Wanderer

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Blade’s struggles were weakening. His eyes bored into Nova. The anger was gone now, all she saw in his eyes was fear. Fear and pleading.

She screwed her own eyes closed, not trusting herself to follow through if she had to watch the life ebb from his body. She kept her hands locked in place, refusing to weaken, refusing to hear the voice inside that cried out against what she was doing.

Strong hands suddenly grabbed her wrists, dragging them away from Blade’s face. She jumped in surprise. The grip remained in place. Blade! He’d managed to overcome the effects of the collar. She’d missed her chance. Fear lanced through her as she realised the tables had turned. She would be at Blade’s mercy. With his grip on her wrists she couldn’t even try to get away.

Her eyes met Blade’s once more. Sure enough the anger had returned, even more intensely. He hadn’t enjoyed being made to feel helpless. Now he was going to take it out on Nova. His face contorted into a grin and he winked at her once.

Then her wrists were released. Nova blinked in surprise. Was Blade giving her a chance to run? Dragging this out so she suffered even more?

No. She realised his hands were still where they had been before. It hadn’t been Blade that prised her hands away from his neck. Who then?

Before she could consider the problem any further her world lurched. She found herself dragged upright by two guards. She couldn’t stand yet so they held her by one arm each, her feet dangling uselessly.

“This one?” one of the guards snapped out.

“No. Not her.”

The reply was curt. She couldn’t see who it came from, they were standing behind her. Then her world lurched again as the two guards let her go. Her legs were still useless but she managed to turn the fall into a sideways roll, using her arms to shield her head. It still hurt, a lot, but it saved her from cracking her head open.

Head spinning slightly she saw the guards move on and struggle to drag Blade upright.

“This one for sure,” one of the guards said.

Nova didn’t hear the reply but the guard nodded, then the two of them dragged Blade out of her sight. Nova felt hope surge in her chest. The guards were choosing people, singling them out. That normally meant one of two things. Either those chosen were being shifted to a new group or they were being sent on a mission, normally a dangerous mission. If it was the second then there was a good chance she would never see Blade again. If it was the first then it was pretty much a certainty. Maybe, just maybe, she would survive the next few hours after all.

First, though, she had to avoid attention from the guards. She’d been passed over but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t change their mind, especially if she seemed exceptional in any way. So she lay still, groaning occasionally, and watched as the guards moved amongst her fellow prisoners.

They were taking far more people than normal. By the time they finished they’d taken almost everyone and left only four that she could see. She heard the guards moving through those prisoners behind her, but continued to keep her head down.

In front of Nova a youngish boy managed to struggle into a sitting position. He looked around fourteen and judging from his face anger was driving him to throw off the after-effects of the collar. Almost as soon as he sat up two guards homed in on him. Dragging him to his feet they took him away, not even waiting for confirmation. Nova continued to lay still, not wanting to share his fate. Not wanting to be taken to the same place as Blade.

Soon the guards passed her again, dragging two final victims, then disappeared from sight. She heard an engine roar into life and a vehicle of some sort pull away. Still she kept her head down.

The two prisoners she could still see, both women, slowly roused themselves, first sitting then finally standing and stretching. Nova heard muted talking behind her too. Finally she allowed herself to stretch and moved into a sitting position. That would do for now. Something very strange had happened and she still didn’t want to risk drawing undue attention.

Turning her head she saw another eight prisoners behind her, all women apart from one elderly man. He must have been taken prisoner late in life. No one lived long enough to look so old if they were born a prisoner. In all, the guards had taken more than a hundred people from her group.

Standing cautiously, Nova studied those who had been left behind. She was surprised to find she was almost the tallest. Only the elderly man was taller, and he only just. It was a strange feeling because she was so used to being much shorter than those around her. Being amongst the tallest made her feel slightly dizzy.

She and the others had little in common other than their height. Their ages ranged from early twenties to however old the man was. Nova and two others were in relatively good health for prisoners, while the others were thin and malnourished. There was a mix of features and skin tones.

Nova shook her head. Was the only reason they hadn’t been taken their size? But why bother leaving so few of them? Normally all the prisoners would be thrown into a task. If a few couldn’t keep up or couldn’t survive, so be it. Prisoners were only normally singled out for specific jobs where spaces were limited. Why choose so many? And what was in store for those who had been left behind?

The second question was soon answered. The c***k of a whip announced the arrival of two more guards. Not bothering to speak they simply pointed down the tunnel, towards the exit. Nova and the few prisoners still with her started to trudge back towards their cell.

Nova lay curled up on the floor of the cell, trying to sleep. For once she was warm enough. Maybe even too warm. The few belongings of all those who had been chosen still remained in the cell. Nova found that a bad sign for them.

She and the few others who remained had taken advantage of the situation, grabbing several blankets each. The guards had remained near the cell, something else that was unusual, and quickly discouraged any hint of conversation between the prisoners. Nova and the others hadn’t even been allowed to settle down anywhere near each other. Each was too far from the others to speak without the guards hearing.

Being warm as she went to sleep was a novelty for Nova, one she could get used to. Normally she had to curl up with other prisoners, huddled together for warmth with a single thin blanket covering all of them… if they were lucky.

Sleep wouldn’t come. She couldn’t switch off from whatever was happening. Something was very different to normal, and in a slave’s life different meant dangerous. Many questions chased themselves around her mind, but two stuck above all else. Where had most of the prisoners been taken? And why had she and a few others been left behind?

An hour later she was still awake and no closer to any answers. She simply didn’t know enough. Finally she gave up, deciding it would be better to get some rest. Whatever was coming in the morning she would need her strength, and maybe sleeping on the questions would lead to an answer.

Getting to sleep didn’t prove easy, though. The combination of not being cold and not having others to press up against made it hard to slip into sleep. Finally the warmth lulled her into a light doze which quickly turned into a deep sleep.

Nova woke to the sound of guards shouting. This was how most of her days started. She yawned and stretched carefully, not wanting to kick or punch anyone by accident. To her surprise she didn’t make contact. Something else was wrong. She couldn’t stretch fully, something was constricting her movements.

In a panic her eyes snapped open and she thrashed out against whatever was holding her. After a few moments of panic the blankets around her started to work free, and she realised where she was. Controlling the panic she was able to loosen the blankets more and sit up.

Glancing around she saw what she had feared to see. The cell was almost empty. Only herself and the ten other prisoners inhabited it. This was more space than she had ever had. Often she had wished for more space. Now her wish had come true she wished it hadn’t.

The guards quickly made it clear talking was still not allowed, then had Nova and the others move out of their cell and towards the food area. As they walked Nova wondered why there was such a need for silence. What could they possibly say to each other which would cause the guards any concern? The rule was being viciously implemented, though. One of the women had a nasty looking cut on her cheek from a whip, a warning when she dared to offer two words to another prisoner.

Breakfast was half-stale bread and a mug of water. Standard fare for prisoners. Then they were moved on. Not to their recent work location, though. They were marched down a tunnel which soon merged into a metallic corridor. Then they were sent into a dark room. They could only see a few feet in by the light spilling from the corridor but Nova could tell from the echoes that it was a large room.

The door clanged shut behind them, plunging the room into darkness. Nova’s heart drummed in her chest as she started to imagine what could be in the room with them. She sensed movement but kept herself frozen. What if something in the room hunted by sound or by movement?

Slowly she realised something was standing nearby. Her skin prickled and her breathing sped up, even as she tried to keep herself calm. She started to reach out with her hand, then stopped — scared of what she would find. She stood for what seemed an endless time, hardly daring to breathe and frozen to the spot.

She swore as harsh light suddenly blazed out across the room, blinding her. She shielded her eyes with her arm, then froze. Was whatever stood in front of her also blinded? Or was it watching her, studying her?

Squinting hard and blinking the tears from her eyes she slowly lowered her arm. Sure enough, something stood almost straight in front of her, easily close enough to touch. It took a moment for her eyes to focus, then her stomach dropped.

It wasn’t a something standing in front of her, it was a someone. The someone she least wanted to see. Standing in front of her, staring at her with his cold blue eyes, was Blade!