Chapter 7 Fallon
Fallon
There aren’t any light switches in this room, so when the lights go off, I take that as my cue to get some sleep.
Only, it’s not that easy. I’m not sure if it’s the visit from my captors earlier in the day and the threatening words they parted with that has me on edge, or if it's the overall kidnapping, but either way, my body takes a while to wind down enough to sleep.
Just as I’m finally dozing off, a high-pitched sound like a microphone screech jolts me awake.
Sitting up, I look around the dark room, but can’t see much of anything.
Really starting to regret breaking that lamp now.
A few seconds later, a song I recognize as Big Bad Wolf by In This Moment plays over the speakers loud enough to wake the dead. Fucking great.
Cerberus is truly theatrical because just as the chorus hits, the overhead lights flip on, and I swear to fuck, they’re brighter than they were earlier in the day. The door swings open with a loud bang and three masked figures file into the room, heading straight for me.
I scramble out of the covers and jump to my feet, but they’re on me in seconds.
I claw at the hands gripping my shoulders, my arms, my hair, but it’s three on one, and they have me effectively helpless in no time.
Heart racing as they hold me between them, my mind flashes back to the way they cornered me in the club, then to the fantasy I pictured in my bedroom of being completely at their mercy.
My body quivers in anticipation of what they have planned for me now, and yet again, it’s not totally out of fear.
Something is so wrong with me.
The song blares over a sound system they must have rigged throughout the whole place because it follows as they muscle me from room to room until they deposit me in a concrete cell, a quarter of the size of the room they’ve kept me in and bare of any furniture other than a big mirror built into the wall.
I take note of the drain in the middle of the floor, and mentally prepare myself for whatever torture Cerberus may have planned.
I push to my feet just as one of my masked captors enters.
It’s the one with horns. He’s massive, tall, and bulked with muscle, so it’s no surprise when he overpowers me, shoving me back to the floor and straddling me so that his thighs keep my arms pinned to my sides.
I breathe through my nose, trying not to focus on the fact that he’s got me completely immobilized right now.
He yanks on the collar of my tank top, easily ripping the shirt in half.
“Hey!” Goddamnit, that top was my favorite. “Get the fuck off me!”
I buck my hips, trying to stop him from doing the same to my leggings, but it’s no use. He grips the material at my hip and tears my pants down the seam without a second thought, leaving me in just my sports bra and panties.
I roll my eyes. “How many ‘roids did you have to take to pull that one off, asshole?”
His eyes narrow, but he doesn’t say anything, just pushes to his feet, gathering the tattered bits of my clothes.
I roll to my feet and charge him before he can shut me in here. Stupid? Definitely. But I’m too pissed to care. He shoves me in the chest and my back hits the wall hard.
“I hope you’re ready to confess your sins, Fallon Helix. Because we’re just getting started.”
He leaves, slamming the door behind him.
Out of breath, I sink to the floor and curl my knees to my chest. Confess my sins? My stomach drops. Do they know about my secret? The one I hope stays buried in the field where Mom and I put him.
The song ends, and just when I think I might actually get some peace and quiet to gather my thoughts, Unstoppable by Disturbed blasts through the room so loud that I have to cover my ears for fear of bursting an eardrum. I drop my head to my knees and sigh. It’s going to be a long night.
I don’t know how much time goes by. Hours?
Days? I lose track of how many songs they play.
I can’t even hear myself think it’s so goddamn loud in here.
And I’m so tired. So freaking tired. During a rare break when there’s no music playing, I try to sleep on the hard floor with my hands tucked under my head.
But that's when the screaming starts. I don’t know if the screaming is real-time or recorded, but it’s brutal.
If I happen to catch a few winks when the screaming starts playing, then I’m plagued with nightmares and I wake up in a cold sweat.
I haven’t seen any of the men since they cut my clothes off and locked me in here, but I have a feeling that will change soon.
I’m sitting kitty-corner to the door, hands over my ears to block out the latest song they have decided to torture me with.
Most of the songs they play are actually good, but they must be changing tactics because now they’re playing It’s a Small World After All.
Gag. If I have to hear this song on repeat for the next twenty-four hours, then I choose death.
The fourth repeat of the song comes to an abrupt stop. Thank fucking Christ. But then the door opens, and in walk three of my least favorite people. Thing One, Thing Two, and Thing…Dickbag because he’s the reason I’m practically naked.
I jump to attention, noting the one with the rune on his mask, aka Thing Two, holding a wooden chair. He sets it down over the drain and motions for me to take a seat like he’s just rolled out the red carpet. Yeah, hard pass.
Thing Dickbag doesn't give me a choice. He picks me up and plops my ass on the chair while another takes my hands and zip ties my wrists behind my back. Thing Two bends down and ties my ankles to the chair legs. I’m totally at their mercy now.
The three of them exchange a look before Dickbag steps between my legs. He grips my chin, forcing me to look up at him.
“When is the next shipment expected, Fallon?”
“Fuck you,” I bite out. “By now, people know I’m missing. My best friend is one of the best hackers in the country. She’s going to track me down and then you guys are so fucked.”
His hold on my chin tightens, but he doesn’t take my threat to heart. “When is the next shipment expected?” he repeats.
“Of what? Helix deals with hundreds of thousands of goods every day.”
“You know what kind of shipment I’m talking about. Women. Children. When is the next shipment arriving at the port?”
“You’re delusional. Helix isn’t involved in anything like that.”
He nods to someone behind me and they grip my hair at the scalp and pull, forcing my head back sharply so that I’m looking up at the ceiling.
The next thing I know, they’re shoving a cloth over my face and I’m choking on water.
I try to turn my head away but I’m held in place, unable to do anything but take it.
They rip the cloth off, releasing me, and I heave forward, choking, gasping down thin gulps of air that won’t ease the pain in my throat until I cough up the rest of the water still in my lungs.
“Are you… waterboarding me?” I ask between coughs once I’m able to breathe somewhat normally again.
“Where do the captives go once they reach the port?” is all he says.
Water droplets drip off the tip of my nose as I glare up at him. “I already told you,” I say between gritted teeth. “Helix doesn’t do illegal shit like that.”
He nods his head at his buddy, and they force my head back again. “No! Wait–”
It’s worse the second time. My body jerks as my lungs fill with water.
Again, they rip the cloth off and let me catch my breath. It takes longer this time to get my lungs breathing right, and I’m dizzy from the lack of oxygen. I’m completely soaked and shaking now.
This time Thing Two takes over the questioning.
Since he’s the one who’s been drowning me, he grips my hair from behind, pulling back just far enough for me to meet his gaze.
The heat of anger in those silver eyes nearly takes my breath away.
“What drugs are they running in and out with your shipments?”
“I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Even if there were drugs in the shipments, Helix isn’t involved. If what you’re saying is true, then you should look harder at Councilman Rogers.”
“Wrong answer,” he says and then he covers my face with the cloth again.
This time the torture drags on and on, and it’s unbearably painful.
I try to shout for them to stop, but the water clogs my throat, cutting off any sound.
Just as my chest aches for oxygen and my fight wanes, the water cuts off.
They tip my chair forward, once again letting me cough up the water still stuck in my lungs and find my bearings.
I’m still gulping down air when the one I tried to stab with a fork steps forward. He’s been quiet, I’ve noticed. Not as enthusiastic about participating as the other two. “We already know he’s the scapegoat. Who’s really in charge? Who gives the orders?”
“Is there an echo in here? For the last fucking time, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Thing Two wrenches my head back again, and I can’t help the whimper that sneaks up my throat. I’m not going to survive this shit much longer.
To my surprise, Dickbag lifts a hand, stopping him. “It looks like Fallon needs more time to think. Cut her loose.”
Thing Two shoves my head away from him while Thing One withdraws a knife from his pocket, making quick work of the zip ties. I fall to my hands and knees as soon as I’m free, scurrying across the concrete floor and as far away from them as I can get.
They grab the chair, cloth, and the water hose I’d somehow missed when they barged in, and leave without another word.
I’m fucking soaked and shaking, my thin bra and panties doing absolutely nothing to keep me warm. My mind keeps replaying the questions they just asked me. Ridiculous. Absolutely insane, all three of them.
Before this mess, I’d always sort of admired Cerberus for their dedication to sorting out the truth from the lies told to the public, so it's hard to marry the image I had of them to the true colors they’re showing me now.
If there is someone within Helix operating illegally, why are they so focused on me?
If they’d have found evidence backing up their accusations, I wouldn’t be in here, soaked and naked and nearly drowned, right?
I’m cold and shaking, and ten times more exhausted than I was before the torture. But the good news? It’s finally quiet enough for me to get some sleep. I curl into myself and let my eyes drift closed.
It’s a Small World After All blares again. Well, there goes that