He slipped backwards and motioned for Darrin to follow him, tapping his lips to indicate that he should keep his mouth shut. None of the Earth-born seemed to grasp the value of quiet, but if anyone inside the complex heard them, there was no hint of it. He waited until they reached a safe distance, then sat down and put his lips to Darrin’s ears.
“Someone set those bushes up to hide their base,” he said. There had always been stories of bandit bases, but he'd been told that most of them were exaggerated. Bandits rarely had enough sense to set up permanent homes. Maybe their leader was someone who had been born on Meridian, then indentured for some crime. “I think they're in there, held prisoner.”
Darrin froze, then leaned forward until he could whisper back. “Are you sure?”
“I think so,” Austin said. “The bushes are not planted randomly. They block access except through a pre-selected route. We’d need a bulldozer to break through anywhere else.”
He briefly considered their options. They could try to sneak through in darkness, once night fell, and see what they found inside the complex. Or they could sneak away, find the Jordan and float down to the next settlement – and hope they could summon help in time. Austin had no illusions about what the bandits might do to their prisoners, particularly Kailee. It didn't seem right to leave a girl captive, even though cold logic suggested that rescuing her would be a long-shot at best.
“I intend to try to slip through,” he said. They’d have to scout out the rest of the area, see if he was actually correct, but unless he was wrong there was no alternative. “Do you want to come with me?”
“Yes,” Darrin said, shortly.
Austin hesitated. The Scouts had trained and exercised for all sorts of contingencies – and many of them had gone into the militia as soon as they were old enough to be considered adults. Austin had intended to do a term himself, if he didn't manage to become a Bush Ranger. But Darrin ... Darrin knew almost nothing, apart from the basics of shooting. There was a good chance that including him was a mistake.
But a second pair of hands might just be welcome.
“We’ll scout out the area, then slip back and catch something to eat,” he said. He cursed inwardly a moment later. They didn't dare try to light a fire. It was quite possible to start one even without the lighter, but how could they risk it when the unknowns were so close? “What else can we do?”
He caught Darrin’s shoulder as they started to worm their way backwards from the enemy base. “I want you to remember something,” he added. He pointed a finger towards the east, where the Jordan had to be. “If I get caught – and you get free – head eastwards, get to the river and get downstream. I don't want you trying anything heroic, not if the rest of us are caught. You have to get downstream and call for help.”
Darrin hesitated, long enough for Austin to tell that he was conflicted. “Should I go now?”
Austin felt equally conflicted. Cold logic said that they should both go now. The Jordan was far stronger than any river the Earth-born had seen – and it could be dangerous, particularly in the uncharted sections. Austin had been boating on the river with the Scouts; he knew that it could be tricky, even though there weren't any dangerous creatures this far from the sea. For someone from Earth ...
“I think we should wait and see what happens,” Austin said, reluctantly. He wished – how he wished – for another Scout, even someone from a rival troop. The other Scout could have headed to the Jordan to summon help, while Austin and Darrin tried to sneak into the complex. “And I think you should keep some distance from me when I start sneaking around.”
They spent the next hour, despite steadily-increasing hunger, scouting around the bandit complex. Austin hadn't really doubted that they were dealing with bandits, but seeing how carefully the complex had been hidden confirmed it. Survey parties or independent-minded settlers wouldn't have bothered to hide so thoroughly. Only bandits – an organised group of bandits – would have bothered to hide.
He said as much to Darrin as they put some distance between themselves and the complex, then started to collect edible plants. “We must have stumbled into their territory in the rainstorm,” he said. “They must have seen Gary and Kailee and decided to just snatch them; they probably don't know about the rest of us.”
“They would have seen the bodies,” Darrin pointed out. “They might think we’re all dead.”
Austin shrugged. They’d had their packs with them when the mudslide carried them away, splitting up the group. There shouldn't have been anything to indicate that there were more than four refugees, as long as Gary and Kailee kept their mouths shut. And Barry and Abdul were very definitely dead. He remembered just how scared Gary had been of Barry and smiled to himself. Gary had overcome his fears in time to kill his tormentor before he could be killed himself.
“Too many unknowns,” he said. The scoutmaster had told him, more than once, that there was no point in trying to eliminate risk altogether. It was a good recipe for paralysis, but nothing else. “We just have to take care.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
However, they faced huge opposition from the bureaucrats. In order to operate on Earth (or within the Core Worlds) they had to pass the exams, most of which were completely unrelated to the subject at hand. (To give one example, a medical doctor was also expected to pass an exam in astronomy.) If they wanted to pass the exams, they had to study, thus wasting time. It was easier to find a job out along the Rim. If nothing else, there was no anti-colonial discrimination there.
- Professor Leo Caesius. Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.
When the door opened again, it revealed the doctor and three older men. Gary watched, alarmed, as the doctor and one of the men escorted Kailee out of the room, then the other two turned to face him. He braced himself, expecting torture or worse, but all the leader did was pull a sheet of paper out of his pocket and hold it out to Gary, who took it in surprise.
“You will write a note to prove that we hold you prisoner,” the leader stated. “If you can write.”
Gary briefly considered trying to pretend he couldn’t. It would be believable; on Earth, only one schoolchild in a hundred could write more than their own name, if that. Gary could write, but only because he’d spent years practicing after realising that reading and writing were the keys to a better future, or at least one away from the damned CityBlock. But if he didn't write the note, what would they do? Take a sample of his blood and send it to the city?
“I need a pen,” he said.
His blood ran cold as the leader passed him a simple pen. Somehow, he doubted that the planet’s government – about which he knew very little – would pay a ransom for their unwanted guests from Earth. Even if they had known that Barry was dead, they might still be reluctant to help. And why not? It didn't take a genius to realise that the planet’s government hadn't been involved in making the decision to hold the competition in the first place. They didn't need reluctant immigrants from Earth.
Pushing the sheet of paper against the wooden wall, he scribbled a brief note explaining who they were and what they needed. He didn't mention any of the others in the note; if Austin, Samantha and Darrin were still alive, at least they weren’t in the bandit camp. After a moment’s thought, he addressed it to Janet. If Yates had managed to talk the planetary government into lashing Barry, rather than indenturing him, it was possible that Janet would have the contacts to convince them to pay the ransom. Or maybe she wouldn't bother either.
“There,” he said, passing the note back to the leader. He'd been tempted to try to write something that might lead rescuers to the bandit camp, but he hadn't been able to think of anything useful. Besides, it was too much to hope that none of the bandits could read. “It should get a response.”
“Excellent,” the leader said. He inspected the note quickly, sounding out the words, then pocketed it. “We will slip it to the nearest settlement tomorrow.”
He turned and starte
d walking towards the door. Gary called after him before he could stop himself. “Where is Kailee?”
“Your friend is currently in the care of our doctor,” the bandit informed him, testily. Gary, well used to people being annoyed with him, could tell that the bandit wasn't actually angry at Gary. There was a power play of sorts going on. “She will be fine.”
Gary watched them go, then slumped down on the muddy ground. The bandits clearly hadn't bothered to install a proper floor ... although if the hut was actually their prison, they probably felt they didn't need one. He inspected the floor, wondering if he could actually dig his way out, before deciding that it would be useless. The prison was too small to allow him to dig without being heard.
He shook his head, feeling utterly alone. What were they going to do now?
***
Kailee looked around with some interest as the doctor led her to a larger building in the centre of the complex. On one hand, the bandit camp appeared primitive; on the other, there was a definite sense of organisation that reminded her of Sabre City. Small animals and children ran everywhere, while older men carried buckets of water from the well to the various small houses. Each house, as far as she could tell, housed several families, but the men seemed to greatly outnumber the women. Did they share wives?
She shuddered inwardly as they entered the larger building. Families on Earth took many forms, but she couldn't recall encountering several men who shared the same wife. Male jealousy would make it hard for them to cope, she suspected. She knew boys who had nearly killed each other because one of them thought that the other had slept with his girlfriend. It was possible, she supposed, that men were more rational, but somehow she doubted it. Men were far more influenced by emotion than women, more prone to letting it guide their thinking.
Maybe they know they don't have a choice, she thought. On Earth, the numbers of male and female citizens was roughly even. Here, in the midst of a bandit camp, who knew?
Inside, there was an electric light, the first Kailee had seen since the crash. She felt an odd sense of relief at seeing it, as if they had finally made their way back to civilisation. The room it illuminated was clean, with a large table, a small chair placed next to it and a handful of wooden boxes piled against the wall. A smaller door led into a washroom which looked both primitive and very welcoming. Kailee found herself staring at it – at the chance to get clean – with more lust than she had felt for any man.
The doctor let out an amused snort. “Go wash,” she said, dryly. “There’s no shortage of water here.”
Kailee nodded, feeling an odd surge of emotions as she undressed – leaving her clothes outside – and stepped into the shower. It was primitive, yet it was clearly also a labour of love. She felt Barry’s ghostly touch on her – in her – as she twisted the tap, sending lukewarm water cascading down from barrels high overhead. It took her a moment to realise that they’d rigged up a system for reflecting heat into the water, warming the makeshift tanks. She took the cloth from the side of the chamber and scrubbed herself, using soap to wash her body clean. But, no matter what she did, she wondered if she would ever feel truly clean again.
She took the opportunity to examine her body carefully. There were bruises and scratches, but most of the damage seemed to have healed. She said a silent prayer of thanks for Aunt Lillian’s insistence that she get a contraceptive implant fitted, remembering with some embarrassment just how badly she’d whined and screamed when her aunt had dragged her to the doctor. If she hadn't ... teenage pregnancy was far from uncommon on Earth, but the thought of carrying Barry’s child was repulsive. She didn't know how she would have kept herself from strangling the brat, if she didn't give the child up to a government orphanage.
“You look much better,” the doctor said, as Kailee stepped back into the main room. “Lie down on the table.”
Kailee swallowed, but obeyed. Examinations by doctors were to be dreaded, the girls knew, even if the doctors were female. There were so many waivers to sign that, by the time the doctor actually examined the patient, the doctor could do anything without fear of being sued or imprisoned. Kailee had always had Aunt Lillian in the same room, but she had heard stories of girls who had been molested by doctors - or accidentally poisoned by them. The stories had always seemed believable. On Earth, anything could happen.
The doctor didn't produce any scanners. Instead, she poked and prodded at Kailee’s body, then nodded to herself and stepped backwards. “You’re reasonably undamaged,” she said, shortly. “Most of your bruises will heal quickly if you take it easy, just keep washing them clean. And you really need to eat and drink more. I’ll have something sent into your cell.”
Kailee blinked in surprise. “Why?”
“Because if you are not ransomed, you will be kept here,” the doctor said. There was a curious deadness in her voice. “And you will have to bear children.”
“No,” Kailee said.
“You will not be offered a choice,” the doctor informed her, still in the same dead tone. “If you are lucky, you will have a good husband and ...”
“I will not,” Kailee insisted, hotly. “I ...”
“There were others who said the same,” the doctor said. “They all loudly proclaimed their determination to remain independent, their refusal to surrender to their captors. And now they are part of this community.”
Kailee gave her a long look. There was no guilt on the doctor’s face. There was nothing at all, just ... deadness. The doctor had long since lost all traces of human emotion.
“Why?” She asked. “How did you even get here?”
“There was an accident with medicine I prescribed,” the doctor said, in a cold dispassionate voice. “It wasn't my fault. The factory that produced it needed to meet a quota, so they didn't bother with any actual quality control. I later discovered that I’d injected a young boy with effective poison. Turned out that the young boy’s father was powerful enough to get me indentured, no matter what papers he’d signed. The consortium noticed that I was a doctor and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
She looked up, meeting Kailee’s eyes for the first time. “They made me a doctor here, tending to farmers who would otherwise have nothing,” she continued. “And then I was kidnapped, like others, from the edge of the settlement zone. I am lucky. As a doctor, I cannot be beaten, merely ... forced to watch as others are beaten. There is no way to resist.”
“I’m sorry,” Kailee said. She swung her legs over the side of the table and stood, reaching for her clothes. “How did the other women get here?”
“Most of them were indents, like me,” the doctor said. “A couple were kidnapped from farms and stolen away into the countryside. And they know, now, that escape is impossible.”
She watched, cruelly dispassionate, as Kailee pulled on her muddy clothes. “I am sorry for you,” she added. “But you might have been safer on your own.”
Kailee kept her mouth closed as the doctor led her back to the prison, but now she knew more about the bandit camp it was easy to see what she meant. The women were broken, beaten down, just like far too many women on Earth. Maybe the bandits were more honest, she told herself, even though she refused to accept that they were right. They never pretended that the women could become more than wives, mothers and cooks. Some of the men, too, looked broken. A couple were even limping badly, although she wasn't sure what was wrong with them.
“Hamstrung,” the doctor said, when Kailee finally broke her silence and asked. “They can barely walk, let alone run. Escape is impossible. I have hamstrung women too, when they were too determined to escape. They gave me no choice.”
Kailee felt her temper flare. “You did it to them?”
The doctor’s eyes were expressionless as she turned to face Kailee. “I had no choice,” she said, softly. “Just like everyone else in this camp. I had no choice.”
They reached the prison. The guard looked Kailee up and down – she gritted her teeth as his eyes tra
velled over her body – then stepped backwards and opened the door. Inside, Gary was sitting on the ground, waiting for her. There was a nervous look in his eyes.
Kailee stepped inside, then surprised herself by giving him a hug. As soon as the door was closed, she put her mouth to his ear and started to outline everything she’d seen. Gary listened, then told her about the ransom note. Kailee wondered, absently, if anyone would pay for them ... or if they would be trapped in the bandit camp forever. She had to admit that it seemed unlikely that anyone would pay ...
We have to get out of here, she thought. Whatever it takes, we have to get out of here.
***
The best time to sneak into a fortified camp, Austin had been told, was in the early morning, before the sun rose in the sky. There was enough darkness left to conceal his movements, while the enemy guards would be tired and anticipating their sleep rather than being on full alert. It was why military units – the competent ones, at least, according to his scoutmaster –stood to and prepared to resist attack in the early morning. But he didn't have time to waste.
Absolute darkness shrouded the enemy camp as he crawled back towards the bushes. They’d slipped back as soon as darkness began to fall, but he hadn't dared take them any closer until it was completely dark. If the enemy had night vision goggles or anything else ... he shook his head, dismissing the thought. Such equipment was very rare on Meridian, even though there were no laws against the private possession of weapons. It was unlikely that the bandits had anything other than the Mark I eyeball.
He prayed silently that Darrin would keep his distance as he reached the gap in the bushes and started to crawl through. There was probably a guard posted further inside, concealed enough to be impossible to see from the outside, yet positioned so that he could intercept anyone trying to get in before they saw the interior of the complex. Austin made himself as small as possible, then inched forward. His eyes had adapted to the darkness as much as possible – there was more than a little genetic engineering in his family’s past – but there simply wasn't enough light for him to see much. Was that a building ahead of him?
The Empire's Corps: Book 07 - Reality Check Page 32