Dr. Meyers groaned as consciousness dragged him back to the surface. His head throbbed, a deep ache pulsing through his skull. The scent of damp concrete and rust filled his nostrils. He tried to move, but the sharp bite of restraints digging into his wrists and ankles reminded him of his predicament.

He was tied to a cold metal chair, the room shrouded in oppressive darkness save for the harsh overhead light that illuminated his face. Shadows danced along the walls, the faint buzz of a nearby electrical panel humming ominously.

"Well, look who's finally awake," a familiar voice drawled from the shadows.

Jacob stepped into the circle of light, his expression unreadable but his eyes gleaming with something between amusement and malice. Behind him, Ashcroft sat in his wheelchair, his steely gray eyes fixed on Meyers, exuding an air of predatory calm.

"Jacob," Meyers rasped, his throat dry. "And Ashcroft. What a surprise."

"Cut the sarcasm, Daniel," Jacob said, his voice cold. He leaned in close, his lips curling into a thin smile. "You've caused us quite a bit of trouble, you know that?"

"You mean by helping Alex escape your clutches?" Meyers shot back, his voice gaining strength. "I'd say that was long overdue."

Ashcroft chuckled darkly, the sound devoid of humor. "Your defiance is almost admirable, Daniel. Almost. But let's not pretend this is about heroics. You've always been a coward-hiding behind your research, letting others take the risks while you stayed safe in your lab."

Jacob straightened, circling Meyers slowly. "You betrayed us, Daniel. You stole from us. And for what? To help a failed experiment?"

"She's not a failure," Meyers snapped, his voice rising. "She's more than you ever gave her credit for, Jacob. She's not just some tool for your twisted ambitions."

Jacob's expression darkened, his calm façade slipping. He lashed out, striking Meyers across the face. The force of the blow sent a sharp pain radiating through Daniel's jaw, but he refused to give Jacob the satisfaction of crying out.

Ashcroft tilted his head, his tone almost conversational. "Tell us where she is, Daniel. Save yourself the pain and tell us where Alex is hiding."

Meyers spat blood onto the floor, his glare unwavering. "You'll have to kill me first."

Jacob smirked. "Oh, Daniel, we're not going to kill you. Not yet. We need you-your knowledge, your access codes, your brain. But that doesn't mean we can't make you wish you were dead."

Ashcroft leaned forward in his wheelchair, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "You'll talk eventually, Daniel. Everyone talks. It's just a matter of how much pain you can endure before you do."

Jacob stepped back, his hands clasped behind his back. "You know how this goes. The longer you resist, the worse it gets. So why prolong the inevitable?"

Meyers closed his eyes, steeling himself. His mind raced, calculating his options. He couldn't let them find Alex, but how much longer could he hold out?

Jacob turned to Ashcroft. "Shall we begin?"

Ashcroft smiled, a cold, cruel glint in his eyes. "By all means. Let's see how loyal Dr. Meyers really is."

The sound of footsteps and the metallic scrape of a cart being wheeled closer filled the room. Meyers braced himself, knowing the interrogation was about to take a far darker turn.

Jacob picked up a small device from the cart-a sleek, cylindrical instrument that emitted a faint hum. He turned it over in his hands as if admiring its design before activating it. A sharp crackle of electricity surged from the tip.

"Do you recognize this, Daniel?" Jacob asked, his voice calm, almost conversational.

Meyers didn't respond, his jaw tightening.

"This is one of your designs," Jacob continued, holding the device up to the light. "A neural disruptor. Originally intended for pain management in patients with severe nerve damage, wasn't it? Such a noble invention."

Ashcroft chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with mockery. "And now, thanks to Jacob's improvements, it's a little less... therapeutic."

Jacob crouched in front of Meyers, holding the crackling device mere inches from his face. "You always had potential, Daniel, but you lacked vision. You were so focused on helping people that you couldn't see the real value of your work."

Meyers met Jacob's gaze, his voice trembling but defiant. "And you were so blinded by ambition that you forgot what it meant to be human."

Jacob's smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered, pressing the device against Meyers' shoulder. The surge of electricity shot through him, sending his body convulsing in the chair. Meyers bit down hard, refusing to cry out.

"Enough," Ashcroft said, raising a hand. Jacob pulled the device away, leaving Meyers slumped and gasping for air.

Ashcroft's voice was low and deliberate as he addressed Jacob. "Do you remember when you first came to me, Jacob? A young, ambitious scientist, desperate to make a name for himself?"

Jacob straightened, his expression unreadable. "I remember."

"You were brilliant," Ashcroft continued, his eyes narrowing. "But reckless. You needed someone to channel that brilliance to give it purpose. And I did that for you."

Meyers, through the haze of pain, managed a weak laugh. "He didn't need purpose, Ashcroft. He needed a leash."

Jacob turned sharply, striking Meyers across the face with the back of his hand. "You don't get to judge me, Daniel."

Ashcroft smirked, watching the exchange with interest. "Do you see now, Jacob? This is why loyalty is so important. Without it, even the most promising allies can become liabilities."

Jacob's voice was tight as he replied. "I understand, sir."

Ashcroft leaned forward, his gaze fixed on Jacob. "Do you? Because I see a bit too much of your younger self in this one," he said, gesturing to Meyers. "Idealistic. Foolish. Weak."

Jacob's jaw clenched, but he said nothing.

Meyers seized the moment, his voice hoarse but cutting. "You think he's loyal to you, Ashcroft? He's loyal to no one but himself. You're just a stepping stone, a means to an end."

Ashcroft's lips curled into a cold smile. "Perhaps. But unlike you, he knows how to stay useful."

The tension between Ashcroft and Jacob was palpable, the air in the room heavy with unspoken truths.

Jacob turned back to Meyers, his expression hard. "Enough of this. Tell us where Alex is."

Meyers lifted his head, his eyes blazing with defiance. "Go to hell."

Ashcroft sighed, leaning back in his wheelchair. "I admire your stubbornness, Daniel. Truly, I do. But let's see how long it lasts."

Jacob activated the neural disruptor again, stepping closer. "This is only the beginning, Daniel. You'll talk. They always do."

As the device crackled to life, the faintest flicker of doubt crossed Jacob's face gone in an instant, but enough to suggest that even he wasn't entirely comfortable with the path he had chosen.

Jacob moved methodically, circling Daniel like a predator sizing up its wounded prey. The neural disruptor hummed ominously in his hand, its faint glow casting eerie shadows on the walls of the dark room.

"You've always underestimated me, Daniel," Jacob began, his voice low and deliberate. "Back when we worked together, you saw me as a rival. Someone to outshine. But you never understood what I was willing to do to succeed."

Daniel struggled to lift his head, his breath ragged. "You call this success? Torturing people, building weapons of war? You're nothing more than Ashcroft's pet."

Jacob's jaw tightened, the insult striking a nerve. He lashed out with the disruptor, pressing it against Daniel's ribs. A surge of electricity coursed through his body, forcing a strangled cry from his lips.

"Pet?" Ashcroft interjected, his voice dripping with amusement. "Oh, Jacob, he doesn't know you at all, does he?"

Jacob pulled the device away, leaving Daniel slumped and gasping for air. He turned to Ashcroft, his expression unreadable. "What would you have me do next, sir?"

Ashcroft tilted his head, a cold smile playing on his lips. "You're doing just fine. But perhaps we should remind him of what's at stake."

From a nearby monitor, Ashcroft activated a feed showing Alex's face-grainy and distorted but unmistakable. She was standing in what appeared to be an abandoned facility, her expression determined as she examined a map.

Daniel's eyes widened, a flicker of panic breaking through his pain. "Don't you dare touch her."

Ashcroft's laugh was soft, almost fatherly. "Touch her? Oh, Daniel, we don't need to touch her. She'll come to us. That's the beauty of loyalty, isn't it? It makes people predictable."

Jacob leaned in, his face inches from Daniel's. "She'll come for you, Daniel. And when she does, she'll walk straight into our trap."

Daniel mustered what little strength he had left, spitting blood at Jacob's feet. "You'll never break her. She's stronger than both of you."

Jacob straightened, wiping his shoe with calculated precision. "We don't need to break her. We just need to remind her who's in control."

Ashcroft gestured toward the cart of instruments. "Jacob, I think our friend here needs another lesson. Something... permanent."

Jacob hesitated, his hand hovering over a serrated blade on the cart. For a brief moment, doubt flickered in his eyes. But Ashcroft's gaze bore into him, unrelenting.

"Do it," Ashcroft commanded.

Jacob picked up the blade, its edge gleaming in the dim light. He approached Daniel, his movements slow, deliberate.

"This will hurt," Jacob said softly, almost regretfully, as he pressed the blade against Daniel's forearm. "But it's nothing compared to what she'll feel when she realizes she couldn't save you."

Daniel clenched his jaw, refusing to cry out as Jacob dragged the blade down his skin, the sharp edge carving a bloody path.

Ashcroft watched with satisfaction, his smile widening. "Good. Pain has a way of clarifying things, doesn't it, Daniel?"

As the blood dripped onto the floor, Daniel's vision blurred, but his resolve remained unbroken. Between labored breaths, he muttered, "You'll regret this. Both of you."

Jacob stepped back, his face a mask of control. But beneath the surface, a storm brewed. "We'll see who regrets what when this is over."

Ashcroft gave a slow clap, his voice dripping with approval. "Now, let him stew. The more he suffers, the more desperate Alex will become, and desperation always leads to mistakes."

With that, the two men left the room, the door hissing shut behind them. Daniel, battered and bloodied, slumped in the chair, his mind racing. He had to find a way to warn Alex before it was too late.