Hunting the Fox

Chapter 20

"Wakey, Wakey," Kiera heard a voice in the distance calling to her as if coming from the other side of a tunnel, "I don't think she heard me. Give her something to wake her up."

Kiera sucked in a deep breath and opened her eyes wide in shock as icy water splashed in her face. Her head jolted up as her eyes stared straight ahead. She spluttered and coughed from breathing in some of the water. Her vision blurred from the water and the hair in her face. Kiera tried to wipe away the water from her eyes, but could not understand why her arms would not move.

"There is my pet." A familiar English accented male voice clapped enthusiastically.

Kiera shook her head trying to clear the confusion. The water plastered her hair in her face as she coughed again. She tried to move her arms again. Slowly it dawned on her. Her hands tied behind her back. She tried to move her legs and discovered that they too were tied. She knew she was sitting on a chair or something. Her sluggish mind started clear and she remembered bits and pieces what happened to her.

'That voice,' Kiera thought her head hanging, 'He was the one who shocked and drugged me."

"Where am I?" Kiera asked weakly trying to lift her head, but found it difficult. Her muscles were slow to respond.

"Ah, Kitten you don't get to ask questions." The Englishman's voice spoke in her ear. "We did not have time to set the ground rules. Harrison."

'Who is Harrison?' Kiera thought in confusion as she heard heavy footsteps behind her and a rough hand grab her left pinky finger. With a sickening pop, the person dislocated the finger.

"AH!" Kiera screamed out in pain. She pulled forward against her restraints crying out as the pain lanced up her hand.

"Now I will ask the questions and you will answer my questions." The Englishman instructed calmly, "Do you understand?"

Kiera gritted her teeth against the excruciating pain. She sucked in air and kept her eyes closed tightly.

'This is a nightmare.' Kiera thought rocking back and forth in the chair. 'Only a nightmare.'

"I don't know if she understood." The man chuckled, "Do you understand, kitten?"

The pain shooting up her finger kept her from answering. The second man grabbed her left ring finger and dislocated it. Kiera screamed in pain again, the nerves in her left hand felt like they were on fire. She sobbed.

"I need an answer from you," The Englishman said in a soft voice, "You only have eight more fingers to go before we start on your toes."

"Yes." Kiera whispered in a barely audible voice, her head hanging.

"I don't think I heard you correctly. It must be my hearing." He commented.

Kiera felt the rough hand grab hold of her left middle finger.

"Yes, yes, dear god yes I understand!" Kiera screamed out her throat feeling raw with the effort and then she started sobbing again.

"Good, good," The Englishman said cheerfully patting head. "I'm happy to hear that you understand."

She felt the other man let go of her middle finger. Kiera tried to relax her muscles, but her left hand shook violently. She noticed that the rest of her muscles were trembling and her teeth were beginning to chatter.

'I must be in an early stage of hypothermia.' Kiera thought as she felt the damp air all around her. 'I have to be somewhere cold.'

"Now we need some answers from you love." The man's voice broke her train of thought. "You answer our questions right, we will make the process less painful." Kiera felt a hand stroke her cheek. Kiera jerked her head away. "We are going to use this tool as a way for you to answer us."

Kiera felt her head jerked back by her hair. She saw outlines pipes and grey cinderblocks through her blurred vision. It confirmed what she thought earlier. She knew she was in a basement or cellar. The thought did not improve her spirits. The Englishman placed an object in front of her face. Kiera saw it was a baseball bat wrapped with a strip of carpet.

"See it my pet." The Englishman said eagerly, "It will not break bones, but it will hurt a lot. Because we can't kill you, but we can make you hurt."

'I'm in real trouble. I have two people here. One asking the questions and then the other delivers pain.' Kiera thought, her mind raced back to her criminal interrogation psychology, 'I have to play their game.'

"What answers do you want?" Kiera asked.

Then she realized too late that she had asked a question. The patted bat hit her sharply on the right side of her body. She felt the wind knocked out of her as she gasped trying to catch her breath. She gritted down hard on her teeth as pain jolted up her right side.

"Kitten you have to obey the rules." The Englishman said in mock sympathy. "This can be hard or harder on you. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" Kiera cried out sobbing with pain and coughing. This gave her a chilling insight into her torture.

'They are going to hurt me no matter what I say. They can't kill me, but they can make me hurt.' Kiera thought dropping her head onto her chest.

"Good." The Englishman said grabbing Kiera by the hair and yanking her back up, laughing.

Kiera tried to get another look at the room. She knew she was in a cellar. She could barely make out the water heater and furnace in the corner. She felt her head jerked to the side and a blow landed across her face. She felt her lip split and blood filled her mouth.

"Where is Fox?" The Englishman ordered.

Kiera thought for a moment, trying to clear her head from the bow. Before she could answer, a rough hand grabbed her left middle finger and popped it out of place. Kiera screamed trying to stamp her feet or pull away from the other man, but the restraints held her. Sobbing from the pain, the Englishman let go of her hair. Kiera's head slumped onto her chest. She coughed up blood from her mouth, feeling the blood trickle down her chin.

"Please stop," pleaded Kiera, "I will tell you anything." Kiera thought this tactic would work. In most interrogations, when the person pleaded the interrogator would stop and listen. This allowed more time to think.

"Kitten, you have to answer the questions faster," The Englishman said patting the top of her head like a pet, "Who are you working for?"

"What?" Kiera said sobbing. Suddenly she felt the bat hit her in the same spot on her side again. Kiera screamed again, coughing up blood as she screamed.

'He is trying to confuse me by asking several questions.' Kiera thought. 'He just wants to hurt me.'

"Answer the question kitten." The Englishman said patiently.

"I'm a counselor." Kiera cried out, deciding to answer the second question. She knew she could answer that one.

"Well counselor," The Englishman said, "Where is Fox?"

"He left last night after he drugged me." Kiera said quickly, looking up and to a deep breath feeling a sharp pain lance up her side. "I don't know were he went."

By the wicked smile on his face, she knew that was the wrong answer. She shook her head violently, "No, no, please don't. I don't know where he is." Kiera pleaded crying aloud.

Abruptly the bat struck the side of her left knee. Intense pain rocked up her knee as she felt the knee give. The pain was too much for Kiera and she passed out.

Kiera felt like she was floating on a river. Unexpectedly a wave crashed over her. She sat bolt upright gasping for breath as icy water splashed against her face. Kiera coughed hard, her nerves exploding in pain throughout her body.

"You are not getting out of it that easily, pet." The Englishman chuckled patting her left knee hard, "I still need to break that strong spirit."

White-hot pain burned up Kiera's left knee. She screamed in pain, her throat raw from screaming, 'I don't think I will survive this." She thought. Her muscles were tense and shook from the trauma her body was experiencing.

"That knee looks bad. Harrison swung a bit too hard." The Englishman commented, "But you almost dislocated his brother's left knee, an eye for an eye right? Are we ready to answer my question?"

"I really don't know where he is." Kiera sobbed, "I would tell you if I knew."

Kiera's eyes when wide as she saw the Englishman shake his head in mock sadness. Kiera's face dropped. Suddenly she was crashing to the floor on her left side as she toppled over. Pain raged through her body when her left knee made with the concrete floor.

"No more please." Kiera cried. The pain was more than she could bear, but she tried to play out the scene. There was more going on than she could figure out.

'He keeps asking me the same question, but he does not seem to want an answer.' Kiera thought hard trying to fight off the pain that clouded her mind.

The silent man righted the chair back up and Kiera heard a bolting noise. In the distance, Kiera heard metal creaking and heavy footsteps. Kiera took shallow breaths. Her side felt like it was fire.

"Victor wants to see her," Kiera heard a heavily accented polish man spoke, "Clean her up."

"I'm not done yet." The Englishman complained, "She is almost broken and read to talk."

"You will do as you are told. Ten minutes." The Polish man said and then she heard footsteps walking away.

"Luck is on your side today, pet." The Englishman growled in frustration running his fingers through her wet hair. "Harrison, fix her fingers."

Kiera understood what he meant. She tried to jerk away, but Harrison grabbed hold of her left hand tightly and popped each finger back into place. Kiera almost blacked out from the sickening sound of her fingers popping back into place. Screaming in intense pain, Kiera hung her head sucking in ragged breaths. She felt the three fingers secured together by something.

"There is not much we can do for that knee, kitten." The Englishman laughed and patted her on the head, "You were a wonderful pet, and I look forward to more fun."

Kiera felt the restrains cut loose from her ankles. The quiet man gripped Kiera under the arm and violently yanked her up. Pain rocketed up her left knee as she stood and she when limp from the pain. The man holding her was strong and held her as she tried to get her footing with her right foot. Kiera jerked back from an unexpected blow, as something thrust onto her face. She noticed that it was not someone striking her, but her glasses.

"A bit jumpy are we, kitten?" The Englishman said smirking.

"I wonder why." Kiera said through clenched teeth staring at him, "You sound disappointed."

He grabbed her by the chin roughly, "Don't think this is over. It has just started. When Victor is done with you, we will continue." The Englishman said angrily. "Get her up to Victor."

Harrison used a wet cloth to clean the blood off her face, and then he half-dragged Kiera out of the room into a concrete hallway. The man jerked her down the hall towards an elevator. Kiera gritted her teeth against the pain that flared up from her knee and side. She watched as he pressed the up arrow and waited. Kiera tried to think what to do next. She knew that escape was impossible. He was too strong and she was in no condition to run.

'Ryan where are you at?' Kiera thought feeling despair.

The elevator dinged, the doors opened, and Harrison pulled Kiera into the elevator. She noticed the Englishman waving to her and smiling at her.

"See you soon, kitten." The Englishman said.

As the doors were closing, Kiera stuck her middle finger up in a defiant gesture. She knew it would not help her situation, but her spirits lifted when she saw the shock and the angry look pass over his face as the doors closed.

She heard the silent man chuckle, "Don't think you could let me go?" Kiera asked looking up at the man holding her.

Harrison kept quiet and his eyes on the door, but squeezed her arm hard enough for Kiera to cry out in pain.

'Well that did not go well.' Kiera thought gritting her teeth.

The elevator jerked to a stop and cause pain to jolt up Kiera injured knee. Kiera's heart was beating hard and her felt her breathing come out in quick short breaths. She remembered the look Victor had given her the last time they met. The doors opened onto a luxurious hallway, with soft dark carpets and expensive looking paintings on the walls. The man led Kiera down the hallway. They turned a corner into a huge dining room.

Upon entering the dining room, Kiera saw a richly dressed man in a dark tan suit with black hair and neatly trimmed beard sitting at the table. In addition, to Victor there were two other people standing behind him with serious expressions. Victor looked up from eating an olive and smiled.

"A Doctor Reid," Victor said with a smile, but Kiera saw the smile did not extend up to his dark eyes, "glad to see you again. Please sit her down."

The quiet man sat her down roughly in a chair next to Victor. She grimaced slightly as she sat down.

"Remove her restraints Harrison," Victor ordered popping another olive in his mouth, "We are not savages and I believe Doctor Reid will not give me trouble."

Kiera felt the restraints cut away and blood rushed into her hands causing new pain to blossom on top of the old pain in her left hand. Kiera took a deep breath trying to keep from crying out.

"I see you met Raphael, he does enjoy his work." Victor said, "Are you thirst, here drink some water."

"How are your thugs feeling?" Kiera asked sarcastically and she saw a flash of undisguised hatred in his eyes.

Victor rolled his shoulders, "You are a funny girl. I see why Ryan cares about you."

"What do you want with me Mr. Kostas?" Kiera asked trying to keep the anger out of her voice, "Why am I here?"

"That will come in time my dear," Victor replied pushing a glass of water over to her, "But for now please drink."

"Thank you for the water." Kiera said slowly reaching out for the glass, "You are quite the host." She watched him carefully as she took the glass and drank the water.

The water tasted cool and refreshing as his soothed her raw, dry throat. Kiera scanned the room and noticed that the sun was setting in the east. She understood that it must be close to evening. Drinking the rest of the water, she sat the glass down and stared at Victor with a calm expression on her face. Inside she felt the panic rising in her. Kiera did her best to keep it down.

"That is the best water in Italy my dear. I hope it is good." Victor said, "Are you hungry?"

"Yes I am." Kiera answered with caution, "Why am I here?"

"Please eat Doctor Reid," Victor said pushing the plate of olives toward her and avoiding her question.

'What does he want from me?' Kiera thought as she picked up an olive and placed it in her mouth.

When the olive entered her mouth, she realized how hungry she was. The adrenaline that had been flowing through her body was now leaving her drained and hungry. Kiera flinched as she bit into the olive. The salty juice made contact with her cut lip and stung. Reaching up she was shocked to feel how swollen her lower lip was.

"I did instruct Raphael not to touch your beautiful face." Victor commented as he watched her, "But he does get carried away and it is hard to find good help."

Kiera saw Victor turn his head abruptly as she heard footsteps from the dining room entrance. Kiera turned her head and her breath caught in her throat. Standing at the entrance to the dining room was Ryan. She saw him glance toward her with a shocked look on his face, but recovered quickly as she strolled into the room.

"Victor, what the hell did you do to Kiera?" Ryan demanded in an angry tone, clenching his fist and stepping forward.

"Stop right there." Victor ordered waving his finger.

Kiera saw Ryan stop his advance as Kiera felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to see a guard standing behind her.

"Let her go Victor." Ryan demanded, "She has nothing to do with this."

"See that is where you are wrong Fox." replied Victor relaxing in his chair, "I have what you want, and you have what I want."

"I will give you what you want." Ryan said, "Just let Kiera go."

"Fox stop playing games with me." Victor said pointing a finger at him, "We all know that you have had what I needed for quite some time."

"The bomb and the information were difficult to obtain and your agent was not very helpful." Ryan retorted.

"Did he just say bomb?' Kiera thought, 'Ryan is trying to stop Victor."

Kiera watched Ryan it was odd. His body was tense in way to suggest anticipation of something was going to happen, but his face remained calm. The two conflicted with each other. Kiera could not be sure which one was telling her the truth.

"Stop stalling, Fox!" Victor shouted angrily. Kiera jumped as he slammed his fist on the table. "Give me what I want."

Kiera could not understand what Ryan was up too. From her point, it did not look like it was going Ryan's way. They were going to lose and then what would happen. Kiera swallowed and trembled in fear thinking about what lied in the basement.

"I want to know something first." Ryan asked then waited patiently.

"You want to know why I have Kiera." Victor said and Kiera saw a broad smile cross his face.

"I know that you don't need her as a bargaining chip." Ryan replied, "Why did you try to kidnap her in Washington D.C.?"

"I truly sorry Ryan," Victor said in mock sympathy, "But, that is for someone else to decide."

"Who wants Kiera?" Ryan demanded.

'I was kidnapped because someone else wanted me?' Kiera thought, 'What does it all mean?'

Kiera furrowed her brow trying to think why someone else would want her. She heard other footsteps and looked up. The blood drained from her face as two people entered the dining room behind Ryan.

Mar...Marcus, Sandra." Kiera blurted out in confusion, "What are you doing here. Stop Victor before it is too late. He has a bomb under the G7 Summit."

"Sorry babe," Marcus said smirking, "I really can't do that."

"What do you...?" Kiera gasped. She felt like her world turned upside down. She remembered the phone call from Kate.

'Marcus texted the person, Marcus is...' Kiera thought. Then it all made sense, but where did Sandra fit in.

"I think she figured it out." Marcus chuckled, "Damn Victor, Raphael did quite a number on her. The client is not going to be happy."

"She needed to be taught a lesson for her attack on my men." Victor shrugged.

Kiera turned to look dumbfounded at Victor and then it slowly dawned on her, "You did not need information about Fox's whereabouts. You had that monster torture me for the fun of it." Kiera felt anger rise up in her.

"Well Raphael does enjoy is work, but you needed to be taught that no one points a gun at me and gets away with it." Victor snarled not looking at her.

"You bastard." Kiera growled. Her hand gripped around the glass next to her.

Without warning, she threw the glass at Victor. To her satisfaction, he was unaware of the glass and it hit him in the side of the head. The blow took him by surprise and he fell over his chair in surprise. Kiera smiled as a guard roughly slammed her head onto the table. The other guard rushed over to help Victor sit up. Kiera saw blood running down the side of Victor's head and dripping onto his expensive suit as he stood up.

Kiera let out a chuckle. She knew her fate as sealed, but it was satisfying to see this man suffer. The guard handed Victor a towel for his head. Victor stared at Kiera with undisguised hatred as he held the towel to his head.

'That's not coming out anytime soon." Kiera chuckled.

"Sit her up," Victor said through clenched teeth. Victor stood close to her and pointed his finger in her face. "You are lucky someone wants you alive. Cause you would be dead right now."

Kiera spit in his face. She heard Marcus laugh as Victor smacked her hard across the face. Kiera grimaced in pain, but willed herself not to cry out. She felt dazed from the blow and her cut lip reopened. Blood tricked down the side of her mouth.

"Leave her alone asshole." Ryan said stepping forward, but the two guards drew their guns causing Ryan to halt.

"Why are you working for Victor?" Kiera asked looking at Marcus with disgust.

"Damn that Kate." Marcus said shaking his head, "I guess I will have to kill her when I get back to the States."

"Why Marcus?" Kiera spat blood onto the table, "and you Sandra? Why are you doing this?"

"Hey Ryan," Marcus said turning to him and clapping him on the shoulder. "Did you know the wildcat was assigned to catch you?"

Kiera's eyes when wide in shock, but to her surprise Ryan did not look shocked or surprised by this information. Instead, he shrugged, "I knew."

Kiera felt the imaginary blow to the stomach. The air left her lungs. She gave Ryan a crestfallen look. Her heart felt like it had just been tore in two.

'He knew this whole time.' Kiera thought as a tear ran down her cheek.