The Theron Residency (Brides of Theron Book 4) (31 page)

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              Carel managed to get a ride back on the first transport available. Although he wanted to see Jenaya and get her the medicine he had brought for Mattie, he went back to sector twelve to see the men first. The dorms were eerily quiet. There were no signs of any of his roommates around. He unpacked his belongings into his footlocker and left.

              Tomorrow, life in this camp would be different. It was going to be a hard-fought battle, and many of these innocent prisoners would lose their lives because they had no modern weapons to fight with. As each tired, malnourished body passed by him, he speculated their fate. Would he die? Would she? They didn’t know that he was on their side so they averted their eyes from him. Some giving him deliberate looks of disgust. In their eyes, he was their enemy. Soon, that would change.

              The caves were dark and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust from the bright lights of the sun outside to the torch lined caverns that led to sector 12. He checked the living quarters first and saw no one there. He followed the line of prisoners going deeper into the mines to hack at the lines of gold that could be found in these walls. It wasn’t long before he found the tall Pernmock man with Hator by his side. “Danuwee, come with me,” he said in his sternest mock guard voice.

Danuwee looked down at Hator and handed him his pick ax. “Yes, sir.” Danuwee approached him hesitantly. Some of the men in this sector were not aware of the plans that had been set. The two walked away from the other prisoners that surrounded them. Carel led him out into an area where they could speak alone.

“Tomorrow. You need to get these people ready for battle by tomorrow. Notify the women to pass the messages to the other sectors. Half the planets in the Universe will be sending fleets of starships here to help us, tomorrow.” Carel smiled at the look on Danuwee’s face.

“Tomorrow? We will get to leave this place, tomorrow?” Danuwee said with tears in his eyes. Carel nodded.

“I need to go tell Jenaya and get her the medicine she needs for Mattie. Can you come with me? I will give you more details on the way.” Danuwee looked as if he wanted to hug him, but he maintained his distance just in case that anyone out of the loop was near. They walked out toward the Doctor’s cave deep in conversation when Carel noticed something odd. A small woman lying outside the cave on the ground. Standing at attention in front of the curtain that hung over the entrance of Jenaya’s cave, was Tordor. “Something isn’t right. Wait here.” He said over his shoulder.

Carel walked up to Tordor, “What are you doing here?”

Tordor instantly looked uncomfortable. He looked behind him at the curtain and looked at Carel just seconds before he sprinted as fast as he could away from the cave. Carel knew something very bad was going down behind the curtain. He shoved the material aside and looked down where the light beamed on the floor. He saw Gabe crying and saying over and over, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” Benton was looking down at Gabe laughing hysterically. Jenaya, who was completely naked and severely beaten about the face, lay oddly sightless on the floor.

Benton never looked back and shouted, “Close the damn curtain, will you!” He was completely unaware when the curtain dropped back into place that Carel was stalking behind him. Benton’s eyes remained trained on the man and woman on the floor as he continued to mock Gabe’s lack of manliness. He was so focused on what was going on in front of him that he never anticipated his impending death. Carel reached out with his hands and put his hands firmly over Benton’s ears. A sickening crack echoed through the room, and Carel face showed no emotion as he let Benton’s limp body slide down to the ground.

Gabe looked up to find Carel looking at him with eyes intent on murder. Jenaya was on the floor staring at the wall. She didn’t see that Carel was there. She never altered her gaze in his direction. Carel took a step toward Gabe, his hands out in front of him ready to do harm. Gabe pleaded, “I didn’t do it. I couldn’t do it. I just acted like I was because he,” Gabe pointed to the body of Benton, “said he would kill me if I didn’t. Please, Carel, I didn’t do anything. I didn’t even want to be involved.” The stench of vomit on his breath seemed to suggest that he was telling the truth. But, Carel couldn’t separate the vision of Jenaya lying naked on the floor severely beaten, from the pleading cries of his soon to be former roommate.

He cocked his head and launched a right-handed upper hook that made contact just under his nose. He could hear the bones of Gabe’s nose crack just before he fell to the floor unconscious. His eyes were rolling around in all directions. He was knocked out cold. Carel placed his knee firmly on Gabe’s belly and started to beat him senseless. Crunch, the bones of Gabe’s finely sculpted cheek collapsed, his eye falling oddly out of the socket that once held it where it belonged was now broken. Carel threw punch after punch. His hands were bloodied and cut from his efforts until Danuwee came to pull him off. “Guards! Carel, the guards. They’re coming. We’ve to get you out of here!”

“I’m not leaving her. You need to get out of here and warn the others.” Carel said as he got to his feet and rubbed his hands on his pants that were now numb and swollen. “GO!” Danuwee ducked under the curtain and ran away from the cave as fast as he could. Carel dropped to his knees beside Jenaya. He reached out to touch her face and she jerked away from him. She still couldn’t see him. “Jenaya, it’s Carel,” he sobbed as he untied the knots from her wrists and the gag they restrained her with. “I promise, I’m not going to hurt you. It’s me. I won’t let anyone else touch you.”

“Carel,” she whispered as her head flopped toward him. “Carel.”

“I’m here.” He said as he gently stroked the bruised, swollen flesh of her cheek. She flinched and rolled to the side. Realizing that she was naked, she searched for her clothing. She pulled the remains of her uniform to her. She cried as she picked up scraps of the uniform that had at one time marked her a high ranking member of Theron star fleet and dropped the evidence of her former life to the ground. She tried to cover her nakedness with her hands as she sat up on the floor.

He took off his shirt and handed it to her, “Here, put this on.”

She looked over to the rear of the cave and saw Benton’s lifeless eyes unfocused on her. She screamed and scooted away from his prone body. She looked at the man on the floor to the left of her. His face so terribly beaten and broken, it was unrecognizable. He was twitching and breathing shallowly. She spit in his direction, ignoring the call of her duty to save him. She cried and shook as Carel helped her into his shirt. The more she became aware, the more she shook uncontrollably.

“Are you alright?” he asked. She was in shock and he had no idea what to do. She said nothing as she grabbed for him, seeking comfort in his arms. Her skin was ice cold. He rubbed her arms and back vigorously to try to warm her. As he did, several shouts could be heard behind the door. The curtain had been moved aside and several guards entered the cave.

“What happened here?” one of the men said as they focused on the two guards lying on the floor and Carel with his arm around a prisoner of the camp.

Carel looked up at them, revolted by what he saw. These men affiliated with Gatton were the people that he had to work with all this time. He tried to be one of them so that he could make a difference for the people that mattered to him. He was lucky he wasn’t ever called to beat, maim, or rape. If he had been, they would have had to kill him. It made him wonder if either these men were guilty of such crimes. How would they view this scene? Would they overlook what happened to her and treat it like it was justice well served? Or, would they see it as a criminal violation of a prisoner’s personal rights? He wouldn’t know until he gave his account. “They raped her, they beat her, and they got what they deserved. And, when I find the bastard who took part in this and ran away, I will kill him, too. Mark my words, he will die!”

The guard reached down and pulled him from the ground. He fixed the hand restraint around his wrists behind his back. The other one followed suit and did the same to Jenaya. Carel looked at the man who held her hands, “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you, too.” The look in his eyes must have been scary because the guard flinched. They were both loaded up into a transport and taken to the dungeon below the Emperor’s Palace in adjoining cells.

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Danuwee did as he was told. But, before he left he scooped Mattie up in his arms and brought her to Neshal. Her husband would have to care for her until the others came to free them. He told every prisoner he ran into about Zirlo’s plans for war and the news of their imminent rescue spread among them like wildfire. He only hoped that the guards would remain clueless. There was a buzz of excitement about the camp with a tinge of underlying fear. How would their families react to them after being gone so long? What would happen when they got home? What would they do? The scariest thought of all was, would their families even be there to greet them when they returned? Some of their relatives were undoubtedly killed in the attacks. And, this raised the hardest question to face. What if there was no family to go home to?

              After he had accomplished what he was told to do, he did what any self-respecting soldier would do. He hunted the man that was guarding the entrance to the cave today. He and a select few made it a point to find the guard known as Tordor. What Tordor and the others did to Jenaya was unforgivable. He and his ragtag band of vigilantes would see to it that that guard was punished. For his crimes, he would receive a death sentence. No trial would be required, he was guilty by association. Besides, all was fair in war. They stalked the caverns of the many sectors within the camp asking questions. He learned that Tordor was a duty guard in Sector 4.

              Danuwee, Hator, and several others searched and searched until they found him. They waited in the shadows with pick axes in hand. They waited until they could get him alone. When Tordor announced that he was going to take a leak, they rose and quietly stalked him. They hunted him down like an animal. Each time Tordor heard a noise behind him they would hide in the shadows. Each step was calculated, and each step brought the guard closer to his impending death. In the latrines, next to a half-dozen other prisoners, Tordor met his bloody death. Danuwee silently swung his heavy pickaxe at the center of his back. The only sight this crooked guard saw before he fell was the bloody end of the pick protruding from his chest. As a result of his death, the others around him became riotous.

              One by one, the guards were hacked down with sticks, tools, and even fists. No guard received mercy this night. Why should they? They never showed any sign of mercy to the prisoners performing the hard, backbreaking work in these mines daily. The leaders were not notified of the loss of personnel until it became evident something was wrong. The guards were failing to check in at the prescribed intervals. It was then that the alarms started to roar and the prisoners in the camp readied themselves for all-out war.             

“Are you alright?” Carel asked Jenaya. He could hear the muffled sobs from the next cell.

“No, I’m not alright,” she replied.

“I am so sorry. I should have been…”

“Don’t say that! Don’t ever say that again. That’s what that man said the whole time he was trying to…trying to…” Jenaya broke down.

Carel sat against the back wall on the damp earthen floor with his arms around his knees. There was nothing to say. He couldn’t tell her anything about how they would be free tomorrow. He didn’t know if Gatton had someone listening in on their conversations. It was tearing out his heart to hear her cry. All he wanted to do was go to her, but they made that impossible. He got to his feet and approached the bars when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

“Well, well, well,” sauntered in Uphir. “My brother was right, after all. You do possess a bleeding heart for this Theron prisoner scum.” He passed up his cell and looked into the next stall at Jenaya. He could hear her hiss at him from the next cell. If only he could see her. Between the cells was a solid cobbled stone wall that was put together well. He couldn’t break it down if he tried.

“What do you want?” Carel said to draw his attention to him.

“I was just coming to tell you that the Emperor requests your attendance at your executions tomorrow. The both of you are scheduled to die,” he looked creepily at Carel. “I wondered if you had any last requests. You see, I find executions barbaric in nature. To appease my…sense of benevolence, I would like to see that you are given a…favor in return. So, tell me if there is there anything that appeals to you?”

“Put me in her cell. At least let us share our last moment before dying together.” Carel said.

“Unfortunately, that goes against my own personal sense of safety. Besides, don’t you think that the woman has endured as much male attention as she can take?” Uphir seemed amused by this. He made a sound in his throat that made Carel instantly uneasy.

Carel had nothing to say to him at this point. However, Uphir’s point rang true. How could she possibly endure his attentions after being abused so severely by the others? He waited to hear something, anything, from her, but not a sound came from her direction. She wouldn’t ask for anything.

“Nothing, then?”

Carel cleared his throat. He thought about what she would want, what would bring her comfort. “Can you bring her some water and soap to clean herself up with at least? Would that be too much to ask?”

“That can be arranged. I will send someone with a basin down shortly.” He turned on a heel and said, “Well then, I guess I will see the two of you tomorrow.” Uphir walked up to the heavy iron door of the prison and walked through, slamming it shut behind him. Carel could hear the tumblers on the locking mechanism engage followed by the sound of the key sliding out of the door. He waited a few moments until he was sure that they were alone.

“I hope that was alright? I thought that you might want to clean up. I would want to.” He said. Just as he expected, no answer. Just the start of more muffled sobbing on the other side of the wall. He slid down the wall and sat on the floor in the back corner closest to her cell. That was where he imagined she would be, far in the back corner away from the bars where nobody could touch her “Maybe, I should have asked for some food and water?” Nothing… “Look, Jenaya, I know that I can’t take away your pain. Please, talk to me. I am going crazy in here not knowing if you’re alright. I just wish I could at least see you and know that you are fine, but that isn’t likely. Is it?”

He heard the sound of shuffling feet and when he looked at the bars of his cage and saw a flash of white, ashen skin. He rose and went to the bars, reaching his hand out to hers. The blood from cuts on his knuckles and the men he beat with them was now dried on his hands. She laced her cold fingers through his and squeezed. “I will be alright. There is nothing I can do to change what happened to me, but I am determined to put it behind me and never look back. Besides, it’s not like I will have to pretend for much longer. I only have to do it for a day, right?” She made a sound that was between a sob and a sound of amusement.

That was when the emotion of his own personal shock hit him hard. It started with tears that he could no longer dam, and then went into horrible, body shaking sobs. His found himself unable to utter words clearly due to the emotion. He had killed and maimed for her and felt no remorse for the men he killed. He wanted to find Tordor and strangle him, too. He thought back to how the coward had run away. These were men that he passed time with, even at times enjoyed the company of.

What was hardest to process was something that was made abundantly clear after Uphir’s visit. Gatton had handpicked his roommates to carry out this violation against Jenaya in order to teach Carel a lesson. He wondered if they even know why they were sent to rape and beat her. With this revelation, he recognized his failure to protect her. Because of how he reacted and what he felt when he defended her, he knew that he loved her beyond measure. The ease at which he rationalized Gabe’s broken face, and the death of Benton by his hands was because he loved her so much more than he ever could have imagined.

“I know that it might be too late for us,” he said, “I know that we don’t have much time. But, before we die I need you to know that I fully intended to ask you to share your life with me. You see, I love you more than I ever thought that I could.” He breathed out all the hesitation and fear of making his feelings known. “I wish that we could have found a way to leave this place and start a life together. Maybe, we could have had a couple of kids.” At this, he heard her begin to object, “And before you say that it’s not possible, I know for a fact that it is. Lars’ mother was from Drylon. If we get out of here alive, I want you to know that I will follow you to the ends of the universe. All you have to do is say that you feel the same way as I do, and it will be so.” Swallowing hard he asked, “Do you feel the same as I do, Jenaya?”

An uncomfortable silence lingered between them. He loosened the grip on her hand thinking that there was a chance that she didn’t feel the same way. Maybe she had given up on him or felt that he failed her. When he was about to pull his hand away from hers, she grasped at it tightly, “Yes, I do. I feel the same way about you. I think it started when you brought those bones to the cave and realized that I wasn’t alone in all of this. I felt it then and even more so now.” She took a moment to collect her thoughts. “If we get out of here alive, I promise to try with all my being to leave this all behind me. But, with as much as I have been through, I ask for your patience.” She started to cry again.

There was nothing he could do for her other than squeeze her hand and whisper, “You already have my soul, of course, you will have my patience.” But, would she come to forgive him for his part in this. Could he admit to her that this was all his fault? Could he tell her that if he had not expressed interest in her, they wouldn’t have sent someone to harm her? But, then again, maybe she already knew and had already forgiven him. One day they might have more time to work through this.

They cried together then. She cried for the loss of her virtue and he for the loss of his self-control and newly found murderous nature. Each one was falling apart in the cells that they were locked in with no real way to pick up the pieces. Maybe if the ships that were coming to rescue them came early enough, they could see this life together. Maybe they would be able to help each other put the pieces of their lives back together to build a beautiful future. He prayed to the Gods that he would see another day with her. He prayed that the fleets would get there in time to save them from the planned execution.