“Searching for a destiny that’s mine, there’s another place, another time.
Touching hearts along the way, hoping that I’ll never have to say;
It’s just an Illusion.
Open up your eyes and look around, it’s just an Illusion.
Here for just a moment and then you’re gone. It’s just an Illusion.”
“It’s Just an Illusion”
--Imagination
Chapter 8
Gehenna
Beth had lost track of time in here sometime ago, with only the artificial lights to go by there was no telling time accurately. They could have been here for days or even weeks and they wouldn’t have been able to tell. The last message she had gotten from her fellow prisoners was that Gomez didn’t come back from his last trip. As Beth was musing over that last message the door to her cell opened and in came Frick & Frack, the names she had given to the 2 guards who brought her to and from the ‘sessions’ in the Room.
The two guards were smiling a lot today, more then she liked, as they brought her down to the Room. They opened the door and Beth was shoved in the room, but instead of seeing the wooden table and metal chair today they were missing and inside were five men of different ages. Ranging from 19 or so to the oldest who looked like he was in his 40’s.
From behind, Beth heard Frick “Okay boys, here she is. Have fun” a hard blow to her head knocked her down stunning her and knocking her to the ground.
Like jackals the five men jumped at her, Beth started to fight back and stopped suddenly feigning exhaustion. [I only have one chance at this and I need them close to do it. They may take me down, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let them enjoy this,] Beth thought angrily. She knew that this was always a possibility, but her captors had seemed satisfied with the beatings and torture until now.
The oldest of them stepped over Beth and motioned for the blonde boy to move forward and hold her down. The other three had moved closer to watch but were just out of reach. Beth watched as the boy mistakenly held her left arm instead of her shoulder and the oldest moved on top of her while one hand fumbled at his pants.
Just as he had freed himself and was moving to grab Beth’s torn camo pants and pull them down. [Now!] Beth thought and her right fist whipped forward with all her Slayer strength into his throat crushing it. As he grabbed his throat gurgling, Beth ripped her left arm free from the boy and her right foot lashed out into his kneecap shattering it. The boy’s high-pitched scream filled the room, as he started to fall Beth bounced up to her feet and landed a second kick to his crotch. Moving behind him Beth grabbed his chin and the back of his head and twisted. There was a sudden sick SNAP! as the boy’s neck was broken, letting go of the body Beth let him drop to the floor as she turned her attention to the other three.
The constant pain Beth was accustomed to feeling began to dull and disappear as adrenalin flooded her system and Beth looked for her next victim. A grim smile crossed her face for the first time as she looked at her attackers.
The other three men had backed away carefully from her and then had spread out to keep her from attacking all of them and to keep her on the defensive. They knew that eventually she would tire, and then she would be theirs. The brown haired, would-be rapist on her left charged her at the same time that the one on her right charged her, one managed to grab an arm and a hard blow from behind stunned her as she was slammed her against the wall and held. The one rapist in the middle walked forward and rubbed himself against Beth. His smell nauseated her, “Now you learn a woman’s place, whore!”
As he leaned forward he grabbed her breast and mauled it with his hand as he tried to shove his tongue down her throat.
Beth let his tongue near her lips again, except this time she bit down on it hard and tasted blood, as he screamed and yanked himself away blood pouring down his lips even as Beth spit out the piece of his tongue she’d bitten off. A hard blow caught Beth on one of her broken ribs and as the pain blinded her for those brief seconds someone grabber her head was slamming it against the wall several times and Beth collapsed to the floor barely conscious. The brief surge of energy Beth had felt was gone and exhaustion had taken its place.
Dimly she noted that several more people had walked into the room, her jaw was forced open and a bitter tasting liquid down her throat. Beth felt several more blows to her head, but her head was clouded and foggy now, she couldn’t seem to focus on anything. Then Beth felt someone tear her shirt open, exposing her breasts and someone else pulled her camo pants off her and ripped her underwear off. [No!] her mind yelled but her body wouldn’t listen and found herself unable to even cry out even when she felt the first person thrust himself into her, the pain as he entered her was almost as unbearable as what was happening to her. Beth felt him thrust in and out of her until she heard him grunt and then pull out of her to be replaced by the next person. And so it continued, over and over until she lost consciousness, the one thought Beth used to hold onto her sanity/self, [I’m a Marine, I won’t break. I’m a Marine, I won’t break.]
[[[[[[]]]]]]
Beth woke up slowly, her head was pounding and she tasted blood in her mouth. For several seconds Beth lay still and then the memories of what happened assaulted her. Jumping up she leapt at the door kicking and punching it as she screamed obscenities at the guards.
After several minutes the pain in her hands, knees and feet overcame her anger, looking down she saw her hands and feet were bloody from beating on the door. Falling down to her knees, Beth let her head drop against the cement. Anything, even pain felt better than the memories of what happened to her and the vulnerability and humiliation she felt now.
===============
The door opened suddenly and the guards threw Taylor into the room, slamming the door shut and locking it.
Shintaro moved over to Taylor who was unconscious, his face was beaten and swollen. Welts covered his back where he had been whipped. “Give me a hand over here,” Shintaro motioned to Ramirez to help him move Taylor.
“I don't think we should move him Shin, he looks pretty bad,” Ramirez said taking in the wounds on Taylor.
“I said, Move your ass and help me move him by the wall Ram!”
“Okay, okay. Don't get your panties in a bunch.” Ramirez moved over and helped Shintaro carry Taylor away from the door over by the wall. “What happened to him anyway?”
“The guards gave him an extra round for Beth's yelling earlier,” Shintaro replied.
He shivered and spit out the blood from his mouth, “Shin.”
Shintaro stopped what he was doing and turned around towards Taylor, “Hey Tay, you okay?”
“Anything?” Taylor asked.
“Nothing yet, she's been quiet since her...” Shintaro winced at what he was about to say, “Well since yesterday. The guards haven't been over there since they dropped her back.”
Taylor shifted closer, wincing as the dried wounds reopened. He took the rock from Shintaro and started tapping. “Come on Beth, come on.”
*What do you want Taylor? I'm busy.* Beth wasn't sure if she should be happy to hear from Taylor or afraid, if he found out it would hurt him knowing that he couldn't protect her.
Shintaro moved back to where Taylor was huddled against the wall. “Is she okay?” Some of the other members started to murmur.
“Shut up guys,” Taylor turned his back to them, *Busy doing what? You okay?*
*Putting myself back together after yesterday Tay, what do you think! I said I'm fine, just leave me alone.* Beth felt the need to break something as she was overwhelmed by the memories again.
*Dammit Beth don't pull that crap with me! What the hell happened in there?*
Sighing, Beth knew she had to answer Taylor. He was the one person here she couldn't lie to and get away with it. *They hurt me pretty bad Tay, it was really rough. I just need some time.* [Please, please don't ask what happened Taylor.]
Taylor sat back for a second trying to sort through the emotions running through his head. He could almost imagine the situations that had happened in 'that room'.
*Tay, I'll be okay. I'm a Marine and we're tough. Just promise me you'll take me out for dinner one night and I'll tell you about it. Okay?*
*Semper Fi Beth, and I promise*
“Tay what's going on?” one of the guys asked, he didn't know which one and he didn't care. “I don't know, she won't say.” Sighing he placed his hand on the wall taking in its coldness. The same coldness that was taking over his heart.
[[[[[[]]]]]]]
"Who is it this time?" Carlson wheezed out, Taylor looked over at him propped up against the wall. They had worked him over really well. Now it was only a matter of time before the internal injuries were too much for him in this weakened condition. All they could do was to give him support.
Taylor pounded at the door as the guards passed by dragging Beth. "Hey ASSHOLES leave her alone."
“Shit not again," Taylor heard Carlson from behind him.
One of the guards stopped and grinned at Taylor and replied in English “After yesterday no-one wants to keep their hands off the whore. Besides, she's going into solitary today. The Commandant didn't like the noise she made last night and she needs to learn her place.”
The door flew open and Ramirez's body was thrown into the room landing in a heap.
Taylor moved over to him, turning him over onto his back. Taylor saw Ram's face was beaten to a pulp, several teeth were broken and missing and there was blood dripping out of his ears.
Gently as possible he moved Ram towards the wall and put him in an upright position. “Ram, stay still okay? Let me check the rest of you out.” As he started to check Ram for any more injuries he felt a hand touch him on the shoulder, looking up he saw it was Ramirez and he was motioning with his hand to come closer.
Taylor moved closer and put his ear near Ram's mouth
“Tay...sorry.” Ram mumbled softly thru his broken teeth. “Have to tell...’mmm dying.”
Taylor looked at Ram, “Don't worry, you'll be okay Ram.” He tried smiling reassuringly at him.
Ramirez shook his head, “Never wanted what happened to Beth...” Ramirez was overcome by a coughing spasm and unable to speak for several minutes. Weakly he spit blood out of his mouth, grimacing in pain. “.....was sent to kill Beth, make sure she never left...” Ramirez eyes fluttered for a second before passing out.
Taylor stared at Ram as if he had never seen this person before. “What?!?” Grabbing Ram Taylor shook him until he saw his eyes open slowly. “Why? She was a fellow Marine, you're friend!”
Coughing weakly Ramirez looked at Taylor, “I'm not Marine...work for..." cough spasms shook Ram's body again, finally the coughs subsided. “She's a threat to people...others will follow if I fail.” Grimly he smiled, “Guess I won't get that bonus....” Ramirez’s last words trailed off as he stopped breathing.
“No damn you!!!!! You can't die, I need answers!!” Taylor shook Ramirez's body but he knew no more answers were coming. Ramirez was dead and not going to answer anyone
[[[[[[]]]]]]
The guards opened the door to his cell and several Marines flinched away as the guards came in. Roughly he was grabbed to his feet and out of the cell. Taylor saw a guard dragging Beth down the corridor from her cell. Her head was down and her hair, much longer now, obscured her face. As they got closer he whispered, “Beth, you okay?”
Tayor saw Beth stop and turn towards him whipping her long hair away from her face. “Five by five, Tay,” she said, but what scared him was the feral, almost predatory look in her eyes. Gone was the young woman he knew, this was the look of a killer. Without even flinching Beth slammed the heel of her foot on the instep of the guards foot breaking it. Screaming, the guard let go of her, Beth turned around and in one swift move, pulled the knife at the guard’s hip out and slammed the blade to the hilt into his chest.
Taylor swung his elbow at the face of the guard behind him hitting him but a blow to his head stunned him, looking up he saw his other guard lifting his club to hit him. Dazed, Taylor realized he couldn’t stop it and waited for the mind-shattering blow that would kill him. He barely saw Beth slid up behind the guard, and plunge the knife in the guards back and into his heart. The guard had a look of surprise cross his face before he slumped to the ground. Several more guards charged in tackling them both to the ground, Taylor heard them beating on Beth as more guards came and held him down. Yanking him upright they pulled him away, his last sight of Beth was her unmoving on the ground, her face bloody and swollen.
================
Ten days later…
“Fuckin' hell! Where the hell is it!” Beth crawled along the ground, feeling for the corner of the room. She hissed as the dirt mixed with the open wounds on her knuckles.
From her left she heard the slightest of noise. “Who's there?” The noise continued and she realized it was a steady tapping. “Please don't stop! Please don't stop!” She doubled over as she turned, feeling the sharp pain in her side. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realized that her ribs must be broken. “Please don't stop.” She gasped out.
She felt her hand hit something cold and hard and leaned against the wall that separated her hole from theirs. That's how she thought of it now, just a hole that she was locked in for days at a time, with almost no light. They had been reduced to the lowest of lows by some nameless enemy.
The tapping was a little louder now but still weak and she didn't know if it was the blood in her ear and her heart pounding, or if it was from Tay and Shin. Beth raised herself off the floor slowly, and used her hands to feel her way as she sat up and leaned backwards against the cold stone wall.
She moved hands over her head, feeling the dried blood on her forehead and over her brow. Beth felt a large knot on the back of her head and let her hand trail down to her left ear, which felt numb still. Carefully Beth moved her hands over her face, the skin felt puffy and very raw. Beth’s hands moved over the sides of her face to her eyes...she felt her hand tremble as she touched her eyelids. Pain shot through her and she jumped back hitting the wall. She could feel that the raised skin that was her eyelids had swollen shut from the repeated beatings. It had been days, as far as she could tell, since she was able to see. Leaning her head back against the damp wall she tried to prepare herself for the worst, that her sight could be gone forever. [I'm a Marine. I will not break!] she thought to herself, it was the only thing she had left now.
Taylor dropped the rock frustrated, he hadn't heard a sound from Beth's cell in 10 days. [Dammit Beth, are you alive?] Taylor felt the tears fall from his eyes, the desire to just give up was almost overwhelming. [Sanderson, O'Hara, almost everyone's gone but Shin and me]. He heard a faint thud from the wall. His breath caught in his throat, [Come on Beth, just one tap. Let me know you're alive.]
What felt like hours later he heard a faint tapping on the wall. [Beth?] Taylor listened to the taps, *Shin, Ram, Tay. Anyone there? It's Summers.*
Frantically Taylor grabbed the rock he had dropped. *Beth. Thank God you're alive! I thought you were gone too. What was that stunt in the hallway Beth? You know we have to wait till the right time.*
Beth frowned and instantly regretted it as a cut reopened. *Hallway?*
*Yeah, when you killed the two guards and told me everything was Five by Five.*
[What the Hell?] She didn't know anything about hallways and guards and she definitely didn't channel Faith. *Did you hit your head or something Tay?*
*Beth, 10 days ago you killed 2 guards right in front of me in the hallway. You looked right at me when I asked you if you were okay and said you were “Five by Five” whatever that means.* [Why doesn't she remember?] Taylor thought.
Beth leaned her forehead against the wall. [10 days ago? It couldn't have been...] *How long we been in this shit hole, Tay?*
Taylor was worried now,[First Beth doesn't remember killing the guards and now this] *Beth, we've been here for about 2 months. Don't you remember?*
Beth almost dropped the rock as she flinched back from the wall. She started to look around the room, but now it was no good. All she saw was the darkness that was her companion now. Beth shook her head, [It doesn't matter, I have to be strong. My heads probably scrambled from all the beatings this week.] She started tapping on the wall. *Tay, what day is it? I need to know how much time I've lost.*
*It's Sammy's 6th birthday today. I promised him I'd take him out for his birthday, Beth*
Beth noticed Taylor went silent suddenly after that last message, *Tay?* she tapped and got no response, *Tay? Answer me if you're okay damnit!* [Why won't he answer me?]
Beth finally heard a reply after several minutes of silence, *Beth, I failed them, I failed them all. Shin, O'Hara, Sanderson...even Sammy. I promised them we'd get out of here and they're dead......*
*Tay, knock that crap off. When I was heading to Sunnydale, you told me I didn't kill Finch and I didn't fail my family. I didn't fail them just like you haven't failed anyone, especially not Sammy. They were all soldiers, the knew the risks with this op going in.*
[Yeah, I did say that,] Taylor thought, *Beth, but...*
Beth cut off his reply before more doubt could enter his mind, *But nothing Tay, you told me I can't take responsibility for anyone else's actions and that if I'd done my best that was all I can do. Well the same applies to you. When you stop feeling sorry for yourself, then we can talk.* [Hopefully that'll give him a kick in the ass, I can't let him quit on me.]
===============
Sunnydale, CA
Giles heard the phone ringing in the kitchen, walked over and picked it up. "Giles residence."
“Rupert, good day. This is Carol, it took some time but I have some information and someone who can assist you with your ‘inquiry’.”
Giles bit back his first words, anger here would not help him. “Carol, my daughter is dead. I no longer need your assistance. But thank you.” He hoped she would let things drop, but he didn't think she would.
“Yes, I am well aware of Miss Summers demise Rupert. However that does not negate the deal we made for my assistance however. Besides, where is the ‘Ripper’? Don't you feel the slightest desire for revenge for her death?”
"I damn well want to avenge her death!" Giles whispered angrily into the phone. "I'm sorry Carol."
“Don't apologize Rupert. You should be upset and what I gathered can help you get the vengeance you want.”
“I have a wife, a daughter...” Giles said his excuses sounded hollow in his own ears.
“Nonsense Ripper. You have a blood debt to collect for your daughter and I have the means for you to get it.” Carol’s voice was hard and cold as ice.
Giles felt his lip curl into an evil smile, “What is the price?”
“Ahh Ripper you know me too well,” Carol's voice replied cheerily.
“And?”
“A life for a life Ripper. That is my price for your revenge.”
“Done. A life for a life.” Ripper answered.
“The information will be delivered to you in 24hrs. along with the name of the contact who can help you further.”
“And the life Carol?” Ripper asked impatiently. “Whose life am I to take in exchange?”
Soft laughter came over the phone, “A Slayer Ripper, she goes by the name of Faith Spencer. She is to be delivered to the Sunnydale High School library, alive and, well, relatively unharmed as it were. My clients are paying for a ‘live’ Slayer, not a dead one.”
[Faith?] he wondered briefly before squelching any further thought for her. [She deserves what she gets, if she'd never come to Sunnydale to begin with...] “Very well, when do you need her by?” Ripper asked.
“When you have ‘acquired’ Miss Spencer, contact me, but do not take too long. My ‘clients’ are most anxious to have her. It was good doing business with you Ripper,” Giles heard her soft laughter as the phone line went dead.
TBC…
Continued in Chapter 9
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