A Month of Whump: Winter Whumperland Day 8 - John McClane
Russian roulette // forced to watch // held hostage
LISTEN DIE HARD IS MY FAVOURITE MOVIE AND THERE IS JUST SOMETHING ABOUT HOW HE IS ALWAYS COVERED IN BLOOD THAT GAVE SEVEN-YEAR-OLD-ME WHUMPERFLIES OKAY!!!
Also I know it’s late, but time is relative, okay?
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“I knew you’d come,” Whumper said with a smile, but Whumpee wasn't paying attention to Whumper. Instead their gaze was locked onto Caretaker who was being held by two of Whumper's henchmen behind where Whumper sat. Whumpee swallowed as they watched realisation dawn on Caretaker’s face. Black blood dried from his left nostril, caked and flaking down his lips. He had dark red bags under his eyes, that contrasted with his too pale face. A giant black bruise took up the bulk of his left cheek, his bottom lip split open.
He barely even looked like Caretaker anymore. Just a shell of who Caretaker was. It had only been two days… the guilt flooded Whumpee the moment Caretaker met their eyes.
“Whumpee no! No!” Caretaker yelled, wild green eyes angry and glaring helpless at Whumpee as he struggled against two of Whumper’s henchmen holding him. “I told you to run!”
“I couldn’t leave you here,” Whumpee said, voice quiet and cold, switching their gaze to glare at Whumper. “Not with them.”
“I do love a good reunion,” Whumper said, standing to greet Whumpee. Whumpee was stiff as Whumper walked towards them. Caretaker was anything but, struggling furiously in the corner his hands tied behind his back, the henchmen struggling to keep Caretaker down.
“Don’t touch them!” Caretaker growled, then suddenly threw his weight to the left and knocked one of the Henchmen into the wall. Caretaker was about to do the same when he saw Whumper grab Whumpee by the throat and slam them back against the wall.
Caretaker froze in place, half hunched ready to pounce on the other henchman but all he could do was look at Whumper’s hand around Whumpee’s throat.
Whumper glanced back at Caretaker knowingly, while Whumpee glared at Whumper and grabbed their wrist with both hands.
“Caretaker, do I have to explain to you again? Who holds the power here, do you need a demonstration old friend?”
“Whumper—”
Whumper sucked in a breath and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Wrong answer, Caretaker.”
“Wait, Whumper!”
Whumper blocked Caretaker’s view of Whumpee with his body, smiling down at Whumpee like this was a professional hazard.
Whumpee threw their body forward and got two inches of leverage before Whumper hummed and slammed them back, their head smacking off the wall.
“Whumper! Stop!”
Whumper’s right hook connected with Whumpee’s cheek and they cried out. Whumpee could still hear Caretaker’s struggles behind Whumper, even over the sound of their own as they tried to push Whumper off of them.
Another punch went to the bridge of Whumpee’s nose, then their jaw, then their lips and then again against their cheek. Whumper released Whumpee’s throat with the final punch and let Whumpee slid down the wall sideways, cradling a hand to their cheek.
He didn’t let Whumpee slide all the way down, grabbing them in the middle of their hoodie and half holding them up.
“Now, Caretaker, is that enough blood for you to learn your mistake or do we need more?”
“You’re a fucking bastard, Whumper!” Caretaker yelled, grunting with the effort trying to get free of the hands on him.
Whumper looked down at Whumpee apologetically. Then he grabbed Whumpee’s head and slammed it against his knee. Whumpee fell to the ground crying out and then gasped when Whumper slammed a foot on their ribs.
“Hurt me! Hurt me, not them!” Caretaker raged, helpless tears gathering behind his eyes. Whumper pressed his heel down harder on Whumpee’s ribs who blubbered, before turning their head as they gurgled a spit bubble of blood before spitting out a glob onto the floor. “Whumper please!”
“Ahh!” Whumper exclaimed happily, immediately taking his foot off of Whumpee’s chest and turning to face Caretaker. “There we go, and they say you can’t teach an old dog new manners.”
“Tricks—” Whumpee corrected, slowly getting to all fours.
Whumper turned and kicked Whumpee to the ground again without looking at them, instead drinking in Caretaker’s struggles.
“Mmm, I have some tricks, Caretaker. You’d know all about that wouldn’t you? I learned some of them from you after all,” Whumper said, something simmering behind the words, looking directly into Caretaker’s fury filled eyes. “Y’know, Whumpee, there was a time when Caretaker protected me this fiercely. A time before you came along.”
“It’s not Whumpee’s fault you turned into a psycho, Whumper.”
Whumper’s nostrils flared as he smiled. “Why, Caretaker, do you want to take the credit for it?”
Caretaker didn’t say anything, just stared at the face of his best friend and saw a stranger looking back at him. Whumper hmphed softly at Caretaker’s silence then turned back to Whumpee who was on all fours again.
Whumper leaned down and grabbed the back of Whumpee’s hoodie, dragging them to their feet with ease even as Whumpee struggled.
“That’s it, it’s alright, come on now, we’re going to play a game. That’s it, settle down now,” Whumper said shoving Whumpee down into a chair. Whumpee fixed their hoodie with a huff, wiping the blood from their nose on the back of their hand. They never took their eyes off Whumper as he walked around the small square table, only big enough to fit two people sitting at it. Whumper took the chair opposite Whumpee where he was sitting when Whumpee first arrived.
Whumper grinned at Whumpee when he finally sat down.
“God, you look so much like an old friend of ours,” Whumper said, looking over his shoulder at Caretaker. “Do you remember Friend? They always had that wildness to them, I only noticed now with the smeared blood and the murderous glint in your eyes. Caretaker was the one to put them down,” Whumper said turning his attention back to Whumpee and winking.
“I don’t care,” said Whumpee, voice cracking after being strangled. “Me for Caretaker, that’s the deal.”
“Whumpee—”
Whumper clicked his fingers in the air and wagged his finger at Caretaker’s protest. “Caretaker I swear to god I will gag you if you interrupt us again. Do you understand? The last word I want from you is yes or no.”
Caretaker let out a begrudging yes, and Whumper smiled again. “Good. Danny, can you get something to gag him with, I feel like we’ll need it before we are finished here.”
Whumper turned his attention to Whumpee again, a dazzling smile on his face as he interlocked his fingers on the table.
“Now, Whumpee. Your deal is a good one, however, I don’t like it because it’s only half good. Either I lose Caretaker or I keep Caretaker but that means I don’t one of you.”
“You can keep one of us though,” Whumpee argued.
Whumper smiled. “Yes. I know,” he replied calmly, then leaned forward, eyes twinkling with mischief. “But I have a better deal.”
Whumpee’s eyes flashed to Caretaker behind Whumper who shook his head before settling on Whumper again.
“Okay. What’s your deal?”
“My deal is far more favourable for both sides, Whumpee. I propose a game… a game of chicken you could say. If you win, I’ll let you and Caretaker go no strings attached.”
Whumpee’s heart pounded against their chest, hope fluttering it faster, harder, louder. They glanced at Caretaker again, whose suspicious eyes were focused on Whumper.
Whumpee swallowed. “And if you win?”
“If I win I get both of you.”
“No,” Caretaker said immediately. “No. Absolutely not, Whumpee walk away. Whumper—”
“Ah! Danny, just in time, shut Caretaker up would you?”
Whumpee stood up but a hand on each of their shoulders forced them to sit back down again. “Whumpee, don’t! Whatever it is don— argh— mmph!”
Whumpee shot up again but was forced back down and the chair pushed in further to the table keeping them sitting. The table edge pressed painfully against their ribs.
Whumper smiled at Whumpee. “Whumpee, I could just as easily take you both right now by force. You’re outnumbered. I could have killed you when you walked in the door but I didn’t, did I? Do you know why I didn’t Whumpee?”
Whumpee swallowed, eyes going back to Caretaker who huffed furiously around the gag.
“Because you’re a fucking monster?” Whumpee asked, raising their brows and dragging their gaze back to Whumper’s stupid smiling face.
“No. It’s because I invited you here for a negotiation in good faith. If you like we don’t have to play and I can just take you both—”
“No,” Whumpee said quickly at the same time Caretaker mumbled out something like a no behind Whumper.
Whumper smiled and sat back into his chair, smile turned smirk now. “So you agree to play then?”
“Yes,” Whumpee said again, not looking at Caretaker who cried out against the gag again.
“Good,” Whumper said. “Very good. Here’s the game.”
Whumper pulled out a revolver that Whumpee had only seen Whumper use once. Whumpee flinched back but didn’t go very far. Whumper grinned as he cocked the gun at Whumpee and Caretaker screamed and struggled with renewed energy against the Henchmen holding him back.
Whumper let out a soft laugh. “Just kidding. God, Caretaker, it’s so easy to rile you up.”
Whumper held the hammer and pulled the trigger before slowly lowering it until the gun wasn’t live anymore. Then he pushed his thumb against the ejector rod and took the round out of the chamber. Whumper then slowly turned the cylinder, and repeated this until all six bullets dropped rhythmically onto the table between them. The entire time Whumper kept eye contact with Whumpee, a soft smirk on his face as he watched Whumpee swallow back the lump in their throat.
“—umph—r—nn—” Caretaker screamed against the gag until the last bullet fell from the cylinder and into Whumper’s awaiting hand.
“You know this game Whumpee?” Whumper asked, cocking an eyebrow at Whumpee.
Whumpee’s throat was suddenly dry, so they swallowed again, before they replied nervously: “I thought you said we were going to play chicken.”
“A version of it,” Whumper said with a shrug. “Russian roulette. Caretaker, Friend and I used to play it all the time as kids.”
Caretaker had tired themselves out, now he stood limp in the hold of the henchmen, glaring daggers at Whumper. Even his stare didn’t have any real bite left to it. Whumpee looked at him with surprise written all over their face.
“Back when Caretaker was fun,” Whumper said, sliding one bullet back into the cylinder and spinning it with the palm of their hand before stopping it and sliding the cylinder back into place. Whumper grinned at Whumpee as he drew the hammer back, loading the chamber.
“I’m a good sport, Whumpee,” said Whumper handing Whumpee the gun. “You can go first.”
Whumpee went to grab the gun from Whumper but froze when they heard another gun cocking in the room. Whumper’s smile turned razor sharp.
“Just in case you get any ideas… if you try to kill me, Caretaker dies too.”
“I got it,” Whumpee said with an edge in their voice. Sick of all the threats Whumper had made in the last five minutes.
“Mmmm. Eager! Wonderful. I knew you’d be an interesting games partner.”
Caretaker cried out when Whumpee put the gun to their own head, swallowing hard. A shiver ran down Whumpee’s spine as they felt the weight of the gun in their hand.
If the shot was in the chamber they would be dead.
This would be it.
They never imagined they’d die from a stupid bet.
God this was so stupid, what were they doing?
Whumpee’s hand started to shake as the realisation slowly dawned on them. They looked at Caretaker who shook his head furiously at them, telling them not to do it.
Whumpee licked their lips trying to get some moisture back in their dry mouth enough to speak. “If I don’t do this, Whumper gets us anyways,” it was an explanation. An excuse that fell from their lips. “Thank you for everything.”
Caretaker cried out again when Whumpee pulled the trigger.
They let out the breath they were holding with a gasp as they dropped the gun to the table, trembling all over. Wild eyes went to Caretaker who had his eyes closed until he heard the gun clatter.
Whumper laughed and grabbed Whumpee’s shaking hands. “Look at that! That adrenaline spike, Whumpee! That’s how you know you’re alive. I barely get it anymore. Watch.”
As soon as the words left his lips, Whumper had the gun in his hand, while his other still held Whumpee’s and pulled the trigger without even blinking.
That stunned Whumpee more than their own turn had.
Whumper grinned and put the gun back on the table, then held out their hand. Whumpee’s eyes went down following Whumper’s movement but true to their word, not even a muscle twitched in Whumper’s hands.
“See why it’s fun now, Whumpee?” Whumper asked again, and Whumpee’s mouth went dry again, realising it was their turn. Again.
They had a one in four chance.
One in four.
25%.
Whumpee didn’t want to bet their life on the one in four chance that when they pulled the trigger they would die.
And yet, after seeing Whumper do it so casually, Whumpee found the familiar weight of the cool metal revolver in their hand once again. Caretaker mumbled out a pathetic “nnnuh” against the gag, but this time a strange calm overcame Whumpee as they pressed the barrel against their head.
They found Caretaker’s hopeless eyes and offered a smile.
“One in four. 25% chance I die, Caretaker. 75% chance I live.”
“Look at you, Whumpee,” Whumper cooed. “Playing the odds. I am so happy you decided to join me today. You are magnificent.”
Whumpee didn’t close their eyes this time.
They pulled the trigger.
The hammer shot against empty air and the recoil sent Whumpee’s hand back away from their head, letting their hand follow the movement to place the heavy hunk of metal onto the table.
“Safe again,” Whumper said, clicking his tongue against his teeth. Then he took the gun and Caretaker cried into the gag.
“-nuf! -umpr- s’enuf!”
Whumper paused this time. His eyes going to Whumpee but looking passed them.
“Someone take their gag off would you?”
Whumpee watched as someone drew the cloth down from around Caretaker’s lips and he let out a sigh of relief.
“Whumper stop this. Please. I can’t watch this. I can’t watch you die!”
Whumper didn’t move for a moment. “You mean Whumpee. You can’t watch Whumpee die.”
“I mean either of you,” Caretaker pleaded, voice genuine. “Please. Don’t do this.”
Whumper arched a brow at Whumpee. “Whumpee. Do you forfeit?”
“No,” said Whumpee. Whumper smiled.
“Sorry Caretaker. No can do.”
Whumper pulled the trigger.
Whumpee started forward, their entire body jerking at the sound. Whumper grinned at Whumpee and put the gun back on the table.
“What’re the chances Whumpee, eh?”
“Stop this! Stop! Whumpee! This is madness. It’s 50/50, you can’t logic your way out of that. Either you die or you don’t, please. Don’t. Whumpee please. Whumper! Listen to me, this is crazy.”
“I will gag you again, Caretaker. This is Whumpee’s decision.”
The words seemed so far away, muted from the blood drumming against Whumpee’s skull. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.
“Fuck,” Whumpee breathed softly. Whumper’s eyes glistened when Whumpee raised their head to meet Whumper’s gaze. “You let me go first.”
“I let you go first,” Whumper repeated with a self-satisfied sigh. His grin grew to a knowing smirk, knowing this was how it would turn out all things going well. “You should have played the odds from the beginning Whumpee.”
Whumpee swallowed, eyes searching for something, something in the back of their brain. Some way they could still win, get Caretaker and themselves out of this.
Whumper let them go first. They were an idiot. The only way they could have won was to let Whumper go first, then if the game played out as it did and they came to the second last bullet Whumper would have had to stop the game and let Whumpee and Caretaker go.
Fuck!
FUCK!
Whumpee reached for the gun. Caretaker cried out. Whumpee savoured the look of surprise on Whumper’s face.
“Fifty-fifty,” said Whumpee, not trying to hide how bad their hand shook as they pressed the cool metal to their temple.
“Whumpee!”
“You��re bluffing,” Whumper said with a smile, but there was doubt behind his words. A game of chicken, Whumper had said. The game only really started when there was two rounds left unfired.
“Either I get free Caretaker and I, or I die and Caretaker—”
“Gets taken in by me,” Whumper said with a laugh. Whumpee narrowed their eyes at him. “Come on Whumpee, if you’re gone I have to take my anger out on someone.”
“You said we’re playing a game of chicken,” Whumpee argued. “If I pull the trigger and die then I didn’t lose.”
“Hmph,” Whumper mused, and maybe it was the crazy talking but Whumpee thought they sounded impressed. "If you're dead how would you know I'd keep my word?"
Whumpee narrowed their eyes and opened their mouth to reply, but Caretaker was the one to break the silence. “Whumpee, Whumpee look at me! Look at me!”
Whumpee fought to keep their gaze trained on Whumper’s face as he chewed on Whumpee’s words.
“Whumpee!”
Whumpee looked at Caretaker with sympathetic eyes. Caretaker had tear marks trailing down his cheeks which stirred up a wealth of guilt in Whumpee’s gut.
“Don’t you dare sacrifice your life for me.”
Whumpee swallowed, trying and failing to keep their voice even. “It’s my life—”
“If you do this and you die, you’re fine! What about me?! I’ll have to carry that guilt—”
“It’s my decision.”
“Really building the suspense here, Whumpee,” Whumper mused, “I’m on the edge of my seat. What a performance! You can pull that trigger now and die, or you can pull it and force my hand to let you both go. What’s worse Whumpee? Dying or living under my care again, hmm?”
Whumpee hesitated.
Whumper continued, “after all the lengths and hoops Caretaker had to jump through to get you out, you just walk back into my arms. Could you live with that guilt Whumpee?”
“Don’t listen to him, Whumpee,” Caretaker said. “He’s lying.”
Whumper’s smile was knowing as he spoke again, “we both know I’m not lying Whumpee. Caretaker’s fate was sealed from the moment he betrayed me, and he wanted you to be out. To be free from me. You come back here, you beat me at my own game you both walk free, the only thing holding you back from this happily ever after is that trigger there, with your index finger resting on it.”
“Whumpee don’t! Please. It’s not worth it.”
“Do it Whumpee. I know you want to.”
Whumpee’s hand moved faster than they thought it would as they aimed the revolver at the henchman with the gun on Caretaker. Whumper laughed at the turn of events as the henchman behind Whumpee grabbed the revolver and snatched it from their hand, keeping Whumpee restrained all the while.
“No! You fuck! Get off me—” Whumpee cried as the henchman handed the gun to Whumper. Whumper took the revolver in his hand with a small surprised laugh.
“I knew you had it in you Whumpee, but to be fair, I don’t think I would’ve pulled the trigger myself. Let’s see, shall we if you would have died or not.”
Whumper turned their body and pointed the revolver between Caretaker’s ear and the wall and squeezed the trigger. Caretaker didn’t flinch.
Whumpee did.
The chamber was empty.
The chamber was empty... Whumpee could have done it. They could have freed Caretaker, they could have freed themselves if only they had the fucking nerve of it.
“Whumpee,” Caretaker said. “It’s okay Whumpee. I wouldn’t have done it either, Whumpee. Whumpee?”
“Were they all empty?” Whumpee asked, voice blank and devoid of any emotion.
Whumper smiled. “Of course they weren’t. Watch.”
Whumper pulled the trigger again and this time Caretaker flinched and fell as the shot went off right at his ear, knocking his centre of balance off. Caretaker fell like a stone but was stopped by the Henchmen from falling flat on his face.
Whumpee started when they saw the blood trickle from Caretaker’s ear, furiously pawing at the henchman holding them back.
“You fucking dick!” Whumpee cried as Whumper reloaded his revolver whistling quite happy to himself. Whumpee twisted and turned and tried to get the arms holding them off so they could scratch Whumper’s eyes out of his stupid fucking skull.
When Whumper was finished loading the gun he checked the chamber and lowered it so Whumpee could see there was a round loaded before cocking the gun and pointing it at Caretaker’s head.
Whumpee immediately stilled and Whumper stopped whistling.
“There we go," Whumper cooed. His voice no longer jovial and mocking, but back to Whumper. The scary Whumper that had kidnapped Whumpee and tortured them everyday. The cold calculating monster. "You haven’t forgotten your training, of course, you’ll have to re-learn some of it, but I think this arrangement will be good for all of us. Something new.”
Caretaker was still half held up by the Henchmen on either side of him, face pale, eyes unfocused. He wouldn’t be able to move suddenly if he had to, and Whumpee was too tired to fight anymore, the adrenaline leaving their body in the same rush that it came with until Whumpee was deflated, body exhausted.
Whumper uncocked the gun, drawing the hammer up and clicking the safety on before holstering it again beneath his jacket. He walked around the table to where Whumpee was still held sitting on the chair and patted Whumpee’s cheeks lightly.
“No need to be a sore loser, Whumpee, you agreed to my terms. Fair is fair,” Whumper’s hand tightened on Whumpee’s cheeks tilting their head up to look Whumper in the eye. “I get you both. Bring Caretaker to the car, Whumpee’s coming with me and Danny here.”
One of the Henchmen handed Whumper an extra pair of handcuffs that he turned over in his hand and clicked open, grinning down at Whumpee. Whumpee was dragged to their feet, Whumper taking Whumpee’s wrist and slapping the metal cuff around their wrist until it bit into Whumpee’s skin. Whumper turned Whumpee until their back was to him and tightened the other cuff unkindly tight.
To add insult to injury, Whumper pulled on the taut chain yanking Whumpee back unbalanced into Whumper’s chest.
The perfect place for Whumper to whisper: “can’t have you running away again, can I?”
Whumpee remained stubbornly silent.
“Whumpee, come on now, the silent treatment? Maybe I should get you a leash and a collar, like a dog so you won't be able to run, hmm? You know, this little game of ours is only drawn even now.”
Whumpee stilled at the words. “What?”
“I’ll explain on the way to the car,” Whumper said, pushing Whumpee forward to walk out the door, hand on Whumpee’s upper arm forcing them on. “I’m an easy man to please, Whumpee. I like to be entertained. That’s why I got you, you were so malleable and vulnerable. You hung onto every word I said just because I gave you attention…”
Whumpee bristled at the reminder of how they were before they met Whumper but stayed quiet, allowing Whumper to finish his little Villainous, victory speech.
“Now could I have chosen someone else? Yes, but they wouldn’t have the brain you had Whumpee. I could tell you were like me from the moment I laid eyes on you, and today has proven it. You were bored with life before me, and you needed something to entertain you. Something to fight against, something to live for.”
“So I took you. We have our fun, but you beat me. You and your clever little cunning brain found a way to defeat me, you used my best friend's kindness against me and you managed to escape.”
“That wasn’t a game,” Whumpee hissed, “you were torturing me.”
“And wasn’t it so fun? I bet you’re just dying to see what I have in store for you now, but our Russian roulette makes us even. I guess you could say that this is the start of our third game together; two worthy opponents, battling it out against each other. Except this time,” Whumper said opening the boot of the car and shoving Whumpee in. Whumpee landed awkwardly on their shoulder, hands restrained uselessly behind them as they stared up at a grinning Whumper.
“This time, I don’t have a friend you can use against me. They’ll be right there with you, a new contender. Extra fun. Aren’t you excited, Whumpee? Maybe this time the roles are reversed and now I have a friend I can use against you. Get comfortable, I've moved my little estate and bought some land in the country. It's going to be a long, long ride.”
Before Whumpee could reply Whumper slammed the boot closed and they were buried in darkness. The sound of the empty chamber firing no bullet replaying in their mind like a broken record.
"Caretaker," Whumpee whispered into the darkness, "I'm so sorry."
*~*~*~*~*
@amonthofwhump
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In your hands
Custody masterpost - Previous chapter
-
“Got somewhere to be, asshole?”
Eric just smiled at the provocation and pulled at the long black coat he was wearing. It covered an impeccable three-piece suit, which he revealed by pulling the lapel aside. “I do, yes, unfortunately.” He closed the door behind him. “But I wanted to see how my guests are doing, first.”
Said guests seemed rather exhausted; both didn’t even make to get up. They just sat closely together on the floor, weary expression, only wanting to move when they absolutely had to.
“You’re staring, Nat, do you like it?”
Nat instantly cast their eyes down. “Yes, sir,” they muttered. They honestly didn’t care a thing about the stupid suit, and going by the glint in his eyes and his accusing yet playful tone Eric knew that full well. They just had to know he wouldn’t suddenly snap forward.
Jeff too kept his eyes on the threat, scanning for weapons. But Eric kept his hands in plain sight, nothing hiding behind his back. Until one hand slipped into his coat pocket and he pulled out two sets of handcuffs.
“I’d hate for you to have nothing on your hands while I’m out, though. So I thought of… something of a game for you two while I’m out.”
With a low growl in his throat, Jeff rose and shifted in front of Nat.
“I don’t recommend you switching sides in this one, detective. Not with that bust up shoulder.” He walked past Jeff without a care in the world, knowing the man couldn’t risk a fight in his condition, and he touched over the bandaged shoulder. “Or, well, maybe it doesn’t really matter…”
Jeff had to resist swatting at him and had no choice but to allow him to walk past. A fight, hell, even sudden movements, would only make things worse. He needed to heal up as fast as possible.
“Nat, come over here, please.”
Nat froze and exchanged a quick glance with Jeff, who also seemed to tense up. They forced themself to stand up and walk over to where Eric was waiting near the other side of the large room. They both avoided that spot like the plague; during their first days locked in here, trying to find some way to bust from to room, they’d found two metal loops bolted to the floor, a few feet apart. If that wasn’t unnerving enough, there were vague dark specks around them, staining the carpet.
Unfortunately it was right where Eric wanted them and he got them to kneel easily simply by pointing a finger at the ground, near one of the bolts. Without a word, Nat obliged, kneeling at the man’s feet.
“Detective, over there.” Eric pointed to the other loop across from where Nat sat.
Jeff hesitated, but Eric simply brushed a hand through Nat’s thick hair and lightly pulled their head back. It wasn’t a hard yank, not even painful; he merely exposed their throat with their head tilted back, as if ready for execution. It was more than enough. Jeff relented at the sight, walked over and knelt at the loop.
“Maybe you first…” Eric muttered and disappeared behind Jeff. He hooked the handcuffs to the loop, shifted Jeff forward a little, and cuffed his hands behind his back. “I’m sure you’ll have a bit of a feral reaction to this…”
And sure enough, when his hand slipped into his coat pocket again and he pulled out a length of rope, which he slowly twirled around Nat’s neck, Jeff snapped forward. “No!” The handcuffs yanked him back and he could do nothing but watch as Eric fashioned the rope into a noose.
Nat too shot up high on their knees in alarm, but Eric simply guided them back down with a hand on their shoulder.
“That’s exactly it, Nat,” he purred. “Just the position I want. But not yet… hold on…”
Fighting back the tears prickling behind their eyes, Nat had no choice but to allow Eric to handcuff them. He tied them down, tightened the noose around their neck, and threw the rope over one of the beams overhead, hoisting Nat up into a position high on their knees where they couldn’t sink back down. They tried of course, to lessen the stress on their legs. But as they did, the noose dug into their throat, cutting off their air.
And they were stuck. Air wheezing in their throat. Their lungs already screaming for more air, the muscles in their legs for relief.
Eric took a few steps back to take in the spectacle, standing next to Jeff. He knelt down next to the bucking, snarling figure.
“So if you can break free… and uncuff your dear friend. You’ll both have the afternoon to recover, doesn’t that sound nice?”
“I can't break free out of handcuffs!”
“No?” Eric said in feigned disbelief. “Let me give you a hint then. You ever watched those movies where people dislocate their own thumbs to get out? Easy. In your case you’d have to do two...” He pulled at the chain linked to the bolt, “but I’m sure you’ll manage. If not you can just watch them suffer.”
“That’s impossible!” Jeff’s voice broke. In despair, anger, Eric didn’t really care.
“Really? That’s strange. Hollywood has led me to believe it’s quite easy. As a cop you must know the finer details. You’ll work something out.”
Eric stood straight.
“Well then, I’ll see you in a bit. Both of you.” He turned to Jeff and growled under his breath, “Let them die, detective, and I’ll make you wish it was you.”
A total non-threat, because Jeff would certainly wish that if he let Nat choke out here right in front of him.
“If I find you with both thumbs attached, I’ll assume you aren’t that committed to the safety of your friend.”
That stung. The door slammed shut and Jeff immediately tried to twist his hands free from the metal. To Eric’s credit, he hadn’t actually tightened the cuffs that bad. There was more wiggle room than Jeff was used to. If he could just… fold his thumb and— he flinched as the metal bit into the flesh of his thumb.
“Don’t,” Nat croaked. “Just don’t. I won’t—hnng! I won’t die from this.”
“Save your breath! Don’t talk!”
Don’t, they said… as if the sight right in front of his eyes could let him sit back and simply wait until that bastard returned.
Nat was already struggling. The position was merciless; handcuffs pulling them down into the rope, having to make an effort to nudge themself up to their knees just to get that full breath of air. Jeff’s own legs were already cramping. He couldn’t imagine the strain and the stress Nat’s were under.
What if they… passed out? And they’d just… slump down. Held up only by the rope around their—
Lead filled his stomach. The mere thought of it made him double his efforts.
“Don’t— Please,” Nat wheezed, pausing between each word, using each exhale efficiently. “It’s not… possible.”
The cuffs scraped against the joint just above the wrist, scratching at the skin, painfully squeezing the tendon. In his struggles, the bullet wound throbbed right along, reminding him to exercise caution. While seeing Nat just pushed him to ignore caution and go all out. If he could just… see what he was doing instead of twisting wildly! He knew Nat didn’t just say it was impossible to make him stop, he knew Nat didn’t have the air to explain the semantics… But he also knew he couldn’t just sit here and watch them.
A scream tore from his throat, loud, angry, not even in pain so much as channeling a rage that would hopefully just crack something. All it did was lubricate his skin with blood and that didn’t help much either. He sagged in defeat, head down, panting.
Nat winced, pain shooting through their legs and they braced themself for a fresh spike, more pins and needles added when they’d push themself up again. They had to. They had to keep going. Panic wouldn’t help. Loss of oxygen would only make them weaker, would deprive their muscles even more and make the whole thing even worse. It would fuel the despair for that next breath. So they tried to settle into a rhythm; brace, force up, breathe, back down.
Every breath cost them. They shook like a leaf. They tried to keep breathing like normal, just a little deeper. But after a while, they just gasped in the needed oxygen and didn’t even have the strength anymore to lower themself. The noose chafed their skin every time they fell back down and the sudden yank only fueled their adrenaline and the need to lessen the pressure. Making things only worse. And worse.
Making Jeff’s wrists bloodier and bloodier as time passed.
Jeff leaned forward; trying to alleviate the pressure on his legs and to just keep a constant pull against his thumb joints, fiercely hoping it would just slip free.
“Try twisting your thumb.”
“I’ve tried fucking twisting my thumb!” he snarled back at the voice behind him.
A chuckle this time, a little closer. Eric squatted down behind him, black coat pooling around him, and he brushed a finger just under a drying drop of blood on Jeff’s wrist. “So I see.”
He pulled away and walked over to Nat. Desperate eyes glanced up to him. “So he couldn’t help you, hm? Such a shame…”
“Let them down!” Jeff raged in despair, toning it down a bit when those amused eyes fell on him. “Please… let them down.”
“Not until you manage to get at least one hand free.”
“I can’t,” Jeff whispered. “I trie—no, don’t!” He snapped forward when Eric closed a hand around the rope holding Nat up and pulled ever so lightly.
Nat immediately bucked up, face twisting in pain.
“Would you like me to help you?” Eric said, ignoring Nat’s attempts to get more air, eyes fixed on Jeff.
“Yes! Yes, please, just—”
“Say it.”
“Help me! Break my fucking wrist just let them down, please!” Jeff nearly cried when Nat went red.
A broken gasp tore free when Eric released the rope. “Very well.” Without even a glance back to see how Nat was doing, he settled behind Jeff again.
Two hands clamped just above the handcuffs, both thumbs settling just under Jeff’s.
“One… two…
Jeff actually snarled out a yelp like a wild animal when his thumb was forced from its joint. But the pain wasn’t that bad. His attempts to break free on his own had hurt more, really.
Even with his joint forced in this position, he couldn’t slip out of the cuff as easily as he’d thought. It nudged painfully against the unnatural position of his thumb. And when he did finally pull free, Eric’s hand immediately clasped around his wrist.
Jeff hissed in pain. “Let go!”
“Just putting it back,” Eric said with a cruel smile. His hand tightened around the already swelling wrist until Jeff screamed and only then did he snap the joint back.
Jeff slumped down, limply on the floor, one hand still stuck in the handcuffs keeping him from leaping at Nat.
Eric took his time to fulfill his promise, sauntering back over to Nat. Again he took hold of the rope, but this time he cut it, and slowly, very slowly to let Nat adjust, he lowered them down.
Nat fell forward against him, gasping for breath.
“Shh,” Eric crooned in their hair. He cut the other rope keeping Nat tethered to the ground and let them drape over his shoulder as all strength left them. He shifted under them, carefully letting them down, hands catching them to turn them and gently lay them down on their back, on their still bound hands.
Nat winced and whimpered when their legs stretched under them. Every rushed intake of air punctuated with a small cry as the pain stabbed through their legs.
“I’m not going to let you die,” Eric murmured, hovering over them. “Not for a long time.”
-
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