Carrie's eyelids fluttered and a dim light filtered through. She could just about make out a dark shadow moving in the distance. Groggily she tried to move, but realized that her hands were bound together. She struggled to free herself, but the metal rubbed against her skin. ‘Damn, handcuffs,' she thought. She returned her focus to looking around the room, and everything was a little clearer now. The shadow was now the dark outline of a man across the room sitting at a table. From what Carrie could see, she was in a cage. Three of the walls were pure stone, but one was a series of metal bars separating her from the rest of the room. She quietly rocked herself up into sitting position and looked more closely at the room around her. It was completely empty apart from a heap of something in the corner. She squinted and tried to shuffle forwards, but realized that a chain linking her to the wall accompanied the handcuffs binding her. She peered into the darkness and, after a few seconds, the object came into focus, and Carrie let out a small scream. She pushed herself backwards, kicking and scrambling to get as far away as possible. Looking closely at the object Carrie could vaguely make out the shape of a head and a hand protruding from the heap. Everything was in focus now and Carrie could make out the face of the victim. She let a tear fall down her cheek as she recognized it as the face of the second abductee. Her face looked scared and in pain, her eyes frozen open, staring at Carrie, pleading with her to help her. Carrie felt a deep sadness that there had been no one here to see it and come to her rescue. There was no way that the woman was alive; a pool of blood surrounded her and, looking around the cell, Carrie could see blood smeared just about everywhere. A metallic rattling rang out and Carrie let out another scream. The man was now standing at the side of the cell, his hands holding onto the railing.
"You're awake then."
"YOU! I can't believe…just wait until I get out of these chains you son of a…" she stumbled to her feet and ran forwards, tripping when the chain reached its full extent. She stood to her feet again and was just inches away from the bars; just inches from Liam's face.
"Now, now… Am I gonna have to punish you for using bad language?"
"What? What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm warning you…"
"Yeah? Or you'll do what you bast…"
"RIGHT! Someone is getting punished for being a naughty girl."
Carrie spat through the bars, hitting Liam in the face. He quickly pulled a key from his pocket and opened what appeared to be a door in the bars. Carrie stumbled back, backing away from him.
"Not so cocky now are you? Without these bars to protect you," Liam sneered at Carrie.
Carrie eyes Liam cautiously, waiting for an indication of what he was about to do, "Really? Just come here and I'll prove to you just how cocky I can be."
"Ooh, big words from such a weak woman."
"Weak?! I'll give you weak," Carrie said, rushing forwards, but falling at a large smack across the face from Liam. She coughed into the dust on the floor, splattering it with her blood from a cut lip.
"I told you, you need to be punished," he said with menace in his voice. He began to unbuckle his belt and Carrie froze at the sight of it.
"Keep away from me you sick bastard; I won't make I easy for you."
Liam laughed, "Oh I'm afraid you will."
Carrie was getting frantic now, tears freely streaming down her face, "If Gibbs finds out that you raped me, you're life won't even be worth living," she said scathingly. If that didn't work, then she didn't really see what would.
Liam looked outraged, "You think I'm a rapist? That's what you think I'm going to do to you?"
"Then why did you take off your belt?" Carrie asked, trying to sound strong, but her voice faltered in her confusion.
"I told you, you need to be punished."
This time it was Carrie who let out a laugh, more out of hysteria than anything else.
"What are you going to do? Spank me?" she laughed at him.
Liam responded by lashing his belt quickly through the air so that it slashed the side of Carries face. Carrie let out a howl and end up sprawled across the floor, her hands still bound behind her back. Liam let his belt fly again, this time hitting her hard in the middle of her back. Carrie cried in pain, a mixture of spit, blood and dust now clinging to her face. Carrie screamed loudly, her voice piercing the darkness as Liam raised his hand to strike again.
***
A light turned on and burned through Carries eyelids. She snapped them open and quickly clambered into a sitting position, wincing from the pain in her ribs and jaw. Liam unlocked the cell and walked in holding a bowl in his hand and a wedge of bread.
"I hope you are ready to behave," he said. Carrie nodded solemnly. She didn't want another beating. "Soup and bread, you need your energy for tomorrow."
"Why?" asked Carrie suspiciously, her heart beating faster.
"We are going on a little field trip."
"Where to?" Carrie asked, studying Liam's face.
"I have some rubbish I want you to help me dispose of," Liam said, giving a sliding glance towards the body in the corner. Carrie winced again, this time not out of pain.
"How am I gonna eat this with my hands behind my back?" Carrie asked, spotting an opportunity.
"Trying to form an escape plan I see?" Liam said smiling, "I will unlock the shackles in return for a promise that you will not move an inch until I exit and lock the cell."
"I promise," Carrie said, the words not seeming to want to come out of her mouth.
"Okay then," he said, moving forwards. He took another key out of his pocket; this time a smaller, silver one. He bent down and unlocked the shackles; for they were shackles, not handcuffs as Carrie had originally thought; and stood up. Carrie seized her chance and fumbled up, running for the door. She had barely moved a meter when Liam wrenched her back by grabbing and pulling on her hair. Carrie screamed in pain and fell to the floor. Liam pushed her over onto her back and put his boot to her throat. "Am I gonna have to lock you up again?" he asked calmly, applying pressure to her neck.
"No," she whispered hoarsely, her windpipe being almost completely crushed.
"What was that?" Liam asked loudly.
"NO," Carrie struggled to say.
"Good." Liam said, removing his foot from her throat and walking towards the door. "Enjoy the soup."
"I will," Carrie said gruffly, massaging her throat.
"Oh, and what do you say?" Liam said as he locked the cage.
"Thank you," Carrie croaked.
***
Author's Chapter Notes:
The killer makes his identity known
Chapter End Notes:
This is where the torture comes in so beware...