"

"As far as we can tell… nothing. He left us alone until today when he blew up the station." Bailey leaned his head back against the wall and let his eyes slip closed.

"Get some sleep," Leena encouraged, "I'll keep an eye on things." Not that there would be much she could do to protect him from Jay. But if he caught both of them unaware…

Bailey dozed off and Leena, as had been her habit more and more often, stared out the window. Was she imagining that tiny plume of black smoke in the distance? She didn't even know what direction she was facing, but the harbor was far away from the police station. There was probably no way she'd be able to see it.

Jay came back into the room so silently Leena wasn't even aware of him until he was halfway towards them. She made herself stand and even approached him a little to put herself between him and the still-sleeping Bailey. He noticed. He didn't say or do anything, but Leena could see the way his eyes followed her movement and heard the tiny chuckle. "So… having fun Harl?"

Leena didn't respond. The appearance of someone else had somehow restored her will. She couldn't bend to Jay again, not because she needed to defend herself, but because she needed to protect Bailey. If she could draw Jay's focus to her by acting defiant, he might leave her companion alone. It was the best she could do. For the first time since her kidnapping, she looked in his eyes without cringing. The fear wasn't any less, but her control over it had grown. Jay just smiled at that.

"I've got, uh, something else for ya too Harley." Jay's words separated slightly, as if smothering laughter in the pauses. The way he spoke when he became excited. He pulled a white paper bag from behind his back and held it out to her tauntingly, but Leena refused to move towards it. That would put her within arm's reach of him.

"Aw c'mon, I'm not gonna hurtcha," Jay's voice went instantly from crooning to a growl, "C'mere."

Leena didn't move.

"Come HERE." He leapt forward and yanked her to him by the arm before Leena could respond. She tumbled forward, slamming into his chest, and when she tried to pull back he locked an arm behind her, a sickening version of a hug. She knew he would hurt her if she showed terror, but she couldn't stop the nervous tremors.

"This was for you, but if you don't want it…" Jay snarled as he yanked one of her ears. Leena tried to twist free, to get loose despite the fact that she knew it would enrage him. He swept her feet out from under her, kicked her hard in the stomach, the face. Leena tried to curl into a fetal position, but the blows were too fast, one after another, not letting her breathe, not letting her think, red exploding in her eyes, thoughts fragmenting, and laughter, insane laughter all around her. Couldn't cry out, couldn't wake Bailey, would do something stupid, couldn't even breathe, laughter, laughter, laughter…

He planted a foot on her neck, and suddenly everything else went still. Leena stared uncomprehendingly at him, tried not to gag on the blood in her mouth. Jay dropped the paper bag straight on her face and the landing sent white-hot shockwaves from her nose through her cheekbones. Was her nose broken? She couldn't push it away, but it hurt so much.

And then Jay had backed off and Leena dared to push herself up. Her face was sticky with blood and tears. The bag fell away, spilling its contents.

French fries. Hamburgers. Even what looked like a McDonald's milkshake, although most of its contents had been spilled.

"Uh-huh."

Jay hadn't gone far; he was sitting cross legged on the floor only a few feet from Leena and the food. "See? I try to be nice to ya Harley, and look at how you treat me." His fingers drummed on the floor, his tongue darting out to lick his lips every couple of seconds. "You just don't know all I do for you."

Leena just stared at him, trying to keep her eyes focused. She couldn't move. Her face throbbed, the pulse itself almost bruising.

"C'mon, aren't'ya even gonna say thank you?" He raised his eyebrows at her.

Have to say it. Give him what he wants and he quits sooner. Hurt to breathe… she spat blood to one side. "Dank… dank you."

"Wassamatter Harley? Something wrong with your face?" Jay cocked his head and grinned.

"By… by dose." Leena gasped, not sure why she was telling him. He knew exactly what he'd done. He'd enjoyed it. "You broke by dose."

"Aw, now, all you had to do was ask." Jay lashed out again, grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her to him. Leena felt a hamburger squish under her, but Jay didn't pay any attention. He locked her head between his knees, and suddenly Leena was trapped, staring straight up into his face. She tried to shove back, but Jay slapped her hands away. "Hush-hush-hush-hush-hush. Hold—still." Suddenly his fingers were gripping her nose and pain lanced through her face, into her head. Leena's back arched up, her shrieks barely stifled by biting her lip, but Jay held her firm, eyes still locked with hers. Leena felt tears and sobs tearing through her—

"And there." Jay pulled back with a self satisfied smile and wiped his bloody gloves all over his pants. "Good as new! Now—" He hopped up and Leena barely kept her head from smacking into the concrete, "Eat up! And, uh, don't let Bailey have any. Between you and me, I think he's had one-too-many doughnuts. If he ate anything here I might have to, hnnnn, trim him a bit." Jay nodded wisely and loped off again.

Leena sat up and, as carefully and lightly as she knew how, traced her finger along her nose. It felt straight, but she wouldn't put it past Jay to somehow turn it bulbous and red like a circus clown's if he was given half a chance. She gave the food a look of pure longing. There was more there than Jay had given her all yesterday and the day before. But he had said none for Bailey…

It was nearly evening when Bailey woke, and with true survival instinct, the first thing his eyes found was the food. "What is that doing here?"

Leena shrugged, trying to keep from looking at the food. Her resolve was wearing down with the burning pain in her body and cold hunger in her stomach. So tired. She knew she shouldn't be able to smell with her nose just broken and dried blood in her nostrils, but she couldn't get the glorious scent of grease and fried things out of her head. "Jay said you couldn't get any. So I'm not eating it either."

"What? No, no Leena that's stupid!"

"Maybe. But I don't want to let him hurt you."

"Right. Because it looks like you weren't hurt at all." Bailey edged closer. Leena had to resist the impulse to shy back. He wasn't like Jay. He wouldn't hurt her. The hand that brushed one of the bruises on her cheek, the dried blood that had streamed from her nose, was very gentle. "That bastard. Did he do this to you while I was asleep?"

Leena tried to bite her lip, but the movement just reawakened the bruises there. "Is my nose alright?" she asked anxiously, "Straight and everything?"

"It looks like a bony, bloody bruise," Bailey said, "But yes, it's straight."

Leena sighed.

"Come on. You should eat." Andi had often talked about how stubborn some of the officers she encountered were. Obviously Leena had ended up with one of them. Bailey stood up and pushed the food in front of her. It was very hard to ignore the greasy cheeseburger with its sun-warmed scent wafting right under her bloody nose. "If you took a beating for me, you deserve the food."

She didn't know where she found the willpower, but somehow Leena kept her gaze locked straight ahead. Bailey sighed and squatted down directly in front of her.

"Leena. I appreciate what you're trying to do for me. But either way, I'm going to go hungry. And if you and I are going to have a chance at escaping, you'll need to keep up your strength. So please," he picked up one of the burgers and held it out to her "Eat. It's ok."

Hesitation and will disappeared. Leena snatched the food, unwrapped it eagerly, and crammed the whole thing into her mouth in two bites. She swallowed fast, seized on the next thing—a handful of French fries—and shoved them wholesale into her mouth too, ignoring the ketchup.

"That's it. That's a girl." Bailey encouraged. Leena finished off the French fries, and he passed her the remains of the sludgy shake. "Drink up now. You need to stay hydrated."

Midway through downing another burger, Leena heard Jay's door open. He walked past, taking no notice, but Leena stuffed the entire thing in her mouth anyways. If he attacked her, she would at least make sure she finished as much as she could of the food first.

He seemed to sense her gaze, but when he turned back to her he wasn't angry at her defiance. Instead his eyes crinkled, his mouth stretched up in a wicked smile. He nodded to Leena and made a motion with one hand, as if to say Don't let me interrupt you.

This is what he wants, Leena realized suddenly, Me to eat all of this, ignoring what Bailey needs. He wants me to be stuck in a place where whatever I choose—sacrificing or helping myself—I'm still going to end up hurting a good person. And this isn't going to be the last time.

The door slammed behind Jay and the food turned to leather in Leena's mouth.

Author's Note: Yay for extra-long chapters!

Alright, I just have to say it: y'all are incredible. Amazing. Wonderful beyond belief. Seriously, the reviews y'all have been giving lately have been nothing short of phenomenal. Heck, between you and a brilliant Irish victory last Saturday (blocking that kick, trouncing a ranked team, rushing the field... Absolutely epic.), my captive monster is far too fat now to try anything more menacing than rolling towards the stairs of my basement. This time around I'm also going to give a special shout out to ChristianBale Girl 2010 for her birthday! Hopefully whatever posting problem this site is giving me will be fixed soon enough for me to post it on time for you.

Everyone have a happy Thanksgiving and stay safe if you're traveling!