Bound by Pride Ch. 02

She noticed that her charge was squinting so she quickly tore a strip off the blanket and slowly wrapped them around her eyes, trying not to scare her and tied it tightly behind her head. "Better?" Electra asked in a soothing voice. Two women walked in, one carrying a large first aid kit, the other held a few more blankets. They were followed by several men.

"Men out." Electra demanded. "NOW." They nodded and quickly backed off.

"What do you need?" The woman with the large first aid kit asked as she walked forward carefully.

"Help. First I need photos of these, and then we need to get them off." She gestured to the collar and manacle.

"I have some tools which will help… I'll just go get them." The other woman left.

"Can you go to my partner, Dave, and tell him I want a bottle of water and my kit."

"I'm Molly." The paramedic said.

"Electra." She nodded her head in introduction. Molly returned moments later with a large bottle of water and a heavy black bag.

Electra opened her bag and pulled out a camera. "Can you help her up?"

Molly nodded and approached carefully, "Hi, I'm just going to help you up so that some pictures can be taken." Molly carefully unwrapped her and helped her to her feet, keeping a good grip on her to keep her up, which was hard to do as the woman could barely move so couldn't support her own weight… what there was of it, she thought to herself. Molly had been a little hesitant about getting close to a person who could snap at the smallest provocation but trusted Electra's knowledge in this matter. Just handling her made her realise that doing this now while the woman was still too weak to move and still a little in shock, would be less stressful on her. Electra was quick, taking note of the condition of the woman before her.

"Turn her around." Electra ordered, keeping her voice gentle. Molly sat her down and turned her quickly, getting her back up to show the other side. "All done." Electra told her moments later. Molly sat the woman down and wrapped the blanket back around her.

Molly took a deep breath as she opened her kit; it had taken all of her willpower not to cry as she held the woman up so that Electra could take her photos. "Is something wrong with her eyes? Does it look like there might be an infection?" She asked as she tried to focus on her job.

Electra shook her head and answered, "No, her eyes are just light-sensitive."

Electra could see Molly's struggle but didn't want to comment on it or react to it. She knew she was in even worse condition than this woman was when Angelo carried her from her cell.

Electra sat beside her victim and grabbed the bottle of water, taking the lid off then wrapped an arm around her shoulders to help her remain upright. She pressed the bottle to her lips and gently tilted the bottle back, letting the water touch her lips. Her hands grabbed Electra's at the smell of water and drank greedily. Electra pulled the bottle away after a few mouthfuls. "Slowly… I'll give you some more in a short while."

"A drip will hydrate her faster." Molly commented as she looked in her kit and wondered what to use first.

Electra shook her head. "Not always… she's not as bad as I've known… I'll keep giving her little bits at a time and get a pack healer to look at her."

"I've asked to do a Were first aid course… but they aren't holding it here." Molly said as she picked up Electra's soft tone of voice, trying to be soothing.

The other woman walked forward and put her tools down. "We'll do her foot first." She said. "Hi, I'm Jessica and I'm just going to have a look at your foot." She said gently, and gently touched her as not to startle her.

Electra wrapped her arms around the shaking woman as Jessica examined the manacle. She cut the lock and remaining chain from the manacle and tried to snap it off and after struggling for several moments; she finally got it free and tossed it away.

"Fuck." Molly said gently as her eyes focused on the wound, which wrapped around the victims ankle: there was no skin present beneath the manacle, only raw flesh.

Electra breathed in remembrance and grabbed her phone; she dialled for Jeff. "Jeff, does your pack healer know about immortal healing rates and needs?"

"No… the four we have here don't know much about immortals."

"Thanks." She hung up and called her mother. No one quite understood how Electra could call Amy mother, there were only three years difference between their ages but she had spent a considerable amount of time with Alanna and Sage who called her ma, and when Amy and Wolfgang adopted her, giving her the family and stability she craved, it was her way of honouring them.

"Hi sweetie, what can I do for you?" Amy greeted after the first ring.

"Nathanael… I need him here with everything he might need to work on a sick immortal."

"How bad?" Amy asked gravely.

"A little better than De Luca." Electra answered in a veiled way.

"Are you going to be okay with this?" Amy asked, concerned for her daughter.

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll have him with you in a few minutes. Call me if you need me." Amy answered and hung up.

Electra closed her phone and turned noticing that her charge was asleep against her chest.

"Why do you keep saying immortal?" Molly asked as she did her best to clean the manacle wound.

"Because she is immortal and we immortals deal with things differently. She looks bad to you; you wonder how she is even alive. Trust me when I say this… immortals can take a whole lot more damage than a normal Were before being knocked out. They can get sick… they just can't die from their sickness… it just keeps getting worst until the illness is corrected." Electra explained.

Vivian and Nathanael appeared and Nathanael went straight to work after registering the scene before him. He pulled the blanket aside and sighed in regret, he had hoped he wouldn't have to work on someone this bad again. Not as bad as you were. He told her silently, gently tucking the blanket back around her. He had seen the photos Roberto had taken of the condition of everyone he rescued from that bloody pack. Electra had been starved for almost a full year by then. There had been nothing to her and no will to resist her captors. It was truly amazing how quickly she gained her weight back. A month after being free she had some flesh covering her bones and four months of being with Amy had her back to what should have been her physical peak.

"Have you fed her?" He asked aloud.

"Yes, the fore quarter of a cow while she was in tiger form." Electra nudged her and held the bottle to her lips; she drank but didn't bother to wake up.

He nodded and opened one of his bags; he turned to Molly. "Just wrap that for now because it wont heal since her body has shut down." He pulled out a bag with white liquid in it but hesitated, not wanting to start treating her as she was. "We need to get her clean before I can work on her."

Dave walked in but stayed in the doorway as he knew Electra wouldn't like him coming any closer to the victim since she had asked for only females to be in there. Nathanael just didn'tcount for he was a healer. "Electra, CSI want the scene."

"A few more minutes. We want to get the collar off first." Jessica told him. She stood and with Vivian's help managed to get the collar off after working the pin free. Molly went pale at the sight before her. She thought her ankle looked bad, that was nothing compared to the wound that wrapped around her throat.

Nathanael wrapped the wound loosely. "Okay, let's move her. I need her clean before I can take care of her wounds. Some of the boils need to be lanced and the cuts on her back are infected."

"We'll take her to the bureau and get her clean and tended there." Electra conceded.

Nathanael nodded and packed up his things. Vivian studied the collar and frowned, "An interesting metal combination…" she dropped the collar and dusted her hands against her pants.

Electra picked the unknown woman up and carried her out of the house. An Enforcer raced over, "They won't let us check the men for signs of turning." He told her quickly. Electra handed her bundle to Vivian and gave Nathanael the keys.

She took a deep breath and walked with the enforcer over to the squad cars, which held the two men. "These men needed to be check for signs of a forced turn." She informed several officers around the cars. She spoke with a tone that dared them to question her.

"Too late." The man beside her said a moment before the car door flew off, clipping one officer and striking her. She was staggered by the blow but quickly recovered. Enforcers took positions as the fury filled Were exploded from the squad car. Nathanael raced forward as Electra gestured at the enforcers to stay back. Nathanael came to a stop next to her. She cast a globe of darkness around the newly turned Were so that they could create a plan of attack.

He'll have no sophistication as rage colours everything he does and how he will react so guard your neck. His instinct will force him to go for the throat every time. Nathanael warned as he had more experience with force-turned Were who were in a full fury. Try and get him in a head lock, I'll take out his legs. The moment he's down, we muzzle him.

Electra nodded and brought her beast forward, Nathanael copied and they both shifted into hybrid forms. She released her globe of darkness and gasps reached their ears. They had thought the furry filled Were was big but he was tiny compared to Electra and Nathanael; the tips of his ears didn't even reach the middle of their chests, the breath of his shoulders and chest seemed insignificant against the broad expanses that Electra and Nathanael had. There was one more thing, which separated them: he was thin and gangly, not having had the time to develop his form nor strengthen it with years of training like Nathanael and Electra who rippled with unmistakable power.

He snarled and lunged at Electra who was before him. She, however, was faster as she was much more comfortable in this form and knew its strengths and weaknesses. She side stepped his lunge and trapped his head just as Nathanael took out his legs. All three crashed to the ground but Electra and Nathanael were prepared for the crash and managed to strengthen their holds.

Enforcers raced forward and quickly shackled and muzzled him. Electra and Nathanael got off him and stepped away, letting the enforcers bundle him into a caged van. The watchers were surprised at his treatment but they couldn't say they weren't relieved to see him hog tied in chains and muzzled. A fury filled Were, who had been turned by accident but didn't follow the compulsion to go to a haven, had run rampant in a New York apartment block a few years back. He killed thirty and turned twelve, nine of those twelve were children under the age of thirteen, their parents losing their own lives to keep their children from being killed. No one here watching wanted to see that kind of mayhem again.

They walked over to Dave. "Couldn't you have stripped before shifting? We didn't bring any spare clothes." He complained.

Vivian rolled her eyes; she had already put her bundle in the car. "Hello… I'm here." She held out her arms and two bundles of clothes appeared with shoes and a pair of sunglasses for Electra. She flicked her head and two curtained boxes appeared one around Electra and one around Nathanael. She handed the bundles in. Minutes later Electra and Nathanael walked out clothed and the curtained boxes vanished.

"Let's go." Electra told them.

"Where are we going?" Dave asked as they approached their car.

"The office." Electra answered.

Dave frowned, "But I thought all injured and abused Were go to a Haven…?"

"No… Ma had the procedures concerning abuse victims changed a few years ago. More so, for victims like her." Electra took a deep breath. "Trust after such an ordeal is hard to come by. When trust is established, the victim stays with the person they trust. If they are removed from that person before they are ready they can snap and have a complete mental break down."

"So… what are we going to do with her?" Dave asked.

"She stays with me." Electra told him.

He made a silent 'oh' and nodded. He now knew what Electra had to do to get her to calm down and shift back.

They climbed into the SUV. Electra gathered the woman up in her arms; she remembered the trip away from what had once been her home. Angelo had quickly handed her to a woman who held her tightly as they moved her. It had been a comfort to her and she knew it would be a comfort to the woman in her arms now. She mumbled and pressed her face to Electra's neck, breathing deeply as sleep claimed her. Vivian smiled as Dave pulled out and went to the office. Vivian handed a bottle of water to Electra. She took it and placed it to her charge's lips again. She drank and whimpered when Electra pulled the bottle away.

"A little more won't hurt her, but not too much." Nathanael told her and Electra let her drink a little more. They didn't want to gorge her on food and drink as her body would just reject it, even the fore quarter of a cow, in tiger form, was a little too much but her beast had needed it in order to calm down.

They pulled into an underground car park half an hour later. Vivian helped Nathanael with his things as Electra got out then picked the woman up. They walked in and a man they knew vaguely from around the Were and Other office spotted them, "Hey, the director is looking for you. He wants a report on this morning." The man warned as he went to leave the office.

Electra turned to Dave and he smiled, "I got this… you take care of her." He walked off to give the director a brief rundown of what had happened.

Electra took them through the building to the gyms and showers. Vivian made soft towels, a pair of cotton pajamas, slippers, a soft sponge, shampoo, conditioner and special antiseptic soap appear. "You hold her up, I'll scrub." Vivian offered as Nathanael removed the bandages. Electra nodded and walked into the showers. Vivian grabbed what she needed and raced in to join Electra. She turned on the water and made sure it wasn't too hot. Electra gently unwrapped the blanket and went to hold the wounded woman into the stream.

The woman jerked, shocked as warm water washed over her body in a constant stream. She hadn't bathed in... She couldn't remember the last time she had a hot wash, she just remembered buckets of cold water but that was it. She relaxed, as the warm water was soothing to her, relaxing her as it pounded against her skin in a delightful way.

Vivian made a shower stool appear and Electra sat her down. "Close you eyes and keep them close." Electra warned her as she removed the blindfold. Vivian started with her hair first, Electra just kept her up right. The woman closed her eyes in pleasure as Vivian's firm fingers massaged her scalp, making tingles race up and down her spine. She couldn't remember experiencing anything like this before and decided that she would have to have someone wash her hair again. She thought she should be scared or tense but nothing these people had done in her experience showed that they meant her harm. They were going out of their way to be gentle and comforting so she had decided that as long as she didn't feel threatened, she wasn't going to struggle against what they were doing.

When Vivian was convinced her hair was spotless, after shampooing it several times to be safe, she turned the showerhead away and lathered her hair in conditioner, using a butterfly clip to keep it atop her head. She grabbed the sponge and liquid soap, gently lathering her skin. When she was completely covered from neck to toe in foamy lather, she brought the sponge to her face.

"Hold your breath; I'm going to do your face now." Vivian said gently, and then lightly rubbed the soapy sponge over her face. She then pulled the clip free and moved the showerhead to wash away the soap. When the soap was gone, she repeated the whole process.

Nathanael walked in after she was being rinsed off for the second time. "That should do it." He offered two large fluffy towels to Vivian. The first towel went around her head to keep her hair out of the way and dry it. The other was used to gently pat her down before the towel was wrapped around her. Electra picked her up and carried her back out.

"Is there somewhere soft we can put her while I work on her?" Nathanael asked as he gently pressed gauze to her bleeding neck.

"Yeah, the incident room I've been using has a couch." Electra went to lead the way. Vivian stopped her and slid a pair of dark sunglasses on her face. She then picked up the clothes she had summoned and followed with Nathanael.

How are you coping with this? Nathanael asked silently. He knew Electra did her best to ignore her life before Amy took her under her wing. He also knew no one in the FBI knew the childhood she had lived and that this case was going to bring her past out as she would be forced to explain how she knew so much about being a slave.

Okay… I think. She answered honestly.

A few minutes later, they walked into her incident room. Jeff was there with what looked like half a restaurant of food spread over the table and a heap of bottled water. Electra sat her on the couch and Vivian took over holding her while Electra grabbed her camera to document her again.

Nathanael lifted her chin, she whimpered as it stretched the wound. "Sorry, I need to see." He apologised soothingly. Vivian quickly braided her hair to get it out of the way. Dave and Director Johnston walked in. Johnston went pale as he saw the state the victim was in, she should not be here he thought to himself. She should be in a hospital, in the ICU, not here.

"Why isn't she in a hospital?" Johnston demanded.

"She doesn't need one." Nathanael told him with a soft voice, reminding him to speak quietly. "I'm going to be attaching a drip; it will not induce fury or hurt you I promise." Nathanael explained as he found a useable vein in her hand and inserted a needle to attach a drip. He then taped it down, attached the bag with a white fluid in it, and offered it to Electra who moved a coat rack and used a coat hanger to hang the bag. Vivian offered her more water, which she drank. "This will help your body heal. It won't take effect for at least two hours which will give me time to treat your wounds."

He went to work, cleaning, wrapping, lancing and cauterizing the infected wounds on her back before he started to stitch a few of the cuts together others he left as the infection needed to be corrected before he could stitch. Electra and Vivian slid her into the loose cotton pyjamas when he was finished and laid her back, a blanket went over her

"Electra… the other man… he was cleared by the enforcers, he popped up in the system…" Dave's voice drifted off, hinting.

"You go…" Vivian told her. "I think she trusts me enough to be with me." Electra nodded and took the file Dave offered her. She took a deep breath. This was going to be hard; she could feel it.

****

Electra walked into the interrogation room after spending some time studying the file they had on the person. Dave was already in there and was leaning against a wall, sipping some water. She flicked a chair around and sat, opening the file she had been holding. "Interview of Brian Reynolds started at 9:23 on the 18 of July 2018 with Agents Luis- De Luca and Murphies conducting the interview. Do you understand your rights, Mister Reynolds?" She said dryly, her eyes not meeting his until after she had spoken and got a pad ready to take notes.