14 Jan 2006, 19:36
::FIVE::
I have no idea whether it’s night or day. Not that that distinction matters much to me anymore. I sleep when the opportunity presents itself, and when it’s safe to do it. Sometimes it’s ten minutes. Sometimes as much as an hour. Somewhere, in my light sleep, I hear a dog advance, slowly, on it’s belly. Afraid. I stay as still as I can, so I don’t startle it. It settles at my feet, it’s nose against my ankle. For some reason, this makes me feel incredibly safe. It’s not a feeling I’m used to. Strange, given how afraid they were of me when this started.
I had smelled the dogs before, they must keep them close. They feel safe enough to advance. If they feel less fear, then maybe those mercs out there will also let down their guard. One already has. It just needs a bit more time.
Dozed off. Couldn’t have been more than a few minutes. The door at the end opens. There’s an attempt to do it quietly. The dog at my feet whimpers, and runs back to the far back of the bay. The other dogs must be there.
Sounds like three mercs. Dragging something.
Three. I hope she’s not stupid enough to take on three. Not restrained the way she is now. Sure, they’re not supposed to mark her up, but if she fights them here, it’ll end badly for her. I don’t want her hurt, if for no other reason than if she’s stuck in the med bay, she’s not likely to do something unpredictable that I can use to get control over this ship.
Dragging that hose. Fuck, only two of them came in when it was my turn for this.
“You’ve been stinking up my ship for long enough, bitch.”
Scent of gun oil, steel pressed to my head. Don’t respond. There’s not much I can do right now. Just be still. Clink of chains, as my right wrist chain is secured to the ring in the middle of the floor, with me still sitting, now pulled awkwardly by the rest of the restraints. A hand reaches out, pulling off the blindfold. The shotgun presses harder into the side of my head, keeping me from turning, maybe biting.
You have to pick your battles, and this is one I’m not going to win, not with three, and not restrained this way.
“Keep those lights turned up, she can’t see in this light.”
That’s interesting. Probably kept her in the dark too. She doesn’t get rattled, just keeps her eyes closed. Two mercs, passing the scissors between them, a quiet fight about who gets to cut her clothes off her. Most guys would have jumped at the chance. Not this time. The little merc loses, the one that took her bit off before. He’s a lot more gentle with her than these fuckers were with me.
Scissors, cut off my shirt, my pants. It’s done quickly, and carefully, the scissors not touching my skin. Sneakers are pulled off. The icy cold water hits hard, so cold it burns. The rest of my restraints, except for the chain to the floor, are released. The chains pulled back quickly, so that I can’t grab anything. Mouth full of water, before I got my head down. They’re enjoying themselves now. All I can do is curl up, cover up what I can. Try to defend against the water pressure, pushing me to the outer edge of the chain.
The water is shut off abruptly. The mercs are by the doors, having kept the pressure on til they got there. They’re going to leave me here, chained to the floor, naked. I’m sure it’s their attempt to humiliate me, try to break me. Obviously don’t know how I’ve spent much of my life already. The chain is about five feet long, they’re well outside my range by the time the water is shut off.
“A present for you Riddick. Don’t say we never gave ya nothin.” The larger merc says, as he shuts off the lights, leaving the room almost completely dark.
The water recedes into the grate of the floor, at least I won’t have to lie in a pool of cold water. Wring the water out of my hair, trying to sheet some of the water off me.
“You aren’t afraid of the dark, are ya?”
Her laugh actually surprised me. Completely not what I expected. A cruel laugh. Deep and ragged. She laughs rarely, and what she laughs at I doubt other people would find funny at all. Definitely not afraid of the dark. Wonder how long she was kept that way.
Pulls back, to the farthest the chain will reach, a comfortable distance from me. Curls up into a ball, trying to keep warm. Shivering. At some point the three dogs come out, quietly, carefully, and surround her. Curl up around her, keeping her warm with their fur.