Chapter Three:
The breakthrough came days later. Fowl hadn't allowed any information about the outside to get to Alex; the spy didn't even know whether it was day or night. He was exhausted, and his leg was still aching painfully. Since then, he'd only been tortured once more, when he'd called Artemis a monster.
They'd waterboarded him.
He'd heard stories about it, about officers that have psychological problems for years after undergoing such a thing. On paper it sounded bad – extreme pain, potential damage to the lungs, and to the brain from oxygen depravation, broken bones from struggling against restraints; people have died from dry drowning as a result of waterboarding – but nothing could have prepared him for the real thing.
The pain was overwhelming. The pain, he thought he was going to die, and he'd never been more terrified in his life. The tight, plastic cord around his wrists had bit into the skin so tightly he thought his hands were going to snap clean off.
Again, Fowl had been the one to nurse him round. The genius had even cleaned and bandaged Alex's broken leg. He still, obviously, couldn't walk on it, but Fowl cleaned it every day to prevent any chance of infection. He was wrapping a fresh bandage round Alex's leg when Alex came to.
"Fowl...?"
Fowl looked up briefly, then back down, his face unreadable.
"I'm sick of your mind games! I don't know anything about your 'manservant' or whatever. I have nothing to tell you."
"I didn't order them to do that to do." Fowl said quietly.
"What?"
"I didn't order them to waterboard you."
"What do mean? Of course you did. I called you a monster, so you punished me, right?" Alex stared at the boy, confused. Why was Fowl being so nice to him all of a sudden? It was probably a trick of some sort, but Alex couldn't figure it out.
"They did it because they thought it would break you. I knew it wouldn't, just cause you unnecessary pain. I didn't order them to."
Alex stared. Fowl still wasn't looking at him. This must be another trick, a vicious attempt to get Alex to trust him. Well, it wouldn't work. He wouldn't crack. Even if he did, he's have nothing to tell them, but he'd stay strong. For Wolf.
The thought made him turn his face away from Fowl. He wouldn't get worked up and annoy at the genius again, it's not what Wolf would do. He'd find a way to escape.
A scream suddenly echoed along the corridor, and through the open door.
"Ignore it." Fowl said, still refusing to meet Alex's gaze.
"Who is it?" Alex asked, struggling to keep calm: how many other innocent people had Fowl got trapped down here, torturing them, and driving them to the brink of insanity?
"One of your ex-guards."
Alex started in surprise. "Why?"
"He was who gave the order to torture you in my absence. Thought it would please me." Fowl's expression twisted into one of disgust. Alex stared, completely astonished. What would Wolf do? So he turns away, constructs his face into a mask – doesn't let Fowl read him like he always does.
Fowl says his name, raises a hand towards Alex, then abruptly stands and whirls out, slamming the door behind him.
A/N: late again, I'm sorry, but hopefully you like this:) HUGE thank you to everyone who's reviewed (especially to BeautifulSunrise 3)
- really helped me to write more, thanks!