“Oh look, our little friends awake!” Dave exclaimed. He practically skipped down the stairs, smiling widely at them both. “Good, good! Now the party can really start!”
“What the hell are you doing, Dave?” Brian asked him. He tried to move but failed miserably. For the moment he avoided looking anywhere else but at their captor. Terror was like a led ball in his stomach, but his promise to AJ kept him from letting it show. He was right. They didn’t want ot let Dave think he was winning. Someone was going to discover they were missing, and they’d start to search for them. The first place Kevin would look would be anywhere that Dave lived.
Strolling over casually, Dave lifted Brian by his arms, setting him so that he sat on his knees. It eased the pressure on his ankles and shoulders, actually. It also gave him a whole new vantage point on the room. It also drew his eyes to exactly what Dave wanted him to see. AJ was strung up on the side of the room, his hands and ankles in cuffs. The cuffs on his hands were attached to a chain that was strung through a hook on the ceiling, forcing his arms over her his head. The ones on his ankles were separate and prevented him from kicking, but he was standing on the front of his feet to keep his balance.
A small cry built in Brian’s throat, but the look in AJ’s eyes had him holding in it. He repeated what AJ had said like a mantra in his mind. Do not give him what he wants. No matter what. AJ had known how Brian would react, and had predicted that it was what Dave wanted. But it broke Brian’s heart to sit there and do nothing. Especially when he noticed the bruises AJ already wore, as well as these random burn marks that were peppered across his chest, and oddly enough, his armpit.
When Dave turned toward the table, AJ quickly mouthed I love you. You’re doing so well. Stay quiet. Please. I love you.
I love you too Brian mouthed back. Then Dave had turned back to them, and what he had in his hands had AJ flinching. Brian watched as AJ tightened his muscles, bracing his body for what he thought was coming as Dave carried what looked like a nightstick. Almost at the same time they realized that Dave was coming toward Brian.
Brian wiggled, trying to move himself backwards. The smile that Dave had on was chilling. Nothing about him looked sane anymore. There was a light in his eyes that said clearly that he enjoyed what he was doing. He put the end of the stick under Brian’s chin, forcing him to look up. “There’s a good boy.” He said gently, the same way a man spoke to his dog. “Now, you and I have a few things to work out, Littrell. Did you really think you could get away with leaving me?”
Keeping AJ’s advice in mind, Brian kept his mouth shut. There was nothing that he had to say to this man. His silence had Dave’s smile disappearing, and one of his eyes twitched lightly. Before anyone could blink, he cracked Brian alongside the head, knocking him over and to the ground. Brian grunted as he hit, and stars danced in front of his eyes. Vaguely he heard AJ shout, and even in his pain he found it ironic that AJ told him not to react, to not give him what he wants, but then turns around and does it himself.
“You will answer me, Brian, or I swear to God I will make you regret it.”
“Answer him, baby.” AJ whispered. He could see the way that Dave was trembling, and knew that this was not the time to test him.
But Brian wasn’t going to give up. He looked Dave square in the face and told him “Of course I did. You’re nothing, Dave. Nothing. A worthless excuse for a man.”
For just a second it looked as if Dave was frozen. Then he moved, lightning fast, grabbing hold of Brian’s bounds. He unhooked them from one another and used the moment of shock to roll Brian and bind them in front of him. That done, he reached for Brian’s belt buckle, undoing his belt and yanking it off. “I’ll show you a man.” He swore. Brian couldn’t figure out what was happening. But AJ knew. Knew, and couldn’t do a thing about it. Telling Dave to stop would only make it rougher for Brian.
When Dave’s hands grabbed hold of the button to Brian’s jeans, his brain kicked in and he knew what was going to happen. He started to struggle, trying to wiggle away or break free. Just as he opened his mouth to talk, yell, beg, AJ’s voice filled his ears. “Look at me, baby! Come on now, look at me.”
Brian felt his jeans drop down and bucked again with a loud shout. Reaching forward, Dave tied a gag in his mouth. “I’m tired of listening to your shit.” He swore as he tightened the knot.
All the while AJ kept calling for him, begging him to look up, until Brian couldn’t resist and his eyes locked on his loves face.
“That’s it, Bri. That’s right. Just look at me, ok? Keep looking in my eyes. Don’t pay attention to him. You just focus on me and my voice, you hear me? I’m right here with you.”
Tears filled Brian’s eyes when he felt Dave pushing against him in the most intimate way. Oh God, oh God, this wasn’t going to happen! He blinked his tears away as fast as he could so that he could still see AJ in front of him.
“Baby, I know its hard, and you’re being so strong, but I need you to try to relax for me, ok? I know, I know. But please, try. If you relax, it won’t hurt so much. I promise you that.” AJ begged him. But Brian was shaking his head. He didn’t want to try to relax, didn’t want to end up enjoying this. Even as he shook his head no, AJ was begging him again. “Please, God, Bri, just relax your muscles. That’s all. Don’t fight it, don’t clench, none of it. Please! God, it’ll only make it hurt. You just look right at me and listen to me talking to you, and let your body go limp, ok? That’s right, I can see it. You’re relaxing. Good job, baby. You’re doing so good!”
Lost in his own world, Dave was paying no attention to their conversation. He was preoccupied with roughly pushing himself into that familiar place. His head was thrown back when Brian instinctively clamped down, only increasing his own pleasure.
The tears in Brian’s eyes spilled over and he moaned against his gag. He couldn’t do this! It was just too much to ask. But AJ was still there, talking to him, and he knew he had to try. He forced himself to relax his muscles again, to lose himself in AJ’s voice, AJ’s eyes. So that as the thrusting started, he grunted with the force of them, but his attention was still focused solely on AJ.
“That’s right baby, ignore it as best you can. It’s just you and me here, ok? Forget the rest of it. Ignore him as best you can. Just look at me. Can you see me? Can you see how much I love you? Pay attention to that. Remember what it was like when we were together. Do you remember how beautiful it was? It was like the heavens sang for us. Nothing had ever been so beautiful for me. You made it that way, Bri. You did it. Do you remember it?”
A loud grunt signaled the end of Dave’s torture. He pulled away from Brian, collapsing into a nearby chair while breathing heavily. Brian collapsed to his side, panting against the gag. He had an ache in his backside from the force of the thrusts, but really, if he made himself think this way, it wasn’t any worse than he felt after a night with AJ. If he thought about it on those lines, he could ignore it. It wasn’t the most pleasing route, but he could do it. He had to. AJ was right. If they gave in to him, if they let him know that what he did hurt, then he was winning.
Brian stared at AJ and forced himself to smile behind his gag to reassure his lover. But a message passed between their eyes. Neither of them thought that they would survive the night. In that instant, in a message that passed with no words spoken, they both admitted it to themselves, and to each other. Knowing it gave Brian strength he hadn’t known he’d had. If they were going to die, they would do it honestly.
~~~~~~~
AJ watched as the knowledge entered Brian’s eyes. He could see the connections that Brian was making, and the way that he was looking at him had AJ ready to cry. Because in that one look, he could see what Brian thought. And he was wrong. So, so wrong. Dave wouldn’t kill them both. In Brian’s eyes was the look of a man who knew he was going to die. AJ couldn’t stand to break it to him what the truth would be. He’d had more time to think about it. He understood.
The plan was to break Brian, not kill him. To destroy his mind so much that he would do anything Dave wanted him to. In order to do that, he would have to find a way to get under Brian’s defenses. Hence why AJ was strung up the way that he was. He had known that since fifteen minutes after he’d woken up. But he wanted Brian to hold on to the thoughts he had. He wanted him to keep that disregard for now. Because if he did, then what happened to himself, or to AJ, would not affect him as much. He would be able to survive better through it.
Watching carefully, AJ saw when Dave started to recover from his pleasures. He dressed himself, whistling a tune, and then pulled Brian’s clothes back up. He left him lying on the floor, pleased with the outcome of things. He idly kicked at Brian as he passed by, eliciting a grunt from him. “Showed you what kind of man I am, don’t you think?”
There was nothing they could do to stop the outcome of this. AJ knew that deep down in his heart. If Dave had his way, by the end of this torture, AJ would be dead. Sure, there was a small hope that Kevin would be able to gather help in time to save them. But Lord knew how many hours they had been there already, or how many were left until someone would even realize that they were gone. He wasn’t going to bank on rescue.
So when Dave came walking over, balancing a knife in his hand, AJ met his gaze square on. He could live through the pain. Soon, it would be over anyways. There was no way that Dave would ever let him live. If he played his cards right, there was a chance he could piss Dave off enough to kill him faster. AJ knew that if the opportunity arose, he would take it. Death was a given; but how he went, well, that much he may still be able to control.
~~~~~~~
Eyes wide, Brian watched as Dave stood next to AJ, trailing the point of the knife down AJ’s chest. “Do you want to know what I’m going to do to you, Alexander?” Dave asked him as he traced the knife back up. AJ’s eyes stayed locked on the far wall. He didn’t flinch. “I don’t care what you do.” He said tonelessly. “I’m dead anyways.”
Dave leaned in, bringing his lips to AJ’s ear. “There is so much more than death.” He whispered. His hand firmed around the hilt of the knife right before he shoved it in to AJ’s left side.
A wordless scream pushed past the gag in Brian’s mouth. He watched as AJ’s body danced in its chains; his ears couldn’t shut out the sound of AJ’s short scream. Brian watched as, by sheer force of will, AJ cut the scream off. His eyes were gritted shut when Dave pulled the knife back out. Instantly the blood began to pour down, making a puddle on the floor.
Oh God. A firm resolve only held so much together when faced with the pain of one you loved. Brian tried to remind himself to keep quiet, to let things play out. He told himself that it would end for the both of them, and they would be together again in a place without pain. But when he watched Dave make a long cut across AJ’s ribs, and then another across his breast, his resolve almost broke. He rubbed his face on the ground, using his teeth and tongue and jaw to try and work the gag free.
It suddenly slid down and Brian wasted no time. “Dave!” he shouted. His ex-lover turned around to look at him, the knife he held still dripping blood. “What the hell do you want from me?” Brian demanded. Anything to keep him from hurting AJ again. Ignoring the pleading in AJ’s eyes, Brian looked only at Dave. “What is the point of all this? Revenge? Then shouldn’t it be against me, the one who did this?”
“Shut the hell up, Bri.” AJ panted out. Casually Dave backhanded him and muttered “Be quiet.”
He took a few steps toward Brian before he squatted down on the ground. “What do I want.” He said it slowly, not a question, but as if he was thinking out loud. “I want my life back, Brian. The money, the lifestyle, all of it.”
Disbelief coursed through Brian, making him grow more daring. “That’s what this is about? Money? Jesus, let me go and I’ll cut you a check right here, right now. You didn’t have to do all this just to get money from me.”
“Let you write a check and dance on your merry way with poster boy over here? I don’t think so, Brian. I’m not that stupid. Plus, you’d simply stop payment on the check, and then report me to the cops.”
“If you think that’s what I’ll do, then what makes you think you’ll get anything back from me, Dave? Seeing as how you’re not stupid and all.”
The corners of Dave’s mouth grew tight for a moment, and then relaxed again. He waved the knife at Brian as if in admonition. “You almost had me there, Brian. Distracting me. Trying to make me angry. You always were good at that, you know. A special talent of yours, I’d have to say. Ranks right up there with that mouth of yours. You used it on your lover here yet? Pretty talented if I do say so myself.”
Rising to his feet, Dave walked over to his table and laid his knife back down. He picked up the cattle prod, which Brian instantly recognized. “You know, Brian. You want to know what makes me think I’ll get my own back?” Stepping back toward AJ, Dave used the prod under AJ’s chin, tipping his head back up. It wasn’t on yet, thank God. Fear filled Brian as he watched Dave move it down AJ’s body, tracing here and there, purposely letting it drift over the cuts. “I plan to break you, down to your very soul.” This was said so calmly that it actually made Brian shiver.
The cattle prod turned on against the stab wound in AJ’s side. It had him dancing the chains, grunting through gritted teeth. Dave removed it, stepping over toward Brian. Very lightly he let it touch Brian’s arm. The pain of it jolted Brian backwards. He touched him again, further down his arm, causing Brian to jerk again and gasp. It never lasted longer than a second, but it was enough to have Brian’s heart aching for what AJ had just dealt with.
“Everything I plan to do to him, I’m going to do to you first, Brian.” Dave whispered softly. He moved the cattle prod away, looking down into Brian’s face with that same sick smile on his own lips. “So that you can better understand the pain your lover over there is going through. Pain he wouldn’t have to feel if it hadn’t been for you. If you had just kept your hands off of him, and hadn’t argued with me, well, we wouldn’t be here now, would we?”
Smirking now, Dave rose and moved back over toward AJ. Pain echoed through Brian’s heart as the reality of Dave’s plan settled in to his mind. Dave wasn’t going to kill him. No, he was going to do exactly as he had said. He was going to try to break him. As Dave laid that cattle prod against another of AJ’s cuts, Brian thought that he might actually succeed.
~~~~~~~~~
Time seemed to run together for AJ. All he felt was pain. It had hazed his vision, and clouded his world. Both his pain, and Brian’s pain. Dave was true to his word. For each thing he did to AJ, he tested it on Brian first, wanting him to appreciate what was being done. The strap, a paddle, fists. The only good side to it all was that what he did to Brian was never as extensive as what he did to AJ. He wanted Brian to survive this. AJ, he was only to survive as long as he was useful.
Dave had already taken butterfly tape and used it to close the stab wound on AJ’s side. It managed to eventually make it stop bleeding. He may have wanted AJ dead, but he wasn’t ready for it to happen yet.
The worst moment came when he lit a cigarette from the pack that had been in AJ’s pocket. He had burned Brian with it, once, right next to his ear. AJ had been proud to see that Brian may have jumped, but he made not a sound. That man had steel inside of him. But after that, cigarette after cigarette until the pack was gone, he lit them and pressed them against AJ’s skin. Bless God that there had only been a few left in the pack.
Blood from a scalp cut ran down in AJ’s eyes, blocking his vision when Dave stepped away from him. He could hear the footsteps and could tell by their general direction that Dave was moving toward Brian. Shaking his head and blinking, AJ managed to clear his vision enough to watch as Dave thumped lightly on Brian’s cast. His lovers eyes rolled up for a second, but he made not a sound. “Remember that feeling, Brian?” Dave was asking.
Brian gave him no answer. He stared at him eye to eye, defiant to the core. It didn’t seem to bother Dave. He rose and moved to his table of torture again. This time he grabbed a baseball bat. Everything inside of AJ flinched. Oh sweet Mary. Not a word was spoken as Dave walked over, or as he stood there staring at AJ’s body. Then he turned to Brian and gave him another smile. “Remember that feeling.” He said again, softly this time. With a lightning quick move, he spun and swung the back, sending it into AJ’s kneecap.
Pain exploded in his world. He couldn’t control the scream as it broke free from him.
~~~~~~~~
“No!” Brian screamed, but it was too late. He heard the sickening crunch as AJ’s knee was hit; heard the scream that tore through their small room. He was unable to look away from AJ. All he could see was the angle that AJ’s leg now sat, and the way that his love panted and twitched in his bonds. Enough was enough. This was done. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t watch this. “Enough, Dave! You win!” he called out.
Dave spun toward him, and his face was lit with triumph. AJ twitched again, raising his bruised and battered face to stare at Brian. “No!” he rasped hoarsely.
“Yes, AJ. I can’t watch this. I can’t have this be my fault.”
“No! I’m fine, Bri. Don’t you dare do this. Don’t!”
Another backhand from Dave had AJ’s head bouncing. The bat was tossed on to the table, and something else was grabbed, but what it was, Brian couldn’t see.
“You’re serious about this, Brian?” Dave asked him, watching intently.
With everything inside of him Brian nodded. He had to be serious. He couldn’t stand to watch the man he loved be hurt anymore. It was tearing apart his soul. “I have to be. I can’t do this anymore.” The last part was directed toward AJ, almost as an apology. Something in AJ’s eyes had Brian starting to cry. There was understanding there, but also, the light that was usually in them had dimmed down until it was almost gone.
Unable to look away, Brian paid no attention to Dave as he moved over toward AJ. “I’m sorry, Alex.” Brian whispered.
AJ’s swollen lips curved up, and that light flashed again for just a moment in his eyes. “I love you, Brian. Remember that, ok? Don’t ever forget it.” There was something so final about his tone. He sounded utterly defeated.
“How could I, Alex? I love you too.”
“Don’t remember me like this.” AJ said as Dave finally joined him. “Please, when you think of me, don’t let it be like this. Remember the good things.”
For the first time, Brian noticed what it was in Dave’s hand. His blood went ice cold. Dave raised his revolver, putting it against AJ’s chest. Tears were leaking from AJ’s eyes, but he never looked away from Brian’s face. “Don’t beg.” He whispered just as Brian started to open his mouth. “Don’t beg for me, please.”
Dave turned to look at Brian. His eyes were glittering coldly. “For you to be done with him, it really has to be done.” He said simply.
Tears poured from Brian’s eyes, falling in rivers down his cheeks. His heart felt as if it would break. Physical pain, it was nothing compared to this. This felt as if his soul was going to shatter. “AJ, I love you. I love you so much.” He said. Where before, AJ had helped him get thorugh the rape, Brian had to help him get through this. “Look at me, just like you had me do. Look in my eyes. Don’t pay attention to the gun, ok? Just look at me. Can you see how much I love you? Can you see it? Can you feel it?”
They were both sobbing now as Dave cocked the hammer.
“Alex, don’t look away. Don’t look at him. Look at me. Stay with me. I’ll be right here until...until the end. I love you so much. Our time together has been the best thing that’s ever happened in my entire life. You are the best part of me, you hear me? I love you so much.”
AJ quivered from head to toe. All he could feel was the gun pressed against his chest. But he could see Brian’s eyes, and in them, all the love in the world. “I love you too Brian.”
With those words, their whole world seemed to explode.
~~~~~~~
The door that led out of the basement burst open, catching Dave’s attention. He turned slightly to find cops rushing in, their guns trained on him. The shock of it all had him squeezing the gun in his hand convulsively. A shot rang through the air, followed by several others as the officers fired on Dave. He went down in a hail of gunfire.
Brian’s whole world was focused on AJ. He was watching his face when the first gun went off, and he saw the shock that crossed his features, as well as the way his body jerked. “No!” Brian was screaming. He yanked at his hand and his feet as AJ’s wide eyes looked down to the blood all over his shoulder and his left breast. “No, Alex!”
AJ’s eyes locked on to his again. Police were swarming the room, some of them rushing to Brian. He barely felt them untying him, but suddenly his hands and feet were free. With the assistance of two officers he rose to his feet. His eyes never left AJ’s as he grabbed the key off the torture table and rushed over, trying to unlock the handcuffs with trembling hands. An officer took the key from him and worked the lock. Another officer helped Brian catch AJ. In the background voices were screaming for medics, but Brian paid them no heed
He slid to the ground, holding the one he loved in his arms. The other officer was holding something, putting pressure over AJ’s shoulder. “He twitched when he shot!” he called out to someone. “Hit the shoulder, not his chest.”
Brian had eyes only for AJ. “God, baby, you stay with me, you hear me?” he begged him. Someone was unlocking AJ’s feet, and then he was free, totally cradled in Brian’s arms. “You don’t get to leave me. We made it out of this, and we’re going to get you help. You hold on, ok?”
A corner of AJ’s mouth quirked. “I love you.” He whispered. His voice was so faint that Brian was barely able to hear it. As paramedics rushed in, Brian pressed his forehead against AJ’s. “Oh, God, I love you too. Hold on, please! Don’t you leave me.” But AJ didn’t hear him. He had already slipped into unconsciousness.