Author's Note

Thank you for your comments. It makes me happy to see that you are all still following this. So thank you for that.

This one is a short one…sort of a prequel of what is to come.

Enjoy!

Charlie's POV

Two weeks after the explosion

"ANDREW…it's been weeks…how do you not know anything?" I shout and a couple of people who walk passed his office stare at us.

"Charlie…I am sorry, but there hasn't been any news. One of our guys is in… on the search and they have come up with squad" He replies in a calm voice. "I know that it is frustrating and that you are worried…I am too, but unfortunately this takes time."

"I am sorry" I sigh and sit down again. "Alex keeps asking me about Bass…and I am running out of things to say." Tears spring into my eyes and I can barely hold them at bay.

"I understand. I promise I will keep you updated." He tells me and sits down next to me. "We will find him Charlie."

"I hope so…" I sniff and a couple of tears run down my cheeks. "He was just getting better…god knows how it is going to be when he gets back from this."

"He is a tough guy and he loves you. You and Bass will get through this." Andrew assures me.

Half an hour later I leave his office. I came here right after work, since I hadn't heard from Andrew in a couple of days and I am slowly going insane.

I tried to keep myself busy enough to not think about it, but then our son asked this morning when Daddy was coming come and I just froze. Thankfully Miles has been staying with me and my uncle immediately jumped in.

My phone rings, just as I step out of the building Black Ops is located in, and I pick up without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Charlie…have you heard anything?" Connor rushes the words out.

"No…nothing yet." I reply defeated.

"I am on my way home. Miles is going to pick me up from the airport tonight. Can I stay at your house?" He says and I hear a car door slam. "I will call you…dunno…probably not for a few weeks."

"What are you talking about?" I question, because I only heard part of what is being said on the other end of the line.

"Sorry…I was talking to Ernesto" Connor explains. "So your house?"

"Yeah…sure. Miles is sleeping on the couch tough, so you will need to sleep on the air mattress" I inform him.

"Okay… then I will bunk with my favorite nephew. See you tonight, C" He says and hangs up. Bass and Connor are gentlemen in every regard, but they are definitely lacking of phone manners.

Connor wasn't able to get away from work earlier than this. He had no one who was able to finish his tour for him.

My brother in law called every night to check in and make sure I was hanging in there. I am glad he is coming home.

Bass's POV

We have been here for roughly 14 days now. I have been fading in and out of unconsciousness for at least half of that time, from all the beating, so I can't be exactly sure about how much time has passed between the explosion and now.

Until now we have stayed tight lipped, but I am expecting those guys to bring up other methods pretty soon.

"We have to find a way out of here." I growl as I hear Nutter curse upstairs. They took us in turns. Always given each one of us at least a couple of days to rest and recuperate, before beating us again.

"There is no way" Reggie mumbles. His face is swollen and he can barely speak. "They all have guns and there are at least 10 men in this house."

"We have to find a way!" I shout angrily. This is beyond frustrating. Everything hurts and I just want to go home to my family.

They beat Reggie a lot more than Nutter and me. Since he is the youngest and has the lowest rank, I assume they expect him to break first. I am not sure how much more Reggie can take, before he starts talking. And then we all are as good as dead!

The next day it is my turn again and I force myself to stay as alert as possible. I need to find us away out of here.

"AHHHh" I scream as the masked man hits me with a Taser. Turns out 50 000 volts hurt like a bitch.

"Answer my question" The masked man says.

"FUCK YOU" I growl and he hits me with the Taser again. It's a vicious circle. He asks me a question, I tell him to fuck off and he Tasers me.

On the upside the chair I am sitting on is wooden and has a screw that is loose on the back. I have been trying to loosen it for the better part of the last hour, when he isn't torturing me. Thankfully the chair is up against a wall and no one is standing beside me to notice what I am doing.

"Tell me which unit you are from and I won't hurt you again" He says this time a little softer, as if he really believes I will fall for that.

I laugh in his face and repeat "Fuck you". He Tasers me again and again, until I can't feel that spot of skin anymore.

After that they carry me back downstairs and I immediately fall asleep of exhaustion.

"On the back of the chair there is a loose screw. I couldn't get it." I inform Nutter as I wake.

"I will get it." Reggie mumbles.

"No…when they come down to get you…I will go instead. You can't take much more" Nutter replies and casts a glance at me, before looking back at Reggie.

"No…I won't let you do that" Reggie tries to shout, but his voice fails him and his words come out as nothing more than a whisper.

"You don't have a choice. You will stand down Soldier" Nutter barks.

"I shouldn't have let him go" Reggie flinches as Nutter screams again. "I can hold my own"

"I know…but we need you to save your strength for when we…" I start, but immediately shut up as the door opens and our kidnappers drag Nutter back in.

"Urrgg" Nutter groans as they tie his hands back around the pole, before leaving the cellar. For a few minutes we are silent, because there is no guarantee that our kidnappers aren't waiting on the opposite side of the door, trying to catch some information.

"I got it." Nutter smiles.

I can feel a little bit of hope surging through me before I push it back down. I can't let myself hope, until make it out of here.

For all we know we could be somewhere up in the mountains miles, away from where we were attacked. This could work either to our advantage or mean our immediate deaths, with no one ever finding our bodies.

It takes us a couple of days to work out a plan of action. Wehave gone over it about a million times, rehashing every detail, to make sure every one of us knows their job.

"You ready?" I look at Reggie who only nods. "We will get to you as soon as we can." Reggie nods again and closes his eyes briefly, mentally preparing himself for the torture that will be inflected on him soon.

Let's hope this plan works!

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