Operation Goliath - Chapter 10
Title:Operation Goliath
Author:Penikitty
Pairing/Characters:Paul Ballard
Rating:NC17
Warnings:Some chapters contain strong language and violence
Spoilers:None as set before Dollhouse
Disclaimer:I do not own Paul Ballard or the Dollhouse. They belong to Joss.
Word Count:1361
Summary:A look at the events that led to Paul being assigned the Dollhouse case.
Beta:ru_salki99
Feedback:Yes please!
Present Day.
“Please”, he cried, tears beginning to stream down his face, “Please believe me, I’m not lying”
The large hands grabbed him again before smacking a fist into his face. Once the black spots dancing in front of his eyes dissipated he looked into the face of his attacker.
“Please Matthew, I don’t work for anyone. I only work for your Dad. I don’t understand why you’re doing this. Please let me go. Please.”
Matthew glared at him, the hate and fury burning in his eyes. “Karl, or whoever you are, you picked the wrong family to mess with. We know how the cops work. We know your tricks and we know how you contact each other. I wonder what Anna thinks is going on right now?”
Paul felt his body tense at the mention of Anna’s name. They really did know. His mind went blank. He had no idea how to get out of this.
He was going to die.
As he realised the truth of his thoughts he pictured Jo. He remembered the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingertips, the way her hair brushed against his cheek when he held her, how her soft breath felt against his ear as she whispered to him. He wanted to remember everything about her before he died. In that instant all the doubts and worries he had had over the past 12 months faded away to nothingness. He knew who he was and he knew who he loved. Death would not change that.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He screamed at Matthew, “I don’t know any Anna.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh really? I see. Well maybe we have made some terrible mistake. How about I ask someone else?” He grinned at Paul now, enjoying himself. “Tasha!” He yelled, “Get in here now!”
Paul stared in horror as Tasha entered the dingy room from a door in the far wall. She stared at him, the betrayal she felt showing from every part of her being. She radiated pain and it hurt him to the centre of his soul.
“Karl…Karl I found this.” She held up a small piece of paper, showing him the name and number written on it. He felt his eyes widen in shock as he looked up and met her tear streaked face.
He didn’t know what to say.
He had failed.
He had well and truly fucked up and now everyone was going to pay for his mistake. As he stared at the floor, willing the words and excuses to come and Matthew started laughing. “You know what, Karl, I think that’s all the proof we need. I’m going to get Dad. He’ll finish this. Tash, come on, we’re done here.”
“No, I need to talk to him first.”
“Tash, I don’t think…”
She cut him off, “Please Matthew, I need to do this. He betrayed me in the worst way possible.”
Matthew looked at Tash long and hard before nodding slowly once. “Okay, I’ll go and get Dad and send him down. You’ve got five minutes.” And with that he walked out of the door.
As soon as they heard a door slam in the distance Tasha ran to him and undid the ropes that bound his hands to the chair.
Paul didn’t understand what was happening, his head was still spinning from being hit so many times. “Tasha, what…?
She looked at him and spoke urgently. “We don’t have much time Karl. You’ve in the basement under the house. It takes a few minutes to get down here. When Jacob gets here I need you to pretend to still be tied to this chair. Then, when I tell you, you need to run. Go up the first flight of stairs and turn left, that takes you to the utility room and there is a door there to the back yard. You won’t need to worry about seeing any of them; they’re all in the front room discussing this…situation. Get into the bushes and follow them back to the main road. Then call whoever it is you need to call and keep running. Remember to keep close to cover. They’re not going to be happy about this.”
He looked at her in shock. “Tasha…why? Why are you helping me?”
She sighed and looked down at the floor, thinking before answering him. “Because I love you Karl. You’ve been real to me for a long time now and I can’t switch that off.” She ran a hand through her knotted hair and tears began to fall gently from her soft brown eyes, “I should hate you. I should want you dead but I don’t. I know what my family does is wrong and I knew it was a matter of time before someone tried something like this.” She looked directly at him, staring into his bloodshot eyes, “I just wish it hadn’t been you.”
“I’m so sorry.” He whispered, “I never meant to hurt you. You were like an angel to me in this place, the only bright part of my months here. I would never have made it this far without you.”
“Don’t Karl, don’t say things like that, not now. Not when I have to say goodbye to you forever.”
He wanted to say he loved her; he wanted to say he was sorry over and over again, hold her in his arms and kiss the tears away from her face. He wanted to do so much but he didn’t. He knew it wasn’t fair. One way or another, this would be the last time her saw her.
They both jumped when they heard a door slam in the distance.
“Remember Karl, first flight of stairs and then left, got it?”
He smiled tightly at her, “Got it.”
A few moments later Jacob appeared in the doorway. Paul had expected him to look furious, for the anger to be flowing from every pore of his body. Instead he looked perfectly calm, perfectly at peace with himself and his surroundings.
He took in Paul’s battered face and multiple broken fingers, but the ropes binding his wrists must have still looked secure as he didn’t check them.
He stared at Paul for a few moments before speaking, weighing up his words.
“Karl, we cannot let you leave tonight. We cannot allow you to tell your superiors what you have witnessed here over the last year, although we accept you will already have told them more than we would like. Adam thinks we should let you go as a gesture of goodwill. I however, disagree. I cannot abide loose ends, and you Karl, are just that. Tash I need you to leave the room now. I don’t want you seeing this.”
“No Jacob.” Said Tash. “I want to do it. Let me finish him off. He used me. Slept with me, planned a future with me and abused my position within the family and my trust. I deserve to be the one to end this.”
Paul couldn’t believe what he was hearing. What was she planning to do? Why would she tell him how to get out if she wanted to kill him? None of this made any sense and it was made harder by the pain throbbing through his whole body.
Jacob studied Tasha carefully before walking over to her in three long strides, pulling a handgun from the back of his trousers and handing it to her carefully.
Paul watched as she held the gun gently in her hands as Jacob walked back to stand on the other side of him.
“Do you know how to work it Tash?” He asked as he watched her studying the firearm.
Paul watched as Tasha held the gun in her right hand and slowly lifted it up to point directly at him. He closed his eyes and prepared for the end when he heard a gasp. He quickly looked up and took in the scene in front of him.
“Yes Jacob, I do know how to work it,” Said Tasha as she aimed the gun at her Uncle’s chest.
Author:Penikitty
Pairing/Characters:Paul Ballard
Rating:NC17
Warnings:Some chapters contain strong language and violence
Spoilers:None as set before Dollhouse
Disclaimer:I do not own Paul Ballard or the Dollhouse. They belong to Joss.
Word Count:1361
Summary:A look at the events that led to Paul being assigned the Dollhouse case.
Beta:ru_salki99
Feedback:Yes please!
Present Day.
“Please”, he cried, tears beginning to stream down his face, “Please believe me, I’m not lying”
The large hands grabbed him again before smacking a fist into his face. Once the black spots dancing in front of his eyes dissipated he looked into the face of his attacker.
“Please Matthew, I don’t work for anyone. I only work for your Dad. I don’t understand why you’re doing this. Please let me go. Please.”
Matthew glared at him, the hate and fury burning in his eyes. “Karl, or whoever you are, you picked the wrong family to mess with. We know how the cops work. We know your tricks and we know how you contact each other. I wonder what Anna thinks is going on right now?”
Paul felt his body tense at the mention of Anna’s name. They really did know. His mind went blank. He had no idea how to get out of this.
He was going to die.
As he realised the truth of his thoughts he pictured Jo. He remembered the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingertips, the way her hair brushed against his cheek when he held her, how her soft breath felt against his ear as she whispered to him. He wanted to remember everything about her before he died. In that instant all the doubts and worries he had had over the past 12 months faded away to nothingness. He knew who he was and he knew who he loved. Death would not change that.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He screamed at Matthew, “I don’t know any Anna.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh really? I see. Well maybe we have made some terrible mistake. How about I ask someone else?” He grinned at Paul now, enjoying himself. “Tasha!” He yelled, “Get in here now!”
Paul stared in horror as Tasha entered the dingy room from a door in the far wall. She stared at him, the betrayal she felt showing from every part of her being. She radiated pain and it hurt him to the centre of his soul.
“Karl…Karl I found this.” She held up a small piece of paper, showing him the name and number written on it. He felt his eyes widen in shock as he looked up and met her tear streaked face.
He didn’t know what to say.
He had failed.
He had well and truly fucked up and now everyone was going to pay for his mistake. As he stared at the floor, willing the words and excuses to come and Matthew started laughing. “You know what, Karl, I think that’s all the proof we need. I’m going to get Dad. He’ll finish this. Tash, come on, we’re done here.”
“No, I need to talk to him first.”
“Tash, I don’t think…”
She cut him off, “Please Matthew, I need to do this. He betrayed me in the worst way possible.”
Matthew looked at Tash long and hard before nodding slowly once. “Okay, I’ll go and get Dad and send him down. You’ve got five minutes.” And with that he walked out of the door.
As soon as they heard a door slam in the distance Tasha ran to him and undid the ropes that bound his hands to the chair.
Paul didn’t understand what was happening, his head was still spinning from being hit so many times. “Tasha, what…?
She looked at him and spoke urgently. “We don’t have much time Karl. You’ve in the basement under the house. It takes a few minutes to get down here. When Jacob gets here I need you to pretend to still be tied to this chair. Then, when I tell you, you need to run. Go up the first flight of stairs and turn left, that takes you to the utility room and there is a door there to the back yard. You won’t need to worry about seeing any of them; they’re all in the front room discussing this…situation. Get into the bushes and follow them back to the main road. Then call whoever it is you need to call and keep running. Remember to keep close to cover. They’re not going to be happy about this.”
He looked at her in shock. “Tasha…why? Why are you helping me?”
She sighed and looked down at the floor, thinking before answering him. “Because I love you Karl. You’ve been real to me for a long time now and I can’t switch that off.” She ran a hand through her knotted hair and tears began to fall gently from her soft brown eyes, “I should hate you. I should want you dead but I don’t. I know what my family does is wrong and I knew it was a matter of time before someone tried something like this.” She looked directly at him, staring into his bloodshot eyes, “I just wish it hadn’t been you.”
“I’m so sorry.” He whispered, “I never meant to hurt you. You were like an angel to me in this place, the only bright part of my months here. I would never have made it this far without you.”
“Don’t Karl, don’t say things like that, not now. Not when I have to say goodbye to you forever.”
He wanted to say he loved her; he wanted to say he was sorry over and over again, hold her in his arms and kiss the tears away from her face. He wanted to do so much but he didn’t. He knew it wasn’t fair. One way or another, this would be the last time her saw her.
They both jumped when they heard a door slam in the distance.
“Remember Karl, first flight of stairs and then left, got it?”
He smiled tightly at her, “Got it.”
A few moments later Jacob appeared in the doorway. Paul had expected him to look furious, for the anger to be flowing from every pore of his body. Instead he looked perfectly calm, perfectly at peace with himself and his surroundings.
He took in Paul’s battered face and multiple broken fingers, but the ropes binding his wrists must have still looked secure as he didn’t check them.
He stared at Paul for a few moments before speaking, weighing up his words.
“Karl, we cannot let you leave tonight. We cannot allow you to tell your superiors what you have witnessed here over the last year, although we accept you will already have told them more than we would like. Adam thinks we should let you go as a gesture of goodwill. I however, disagree. I cannot abide loose ends, and you Karl, are just that. Tash I need you to leave the room now. I don’t want you seeing this.”
“No Jacob.” Said Tash. “I want to do it. Let me finish him off. He used me. Slept with me, planned a future with me and abused my position within the family and my trust. I deserve to be the one to end this.”
Paul couldn’t believe what he was hearing. What was she planning to do? Why would she tell him how to get out if she wanted to kill him? None of this made any sense and it was made harder by the pain throbbing through his whole body.
Jacob studied Tasha carefully before walking over to her in three long strides, pulling a handgun from the back of his trousers and handing it to her carefully.
Paul watched as she held the gun gently in her hands as Jacob walked back to stand on the other side of him.
“Do you know how to work it Tash?” He asked as he watched her studying the firearm.
Paul watched as Tasha held the gun in her right hand and slowly lifted it up to point directly at him. He closed his eyes and prepared for the end when he heard a gasp. He quickly looked up and took in the scene in front of him.
“Yes Jacob, I do know how to work it,” Said Tasha as she aimed the gun at her Uncle’s chest.