Self Sacrifice

"Austin, please go to sleep, just for a few hours-" Austin interrupted Sean, one of his faithful bodyguards, and the man sighed.

"No. Absolutely not." He sipped at another ridiculously strong coffee, and desperately tried another world wide search on various credit card numbers, coming up with no traces.

"Oh! Charles has just texted me, he's almost at the hotel." Austin nodded.

"Good...that's good.."

"Austin? Can you come and have some breakfast with all of us?" Andy looked up at Daniel - his other bodyguard who stood with Sean.

"No, tha-"

"Please. You're going to burn out, then, when we find out where Andy is, you won't be able to fight them. You're not invincible, Austin. Please, eat something and get some sleep." Austin sighed and relented, leaving the hotel with the bodyguards.

Austin ate in silence, returned to the hotel and slept, only briefly saying hello to Charles Haythe who was almost disappointed with his weak demeanour.

Andy woke up, something felt strange. He moved and groaned slightly. He moved. He had freedom to move. He pushed himself upwards, flinching as the scabs on his side pulled apart painfully. The floor was freezing cold, and hard. He backed up until he hit the wall, and drew his legs up to his chin, shivering weakly.

Austin would come for him. Austin would save him. That was something that he never stopped telling himself...but it was becoming fainter and fainter. Less certain every single time. This was all part of it, Andy knew. But it didn't stop it hurting, didn't stop the torture from working into his body as well as his mind. His defiance towards the Mexican tyrant was starting to break down. And his faith that he would be rescued with it.

"Austin!!! Wake up!!" Austin bolted awake on reflex and ran after Sean.

"Have you found him?!"

"We found a trace of one of José Matriano's credit cards. He bought ammo from a store on the outskirts of Moscow." Larry explained hurriedly.

"Russia?...why Russia? Why go to all that trouble?"

"We don't know. But since then we've hacked into his card history and found other purchase history, nothing interesting, but they're all in the same area."

"Who is José Matriano, by the way?" Charles asked.

"....Miguel Veronés' closest friend and bodyguard."

"I've been searching everywhere and have found no traces of Veronés anywhere . I did, however, find a Juan Luis who was found guilty of the assault, rape and murder of a seventeen year old girl back in 2002. He and Veronés have the same DNA pattern-"

"So Juan is a fake profile he created to get out of a crime it wouldn't be the first time he'd done that." Charles waited for him to finish patiently before continuing.

"Same DNA pattern...besides a few chromosomes. Meaning that Juan Luis is a close male relative of Miguel Veronés...I've done more research, he was born seven years after Veronés, he must be his brother. We've found leverage at last."

"Andy? Come out of the shadows, darling, let me see you." Andy stayed where he was and cried out when a loud click was followed by harsh, white chemical light that pierced into his eyes. He couldn't fight away from the light and winced as the Mexican pulled him to his feet.

"How are you feeling, Andy? Sore? Hungry? Thirsty?" Andy's dry mouth and throat responded and Andy swallowed involuntarily, making the man's eyes narrow with sadistic glee.

"Have a seat." He clicked his fingers and a large man carried in a chair, Andy was pushed into it and his body relished in the comfortable cradle that it offered after being on the floor for so long.

"Now, I really hope you can help me, Andy."

"I...don't know what to say...really. You...you know...everything..." The Mexican tutted and pulled Andy's chin up.

"I wasn't going to ask that. I was going to ask if you still think he's coming for you? Hmmm?" Ge asked it so sweetly, it all seemed to echo round Andy's head.

"Well? Do you?"

"No..."

"No...it doesn't look like he is, does it?" Andy shut his eyes, trying to block the attempts to destroy him, but it was in vain.

"How...Andy, Andy look at me." Andy did as he was told, eyes filling with tears.

"How does that make you feel? You could be here forever...I could do whatever I want to you....you...could die..without ever seeing anyone again. How does that make you feel?" Andy let the tears fall and was too weak to fight the man when he wiped away his tears gently.

"Don't cry my darling, don't cry. I'd never let you die in here. Not like Austin...he would, he is. I have things to do, be back soon." Andy punched the wall weakly and hunched over, crying tears that would no longer fall.