Chapter Eighteen
2327 Words
Chapter Eighteen
The king walked into the throne room from a secret door and nodded for them to show Amaris in.
They opened the door and another set of guards led her in. Amaris quickly knelt down and bowed her head, “Your Majesty.”
“Where is your daughter?”
“She refused to return with me, sire.”
“Refused? Do you have no control over your children?”
“I am sorry, sire. She ran off before I could stop her.”
“Tell me why I shouldn’t have you sentenced to death for your failure?”
Amaris stared intently at the floor trying to figure out his purpose, “But Your Majesty, my task was to find the headquarters and reveal it to you. There was nothing about me having to bring my children in. That wasn’t part of my agreement. I failed to bring them back, but they were not part of my task to you.”
“Well, we were able to destroy the mine and thanks to Garcia having them believe that he is an ally, we were able to find their second base.”
“Ally, sir?”
“Yes, he has made it so they believe he is an informant for them.”
Amaris looked up at Garcia confused, “They believe you are on their side.”
“Yes.”
“I would like to speak with the captain of the one ship we captured,” Roham stated as he walked to his throne.
Garcia nodded as he pressed a button on the arm of his jacket, “Bring up the Captain.”
“How many ships have we obtained at the second base since we rigged the door?” the king inquired pleased of the arrangements.
“None, Your Majesty.”
“None. How long has it been since we attacked it?”
“About a week, sire,” Garcia explained.
Roham sat down on his throne, “I don’t understand. Has your cover been blown?”
“Not that I am aware of, sire. I don’t know who would have told them of me,” he replied then looked at Amaris.
“You must realize, sire,” Amaris babbled, “I was desperate to get my eldest daughter to come with me. I didn’t know that he was a supposed ally. I doubt very much that she would remember me saying it if I did. I really don’t remember...”
Garcia slapped her across the face, “You stupid woman, she was taught to remember every detail that she hears.”
“I’m s-s-sorry, s-s-sir, I d-d-didn’t know,” Amaris stammered as he hit her again.
“That’s enough, Garcia,” Roham replied pressing a button on the arm of his throne. “This will get us no where.” The guards that brought her in entered the room, “Take Ms. Amerow to her room and make sure she doesn’t leave.”
The guards nodded and pulled the woman to her feet. As soon as they left the room, Garcia turned to the king, “Why are you protecting her?”
“We need her, Garcia. I want her children in my palace, dead or alive. They are a threat to me and I can’t let them stay out there.”
“I am sure that it is only the oldest that is the threat. I doubt that the others would be prepared to take on the responsibility of…”
“I CANNOT TAKE THAT CHANCE!” Roham yelled slamming his fist against his armrest. “You find them, I don’t care how, but you find them. And until they are all under my control or dead, Ms. Amerow remains alive.”
“They won’t trust her, why keep her alive?”
“You never know what a child will do for their parent no matter what they did in the past, and if the oldest decides to start a revolution we are going to need every angle we can get.”
“We can take care of these revolutionaries with no problem, sir. We have handled all the others.”
“This is different, these people know the country and how to blend in. They are fighting for their rights and their lives and that beats a soldier’s ability any day when harnessed properly.”
“Sire, are you really considering them a threat?”
“I can’t take any chances if I want to keep this throne. And since this witness is still alive…”
“Amaris told you who it was?”
“Yes, it is her husband. Another reason to keep her alive,” Roham replied looking at Garcia then at the door as it opened. He stared intently at the woman, “I told you to take Ms. Amerow away.”
Garcia looked at Annie Falcon, “It is the captain of the ship, Your Majesty.”
“Really. She has a similar likeness to Ms. Amerow, don’t you think?”
Looking more intently at Annie, Garcia nodded, “Now that you mention it, she does.”
Roham waved the guards to bring her forward. The guards dragged her in and Annie kept her chin parallel to the floor, refusing to lower her head to Roham, “Charming, a female captain. What is your name, Captain?”
Annie kept her eyes forward and staring into the king’s, but keeping her mouth tightly shut. Garcia walked up to her, “Your king asked you a question.”
“He is no king of mine. I only have one leader, Director Robyn Dored.”
“Dored? Well, isn’t that interesting, Garcia,” Roham smiled. “Owen not only left me for the revolutionaries, but he married the very woman that I sent him to kill. Is this a marriage of convenience?”
“Contrary to your belief, there are people who marry for love,” Annie replied glaring at the king.
“Really and did you marry for love, Captain?” he inquired walking down the steps until he was standing in front of her.
“The man I was to marry was killed, but I loved him very much.”
“How interesting and how did he die?” She returned to her staring eyes and closed mouth. “You are a very strong woman,” he said grabbing her chin with his fingers, “I see that. I ask you two insignificant questions and you refuse to answer them. There is no harm in giving me your name. I can’t use it against you. I will find it out anyway.”
Annie pulled her head out of the grip of his fingers, “I was born and raised in secret, the only evidence that I exist is that I am standing before you now.”
“Your name,” Roham repeated turning his back on her and making his way towards his throne.
Garcia walked up to her and slapped her across the face.
“You believe hitting me will convince me to give it to you any faster,” Annie said ignoring the sting in her cheek.
Roham turned around and looked at her intently, “It is simply amazing the likeness between her and Ms. Amerow. Do you know Ms. Amerow, or would you know her as Mrs. Amaris Star?”
“I know the treacherous snake.”
“You actually speak about your leader’s mother in that fashion.”
“Blood relations do not earn respect. Actions earn respect.”
Roham raised his eyebrows, “Tell me who were your parents?”
“If I tell you their names then you will know mine.”
“You need to learn to choose your battles, I assure you that nothing can be done by just learning your name and that of your parents.”
“I am to trust you, a man who killed his own father.”
“I see you have been talking to the witness. Let’s do it this way, you tell me your name and I will answer a question of yours. Tell me your parents’ names and I will answer another question.”
“Captain Annie Falcon of the revolutionary army and future American army.”
“You are very sure of yourself,” Roham spoke as he sat on his throne. “So, Captain Falcon, what is your question?”
“What happened to my crew?”
“That is a sign of a good captain, of all the questions you could ask you ask about their well-being. All the men have been killed and I have kept the four women for my own.” Roham leaned forward to take on the full stare of Annie, “Wouldn’t it be ironic if one of the revolutionary women bore me a son? Giving me an heir to the throne that they wish to banish. Garcia, please check on the women to see who is ready to bear me a son and bring her or them to my chamber.”
Annie looked at him with anger racing through her eyes watching Garcia leave the room out of the corner of her eye, “They will not submit to you.”
“Oh I beg to differ. I will change their minds. Now the name of your parents.”
“I have no more questions to ask.”
“So be it. Take her to the interrogation room and find out what you can. I want a sample of her blood to test it against someone.”
“You will not get information out of me,” Annie replied as the guards grabbed her arms and began to pull her away.
The king stood and before he turned to leave he answered, “Oh, our interrogation cell can be very persuasive under the correct circumstances.”
As soon as his back was turned, Annie dropped to her knees swung her arms up between the guards’ legs and as they doubled over from pain, she pulled their weapons. She fired on the two men standing at the door and as they fell, she jumped to her feet. Not keeping her eyes off of the king as he began to turn, she hit the guards on the back of their heads with the butt of the guns. They fell to the ground and she quickly aimed both weapons at the king before he finished turning around. “You are very good, I underestimated you. I have a tendency to do that with women.”
“Funny,” Annie began walking towards him, “you think you would have learned after Director Dored escaped from this place.”
“I know you aren’t going to kill me.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“How do you expect to get out of here without me?”
“After what you have done, I don’t think I care if I leave the building or not if you are dead.”
“So, you are willing to die for this cause?”
“Many have so already. I was the leader of the group that rescued Director Masda from here.”
“Well, I see I am being held captive with a very skilled leader and soldier, I am honored.”
“Your fancy talk and flattery will not make me want to spare your life anymore.”
“So, what is your plan?”
“For you to come down from that throne and stand in front of me.”
“Would you hurt your own father?” Roham inquired as he walked towards her.
“What are you talking about?”
“I am not positive, but I have a pretty strong hunch that I am your father.”
“Well, that is a very uninformed hunch. I know who my parents are.”
“How can a baby truly know who her birth parents are?”
“I know who my parents are,” Annie repeated, “and they would have told me.”
“Come, come, do you really think your parents would tell you you were adopted? Not only adopted, but your father is the very man that they are fighting against.”
“I want you to bring my crew members down here.”
“So, you do need me for something after all?”
Keeping her distance from him, so he did not have the ability to take the weapons, but close enough to grab him when someone enters, Annie repeated, “I want my crew members down here now.” Roham bowed his head slightly then walked towards his throne, “What are you doing?”
“My communication system is in my chair,” he replied pressing a button on the chair. “Garcia bring the crew members of Captain Annie Falcon to the throne room.”
“Your Majesty?” Garcia inquired over the intercom.
“Just do it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Roham went to turn off the system and as he pushed the one button, his fingers reached for a second one. A shot was fired from the arm of the chair. The blast hit Annie and she fell to the ground. Pressing the communication button again, he said, “Forget that last order, leave them in my chambers and bring a guard to the throne room instead.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Garcia replied confused.
Roham walked up to Annie’s unconscious body, “Don’t worry my dear, I will not kill you, yet.”
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