Carrie was awakened by a loud clattering, bringing her to her senses. She roused quickly and sat up alert.
"Let's go."
Liam opened the cage and walked in, grabbing Carries wrist and pulling her to standing. She winced in pain but kept quiet. She'd learned her lesson after yesterday; if she was going to survive this she was going to have to play among. At least for now.
"Where are we going?"
"Wait and see," Liam said, pushing her in front of him but still keeping a grip of her. She stumbled forwards, a burning sensation where Liam's strong hand was wrapped around her wrist, but still she kept quiet. Suddenly she felt a sharp jab in her upper arm and jerked her head to look down. Sticking out of it was another syringe. She looked up at Liam's smiling face before blacking out and falling limply into his arms.
***
Coming round was less of a struggle than last time and her vision cleared up a lot faster. She was seated in the back of a van, hands tied together this time with duct tape, Liam was standing at the doors to the back of the van a spade clenched in his left hand. She could just make out the sun rising behind him.
"I couldn't very well let you see were I was keeping you, now could I?" Liam said smugly. Carrie's lip curled and she gave him a look Gibbs would be proud of.
"What do you want me to do?"
"The dump didn't work, obviously. So this time you are going to bury her," he said coldly.
"I'm going to find that very hard with my hands tied together," she said, the sarcasm evident in her voice. Liam reached forwards and grabbed one of Carrie's recoiling feet, wrenching it forwards out of the van. Her body followed and Carrie screamed loudly, but was silenced as her head bumped along floor and hit the edge of the van. She hit the sandy ground headfirst and her body smacked the ground soon after. Liam kicked her hard in the side, and she rolled over in the dirt and began coughing loudly.
He raised the spade he was holding above her, the metal glinting in the morning rays, "Do I have to punish you for being disrespectful to your elders?" he said, his eyes small and hard.
"No!" she screamed, her hands scrambling in the dust as she turned herself over and kicked away from him. He walked forwards, spade held high, his face menacing.
"What do you say?"
"No! Don't, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…I'm sorry."
"That's better," he said, happily lowering the spade, "Now dig." He leaned forwards and grabbed the front of her shirt, yanking her to her feet. Her head snapped backwards and blood trickled from a bitten tongue. Liam dragged her around the Van to the passenger door and brought another spade pushing it into Carries unwilling hands. He dragged her further, never once letting his grip loosen, and pushed her down onto the ground.
"There. Dig there."
Carrie remained still for a second to long and Liam's spade came crashing down her, throwing her face first into the dirt. She quickly turned herself over and grabbed the spade, standing up.
"Okay, okay, I'm digging. Just don't…"
"Don't what?" Liam snarled.
"Nothing," Carrie said quietly, feeling that was probably the best answer to staying alive. She was right. Liam calmed and backed away so that he was now leaning against the van. Now that Carrie could see van, she saw it was a greengrocer's van. A huge emblem of cabbage and carrots was painted on the side, and the name ‘Teagan and son.' If Carrie stared hard enough she could swear there used to be an ‘s' on the end of it but maybe not.
"What are you waiting for? DIG!" Liam said, strengthening his grip on his spade. Carrie returned her attention to the ground. She lifted her spade and drove it deep into the ground, shattering the dry soil apart. Liam went to the back of the van and pulled out a large bag. Carrie felt sick, knowing what was inside it. Liam closed the back doors of the van and smiled, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He lit up and blew ashen smoke up into the air, leaving a grey trail across the morning sky.
"So," he said as he watched her work, "What's it like working at NCIS?"
"What?" she said confused, but continued digging.
"Just answer the question," he said with a low growl. Carrie eyed the spade now back firmly in his hand and thought hard; the question wasn't as easy to answer as she first thought.
"It's different from the police. I really like the people I work with…"
"Go on…"
"Umm…I love getting to the truth, and locking up people who deserve it and throwing away the key," she ended, her voice monotone.
"Very nice, almost missed the snipe there at the end," he laughed sarcastically. He looked her up and down studying her figure. "You really are very beautiful," he said leering over her. Carrie remained quiet, relentlessly fracturing the unforgiving ground. She cringed as she felt his gaze inspecting her body and she felt abused, dirty, but tried to blank it out. After about five minutes, Carrie saw her chance.
"I'm going for a piss," Liam said loudly, throwing his cigarette butt down and treading it into the ground. He walked over, spade in hand, and leaned close to Carrie, his breath damp and disgusting on the back of her neck. "If you so much as think about doing something stupid, I assure you now it will be your last."
Carrie swallowed and kept silent. Liam stayed there for a couple more seconds, enjoying his closeness to her. Carrie wanted to cry out, but somehow managed not to. Liam finally moved away and walked a small distance away. Carrie watched him from the corner of her eye as he turned away from her unzipping his fly. She went to move but stopped dead in her tracks as he looked over his shoulder. She went on digging, still watching him until he turned back round.
That was it; she ran at him her feet lightly padding on the dry soil. He turned round as he realized, but it was too late. She swung her spade high in the air, put all her weight behind it and struck him straight across the face. She heard the sickening crunch as it made contact and she sucked back some air. His body fell to the ground and Carrie ran towards the van, dropping her spade.
She slammed into the door full force and fiddled with the door handle, she gave a large cry as it stuck steadfast. ‘The bastard must've locked the van when I wasn't watching.' She looked back at Liam and saw him stirring on the ground. ‘Shit.' She stared around frantically and saw some lights in the distance. She was going to have to make a run for it. She took off full pelt towards the lights and Liam swore loudly, pulling himself to his feet. He ran after her, but realized that she was too far ahead of him. He turned back, grabbing keys out of his pocket and quickly getting in to the van. He turned the ignition on and put his foot down on the accelerator.
"You can run all you want little girl, but I'll find you," he laughed loudly, as he turned the van around and sped after her.
***
Author's Chapter Notes:
Carrie siezes her chance but does she escape?