#spnkate

The man must have had a partner with him, because without him moving an inch, she loses consciousness. She wakes up in a dank, dirty cell, just as a small screen on the opposite wall flickers to life. Two names pop up on the screen, replaced a moment later with a video feed of two women in white tank tops and gray sweatpants. One of the women looks afraid, curled in on herself, the other bruised, angry, and alert. A bell sounds, and the second woman circles the first, her fists up, blocking her face as she hurls out nasty comments, as if she’s trying to provoke her. Lisa doesn’t catch what she says exactly, but something has the first woman throwing herself at the second with alarming speed. Fists and feet fly, heads hit walls, blood spews from their noses and mouths, and Lisa lets out a shocked “Oh my god...”

That’s when she hears a voice that seems to be coming from behind her. 

“Hello? Is someone there?”

Lisa looks around and sees a vent at the bottom of the wall she’s leaning against, about a foot to her left. She leans a little bit closer to it before telling the voice “Yeah...Do you know where we are?”

“No,” it comes out like the owner of the voice is trying not to cry. “I just woke up here.”

“Me too,” Lisa informs her. “My name’s Lisa. What’s yours?”

“Kate.” There’s a quiet sniffle before she continues. “I was heading home from class and some guy stopped me, saying they’d hurt my sister if they didn’t do what I asked. What do they want?”

“I don’t know,” Lisa admits. “But they took my son.”

--

Lisa doesn’t remember falling asleep, but the next time she wakes up, her wrists are being held to a chair by leather straps, and she’s not the only one. There’s at least half a dozen other women in the room, all tied down and in identical outfits, just like the women from the video feed. She glances around, and none of them look familiar, so that certainly doesn’t help her figure out why they’re all there.

“Are any of you named Kate?”

“Lisa?” Asks the girl to her left. She lets out a hollow chuckle. “I was starting to think you were just a dream or something.”

“No, I’m real,” she reassures her.

“Hooray for you, cupcake,” the blonde in front of her says flatly. “But unless you have any useful information, like where we are or why we’re here, could you shut it?”

“The where, I won’t tell you,” comes a voice from the now open doorway. “But as for the why, you should have already formed some kind of idea.” A woman steps in from the shadowy hallway, a man in a grey suit closing the door before standing silently behind her. She gives a false smile in an attempt to soften her stern, authoritarian features.

“Those women from the video,” Lisa chimes in. “You want us to fight.”

The woman - who introduces herself as Naomi - confirms Lisa’s suspicions, and goes on to explain that there’s fifty women in total, each carefully selected for this. All fifty will fight to the death, and whoever wins will get to walk away with a sizable compensation.

“Why should we do what you say? Why should we fight?” That same blonde from before snaps.

“Because, Abby, as you all well know, we have someone near and dear to you. Should you choose not to play your part, we will shoot them dead and you will never see them again.”

Lisa glances over at Kate and sees fear flash across her face before she schools her features, trying to be brave as she asks “You said fight to the death. What happens to our loved ones if we lose?”

“They’ll be released and left unharmed.” Kate relaxes just barely before Naomi continues on. “But don’t take that to mean that you can put in the minimum effort. If all you do is step into the ring and let your opponent do whatever they so please, it will be deemed a forfeit, and we will treat it as though you chose not to fight.”

--

After Naomi goes over the rules and guidelines, answering any questions they may have, the women are led one by one, restrained, back to their cells. Shortly after, Lisa is brought a tray of what looks like middle school cafeteria food that’s been put through a blender, and tastes about as good as it looks. As she eats, she tries to recall the path they took her through between her cell and that room. If she’s going to try to get out of here, she wants to have at least a vague escape route planned out.

“Lisa...” comes Kate’s voice from the vent, quiet and noticeably upset, but more calm than it had been before. Lisa doubts it’s because she’s less afraid; more likely it’s because she’s starting to accept the likelihood of her being stuck here for a while.

“Yeah?”

“Who did they take before they took you here?”

Lisa considers not answering. She doesn’t want to talk about Ben. Doesn’t want to think about the possibility of never seeing him again. But this girl is afraid, and if talking to someone is going to help, then Lisa is willing to be that person. She hears a shuffling sound coming from the vent, as if Kate is moving closer in case the reason she hasn’t heard anything is because Lisa spoke too softly. “Ben. His name’s Ben.”

“How old is he?”

“Will you two shut it?” It sounds like the blonde, Abby. Lisa isn’t entirely surprised that she’s complaining again. “What’s the point in small talk? If either of you manage to win any fights, there’s a chance one of you is going to have to kill the other, so just shut the hell up.”

Kate mutters a quiet “sorry,” quiet enough that Lisa thinks she’s probably the only one to have heard it. It’s silent for a few beats before Lisa hears an unfamiliar voice.

“They have my mother.”

“What’s her--” Kate starts off softly, nervously, before clearing her throat and speaking again, a little louder. “What’s her name?”

“Audrey.” The woman sighs. “My dad died about a year ago, so all we have left is each other. Then, a few months ago, she had a stroke. I’ve been taking care of her since then. Lisa thinks she hears someone - probably Abby - scoff. “My name’s Cassie, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Cassie.” Kate sounds like she might be smiling, and it warms Lisa’s heart a little. “I’m Kate.”

Cassie chuckles. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kate.”

--

Out of the first few fights she sees, only one has someone Lisa knows. Abby is paired up against a brunette named Sarah. They’re both good fighters, obviously have a lot of practice, but Abby is faster, stronger, and more aggressive. Sarah gives Abby a run for her money, but soon enough, Abby gets the jump on her and snaps her neck. Lisa closes her eyes so she doesn’t have to watch the life leave Sarah, but she still hears the sickening sound of her neck breaking and it makes her feel faint.

--

The first time Lisa fights, it’s against a girl named Ellie. She’s younger than Lisa, and a little shorter, with smooth bronze skin and what looks like thick, muscular thighs under her sweatpants. She goes at Lisa with a kind of ferocity that suggests she has long since stopped caring about the moral ramifications of what they’re being made to do.

Ellie sizes Lisa up quickly, and seems to think she isn’t a threat, and while Lisa recovers from Ellie’s harsh blow to her head, stumbling across the floor and waiting for her vision to clear, Lisa can hardly call herself that. It’s been so long since she’s been in a real fight, and that mixed with her hesitance to take part in such a barbaric act as killing someone for someone else’s entertainment, makes it so that, at the beginning of the fight, it looks like Ellie is the obvious front runner.

Lisa won’t go down that easily though. She manages to sweep Ellie’s feet out from under her, then pins her to the dirt floor. She starts hitting her, and soon there’s blood dripping down Ellie’s face and painting Lisa’s knuckles. A pained moan comes from Ellie, and it brings Lisa back to herself. She stops, breathing heaving, and looks down at Ellie’s prone form, bruises blossoming under her skin. Lisa doesn’t want to die, but she’s not a killer either.

She looks up at the camera fixed on the wall several feet above her. “I’m not going to kill her.”

After a few moments, she hears them unlock the door before pulling it open. Two men come in, one carrying a long pole with a cable noose at the end, the other holding a cattle prod. Lisa moves off of Ellie, and before she can take more than a few steps, she’s hit with the cattle prod, electric current coursing through her, her muscles contracting involuntarily, so that she can’t do anything to fight it when the cable noose is slipped around her neck and tightened. She’s maneuvered out the door, and before she’s taken back to her cell, she’s made to watch as the man with the cattle prod pulls a handgun out of his waistband and shoots Ellie in the head.

--

After that, she doesn’t try to spare anyone. All she can do is try to make their deaths as quick and painless as possible. She does her best not to think about the fact that these women are in the same position as she is. They’ve all been taken, they’re all being made to fight, and they’re all trying to protect someone they love. If she tries not to think about that, it makes it easier to fight.

Between her own fights, she spends all her time in her cell. She tries not to pay any mind to the video feeds, but when it’s Kate or Cassie fighting, she can’t help but watch. Abby was right: it is foolish to form attachments to the people here. But Lisa can’t help it. She knows, eventually, it could come down to her or them, but she still cares.

Kate is a better fighter than she would have expected. Her nerves belie a wicked strength and sharp cleverness. When she wins her first fight, it comes as a shock to Lisa, but with each passing fight, Lisa sees her confidence increase and her nerves melt away.

Cassie on the other hand is confident right from the beginning. She’s quick on her feet and her opponents hardly have a chance to land a hit before she’s out of the way. Her tactic is to try to wear her opponent out as much as she can before going in for the kill, and it’s worked for her so far.

Then one day, Lisa hears the guards, henchmen, whatever they are, coming down the hall, but instead of just taking one of them, they take both Kate and Cassie. Lisa tries to reassure them both that everything is going to be okay, but it’s hard to when she doesn’t believe it herself.

“I told you it would happen sooner or later,” Abby quips from her cell.

Lisa doesn’t give her the satisfaction of a response.

--

She wishes there were a way for her to turn off the monitor, or break it, but she can’t. She can’t even mute it. So she has to listen to Kate and Cassie fight.

They both look dejected and like they’d rather be anywhere but where they are. Lisa isn’t sure how long the silence stretches out for as they stand there, watching each other, waiting for the other to make a move so they don’t have to. Cassie is the first one to break the silence.

“We have to do this, Kate.”

“I know,” comes Kate’s response. “I know. But...you’re my friend.”

“And you’re mine. But only one of us can walk out of here.” When Kate doesn’t respond, Cassie continues. “Do it for your sister. Do it for Tasha.”

“What about your mother?”

“I love her, I do. But she would understand.” Cassie braces herself, raising her fists up to block her face. “Now hit me.”

Kate looks like she’s on the verge of tears, but she does as Cassie says. Cassie fights back, but neither of their hearts are really in it.

When Kate gets Cassie in a headlock, she hesitates. “Cassie, I--”

“Do it,” Cassie urges. Then, more quietly. “Do it so I don’t have to...”

Kate squeezes against Cassie’s throat, and Lisa’s not sure, but she thinks she sees tears spilling over Kate’s cheeks. She maintains her grip until after Cassie goes limp, then drops her, both of them falling to the floor. Sobs rack Kate’s body and men come in, leading her out of the room, followed by two men who enter with a body bag. Then the screen goes black.

--

Kate is eerily quiet after she gets back, and Lisa doesn’t hear her say anything before she’s taken away for her own fight. Lisa’s a little distracted on her way there, but once her feet hit the dirt floor of the arena, she’s hyper focused and takes down her opponent with speed and precision that even has the guards who take her out of the arena looking impressed.

Barely a day after Kate’s fight with Cassie, they take her again for another fight. Lisa hasn’t heard many words out of her, and while Lisa can’t blame her, she’s worried. She doesn’t know if Kate has another fight in her.

The screen in Lisa’s cell flickers to life and she sees Kate, her face blank and impassive, and a girl named Tracy, all lean muscle and tanned skin, who doesn’t appear to have any qualms about what they’re about to do. The fight starts and Kate is slower than usual. Any drive she had before seems to have drained out of her. She manages to land a few good punches, but Tracy rallies too quickly for them to have much of an impact in the long run. It’s not long before Tracy gets Kate on her back, grasping her neck and leaning her weight down. Kate barely struggles, and Lisa swears she can hear a faint “I’m sorry, Tasha,” before Kate’s body goes slack.

Lisa hears Abby say “Sorry, cupcake,” from the other side of the wall, but ignores her.

--

It’s Abby who gets paired with Tracy next, and Lisa realizes she has no idea how many women are left at this point. But after Lisa watches the life leave Tracy - finding a sickening satisfaction in the sight, that she hates herself for - Abby looks up at the camera, cocky and full of adrenaline, and declares “I want Lisa.” The fire in Abby’s eyes almost frightens Lisa, but more than that, it excites and confuses her.

Several hours later, she’s brought back to the arena. She’s not sure if it was already the plan, or if Abby’s declaration had something to do with it, but when she enters, she sees a bruised but mostly patched up Abby leaning against the wall, feigning boredom. “Nice of you to finally come.”

“What’s up with this? Why do you want to fight me so badly?”

“Maybe I wanted an actual challenge,” Abby smirks. “Not just some girl who’s gotten into a few cat fights.”

“Maybe?”

“Maybe.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to live up to your expectations,” Lisa tells her, getting into a fighting stance.

Lisa learns that Abby wasn’t wrong. It’s not like the fights have been easy, and neither has killing people, but Abby is on a different level than the other girls. She fights with a ferocity that the rest of them haven’t even touched upon, and it certainly keeps Lisa on her toes.

Lisa suffers blow after blow, and can barely keep up.

“C’mon, cupcake,” Abby taunts. “I know you can do better than that.”

There’s blood dripping into Lisa’s eyes from a head wound, and she thinks she must have a couple of bruised ribs. Abby’s throwing taunts at her, and something she says sends Lisa back. Reminds her of some of the smack talk Ben and his friends use while playing video games. She scolded him for it at the time, but right now she’d give anything to hear it again. She’s not going to give up.

With a rush of adrenaline, Lisa charges at Abby, and shoves her against the wall, holding her there. She whispers low in her ear, “I need you to play dead.” Abby starts to question her, but Lisa cuts her off. “I’m going to get us both out of here, but I need you to follow my lead.”

Lisa pulls her away from the wall, shoving her to the floor and following her down, getting her hands around Abby’s neck and squeezing. Abby looks like she’s starting to panic, but then Lisa catches her wink, and she knows she’s just doing her part.

After a little while of feigning suffocation, Abby goes limp, her eyes drifting shut as her head lolls to the side. Lisa lets go, getting to her feet as her breath heaves. The guards come in, and one goes to loop the cable noose around Lisa’s neck, but before they get the chance, she grabs it, pulling on it and effectively tugging the guard forward so she can get a grip on him, pinning his arms behind his back. The other goes to grab the cattle prod to stun her, but before he gets the chance, Abby springs to her feet, grabbing it from him and shocking him, smirking as he falls to the ground.

The other guard struggles, trying to get out of Lisa’s grip. She lets go, shoving him forward and into Abby, who shocks him too. They leave the arena, running right into the two guards who were coming in with the body bag for Abby, and Abby smashes one of them in the face with the cattle prod. The other one goes to grab his own, but before he does, Lisa knees him in the groin, shoving him over and kicking him in the ribs. Abby shocks him for good measure, and they start running in what they think is the right direction as they hear footsteps running toward them.

They turn a corner, waiting for whoever’s coming toward them to pass. The man in the grey suit that was with Naomi runs past them, and he’s about to turn another corner, giving them a moment to breathe, but before he does, Abby sneezes. The man turns around and catches sight of them, running toward them. Lisa and Abby put up a good fight, it even looks like they’re going to beat him, but that’s when he pulls out a gun. The sound of the gunshot echoes loudly through the halls, and Lisa sees blood start to bloom across the front of Abby’s shirt. The man is about to say something, probably some snarky comment about how they were never going to make it out of here alive, but he doesn’t get the chance. Lisa knocks the gun out of his hands and snaps his neck, letting his body fall to the floor.

Abby is starting to turn pale, and her legs decide they’re no longer able to hold her up. Lisa rushes to her side, simultaneously trying to hold her up and staunch the flow of blood.

“Abby,” Lisa says, her voice shaking. “Abby, you’re going to be okay. Stay with me.”

A hollow chuckle bubbles out of Abby. “I appreciate your concern,” it comes out weak, the smirk on her face faltering. “But you’re going to have to do this on your own.”

“No,” Lisa urges. “You’re going to be fine.”

Abby shakes her head. “I’m really not.” She coughs wetly and Lisa presses harder against the wound to keep her hands from shaking. “Figures I would spend all this time getting my ass beat with this fight to the death bullshit, only to get killed by a damn bullet.”

“It hasn’t killed you yet.” Lisa tries to sound hopeful, but she misses the mark.

“You’re right. It hasn’t.” Her breathing is labored and only getting worse. They both look up when they hear even more footsteps coming toward them. “Which means you need to hand me that gun so I can hold them off while you run.”

“I--”

"Lisa, give me the damn gun.” The urgency in Abby’s voice has Lisa leaning her against the wall. She grabs the gun and hesitates to hand it over to her.

“Thanks, cupcake.” Abby flashes her an attempt at cheeky smile, and all it does is bring tears to Lisa’s eyes. “Now run.” Lisa tries to make another protest, but Abby cuts her off. “Go find that boy of yours.”

Lisa nods curtly, and with one lat glance toward Abby, she picks the cattle prod back up and starts running again, the sounds of Abby’s gunshots reverberating behind her.

--

The hallway leads to an elevator. Lisa gets the doors closed in time before anyone reaches her. She has no idea where she is, whether she should be going up and down, but what she does know is that she’s likely being watched. You don’t run something like this without some level of surveillance. So when the elevator starts moving without Lisa having pressed any of the buttons, it doesn’t come as too much of a shock.

The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open to reveal a hallway with clean, bright white walls and a floor to match. It’s eerily quiet and empty, no sign of anyone. Lisa cautiously steps out of the elevator, cattle prod firmly gripped in her hand. There’s no sign of anyone, and no doors, save for the matte black one at the very end of the hall.

Lisa thinks to herself that it’s entirely possible that there’s a well hidden door, or another hallway that turns off of this one but is hidden by optical illusion, but she takes her chances.

When she reaches the black door, she sees that it has no handle. The tries to give it a push, but it doesn’t budge. She takes a step back, trying to think of what she’s going to to do to open it, when she hears a faint click, and the door slides open. Behind the door is a room that matches the hallway: white walls, white floor, white furniture. The only non-white objects in the room are the decorative antique weapons hung on the far wall. The antiseptic cleanliness makes Lisa feel like she probably sticks out like a sore thumb.

She can’t focus on that feeling for more than a brief moment though, because she’s not alone in the room. Sitting at the glass topped white desk is an austere woman, looking faintly pleased. Naomi.

“Have any trouble finding the place?” There’s the smallest of smirks on Naomi’s face. Lisa wants to punch it off.

“Humor isn’t your strong suit,” Lisa says through gritted teeth.

“Yes, well,” Naomi begins, getting to her feet and rounding the desk to lean against the front of it. “I am a woman of many talents. It only stands to reason that I wouldn’t excel in everything."

"Why did you bring me here?”

"Why not sit down, take a breather? You’ve had a rough day. I’m sure you would appreciate some rest.”

"Answer the question.”

Naomi lets out a quiet huff of amusement. “Right down to business. I can respect that.” She reaches behind her, grabbing a remote on the desk and pressing a button, causing a screen to descend from the ceiling. She continues speaking as a series of video clips from Lisa’s fights plays on the screen. “Each of the women we selected, including yourself, had one thing in common. You were all expert fighters in some form or another. Everything from street fighters, like yourself, to professional mixed martial artists.”

Lisa watches herself on the screen, snapping the neck of some redhead and almost cringes at the brutality of it.

“The original purpose of bringing you all here was to provide entertainment for the wealthy clients who finance this operation. But you,” Naomi straightens from her perch on the desk. “You’re different. Faster, stronger, smarter.” She stalks closer to Lisa, the way she holds herself coming off as nothing but predatory. “Abby was the one that everyone pegged to come out on top, but she’s not the one standing here. She’s laying dead in a pool of her own blood.”

Lisa stands her ground and deigns not to humor Naomi with a response.

“You could have simply fought your way to the end, been let go to see your son. But instead, you convinced another contestant to break out with you, and you found your way here. To me. So I’m prepared to offer you more than just to be able to walk out of here.”

“What then?”

“That man that you killed, the one that shot Abby, was my head of security. Now he, and a fair few of the guards, are all dead and in need of replacing. What I’m proposing is that you, take over for him. You would be paid handsomely. Better than you were ever paid at that gym. Your son would be well cared for, and would want for nothing. The two of you would be financially secure, and all you would have to do is keep the women here in line.”

Lisa’s brow furrows. “You’re offering me a job.”

Naomi smiles. “Not just a job, Lisa. A career. A future, for you and your son.”

Lisa thinks about what that would mean. She could provide her son with a stable life. But she would have to work for the people who took her son in the first place. She would have to stand by and let them take more women for the entertainment of rich assholes.

“Need a little more motivation?” Naomi presses a button on the remote and the image changes to a video of Ben sitting at a metal table in a room with concrete walls, calmly playing a game on his Nintendo DS.

Lisa feels like the wind has been knocked out of her. She’s not sure when she last saw her son, and the relief she feels is overwhelming. “Is...Is that...”

“Is it live?” Naomi finishes. “Yes. And I can prove it.” She walks over to the desk and presses a key on her conference phone. “Ben, can you hear me?”

Ben glances around the room, as though he’s looking for the source of that voice. “Yeah?” He sounds confused, but he doesn't sound scared, and Lisa feels like she’s going to cry.

“You’ll never guess who I have here with me, Ben.” Naomi gestures to Lisa, mouthing ‘speak to him.’

“Ben? Ben, honey, can you hear me?”

She sees Ben’s face light up. “Mom! Mom, where are you? Are you okay?”

Lisa has to take a deep breath to steady herself so she doesn’t start crying. “Yeah. Yeah, Ben. I’m okay. I’m fine. Are you okay, sweetie?”

"Yeah, mom, I’m fine.” There’s not a hint of a lie in his voice. “Mom, when can we go home?”

Naomi gives Lisa an expectant look, and pulls out a pen and what looks like a contract, placing them both on the desk. “Soon, sweetie.” Lisa can’t help but let out a sob. “I’ve missed you, Ben.”

“I’ve missed you too, mom.”

Naomi hangs up the phone, then cuts the video feed and the screen goes dark. “Sign the contract and I’ll take you to see your son. You can both go home.”

Lisa takes a moment to brush away any remaining wetness from her face, and steps over to the desk, picking up the pen, skimming over the contract. This is her ticket to freedom. But could she really live with herself if she agreed to help these people? The people who took her and her son in the first place? The people who forced her and all the other women here to kill people?

She goes to sign her name, but no ink flows onto the paper. Maybe it’s a sign.

She shakes the pen, tries writing again, and nothing. She clears her throat, standing up straight from where she’s bent over the contract. “Do you have another pen? This one doesn’t seem to be working.”

Naomi pulls another pen out of the inner pocket of her suit jacket. “Here.” She holds it out to Lisa, a black and gold fountain pen, the tip catching the fluorescent light and shining. Lisa takes the pen.

“Thank you.”

“Of co-” Naomi doesn’t have a chance to finish the word before Lisa has her pinned down on the table, the tip of the pen against her neck.

“Where’s my son?”

Naomi reaches for the conference phone and Lisa removes the pen from Naomi’s neck, driving it hard into the back of her hand before she can press any buttons.

Naomi cries out in pain.

“Where?!”

“H-he’s on the third floor. Behind a door marked ‘detainment.’ But there’s a fingerprint scanner to get in. You need clearance.”

“And you have the right clearance?”

Naomi nods rapidly. “Of course I do.”

“Good.” Lisa pulls the pen out of Naomi’s hand and takes a step back.

Naomi clutches her bloodied, shaking hand to her chest. “The deal is still on the table,” she tells Lisa, trying to exude unshakable professionalism but falling short. “All I need is your signature.” Naomi uses her uninjured hand to brush back a lock of hair that has fallen from her previously immaculate up-do.

“Alright,” Lisa tells her, wiping the blood off of the pen and stepping back over to the desk. “Let’s do this.”

Naomi looks pleased for a moment before Lisa drives the pen into her neck, nicking her carotid artery. Naomi’s hands fly up to her neck in shock and an attempt to stop the bleeding, but Lisa pulls the pen from her neck, and blood gushes out in spurts, despite Naomi’s attempts. It’s not long before Naomi falls to the floor in a heap, blood staining the perfect white floor.

Lisa watches the display for a moment before going over to the far wall, grabbing a large knife from it’s perch, then goes back over to Naomi, and hacks off her uninjured hand. She wipes some of the blood off on Naomi’s suit jacket, then leaves the office, heading for the elevator, and presses the button for the third floor.