Chapter Text
A young cadet is sat on an old, fragile chair with his hands tied firmly behind his back. As the lights buzzed and flicked on, Andrew's heart rate started to pick up in pace, his breathing getting more rapid as he pinpointed the sound of Nigel's all too calm breathing.
"I realise you've been down here a while now." he states and he drags a chair to sit behind Andrew, making the cadet's breath hitch slightly.
"Y-yeah two weeks by my count.." he forces out, trying to sound less shaken than he is. But as he always did, Nigel saw right through this facade.
He hums, pleased with the atmosphere he's set for the boy.
"Hmm, two weeks.." He agrees. "A fortnight, we used to call it in my day... at Oxbridge."
The cadet grimaces at that and quickly fires back sounding more panicked.
"i never went to Oxbridge, I don't know what you're talking about!"
"I can tell, you're accent is more, regional." Nigel says, enjoying the frustration he is slowly forcing out of the cadet.
"There are people with regional accents at Oxbridge, there are!" He raises his voice, almost crying out with the frustration that is boiling up inside of him.
"No!!" Nigel cuts him off by grabbing his shoulders and shaking him slightly. "Not in my day there weren't!" He snakes his head round to just behind Andrews left ear first. "We all spoke the queen's English..." He says, his voice low and dominant, smirking as he feels Andrew shiver against him. Then, snaking his head to the boys right ear, he corrects himself. "Or now... the king's English." His smirk widens. "Do you know who's King here in Manchester, Andrew?" He asks getting ever so slightly closer to Andrew's ear, watching a shiver run through him once again.
Andrew answers with a confused stutter. "Ch-Charles?"
"Nigel." He corrects. "Do you know who Nigel is?"
Andrew mumbles as fear takes over the frustration he was feeling just 30 seconds ago. "You?.."
"Me." Nigel drags the word. "All. Eyes. On. Me... all eyes on me." He repeats, moving back around to Andrews left side, leaning forwards and resting his arm on his steady leg.
"So, I suppose you have to decide, who's side you're on, Cadet."
"Well.. I'm on the side of the- Manchester Metropolitan Police Force of cour-" He is sharply cut off.
"But! Are they on your side, Cadet? Think. While you're..." He tucks a strand of hair away from Andrew's face gently. "You're barely on a living wage, you're.. well... a trainee. And they just sent you here. All alone? I mean come on Cadet Andrew. Are you really so naive? You've been here two whole weeks and nobody has come searching yet. But... I know you have the information of their next plans to do with me and my Manchester Manor. And yes, I admire your loyalty to the force but my patience has run oh so thin." He stands and walks until he is right in front of the boy, looking down at him. "So, tell me, what are the next steps for your police force, hmm?
"I won't tell you. Ever." Andrew states weak but he is determined to not give up.
"Oh... no... You see, that wasn't a request, it was an order." Nigel almost whispers as his smirk fades and his eyes seems to lose all colour.
"I'll never tell you, Nigel." The cadet states with too much confidence, finally making eyes contact with his kidnapper.
"Hmm, no?" A thud followed by a cry echoes through the room as Andrews face whips to the left. "I've been awfully patient with you Cadet, you can't follow orders?"
Andrew looks up at him with slight shock in his eyes as the pain in his faces turns into more of a pulsing sensation.
"I don't take orders from you!" He raises his voice.
"Your commanding officers don't even care about you Cadet why are you still taking the orders from the people who can't be bothered to come and find you?" Nigel asks in frustration.
"They will find me... and when they do, I'll tell them, every single piece of evidence that you have around your house will put you away for years, and when it does? I'll be there smiling and waving you good riddance." He says with a smirk, his confidence building too high for Nigel's liking.
Another crack rings out harder than the first and Andrew cries out as a wound opens on his cheek from where the ring on Nigel's finger had hit him. Nigel's heart starts to race as the anger boils over.
"Soon Cadet." He spits. "I won't need you anymore, and I'll take pleasure in getting rid of you slowly, and painfully... I'm going to make you wish you never joined that police force..." He whispers this promise in a low, knowing voice before turning on his heel and walking back up the stairs, clicking the light off, leaving his wounded, and broken cadet in complete darkness, still listening carefully, hearing muffled sobs coming from below. He knows his cadet will soon fall apart,
It's now just a waiting game....