“That’s enough out of you, bitch,” he growled. His hands gripped her again, pulling her off the wall. She figured he was just going to drag her out of the room, but soon another hit collided with her face. This time the stars that filled her vision overtook all sense of consciousness and the blackness she was becoming rather familiar with took over her once more.
Sweet Jesus! Phoenix blinked as she slowly regained consciousness. No seriously, Jesus was standing in all his glorious beauty staring down at her with a slight grin. Shit. She was dead. She was dead! How the hell did that happen? The last thing she remembered was being knocked out, not bloody well killed.
She groaned, her hand going to grab the side of her face that felt like it had been hit by a freight train.
“You’re looking a little rough there, sweetheart,” Jesus said.
Phoenix groaned again. Who knew Jesus had a warped sense of humour. “Have I died?” she asked, her voice hoarse.
“You wish, Princess,” said a voice that had her head spinning too quickly to the side. Trent sat a few feet away from her, looking a little worse for wear himself. Her heart picked up speed at just the sight of him, knowing that he was within touching distance again. She never thought she’d be so happy to see him.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” she said before she could stop herself.
He grinned and winked. “I knew you couldn’t get enough of me.”
She scowled, looking back at Jesus as he crouched down in front of her. He had the nicest hair she’d ever seen. Just made her want to run her hands through it. Long locks of golden blonde framed the face that could only belong to an angel. He had a beard like Tyler, but it didn’t take away or hide just how perfectly sculpted his face was. She was finding it hard to look away from him.
“Next time, doll, I’d suggest you not talk back when one of my men come to fetch you,” he said, ruining her inner fantasy of him. He was responsible for all this? Well now she just wanted to smack his stupid, pretty face. She’d want to kiss it first, but definitely smack it after.
Someone snorted loudly, and she didn’t have to look to know who it was.
“Phoenix not talk back,” Trent said on a laugh. “Now there’s a joke. You’d better warn your men they’re going to have their hands full with that one.”
Jesus looked over at him briefly before meeting her gaze again. His eyes dropped down to take her in before lifting them slowly back up. His lips stretched into a smile. “Lucky for me, I like a good handful.”
Before she could reply with some brilliant response, because obviously she had one – she just couldn’t think of it right then, he stood up and walked away. It was only then that she realized there were quite a few men and women in the room, all of them sitting around the outside. Chains bound them to the wall from manacles on their ankles.
Phoenix looked down to see an identical one on her. She’d been so groggy, she hadn’t even felt the cold bite of metal on her skin until then. Jesus stopped when he was in the middle of the room, facing them all.
“I want to welcome you all,” he said, smiling happily. “Consider this your first day in the last place you’ll ever know.”
“And just where is that?” Trent asked.
He turned to look at him, his smile turning slightly sinister. “Hell, my good friend.” He looked around at them all again, slowly. “Welcome, to hell.”
“What are you doing here?” Missy asked, pressing the palms of her hands against the cool brick behind her. Two other men that she recognized from the institute stepped into view as well. Normally Geoff didn’t give her a bad vibe – not now. Missy didn’t know what was going on, but from the looks in their eyes, she didn’t think it was anything good.
“We were just looking for you,” he said, as though it were obvious.
“Me? W-why?”
He took a step forward and stopped when he noticed her stiffen. “We were just concerned you might have been injured in the raid,” he explained, his hands splayed out in an innocent gesture. If he was trying to ease her discomfort, he wasn’t doing a very good job of it. She was trapped in her little corner, the three of them making it impossible for her to get by even if she wanted to. Her heart was beating so fast she swore they would be able to hear it pounding.
“Well I’m fine,” she said, forcing a smile. “Thank you for your concern.” Now leave, she thought.
He looked around slowly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Missy watched every move he made carefully, unease slithering up her spine. She kept the other two in her peripheral vision as well.
“Have you seen anyone else from the institute?” he asked casually, or at least trying to appear that way. Missy wasn’t fooled.
She shook her head. “I’ve hardly seen anyone at all. Is the institute still okay, or was it hit in the raid?” she asked.
He turned to look back at her, his eyes searching. “It had some minor damage,” he answered without so much as blinking.
Liar, she thought, keeping her face straight. “Oh good. I’d hate to think of all those patients being trapped in there.”
He nodded in agreement. She forced herself not to roll her eyes.
“I never really met many of the other nurses,” she admitted, “so I wouldn’t know them even if I did see them on the street. Sorry. But I’m fine, so thank you again for checking up on me.”
“Of course, of course,” he said with a smile. “How about you come back to the institute with us and we’ll all stick together until we figure out what is going on? I’d hate for you to be out here on your own if the army decides to do another raid.”
She smiled, her face feeling stiff and awkward. “That’s very kind, but I think I’m just going to stay at my place. I don’t really want to go back and have that patient insist on me staying with him again,” she lied. “Now that I’m out, I think I’d rather stay that way.”
Geoff’s eyebrows went up. “Have you seen him at all?”
“Who?” She tried her best to look genuinely confused.
“Patient 2140.”
“Is he not at the institute?” she said. “How would I have seen him?”
He rolled back on his heels. “Just asking,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Wasn’t sure if maybe he’d managed to get out.”
“How would he do that? And why? I thought you said the institute is fine.”
“It is,” he said with a fake smile. “I still think you should come with us. It just isn’t safe out here right now. Come with us, Missy.”
The last sounded more like a command than a request. She fought the urge to recoil as she swallowed past the dryness in her mouth. Things felt like they had just gone from bad to worse, if she didn’t know any better.
“I’d really rather not,” she croaked, her voice weaker than she would have liked.
He took a step forward, no longer seeming to care that he was making her visibly nervous. “I’m really not asking,” he said, his smile harder now. “You’re coming with us.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The two men with him moved forward just as Geoff stepped back. They reached for her arms, pulling her roughly from the doorway and into the street. Missy cried out, trying desperately to rip her arms from their grasps, but it only caused them to tighten their hold painfully.
“Let go of me,” she demanded.
“Sorry, sweetheart, but we’re keeping a close eye on you from now on,” Geoff said, watching her struggle dispassionately.
“Why?” she asked, blowing the hair away from her eyes so she could see his smug face clearly.
He stepped forward, bringing his face closer. His eyes went cold, his voice matching. “Did you honestly think we didn’t know you were up to something?”
“Up to something?” she asked. “What the devil are you talking about it?”
He laughed humourlessly. “You can stop the act. We know who 2140 really is, and therefore know that you’re somehow involved with him and those other trai
tors. So who are you really? Hmm? Are you one of them?”
“One of w-who?”
“An Archer. One of those stupid girls that like to think of themselves as rebels? The only true resistance around here, sweetheart, is the one being led by the General. You’d best start learning that, and get in line.”
Her patience wore out. “The General is mad. All you’re doing is the following the instructions of a psychopath, no better than the one ruling this Godforsaken new world!” His hand smacked her hard across the face, causing her to slump to the side.
“Keep talking like that, and you’ll find out just how psychotic he can be. Let that be a warning to you.”
“What’s going on there?” someone called out.
Missy blinked back the spots dotting her eyes as she looked down the street. Three more people were there, all of them large enough to tell her they were men. The black uniforms they wore left no doubt as to just what kind of men they were. Soldiers.
The men holding her arms released her, letting her fall forward to her knees. She winced at the impact, her hands flinging out to stop herself from crashing face first. The rapid sound of footsteps had her looking up just as she caught the back of Geoff and the other two technicians disappear around the corner, two of the soldiers not far behind. Figures, she thought. The rebels were always big talkers, but none of them actually had the balls to stand up to the New World army when confronted face to face.
If her own face didn’t hurt so much she would have laughed. Steady steps approached, the third soldier stopping to glance down at her with a look of curiosity more than concern.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’ve been better,” she admitted. Missy hated soldiers, but at this point she’d take them over those bloody technicians any day. Stumbling to her feet, she brushed off the dirt from her knees, wincing at how tender they felt. She was sure she was bleeding beneath her clothing.
“We couldn’t catch them,” one of the other soldiers said, stopping behind her. Both were breathing heavily from running.
“Who were they?” the first soldier asked her.
She shrugged. “No idea,” she lied.
He narrowed his eyes, unconvinced. Nodding his head at her face he said, “Why’d he hit you then?”
“Because he’s an arse?” she suggested. Missy wouldn’t normally mouth off to a soldier, but she’d had her fill of dealing with men and their overbearing attitudes today.
“A pretty, little thing like you shouldn’t be out here by yourself,” the third man said, grinning at her in a way that had the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. His eyes dropped down her body, rising slowly to meet her widened gaze. “It’s a damn good thing those bombs didn’t kill such a lovely creature.”
Missy swallowed back the bile rising in her throat. She took a step back, but one of them moved so that they had her surrounded. It had happened so quickly she’d barely taken notice of them moving at all until it was too late. Her head whipped around to look at each of them. She clenched her fists at her side to hide the way they shook.
“There isn’t a soul around to hear you scream, darling,” one of them said deceptively gently.
Missy took a deep breath, swallowing back the tears clogging her throat. She blinked back the burning in her eyes. “What do you want?” she asked. Her voice barely sounded like her own. She hated her own weakness, how easily she became terrified in this kind of situation. Phoenix would have kicked their asses, or at least had some sort of smart mouth thing to say. She wouldn’t have cowered or grown afraid.
“I think you know exactly what we want,” the first soldier said. “A beautiful thing like you doesn’t come around very often these days. The boys and I fancy a taste.”
Her head was shaking before she even realized she was doing it. “Please,” she whispered.
“Oh, I do like when they beg,” one laughed.
Two sets of hands clamped down on her just as the technician’s had, these ones dragging her down to the ground. She screamed and fought, but it was useless against them. Tears blurred her eyes as she continued to shout as loud as she could, praying someone, anyone, would hear her.
“One of you sit on her arms,” she heard the first soldier instruct. “You hold her legs down,” he ordered.
Missy kicked furiously as a hand circled around each of her ankles. She screamed, begging for them to stop, but none of them paid her any attention.
“Hold still, bitch,” one of them growled.
“Spread her legs wider.”
She cried harder as the one who held her ankles did as he was told. The sharp bite of a blade just beneath her navel had her sucking in a breath. The first soldier, now standing above her, sliced down her pants, cutting them into two. He pushed the fabric away roughly.
“She won’t stop moving her legs,” one of them complained.
“Handle it! She’s just a tiny girl.” He went to cut the sides of her underwear even as she twisted her hips vigorously. He growled something at her just as she felt the blade nick her skin. Warm liquid trailed down her side.
“What’s this then?” a new voice said. Something about it sounded familiar, yet slightly off. “You boys having a party without me?”
They all froze, keeping their hold on her as Missy continued to struggled, despite the newcomer. She was bawling now, her face soaked with her tears.
“We need an extra set of hands, actually,” the one above her said. “Care to join us?”
The new person laughed. “I’d love to help out.”
Before she realized just what was happening, the man above her was suddenly gone, and shortly after so were the two others holding her. Missy curled into a ball, her entire body shaking uncontrollably. There was scuffling and grunting going on around her, but she couldn’t force herself to look up and see what was happening. What she should be doing was getting up and making a run for it, she knew. The smarter side of her brain was yelling at her to do just that. Yet her body remained paralyzed where it was.
At some point the noise around her stopped, not that she took much notice. It wasn’t until she felt hands on her upper arms again that she realized she didn’t hear the other three men anymore. Missy whimpered, flinging out to push away the new soldier, his black uniform the only thing she could focus on as her hands flapped uselessly at him.
“Shhh, Missy,” he said, his voice changing now to one she knew without a doubt. “It’s okay, lass. I’m here now.”
Missy looked up at a pair of clear, green eyes, radiating with concern. The pity there made her flinch almost as badly as if he’d physically hit her. She didn’t want to ever see Tyler look at her that way.
“I’m so sorry,” he said softly. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here quicker.” His hand cupped her cheek gently, his thumb running over the spot where she’d been struck by Geoff. “God, I’m so sorry, Missy.”
She wanted to tell him to stop apologizing. That he wasn’t responsible for the actions of others. He’d had nothing to do with any of this. But she couldn’t form the words. She couldn’t do much but continue to cry under the weight of what she’d almost gone through – again.
Tyler lifted her up gently, his eyes taking her in clinically, looking for any other injuries. All she could do was stand there, her body unable to cease shaking.
“We need to get you changed,” he was saying, his voice the only thing penetrating the haze that was quickly descending over her. Missy looked up at him, confused. “Hands up,” he instructed.
Missy did as she was told, part of her appreciative that he wasn’t babying her. He seemed determined to get done whatever he had planned, and wasn’t waiting for her to regain her composure in order to do so. He was forcing her to put herself back together, something no one else probably would have done for her. Especially knowing what she’d been through before.
This realization helped to stop some of the tears still leaking from her eyes. Tyler lifted her shirt up and over her head wh
ile she watched him numbly. He motioned for her to step out of the scraps that had once been her pants. She did so, on her own, as he reached under the black NWO vest he wore, pulling out another set of black clothing she recognized as a uniform.
Neither of them spoke as Tyler helped her step into the pants that were far too big for her. He knelt in front of her, rolling up the bottom of her pants so she wouldn’t trip. Meanwhile, she rolled the waist up as well, mostly to keep them from falling off since she didn’t have a belt. Tyler stood again, his eyes all serious, despite the fact that she was standing there in just a bra.
He pulled a shirt over her head, the fabric thick and soft against her skin. Tears started to form again, no matter how much she wished they wouldn’t. Tyler didn’t comment, simply taking each of her arms and putting them through the sleeves until she was fully dressed. The left side was wet and cold against her. Missy reached down and touched the spot, bringing her hand back up to see it covered in a red liquid. She cried harder then, knowing whomever’s clothes she was wearing, she also now wore their blood. I guess she knew now what had taken him so long to return.
Tyler took off his vest and put it on her instead, zipping up the front to hide any of her curves.
“I need you to hold it together for just a while longer,” he said, pulling out a plain, black cap, and placing it on her head. He shoved her long tresses under the fabric. “I’ll get you home, Missy. We’ll be safe soon. Just hold on.” He went to cup her chin gently, freezing midway when she flinched from his touch. Letting his hand drop, he sighed, deflated. “Come on then,” he said. “Let’s get you home.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Their trip back to the western ghetto went by in a blur, a permanent haze hanging over her the entire time. Tyler remained silent, only speaking when necessary. He had walked up to the guard house at the gates as though he owned the place. Missy had kept her face down so they wouldn’t notice she was a girl, and followed close behind.
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