Eye of the Beholder

Her eyes were big as saucers. “How did you—?”

Jeff rolled his eyes. “Lady, welcome to Dysfunction Junction.”

Val grunted and gestured toward the door they’d all just come through. “Hold on a second, Jeff. We need to check something out.”

Jeff nodded and followed Val toward the front door. Travis shook his head, wondering what the two of them were up to.

By the time he got into the office Logan had the computer up and running and the camera in the torture chamber turned on.

What he saw on the screen turned his world white.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Jamie tilted her head, desperately trying to throttle back the choking fear. “Die, dickhead, die?” She screamed as he touched the jumpers to her skin, burning electricity coursing through her once again.

She’d woken naked and strapped to the cross. A car battery sat beside her, the jumper cables lying beside it. Various bats, whips and knives lay on a table. Surgical instruments gleamed in the low light.

Dear old Granddad had been right there, smiling.

Joy. She swallowed the panic as the nightmares threatened to overcome her once again. She had to hold on. Travis was coming for her.

“Sharing blood with Loki has made you more durable.” Grimm smiled. “This should be fun.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“I had originally planned on killing you and leaving your body to rot.”

“Swell.” She gritted her teeth against the tears as he picked up a bat. She knew what he could do with that. What he would do with that.

“But, you know what?”

She was almost afraid to ask. The heated look on his face had her swallowing in sick fear. “What?”

One hand reached out and squeezed her breast. “I really didn’t get a chance to truly enjoy you the last time I had you here.” He smiled when she sobbed. “I’ll have to make sure to rectify that error.” He took a step back, picking up the baseball bat. “But first…” The crack of the bat as it broke her thigh was loud, but not as loud as her screams.

He began systematically beating her, the swings almost impersonal. He did it in eerie silence, her cries his only accompaniment.

She hung, limp, damp and exhausted, pain her only constant.

“Hmm. I wonder where loverboy is.”

She opened one eye, the other long since swollen shut. She couldn’t answer him. Her jaw was broken.

“Maybe he knows you’re not worth it.”

She lifted her head, pain throbbing in time to her heartbeat. “Worf it.”

He looked pleasantly surprised. “Yes, Jamie.” He leaned in close, a knife in his hands. “You aren’t worth it.” He plunged that knife into her, right above her heart. Blood spurted down her skin as he pulled it back out. “Good. I got an artery.”

She sobbed.

“Where’s dear old Uncle Val? Do you think he’ll save you?” Grimm shook his head sadly. “He’s been too much of a pussy to fight me head on so far. What makes you think this would be any different?”

“The fact that I’m right behind you, dickhead?”

Jamie saw Uncle Val leaning against the wall. His face was cold as he stared at Grimm. For the first time, he looked like a killer to her.

Thank God.

“Val, you worthless piece of shit.” The scary cheer in Grimm’s voice belied the wary look on his face.

“Surprise.”

“How did you enjoy your evening in jail, son?”

Uncle Val smiled. “They’re coming for you. Can’t you feel it?”

“Warning your old man away? How…unexpectedly loyal.”

Uncle Val chuckled darkly. “Oh please. Kir is going to spit your black heart on Gungnir and roast it over a campfire.”

Grimm threw his head back and laughed. “You think Gungnir can kill me? Is that what you’re counting on?”

Jamie saw the flicker of fear on Uncle Val’s face before it was quickly wiped away.

“Shh.” Jamie felt something tugging on her bonds, but her eyes were too swollen, her head too painful to move and see what it was. But the voice was familiar.

Jeff? How did he get in here?

“You’re an idiot, Dad. ” Uncle Val shook his head. “You took Tyr’s woman. Tortured her again. You think he’s going to let you live?”

Grimm smiled.

“You’ve been hanging around Kir too much recently. You’re starting to sound like him. Chock full of useless optimism.” Grimm tapped the bloody bat against his calf.

Jamie lifted her head, hoping to see Travis somewhere, anywhere. Her bruises and broken bones were beginning to mend.

Jeff got one hand free. She turned and saw him wink at her as he started on the next one. She left that arm where it was, hoping that if Grimm turned he would only see her where he’d left her.

She caught the glint of something in Grimm’s hand. Oh fuck, the knife!

She flung her hand untied hand out just as Grimm threw it at Uncle Val, her will pushing beyond her fingertips, finding the knife, deflecting it. It landed with a dull clatter on the concrete floor.

Uncle Val looked at her, astonishment on his face.

She felt rather astonished herself.

Grimm turned to her, his face mottled with rage. Frost began to form on all of the surfaces of the room. “Stupid bitch.”

She looked him up and down, a strange elation filling her. She felt stronger, her wounds healing faster. She wanted to say something like, Try it again, dickhead, but her jaw still wasn’t working right. She settled for a glare instead.

Grimm lunged for her, but she was ready. She flung her arm out and Grimm flew across the room, landing against the wall with a sickening thud.

Her other hand came free and she grabbed for the arm of the cross. With her feet still tied she had no balance.

So she stared at the frost coated knife on the floor. She held out her hand, willing the knife up. It moved, twitching, before practically embedding itself in the ceiling. With a sigh and a thought she yanked it free, wincing as it hit the floor.

“I think you need a little more practice, pumpkin.”

She grinned at Uncle Val, who was watching her with pride. “This is so cool,” she slurred, grateful she could talk again.

She glanced at where Grimm was. Terror raced through her skin. He was gone. So was the knife.

Uncle Val groaned. “Fuck. Not again.”

Travis whirled, blocking the thrust of Grimm’s knife with his right arm, ignoring the shallow slice of the blade along his skin. Behind him he could hear Logan trying to line up for a shot at Grimm, his fire heating the room behind Travis. The glimmer of the light of new green leaves also let him know that Baldur had risen, ready to fight his father if Tyr should fall. Travis just wished he’d thought to arm himself before rushing out after Jamie.

“Stupid move, taking Jamie, Old Man.”

“You gave Gungnir to Kir already? I thought you’d make sure you weren’t making yet another mistake, Tyr.”

He merely grinned. “It’s time for you to face Justice, asshole.”

He dodged yet another swipe of Grimm’s knife. The former lord of the Aesir might have been sitting behind a