Toughen Up

16 February 2010

They shoved him forwards further towards the center of the room and their hostage tied to the chair. Terrier squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to look anywhere but at the man they held hostage, even if that meant staring back at his own captors. Scott and the unknown. Gabriel was older than he, and stronger. And yet there he was, tied back and weakened, staring unfocused towards them, with no clue as to why he was there. Terrier knew the feeling only too well. He didn’t know why he was here either.

“Terrier!” Scott barked from behind him. Barked? He really was turning into a dog. He winced as he felt Scott’s rough hand on his shoulder, as he pointed blatantly towards Gabriel, “You need to toughen up. And he is going to show you how.”

“He has a name,” he whispered, “Use it.”

“Use it?” he winced as Scott shoved him forwards again, nearer towards Gabriel, “You do not call your hostages by their names! You want them to lose their identity, not keep it, you dog!”

“Shut up!” Terrier growled, “Shut up!”

He slammed his eyes shut as he was forced forwards until he was face to face with their hostage. At least, if Gabriel was standing they’d be face to face. Instead, he was face to the wall above his head. And he didn’t want to look down into his frightened, confused eyes.

“It’s not fair,” he burst out quickly in one final attempt to escape his situation, “It’s not a fair fight!”

Scott almost laughed, “A fair fight? You’re telling me you want me to untie him so he’s got a chance of hurting you more than you need to be? Or is it because you want him to have the chance to escape? Because you can’t?”

Terrier took a step back, scared of how much someone could guess away at his exact feelings. The unknown man was standing guard by the door, so it’s not like he’d be able to escape anyway, even if he did have the strength.

“You hear that?” Scott called loudly to their hostage, even though he was standing right above him, “Terrier here wants to play it fair.”

He noticed Gabriel squeeze his own eyes shut at Scott’s echoing voice. I’m sorry, Terrier thought pleadingly. He jumped as Scott pulled out a knife, and again when he cut swiftly through the ropes in one slash. If he had been anymore reckless, it would’ve – Terrier jumped again as the knife in Scott’s hand moved towards the middle of Gabriel’s back. Without thinking, he shoved his hand forwards and knocked the blade to the stone floor.

“Very good, Terrier,” Scott acknowledged, “You’re getting angry.”

The tears were streaming down his cheeks hard now as Scott shoved the chair forwards and Gabriel fell, still half entangled in his binds, to the cement. He moaned in pain, rolling over onto his back.

“Now let’s see what else you can do,” Scott growled, grabbing tight to his body and gripping his hand around Terrier’s wrist. It was useless to fight against his grip. Useless. And so he winced as Scott used him to aim a punch at Gabriel’s gut. He sprang back into Scott’s body as Gabriel moaned in pain. He was being made to fight against his own will.

[555 words]