YOU HAVE ME ~ JAKE SULLY

32

JAKE

Red.

It was all I saw as I lifted my fist and took another shot at his face. Blood dripped from his nose and sputtered out of his mouth. Cuts lined his abdomen, bruising spread so thoroughly throughout his skin that his normal skin coloring was barley recognizable. Blood dripped from the chair, causing a sharp tick as it hit the floor repeatedly.

My face remained neautral, unaffected by the sight in front of me, while my eyes showed the coldness underneath it all. My jaw was clenched, breathing heavy, as my eyes bore back into his.

The dickhead cracked a smile before slowly laughing, "You have no idea the training I've gone through to resist giving away information. You're not getting shit from me," his voice was strained but he held determination.

He spit blood out of his mouth, sneering at me as he did so. I lifted my thumb to wipe my bottom lip, where some of the blood landed, looking down to see it before wiping it off on the towel tucked into my loincloth.

I looked back up at him, walking towards him slowly while I spun the knife around in my hand, "Your body can only endure so much torture," I got closer, seeing his body tense as I placed my hands on either side of his chair and leaned over him, "Don't think I'm not patient enough to keep going until I find your breaking point."

I watched his eyes harden even further, but his body language gave him away the second he became tense under me. He stayed silent, and I was about to move until he spit some of the blood in his mouth on to my feet.

My jaw clenched, unclenched, and clenched again. Without another word, I stood up, turned around, and walked striaght out of the dark cellar room.

"Clean it up," I commanded the guard at the door as I continued to walk away, starting the trek back to my personal bunker.

It's almost eclipse, which means Ness should be home making dinner about now. My chest tightens instantly at the thought of her, and guilt squeezed it's way in at the thought of how distant I've been recently.

But... things like this. Me torturing and tearing a man apart to get information. She can't know about it, she can't see the damage I can do to someone who hurts my own. Not when she's been at the hands of too many violent men.

There's a hope that rests deep inside my chest that she'll see the horrible things I've done, the horrible things I do, and still love and trust me. But it's not possible, not with someone like Ness. If she see's it, she'll look at me like she has no idea who I am.

The only people still on base are the guards, my lieutenants, Norm, and Tamai. Everyone else is already home with their families-

Where you should be right now.

I shake my head to myself, shaking the intrusive thought to the back of mind, and pushing the guilt aside. I have to do this, not only as a war leader, but as Olo'eyktan. I swore to protect them, and this is how I do that. By getting the information I need to keep us safe, whatever the means. I won't let another die on my behalf, I can't take any more blood on my hands.

The near-emptiness of the base is the only reason I can walk to my personal bunker covered in blood without being seen or questioned. It's the reason I stay so late, the reason I barley have time to see Nessa when I come home. I can't do interrogations while the base is flooding with people.

I rub a hand over my face as I walk towards the door of my bunker, pressing my hand to the pad and seeing the familiar green flash before the door slides open.

I close my eyes lightly, letting out a sigh of relief, before opening them again. My entire body going cold. I suck in a slow breath as my eyes meet the golden, raging, eyes in front of me.