《The Transcended: They call him Lucius》


 Part 1: Memories ~ Chapter 1

    <h2 style="text-align: center">Part 1: Memories</h2>


    November 2018


    ? ¡Þ ?


    1.1


    Amy reluctantly lowered herself into the therapist''s armchair. She felt queasy and swallowed back the acid that had found its way up. I don''t want to do this, she thought. Those memories are blocked for a reason.


    "Please try to relax," Doctor Langston said calmly.


    Doctor Langston had been working on her locked mind for the past couple of weeks, ever since the Special Forces had managed to liberate her. The moment Amy had realised that she had been rescued, that she was finally free again, her mind had broken. It had placed a lock on every memory of the past decade¡ªthey were simply too much for her to bear. However, in order to put her captor behind bars for good, a testimony was needed, making it essential for her to regain her memory. As the standard methods had proved fruitless in helping her remember, Amy had reluctantly agreed to hypnotherapy.


    "You''re safe here."


    The man who had stolen a decade of her life was a genius, no doubt there. He left no evidence at his crime scenes: no fingerprints or hairs, not even a single strand of DNA could be found of him. This made Amy''s testimony that much more important, though even without it they claimed to have gathered enough evidence at his house to lock him up for a few years. However, a few years would not cover the sum of all his crimes¡ªseveral lifetimes would come much closer.


    "Just take a deep breath, slowly, and release¡­"


    Though apprehensive, Amy did as she was told. She wanted the guy to be locked away for as long as possible, and she clung to that desire in an attempt to calm herself. Following the therapist''s instructions, she inhaled, closed her eyes, and tried to relax as she let the air slowly pass her lips. While repeating the deep breathing exercise, she focussed on the oldest memory to have escaped the blockade. They hoped to follow the trail of that memory into the dark part of her mind where the most important memories resided.


    ? ¡Þ ?


    "Amy!"


    She spun around. A man in a police uniform was calling out to her.


    Tom Everdin, he was my boss¡­


    At first, she could only see Tom in the blackness of her mind theatre. As she walked up to him the surroundings slowly appeared. They were in a wooded area on a hill, concealed between the trees; in the valley below stood a spacious farmhouse.


    "I know I don''t need to tell you this again, but please: be careful. This is probably the most dangerous undercover operation we''ve ever done if it all turns out to be true."


    She nodded and saluted her chief. "Don''t worry, sir. You know my cover is good: he has accepted me as a friend, and he thinks I''m just like him. If I have to believe his subtle hints, it won''t be pretty inside that house, but it will give us exactly what we need to finally take him down. With you all out here keeping him surrounded, I''m certain that even if it goes wrong, it will still end well." She winked and smiled at him. "I trust you, now you need to trust me."


    ? ¡Þ ?


    With wide-open eyes, Amy jerked up from the chair. "No, I don''t want to continue this!" she exclaimed and ran to the door.


    Doctor Langston sighed as he watched her leave. The session might have been short, but at least they had made some progress. He turned off the recorder and searched for the phone under the pile of documents spread over his desk.


    A week later, Amy reluctantly settled in the armchair once more. She didn''t want to be there, but they had sent Tom''s wife to persuade her.


    "I heard you''ve made quite some progress since the last time we met," said Doctor Langston.


    She merely grumbled something in reply. Indeed, she had remembered that she used to be a cop. I would have been happy going through life without knowing that the list of victims included old colleagues.


    "Unless you have something you want to talk about, shall we proceed where we left off?"


    With a deep sigh, and without saying a word, she reclined and closed her eyes.


    ? ¡Þ ?


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    Amy stood in the blackness of her empty mind theatre, checking her gear. The bug she was carrying was hidden in the buckle of her belt and a small pistol rested against her hip. The man knew of the illegal firearm¡ªhe''d been the one who had given it to her. It was a long walk through the forest, and she was but a lone, young woman. He wanted to ensure her safety.


    She huffed and grinned. That''s one thing we can arrest him for¡ªif all else fails.


    Slowly, she descended the steep hill down to the old farmhouse. Almost all the windows were dark, but she knew he was looking at her, following her every step.


    He was a silent man, the thinking type, and, consequently, quite paranoid. The memory of one of their meetings drifted up from the darkness. Ashamed, she remembered what she had done to persuade him into believing that she was not working for the government. His touch had been hot, his skin soft¡ªshe quickly pushed the memory away before it would flush her cheeks.


    The investigation had come to a halt and she had decided to try seduction as a final resort to keep the higher ups from closing the case. With success. Still, she had excluded the details from her report, fearing it would sooner get her taken off the assignment than a raise. That night she seemed to have gained his trust and since then every time they met he''d hint at his secret passion, his desires. It took a lot of her acting skills to make him think that she shared them, and finally, the time had come for him to make her experience them.


    A tall man clad in black stepped out of the house. The spring breeze played with his short, brown hair. His black eyebrows made her wonder if it was dyed. She guessed his age to be around thirty, but she honestly did not know as he refused to tell her. His date of birth, his real name, his place of employment, all were listed as unknown. To the system, he was a mere shadow, and this made him even harder to get.


    All they had were rumours on the internet, a recurring alias and forum posts on the deep web, and an ever expanding list of missing persons.


    "Ah, Hecubah," he called her by her alias. "My sweet!" He opened his arms in order to receive her hug.


    "Lucius." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before taking a step back to observe him.


    His slight olive complexion made her wonder if he was born in the UK or if he originated from Southern Europe, Northern Africa, or maybe even the Middle East. Yet, his English was proper, almost lord-like. After a few drinks, she had caught a slight hint of French on certain words and something she could only label as Eastern European. As such, she had nothing to go on in regard to his birthplace or his family''s roots.


    "How''ve you been?"


    He looked her over, his grey eyes piercing her blue ones. "Good, and you?"


    "Just fine, thanks." Amy tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.


    Lucius gestured towards the open door. "Did you have any trouble finding the place?" he asked as they entered the house.


    "Only at first, but once I found the trail it was quite easy."


    He smiled. "And, are you excited?"


    She smiled back. "Of course I am. I''ve been looking forward to this moment ever since you told me you wanted to share."


    He took her hand and guided her towards the dining room. "Did you bring the gun with you?" he asked out of the blue.


    Her heart skipped a beat, but she remained in character. "Of course I did¡ªyou told me to."


    "Good girl. Now, please put it on the table."


    She was wary but did as she was asked. Dropping out of her role now would be too dangerous, gun or no gun.


    "Oh, and your phone, wallet, watch¡­"


    She frowned. "Why?"


    "If you want to come inside, just listen to me please."


    A little hesitant she got out her phone and wallet with fake ID. "Don''t look in my wallet then."


    He grinned. "Why would I? There''s nothing there that I don''t already know."


    A shot of adrenaline released into her veins. "What?"


    "I know your real name is Yllona Watson. I hope you didn''t think I wouldn''t investigate the people I bring here."


    So he uncovered my fake identity, no reason to panic. We expected that much. She swallowed. "Mind telling me your name then?" She knew he wasn''t stupid, but it was worth a shot.


    He shook his head. "Oh, Yllona¡­ Maybe someday I will, but not today."


    With a smile, he turned to a cabinet and got a seemingly heavy, black box out of it. The top was smooth aside from a switch, two LEDs, and a red button. He gently placed it on the table and returned to the cabinet to take out a small metal chest. He opened it and placed Amy''s belongings inside.


    She followed his actions with a slight frown. Why a metal chest? Does he think my phone might be transmitting our conversation? Would that block it?


    He closed the lid firmly and placed it back into the cabinet. "Now, this will only take a few seconds." He slid open the side of the black box, took out a power cable, and plugged it into a nearby wall socket. He flicked the switch on the top of the box and one of the two lights turned green. A few seconds later the other one flashed green too, and his finger moved to the red button.


    What is that thing?


    "Oh, I almost forgot¡ªdo you have a pacemaker or anything of the like?"


    "Huh?" Confused, Amy blinked a few times. "No."


    "Great! Then this won''t kill you."


    "What won''t?" A slight panic bubbled in the pit of her stomach.


    "EMP," he said with a grin and pressed the button. One of the green lights died.


    Amy realised what he had done and cursed inside. He''s smarter than we thought¡ªthe damn bug is useless now!


    Lucius switched off the device and unplugged the power cord. "Now we can go inside. Come, sweetheart."


    ? ¡Þ ?


    Amy stared at the ceiling, her heart racing. "Enough," she whispered.


    "Come again?"


    "Enough!" She sat up and looked into the therapist''s eyes with defiance. "You can suck out more of my memories next time¡ªI''ve had enough for today."


    He sighed. "Fine, but we are making great progress. Just a few more sessions and we might ju¡ª"


    "I don''t care!" She rose and started to pace through the room. "All you want is information. Do you even realise how hard this is for me? I locked those memories away for a reason! Dear lord, I don''t want to remember!" She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.


    "But, we need your¡ª"


    "I know! Why the hell do you think I''m even here? I just¡­" She grunted. "I need time."


    "That''s understandable."


    After a long and awkward silence, she sat back down with a deep sigh. "Tomorrow, after lunch?"


    Doctor Langston looked surprised. "Eh¡­ of course, I think." He fumbled for his agenda. "Two o''clock then?"


    Amy nodded. "I want to get this over with as soon as possible. Perhaps there is something of a life left to live afterwards."

 Part 1: Memories ~ Chapter 2

    <h2 style="text-align: center">Part 1: Memories</h2>


    ? ¡Þ ?


    1.2


    Amy walked through the hallway with Lucius by her side, their footsteps echoing off the reinforced walls. Her heart was racing¡ªshe was unsure if she heard muffled screams in the distance, or if it was just some machinery.


    I hope they won''t act yet. She thought of the backup waiting outside, of how Tom would be getting anxious with the bug being dead. They probably heard him say EMP just before it went off. Now if they''d just trust me¡­


    Lucius stopped at a door. He unlocked the deadbolt and opened it. Before walking inside, he grinned slyly at Amy. Cautious, she followed him.


    For a moment she forgot how to breathe. There was a small group of children sitting in a corner. They looked scared, despite their eyes appearing empty. Their clothes were dirty, tattered, and a little on the big side, making their tiny bodies seem even smaller than they already were. The room was about six meters high, with curtains shielding the windows near the ceiling. Improvised beds lay scattered across the floor, together with old toys and ragged plushies.


    "K-kids?" Amy cursed herself for her failing voice.


    "I call them lab rats." Lucius scanned the group. "Where''s Timmy?"


    Amy watched the children move away to reveal a small boy who had been lying in their midst. Shit, we didn''t expect this! If this mission doesn''t yield any more leads, we can at least arrest this guy for kidnapping. I need to find a way to inform the squad, get these poor kids back to their parents!


    "Children are a lot easier to keep than adults, and they''re much more tender too."


    Amy''s stomach turned. "I-I suppose¡­" She feared she was falling out of her role.


    Lucius walked up to the boy. "Timmy¡­"


    He stirred and groaned¡ªhe was looking awfully pale.


    With a sigh, Lucius returned to Amy. "Anaemia. I''ll have to make sure he gets some extra attention later."


    The colour drained from Amy''s face. Dear lord, the poor souls. What has he been doing to them?


    Lucius grinned. "I see kids are not your thing, but I already expected that. Come."


    A shiver ran up Amy''s spine. Just hang on for a little bit more! I''ll be sure to save you all!


    They left the room, but Amy felt like she had lost something in there.


    Lucius walked across the hallway and stopped in front of a metal door. The advanced lock that was on it opened after verifying his fingerprint. "I hope you feel honoured. You''re going to be the first person to willingly set foot inside." He smiled coyly as he pushed the door open.


    Shocked, Amy realised that the sound she had heard earlier was the soft wailing of a woman. Where is she? What''s happening to her? She glanced around. There were weird metallic constructions against the walls¡ªsome looking like modern-day versions of the iron maiden¡ªand empty tables in the middle. Where the hell is she?


    Lucius had gone from her sight while she had been scanning the room for the woman and his sudden presence behind her made her jump.


    "Now, now¡­ Perhaps you weren''t ready after all?" He looked deep into her eyes, his head slightly tilted.


    Amy shook her head. "No, it''s okay. I am, I assure you. It''s just¡­ Well¡­ It''s a little confronting, you know¡­?"


    He grinned. "Then I got something for you. I prepared it just before you arrived." He revealed a plate that he had been hiding behind his back, presenting her with the large chunk of meat that lay on it.


    Amy swallowed as she stared at it. It had been partially cooked, the edges greyish brown whilst the centre was still pinkish.


    "Come on, try it. It should still be warm." Lucius'' eyes glimmered with excitement.


    It''s too late to go back now¡ªI have to do it. If not, I would endanger myself. Her stomach protested, but she took the piece of meat from the plate. "It''s not fully cooked," she stated as she inspected it.


    "True. I wanted to let you enjoy both raw and cooked¡ªsee which you enjoy more." His eyes were locked on her, waiting for her first bite.


    Although disgusted, she had known this was going to happen. Tom had ensured her that she wouldn''t be prosecuted if she went along with it. Slowly, she brought the piece of meat to her mouth. The fact that it smelled good troubled her. She licked her lips and nibbled on the cooked edges. The taste surprised her¡ªor rather, it didn''t.


    Is this really human flesh, or is he fucking with me? She bit off some more. It tastes a lot like pork, though slightly sweeter. Dear God, please don''t tell me we went through all this trouble just for some scammer? The room filled with children flashed through her mind. Okay, fair enough, it doesn''t really matter. Cannibalism, human trafficking, child porn¡­ A shiver went up her spine. I don''t know which one I should be hoping for to be true. I''d guess human trafficking, but when it involves children, it often ends up porn related anyway. A wave of despair went through her entire being. How I fucking hate the human race at times.


    Lucius scrutinised her. "Not what you expected?"


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    Amy pushed her thoughts away as she tried to fall back into her role. "It tastes like pork. I wasn''t expecting it to taste like pork. Is this real or are you screwing with me?" She looked at him intensely whilst still nibbling the piece of meat. She was almost certain it was pork, though she tried to catch the taste better. "You better not be trying to scam me."


    He grinned. "Why don''t you wait here; I''ll show you something that will clear this up."


    Amy bit in a piece that was raw, but warm. It didn''t feel right somehow, so she returned to the cooked edges.


    "It''ll take five to ten minutes¡ªdon''t grow impatient." He winked at her and walked away to a metal door at the other side of the room.


    The moment the door closed, Amy sprinted towards the exit, taking the piece of meat with her.


    ? ¡Þ ?


    "Amy!" Tom exclaimed. "Thank goodness you''re alright¡ªwe were about to invade the place."


    Amy panted from her sprint and she presented the piece of meat to her chief.


    Tom frowned. "What''s this?" He took the meat from her and smelled it. "Pork?" He carefully nibbled it.


    "What the hell are you doing?" she exclaimed, baffled. "If I am to believe him, that''s human!"


    Tom spat out the contents of his mouth. "Dear lord, so it is true?"


    Amy grabbed her backup gear that lay against a tree trunk. "So far I haven''t seen anything that proves it but have that meat checked." She quickly fastened a holster with a small pistol around her ankle and ensured her jeans covered it neatly. "We can take him in for kidnapping kids; he has a whole bunch locked up in there!" She picked up her earpiece and turned it on.


    Tom nodded. "I''ll give the sign to raid the place then."


    Amy shook her head. She started to walk away, waving the earpiece before putting it in, indicating she was switching to that. "I got to return. He''s going to show me something important and I need to know what it is. He said it''ll be a few minutes, so I got to go right now."


    "Are you sure?" Tom frowned as he watched her leave. "What you just said gives us enough reason to infiltrate," his voice boomed directly into her ear.


    "Just give me fifteen more minutes, okay? Then you can storm the place. If anything goes wrong, I''ll use the codeword. I''m armed now, too. I need to try and see if I can get anything else out of him."


    Tom sighed. "Okay, take care."


    Amy removed the earpiece, muted it so only the microphone was working, and tucked it between her breasts. She took a few deep breaths and sprinted back to the house. As she passed it, she recognised the blinded windows of the room where the kids were. She tried to look inside, but couldn''t see or hear anything.


    Don''t worry, I''ll save you¡­


    She hurried inside, but as she crossed the door of the children''s room she had to stop. The area where Lucius had told her to wait was in sight, but she didn''t see him.


    Should I try it?


    She bit her lip and turned to the door. She was relieved to see that the lock was a simple sliding one¡ªunlike the other which had required his fingerprint¡ªand she carefully entered the room. "Hey kids, you''re free to go," she said softly. "Come on, hurry outside. Policemen will be waiting there. You can go back home to your parents." She wanted to say it more loudly but didn''t dare.


    The children didn''t seem to fully understand as they stood up slowly, glancing at one another.


    "Go on, you can leave now." She looked over her shoulder, but there was still no Lucius to be seen.


    Finally, they started to move. Two of them were helping Timmy up as the rest made their way to the door. The boy leant on his friends as he limped towards Amy, his left leg dragging behind him. Timmy turned to look at her as he passed her on the way out. At first, Amy was relieved to see him smile, but her heart skipped a beat when she realised he had only one eye. His good eye looked at her, while the other was nothing but a dark, empty socket.


    Stomach acid rose and Amy had to suppress the urge to vomit. Don''t tell me he removed the boy''s eye.


    The children hurried away, taking poor Timmy along with them. Satisfied with their escape in progress, Amy snuck back to the room where she was supposed to be waiting. To her relief, Lucius hadn''t returned yet. She made sure to close the metal door to the exact same point it had been before she had left, ensuring it wouldn''t reveal her brief trip outside.


    She thought of Tom. I hope he heard me talking to the kids just now. Get them to safety before this place gets stormed.


    A little anxious about her limited time, she started to pace through the room. How long has he been gone now? Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she prepared herself to duck, roll, and grab her hidden gun should her cover be blown.


    The soft sound of someone weeping was also still audible, but the room echoed the sound around, making it hard for her to locate the source. She realised she had forgotten to mention the possible other captive to her chief and she mentally facepalmed.


    That''s what you get for rushing! She bit her lip as she walked over to the metal contraptions. What exactly are these?


    Some looked like large metal caskets, while others looked more like leftovers from a car crash. She went around to check them all, hoping to find whoever was being held captive. Suddenly, she realised the anguished sobs were coming from a vertical construction in a corner and she hurried towards it.


    "Hello, anyone there?"


    A weak wail was all the reply she got. It was dark in the corner, and it took Amy''s eyes a few seconds to adjust.


    To her absolute terror what lay hidden in the shadows became visible. A woman stood in the centre of the machine, her arms spread and chained. Amy tried to focus in the gloom, as there seemed to be something moving in front of her. The moment she realised what was going on she gasped, faced away and puked.


    ? ¡Þ ?


    "Amy, are you okay?" Doctor Langston stood beside her and offered her a tissue.


    Amy had stopped telling what she was seeing; instead, she had turned her head and thrown up.


    "Fuck, hell no!" She spat the contents of her mouth on the already existing pile of vomit. "Sorry about that¡­"


    Doctor Langston shook his head. "Don''t worry; I''ll have someone clean that up later." He took her glass and refilled it. "You''re not the first, so don''t feel ashamed."


    She gladly took the water and drank.


    "What happened?"


    Amy shook her head. "Dear sweet God, that woman¡­ The poor thing¡­ She was still alive! I don''t understand why, or how, but she was still alive in that¡­ That thing!"


    "What thing, Amy?"


    She emptied the glass. "He was fucking grinding her up! Slowly¡­ Oh so very slowly." She shivered. "Why didn''t she just die? Or at least pass out?" She closed her eyes as if that would erase the image burned into her mind. "It was like an oversized cheese-grater."


    Colour drained from Doctor Langston''s face. "A what¡­?"


    "The machine he had placed her in was slowly shredding away at her torso. Hell, if she had breasts they were long gone." She placed the empty glass on the table and bit her thumb. "¡­a large part of her belly was gone too."


    Doctor Langston swallowed; he seemed to be getting a tad green in the face himself.


    "Her screams¡­" She shook her head again and sighed deeply. "Why didn''t she die?"


    Doctor Langston didn''t answer, but as Amy remained silent he thought about it and said, "Perhaps he drugged her?"


    Amy hugged her legs to her chest. "She just kept on wailing and sobbing as the blades advanced. I don''t understand how she remained conscious. I-I tried to see if there was a button or switch¡ªhell, maybe just a power cord¡ªbut it seemed that thing wasn''t accessible from where I stood. It couldn''t have been, as all the¡­ As all the¡ª" She suppressed a sob. "Dear lord, all the scraped off flesh was collected at her feet! A giant puddle of goo that flowed towards¡ª" Suddenly her eyes went blank.


    Doctor Langston waited a bit, but Amy didn''t move. "Amy?" He snapped his fingers in front of her face, but she remained unresponsive. He gently shook her shoulder, but it was no use¡ªshe had gone catatonic. He sighed and mumbled to himself, "That was to be expected."

 Part 1: Memories ~ Chapter 3

    <h2 style="text-align: center">Part 1: Memories</h2>


    ? ¡Þ ?


    1.3


    Amy was on her hands and feet, gasping for air between the spasms of her stomach. It''s worse than we thought¡ªhe''s beyond insane!


    She got up too fast and went down seeing black stars dance in front of her. Slower now, she rose again. With some trouble, she managed to stand in front of the hellish machine. The trapped woman was still wailing softly.


    There must be a way to shut it down! She looked closer at the machine. This undercover operation ends now.


    As she examined the outside of the construct, she retrieved her earpiece and turned the volume back on. As clearly as her trembling voice would allow, she stated, "I need people in here now. Call an ambulance, too. I have a seriously injured woman."


    She waited for a response, but the line remained silent.


    "Hello? Tom? Anyone?"


    She took the earpiece out to examine it. The door behind her slammed shut, startling her. She dropped the piece, ducked, rolled back, and grabbed her gun. Aiming it at the door, heart pounding in her throat, she realised she was still alone.


    Was it the wind or did Lucius hear me?


    She swallowed, the taste of bile still heavy in her mouth. She rose and sprinted to the door, but it was locked.


    Shit, maybe he used a secret passage! She tried to force it open, but it wouldn''t budge. Fuck, fuck, fuck! How could I be this stupid? She cursed herself as she looked around the room for another exit¡ªonly the door Lucius had gone through seemed to be an option.


    The earpiece lay on the ground and she huffed, realising the surrounding metal and concrete were probably blocking the signal.


    Fifteen minutes was all I was given. How much time has passed? Just ¡­ try to remain calm. Backup''s coming. You got your gun; if Lucius returns, you can handle him.


    She went back to the trapped woman, her cries barely audible now.


    I might be able to wait for backup, but she needs a doctor NOW.


    Refusing to put her weapon away, she kept it firmly in her hand while she searched for a way to turn off the blades endlessly shredding away at the woman. The smell of blood triggered a new wave of nausea, but she managed to keep the rising bile from escaping her mouth.


    Squinting, she noticed something shiny behind the victim. It was near the back, to the side¡ªa safe distance away from the grinder. Thinking it was the switch she was so desperately searching for, she reached for it. Just as her fingers almost touched it, it went away. Her heart skipped a beat, but when a firm hand grabbed hers, it almost stopped for good.


    "Did you really think you had me fooled, Amy?"


    Shock delayed her action for just a second. She raised her gun while she searched for a spot to aim it at¡ªshe had to ensure she would hit Lucius and not the woman.


    Lucius yanked her arm roughly, causing her to hit her head on the metal frame. Her knees gave way and she collapsed, but Lucius still held her wrist tightly.


    The machine came to a halt. There was a muffled shot and the woman went silent. Amy''s eyes widened as she realised what had just happened.


    "I must say, I never expected you to actually eat the meat I gave you. Remember little Timmy? It was a piece of him that you so willingly ate."


    She felt lightheaded. Oh God, you sick fuck! She tried to regain her focus and lifted the gun again. With the woman dead, she only had to ensure she wouldn''t shoot her own arm in the dark.


    "You have caused me a lot of trouble; I had to get rid of all the lab rats."


    The kids? But ¡­ I just saved them. She imagined Lucius shooting them all one by one before they got outside. "No," she whimpered as she aimed along her own arm.


    "Yes, Amy, and all because of you. Well, your friends to be more precise. I could have easily taken care of just you, but you had to bring along some company."


    Shit, when did he figure it all out? She squinted and guessed Lucius stood to the right of her. She was about to pull the trigger when he yanked her arm again, causing her head to slam against the metal. The gun fumbled out of her grasp and fell into the gore below with a sickening splash. Dazed, she grunted as blood trickled down the side of her face.


    His grip on her wrist intensified, the bones shifting in an attempt to avoid breaking. The pain caused tears to roll down her cheeks.


    "Don''t you know that firing that thing in here would permanently damage your hearing?"


    Amy gritted her teeth. "I would gladly shoot you and become deaf myself, you fucking monster. Your game''s up, though. We got this place surrounded."


    Lucius laughed. "You think I don''t know that last bit? Oh yeah, I know your friends are on their way. They are storming in as we speak."


    She frowned. Something''s not right. If he''s telling me this, then¡ª


    "Ah, they''re inside. That''s one mistake your friends are making: they only left eight people to guard the outside."


    Amy was still on her knees, the metal contraption pressing painfully against her ribs while Lucius'' grip on her wrist was close to shattering her bones. Unable to move away, she gathered her courage and pushed away her disgust. She lowered her free arm and flinched as her fingers found the warm goo on the bottom of the machine. Her stomach protested, acid flooding into her mouth, but she continued to search for the gun she had dropped. On the other side of the machine, she could hear Lucius pressing buttons.


    "There, that''s only six, four, two, and ¡­ no-one left outside."


    Confused, Amy''s hand stopped its search. What did he just¡ª


    A large explosion shook the room.


    "And that''s no-one left on the inside either. That leaves only you now. Amy, Yllona, Hecubah." He yanked her roughly towards him again, nearly dislodging her shoulder. "But don''t worry: I won''t get rid of you."


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    She screamed as a needle entered her arm. "Wha¡ª" Her tongue failed her. Oh, fuck¡­ Everything blurred before fading to black.


    ? ¡Þ ?


    Amy opened her eyes.


    "Welcome back," Doctor Langston said. He poured her a glass of water. "I''m allowed to tell you at this point, that what you''ve told correlates with the investigation done in the area you''ve been remembering."


    Amy sat up straight. I don''t want to go any further than this. Trembling, she took the glass and drank. "Could you ¡­ please tell me what happened to my colleagues?" she asked with a weak voice.


    Doctor Langston nodded. "The officers outside were shot, all in the head. There was no report of any disturbances, so they think it must have been a sniper. The officers that went inside all died in an explosion, although that''s just a guess¡­"


    Amy frowned.


    "There was a clear blast radius visible around the entrance area, but as the entire complex burned to the ground with use of thermite, there wasn''t much left to investigate." He was silent for a minute or so. "Can you remember how you left the complex?"


    Amy shook her head. "He drugged me. I remember waking up somewhere else, but¡ª" She shuddered. "Please, let''s continue this tomorrow. I can''t handle any more memories right now."


    ? ¡Þ ?


    Everything was black. Where am I? Hello? Anyone there?


    It took Amy a moment to realise that she wasn''t speaking out loud. She tried to repeat herself, but her lips refused. Scared, she tried to reach for her mouth; her hand had barely moved when a sudden pain in her wrists made her realise that she was bound.


    Fuck!


    She tried to free her hands but stopped when she heard footsteps. Her breathing slowed down in order to catch every little sound around her. The steps distanced, only to return moments later.


    Someone removed her blindfold, but she closed her eyes to shield them from the intense light. Slowly, she opened them. The moment she realised that it was Lucius standing before her, he gave her a right hook.


    Amy was knocked to the floor, together with the chair she was bound to. Blood flooded her mouth but being unable to spit it out she was forced to swallow it.


    Lucius placed the chair upon its four legs again, gave Amy a left hook, and placed the chair back up yet again.


    He''s going to kill me¡­


    He firmly grabbed her chin, his fingers digging into her already sore flesh. "You''ve caused me a lot of trouble¡­" He ripped off the duct tape that had been covering her mouth. "Scream and I''ll make sure it''s for a reason."


    Lightheaded and nauseated, Amy hadn''t even considered screaming. This isn''t happening, this isn''t real. I must be dreaming. I''m not going to die. I''m not he¡ª Lucius punched her in the gut and she gasped for breath.


    "Now, let''s put down the ground rules." He grabbed the chair that stood behind him and took place in front of Amy.


    Oh please, God¡­


    He grabbed her chin again and made her look to the left; there was a chalkboard on the wall. "See that? Those are the three levels of punishment I will give according to your behaviour."


    The white letters danced in front of her eyes. She was unable to read it as tears blurred her vision.


    "Level one punishment consists of physical punishment in any form, without the aid of tools. Loss of blood with this punishment will be ¡­ accidental."


    Tools? Loss of blood? What?!


    "A level two punishment is also that of the physical kind, however with the use of tools. These can vary from tools to pull out your fingernails, to whips, to whatever I can think of. Loss of blood with this punishment tends to be inevitable."


    Amy''s world spun. This isn''t happening. We had him surrounded. I was armed. How did I end up here? Where''s everyone?


    "Then there''s the level three punishment. Unlike the previous punishments, this one is intended to actually remove tissue from your body. And with that, I mean more than just a little bit of blood or a nail."


    Her stomach turned and a little bit of acid found its way up. Tissue¡­ She remembered her fingers moving through the gore to find her weapon. He knew what was going on. We failed.


    "If you''re a good girl, you won''t need to be punished¡ªremember that." He turned her head back so she would look at him. "Do you understand?" His face was ageless, emotionless, but in his eyes a raging fire was visible. He sighed. "As you''re still new to this I''ll explain¡­ When I ask you a question, you will answer it."


    He has the eyes of a devil. She opened her mouth, her teeth stained pink with blood, but no sound came from her throat. Is he going to place me in that grinder if I don''t play along? Nausea washed over her.


    Lucius raised a brow, awaiting her answer.


    "Ye¡ª" Amy''s body convulsed and she threw up all over herself; Lucius had retreated his hand just in time. Stars danced in her vision and the world spun. Oh, fuck¡­ She fainted.


    ? ¡Þ ?


    Amy awoke with a gasp, eyes wide open and sitting up straight in bed. Wait, bed?


    She looked around the dimly lit room. No windows, an empty bookcase, and a toilet. Feeling the almost painful pressure in her abdomen she quickly got out of the bed and relieved herself.


    Where are my clothes? Or better yet, where the fuck am I?


    The memory of being taken by Lucius and awakening to a beating came back to her. Fear twisted her insides and she grabbed the sheets to cover herself up with.


    Well, that explains the swollen, aching face and the lingering taste of blood in my mouth. Shit, I have to get the fuck out of here! I may still be alive, but I doubt that''s a good thing. She thought of the woman trapped in the grinder and shivered.


    She investigated the metal door. It had no handle and pushing against had no effect. Frantically, she looked around the room for any kind of weapon to defend herself with. The bed was welded to the floor, the lights were out of her reach and integrated into the ceiling; as for the empty bookcase, that would probably still stand after an earthquake. The only loose objects in the room were herself, the bed linen, and a roll of toilet paper.


    I doubt I could defeat Lucius with a pillow-fight, let alone by throwing a damn roll of TP to his head. I could try and overpower him, but then what? I have no cuffs or anything else to bind him with quickly. I can''t assume there''s anyone coming for me, either. She took a deep breath and, despite her better judgement, yelled, "Shit!"


    Mere seconds later she heard someone on the other side of the door.


    Okay, fuck it, better to have a pillow than nothing at all! And she quickly ran to the bed to grab it. Holding it as if it was an actual shield, she stood next to the door. She looked for the hinges to try to determine which way it would go, but the moment she realised that it was a sliding door it was already opening.


    Normally she would have had the guts to take action, but now she was just glad she had already taken a piss. Petrified, she stared at Lucius. The mere energy he radiated sent shivers up her spine. She noticed his hair was black now and a different cut. He held a taser in one hand and a metal suitcase in the other.


    "My, my¡­ Aren''t you looking cute, all wrapped up in a sheet, cuddling a pillow." He placed the suitcase on the floor and slid the door shut. Slowly, he walked up to her. "You weren''t intending to hit me with that, were you?"


    Amy shook her head, hugging the pillow close. He''s armed and I''m naked, better try to keep him as friendly as I can. Though, maybe¡­ Maybe I can overpower him and use the taser against him? She tried to analyse the odds of that plan succeeding.


    "Our last conversation was cut short sadly, but that doesn''t mean I was done talking to you."


    The taser crackled and Amy backed away, bumping into the bed. I can''t believe I ever dared sleep with this psycho, all alone in that motel! She swallowed. What if he had abducted me then? What if I had been the one in that grinder, a victim for another agent to find? She gripped the pillow tighter.


    "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Your choice."


    She bit her lip. Even if I got past him, even if I made it through that door, what are the odds of getting outside, of getting away?


    The taser crackled again and Lucius grinned. "Tic, toc¡­"


    Amy closed her eyes for a second and slowly took in a deep breath. She placed the pillow back on the bed and moved as if to sit down. As she did, her hands clutched the sheet around her body. Before her butt touched the mattress she jumped back up and threw the large cloth at Lucius. He disappeared in the sea of white, the taser crackling angrily underneath as he stepped towards her, his other arm trying to free himself out of the mess.


    That was all the time she could buy herself. She evaded Lucius, deciding against trying to tackle him, and rushed towards the door, slid it open, and sprinted through a barren hallway. The massive iron door at the end came in sight, she grabbed the handle and¡­


    It was locked.


    The touch of Lucius'' cold hand on her shoulder was accompanied by the taser''s power in the small of her back.


    "You just raised the level of your punishment," Lucius whispered as she blacked out again.


    ? ¡Þ ?


    "Please, isn''t this enough? Can we just stop here, please? I don''t want to remember any more!" Amy pleaded her therapist.


    Doctor Langston simply shook his head. "You''ve given us a lot Amy, but we need more if we want this guy to be imprisoned for a very long time."


    Amy sighed. The memories seemed to have been unlocked as they kept coming to her with frightening ease now. I don''t want to remember what happened next.