Athena's POV
The moment she heard the screetch and saw the patrol unit, she knew this wasn't going to end well.
"Dammit! Where the hell did those unis come from?" She muttered as she and the other's watched them jump out and draw their weapons.
She wanted to jump out and yell, she wanted to get on the radio and tell dispatch to get those idiots out, but she knew she couldn't do that without raising attention to hidden team on site. And she knew Lou was itching to do something too. Or say ' I told you so'.
"Steve? What do we do? What's the play?", she asked as she watched Chim and Buck be dragged into the cars. She also saw Lou swing his gaze towards her when she spoke, and realized Lou didn't know she was wearing the earpiece.
"Stand down. We do nothing. Anything we do now will only escalate the situation. We know that and Viper knows that." Steve ordered with a hard voice.
They all watched as the cars sped off. Taking their family with them. The cruiser following after.
20 minutes later the park was in chaos. Techs were crawling all over and detectives were taking statements. And sadly the officers who gave chase after Adama and his men had returned and said the lost the vehicles somewhere in the bowels of the city.
"What the hell were you cowboys thinking?!" Captain Maynard hissed as the Splinter team, Athena, and Eddie stood there.
Before anyone could find anything to say, Steve spoke, his voice was startling in its cold intensity," We were doing just fine Captain. My people knew what they are doing. Your uniforms rushing on scene, yelling and drawing their weapons were the cowboys."
"How dare you, a civilian tell me my officers were at fault here. You all came here without approval for an exchange or meet. Where was your back up?" Maynard snapped back.
"We were covered, captain. And surprisingly we know what we are doing. This would have gone just fine if your boys followed LAPD protocol and called in a suspicious sighting and hung back to observe. As they were supposed to do." Steve growled quietly.
Maynard remained quiet, knowing she could not argue that fact. With a sigh, she gazed at the officers resolving to check their records and find out what the hell happened. Her gaze shifted back to the people in front of her and studied their cold expressions and shivered. This wasn't going to end well.
"Alright, what do we do now?"
"Nothing you can do. Follow your procedures and protocols. We will do the same."
Steve turned to his team and saw the burning anger and determination in their faces to get their teammate back, one that matched his own.
"Hammer, get OPS involved," "Copy" Hammer muttered as he headed off to make the call, " Ricky, what do you have on your end? Anything on SATs and comms you can pick up?"
"Had them on cameras for about 3 miles, boss, after that they turned into a dead zone camera wise. My best guess is they dumped the cars and are now in something else, or are wherever they are hiding out already, Viper's comms are still active though. I don't know when they will frisk her or scan her for devices. So we can't depend on comms for too long."
"Fine, do what you can on location. I want a 20 ASAP."
"Copy that" Ricky said as he headed for the van, his tablet in hand.
Steve turned as Hammer came over after his call.
"OPS says they'll track the car as far as they can, and they will provide support too. Hanna and his partner is on the way and will provide back-up where possible."
"Good. That's all they can do and there is nothing we can do here. We head back to the Diaz residence and we start from scratch. We leave no rock unturned and see if we missed anything. We start by looking into those LLC"
"Copy" was all that was said as the Splinter team peeled off and headed to the cars. The LAPD detectives and Captain, as well as Athena was slightly stunned by the clinical and detached reaction to their own being in danger.
"Doc? You good to handle this or am i pulling you?" Steve asked the Latino man who had thus far said nothing, arms simply crossed over his chest, face blank and eyes glittering, black like diamonds, the only sign that the man was livid, as far as Athena could see.
"I'm good, sir. I can maintain as long as i need to. You're not taking off this one. That is my wife." Eddie growled.
Steve took no offense to the tone, only nodded his head, "Exactly. She might be like a sister to us. But she is YOUR wife. If your emotions get the better of you i need to know and i need to know before you explode."
"I wont. I can control myself Steve, just let me help bring my wife home. That's your only priority here." Eddie said as he looked the man in the eyes and assured him that he would not go off the rails and risk his wife.
"Good, let's move out" Steve said as he moved off and was followed by the rest. Athena headed off to her cruiser as she nodded at her captain. Dread was settling in her belly as she thought of the 118 at the Diaz home, all waiting for their family to return.
Location unknown
Chim sat in cell, fortunately no longer gagged or tied up as he gazed at his sister-in-law-no his sister, because that is what she felt like to him.
Seeing Buck tied up on the floor, hands shackled in her lap and chin on her chest sent a sliver of pain through his chest.
He didn't know how long he sat there in that grim cell looking at Buck, willing her to wake up, but he sure was glad he was watching so intently, otherwise he would never have noticed the change in her breathing, subtle as it was.
Cautiously and softly he called "Buck?", hope in his voice so strong it brought tears welling in his eyes.
It took a moment, but Buck raised her head and gaze around the dim room that was their prison and settled her gaze on Chim.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked as she looked Chim over, noting that aside from some bruising on his wrists and a light amount of bruising on his jaw from the gag he had worn, he seemed fine.
"Wh-... Am i okay?" Chim sputtered in disbelieve,"I'm fine Buck. it's you i am worried about."
"I'm fine Chim, you are in more of a precarious position than i am. They don't need you, you are just collateral to these jackasses. You and i both know that. It's me they want."
"That isn't comforting, Buck for either of us." Chim said as he looked at her in. While it certainly scared him to be here, knowing that these bastards could kill him and not blink, it terrified him what they could and would do to her more.
There was a sudden rattle on the door as it swung open. Both looked over and saw Adama and three of his lackeys follow.
With a smirk on his face and a gesture of his arm, the two men behind him stepped forward and headed for Chim, tying him to a chair, while the third man moved to the corner and cranked a wheel that raised the chains and the shackles around her wrist above her head and kept going until she was forced to move with the chains, first to her knees and than up onto her feet, until it finally stopped with her on her toes just to keep the strain off her shoulders.
Chim started trembling as the one man joined the third and Adama in front of Buck. He was amazed that despite the position she was just forced into and the fact that there was three men in front of her clearly intent on harm, she showed no reaction, simply gazed at Adama serenely, waiting with a stillness that unnerved.
With a laugh from Adama, he plowed his balled fist into her belly, winding her, yet she remained steady and quiet. Her gaze cold.
Chim yelled at the first blow that fell and was jabbed with the cold barrel of an AK in back, silencing him.
He could only watch as the three men took turns beating Buck, though she never uttered a word barring the occasional gasp.
After 10 minutes the beating ceased as Adama held up his hand, gazing at her intrigued.
"This is not your first time being in this position i see." Adama muttered as he pulled a sharp knife off a sheath in his belt, cutting through Buck's blouse and tugging it off, her shoes were removed before they even got to their current location and it was a simple matter for Adama to unbutton her cargo pants and pull them off her hips and down. He smiled at her as he looked down at her toned body and took his knife again, this time he grazed the knife over her face and down to her breast, gentle like that of a lover. With a quick jerk of his blade he cut away the strap of her peach colored bra, first one and then the other, causing the straps to flop down, exposing her breasts to the men.
Adama reached behind her and undid the clasp, the lacy material falling away and dropping to the ground, his hands traveled around and cupped her breasts, moving down her ribs and settled over her hips for a brief moment, and looked in her eyes, she remained stony but Adama caught a flicker in her eyes, there and gone, and smirked, roughly tugging her matching peach panties down her body. Leaving her bare and exposed.
He gazed at the woman that was part of the team that caused his brother's death and felt himself stir in lust for the woman. He touched her breast with the tip of his knife his hand moved to cup her.
"STOP! Please don't!" Chim yelled, tears pouring down his face as he watched Adama. He had been quiet for the most part, but the dread had filled him as he watched the wretched man cut away first her clothes and then her underwear, he had felt outright horror when the man had touched her and caressed her in such an intimate way and could only feel fear for what he would do to her.
With a laugh the man had looked at Chim and touched her again, slipping a finger through her folds, and left his men following him.
With a shudder he jerked his gaze to Buck and saw her looking at him with a sad smile, as though she felt sorry for him and Chim felt a spark of anger ingitne in his core.
"Buck…" he started and trailed off, he didn't know what to say, he realized.
"Don't Chim. no matter what happens to me, you have to stay calm and quiet. Draw as little attention to yourself as possible, no matter how difficult it might seem. They are keeping you alive and that's for a reason. We are gonna use that. We have to conserve our energy and stay calm and focused. That's the only way we are gonna get out of here, you here me?"
"But they… they were gonna, God Buck. We need to get out of here!" Chim gasped as he tugged at his restraints.
"CHIM! Stop! NOW" Buck ordered her voice sharp and glacial as she watched Chim struggle as the tears streamed down his cheeks.
He calmed down once he heard her tone and saw her give him a commanding look.
"How are you so calm? You just got beaten that man just assaulted you and you know there could be more of that, right. I mean you have to know that is a possibility, right?"
"I am calm because i have to be Chim. it's what i was trained to do. And yes. I am aware of what they might have in store for me. And im not just talking about the likelihood of them raping me. This isn't the first time i've been in a difficult spot, it isn't even the first time i've had to deal with the possibility of sexual assault. You forget Chim, i lived in a dangerous environment for 12 years, went on a lot of missions that could have been worse then bruised and bloody. Also, my last mission before coming home four years ago, my team and i got captured. Pretty same scenario, only then i got to keep my underwear." Buck huffed.
"Look we will get through this and the team will find us. But in the mean time we stay calm and keep being patient, we find an opportunity to get out of here, we will. That is a promise"
"Alright, i'll try. And i am sorry Buck. for what it's worth."
"It fine Chim and you have nothing to apologize for. Its not your fault. This whole thing is designed as a means to torture both of us,Chim physically, emotionally, and mentally. Don't let them get to you"
xxxxxxxxx
It was hours later, Chim half asleep and Buck wide awake when she heard the shuffle of soft footsteps in the hallway, her gaze hardened as the key inserted into the lock and the door opened the man from earlier stood in the door way his cold snake like eyes looking at Buck in hunger, before he stepped into the room and closed the door.
He made his way over to Chim, gagging the man, and uttered a soft warning to keep quiet. Chim yelled into the gag until the man held his knife to Chim's throat and told him to be quiet or Buck would pay.
The man stalked over to Buck as he opened the button on his pants and pulled down the zipper on his fly, stroking himself before he turned her around by the hips and stroked her back and her smooth rounded buttocks. He slid his knife into her view and settled in on her neck as he kicked her legs open, forcing her body to lean into the wall as he slid his knife down her skin, resting the blade on her belly, before he pushed into her body, setting a brutal pace that would no doubt leave bruises.
Buck said nothing as she felt the man turn her, nor did she do more then grunt as the man shoved into her body, she closed her eyes as she felt the stinging burn of being violated in a way that no man should have ever touched her, accept her husband, and felt nausea well in her, a solitary tear dripped down her cheek, as the man pounded into her, the slap of skin, the grunts of the man behind her chasing completion, and Chim's soft keening the only sound in the room.
Chim could only watch in horror as his sister in all but blood was turned around and brutally assaulted, tears dripping onto his shirt.
He was so focused on willing the man to leave, that the door flying open just as the man seemed to stop thrusting into Buck startled him as he swung his gaze over to the door and saw an enraged Adama stand there, the guard seemed to startle as well because he froze behind Buck, eyes wide with fear, as he realized who had caught him and reluctantly pulled out of Buck.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! I TOLD YOU THE AMERCIAN BITCH WAS OFF LIMITS, SHE IS MINE!" Adama yelled as he had his men drag the man out of the room, his struggles continue as he begs for mercy. Adama seems past rational thought as he stalked after the trio. There is a loud bang and only silence after that as the night settles.
There is a rattle of chains and Chim jerks his eyes over to see Buck lean away from the wall and slowly and with great care turn her body around, though Chim can see she is in pain from the brutality of the attack. He can also see the bruises on her hip and the small trail of blood on her belly from where the bastard's knife nicked her skin. What scared him was the pale pallor to her skin and the glazed look in her eyes. Eyes that told him she was in shock and there wasn't a damn thing he could do.
"Buck? Hey you with me?" Chim whispered concern dripping," Come on please talk to me"
Buck took a few minutes before she inhaled a breath and shifted her gaze to look at Chim, who seemed shocked and horrified. Though she understood why.
"I'm fine Chim. for now. There isn't anything you can do right now okay. Just breath and keep steady." Buck told Chim, though Chim couldn't help but shiver at the cold detachment in her voice. He felt himself shiver as he looked at her and realized she seemed different, like a switch was flipped and the warm smiling woman he knew was totally gone.
In her place was a ice blooded, cold and emotionless specter. He could see the calculation and methodical way she gazed at him and it was freaking him out.
Adama stormed into their cell and lowered the chains, causing Buck to drop to the ground with a grunt before he dragged her out of the room and the door slammed shut, leaving Chim alone with his thought and fears that he would never see Buck again.
Hours later, the door slammed open and two men dragged in an unconscious Buck, her body limp and badly bruised.
They tossed her into the corner and left.
Chim took a moment to assure himself she was breathing before reluctantly taking in the rest of her body and felt like he was going to be sick. He could see that besides the fact that she was beaten again she had clear bruising on her thighs that told him all he needed to know. She had been raped again, and it was a brutal assault.
When he looked back at her battered face he was stunned to see crystal blue eyes gaze at him.
"Hey, your awake. My God Buck. What did they do to you?" Chim whispered.
Buck looked at Chim for a moment, " Doesn't matter. What matters is we need to get out of here. They plan on killing you in the morning according to what i heard the men talk about once they thought i was out." Buck muttered as she rolled to her knees and crawled over to the wall, where she managed to pull her body up and stumble over to Chim, where she untied him.
Chim jumped to his feet and grabbed at Buck as she swayed.
"I'm fine Chim. but we don't have a lot of time to stay. We need to move. "
"How they locked the door, remember?" Chim asked as he followed Buck and was stunned to see he pull piece of wire out from her hair that seems like she had it wrapped into her hair bun. With astonished eyes, Chim watched as she knelt in front of the door and inserted the piece of wire, after a moment the soft snick of the door let him know she had managed to pick the lock.
He watched her get to her feet and hold up a hand to keep Chim in place as she listened for movement on the other side of the door. When she heard none she opened the door a sliver, gazing left and right, gestured to Chim who followed behind her after they closed the door. They spent the next few minutes sticking to the shadows, clearly Buck knew the layout better than Chim had anticipated as he watched her navigate the shadows with the ease of coming home.
They hit a snag in the hallway when a guard stumbled out of the dirty bathroom, zipping his fly, his lack of attention however, cost him his life as Buck gave the startled man no time to reacted, she sprung into action and grabbed the thin man by the arm, and with a strength he did not expect her to have, she rammed her fist into his throat, causing a gasp as he tried to move away.
Buck never gave a chance to go more than a step back as she grabbed his arm and pulled him into her body and slipped behind the man after she kicked his knees forcing him to the ground she slipped her hands around his head and jerked, snapping his neck. With a look at Chim who looked at the scene in horror she grabbed Chim's arm and snapped 'focus!' and gestured to Chim to help her drag the body into the bathroom where she stashed the body in the last stall and tugged off his clothes, slipping into the shirt and pants, and tugging his weapons over, slotting the rifle over her head she grabbed the knife and sheathed it as well as all the ammo the man had.
Chim could do nothing more than follow her as she slipped into the shadows.
Xxxxxxxxxx
DIAZ RESIDENCE
Early evening Maddie's POV
When the cars pulled into the street and the team got out, Maddie eagerly scanned the faces, desperate to see her husband and sister. When she couldn't see them her gaze took in the grim looks on the men and Athena. Her heart sank into her chest. She desperately looked to Eddie, who shook his head and headed to her when she started to cry. Eddie soothed her as best he could, while the rest explained what happened at the park. The 118 was now officially terrified. Not only did they have Chim, they now had Buck.
God only knew what they were going through.
"What now?" Maddie asked with tears in her eyes.
"Now we start from scratch. We comb every inch of data. We scour every source and we find the sons of bitches who took Viper and your husband and we bring them home. Alive" Steve said, voice hard as he ended. The order was clear. Failure was nor an option.
Eddie gave Maddie a squeeze to the arm before heading to his room and closing the door. Both Maddie and Bobby made to go after Eddie but was stopped by firm voice," leave Doc be for now, anyway. He needs time to process and get his emotions squared away" Steve said as he looked at the two people and knew they were fighting to not run to the man and offer comfort.
"He can't be alone" Bobby argued as he looked at the hazel eyes that seemed so cold and indifferent to their suffering. At that momnet Bobby isn't sure he has ever hated someone more.
"Eddie needs a moment. I get that you want to band around him. And i can empazise with the feeling. But emotions won't help us bring back our people and he knows that. He knows he needs to get himself sorted if he wants to help in any capacity once we find them." Steve stated calmly. His gaze unwavering as he looked at the 118 and Maddie and Athena.
"Wow. you sure seems like you don't care a damn about Buck or Chim. i thought you cared about her!" Hen muttered as she glared at Steve.
"Guys calm the hell down. We do care about them both coming home. And emotions aren't going to help. Temper flaring is normal. But accusations and blame will not bring them home." Red said as he took in the people.
"Look i know how it feels to be in a situation and you want to help so desperately, but there isn't a darn thing you can do. We have all been in situations where in seemed impossible to think we could survive but we did, as a team,' Red made eye contact with the whole team, ' And while Smoothe Dog might not have been there the last time we got taken, the rest of Splinter was there. We were there when we lost a teammate, and we sure as hell were there when the fuckers who took us, threatened to kill one of us to keep Viper under control. When they tortured her in front of us and we could do nothing. But we got out. And you know how we got out? Because Viper doesn't give up. She never stops fighting. And she won't stop now. I promise you that. She made you a promise , she said she will bring your husband home, and when Viper makes a promise she keeps it. Never known her to do otherwise." Red ended with conviction.
Before anyone could say anything, there was a ping and Ricky let out 'BOOYA'
Everyone looked over Ricky's shoulder as he pulled up the feed from a camera on an ATM downtown. The picture popped up of the man the all believed was Adama's lieutenant. The camera followed the man as he got into a blue panel van with a plumbing logo on it and drove off. Ricky initiated a trace on the van, and set about finding info on the company registrations linked to the van, while the rest followed the van as it went from camera to camera.
"What do you have Ricky?" Steve ordered.
"Vans registered to a shell company in downtown LA, boss. The company, however, does not exist. The company address is a PO Box. The company is definitely linked to Adama. OPS just picked up the trace, too, and their people followed it as well. According to the memo I just got from OPS, they have boots on the ground following that lead."
"Fine. Keep digging. See what else this shell company has listed property-wise. Anything that could work as a place to hold prisoners. Somewhere quiet and isolated." Steve ordered.
It took them a few hours and a mysterious location pin in Ricky's email for them to find the location as an abandoned warehouse outside the city.
Eddie and the Splinter team were quick to gear up. The 118 insisting on coming with them to provide them with medical care, were stunned to see Eddie decked out in full black tactical gear, methodically and with familiar efficiency checking and securing his weapons, and grabbing a big black bag that was resting on the table, that Eddie had carried out of his room when he came back a while back. Seeming clinically detached and cold. He was no longer their Eddie from station 118. This was the hardened soldier the US Army forged in battle.
Half an hour after they received the intel on the location the team was on their way to hopefully save their family.