Vice

Forty Two

A soft buzz from the florescent lights mingled with her deep ragged breaths. Thea shifted, pressing her bare toes against the grate in an attempt to alleviate the pain in her shoulders. The aching in her ribs made the task seem impossible. Each breath was accompanied by a sharp pain, which she blamed on her shattered ribs. Her struggle to feed her heaving lungs released a tortured wheezing noise.

She couldn't remember which hit had left her nose bleeding. Or the kick that twisted her kneecap in such a way she suspected she'd have trouble walking for weeks. Her head throbbed dully with each beat that sent blood flowing through her bruised body.

"Oh Ragnar, your work never ceases to amaze me." She opened her heavy eyelids and looked at Connor. She hadn't even heard him enter. Ragnar's bulky frame stood behind him, slumped against the table. He grunted in response and massaged his sore knuckles.

"The plan has changed. I don't need your help to maintain my position. The last few hours have proven to the deserters that I am capable enough to run the gang."

Thea continued to stare from behind hooded lids, what had happened in the last few hours?

A small smirk spread across Connor's face, "You'll find out soon enough, don't worry."

She narrowed her eyes, but kept her mouth shut.

"I do still want something from you, though." He ran his eyes up and down her disheveled body. "There is one thing keeping me from taking it all."

He closed the space between them, "You tell me where Vice has relocated and I'll consider letting you go."

Despite the electric fire coursing through her arms, she hauled herself into an upright position. She ran her tongue across the inside of her teeth.

"Go fuck yourself."

His smirk faltered but he quickly covered it up. With their chests almost touching he lowered his voice to growl, "Neither of you were fit to lead the Knights. You couldn't do what was necessary, even Shane. He second guessed every decision we made and was constantly concerned for your safety."

Her eyes widened slightly by the confession.

"He was weak. I had to be the one to deal with the real business. And you, you were weaker than he was." His expression blackened, "I cant believe Riddick was able to—"

Thea's foot sunk into his stomach with surprising force. It sent him stumbling and propelled her backwards. The metal cuffs around her wrists dug into her flesh and the chains rattled above her as they took on all her weight. Without anything to steady her, her body swung limply from the ceiling. Seconds ago she was on the verge of consciousness but his rant left her wide awake with veins chocked full of adrenaline.

Conner recovered in seconds, regaining his balance. He sent a clenched fist into the side of her face. Her cheek bone crumpled with a sickening crack.

She felt him hit her again, and again, but the pain dulled as her consciousness faded. The last thing she heard was the scraping as the heavy metal door opened.

"Don't stop until she has given up their information."

*****

"You had enough yet, Mädchen?" Ragnar pushed himself off the table and stood in front of her, a Cuban cigar dangled lazily from his chapped lips. He had long given up his attempts to clean her blood from his fingers and the liquid now coated the brown cylinder between his lips. She searched the haze of her mind for the meaning of the foreign word he called her. The language her father had forced her to learn came back to her in chunks.