Page 3 of Absolution

"Wake up!" I crumple over, face planting into the floor. The pain hardly registers at this point, I'm lightheaded and can't stay upright without leaning against the wall.

I hold my hand out, hoping they'll give me a minute to catch my breath, but I'm not afforded such luck. I sustain another kick to my ribs before they apply pressure to my thigh.

"Who are you?" A deep, rough voice cuts through the fog before I can answer, I'm being flipped over to my back. I lose my breath as my back smacks the floor.

My eyes are dry and swollen to the point, they're mere slits. I stiffen when I can barely make out the figures standing over me. "The place on his head is still seeping, I don't think he's with us enough to know who he is or anyone else."

Anyone else? Am I not alone? Is someone here with me? I swallow, hoping to wet my mouth enough that I can force my questions out. I need to know; I have to find out if Connor is alive. I'm not sure I can survive this alone.

The slightest move sends me spiraling into excruciating pain. My throat closes as I struggle for words, wrestling for nothing to come out. I push the tip of my tongue from my parched mouth, raking it over my rough and torn lips. Still, nothing sounds remotely like words come out.

I can hear a noise mimicking shuffling feet in the distance. Suddenly, something cold and wet drops on my forehead. By the time I figure out what they're doing, I'm drenched with water being poured over my face, and I gasp for air.

My body buckles, twisting into a pretzel from the pain of my injuries, and I gasp for air. I'm jerked up and dragged across the room as they push my head into more water. Held there, I can't move. I'm drowning. This time, my mind shuts itself down, sparing my body from the torture.

"Wait..." I narrow my eyes, hoping to get a better look at her. "come back." I reach for her as she fades into the darkness. "Please, don't leave again. Stay and talk to me."

I hold my hand out, playing with the vision in front of me. My sight runs together, mixing the picture like watercolors. Again, her face blurs beyond recognition. The image develops quickly and fades as fast. The internal tug deep within coaxes me to go with her.

I struggle to sit, yanking on the chain I'm tethered to for leniency. The clinking reminds me I'm not alone, and I'm not free. My ears ring from the deafening silence around me, dragging me down, but I refuse to go under.

Evoking the dream, I focus on the woman's voice, calling to me, but even now, I can't recall her words—light filters in from a small window about ten feet up a wall. I squint as I try to figure out the time of day. My concept of time is gone, and try as I might, I can't remember anything.

"I can’t concentrate with these constant migraines." I rub my temples softly. I'm pretty sure they're the only thing on me that doesn't hurt. I finally have the chance to do my daily body check, running my hands over myself.

My face isn't as puffy as before, but I'll be damned if I can take a deep breath or stretch. I shift, hoping to ease the ache in my side by switching positions.

With each passing minute, consciousness fails me as I fade away. Every fleeting moment slips through my fingers, and I'm thrust back into darkness. At least when I'm out cold, my current situation isn't the only thing I can think about.

“You’re here.” I reach for her, yearning for her touch. “Please, I only want to hold you.” Her fingers graze mine, sending a tingle through the tips. “I’m so happy you came.” She shimmers in the moonlight as it beams through the cracks in the ceiling. “I need you to save me.” She fades into the distance, her colors running, and the glimmer dulls. “Don’t leave me, please stay with me.” And then she’s gone.

"He's of no use to us!" The muffled voices wrestle me from my wavering state of mind. The words are no more than a flicker of light in the vast black hole I'm in.

"He's special forces, he has value. Less if he's dead, so keep him alive."

"He's been out for weeks."

"I don't care if he can talk, just make sure he doesn't die."

Some might think their words would give me solace, but they don't. All they tell me is although I have value, my time is limited. The only thing keeping me safe right now is the fact they're not afraid. And because I am, they’re keeping me alive.

Chapter Two

Creed

I rouse to the beat of my pulse thumping against my temples. It's the same thing day in and day out, a constant hammering in my head. I press the heel of my palm into my eye, praying for the pain to stop or puts me out of my misery.

"C'mon." The loud noises outside are making the pain worse. Why I think asking them to ease up will work, I have no idea.

As the sounds grow closer, I struggle to sit up. Only to lose my balance more than I stay upright, but I can't handle another kick to the head. I'd rather them batter my thigh or ribs than take another blow to my brain.

A sudden explosion near me is so loud, my ears ring, covering me with dirt and debris. The walls rattle as if they're close to implosion with multiple muffled pops near my enclosure made in hell.

A massive crash reverberates against the walls as what reminds me of a door being ripped from its hinges outside my cell. Muted voices fill the room; I try to scramble to my feet only to fall from the dizziness.

"Clear!" I flinch as another round of rapid-fire fills the air, followed by dust and bits of rock peppering me as they blast through the metal barrier. My heart thunders in my chest, sending my heart into my throat. "Go!"

I find the strength to shield my face, ready for anything but praying for something other than what I've been met with since I've been here. My eyes still won't focus, and even dim lighting hurts them and my head.