Lisbon sits in a well-lit room, bound to a rusty chair. She clenches her jaw, refusing to let Lazarus see any fear in her eyes. Her wrists ache from the hand cuffs, but she focuses her mind, determined to stay strong. She knows Jane, Cho, and the rest of the team are searching for her. All she has to do is hold on, and maybe distract him just to give them a little more time because knowing Lazarus or whatever his name is, these kind of operation only ends in one thing—her dying. She closed her eyes as she considered this possibility.
Lazarus stands a few feet away. He doesn't even have a mask or something to hide his identity. She wasn't blindfolded. As if he's not at all bothered to be seen. Most probably because he's confident he's not gonna get caught. And she's not gonna get out of here alive.
He watches her silently, a predatory glint in his eyes.
"You're tougher than I thought," he says, finally breaking the silence. "I expected you to be… less composed."
Lisbon stares at him, refusing to respond, appearing unbothered.
Lazarus takes a step closer, smirking. "It's almost endearing, you know. The way you trust Jane. Even though he's a fraud."
Her eyes narrow. "Jane's a lot of things, but a fraud isn't one of them."
He laughs, a cold, hollow sound. "Oh, please. He's nothing more than a glorified con man. You'd think after his family died because of his ego, he'd learn a lesson or two about humility."
Lisbon flinches, the words hitting closer to home than she'd like. "You don't know what you're talking about". But she recovers quickly, setting her jaw defiantly. "You don't know him. And you're not going to get inside my head."
"And you are so sure of him," Lazarus continued. "As if you're really capable of figuring out the true self of a con-man or worse, you believe you can fix him or maybe just to open himself up a little to you. Well, news flash: truth is not his strong suit. Trust me, I've met many like himself."
Lisbon lets out a dry laugh. "Right, because you're such an expert on human connection."
She steels herself, forcing her mind to stay sharp. Lazarus thinks he can manipulate her with half-baked truths about Jane. But she knows better. She knows the man she loves—the way his guilt and anger used to consume him, the walls he built to keep everyone out. He made lying for a living. She knows he used to lie because it was safer than facing the truth. She has seen the dark sides of the man she loves.
But she also knows who he is now. How hard he's trying to let her in. How much he's willing to change for her—not perfectly, not easily, but sincerely. And in his mysterious, annoying and charming way, he's making it work.
The thought steadies her. She has to get out of here. Jane must be worried sick—especially after what happened to Vega.
"You can't get inside my head," Lisbon says, her voice full of confidence.
Lazarus sneers. "Oh, I don't need to get inside your head. I just need to break you enough to make him desperate. And trust me, Agent Lisbon, I know exactly how to do that."
For the first time, a flicker of unease crosses her face, but she hides it quickly. Lazarus doesn't need to see her fear.
"Good luck," she says coolly, leaning back against the chair. "Because if there's one thing Jane taught me, it's that people like you always overplay their hand."
Lazarus's smirk falters for just a second, and it's enough to give Lisbon the smallest spark of hope.
Lazarus paces the room, his footsteps deliberate, the sharp clink of his boots against the floor grating on Lisbon's nerves. She's bound to the table, her wrists cuffed and chained to it. The cold steel bites into her skin with every movement, and her shoulders ache from the uncomfortable position.
Despite the discomfort, Lisbon keeps her expression blank. She won't give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.
Lazarus stops beside her, leaning down so his face is level with hers. "I know what you're thinking," he says softly. "You're telling yourself that Jane's going to swoop in and save the day. That your team is going to kick down that door any second now.
He straightens, a mocking grin spreading across his face. "But deep down, you know the truth, don't you? They're out there chasing shadows while you're in here. And you're all alone."
Lisbon doesn't respond, her jaw tight.
Lazarus sighs theatrically. "You're really going to make me work for this, aren't you?"
He moves to a nearby tray, the clatter of metal drawing her attention despite herself. Her eyes flicker to the array of tools laid out: pliers, a scalpel, a blowtorch. Each item seems deliberately chosen, designed to instill fear.
He picks up the scalpel, turning it over in his hands. The blade glints under the harsh light as he walks back to her.
"Pain's a funny thing," he muses, dragging the flat side of the blade along her forearm. "It doesn't just hurt your body. It gets inside your head. Makes you question everything—your choices, your beliefs, the people you trust."
Lisbon's breath hitches involuntarily, but she glares at him. "If you're waiting for me to beg, you'll be disappointed."
Lazarus chuckles, low and menacing. "Oh, I'm not looking for begging. I'm looking for _cracks_. And you've got plenty of those."
Before she could react, he pressed the scalpel into her arm. Not deep, but enough to draw blood. A thin crimson line appeared, the sting sharp and immediate. Lisbon bit down on her lip, her teeth sinking into the flesh. No, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a scream.
"That's better," Lazarus says, wiping the blade clean on a handkerchief.
Lisbon's breaths came quick and shallow as the pain radiated up her arm. Still, she met his gaze.
"Let's see if we can't dig a little deeper." He sets the scalpel aside and retrieves a blowtorch. The hiss of the flame igniting fills the room, the heat radiating toward her.
Shit, this is gonna hurt real bad, she thinks
"You see," he continues, as if they're having a casual conversation, "breaking a person isn't just about inflicting pain. It's about taking away hope. And you, Agent Lisbon, have far too much of it."
He holds the flame close to her handcuffs, heating the metal. The searing heat travels through the steel, scorching her skin. Lisbon grits her teeth, her breaths coming in short, sharp bursts as she fights to maintain control. She muffled her screams. No way she's gonna let this bastard get the satisfaction of hearing her in pain.
"That's the thing about hope," Lazarus says, watching her with detached curiosity. "It burns you alive."
Lisbon clenches her fists, her mind racing. She has to stay focused. She has to find a way out of this.
"Still nothing?" Lazarus tilts his head, as if genuinely impressed.
Lisbon's body trembled, her breaths ragged, but she kept her voice steady. "That's all you've got?" she said. "Why don't you just kill me already? We both know how this ends."
"You're stubborn, I'll give you that. But even the strongest walls crumble eventually."
He moves closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "And when they do, Jane will have to watch. I'll make sure of it."
The mention of Jane stokes a fire inside her. She lifts her head, meeting Lazarus's gaze with defiance burning in her eyes.
"You won't win," she says, her voice steady despite the pain. "Jane's smarter than you. Stronger than you. And he's coming for you."
Lazarus grins, stepping back and extinguishing the flame. "We'll see about that. But in the meantime, let's make sure he has something to remember you by."
He picked up the pliers, his hand tightening around the handle as he moved closer to her. The tool hovered inches from her hand when a sudden sound broke the tension: the sharp trill of a phone ringing.
Lazarus froze, pulling the phone from his pocket. He answered it, his tone suddenly curt. "Hello? No, ma'am. The job's finished...No ...No, it's okay... I'll address that... I'll be right over." The call ended, turning back to Lisbon with a sneer. "I'll be back."
He stepped away, locking the door behind him with a sharp click.
Lisbon's chest heaved, her mind racing. She flexed her hands, testing the cuffs, ignoring the searing pain in her wrists. She had to act quickly. Whatever Lazarus had planned next, she couldn't let it happen.
Her mind scrambling for an opening, a weakness—anything. She knows she doesn't have much time.
Hi. It's been months that I haven't updated because it got really busy with school works. But I've got a few papers left to write so I have a free time on my side. Hopefully, I can finish this because I'm still not quite sure how long this is gonna be but I'm just gonna go with the flow of the story, and how I imagine it in my head.
Thank you so much for the kind comments! 3 I really appreciate it. I dont know if my work's any good lol but I just want to finally put these scenarios in my head in writing, or else it will drive me crazy HAHA. Anyways, thank you again :)