TW - Blood & gore.

LEO
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31/01/2003
Panay, The Philippines
Passi City
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The moment I wake up and peel my eyes open, I can't see anything. I'm enveloped in complete darkness, a suffocating material plastered across my face.

I instantly start yanking my wrists, only to hear the clanking of chains and feel the resistance holding them back.

"Look who's up."

A cynical, familiar voice snickers out as the mask is yanked forcefully from my head, revealing the taunting gaze of Jed.

"And how the fuck did you manage to escape?" I seethe. Being chained up and hopeless is not going to scare me enough to submit to him.

"My group broke me out during the raid," he shrugs nonchalantly, crouching down beside me.

I glance around the room. It's claustrophobic; the walls are stained by an off-white tinge of yellow, brown streaks running down them from leakages. The wooden floorboards are splintered, and there's only one tiny window near the roof.

This must be the farmhouse.

"Cosy," I mumble, not backing down to fear.

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say since I'm whacked across the face by his fist.

"You know, I'm glad we managed to capture you. Captain and all," he taunts, standing up to his full height as I'm chained to the ground by a pipe.

"You really think chaining me to the floor is going to make me submit to you? You always were a stupid son of a bitch," I snap, earning a kick to my face this time as my head bashes against the pole behind me.

The copper taste of blood fills my mouth as my lips grind against my teeth, dripping down my chin in a slow trickle.

"You'll die here, Leo," he remarks.

"I'd rather die like this than as a coward, begging to have my life spared like you did," I mumble.

"We wiped out a good few members of Fleetwood, I hope you've realised that by now. 'Better start mourning." He chuckles cynically, a sinister smirk plastered across his smug face.

He's a fucking psychopath.

"Bet you're wondering about Nova, hm?" He snickers.

He's not wrong. She's at the forefront of my mind, I didn't see her at all after I shoved my vest onto her.

"If you touched a fucking hair on Nova Shields' head, I will find a way to rip you apart, Nolan." I threaten, and I mean every word. If he laid a hand on her, he dies.

"I guess you'll have to find a way, then, because I took great pleasure in slitting her throat." He says.

My chest constricts, teeth clenching. My fists clamp within the chains as I start rattling them violently, sweat dripping down the back of my neck, blood thumping in my ears whilst I'm getting choked by the lump in my throat.

She can't be dead.

"She could've died painlessly, Hendrix. You should've just left her in the woods instead of acting as her knight in shining armour. Although, listening to her gurgled cries was much more satisfying," he smirks.

"I'm going to fucking kill you, you son of a bitch." I growl, although I think my attempts to sound menacing are futile since there's now tears dripping down my cheeks.

"You won't get the chance, you're on Las' execution list. The video will be sent right to North," he chuckles, shaking his head.

"Get Las the fuck in here, now. I want to see the face of that fucking coward, since he's always hidden behind a fucking mask." I seethe, still choking on the lump in my throat.

Jed raises his eyebrows with a grin, "thought you'd never ask."

And with that, he disappears out of the door.

The second he's out of the room, I break down entirely. I haven't felt this much of a crippling emotion since Jaques died. I yell out in agony, rage and the need for vengeance all at once, grinding the metal of my cuffs against the pipe until my wrists start bleeding.

There's just something, though. I don't feel like she's dead. Maybe it's denial, or the surreality of it.

I fall back against the pipe hopelessly, biting down on my bloodied lip until the door swings open again.

Jed is stood there and paces in slowly, another man following behind him.

With no mask shielding his murderous face this time.

Rich brown hair, tanned skin and green eyes. Scars shredded up and down both arms, a crowbar in his hand.

"Leo Hendrix, what a pleasure," he taunts, Southern accent echoing around the small room.

"About fucking time you showed your face," I spit in response. He kneels down before me with a grin, analysing me.

"I've heard lots about you," he remarks, tilting his head, "how you've captained the Hawk group for a while now."

I can't even answer. My mind is clouded.

Clouded by the imagination of Nova getting her throat cut, letting out a blood curdling cry before she died.

All I can do is glance away, until Las smashes the side of my head with the crowbar. It dazes me immediately, feeling blood running down from my hairline.

"You'll answer me," he hisses.

"You didn't ask me a fucking question," I spit, returning his glare. My eyes burning. He stands up from beside me, shaking his dark head of hair with a chuckle.

"Why are you doing this?" I seethe, deep voice cracking momentarily as I battle the emotions running havoc in my brain.

"I don't have to give you my reasons," he shrugs nonchalantly.

"So you're just a fucking psychopath? You both are, you fucking bastards."

They exchange a momentary glance, sharing a nod as Las grips the crowbar tighter.

The last thing I feel is the cold metal smashing across my face.

—
07/02/2003

It's been a week, my only way of telling the time is by witnessing the orange rays of dawn flood through the tiny window.

I'm practically being starved, weakened by the day. The only meal I've received is two plain crackers each morning.

The only time I've been taken out of the room is when I need to use the bathroom, since I don't think Las exactly wants to clean up my shit.

I've been beaten to a pulp, I don't even have a concept of what I look like anymore.

Nova's dead. Nova Shields is actually dead, and the knowledge of that is so much worse than any pain I'll endure here.

Everyone back at base probably thinks I'm dead.

That means nobody is coming for me; that I really am going to die at the blade of Las' machete.

I've been prepared for death my whole career, but knowing that I'm on a countdown to my execution is different.

I always thought that if I was to die, it would be quick. A bullet through the brain, a few seconds of pain from the slash of my throat.

I may as well already be considered a dead man walking. I've worked through absolutely everything I can; every single scenario I can construct to escape.

None of them finish with the possibility of me getting out of here alive, in one piece.

And even if I do get out of here alive, there's something that will be missing on my return.

I won't be hearing any more fiery remarks. No more furious glares with those green eyes. No more bickers since she's so damn stubborn. No more of her small chuckles when she finally stops taking herself so seriously.

I never could have seen the day coming, the day where I finally realise I'll miss her so fucking much.

I always thought that the void of Carlos Richards would be difficult to fill, but the void of Nova Shields will be impossible.

Knowing that I'll never see her again is incomprehensible. Knowing that she's dead is agonising. Knowing that she died most likely wearing my vest is haunting.

I yell out in fury, pushing myself up as much as possible and yanking my cuffs against the pipe. The noise only makes one of Altashih's members come storming through the door, gun in hand. He strides over and pummels the butt against my nose.

The all too familiar metallic taste runs over my lips, flowing down from my nostrils. He screams something that I don't understand a word of.

I never saw the day coming of which I'd give up, but it's finally here.

I'm a broken fucking shell of a man. My strength has ultimately failed me, and I'm completely at the mercy of time.

With another bash, one that I'm thankful for so I don't have to listen to my agonising thoughts anymore, everything flicks to darkness once again.

—

"Rise and shine, Hendrix," Jed chuckles mockingly as he launches my usual gourmet dish of two plain crackers at me. He unlocks one of my wrists so I have the mere chance to eat.

And this time, the bastard is well within grasp.

As soon as my wrist is out of it's chain, it flies forward and grabs him by the collar of his shirt, yanking him down.

He's clearly caught off guard as he loses his balance immediately, stumbling to the floor and smacking against the wall beside me.

I grip the side of his shirt, dragging him towards me as I try and reach for his gun, his neck, anything that I can use to fucking kill him.

Fighting with one arm whilst you're chained to the wall is practically impossible. He jumps to his feet swiftly, a furious yet shocked expression on his face.

"Still got some fire in you, hm?" He grins, brushing off his pants. His boot flies outwards, kicking me right under the chin. The sheer force of my teeth smashing together is enough to send a vibration rippling through my whole body.

I taste something tough floating inside my mouth. I reach my tongue back and spit up the contents, revealing a shattered shard of one of my molars.

Whilst I'm dazed, he pulls my wrist back into it's cuff, trapping and locking it immediately.

His swift effort to restrain my arm is enough to tell me that he still considers me a threat, even whilst I'm in this type of state.

He scowls slightly as he turns on his heels, heading out of the room.

I know for a fact he will be back in a few seconds, ready to deliver some form of punishment.

And I'm completely right, since he emerges through the ominous doorway with a hammer in his possession, another adversary following behind in his shadow. I unfortunately already know exactly where this is going.

The bastard who's accompanying him strides over and unlocks the same wrist that I tried to battle Jed with, pinning my arm against the floor.

I can't retaliate since his whole fucking body weight is pressing down against my forearm. Jed spins the hammer in his hand and crouches down beside me, a sinister smirk plastered across his smug face.

"Hopefully this will teach you to not be that damn stupid again, Hendrix," he snickers, raising the hammer up.

He brings it right down against the centre of my hand, immediately sending a sickening crack echoing through the room.

I clench my teeth, it's fucking agonising. There's no way I'm letting this son of a bitch see my pain.

He hammers it down again, and again, and again.

The snaps of my metacarpals flood the space around us. I glance down at my hand, instantly noticing the stark ivory of bone split between my knuckles.

Well, my left hand is now fucking useless. I'll be surprised if I don't die of damn sepsis after this.

Then again, I think that would be a blessing. At least then I'd die without having my brain separated from the rest of my body.

"Las has decided to execute you in three days time, just thought I should tell you," he bites down on that that same old smug grin.

"Amazing," I seethe. "I hope both you and Las know that you won't live much longer after that, either."

Jed raises his eyebrows, "oh really? And why's that?"

"Because the second that video is sent to North, you're done for. You're signing a death warrant by doing this, Jed." I spit, although he doesn't seem threatened at all.

"You say that as though they have any idea where we are, Leo." He snickers.

What a stupid fucking son of a bitch.

He has no idea that Fleetwood have our location.

That even with one of my hands smashed to pieces, I still have a weak hold on the strings.