Contracted

Chapter 1: Introductions

"Come on detective~ You can't be that fragile." I hear him say as my eyes adjust to the dim lights around me. My vision slowly fixing onto my captor. I groan a bit as I try to lift my head.

"Ah! You're finally awake! Ready to become famous~?" He chuckles as he continues to prep some tools on the table. A camera set in front of me on a tripod; the ground covered by plastic.

"Not much of a talker eh? No worries. You'll be singin soon enough~" he continues as his piercing blue eyes scanned my body up and down in anticipation. My crimson eyes analyzing his before dropping to the floor. I smile a bit as a small laugh escapes my lips.

        "Something funny?" He asks as he slowly approaches me with a smile. A kitchen knife in his left hand as he walks behind me. His right hand snaked its way around my neck as he forces my head up for the camera to see.

'It's recording...how unfortunate...' I thought as I stare at the red blinking light on top of the black body of the camera.

          "Someone like you wouldn't understand." I scoff as I look up into his eyes while smiling. His smile finally fades a bit as he swiftly plunges the knife into my side. I double over as I wince a bit from the sudden searing pain. I grunt a little as I struggle for breath. A warm feeling slowly spreading its way down my leg to the floor.

            "What a cute sound. I wonder what other sounds I could draw from your lips?" He hums as he grabs a fistful of my snowy hair and yanks my head back. The knife still embedded in my side. His expression turning to annoyance when he realizes I'm still smiling.

"Is....is that all you got? After all those videos and phone calls.....I...I was expecting more from you 'Grim'." I say between ragged breaths.

"Oh? So you do remember me. Aren't you just a tease~" he smiles as he lets go of my hair. I let my head fall down. I didn't have the strength to sit up properly. I glance up to see him crouching before my slumped form.

"Hey Julius, you're one of my favorites on that team of yours and I'm in a pretty good mood today. I'd be a waste to let you die so let's go easy today." He says bluntly. My mask falters a bit as I let my disappointment show for a split second before composing myself once more. It was just enough.

"Sorry to disappoint you darling. Unlike the others, I can't let you go that easy." He continued as he stands up. He goes behind me and undoes the binding on my wrists. My body falling to the floor face first.

"How about I carve my mark into you?" He asks me. My irritation grows with each second he teases me with death.

'Just kill me already you coward. Maybe if I provoke him enough he'll just kill me. It's why I'm here in the first place right? Whether I go out on the case I was sent to do today or by Felix's hands, it doesn't matter to me.' I thought as he comes around to the side of my body. In one quick moment I sweep his leg and pull the knife from my side. He holds his head with one hand as he sits up.

"You can do whatever you want. I'll make all the noises you wanna hear, display myself in the image of your dark fantasies, struggle within your grasp, feign begging for my life, anything. Just make sure to snuff my life in the end." I declare as I unbutton my blood soaked white shirt and sit on the wooden chair I was just bound to.

"What?" Felix looks baffled and disgusted by my words.

"You heard me Felix. I want you to kill me." I replied with all seriousness. His eyes darting over my face for any deception before he sighs.

"What a let down. It's no fun if you want it." He says as he jumps to his feet and walks over to his camera. I glare at him in anger.

"Seriously? A serial killer gets a free victim who won't resist and do anything they want and you just turn them down without a second thought?" I growl between gritted teeth.

"Well, yeah. My excitement and entertainment comes from knowing they wholeheartedly don't want to die. It gives me power detective. I get to feel like a god, casting judgement upon those I deem worthy of my time. My 'toys' if you will." He rambles as he turns off the camera.

"Well if you can't give me what I desire I'm gonna do what I originally came here to do. I'll don't care if it's by your hands or someone else's. One way or another I'm gonna go out with a bang." I state as I get up with shaky legs and start heading up the stairs on the other side of the room. Suddenly I feel something get stabbed in the back of my neck. I yelp in pain before my body suddenly goes limp and falls onto the stairs.

"Let's play a game detective~! You just gave me an idea with that moving speech of yours. Part of my excitement comes from torturing people like yourself. It's no fun if you want to die so let me try a new form of torture tailored just for you!" He excitedly exclaims as he drags my body back into his torture room. My body completely paralyzed by the drug in my system.

"Let's help each other out. I'll give you information on the inside about the big fish in this city and you try to bust or catch them!" He starts pitching his idea as he starts patching up my side with some white wrap. I give a confused and tired look.

"And why would this be torture? I'm already following some risky leads. It's why I'm in this area in the first place." I reminded him. He smirks.

"The difference is how dangerous the missions are and I'd be trying to keep you alive. As a bonus I can make a deal with you to not kill anyone while our game is ongoing. You'd be my sole focus." He continues with determination. I sigh in irritation.

"Come on Julius~ Let me see how long I can keep you alive~" he almost begged me. Something in his words made me nervous, but a part of me is thinking he'll get bored or caught soon enough.

"Fine I'll play your stupid game. Any rules to it though?" I agree. He smirks with amusement as he straddles my back and picks up the knife.

"Yeah. I need you to whip up a contract stating that while our deal is going on I can freely enter and exit the premises of your department as I please without repercussions on existing crimes I've committed and reveal during our contract." He says as he gently puts the point of the blade onto my back. A trickle of red coming from my pale skin.

"Okay whatever. How the fuck do you think you'll be getting me out of here without anybody noticing?" I bluntly ask him as he starts to carve something into my shoulder. I yelp and grunt a little as I bite my lip hard from the pain. The blade slowly moving over my skin as I feel tears well up in my eyes.

"That's easy~" he almost purrs as he pulls out the white cloth from earlier and covers my nose and mouth. I try to resist by holding my breath. Felix then knees me in my side where the stab wound is while still covering my nose and mouth with the cloth. I gasp and cough in agony as my vision slowly fades to black.

"Let the game begin Detective~"