Psychopathy

Chapter 14- The Deal

Isabel looked at the piece of paper in front of her, then looked up at her captor. He smiled down at her and twirled a blood-red quill on his fingers. She looked back down at the contract he had presented her, rubbing along the shackles on her wrists. He wanted her to sign her life away. To be his, wholly and completely. But how could she do that? How could she just turn her life, her very soul, over to him?

But how could she not? It was right there in the terms. If she signed, he'd quit torturing her. If she signed, he's quit bringing her pain. And in return, she'd be his queen. In return, she'd help rule over his world as he ruled over her. She'd give her everything to him. He'd stop making her life a living hell if she would only stop fighting and become the queen of hell.

True, it would be easier. And at long last, the pain would stop, if she would only give in. And wasn't that all she wanted? For the pain to stop? But could she give him everything she was? Give him her past, her present, her future? Sure, he was hurting her now, but what would he make her do once she was his? Well, whatever it was, it had to be better than this life she living. Any deal with him had to be better than the hell she was currently going through.

With that thought in mind, she took the quill from his grasp and hastily signed her name.

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Reid looked down at Ciara's file, poring over the new pages they were adding to it. It hadn't been hard for Garcia to track down the medical record of Ciara's broken rib, but there hadn't been any police record. Or, if there was one, it hadn't been digitized. But it wouldn't surprise Reid if there wasn't a police record. Ciara's parents hadn't pressed charges, and Ciara herself had refused to talk to the police.

Speaking of. He looked around the round table room, where everyone else was going about their business. He looked up at the screen, where Ciara was sitting against her pole, cross-legged, back to speaking and signing to herself. Occasionally she would stop and rub her neck, which was still sore and bruised from the Partner's attempt to strangle her. And while looking at the bruises on her neck made Reid cringe, he was just thankful she was alive.

He would never in his life be grateful to the Unsub for anything. After all, this was the man who had abducted her, tortured her, and raped her. No, he would never be grateful to that demon of a man for anything. But... he was glad that he saved Ciara's life. Even if it was for his own sick, twisted purposes. At least Ciara was alive.

And they also knew more about the Unsub and his plan for her. They knew now that he wasn't planning on killing her; that whatever plan he had for her, he needed her alive for it. Their next step was just to figure out what that plan was. Ciara seemed to know. He had said that he wanted something from her, but what was that something? And what made the Unsub so sure that Ciara could and would give it to him?

It had been three days since the murder attempt, and the Unsub had, so far, kept true to his word about not letting the Partner touch Ciara. No, he kept that all for himself. But it was the seventh day of the livestream, and if this livestream stayed true to the previous one, it would be the last day. The last day before radio silence. Before Ciara disappeared again. How long would it be before she reappeared?

"What do you suppose she's doing?" Prentiss asked, and Reid looked back up at the screen. Ciara had her hands held out in front of her, looking at her fingers intently. Her face dropped and she placed her hands in her lap, dropping her head onto her pole. She sighed, looking extremely bored.

"Well, let's find out, shall we?" Akilah said, grabbing the remote for the television, clicking the volume on just as Ciara brought her hands back up.