FIC: Three Years in Hell, A Lifetime of Pain (8/?)

[BillGopher <asagiri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Three Years in Hell, A Lifetime of Pain

By Red Demon & Bill Gopher

Disclaimers - Buffy & Co. belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and UPN. 
We're just borrowing them for a while.

Author's Note - There is extreme violence in this chapter, specifically 
with women. If that bothers, disturbs or upsets you we suggest you pass.

Author's Note 2 - The authors in no way advocate what happens to the 
charachters, but as we've said previously. Beth is not in Disneyland and 
her guards are not Boy Scouts. You have been warned, twice as a matter 
of fact.

Rating - R (Extreme violence)

Archive - As our girl likes to say, "Want, Take, Have", just let us know 
where it is going.

Feedback - Is always looked forward to. We can be reached at 
senseiferret@xxxxxxxxx or kerrison29@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

<thoughts>

*translation*

====================================================================================

Chapter 8

Beth had lost track of time in here sometime ago, with only the 
artificial lights 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 she was shoved in 
the room, but instead of seeing the wooden table and 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, she heard Frick "Okay boys, here she is. Have fun" and 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,> she 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> she 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 arm free from the boy and 
her left 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 
she grabbed his chin and the back of his head and twisted. There was a 
sudden sick SNAP as his neck was broken, letting go she let him drop to 
the floor.

She felt the constant pain in her body dull as the 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 as 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 has 
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. Beth felt a hard blow on her broken ribs 
and as the pain blinded her for those seconds her head was slammed 
against the wall several times and she collapsed to the floor barely 
conscious. The brief surge of energy she had felt was gone and 
exhaustion had taken its place.

Dimly she noted that several people had walked into the room, her jaw 
was forced open and a bitter tasting liquid down her throat. She felt 
several more blows to her head, but her head was clouded and foggy now, 
she couldn't seem to focus on anything. Then she felt someone tear her 
shirt 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. She 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, her one thought she used to hold onto 
her sanity/self, <I'm a Marine, I won't break. I'm a Marine, I won't be 
broken this way.>

<<<<<<>>>>>>

Beth woke up slowly, her head was pounding and she tasted blood in her 
mouth. For several seconds she 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 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 went passed. "Hey ASSHOLES 
leave her alone."

"Shit not again," Taylor heard Carlson from behind him.

One of the guards stopped and leered at Taylor, and replied in English 
"After yesterday no-one wants to keep their hands off the whore. 
Besides, she's going to the solitary today. Commandant didn't like the 
noise she made, 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. He 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...i'm 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 he 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...." his 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. He 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?"

He saw Beth stop and turn towards him whipping her 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 
he let go of her, she turned around and pulled the knife at his hip out 
and slammed the blade 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 he realized he couldn't stop it and 
waited for the mind shattering blow.

He barely saw Beth slid up behind the guard, and plunge the knife in the 
guards ribs by 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 to the ground, he heard them beating on her as more 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 little 
sunlight. They had been reduced to the lowest of lows but 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. She 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 she moved her hands over her face, the skin felt puffy and 
very raw. They 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 aplogize 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." Her 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...