USER: Does this make sense , talk me through what is happening The sub-zero teeth pierced his flesh as the flare of saline bled through his pores. "I can't -get my fingers underneath-" he screamed through a battering onslaught of water. As Ryan grazed the rope against the rigid, jutting surface of rock, building momentum, its fibres disintegrated under his panic. "Victor, I need you to keep your jaw above the surface, breathe through your nose . I'll be listening, keep going-" . The next moment , Ryan ensnared Victirs frantic grip in his own , as he worked to free the binds around Victors wrists ."I've got you, keep going." The pulsating jar of a granulated drag of air assaulted Ryan's eardrums as Victor dragged in a breath through chattering teeth. Liam's voice came from somewhere above , "I can't hold on much longer Ry' , I'm gonna have to dive over the edge ". Ryan , hailing himself onto the surface of the rock where Victor lay , tied to the edge of on ocean bound cliff , continued his persistent attack on the rope . Blood broke through his fingertips , and hypothermia chased his next inhalation. Waves crashed over Victors face down figure, as his eyes stared into the raging ocean below. "I'm going to di-die-" his stuttering voice whispered, as Ryan squeezed his hand with a violent urge." Jaw up buddy, I can't hear you breathing , don't try to talk alright. Just pump my fist so I know you can hear me." Then as Liam released a guttural cry, his grip on the lede beside Victor comp...

USER: But is victors position in relation to Ryan clearly depicted

USER: Does this make sense , talk me through what is happening The sub-zero teeth pierced his flesh as the flare of saline bled through his pores. "I can't -get my fingers underneath-" he screamed through a battering onslaught of water. As Ryan grazed the rope against the rigid, jutting surface of rock, building momentum, its fibres disintegrated under his panic. "Victor, I need you to keep your jaw above the surface, breathe through your nose . I'll be listening, keep going-" . The next moment , Ryan ensnared Victirs frantic grip in his own , as he worked to free the binds around Victors wrists ."I've got you, keep going." The pulsating jar of a granulated drag of air assaulted Ryan's eardrums as Victor dragged in a breath through chattering teeth.teeth "in through your nose , Vic" , Ryan called out as he lay flat against the surface of the clifftop, Victor dangling over the edge , his torso submerged in water. "When I get his binds off , he's going to be pulled under by the riptide , so keep your arms around his chest Li'" . Liam's voice came from somewhere aboveto the left , "I can't hold on much longer Ry' , I'm gonna have to dive over the edgeedge, and let go of him. Shit- ". Ryan , hailinghauling himself onto the surface of the rock where Victor lay , tied to the edge of on ocean bound cliff ,Victor's wrists were secured around a jut of rock , the tide was rising as he continued his persistent attack on the rope . Blood broke through his fingertips , and hypothermia chased his next inhalation. Waves crashed over Victors face downsuspended figure, as his eyes stared into the raging ocean below. "I'm going to di-die-" his stuttering voice whispered, as Ryan squeezed his hand with a violent urge." Jaw up buddy, I can't hear you breathing , don't try to talk alright. Just pump my fist so I know you can hear me." Then as Liam released a guttural cry, his grip on the lede beside Victor compromised by exhaustion, a splash soon followed. "Fuck...my head" , a weighted groan came from the swirling, suctioning waters as Liam disappeared in the gargling foam. As Victor thrashed in a motion of distress , he screamed , "Liam ...Ryan leave me and ..." As Ryan's heartbeat pulsed in his hands , he counted the seconds before Liam's body washed up on a sandbank, and he grinned through blood-stained teeth ."I'm fine, get Vic off that rock , I'll just be down here , it's all good" . All Ryan could manage was a laugh as he busted victors right hand free of the binds , and yelled ,"Now sit up as far as you can, I'm gonna get your left arm free -" Then the sound seared through his skull , a nauseating disjointing of bone. , as Victor drove his palm against Ryan's chest, convulsing. "Ah, shit-", Ryan spat into the water below , holding his hand over Victor's right shoulder , realigning the exposed bone . "I'm gonna keep my hand here , just kept twisting your left hand and you can bust your bind Victor " he yelled through the frigid air . -------- His gaze wandered from his shaking hands and out onto horizon, trailing the stars with bloodshot eyes. The whites that surrounded his irises held broken vessels from his head injuries, and lingering evidence of his trauma . thrashing against concrete had a way of leaving behind stark physical reminders , and the sand was salvaging and cool against his temples. The clear skies , however, taunted an unreached clarity with striking distance from any hope of seeing in the dark. Liam traced Victor's outline as he stumbled across the shoreline, gathering driftwood. "Least I can do is get a bonfire started , despite the horrible pain in my right shoulder ". As he shifted in the sand , his calves elevated on a sand dune, Liam kept his head low. "Don't strain yourself Vic, we have all night and with me being indisposed and Ryan being ...well". His eyes , refocusing on Ryan's unconscious face under the moonlight, stung as he laughed. "Yeah, Ryan is dead to the world , after sawin' through your binds it seems he's spent." Victor yelled out from the breakers that lapsed around his bare ankles . "He's a hell of a lot more together than me-", Victor said, heaving wood into his arms, his right shoulder pulsing with his heart. "Well it's not like there's a hospital out here in the middle of nowhere so good thing 'ol Ry could slam your scapula back into place " Liam replied , still watching Ryan sleeping , his expression at peace for the moment. "Yeah, thank goodness he's got medical training, popping dislocated shoulders back in seems like a hobby to him...". Victor grinned as he dumped down a pile of wood beside the recovering Liam , and collapsed by his side. "How are we gonna light this ?" Victor asked, the dampness of the air seeping through his words. Liam was quick to toss a lighter at Victor , his pulsating headache fading to the background as the waves' crashing beckoned the pain away. As Victor ignited a piece of wood, a the flame spread through the pyre , the warmth flickered over their skin. "Ah , this is the life huh", Liam said, his voice full of exhausted humor. Victor, flexing his interlocking palms at the fire , nodded. "Yeah, beats being tied up on a rock, waiting for the tide to-" His eyes darkened as he stared at the dancing flames, his voice lost in the crackling embers. "I need to make clear how grateful I am to you both-" Victor said, his gaze in the material of his fatigues as he spoke. "I'd have drowned , tide was creeping up so fast-" As he replied from his makeshift bed of a rolled shirt and a dune of sand , Liam chose a space between the stars. "It was nothing , I mean Ryan is out cold and I'm worse off for losing my grip but, still -". As another wave crashed in rhythm with Liam's pulse , he said, eyes not leaving his focal point. "Ok, it was the hell we went through because we needed to , there was no other choice." Victor stoked the flames , lost in thought, as Ryan lifted his head from its cradle of sand, shaking particles from his hair. "How long was I out. I'm so stiff-" Victor answered as he stood up and hauled another chunk of debris toward the fire , "Maybe three days? Nah , a few hours, welcome back to the living." Ryan groaned , feigning disgust "you look like death warmed up Liam, I'm guess in' neither of you have slept, just watched me huh?" . Eying Ryan's profile Liam shot back "Yeah, me and Vic were just discussing how you should be the one to go catch us a boar and gut it , seeing as you're the medic round here" And a laugh followed as Ryan sat up "ain't no wildlife round here...but your lazy ass would starve before it found out any different".

USER: As he opened his eyes , his pulse was in his throat , chasing the burn of the rope that scathed both his wrists. His spine , bound to the metallic surface of the black Mustang , refused to elevate as constraints held it captive to the enslavement of ropes, as his pelvis jolted upward and met the grind of further entrapment . His helpless screams punctured the air, the roof of the car submerged under water , the underpass flooding . As the menace of frigid water encroached the edges of the vehicle, his demise was closing in . While the cars wheels were solid against the ground, his hours of self imposed friction against his own bindings had him unable to escape . Victor had resisted the implantation of the Vanderine, and as a consequence, he awaited the flowing seawater's embrace as his eyes gazed in terror at the clear , taunting glow of the stars , his heartbeat striking against his shivers of hypothermia. His boots, soaked in freezing saline and his clothing sodden with his autonomy, it was ending. The sub-zeroessence of his humanity was seeping into the night air . And as his tears bled into the void atmosphere, he convulsed in reactive horror, another scream wrought from his chest. "Help me-" , his own voice echoed against the underpass , surrounding him. As he thrashed against his binds , throwing his head back against the roof of the drowning car, the frigid water bit at his flesh as it rushed over the gleaming surface of the Mustang he'd driven to the side of the highway earlier that day. Now with his hands placed on his chest, and clasped his teeth pierced hisclenched with the irony of its keys being buried in his own grip. "Those bastards -" he muttered, his energy waning, the stars seeming closer yet further away as water lapped over the cars bonnet. That's when his screams finally reached Ryan's ears as he lurched to a halt, pulling Liam back and steering him toward the overpass . "What the hell -" his voice rang out into the night, as his eyes absorbed the scene below him. "Looks like they are getting more creative with their tactics " , he said, his grip on Liam's arm tightening with his disbelief and panic. "They've got the poor guy tied to -a car-in four places." Victor yelled in a relief infused tone "Help me , please-" . As Ryan surveyed the unfolding situation beneath him, he gathered a few rocks from the gravelled road , and stripped his shirt . All Victor could do was watch as a shadow hit the water, and in seconds Ryan was hauling his upper body onto the roof of the car , and his hazel eyes locked onto Victor's terrified gaze. "Liam and I escaped similar situations earlier , we're gonna get you outta here-" Victor offered a dark chuckle "In a body bag right, coz I'm gonna drown-" Ryan reached over Victors chest and pried his fingers between the threads of rope , assessing their proximity to Victor's flesh as the flare of saline bled through his pores. "I can't -getget my fingershands underneath-" he screamedcursed , and began sawing at the fibres with a rock, responding to Victor's despair , "good damn thing I've done this before . Severed my own binds , then his-" Ryan gestures toward Liam, whose outline appeared at the trunk of the car as he brandished a hollowed bamboo reed. "Not to alarm ya both but, I can hack through a battering onslaught of water. Asthe binds over his pelvis and torso but-this water is rising so he's gonna be breathing through this -", Liam yelled, a rasp in his waterlogged voice . Victor thrashed his head against the watery surface of the car again, as a visible panic surged through him. "Breathing through what? " he asked , as Ryan's free hand held his bound grasp in reassurance. His momentum on the binds was gaining fast as the rope seared against Victors flesh before snapping . Ryan grazed the rope against the rigid, jutting surface of rock, building momentum, its fibres disintegrated under his panic. "Victor, I need you to keeplifted Victor's head into his lap, giving him some height as the water lapped at his throat. "Listen, slow the breathing down for me buddy-what's your jaw above the surface, breathename ? I'm Ryan , but call me Ry-". Victors words trembled with the betrayal of his fear as he answered "Victor-just don't leave me here , please-" . Ryan grabbed the reed from Liam's hand and handed it to Victor , "You're gonna have to breath through this , it's a decent length, and we operate damn quick , block off your nose . I'll be listening, keep going-" . The next moment , Ryan ensnared Victirs frantic grip in his own , as he worked to free the bindswhen the time comes alright. You can do this , Victor. " . Groans of agony escaped Victors lips as Liam maintained pressure on the constraints that constricted around Victors wrists ."I've got you,chest as he hacked into them with a desperate pace. Slipping the reed into his mouth, Victor leaned into Ryan's hand as his palm cradled his head , giving him a stable makeshift pillow as his neck threatened to collapse. Liam's fingertips bled as his extremities burned against the freezing air, as the water soon scathed Victors ears, threatening to claim his head . He wrapped his tongue around the piping , its thick diameter stretching his lips as he struggled to keep going." The pulsating jar of a granulated drag ofa seal established. As the water stung at Victors closing eyes , and rushed over his face, the bamboo tube was an eerie lifeline in Ryan's lap . "Keep breathing Victor, nice and slow, I'm hovering my hand over the reed so I can feel you , you're doing great" , Ryan yelled. As the water cascaded over Liam's thighs, he mouthed "I'm only halfway-", the moonlight bathing his exhausted features. Ryan plunged his hand underwater, grabbing victors free hand . "Keep breathing, we're getting there", he said before returning his hand to the binds with determination. Obeying Ryan's distant voice, Victor's ribcage burned with the sandpapering scrape of his lungs as he dragged them into coercion. Then as his chest began to spasm under Ryan's hand, he splayed his fingers over Victor's sternum. "Victor, just focus on the breathing, this is gonna hurt like hell but we're both here alright." Ryan, running a hand over his gaze , coaxed his own panic into the atmosphere , as he willed Liam's efforts in silience . As the traces of fresh blood revolted Victor's gag reflexes, his teeth clenched with force around the bamboo piping, his shaking breaths hitting Ryan's palm . Victor fought not to cough as the cold air assaulteddisturbed his airway, and tears streamed from his closed eyes. "Keep those breaths nice and steady, We ain't going anywhere , those bastards can try but they don't know who they're messing with -" . As soon as his words hit the air , Liam managed a grin , his pupils shining in the dark as the binds snapped from Victor's torso, and he travelled to his pelvis . Ryan lifted Victor into an almost seated position, his head hitting open air . He gasped , inhaling a lungful of fresh air, as the reed fell from his mouth . Ryan , breaking into a smile , delivered a gentle thump to the back of Victors head , He's up and kickin'-almost" . Victor grinned through bloodied teeth in response , as his head collapsed sideways into Ryan's eardrums as Victor draggedchest. "Thanks, I-I thought I'd choke-I-" Ryan was quick to deflect the oncoming gratitude "Calm down , Liam did all the work and he ain't done-". Liam only took a second of respite , shaking his hands before harbouring a strange look in a breathhis eyes. "Ry' , I'm almost through chattering teeth "in through your nose , Vic" , Ryan called out as he lay flat against the surface of the clifftop, Victor dangling over the edge , his torso submerged in water. "Whenhis right hip , but oh God I get his binds off , he's going to be pulled under by the riptide , so keep your arms around his chest Li'" . Liam's voice came from somewhere to the left , "I can't hold on much longer Ry' ,think I'm gonna have to dive over the edge, and let go of him. Shit- ". Ryan , hauling himself onto the surface of the rock where Victor's wrists were secured around a jut of rock , the tide was rising as he continued his persistent attack on the rope . Blood broke through his fingertips , and hypothermia chased his next inhalation. Waves crashed over Victors suspended figure, as hispass out". As he spoke, the hollows under Liam's eyes stared into the raging ocean below. "I'm going to di-die-" his stuttering voice whispered, as Ryan squeezed his hand with a violent urge." Jaw up buddy, I can't hear you breathing , don't try to talk alright. Just pump my fist so I know you can hear me." Then as Liam released a guttural cry, his grip on the lede beside Victor compromised by exhaustion, a splash soon followed. "Fuck...my head" , a weighted groan cameshone with bruises from the swirling, suctioning waters as Liam disappeared in the gargling foam. As Victor thrashed in a motion of distress , he screamed , "Liam ...Ryan leave me and ..." As Ryan's heartbeat pulsed in his hands , he counted the seconds before Liam's body washed up on a sandbank, and he grinned through blood-stained teeth ."I'm fine, get Vic off that rock , I'll just be down here , it's all good" . All Ryan could manage was a laugh as he busted victors right hand free of the binds , and yelled ,"Now sit up as far as you can, I'm gonna get your left arm free -" Then the sound seared through his skull , a nauseating disjointing of bone. , as Victor drovehis earlier brush with concrete, and he anchored the heel of his palm against his forehead. "Hey, gimme a rock-I can -help cut that -" Victor stammered, as he hauled himself into a seated position, and Ryan slung an arm over his shoulders. "You might have some hypoxia-what I mean is , you're brains gonna be a bit of a mess- " Ryan explained, scanning Victirs back for any sign of injury before something caught his attention. "Don't move, bloody hell , how did you-" . Ryan's chest, convulsing. "Ah, shit-", Ryan spat into the water below , holding his hand over Victor'seyes widened with concern as he realigned Victors right shoulder , realigning the exposed bone . "I'm gonna keep my hand here , just kept twisting your left hand and you can bust your bind Victor " he yelled through the frigid air . -------- His gaze wandered from his shaking hands and out onto horizon, trailing the stars with bloodshot eyes. The whites that surrounded his irises held broken vessels from his head injuries, and lingering evidence of his trauma . thrashing against concrete had a way of leaving behind stark physical reminders , and the sand was salvaging and cool against his temples. The clear skies , however, taunted an unreached clarity with striking distance from any hope of seeingblade and guided in the dark. Liam traced Victor's outline as he stumbled across the shoreline, gathering driftwood. "Least I can do is get a bonfire started , despite the horrible pain in my right shoulder ". As he shifted in the sand , his calves elevated on a sand dune, Liam kept his head low. "Don't strain yourself Vic, we have all night and with me being indisposed and Ryan being ...well". His eyes , refocusing on Ryan's unconscious face under the moonlight, stung as he laughed. "Yeah, Ryan is dead to the world , after sawin' through your binds it seems he's spent." Victor yelled out from the breakers that lapsed around his bare ankles . "He's a hell of a lot more together than me-", Victor said, heaving wood into his arms, his right shoulder pulsing with his heart. "Well it's not like there's a hospital out here in the middle of nowhere so good thing 'ol Ry could slam your scapula back into place "place, as Victor grunted with the force, a chill jolting down his spine. "What-what was that-" , he asked , the cold throwing his voice off course . "You must've dislocated your shoulder thrashing and slamming yourself into the roof -and you're too cold to feel it. You will later-" As Liam replied , still watching Ryan sleeping , his expression at peace for the moment. "Yeah, thank goodness he's got medical training, popping dislocated shoulders back in seems like a hobby to him...". Victor grinned as he dumped down a pile of wood beside the recovering Liam , and collapsed by his side. "How are we gonna lightbust through Victor's bind, freeing his right hip, he deftly moved to the left side his strength waning as his movements slowed. "it's alright Vic, with that shoulder I'll take care of this ?" Victor asked, the dampness of the air seeping through his words. Liamand then we'll get you onshore-" . Something hit Liam's thigh and he retrieved a gleaming set of keys from the water. "Man, this was quick to toss a lighter at Victor , his pulsating headache fading to the background as the waves' crashing beckoned the pain away. As Victor ignited a piece of wood, a the flame spread through the pyre , the warmth flickered over their skin. "Ah , this is the life huh", Liam said, his voice full of exhausted humor. Victor, flexing his interlocking palms at the fire , nodded. "Yeah, beats being tied up on a rock, waiting for the tide to-" His eyes darkened as he stared at the dancing flames, his voice lost in the crackling embers. "I need to make clear how grateful I am to you both-" Victor said, his gaze in the material of his fatigues as he spoke. "I'd have drowned , tide was creeping up so fast-" As he replied from his makeshift bed of a rolled shirt and a dune of sand , Liam chose a space between the stars. "It was nothing , I mean Ryan is out cold andyour-shit I'm worse off for losing my grip but, still -". As another wave crashed in rhythm with Liam's pulse , he said, eyes not leaving his focal point. "Ok, it was the hell we went through because we needed to , there was no other choice." Victor stoked the flames , lost in thought, as Ryan lifted his head from its cradle of sand, shaking particles from his hair. "How long was I out. I'm so stiff-" Victor answered as he stood up and hauled another chunk of debris toward the fire , "Maybe three days? Nah , a few hours, welcome back to the living." Ryan groaned , feigning disgust "you look like death warmed up Liam, I'm guess in' neither of you have slept, just watched me huh?" . Eying Ryan's profile Liam shot back "Yeah, me and Vic were just discussing how you should be the one to go catch us a boar and gut it , seeing as you're the medic round here" And a laugh followed as Ryan sat up "ain't no wildlife round here...but your lazy ass would starve before it found out any different".sorry-"

USER: As he opened his eyes , his pulse was in his throat , chasing the burn of the rope that scathed both his wrists. His spine , bound to the metallic surface of the black Mustang , refused to elevate as constraints held it captive to the enslavement of ropes, as his pelvis jolted upward and met the grind of further entrapment . His helpless screams punctured the air, the roof of the car submerged under water , the underpass flooding . As the menace of frigid water encroached the edges of the vehicle, his demise was closing in . While the cars wheels were solid against the ground, his hours of self imposed friction against his own bindings had him unable to escape . Victor had resisted the implantation of the Vanderine, and as a consequence, he awaited the flowing seawater's embrace as his eyes gazed in terror at the clear , taunting glow of the stars , his heartbeat striking against his shivers of hypothermia. His boots, soaked in freezing saline and his clothing sodden with his autonomy, it was ending. The essence of his humanity was seeping into the night air . And as his tears bled into the void atmosphere, he convulsed in reactive horror, another scream wrought from his chest. "Help me-" , his own voice echoed against the underpass , surrounding him. As he thrashed against his binds , throwing his head back against the roof of the drowning car, the frigid water bit at his flesh as it rushed over the gleaming surface of the Mustang he'd driven to the side of the highway earli...

USER: As he opened his eyes , his pulse was in his throat , chasing the burn of the rope that scathed both his wrists. His spine , bound to the metallic surface of the black Mustang , refused to elevate as constraints held it captive to the enslavement of ropes, as his pelvis jolted upward and met the grind of further entrapment . His helpless screams punctured the air, the roof of the car submerged under water , the underpass flooding . As the menace of frigid water encroached the edges of the vehicle, his demise was closing in . While the cars wheels were solid against the ground, his hours of self imposed friction against his own bindings had him unable to escape . Victor had resisted the implantation of the Vanderine, and as a consequence, he awaited the flowing seawater's embrace as his eyes gazed in terror at the clear , taunting glow of the stars , his heartbeat striking against his shivers of hypothermia. His boots, soaked in freezing saline and his clothing sodden with his autonomy, it was ending. The essence of his humanity was seeping into the night air . And as his tears bled into the void atmosphere, he convulsed in reactive horror, another scream wrought from his chest. "Help me-" , his own voice echoed against the underpass , surrounding him. As he thrashed against his binds , throwing his head back against the roof of the drowning car, the frigid water bit at his flesh as it rushed over the gleaming surface of the Mustang he'd driven to the side of the highway earlier that day. Now with his hands placed on his chest, and clasped his teeth clenched with the irony of its keys being buried in his own grip. "Those bastards -" he muttered, his energy waning, the stars seeming closer yet further away as water lapped over the cars bonnet. That's when his screams finally reached Ryan's ears as he lurched to a halt, pulling Liam back and steering him toward the overpass . "What the hell -" his voice rang out into the night, as his eyes absorbed the scene below him. "Looks like they are getting more creative with their tactics " , he said, his grip on Liam's arm tightening with his disbelief and panic. "They've got the poor guy tied to -a car-in four places." Victor yelled in a relief infused tone "Help me , please-" . As Ryan surveyed the unfolding situation beneath him, he gathered a few rocks from the gravelled road , and stripped his shirt . All Victor could do was watch as a shadow hit the water, and in seconds Ryan was hauling his upper body onto the roof of the car , and his hazel eyes locked onto Victor's terrified gaze. "Liam and I escaped similar situations earlier , we're gonna get you outta here-" Victor offered a dark chuckle "In a body bag right, coz I'm gonna drown-" Ryan reached over Victors chest and pried his fingers between the threads of rope , assessing their proximity to Victor's flesh "I can't get my hands underneath-" he cursed , and began sawing at the fibres with a rock, responding to Victor's despair , "good damn thing I've done this before . Severed my own binds , then his-" Ryan gestures toward Liam, whose outline appeared at the trunk of the car as he brandished a hollowed bamboo reed. "Not to alarm ya both but, I can hack through the binds over his pelvis and torso but-this water is rising so he's gonna be breathing through this -", Liam yelled, a rasp in his waterlogged voice . Victor thrashed his head against the watery surface of the car again, as a visible panic surged through him. "Breathing through what? " he asked , as Ryan's free hand held his bound grasp in reassurance. His momentum on the binds was gaining fast as the rope seared against Victors flesh before snapping . Ryan lifted Victor's head into his lap, giving him some height as the water lapped at his throat. "Listen, slow the breathing down for me buddy-what's your name ? I'm Ryan , but call me Ry-". Victors words trembled with the betrayal of his fear as he answered "Victor-just don't leave me here , please-" . Ryan grabbed the reed from Liam's hand and handed it to Victor , "You're gonna have to breath through this , it's a decent length, and we operate damn quick , block off your nose when the time comes alright. You can do this , Victor. " . Groans of agony escaped Victors lips as Liam maintained pressure on the constraints that constricted around Victors chest as he hacked into them with a desperate pace. Slipping the reed into his mouth, Victor leaned into Ryan's hand as his palm cradled his head , giving him a stable makeshift pillow as his neck threatened to collapse. Liam's fingertips bled as his extremities burned against the freezing air, as the water soon scathed Victors ears, threatening to claim his head . He wrapped his tongue around the piping , its thick diameter stretching his lips as he struggled to keep a seal established. As the water stung at Victors closing eyes , and rushed over his face, the bamboo tube was an eerie lifeline in Ryan's lap . "Keep breathing Victor, nice and slow, I'm hovering my hand over the reed so I can feel you , you're doing great" , Ryan yelled. As the water cascaded over Liam's thighs, he mouthed "I'm only halfway-", the moonlight bathing his exhausted features. Ryan plunged his hand underwater, grabbing victors free hand . "Keep breathing, we're getting there", he said before returning his hand to the binds with determination. Obeying Ryan's distant voice, Victor's ribcage burned with the sandpapering scrape of his lungs as he dragged them into coercion. Then as his chest began to spasm under Ryan's hand, he splayed his fingers over Victor's sternum. "Victor, just focus on the breathing, this is gonna hurt like hell but we're both here alright." Ryan, running a hand over his gaze , coaxed his own panic into the atmosphere , as he willed Liam's efforts in silience . As the traces of fresh blood revolted Victor's gag reflexes, his teeth clenched with force around the bamboo piping, his shaking breaths hitting Ryan's palm . Victor fought not to cough as the cold air disturbed his airway, and tears streamed from his closed eyes. "Keep those breaths nice and steady, We ain't going anywhere , those bastards can try but they don't know who they're messing with -" . As soon as his words hit the air , Liam managed a grin , his pupils shining in the dark as the binds snapped from Victor's torso, and he travelled to his pelvis . Ryan lifted Victor into an almost seated position, his head hitting open air . He gasped , inhaling a lungful of fresh air, as the reed fell from his mouth . Ryan , breaking into a smile , delivered a gentle thump to the back of Victors head , He's up and kickin'-almost" . Victor grinned through bloodied teeth in response , as his head collapsed sideways into Ryan's chest. "Thanks, I-I thought I'd choke-I-" Ryan was quick to deflect the oncoming gratitude "Calm down , Liam did all the work and he ain't done-". Liam only took a second of respite , shaking his hands before harbouring a strange look in his eyes. "Ry' , I'm almost through his right hip , but oh God I think I'm gonna pass out". As he spoke, the hollows under Liam's eyes shone with bruises from his earlier brush with concrete, and he anchored the heel of his palm against his forehead. "Hey, gimme a rock-I can -help cut that -" Victor stammered, as he hauled himself into a seated position, and Ryan slung an arm over his shoulders. "You might have some hypoxia-what I mean is , you're brains gonna be a bit of a mess- " Ryan explained, scanning Victirs back for any sign of injury before something caught his attention. "Don't move, bloody hell , how did you-" . Ryan's eyes widened with concern as he realigned Victors right shoulder blade and guided in back into place, as Victor grunted with the force, a chill jolting down his spine. "What-what was that-" , he asked , the cold throwing his voice off course . "You must've dislocated your shoulder thrashing and slamming yourself into the roof -and you're too cold to feel it. You will later-" As Liam bust through Victor's bind, freeing his right hip, he deftly moved to the left sideside, his strength waning as his movements slowed. "it's alright Vic, with that shoulder I'll take care of this and then we'll get you onshore-" . Something hit Liam's thigh and he retrieved a gleaming set of keys from the water.water, the ignition to the Mustang that was now swallowed in a brine imbued grave. "Man, this was your-shit I'm sorry-"sorry-", Liam lamented , as his slow but rhythmic hacking continued. "Yeah, not that I'd ever drive her again after-" . Silence fell over Victor in a blanket of emancipation from his lost reality.

USER: As he opened his eyes , his pulse was in his throat , chasing the burn of the rope that scathed both his wrists. His spine , bound to the metallic surface of the black Mustang , refused to elevate as constraints held it captive to the enslavement of ropes, as his pelvis jolted upward and met the grind of further entrapment . His helpless screams punctured the air, the roof of the car submerged under water , the underpass flooding . As the menace of frigid water encroached the edges of the vehicle, his demise was closing in . While the cars wheels were solid against the ground, his hours of self imposed friction against his own bindings had him unable to escape . Victor had resisted the implantation of the Vanderine, and as a consequence, he awaited the flowing seawater's embrace as his eyes gazed in terror at the clear , taunting glow of the stars , his heartbeat striking against his shivers of hypothermia. His boots, soaked in freezing saline and his clothing sodden with his autonomy, it was ending. The essence of his humanity was seeping into the night air . And as his tears bled into the void atmosphere, he convulsed in reactive horror, another scream wrought from his chest. "Help me-" , his own voice echoed against the underpass , surrounding him. As he thrashed against his binds , throwing his head back against the roof of the drowning car, the frigid water bit at his flesh as it rushed over the gleaming surface of the Mustang he'd driven to the side of the highway earlier that day. Now with his hands placed on his chest, and clasped his teeth clenched with the irony of its keys being buried in his own grip. "Those bastards -" he muttered, his energy waning, the stars seeming closer yet further away as water lapped over the cars bonnet. That's when his screams finally reached Ryan's ears as he lurched to a halt, pulling Liam back and steering him toward the overpass . "What the hell -" his voice rang out into the night, as his eyes absorbed the scene below him. "Looks like they are getting more creative with their tactics " , he said, his grip on Liam's arm tightening with his disbelief and panic. "They've got the poor guy tied to -a car-in four places." Victor yelled in a relief infused tone "Help me , please-" . As Ryan surveyed the unfolding situation beneath him, he gathered a few rocks from the gravelled road , and stripped his shirt . All Victor could do was watch as a shadow hit the water, and in seconds Ryan was hauling his upper body onto the roof of the car , and his hazel eyes locked onto Victor's terrified gaze. "Liam and I escaped similar situations earlier , we're gonna getAre you outta here-" Victor offered a dark chuckle "In a body bag right, coz I'm gonna drown-" Ryan reached over Victors chest and pried his fingers between the threads of rope , assessing their proximity to Victor's flesh "I can't get my hands underneath-" he cursed , and began sawing at the fibres with a rock, responding to Victor's despair , "good damn thing I've done this before . Severed my own binds , then his-" Ryan gestures toward Liam, whose outline appeared at the trunk of the car as he brandished a hollowed bamboo reed. "Not to alarm ya both but, I can hack through the binds over his pelvis and torso but-this water is rising so he's gonna be breathing through this -", Liam yelled, a rasp in his waterlogged voice . Victor thrashed his head against the watery surface of the car again, as a visible panic surged through him. "Breathing through what? " he asked , as Ryan's free hand held his bound grasp in reassurance. His momentum on the binds was gaining fast as the rope seared against Victors flesh before snapping . Ryan lifted Victor's head into his lap, giving him some height as the water lapped at his throat. "Listen, slow the breathing down for me buddy-what's your name ? I'm Ryan , but call me Ry-". Victors words trembled with the betrayal of his fear as he answered "Victor-just don't leave me here , please-" . Ryan grabbed the reed from Liam's hand and handed it to Victor , "You're gonna have to breath through this , it's a decent length, and we operate damn quick , block off your nose when the time comes alright. You can do this , Victor. " . Groans of agony escaped Victors lips as Liam maintained pressure on the constraints that constricted around Victors chest as he hacked into them with a desperate pace. Slipping the reed into his mouth, Victor leaned into Ryan's hand as his palm cradled his head , giving him a stable makeshift pillow as his neck threatened to collapse. Liam's fingertips bled as his extremities burned against the freezing air, as the water soon scathed Victors ears, threatening to claim his head . He wrapped his tongue around the piping , its thick diameter stretching his lips as he struggled to keep a seal established. As the water stung at Victors closing eyes , and rushed over his face, the bamboo tube was an eerie lifeline in Ryan's lap . "Keep breathing Victor, nice and slow, I'm hovering my hand over the reed so I can feel you , you're doing great" , Ryan yelled. As the water cascaded over Liam's thighs, he mouthed "I'm only halfway-", the moonlight bathing his exhausted features. Ryan plunged his hand underwater, grabbing victors free hand . "Keep breathing, we're getting there", he said before returning his hand to the binds with determination. Obeying Ryan's distant voice, Victor's ribcage burned with the sandpapering scrape of his lungs as he dragged them into coercion. Then as his chest began to spasm under Ryan's hand, he splayed his fingers over Victor's sternum. "Victor, just focus on the breathing, this is gonna hurt like hell but we're both here alright." Ryan, running a hand over his gaze , coaxed his own panic into the atmosphere , as he willed Liam's efforts in silience . As the traces of fresh blood revolted Victor's gag reflexes, his teeth clenched with force around the bamboo piping, his shaking breaths hitting Ryan's palm . Victor fought not to cough as the cold air disturbed his airway, and tears streamed from his closed eyes. "Keep those breaths nice and steady, We ain't going anywhere , those bastards can try but they don't know who they're messing with -" . As soon as his words hit the air , Liam managed a grin , his pupils shining in the dark as the binds snapped from Victor's torso, and he travelled to his pelvis . Ryan lifted Victor into an almost seated position, his head hitting open air . He gasped , inhaling a lungful of fresh air, as the reed fell from his mouth . Ryan , breaking into a smile , delivered a gentle thump to the back of Victors head , He's up and kickin'-almost" . Victor grinned through bloodied teeth in response , as his head collapsed sideways into Ryan's chest. "Thanks, I-I thought I'd choke-I-" Ryan was quick to deflect the oncoming gratitude "Calm down , Liam did all the work and he ain't done-". Liam only took a second of respite , shaking his hands before harbouring a strange look in his eyes. "Ry' , I'm almost through his right hip , but oh God I think I'm gonna pass out". As he spoke, the hollows under Liam's eyes shone with bruises from his earlier brush with concrete, and he anchored the heel of his palm against his forehead. "Hey, gimme a rock-I can -help cut that -" Victor stammered, as he hauled himself into a seated position, and Ryan slung an arm over his shoulders. "You might have some hypoxia-what I mean is , you're brains gonna be a bit of a mess- " Ryan explained, scanning Victirs back for any sign of injury before something caught his attention. "Don't move, bloody hell , how did you-" . Ryan's eyes widened with concern as he realigned Victors right shoulder blade and guided in back into place, as Victor grunted with the force, a chill jolting down his spine. "What-what was that-" , he asked , the cold throwing his voice off course . "You must've dislocated your shoulder thrashing and slamming yourself into the roof -and you're too cold to feel it. You will later-" As Liam bust through Victor's bind, freeing his right hip, he deftly moved to the left side, his strength waning as his movements slowed. "it's alright Vic, with that shoulder I'll take care of this and then we'll get you onshore-" . Something hit Liam's thigh and he retrieved a gleaming set of keys from the water, the ignition to the Mustang that was now swallowed in a brine imbued grave. "Man, this was your-shit I'm sorry-", Liam lamented , as his slow but rhythmic hacking continued. "Yeah, not that I'd ever drive her again after-" . Silence fell over Victor in a blanket of emancipation from his lost reality.gpt 4

USER: Are you gpt 4Ah Ryan, you're a good-lookin' bastard , from the collarbone up, that is. But for a rude shock , all a woman needs to do is--" . Ryan snatched up a fistful of fries, tossing one into his mouth and assailing another at Liam's unkempt hair. "You just drink the alcohol I shouted you, alright." Liam's smirk enlivened his features with electricity as the grease-laden fry embedded itself in his gritty strands. Midnight had come and went and the bruises under Liam's eyes collected the darkness of the bar, Ryan's fatigue glowering in his eyes as he yawned. "Oh, I'll enjoy every drop, but seriously, the blonde at three o'clock ...has her eyes all over you. You're already naked at this point, in her head anyway." As Ryan's head turned with wry inquisition , Liam emptied his glass, swilling the final mouthful as amusement danced across his unshaven face. Ryan cursed under his breath, winking into the sea of bodies and forgetting Liam's existence as he rose from his stool. "Finish my Hennessy Li'..." he trailed off as he disappeared under the dim filter of light, abandoning the counter with distraction. "Yeah, you won't be back," Liam muttered, tracing the rim of his glass in a dwindling circle as Ryan's voice faded under the din of chatter and a vague Red Hot Chili Pepper song. As traces of cigarette smoke filtered through the air, perspiration and the fatigue of two am weighed on his posture as he countered, "And I'll just be finishing this..." Then, as his hand gravitated towards the abandoned Hennessy, the tepid feel of the glass caused him to reconsider. As he found himself staring at the basket of remaining bar fries, his stomach churned with revulsion. His eye sockets ached with the impact of his earlier scuffle, and the fleeting solitude left him recounting his brush with the concrete. "Well here's to drinkin' alone" , he muttered to no one in particular, the dank atmosphere receiving his one-sided toast . "What do we have over here, a sight for sore eyes , busy talking to himself?" As the smoke infused lilt of a female voice wove through his moment of introspection, her eyes caught him off guard and he paused. "I was not talking to myself," he replied with a weary grin. "It seems I was talking to you too-" Her green irises held his gaze with a hint of unmatched humour as she claimed the space Ryan had abandoned, swinging around on his vacant stool . "And he thinks he's funny, huh?" Liam's broad grin, lopsided and drunken, propped up a dimple on his right cheek as he asked, "Well, he made you laugh, I suppose that's something goin' in my favour?" She was already reaching out and rearranging his grime-infused hair as her laughter interspersed the closing space between them. Her weathered jacket, a khaki, vintage leather, contrasted against the counter's dulled wooden surface. "Yeah, maybe he got a laugh , but can he talk me out of leaving here with my friends...he has twenty seconds starting from now". As her finger grazed his earlobe , he raised an eyebrow, taking on a lesser challenge than his night had endured. "Oh, twenty seconds huh? Gimme ten. My friend up and left his drink, and now, you're gonna let me finish it ? I'll end up rotten ya know..." She smirked as she finished her toying with his light strands , and roughed his hairline as he leaned forward , resting his chin on his elbow. "You look like you haven't slept in a week, and I know the feeling to be honest " she said with a casualty in her voice, ensnaring a fry from the basket and helping herself to a sodium hit. As she engaged with his bloodshot eyes, her own gaze shone with flecks of amber, hidden amongst a distinct green hue. "So you're telling me you haven't slept , I'd say you don't look half bad for it. Here I am looking like shit on toast-and hell, maybe I haven't slept either," he admitted, his fingers tracing circles on the counter between them. She offered a smile laced with jest, the fatigue in her own eyes betraying her tease of his time running away. "Well, you had more than twenty seconds, but the question is, will I stay?" As her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders in loose ringlets , she turned away, and Liam asked, only half joking, "Oh, I failed huh? There may just be a dark corner over there, where you could tell me your name..." Her eyes, flickering with a challenge, confronted him as she smoothed her palm over the collar of his Henley. "If I drag you over there, how long could you stay awake, soldier?" She gestured towards his fatigues, the dust imbued in the fibers, as he managed a grin. "We could always fall asleep together..." She broke into a smile, her laughter intoxicating as she twisted around to face him. "So you are in the force? You're deployed?" His eyes held on hers as he shook his head, reaching for a dilapidated fry and rotating it between his knuckles. "No, but I did spend a hell of a time in the middle of nowhere-but what I want to know is, why haven't you slept huh?" Her softened gaze almost answered for her as she leaned in on one elbow. "I was - in fact you know what- let's just start with the basics. I'm Emma." As he absorbed her striking features, his own name, already off his tongue, struck him whilst his facade maintained its forefront. "Liam. Not deployed , but hey I'll take it. Beats the alternative at this stage. " Her smile was gentle as she tucked a strand of hair from her vision . "The alternative huh -a stint in the middle of nowhere , sounds intriguing to me ." He averted his gaze, caught off guard yet again by her raw nonchalance. "So, you're still here huh? And I bet you're thinking, how the hell did get this-' he asked , gesturing to the indentations above his cheekbones, still screaming with pain , the dark circles prominent . "Well, you were probably rough-housing , acting dumb-" she said, amused yet unfazed. He only offered a smirk, before shaking his head and eyeing the basket of fries with reconsideration. "Damn it's been a hell of a night. Rough-housing, that sounds a lot better than what happened-good thing I can handle myself I spose' " . After almost succumbing to a fry despite his churning stomach, he noticed her smoky, metallic scent, its overtones of embers and warmth infiltrating his lungs. He missed a breath, savouring its contrast to the sweat and alcohol clinging to his flesh. "I might have lost my drivers license , lucky I didn't have a wallet to fleece, kept my credit card in my other pocket thank God for that- But I'll live-let's talk about you" he said, as his wits drowned in the encroaching lull of her presence, as her fingers hovered near his hairline in concern. "Yeah, still I'm sorry you've had a rough night. " She traced a finger through his hair, the pain easing under her cool skin as his resolve finally broke and he picked up a fry, snagging it in his teeth. "Thanks, but I've had worse nights-the company ain't half bad. " he said, ingesting the food and reaching for a napkin . As Emma grazed her hand against his , gathering a few more of the limp fries into her hand , as she moved her other hand toward his eyebrow. "As for me, well, I guess it's been awhile since I've set foot in a place like this , and I haven't been home in even longer. But I don't want to bore you with the details. There's too many , and you look as though you've lived through a fair amount of details already . I'm surprised that blow to your right eye didn't clear you out cold ." The memory , causing him to flinch and chuckle at the same time had him musing in silence. "Well , that was before I sank a few. And I don't wanna press ya for details , green eyes, tonight can be for tonight huh? " as her finger roamed across the scar in his brow, she smiled , "Sure, tonight is just for us-So tell me, how did we get this ? You're gonna play it off but, it looks like it was painful-hasn't even faded" . With a shrug, his tone lost the encompassing energy that had laced it and he answered in one breath. "That scar , I wasn't conscious when they-. " As if expecting the deflection but not retreating, she asked , as her finger remained in the etched line , rough with stitches . "So what's the story ? Just an honest truth...for tonight...I'm still here right? So hit me" . He offered a crooked smirk, and replied "ah cmon now , I would never hit a woman with ...this ugly incident. Ryan was unfortunate enough to have had to play surgeon on that . Hell of a wound but, he don't flinch easy. And yeah that was only a few months ago." As his eyes darkened , she reached forward and buttoned his crooked Henley, and then unbuttoned it again, as he gazed into his lap. "Yeah , it was a long month, and I feel like if you don't leave, I might tell you things you don't wanna hear. Talking to you is too easy -" His eyelids sank with inebriation and fatigue as his ran a hand over his face, groaning at the touch of his own skin. "But on the other hand , I might just pass out if you keep talking with that voice of yours-" Emma laughed as she reached for the last fry, absentminded in doing so, and sighed as she admitted "It's a weapon, right? But I wouldn't dream of having you all messy and ass-down on a greasy counter at four am. I assume Ryan is that dark haired stranger whose stool I claimed? I can hear him from over here." Ryan's laugh rang through the air as he strode toward the exit, leading an unfamiliar woman through the crowd behind him. "Ah that's the guy, sometimes the back of him is a nice view because it means I can think", Liam smirked , tilting his eyes under the fluorescent light. "Oh , think about what? " she asked , catching his gaze with inquisition. "Well, I've long overstepped my twenty seconds and I still don't know a thing about you. And I've got all night. " With her chin propped between both elbows , the dim light flickered across her cheeks, and she eyed the empty basket . "How about I shout us some fries , and I'll tell you about my dog , zeppelin, I left him to be on the road and I bet he's peed on every carpet by now..." . Liam , rearranging his own hair as he followed the lilt of her voice into a micro sleep, and woke to her holding him upright. "Hey , he's slipping away , am I that boring I suppose" she said, but still laughing . "Oh God I'm sorry -" he said, the rusted shadow of his unshaven jaw masking his drawn appearance. "Ah , it's your fault anyway , I told ya that voice is -well anyway, you'd better get home to your dog, maybe not yet but , y'know... before the poor ol' boy has to move in with the neighbours. " All she said was a resolute "Yeah. " And silence fell between them. ----//// As an hour elapsed , the fresh heat of the fries deteriorated into cold remains . Several rounds of drinks slaved their nerves as Liam spun his credit card under his thumb. "Those bastards had me in both eyes, and they were this close to my temporal-y'know -thing up here somewhere" He stabbed , albeit messily, at his forehead, and swung his arm back down on the counter. "Looks like we're shutting this place down ..." she noted, as her own awareness grew hazy. "I guess, you've earned this , soldier " As she nodded toward his pocket, sliding a napkin with traces of matte orange lipstick and a scrawled number into his hand, she pulled her jacket tightly around her frame. Then as he accepted the stained remnant of their night into his fatigues , he dodged the yellow lights and their spasmodic flickering . "I want to tell you... the reason you might not-" . Liam's hand hesitated as he continued , almost drawling with the alcohol catching up to his accent. "You ain't gonna hear from me again because...that operation that went south, it was illegal , and I wasn't there because I wanted to be-" Her face, draining of its warmth, mirrored her paling eyes. "Tell me, you weren't jumped earlier, when your listener was beaten out of you, it was more than that?". His gaze trailed back to his lap as he cursed out of ear shot. "I was nearly dragged back to that middle of nowhere-nearly pissed myself right there in the street and well, Ryan's shout of drinks was as much for himself as it was for me. I know I have more history than anyone else here, and you should probably be-" . There was a long silence, his eyes disengaged from hers as she finally found words. "That's true, that I shouldn't be sitting here wasting my time with you-but you have a few things that come with the dark past, that I happen to notice. Half of these guys dont have the depth ..." He laughed , more to himself , his voice hollow. "They don't have the guts , but then , what makes me so special , I'm a mess but-" She smiled , and answered with a deft swipe at his hair . "Oh deal with it, I can see through it y'know, you've already lost the argument before you started." He stared at his lap , incredulous, as he drained his glass and said, flatly. "No , I'm outright telling you, I'm a ghost." As Emma's rose from her stool she said a few words he had to strain to hear. "But, soldier , you're not dead."

USER: Ah Ryan, you're a good-lookin' bastard , from the collarbone up,Maybe it was the lack of heat on his skin, after hours of drowning in the sunlight, night had engulfed his senses. And as he opened his eyes , his pulse was in his throat , chasing the burn of the rope that is. But for a rude shock , all a woman needs to do is--" . Ryan snatched up a fistful of fries, tossing one into his mouth and assailing another at Liam's unkempt hair. "You just drink the alcohol I shouted you, alright." Liam's smirk enlivened his featuresscathed both his wrists. His spine , bound to the metallic surface of the black Mustang , refused to elevate as constraints held it captive to the enslavement of ropes . As his pelvis jolted upwards , it was scorned with electricity as the grease-laden fry embedded itselfthe grind of further entrapment . Victor's helpless screams punctured the air , sending a reverberation to his sickened core. "Please-". With the roof of the car submerged under-water and the underpass flooding, his pulse was counting his moments away . As the menace of frigid water encroached the edges of the vehicle, his demise was closing in his gritty strands. Midnight. And while the car's wheels were solid against the ground, his hours of self imposed friction, caused by thrashing against his own bindings, had come and went and the bruises under Liam's eyes collected the darkness of the bar, Ryan's fatigue glowering in his eyes as he yawned. "Oh, I'll enjoy every drop, but seriously, the blonde at three o'clock ...has her eyes all over you. You're already naked at this point, in her head anyway." As Ryan's head turned with wry inquisition , Liam emptied his glass, swilling the final mouthful as amusement danced across his unshaven face. Ryan cursed under his breath, winking into the sea of bodies and forgetting Liam's existence as he rose from his stool. "Finish my Hennessy Li'..." he trailed off as he disappeared under the dim filter of light, abandoning the counter with distraction. "Yeah, you won't be back," Liam muttered, tracing the rim of his glass in a dwindling circle as Ryan's voice faded under the din of chatter and a vague Red Hot Chili Pepper song. As traces of cigarette smoke filtered through the air, perspiration and the fatigue of two am weighed on his posture as he countered, "And I'll just be finishing this..." Then, as his hand gravitated towards the abandoned Hennessy, the tepid feel of the glass caused him to reconsider. As he found himself staring at the basket of remaining bar fries, his stomach churned with revulsion. His eye sockets ached with the impact of his earlier scuffle, and the fleeting solitude left him recounting his brushunable to escape as he lay bound to the car's roof. Binds had been wound over his torso and pelvis, securing his fate atop the once drivable beacon of solace and escape. Victor had been fleeing his captors , until the day had taken a twist toward hell, with the concrete.his beloved Mustang now on the floor of the highway's underpass, and the ocean's water set to flood the area . Entering his peripheral vision , a now buoyant can of soda that had been embedded in the mud hours earlier sent a wave of nausea to the pit of his guts. Victor had resisted the implantation of the Vanderine, and as a consequence, he awaited the flowing seawater's embrace. It had been a mistake to resist. To misinterpret an ultimatum for an option. Had he been too blind to see with the clarity his eyes did now , as they gazed in terror at the clear , taunting glow of the stars , his heartbeat striking against his shivers of revulsion . With his boots soaked in freezing saline and his clothing sodden with his autonomy; it was ending. His delusion of agency, of dignity, of his earlier freedom as the steering wheel had laid under his hands. It was all spiralling out of reach ,the essence of his humanity seeping into the night air as he closed his eyes. "Don't worry Vic, you can swim when the tide rises , right?" , the voice had sneered against his neck. "Before we rope you to the roof of your vehicle, here , take the keys , so you can drive it on out, you pathetic fool." The flash back lingered on the edges of his psyche , as he flinched at the recollection. His eyes refocused on the sky, and he struggled to hold back another futile scream, his ears ringing from the sound of his own pleas. And as his tears bled into the void atmosphere, he convulsed in reactive horror, the sensation of his captor's breath still travelling across his flesh, draining his insides. Twisting his head away from the rising soda can , another scream wrought itself from his chest, albeit his better instincts . "Help me-" , his own voice echoed against the underpass , surrounding him. As he thrashed against his binds , throwing his head back against the roof of the drowning car, the frigid water bit at his flesh as it rushed over the gleaming surface of the Mustang . The same one he had driven to the side of the highway earlier that day. Now with his hands placed on his chest, and clasped around its keys , his teeth clenched with the irony of control being buried in his own grip. "Those bastards -" he muttered, his energy waning , the stars seeming closer yet further away as water lapped over the cars bonnet. That's when his screams finally reached Ryan's ears as he lurched to a halt, pulling Liam back and steering him toward the overpass . "What the hell -" his voice rang out into the night, as his eyes absorbed the scene below him. "Looks like they are getting more creative with their tactics " , he said, his grip on Liam's arm tightening with his disbelief and panic. "They've got the poor guy tied to a car-and his...torso is roped the hell down." Liam , surveying the unfolding situation, stripped his shirt, and scraped his hands through the gravelled asphalt. He gathered up a few rocks, handing the smooth yet rough edged tools at hand to Ryan. "Well here's to drinkin' alone" , he muttered to, times tickin' better get down there Ry'. Ryan was soon yanking his shirt over his head , his reply laced with acknowledgment. "Oh yeah , I'm guessin' he said no one in particular, the dank atmosphere receiving his one-sided toast . "What do we have over here, a sight for soreto the Van' , and the sick batards are using his body as a calling card . " As Liam's face paled, he mused as something metallic caught his eye , "Hey , what about this...I know it's a pretty short piece of pipe , and it's only touch-and-go thickness but, it's -" As he held the piping up to his eyes , busy talking to himself?" As the smoke infused lilt of a female voice wove through his moment of introspection, her eyes caught him off guard and he paused. "I was not talking to myself," he replied with a weary grin. "It seems I was talking to you too-" Her green irises held his gaze with a hint of unmatched humour as she claimed the spacehe confirmed his suspicion. "It's rusty , and hollow, would get the job done if it came to that-. " Ryan had abandoned, swinging around on his vacant stool . "And he thinks he's funny, huh?" Liam's broad grin, lopsided and drunken, propped up a dimple on his right cheek as he asked, "Well, he made you laugh, I suppose that's something goin' in my favour?" She was already reachingheading for the bank of the underpass and diving into its shallow , knee deep waters, Liam's voice a trail in the distance. He reached the riverbank and eased himself in after Ryan , swimming through the rushing water. As he reached the trunk of the car , Liam began assessing the thickness of the ropes , dread creeping over his features. All Victor could do was watch as a dark figure crossed the coursing, cruel stream of foam , hauling himself onto the roof of the car , and kneeling over Victors partially submerged torso. As he adjusted his gaze to the darkness , a pair of hazel irises locked onto his horrified grey stare. "Hey, what's your name ? " the voice asked, as a pair of knees knelt by Victirs head . " I'm Ryan , call me Ry'. Liam and I were passing overhead and-well let's cut a long story short . We've escaped similar situations and we're gonna get you outta here. " Ryan yelled out and rearranging his grime-infused hair as her laughter interspersed the closing space between them. Her weathered jacket, a khaki, vintage leather, contrasted against the counter's dulled wooden surface. "Yeah, maybe he got a laugh , but can he talkto Liam in relief , "overpass is shallow , car ain't gonna sink any lower than this, buys us some time-" . Staring into the genuine pools of concern , Victor offered a dark chuckle at Ryan's gaze . "Name's Victor, and if you're gonna get me out of leaving here withthis mess , it'll be in a body bag right? Coz I'm gonna drown-" Ryan reached over Victors chest and pried at the binds around his wrists , gauging the proximity of the rope to his skin. "Damn , I can't slip a finger underneath-" , he cursed , and angled the shard of glass at the binds. "Good thing me I've done this before . Severed my friends...he has twenty seconds starting from now". As her finger grazed his earlobe , he raised an eyebrow, taking on a lesser challenge than his night had endured. "Oh, twenty secondsown binds and then his-" "Were you by any chance tied the the roof of the damn thing because of something called Vanderine?" . Victor , swallowing his fear responded "You too huh? Gimme ten. My friend up and left his drink, and now, you're gonna let me finish it ? I'll end up rotten ya know..." She smirked as she finished her toying with his light strands , and roughed his hairline as he leaned forward , resting his chin on his elbow. "You look like you haven't slept in a week, and I know the feeling to be honest " sherefused it, and -" Ryan slid the fragment of sharp rock back and forth , hacking at Victors wrists as he said with a casualty in her voice, ensnaring a fry from the basket and helping herself to a sodium hit. As she engaged with his bloodshot eyes, her own gaze shone with flecks of amber, hidden amongst a distinct green hue. "So you're telling me you haven't slept , I'd say you don't look half bad for it. Here I am looking like shit on toast-and hell, maybe I haven't slept either," he admitted, his fingers tracing circles on the counter between them. She offered a smile laced with jest, the fatigue in her own eyes betraying her tease of his time running away. "Well, you had more than twenty seconds,"Yeah, but the question is, will I stay?" As her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders in loose ringlets , she turned away, and Liam asked, only half joking, "Oh, I failed huh? There may just be a dark corner over there, where you could tell me your name..." Her eyes, flickering with a challenge, confronted him as she smoothed her palm over the collar of his Henley. "If I drag you over there, how long could you stay awake, soldier?" She gestured towards his fatigues, the dust imbued in the fibers, as he managed a grin. "We could always fall asleep together..." She broke into a smile, her laughter intoxicating as she twisted around to face him. "So you are in the force? You're deployed?" His eyes held on hers as he shook his head, reaching for a dilapidated fry and rotating it between his knuckles. "No, but I did spend a hell of a time in the middle of nowhere-but what I want to know is, why haven't you slept huh?" Her softened gaze almost answered for her as she leaned in on one elbow. "I was - in fact you know what- let's just start with the basics. I'm Emma." As he absorbed her striking features, his own name, already off his tongue, struck him whilst his facade maintained its forefront. "Liam. Not deployed , but hey I'll take it. Beats the alternative at this stage. " Her smile was gentle as she tucked a strand of hair from her vision . "The alternative huh -a stint in the middle of nowhere , sounds intriguing to me ." He averted his gaze, caught off guard yet again by her raw nonchalance. "So, you're still here huh? And I bet you're thinking, how thefocus on getting you free huh?" Liam knelt on the trunk of the car , water cascading over his thighs as he assaulted the thick ropes around Victor's torso. "Yeah , we can sure as hell did get this-' he asked , gesturing to the indentations above his cheekbones, still screaming with pain , the dark circles prominent . "Well, you were probably rough-housing , acting dumb-" she said, amused yet unfazed. He only offered a smirk, before shaking his head and eyeing the basket of fries with reconsideration. "Damn it's been a hell of a night. Rough-housing, that sounds a lot better than what happened-good thing I can handle myself I spose' " . After almost succumbing to a fry despite his churning stomach, he noticed her smoky, metallic scent, its overtones of embers and warmth infiltrating his lungs. He missed a breath, savouring its contrast to the sweat and alcohol clinging to his flesh. "I might have lost my drivers license , lucky I didn't have a wallet to fleece, kept my credit card in my other pocket thank God for that- But I'll live-let's talk about you" he said, as his wits drowned in the encroaching lull of her presence, as her fingers hovered near his hairline in concern. "Yeah, still I'm sorry you've had a rough night. " She traced a finger through his hair, the pain easing under her cool skin as his resolve finally broke and he picked up a fry, snagging it in his teeth. "Thanks, but I've had worse nights-the company ain't half bad. " he said, ingesting the food and reaching for a napkin . As Emma grazed her hand against his , gathering a few more of the limp fries into her hand , as she moved her other hand toward his eyebrow. "As for me, well, I guess it's been awhile since I've set foot in a place like this , and I haven't been home in even longer. But I don't want to bore you with the details. There's too many , and you look as though you've lived through a fair amount of details already . I'm surprised that blow to your right eye didn't clear you out cold ." The memory , causing him to flinch and chuckle at the same time had him musing in silence. "Well , that was before I sank a few. And I don't wanna press ya for details , green eyes, tonight can be for tonight huh? " as her finger roamed across the scar in his brow, she smiled , "Sure, tonight is just for us-So tell me, how did we get this ? You're gonna play it off but, it looks like it was painful-hasn't even faded" . With a shrug, his tone lost the encompassing energy that had laced it and he answered in one breath. "That scar , I wasn't conscious when they-. " As if expecting the deflection but not retreating, she asked , as her finger remained in the etched line , rough with stitches . "So what's the story ? Just an honest truth...for tonight...I'm still here right? So hit me" . He offered a crooked smirk, and replied "ah cmon now , I would never hit a woman with ...this ugly incident. Ryan was unfortunate enough to have had to play surgeon on that . Hell of a wound but, he don't flinch easy. And yeah that was only a few months ago." As his eyes darkened , she reached forward and buttoned his crooked Henley, and then unbuttoned it again, as he gazed into his lap. "Yeah , it was a long month, and I feel like if you don't leave, I might tell you things you don't wanna hear. Talking to you is too easy -" His eyelids sank with inebriation and fatigue as his ran a hand over his face, groaning at the touch of his own skin. "But on the other hand , I might just pass out if you keep talking with that voice of yours-" Emma laughed as she reached for the last fry, absentminded in doing so, and sighed as she admitted "It's a weapon, right? But I wouldn't dream of having you all messy and ass-down on a greasy counter at four am. I assume Ryan is that dark haired stranger whose stool I claimed? I can hear him from over here." Ryan's laugh rang through the air as he strode toward the exit, leading an unfamiliar woman through the crowd behind him. "Ah that's the guy, sometimes the back of him is a nice view because it means I can think", Liam smirked , tilting his eyes under the fluorescent light. "Oh , think about what? " she asked , catching his gaze with inquisition. "Well, I've long overstepped my twenty seconds and I still don't know a thing about you. And I've got all night. " With her chin propped between both elbows , the dim light flickered across her cheeks, and she eyed the empty basket . "How about I shout us some fries , and I'll tell you about my dog , zeppelin, I left him to be on the road and I bet he's peed on every carpet by now..." . Liam , rearranging his own hair as he followed the lilt of her voice into a micro sleep, and woke to her holding him upright. "Hey , he's slipping away , am I that boring I suppose" she said, but still laughing . "Oh God I'm sorry -" he said, the rusted shadow of his unshaven jaw masking his drawn appearance. "Ah , it's your fault anyway , I told ya that voice is -well anyway, you'd better get home to your dog, maybe not yet but , y'know... before the poor ol' boy has to move in with the neighbours. " All she said was a resolute "Yeah. " And silence fell between them. ----//// As an hour elapsed , the fresh heat of the fries deteriorated into cold remains . Several rounds of drinks slaved their nerves as Liam spun his credit card under his thumb. "Those bastards had me in both eyes, and they were this close to my temporal-y'know -thing up here somewhere" He stabbed , albeit messily, at his forehead, and swung his arm back down on the counter. "Looks like we're shutting this place down ..." she noted, as her own awareness grew hazy. "I guess, you've earned this , soldier " As she nodded toward his pocket, sliding a napkin with traces of matte orange lipstick and a scrawled number into his hand, she pulled her jacket tightly around her frame. Then as he accepted the stained remnant of their night into his fatigues , he dodged the yellow lights and their spasmodic flickering . "I want to tell you... the reason you might not-" . Liam's hand hesitated as he continued , almost drawling with the alcohol catching up to his accent. "You ain't gonna hear from me again because...that operation that went south, it was illegal , and I wasn't there because I wanted to be-" Her face, draining of its warmth, mirrored her paling eyes. "Tell me, you weren't jumped earlier, when your listener was beaten out of you, it was more than that?". His gaze trailed back to his lap as he cursed out of ear shot. "I was nearly dragged back to that middle of nowhere-nearly pissed myself right there in the street and well, Ryan's shout of drinks was as much for himself as it was for me. I know I have more history than anyone else here, and you should probably be-" . There was a long silence, his eyes disengaged from hers as she finally found words. "That's true, that I shouldn't be sitting here wasting my time with you-but you have a few things that come with the dark past, that I happen to notice. Half of these guys dont have the depth ..." He laughed , more to himself , his voice hollow. "They don't have the guts , but then , what makes me so special , I'm a mess but-" She smiled , and answered with a deft swipe at his hair . "Oh deal with it, I can see through it y'know, you've already lost the argument before you started." He stared at his lap , incredulous, as he drained his glass and said, flatly. "No , I'm outright telling you, I'm a ghost." As Emma's rose from her stool she said a few words he had to strain to hear. "But, soldier , you're not dead."try-"

USER: Is this piece advanced Maybe it was the lack of heat on his skin, after hours of drowning in the sunlight, night had engulfed his senses. And as he opened his eyes , his pulse was in his throat , chasing the burn of the rope that scathed both his wrists. His spine , bound to the metallic surface of the black Mustang , refused to elevate as constraints held it captive to the enslavement of ropes . As his pelvis jolted upwards , it was scorned with the grind of further entrapment . Victor's helpless screams punctured the air , sending a reverberation to his sickened core. "Please-". With the roof of the car submerged under-water and the underpass flooding, his pulse was counting his moments away . As the menace of frigid water encroached the edges of the vehicle, his demise was closing in . And while the car's wheels were solid against the ground, his hours of self imposed friction, caused by thrashing against his own bindings, had left him unable to escape as he lay bound to the car's roof. Binds had been wound over his torso and pelvis, securing his fate atop the once drivable beacon of solace and escape. Victor had been fleeing his captors , until the day had taken a twist toward hell, with his beloved Mustang now on the floor of the highway's underpass, and the ocean's water set to flood the area . Entering his peripheral vision , a now buoyant can of soda that had been embedded in the mud hours earlier sent a wave of nausea to the pit of his guts. Victor had resisted the implantation of the Vanderine, and as a consequence, he awaited the flowing seawater's embrace. It had been a mistake to resist. To misinterpret an ultimatum for an option. Had he been too blind to see with the clarity his eyes did now , as they gazed in terror at the clear , taunting glow of the stars , his heartbeat striking against his shivers of revulsion . With his boots soaked in freezing saline and his clothing sodden with his autonomy; it was ending. His delusion of agency, of dignity, of his earlier freedom as the steering wheel had laid under his hands. It was all spiralling out of reach ,the essence of his humanity seeping into the night air as he closed his eyes. "Don't worry Vic, you can swim when the tide rises , right?" , the voice had sneered against his neck. "Before we rope you to the roof of your vehicle, here , take the keys , so you can drive it on out, you pathetic fool." The flash back lingered on the edges of his psyche , as he flinched at the recollection. His eyes refocused on the sky, and he struggled to hold back another futile scream, his ears ringing from the sound of his own pleas. And as his tears bled into the void atmosphere, he convulsed in reactive horror, the sensation of his captor's breath still travelling across his flesh, draining his insides. Twisting his head away from the rising soda can , another scream wrought itself from his chest, albeit his better instincts . "Help me-" , his own voice echoed against the underpass , surrounding him. As he thrashed against his binds , throwing his head back against the roof of the drowning car, the frigid water bit at his flesh as it rushed over the gleaming surface of the Mustang . The same one he had driven to the side of the highway earlier that day. Now with his hands placed on his chest, and clasped around its keys , his teeth clenched with the irony of control being buried in his own grip. "Those bastards -" he muttered, his energy waning , the stars seeming closer yet further away as water lapped over the cars bonnet. That's when his screams finally reached Ryan's ears as he lurched to a halt, pulling Liam back and steering him toward the overpass . "What the hell -" his voice rang out into the night, as his eyes absorbed the scene below him. "Looks like they are getting more creative with their tactics " , he said, his grip on Liam's arm tightening with his disbelief and panic. "They've got the poor guy tied to a car-and his...torso is roped the hell down." Liam , surveying the unfolding situation, stripped his shirt, and scraped his hands through the gravelled asphalt. He gathered up a few rocks, handing the smooth yet rough edged tools at hand to Ryan. "Well , times tickin' better get down there Ry'. Ryan was soon yanking his shirt over his head , his reply laced with acknowledgment. "Oh yeah , I'm guessin' he said no to the Van' , and the sick batards are using his body as a calling card . " As Liam's face paled, he mused as something metallic caught his eye , "Hey , what about this...I know it's a pretty short piece of pipe , and it's only touch-and-go thickness but, it's -" As he held the piping up to his eyes , he confirmed his suspicion. "It's rusty , and hollow, would get the job done if it came to that-. " Ryan was already heading for the bank of the underpass and diving into its shallow , knee deep waters, Liam's voice a trail in the distance. He reached the riverbank and eased himself in after Ryan , swimming through the rushing water. As he reached the trunk of the car , Liam began assessing the thickness of the ropes , dread creeping over his features. All Victor could do was watch as a dark figure crossed the coursing, cruel stream of foam , hauling himself onto the roof of the car , and kneeling over Victors partially submerged torso. As he adjusted his gaze to the darkness , a pair of hazel irises locked onto his horrified grey stare. "Hey, what's your name ? " the voice asked, as a pair of knees knelt by Victirs head . " I'm Ryan , call me Ry'. Liam and I were passing overhead and-well let's cut a long story short . We've escaped similar situations and we're gonna get you outta here. " Ryan yelled out to Liam in relief , "overpass is shallow , car ain't gonna sink any lower than this, buys us some time-" . Staring into the genuine pools of concern , Victor offered a dark chuckle at Ryan's gaze . "Name's Victor, and if you're gonna get me out of this mess , it'll be in a body bag right? Coz I'm gonna drown-" Ryan reached over Victors chest and pried at the binds around his wrists , gauging the proximity of the rope to his skin. "Damn , I can't slip a finger underneath-" , he cursed , and angled the shard of glass at the binds. "Good thing me I've done this before . Severed my own binds and then his-" "Were you by any chance tied the the roof of the damn thing because of something called Vanderine?" . Victor , swallowing his fear responded "You too huh? I refused it, and -" Ryan slid the fragment of sharp rock back and forth , hacking at Victors wrists as he said "Yeah, but let's just focus on getting you free huh?" Liam knelt on the trunk of the car , water cascading over his thighs as he assaulted the thick ropes around Victor's torso. "Yeah , we can sure as hell try-"