Venomous [Engl.]

4. Unavoidably

2 days later

Mister Tender, a huge fat bobcat with unlikable face and more unlikable strong arms and hands, walked along the corridor and wasn't very amused about the work which Mister Walket had ordered to do.
"Of course, of course, let the lower workers do the dirtiest work. That's a hobby of mine."
He kneaded his fingers. "Well, then. Let's start."

Bill was raising his head immediately when he heard footsteps. Someone opened the door and feet entered the room. Without a word, someone stepped behind the lizard and cut the hand and feet shackles.
„Stand up!"
Bill didn't dare to resist; he didn't want to have a fight again like a few days ago. As long as he had no weapon, it was useless to escape.
Someone kicked him with a foot from the side. Bill growled menacingly, but he obeyed.
With a moan, he stood up. His knees trembled a little. Suddenly someone grabbed his arms and bent them on his back. Shortly after a rope was wrapped around his wrists again. He winced when he felt a revolver in his back.
"Do what I say and this thing won't discharge."
The guard added to the pressure. "Do you understand?"
Bill nodded truculently. Then the guard, still the gun in his hand, reached for the blindfold and took it off. Bill blinked and looked around. He caught a glimpse of the face of his tantalizer behind his back, but the man gave him a hard push.
"Forward!"
Bill wanted to ask where he was being taken, which he tried to utter through the gag, but he couldn't expect an answer.
"Nothing is asked! Stir from the spot! Do you think I take you for a walk for fun?"
Together they left the cell. For the first time Bill could analyze his environment with his eyes. The corridor ground was composed of gray floor coating. The walls were white and the doors thick metal. They walked along the corridor. The gun still in his back. No long time and they stopped in front of another metal door. Bill got a queasy feeling. The guard unlocked the door and actuated a light switch in the hallway.
"In you go!"
Bill hesitated.
The cat became impatient and grabbed his arm.
"Go now! I don't have all day!"
Bill stumbled almost into the room. After he had regained his balance again, he looked around in the room with irritation. The room was small, the walls sterile and white. The cold neon light from a tube light gave a weird sight. At the end of the room was a toilet and next to it a sink. Right next to the door hung an iron chain with hand and foot cuff rings. The guard took the metal tangle from the wall and walked up to Bill.
"Turn around!"
Bill had no choice. He turned his back to the guard, and soon after he felt the cold rings on his hands and feet. When the guard finished, he cut his handcuffs. Bill groaned softly as the rope fell to the floor. He rubbed his wrists, which were replaced by the iron chains now.
The guard picked up the rope and walked back to the door. "You are allowed to wash yourself briefly or to go to the toilet. Not more. Roger that?!"
Bill narrowed his eyes in disgust.
Before the guard closed the door, he gave another warning: "Don't touch the cloth!"
Bill sighed inwardly. He would have liked to take the gag off for a moment at least.
"You have exactly 15 minutes," the guard blustered. "I'll pick you up, whether you're ready or not."
With a loud clanging the door slammed shut.
Bill hissed menacingly, but what else could he do? At least they let him enough privacy to relieve himself. Or so he hoped that no camera would watch him while doing that.
While he was sitting in the bathroom, he always looked around as inconspicuously as possible. But there were no objects or anything that would have given him the idea to use them for an escape. The walls were all white and bare. Even the toilet brush was missing. And a roll of toilet paper was just on the floor, without holder. Except the toilet, there was only the sink. Without soap, without towel. Even no mirror.
Bill did everything with a bitter gesture. After washing his hands with water and had shaken them over the pelvis as best he could, he slowly walked up and down the room.
The whole environment was a mystery to him, he had no idea how the building looked like, where he was, he had no idea where he was in what part of the country.
Was he in a city? Hardly likely. He had heard no city noises along the way. It had to be in a lonely area. But where exactly? How far was he from his hometown? He didn't even know how long he had passed out.
Had someone watched how they kidnapped him? Did someone search for him?
Bill was frightened when someone yanked the door open without knocking suddenly.
"15 minutes are over! Come along!"
The guard pointed his gun at him again, so that Bill let tie his hands on his back with the rope without resistance and the hand and foot cuffs were removed.
Then it went the same way back into the cell. After the guard cat had bound the Gila lizard back on the pillar and had blindfolded him again, he left the room and let the lizard alone.

One more day passed. Bill's stomach ached terribly for hunger. From time to time he gave moaning sounds, but there was no one who could hear him.
When he was afraid, they would want to let him die, some feet came to his cell.
Bill froze when the door was opened. The sound of footsteps filled the room, then they stopped.
The blindfolded Gila monster didn't dare breathing for a moment.
"Well, are you going to be a good guy now?"
Bill bit with rage on his gag when he recognized the voice of the silver fox.
The footsteps circled around him. He could feel the cold eyes which stared at him.
A mocking laugh let his hands cramping.
The fox narrowed his eyes. The Gila lizard was weak, but it had still enough energy to offer resistance.
"You will learn to obey," the fox said. "In this house everyone loses out to us sooner or later."
Bill wanted to protest, but because of the cloth in his mouth, he couldn't speak one clear word. And nobody of his captors was going to listen to him. Nobody took the cloth from his mouth. Nobody let him talk.
In the same moment the stomach of the Gila monster rumbled loudly.
The doctor fox grinned. He put his hands in the pockets of his white coat and walked slowly up and down in the room.
"If you cooperate," he said derogatorily. "You will get some food and drink. If not..."
He didn't finish his clause deliberately. Bill could imagine what he wanted to say.
It was useless to die that way. Maybe he could do what they want until he would find a chance to flee.
The fox smirked when Bill nodded.
"Fine, that's a good decision."
He waved his hand and guards came in. Bill didn't know, but he guessed that it was the same guys who guided him out of the cell like the last time. But this time nobody said a word. They released the lizard from the pillar. Then it proceeded like the last time, but this time it didn't hurt so much. After milking his venom, they ushered him back into the cell, without troubles.
After they had fixed him again, they left the cell. But before they closed the door Bill gave them a mumbling moan. "Mmmpf!"
The door shut with a loud metallic crack.
"Tell Tender he should give him something to eat," he heard them. "But not much."
Bill sighed in relief.

Several hours passed until someone unlocked the door again. Heavy footsteps entered the room. Someone put down a tablet or something on the floor in front of him. Then the unknown person stepped behind him.
"Eating time."
Bill recognized the voice of the guard who had guided him to the toilet. He loosened his shackles from the pillar and forced the Gila monster kneeling down on the floor.
"On your knees, be quick about it!"
Bill swayed a little because of his shackles around his ankles which the guard didn't want to remove.
He rubbed his wrists while the guard was removing the blindfold around his eyes.
Bill blinked and eyed the plate which stood on the floor. A glass of water and two loaves of bread. Not much, but better than nothing.
A clicking sound let him froze. With wide eyes he watched how the bobcat aimed a gun at him.
"I will remove the gag now. One wrong movement and I have to say to Dr. Docan that he lost a patient. Get it?!"
After a nodding, the guard walked up to him and untied the knot. Bill took a deep breath. His mouth was so dry like sand paper. He stuffed everything in his mouth what he could find on the plate. Following this, he washed down all with a glass of water. With relief, he sighed. He looked at the guard who still stood in front of him with a gun.
"How long do you want to keep me here?"
The result was a slap in his face.
"Prisoners aren't allowed to speak!" The guard growled at him. "They must not speak, not see, only breathing and working!"
"And eating."
Again, he received a slap in the face.
"Don't talk!"
Bill rubbed his cheek with disgust. The plate was empty and the guard stepped behind him again.
"Open up!"
With that, he grabbed Bill's jawbones. Shortly after the lizard tasted the familiar cloth in his mouth and the blindfold was tied around his eyes. Then he was forced to sit back against the pillar. The guard tied his hands together on it and left the room.
Bill couldn't see him anymore though his blindfold, but he followed him with rage filled eyes until the door was blocked. For a while Bill cursed all people in that place, but he had to cooperate. He had to avoid dying of hunger until he had a plan.