The Theron Residency (Brides of Theron Book 4) (17 page)

“Fenwick, what have you brought for me?” Gatton said in a manner he had noticed put people on edge. He saw Carel swallow hard and take a second to compose his thoughts.

“I brought you evidence that the two Theron prisoners, Zirlo and Lars, are dead and at the bottom of the pit.”

“Funny, this looks like a skull…and a hand, maybe?” Gatton took a knife from the top drawer of his desk and prodded the bones moving them this way and that. “They are burned badly. How am I to believe that these bones belong to the missing prisoners?”

“They were burned in the pit. Looks like a gas pocket ignited at the base when the cart slammed into the rocks and sparked. The bodies were trapped under the wreckage. I couldn’t move the cart by myself so I took only what was not hidden underneath it. I mentioned to your guard, Uphir, that I had received testimony from a doctor in the camp. Based on measurements taken from these bones, she had concluded that the bones were derived from someone of Theron decent. I also have the testimony of two men in Zirlo’s sector that can validate the location of a missing tooth that proves that the skull belongs to Zirlo. When you look closely at the hand, the bones of the fingers were badly broken and then reset and allowed to heal. The thumb is intact. This is consistent with the injuries that Lars was reported to have possessed before arriving at the camp. If you wish, you can hear the testimony of the prisoners yourself, Sir.”

“Lead the way soldier,” Gatton said. Carel gathered the bones, carefully putting them back into the bag. Then, Gatton followed Carel to the Emperors personal transport craft. Gatton strapped himself in beside the pilot with the others doing the same in the back. Uphir accompanied him as his personal physician. If something were awry, his younger brother would know. There are 36 hours in the day on Drylon. The planet is larger than Earth and UV-49 but not as large as Theron. In twenty minutes time, they made it to the camp and parked the fighter on landing pad #1. Coincidentally, the same pad that the Drylon fighter supposedly disappeared from.

“The doctor’s cave is just over here,” Carel said as he stepped carefully down the incline to the awaiting hovercraft. “I’ve arranged transportation for you Emperor.” It really wasn’t that far to the cave, but he knew that Gatton would not want to walk through the dusty camp. Carel clapped his hands at the entrance as Uphir shoved the newly hung, makeshift curtain over the doorway as Gatton made his way in.

On the ground was a grotesque woman with large lumps on her face. Gatton called out to the guards in repulsion, “Remove this…woman.” The two guards that drove the hovercraft responded immediately to his command. One grabbed under her arms and the other grabbed each of her ankles. Mattie screamed as if she were in great pain. They carried her out and set her roughly on the ground outside to lay in the direct sunlight. The woman covered her eyes with her arm as a male prisoner went to tend to her. The light must have been blinding to her. “Why is she still here?” Gatton turned and looked directly at the Theron woman doctor.

“Mattie is very ill. I don’t think that she will survive the week.” He could see that she was angry. It probably took everything not to yell or scream at them for the poor treatment of her patient. He watched as she turned away and faced the wall busying herself with folding of square cloths that she removed from the drying line. “What can I help you with Emperor Gatton?” He would excuse her tone this time.

“Fenwick said that you identified the remains he brought back. You say they are from a Theron Warrior. I’d like to hear how you came to this conclusion,” Gatton said coldly.

“Of course,” she looked up at Carel, “Do you have the bones?” Gatton caught something in the way that they looked at each other for just a fraction of a second. This woman meant something to Fenwick. He observed them in silence to glean whatever he could about their relationship. He could see it in her eyes too. He watched as Carel pulled the bones from the sack and placed them on the cot. “Do you have a light?” There it was again when she looked up at Carel. Carel pulled out a light and focused the beam on the bones. “Alright. According to my research, the prisoners in sector six and the majority of this camp consist of people from Pernmock, Theron, and UV-49.”

She picked up the bones of the hand carefully. “The hand had to be from someone of Theron or Drylon decent. There are five digits, four fingers, and one opposable thumb. As you know, Pernmock’s have three fingers and two opposable digits. Uvites have three fingers and one opposable thumb. I also noticed that the fingers on this hand had been broken by some kind of blunt force trauma; say a hammer or some other instrument. See, this bone in the middle digit was crushed completely. It looks like the fingers were set and a medicine to hasten healing was prescribed. The thumb suffered no damage.”

“The skull is clearly from a person of Theron Decent. With several measurements, such as brow ridge projection and crown circumference versus the distance from just under the nose to a point above the jaw line, it is conclusive. The wear patterns on the teeth that remain suggest that this man is at or over 250 years of age. I also found that one tooth was extracted from the upper left side of his mouth about one year to six months ago. The patterns in the way that the jaw bone healed suggest that the tooth had abscessed and, as a result, had to be pulled.”

“Danuwee, a Pernmock male in Zirlo’s sector, has offered testimony. He told me that he pulled the tooth from Zirlo’s mouth about a year ago when it became too painful for Zirlo to function with,” Carel interjected.

“Is he here?” Gatton asked.

“Yes Emperor. He is just outside.” Carel shifted the curtain and called the man in. Danuwee ducked low to enter the small cave. “This is Danuwee.” The pernmock man stood with two sets of arms clasped in front of his chest as he bowed.

“You say you pulled the tooth. Can you tell me where you removed it from?” Danuwee turned as if he would walk over to the bones. “Stand fast prisoner. Don’t touch that skull. If you pulled it yourself, it should have been a memorable experience. Don’t you agree?” He looked around and Uphir and the accompanying guards all nodded nervously. “You should know exactly what side and where in his mouth the tooth originated. Think hard prisoner. If you answer wrong, I’ll kill you where you stand.”

Danuwee swallowed hard. A bead of sweat formed at his temple and slowly trickled down his face. “I pulled the tooth from Zirlo’s upper jaw, left side. It was the third from the back, I believe.”

Gatton removed his glasses and picked up the skull and pried the jaw apart. The prisoner indicated the correct tooth. “You are dismissed. Return to your sector.” Danuwee turned sharply and wordlessly left the cave. “It seems that your testimony is consistent. Uphir, do you have anything to add?” Uphir shook his head no as he examined the skull where it lay on the bag. “Fenwick, when you come back from leave you will report for duty as the supervisor of this prison camp as I’ve promised.”

“Yes, sir.” Carel snapped to attention.

Gatton with Uphir at his heels entered the hovercraft that would take him to his ship waiting on landing pad #1. Once onboard Gatton turned to his brother, “Uphir, something is amiss. I don’t know if I trust Fenwick. I have a feeling that he’s in league with the woman doctor. I want you to test his loyalty. I want him tailed while he is away. Have Frenier do it. Then, find out when he is due to return and send several of our shadiest guards to visit our good doctor. I want them to do as they wish with her and I want him to walk in on them while they are doing it. If he turns away and leaves them to their business, we can believe him. If he intervenes, I want the both of them thrown in the dungeon at once. They will remain there until I can figure out what to do with them.”

“Yes, sir. I will do as you ask,” said Uphir as he buckled himself into his seat.

“Good,” He turned to the pilot of the craft. “Let’s get back to the palace. I have two pressing issues I need to deal with.”
 



“Do you think he bought it?” Jenaya asked when the coast was clear.

“I hope so. Only time will tell.” Carel said.

Jenaya went out quickly to check on Mattie. Being in the hot sun would not be good for her. She was showing signs of dehydration before she was thrown outside. If only Jenaya had access to IV fluids. “Can you help me bring her in Carel?”

He squatted down beside Mattie’s limp body and cradled her in his arms. Jenaya pulled the curtain closed as he carefully placed her down on her pallet. “She doesn’t look very well. Do you really believe that she may not last a week?”

“Like you said a second ago, only time will tell.” Jenaya lifted Mattie’s head and brought a cup of water to her lips. Mattie reluctantly swallowed a few sips of water and refused the rest. “You need to drink Mattie,” Jenaya pleaded. All she got back was a grunt in return as her patient returned to sleep. She looked over to Carel and reached out for his hand. “When will you be back?”

“I will be gone for three days.” He said as he brought her palm to his mouth to kiss it. She didn’t pull her hand away, surprising even herself.

“Okay. Do what you must. If you hear from my people, please tell them to hurry.” She felt a tear slide down the side of her cheek. He had caught it with his thumb before it reached her chin.

“I will hurry back to you Jenaya. I have to leave now or the guards will be suspicious.” He leaned into her and she found that she was drawn to him like a magnet. Their lips touched and it was like an electrical charge pulsing through his lips to hers and radiating outward in all directions. She opened her mouth a little and he explored her mouth with his tongue. He kissed her until her legs started to fail her. As she stumbled, he caught her and sat her on the edge of the cot next to the bones. “When I come back and you are free, perhaps you will let me take you out. Maybe get something decent to eat?” He chuckled when she got his meaning. That food she fed to him was kind of horrible. “That is when this whole nightmare is behind us, would you go out with me?”

“When I am free of this prison, I will go with you anywhere Carel Fenwick,” Jenaya said. He never took his eyes off of her as he left the cave. When the tent flap closed, she touched her lips with her fingertips to check if any of the electricity that lingered there remained. Would she last three days without him? Looking blankly at the wall, she thought back to the moment that Gatton took off his glasses. Something with his eyes wasn’t right. His irises were too large and too black to be from someone Drylon born. She was going to have to figure out why. But for now, she laid down on the pallet next to Mattie and let her dreams take her to where she was free.



As Danuwee walked back to sector 6, he prayed to the Gods that Gatton believed his story. Carel had brought the bones last night after taking them to Jenaya. He told them that once they untied the bandages, the broken hand came out better than they expected it would. When it was determined that the testimony of one of his cell mates would be required, it was a toss-up between Hator and himself who would testify. Carel listened to the both of them speak. In the end, Carel thought Danuwee was a much better choice. Hator was smaller than Zirlo while Danuwee due to his pernmock heritage towered over Zirlo by a foot. He had studied the skull last night for the 10 minutes while it was in his hands. He could describe any characteristic with detail. He hoped that the tiny moment of panic didn’t do any damage. He felt a bead of sweat drip down from his temple when Gatton threatened his life. He knew that if he had wiped it away, it would have shown just how bad his hands were shaking.

“So, how did it go?” Hator snuck up behind him as he entered the sleeping area.

“I think it went well. Now, we have to wait.” Danuwee sat down to his breakfast of flat bread made with course oats. He had been waiting outside Jenaya’s cave for some time and was lucky that his sector mates held his breakfast aside for him. “Mattie looks awful. I overheard Jenaya say that she may not last another week. I think we should tell Neshal she is not doing well. Maybe, we could even help him find a way to visit her before…” He swallowed hard. It was hard enough for him to deal with the loss of his mate several years ago. The only peace he found from holding her limp body in his arms was that she never had to be transported to this place only to be worked to death. He thought about how she would have never made it a day here. She was not exactly a roughing it kind of woman, he coddled her way too much. Gave his Shureei anything that she wanted.

Neshal had watched Mattie decline from afar. The men and women were housed in different sectors and mates on opposite sides of the prison. When she no longer made the rounds with water and food he became more and more despondent. What were they going to tell him? Would the guards even allow him to say his goodbyes?

Hator handed him one of the pickaxes he was holding, “Time to get to work on that gold vein we found yesterday. We’ll worry about what to tell Neshal later.” They both swung the ax handles to rest on their shoulders and walked out of the sleeping quarters. He hoped Zirlo made it to Theron. He did not know just how much longer they could endure this hard physical labor much less keep the eminent chance of rescue from being discovered and passed around. Already he heard some chatter among the women that their time to leave the planet was likely soon. He wondered where they got this idea.

It was nice waking up in Ceran’s arms this morning. They took a shower, ate breakfast, and left the house together. She dropped him off at Zeb’s and followed his instructions to get to the hospital. It was better for her to go to work. She liked to be busy and occupied. Ceran would be in meetings all day with the council in light of Zirlo’s appearance. It would be decided very soon whether they would leave the planet again for Drylon to free the prisoners held there.

Meanwhile, Laura did what she did best. She checked on Emma first. She thought that Emma looked great and would have let her go today, but the wound on her leg was still not completely scabbed over. The puss had mostly drained and the medicine was finally reaching the muscle and skin tissue to heal it. Maybe, it would be better by this afternoon. The most positive note was that her fever had broken and her temperature was normal all day. After she had left her friend, she worked in the clinic until the last patient came through her doors twenty minutes ago. It was a busy day on this rotation.

She began to put the equipment and vials of medicine away to where they belonged so that they would be ready for tomorrow when Jeeka walked in to check on her. “Is that a glow I see on your skin Laura? Did someone get mated?” She chided as Laura felt the color rise in her face.

“Is it that obvious? I mean, how do you guys know this?” Laura asked a bit frustrated.

“It’s not that big a deal you know. It is like you feel the energy is different than it was before. It is like a line that extends beyond you toward where ever Ceran is. It’s a good thing Laura. Relax.” Jeeka smiled at her.

“Then, I wish everyone would stop making it such a big deal!” Laura stalked off with a scanner and slammed it on the table.

“Hey, careful with that,” Jeeka picked up the scanner and checked to see if it was alright. “I didn’t mean anything by it. You know that I have been with several men and still have not found my mate among them. I just wanted to say that you are lucky. Maybe one day, I will find mine too.”

“I’m sorry Jeeka. I didn’t mean to get upset. It’s just that on my planet, finding a soul mate is not always such a ‘sure’ thing. Here on Theron, it’s as if you see it like a light switch. Now, it’s like everyone knows that mine has been turned on. I guess for me, it’s kind of embarrassing that everyone knows that I lost my virginity.” Laura didn’t look up. She focused on rubbing the instrument that she held in her hand with an antiseptic.

“I’m jealous you know. Carel is a good man. You’d think that the men of my planet would choose a mate among the women that were left behind on the planet before going off searching other solar systems. You’d think that as women, being a minority on Theron, that I should have my pick of men. But, I don’t. The last boyfriend I had wasn’t anything special.”

“Wait a minute. I thought that sex made you mated. You mean to tell me that it has to be sex with the right person to make you a mated couple. It’s not just the sex that matters?” Maybe it was a special bond. Is that why the feelings she felt while making love to him were so intense?

“Oh, Laura! You have so much to learn,” Jeeka chuckled and sat her down in the nearest chair.

“Don’t say it like that. I was just asking a question. I mean, maybe I don’t know how all this relationship stuff works. I just know that when I am with Ceran it feels right.”

“It is right because he is your mate. Now that you are mated, it is clear to everyone that you are off limits. I have been courted by several men. Well, not lately because all I do is work. But, maybe one day soon I will find my mate. If my bond is as strong as the one you share with Ceran, I will be a lucky woman.”

“Everyone keeps saying that. What is it about me that makes you know that my bond is stronger than most? How do you tell anyway? Is there something written on my forehead that says that I am not a virgin anymore and that my mate is so awesome that you shouldn’t even try to pursue me?” Laura smirked.

“I really don’t know how it works. Hell, I am a doctor and I haven’t figured out how it works. It is like my body can tell.” Jeeka reached out and squeezed Laura’s hand. Jeeka had become such a good friend to Laura over the last few months. Jeeka was slowly becoming her best friend.

“Not to change the subject or anything. What do the women on Theron do for birth control? I timed our so called joining to my own body signals such as, basal body temperatures, cervical station, and mucosal consistency to make sure that I didn’t get pregnant. I figured that I could just schedule sex around my cycle. However, after last night I am not so sure I can stick to that plan.”

“Wait a minute Laura. You lost me at cervical station and mucosal consistency,” Jeeka replied.

“My mother gave me this book when I started my period. It was called ‘Taking charge of your fertility.' In the book, it discussed everything you wanted to know about being a woman. Mostly it talked about how NOT to get pregnant and how to chart your menstrual cycles. In reverse, you use the information that you get to determine when you are ovulating in order to get pregnant. I just don’t know if I can tell him on a fertile day that I can’t do it. I figured that maybe you might know of a way to keep me from getting pregnant,” Laura pleaded.

“Isn’t that the whole reason for finding a mate in the first place Laura? Isn’t that what they brought you here for? To have babies and perpetuate the Theron race.” Jeeka looked dumbfounded and it made Laura feel ill at ease.

“Jeeka, I don’t mean to offend you in any way. But let’s face it, I couldn’t even take care of a rewa because I work so much. I just want to finish my residency and then I will be ready to start bringing babies into this world. I have to finish what I started first. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?” Laura began to see the lines on Jeeka’s face relax and sense of calm overtake her friend’s features.

“Alright, I can understand your meaning. As a matter of fact, we do have some means of birth control that was developed by the Blacknor people using a combination of herbs. However, in all honesty, I don’t feel comfortable giving you access to these medicines until you have at least talked this over with your mate. He should have a say in this Laura. Tell him about it tonight and I will give the medicine to you tomorrow if he agrees to it. Ceran’s a good man. I am sure that he will understand your point of view.”

Laura looked down at her hands in her lap feeling the heaviness of frown starting to form on her face. She had hoped that she could keep Ceran out of this and have Jeeka treat her like she was a patient. It was, after all, her body, her choice. At least, that was what she was raised to believe on Earth. Deep down Laura knew that Jeeka was right. She had to stop thinking of herself as a separate entity from her mate. From this point forward, she should start thinking about her and Ceran as “us”. Everything that she decided for herself would directly affect Ceran. She would talk to him as soon as she could.

“By the way, talking to you about men isn’t what brings me to the clinic. Zane asked me to tell you that they are preparing to move the prisoner. He wanted you to check on Lars before he is moved to the Caverns. You’ll need to release him before they can take him.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “Are you coming?”

“If you want me to.” Jeeka smiled.

“Well, let’s get this over with. Shall we?” Laura stood up and Jeeka followed behind her.



Lars had been strapped into the bed for what seemed like days. With no clock on the wall or windows to the outside, he had no real way of knowing just how long they had held him here. They rarely if ever came in to check on him. If they were looking to punish him, this was one way to do it. Right now, he would do anything to be able to sit up and eat real food. Hell, he would give anything to have to take a shit in a proper toilet because it would mean that he had to leave this bed. His back was sore and his limbs were achy with lack of use. He couldn’t even count the number of times that he had an itch that went unscratched. He was going mad in this prison bed.

He had overheard several of the attendants through the door of his room that he would be moved to the caverns soon. He remembered hearing stories about the underground prison. If this bed hadn't made him crazy, he would go insane there. It was supposedly hot in the caverns located so deep within the planet’s crust that the geothermal heat penetrated through the rocky floors. It most likely would not be a pleasant place to live out his remaining days. He almost wished that they would have decided to sentence him to death.

He heard the beeps of the buttons being pushed on the lock outside the door. His doctor, the blond he vaguely remembered from the first day walked in. She reached for his electronic chart from the end of the bed. “So, how are we doing today Lars?”

“It’s Doctor what’s her name coming to visit me? What’s the occasion Doc?” He said with condescension.

“It’s Dr. Laura Mason. I am doing a final check to see if you are ready to be moved to a more secure location.” He could hear the quiet taps and beeps from her touching the pen to his chart. “How are you feeling today?”

“I’m starving. I have been her days and not had a bite of solid food. My body aches from being tied to this fucking bed. Damn it, I want this hose taken out of my dick. An animal would get better care than I have received here. I am definitely going to report this to your supervisor, maybe even the council.”

“That’s good. I am glad that your care was adequate. As for reporting to my supervisor, go right on ahead. I was following his orders.” She chuckled. She reached for the syringe in her pocket and started to take out the catheter. Then she removed the I.V. and brace that had pressed his thigh so tightly. With blood flow reestablished, he felt the blood as it reached his toes. It felt like his foot was being pricked by a thousand tiny needles. She pushed his leg where it once was broken and closed her eyes. She must have stayed like that for half a minute when she opened her eyes and pronounced, “Leg’s all healed. It actually healed better than I imagined it would. We won’t have to cut it off after all and you will be able to walk without any difficulty when you build up your strength.”

“Good. Now, maybe you could be so kind as to unstrap me from this fucking bed.” Lars tried to give her an evil stare out of his one remaining eye. It was unbelievable how sometimes he could feel like his other eye was still there moving about in the socket. This was one of those times.

“Awww, Lars. I wouldn’t want to ruin the guard’s fun.” She gave him a pouty look and then looked at the mirror on the wall. He knew she was talking to whoever was behind the glass. “You can take him now. I just released him from my care.” She looked over at him with his chart held tightly in her arms over her chest, “Have a nice life Lars. I hope you enjoy the Caverns. I’ve been told that the weather is unseasonably warm there all of the time.” She smiled and sauntered out the door.

Immediately after she left, six huge guards stormed into the room. When they undid the straps, he tried with all his might to fight. He was so weak, not having a proper meal in days. His arms and legs cramped due to his exertions. They lifted his body off of the bed and he fought in vain struggling to straighten his arms and legs to make it more difficult for them. The guards lifted him effortlessly and dumped him into a chair quickly securing him to the frame. He stopped fighting. What was the point anyway? There were too many guards and he was not even close to being strong enough to fight them off.

They wheeled him down a series of halls and outside through a courtyard. The light from the sun was blinding. He had been kept inside for the entire time he had arrived. He closed his eye tightly and moaned as they passed through the door. The people who walked by him paused and stared at him like he was some kind of animal. He put his chin down to his chest to avoid their stares. The heavily armed guards surrounded the chair on all sides and wheeled him efficiently to the waiting transport craft. As they got closer, the guard nearest to the craft opened the door and a ramp folded down to the pavement. Once he was on board, they secured the wheels of the chair to the brackets on the floor and the vehicle started to rise.

All of a sudden he felt something strike him hard at the back of his head. “Hey, watch yourself! Damn it.”

The soldier behind him lowered his mouth near his ear and said slyly, “Sorry about that.” As he walked past he hit him again with the butt of his gun, but much harder this time. Lars blinked his eye several times to rid himself of the double vision. He would have reached up to check for a lump, but his hands were still tied securely to the chair.

“Krunt! That is no way to treat our guest,” said the man that seemed to be charge. He unfastened his harness and walked over to Lars and knelt before him. “That’s my job,” a vicious grin on his face.

“Molleb, I was just helping you break him in man,” Krunt said as he fastened his harness. When he was settled in his seat, he pointed his gun in Lars’ direction. He stared him down to try to intimidate him. Lars stuck his chin out and glared at him defiantly.

“So, you are the Theron Traitor,” Molleb said tracing Lars’ face with the muzzle of his gun. “You don’t look so tough. Soon, we will get to know each other very well. You are going to be in my section of the Caverns.” Lars was pulling his head away from the gun and looking away from Molleb. “If you do what I say we will get along fine.” He put the tip of the muzzle under Lars’ chin and raised it so that Lars would be forced to look at him directly in the eyes. “Do you understand me prisoner?”