The Theron Residency (Brides of Theron Book 4) (30 page)

At the Drylon Rebel Base…

Carel was packing his things into his bag. His short time off was over and to tell the truth, he was glad to be going. The warehouse was a busy place full of activity. Sometimes, too much activity. He took part in several of the hand-to-hand combat and weapons classes that were taught by Garrett and several of the other skilled military men. He taught some of the techniques that he had learned from his time with the Pernmock military forces. There were kids all over the place at times, running under foot. The noise of talking and children squealing made him look forward to the drive back because of the peace it would offer. Most of all, he was ready to get back to Jenaya.

The thought of her was always there. He and the other leaders of this operation worked with the various planetary governments to set up an offensive, and now a battle plan had been drawn. Not a minute of his time was wasted here. Tomorrow would be the start of a new future for the planet Drylon. Soon, they would be rid of Gatton and his tyranny. He wasn’t free yet though. He still had to play his part and inform the prison camp that help was on its way.

“I went ahead and installed some of my new inventions in your hovercraft. You have pulsar guns in the front and the rear at your disposal now. You can set the guidance system to man it so you can focus on driving if you need to. I also enabled a new kind of shield that you find on starships. This one is tiny compared to that, but the same principle.” Rog said as he leaned against the door frame of the room that Carel shared with several other single men.

Carel nodded, “Thanks, man. I honestly don’t know what I would do without you.”

“No problem. I am glad to be of service. Here,” He held out a cloth bag and Carel reached for it, “Araime said to give this to you. It is that medicine that you needed. She wanted me to make sure that you got it.”

Carel turned the bag over in his hand and explored the shape of the inner bottle with his fingertips. “Is she not coming to say goodbye?”

“She’s got a lot to do in the next couple of hours. She asked me to give you her best wishes and that she hopes that your lady love is well. She also said that you need to act fast. She can tell that this girl means something to you,” Rog chuckled and looked at Carel under his eyebrows. “We’ll meet you tomorrow as planned.”

“Be careful, and take care. Make sure that you get those extra vests packed and ready for the prisoners. They won’t have access to weapons other than the tools they are working with. Sledgehammers, picks, and crockery will be of little help against pulsar guns.” The vests would be handy all around. Every soldier that would make the trip would be wearing one. It was made of loops of metal that would take a life-taking pulsar blast and displace it out and around the body without harming the wearer. It would change a killing shot to a stunning blast, enabling the wearer would live to tell the tale.

“I have them all packed and ready to go,” Rog said as he examined his fingernails.

“What about the children?” Carel asked.

“The children will remain here. Some of the older kids are mad that they won’t be able to fight. We raised the age two years because we had enough foot soldiers to make the trip. Those children will be here taking care of the younger ones with the men and women that are physically unable to fight. Araime has that all under control. Don’t worry Carel, we got this.”

“I know that you do.” Carel slung the strap of his bag over his shoulder and started to make the trek to the loading dock where his car was stored with Rog by his side. “In your honest opinion, do you really think we are ready for this? Do you think that this is going to work?”

“I know all the people that live in this place. I don’t want to lose a single one of them either. If you had asked me a couple of months ago, I would have said no. But, now that we have many other planets in the universe to back us up, I am fully confident that we are going to defeat Gatton and reclaim our planet for the people of Drylon. We all know the risk we are taking and are willing to lay down our lives for our freedom.”

“That’s enough for me, man. I am so glad that we have you and Araime involved in this.” He threw his bag into the back of the hovercraft and climbed in as Rog went to open the door. “Give Araime my love, and I will see you all tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, we will be victorious,” said Rog with a fist in the air.

Carel couldn’t help but smile. Rog Gizzeppli was the oddest kind of soldier you could imagine. He was more of an intellect than a fighter, but even he would march in the front lines through the prison camp to free the prisoners. He left the garage and drove along in silence with his mind going over all the possibilities. He would see retaliation by the prison guards that he didn’t have on his side. This wasn’t going to be an easy fight.

Over trees and oceans for several hours, he thought. He wondered if Mattie was still alive and if the medicine he had for her would do her any good. Jenaya would do the best she could for Mattie, he knew that she would. As he pulled into the parking lot, he said one last prayer that all would go well tomorrow. He got out and swung his bag over his shoulder and went to wait for the transport. It was time to put on his game face one more day.



              Frenier had been waiting there all day knowing that Carel was due to return. It was midday and finally he saw his target enter the parking lot. He pushed a button on the console that opened up a communication channel that led directly to Uphir. “He’s back, Sir. Fenwick has just returned.”

              “Alright, you know what you must do,” Uphir said.

              Indeed, he did. He had already delayed the transport vehicles and the Depot was moving way behind schedule. He sent Carel’s roommates, Benton, Gabe, and Tordor over to Uphir yesterday for their orders. Now, he was to notify them that it was time to follow their assigned task. He called Benton, “Benton, its show time.”



              Benton gathered the other men together, “I just got the call. It’s time.”

              “Do we really have to do this?” Gabe asked.

              Benton snarled, grabbed Gabe’s collar, and got in the young man’s face, “Orders are orders. You will do this or I have orders to kill you myself. Do you understand me?”

              Gabe nodded and followed him and Tordor to the Doctor’s cave. He dreaded orders like these. No one should be treated the way they were supposed to treat the doctor. He didn’t even know what she did to deserve this kind of punishment. He knew of guards that were asked to beat, and in some cases rape, in order to teach the prisoners a lesson. He wondered what action made this punishment necessary. Did she mouth off to a high ranking guard recently? Would he be able to follow through this when his time came? And he knew Benton would see to it that he would.

              He walked with an extended sense of awareness. It was as if he could feel every pebble under his shoe, every wrinkle in his clothes rub irritatingly on his skin, and every eye of those he walked past looking in his direction. It was as if they knew that he was guilty or would be very soon. They walked from the dorms to the small cave near the center of the camp. He didn’t even know why he was sent to do this. Ever since he was brought into Uphir’s office to be briefed, he was sick. This morning his stomach was uneasy with just the thought of what he was expected to do today. He had half a mind to say he was too sick to go, but he knew if he did, they would kill him. Benton, on the other hand, had been looking forward to this. It was going to be the highlight of his week, he had said. Tordor just followed Benton around like a little pet. He was fine doing this as long as Benton was doing it too. What a follower, he thought in disgust. He had wondered to himself, what if Carel was here? Would he have been ordered to participate as well?

              Benton pushed aside the curtain and forced his way into the cave. The woman looked at him incredulously and just said, “Can I help you?”

              Benton looked at the sleeping woman on the floor and turned to him and Tordor and said, “Get this woman out of here.”

The Doctor made a move to stand between them and the woman on the floor and pleaded with them, “Please, Mattie is too sick to be out in the hot sun. I have tried for days to get her to eat or drink. If you put her out there, she will die.”

              “That is not my concern!” Benton yelled. His face was up against hers as he yelled in an act to intimidate her. He grasped a large clump of her hair in his massive fist and yanked her to the side. The Doctor went willingly in any direction he pulled. When he let her go, she backed away and took several calculated steps backward until the back of her knees hit the edge of the cot behind her and she fell back. The items on the cot clanged together and fell noisily to the dirt floor. Gabe took Mattie by the feet and Tordor reached under her armpits to lift and move her outside. Once she was out of the cave, Benton ordered, “Gabe, watch the door.” He took this chance to leave the cave and station himself just outside in front of the tattered, dusty, striped curtain that covered the cave entrance putting distance between himself and the people inside.

              He could hear signs of a struggle inside. The sound of a connecting slap of a hand to a face as the woman struggled against Benton’s advances. Then, he heard the sound of fabric tearing and the scream of a woman who obviously didn’t want to be touched. Again, another scream and smack, followed by a sound of a submission that was so tangible it seemed to call the image of broken bones and swelling flesh to mind. The noises coming from inside were starting to attract some attention from other guards and several prisoners nearby. He moved aside the curtain and ducked his head in to tell them to keep her quiet and that was when he saw something he wished he could forget. The doctor was on her knees, naked from the waist up, with Benton pushing her battered and bruised face toward his cock.

Her breasts were swaying unbound while Tordor was tying her hands behind her back with a scrap of the fabric that had just moments ago been part of her shirt. They never looked in his direction. Tordor was busy staring at the doctor’s naked breasts, drooling while Benton told her with an evil glance, “If you bite me, I will kill you. Do you understand?” They were almost the same words he had spoken to him just minutes ago, but used for a vastly different purpose. Benton pressed the muzzle of his gun up to her temple and forced her to open her mouth. Gabe didn’t want to see anymore so he looked away and resumed his guard duty trying to ignore the noises he heard just behind him.

              The time seemed to be moving so very slow. He was aware of every detail around him. He watched one of the women prisoners drop her ladle in the sand. As she squatted down to pick it up, the water sloshed from the large jar resting on her shoulder to the ground with a splat. He could see the dust that kicked up after every step of every person that walked by. He could hear the sickening rhythmic noises of skin slapping skin as the two men behind him were raping the woman in the cave. He heard the quiet muffled cries of protest from the woman who was now likely gagged. Tordor came out of the tent adjusting fly of his pants and told him, “Your turn, get in there. I’ll watch the door.”

              Gabe didn’t turn around but felt his way past the curtain into the darkness of the cave. Benton was over her now. He could smell the sickening smell of semen, sweat, musty male pheromones, and fear. The woman’s eyes were wide with shock as she blankly stared at the ceiling. She looked at anything but the man who was at the moment violating her. Along the sides of her bruised and swollen face were muddy tear tracks where the dust from the floor would stick to the wetness of her cheeks. Benton thrusted into her like he was determined to break her. Each time he did, another tear would fall making a path to the ground from her eyes. Benton grunted loudly and stilled when he had finished. He turned to Gabe and said, “It’s your turn,” as he got to his feet.

              “It’s really not necessary. Don’t you think she’s had enough?” Gabe said. His stomach was in knots and he felt like he was about to lose the contents of his bowels right then and there. She looked at the back wall, away from the men as if they didn’t exist. He had seen her before. She was a feisty prisoner, but now she just lay there on the ground. She had no more fight left in her. He felt his skin turn green as Benton gave him a stern look. It was either to toss his cookies or lose his bowels. He ducked his head to the side and threw up in the back of the cave.

              Benton looked at him with disgust. “What the fuck man?”

              Gabe looked miserably at him from his knees, “I can’t do this, man. It’s wrong.”

“Just what are you trying to insinuate. You think I wanted to do this? Don’t you dare judge me! Orders are orders.” He yanked Gabe up to his feet by grabbing his upper arm and then pushed him down in the vacant space between her thighs and said, “It’s your turn!” When Gabe gave him another pleading look, he sternly said, “Are we going to have this discussion again?”

He didn’t know how he would do this. First of all, he was so sick to his stomach that he knew for sure that he would never achieve an erection that would allow him to even to attempt to rape her. He laid over her and fumbled with the fly of his pants. As he pulled out his flaccid cock, he knew that he couldn’t do it. He looked over his shoulder at Benton, who was eyeing him down hard. Benton reached for the gun in the holster of his belt. Gabe had a feeling that today might be his day to die.