Taking Command

by Jennifer Leeland

  "It's my fantasy."

  "Yes, but it's my information that will get you to the castle. I need a little satisfaction too.” A cruel twist of her lips filled Daniella with fear, not excitement.

  "And pain satisfies you?” Jake asked casually.

  "It does. But not too much.” The tall woman circled Daniella, and studied her from top to bottom. With a languid hand, Risa reached out and twisted Daniella's nipple. The pain licked along her nerves, but she remained still. The tension from Jake's body was noticeable. Daniella closed her eyes. If she could picture Jake tweaking her nipple, whipping her, marking her, she could take it.

  "On all fours, girl,” the woman ordered her. Daniella obeyed. With a jerk, the woman raised her top and bared her back.

  It's Jake ordering me. He's doing this. When the crop slammed into her back, she bit her lip to keep from crying out. This wasn't the controlled blows that Sashina delivered. These were calculated to hurt, to make her bleed. Once more, hard and fast to her lower back.

  When it slashed across her muscles again, she trembled. “Does that hurt, little girl?” The woman's hand soothed along her spine where the marks had bruised her skin. “No cries for me? No noise?” The crop slashed along her shoulders. She refused to cry out.

  "Stop her, Sashina,” Jake said.

  "That's enough, Risa. She is mine.” Sashina stepped forward.

  Daniella opened her eyes and Jake's boots were just below her nose. His hands slid under her arms and he raised her to her feet. “Daniella, hold onto me."

  She clung to his arms and she could feel the warm slide of blood down her back. He dragged her to a well and tore his shirt to use as a rag to clean her wounds.

  "Why didn't you cry out? That's what she wanted. She wanted to hear your pain.” He dabbed her wounds with tender care. She tried not to wince and grabbed his arm. Over her shoulder, she met his gaze.

  "I only cry out for you. I'm your submissive.” Her breath hissed as he pressed against the long slashes on her back.

  "Okay, baby. Hold still.” He cleaned the wounds. “They've stopped bleeding.” He helped her put her shirt back on.

  Sashina knelt beside her. “I'm sorry, honey. I didn't know she was really hurting you. She usually builds up to the rough stuff. Something about you really got to her."

  "I know the feeling,” Jake muttered, his fingers stroked her back.

  "Are we in?” Daniella asked.

  Sashina nodded. “We're in. No problem. The castle is the next stop."

  The castle was defended by eight men, dressed in Middle Ages garb and wielding bows, arrows and swords.

  Jake and Sashina took care of them easily. Entering the second floor of the castle, they slithered through with caution toward the room that held Troy. They hoped.

  The stones of the hallway were lighted by torches, giving the castle an eerie, frightening feeling. They reached a solid wooden door and Jake tried to kick it in. Nothing made a dent. Sashina tried and failed.

  A man stepped into the hallway from the stairwell to their right. “Looking for these?” He dangled keys from his fingers. He looked familiar to Daniella. She tried to place him, when Jake stepped forward, his face white and his eyes wide.

  "Bradley?” His voice was hushed. Then, it hit her. This was the spitting image of Jake's dead brother.

  "Nay, miscreant. My title is the Sheriff of Nottingham to you.” Daniella would have found the words funny if the man hadn't drawn a wicked looking sword and advanced on Jake.

  Jake didn't move.

  Daniella's fear forced her in front of him. The man's sword swung in an arc and Daniella wondered, as she shoved Jake aside, if she was going to die in a romantic fantasy with dominatrix overtones. Sashina's whip slashed out, breaking the momentum of the huge sword, sending it clattering across the stone hall.

  "You bitch!” The man held his arm and tore a knife from his belt. Sashina clashed with the man, moving with ease away from his slashing knife. She avoided a backslash and kicked the man between the legs with her black, leather boots. Daniella winced for the hologram.

  Sashina's knife was out and she slit the man's throat before he could recover.

  Jake still hadn't moved.

  As Daniella removed the keys from the dead hologram's fingers, Jake seemed to come out of whatever weird place he'd gone to.

  "Jake? Are you okay?” She touched his shoulder. His eyes were black and fathomless with no emotion.

  "I'm fine.” His jaw muscle jerked as he gritted his teeth. “This guy isn't pulling any punches, is he?"

  "He's trying to mess with our minds,” Daniella spoke firmly. “He used Sashina's fantasy, your brother and Troy against us. We have to keep to the plan."

  Jake's nod was abrupt, but he took the keys from Daniella's fingers and strode toward the door.

  They opened the door and found Troy trussed up against the wall, chained and beaten. His head hung to his chest and blood dripped from his cheeks. Bruising was already showing on his neck and hands. Sashina rushed to him and felt for a pulse. Daniella could hear her sigh of relief.

  "He's alive.” She stroked his arm and studied his injuries. “Jesus, he's a mess,” she whispered.

  Daniella touched her friend's arm to comfort her.

  "This wasn't part of my fantasy.” Sashina touched his face and removed the restraints, her gentleness surprising Daniella. “Troy is never beaten like this. This is the work of our little rogue asshole."

  A muffled moan escaped from Troy. Sashina cradled him in her arms. “Troy, honey. Please, are you okay?” She stroked his bloody face.

  "Sashina. It's a trap. Get out of here.” His voice was weak and strained.

  "We had to come get you, idiot. That's the fantasy,” she whispered.

  His grin made him wince. “Yeah, nice fantasy, by the way. What happens after you rescue me in these little fantasies of yours?"

  She grinned back at him. “That's for me to know and you to find out."

  "We should be able to go now. That's the fantasy, right? Rescue Troy and get out of the castle?” Jake was checking the hallway.

  "That's it.” Sashina helped Troy to his feet. “Let's get out of here. Hopefully, Paul found out who's fucking with us."

  As they “escaped” the castle, the fantasy program ended.

  * * * *

  Paul shook his head. “I had him, and then the parameters of the fantasy he was controlling became too deadly. My hands were full trying to keep the fantasy from killing you."

  "He knows you're there now,” Jake said.

  "He knew I was there in the first place. We thought he didn't know about me, but he must have.” Paul was clicking on his computer. “Look."

  Several lines of script were embedded in the code for the fantasy. “I don't understand.” Daniella was confused.

  "This is Tribunal script. It's designed to leave messages for other Tribunal in the event of failure. In this case, the message is to me. ‘The Tribunal hunting for me.’ He knows that there's a Tribunal on his tail and that I'm helping you."

  "Damn it,” Jake muttered.

  "It gets better,” Paul told him.

  "What else?” Daniella asked.

  "His message was very interesting and concerns all of you.” Paul's eyes swept over all four of them.

  Troy growled. His face was bruised and bloody.

  "The message is this. ‘Tell them that I have plans for them. The VFR will be ready tomorrow at 1800 hours. How did you like my Sheriff, Captain Tarune?' That's it."

  Daniella studied Jake's face. He'd gone white and his hands trembled slightly.

  "What's he talking about, Tarune?” Paul demanded.

  Daniella spoke up. “The asshole made the Sheriff look like Jake's brother."

  "I see.” Paul's eyes raked over Jake's face. “That's something you'll have to watch for. He's going to use everything he knows against you."

  As Daniella slipped her hand in Jake's, he squeezed it. “I should have been prepared.
It's got to be in my psych evaluation that my brother committed suicide."

  "We can't go in the VFR,” Sashina stated. “Troy needs to go to the infirmary."

  "I'm fine.” Troy's voice was cold and Sashina recoiled. Apparently, Troy's previous resentment was back in place.

  "No, she's right,” Jake told him. “Paul can protect Sashina while you get fixed up. Those are some nasty cuts and bruises."

  Troy glared at Jake through his swollen eyes, blood still oozing from the slashes on his face. “Lestrano said this guy would use everything against us. Wouldn't I be a great target to get at Sashina?"

  Jake's gaze was steady on the beaten man. “You're right. You need bodyguards.” And he put in a call for two military escorts. “The guards will meet us in the infirmary which is where you'll go and where you'll stay."

  For a moment, Daniella thought Troy was going to refuse. Instead, he nodded and left the room. Sashina's eyes followed him, concern deepening them to a brilliant green.

  They followed Troy's slow progress to the infirmary and Daniella wondered if any of them would survive this madman's game.

  * * * *

  The doctors treated Troy's wounds and Sashina stood by his side and winced when he did. Guilt lined her face as if somehow the bruises were her responsibility. Jake could sympathize. Troy was Sashina's submissive. When something happened to him and she couldn't stop it, Jake could understand that she would feel responsible.

  When the med techs left the room, Jake touched Sashina's shoulder. “I need to talk to Troy."

  Her green eyes narrowed on his face. “Not now. Can't you see he's in pain?"

  "Yes. But we need to get some answers. Why don't you wait in the other room? You'll just worry him and interrupt. Let me do this."

  She hesitated, the struggle clearly written on her face. Then, she nodded abruptly and strode toward the door without glancing back over her shoulder.

  Jake jerked his head at Daniella and she followed Sashina without a word. Then, he focused on Troy's ravaged face. “Why you, Troy? Did he tell you why he kidnapped you?"

  Troy's Adam apple bobbed as he swallowed. He nodded. “He has my psych eval too, you know."

  Jake waited as he noticed a myriad of emotions that crossed Troy's face. When he spoke again, his voice was strained. “He knows that I'm ... damaged."

  The legs of the chair squeaked along the floor as Jake yanked a chair beside the bed and sat down. “I wouldn't normally ask but..."

  "I know.” Troy stirred and winced in pain. “I've been a submissive all my life and gone through partner after partner. Until Sashina.” He shifted again. “She doesn't know why I do what I do. In every other aspect of my life, I maintain strict control. I always have. I like the feeling of letting go, being free. Do you know what I mean?"

  Jake shook his head and gave Troy a faint smile. “No, but I'm a Dom. I understand it intellectually. Go on."

  "Well, up until Sashina, I switched partners pretty regularly. If a Dom got too close, I bailed.” He closed his eyes.

  "How does this make you damaged?"

  Troy kept his eyes closed and didn't speak for so long, Jake thought he had passed out. Then, he answered, “It's why I won't allow a Dom to get close."

  Jake waited, knowing this was difficult for the man. He kept his face a blank mask with no judgment, no sympathy.

  "I was beaten by a group of kids when I was about ten.” Troy's voice had no expression in it, no anger or bitterness. “Part of me ... enjoyed it at first. But then, they really went to town. I was in the hospital for a week and home for another month before I healed. When I got older, I realized I liked the pain, but no one was going to get close enough to push my boundaries."

  "It makes sense. Why not just tell Sashina?"

  His eyes flew open and burned bright blue. “Tell her what? That I had the shit kicked out of me as a kid and I'm terrified of being hung up and beaten? What woman would respect a guy after that?"

  Jake shook his head. “If you don't tell her, you risk either blocking her out or losing her or she may trigger this shit by accident. Not telling her is dangerous."

  "Perhaps, but it's worked so far."

  "But now, our rogue Tribunal used that information against you. Did he ask you questions? Or did he just beat you to trigger the old memories?"

  Troy's laugh was weak and ended in a raspy cough. “He did a lot of taunting. I think he was just triggering the old stuff trying to mess with my head. He told me about the trap in the room. The minute one of you entered the doorway, there were wicked spikes that he had set up to skewer all three of you. He gave me a demonstration with a hologram of Sashina."

  "And what did you say?” Jake had a pretty good idea what happened. He knew that if he'd seen Daniella's hologram pinned by metal spikes, his resolve to maintain a stoic front would be shattered.

  Troy glared at him. “I begged him, Tarune. I begged him to kill me and let her live. He laughed at me. I fucking crawled.” His eyes closed and Jake could read the shame and anger at himself all over the guy's face.

  "Stop it. I would have done the same thing. They don't train us for this kind of shit."

  "It was like I was ten again. Helpless, angry, crawling and they were laughing at me, hitting me. That guy is crazy."

  "Did he say anything about his plans?"

  Troy shook his head. “Only that he was going to change his history. At one point, he said that he and I were alike."

  "Did he explain?"

  "He said that being tormented by other people was something he knew intimately.” Troy's bitterness threaded through his tone. “It was his idea that destroying Sashina and Daniella would end his torment. I was out of it by that time and couldn't grasp what he was saying."

  "We're going to have to find him. Did he look familiar?"

  "Do you mean, was it Donny?” Troy shook his head. “He wore a mask and kept his voice high and distorted. It probably is Donny, but I couldn't swear it."

  Jake nodded. “The guards will keep you under lock and key until we find him."

  With a bloody hand and a weak grip, Troy grasped Jake's arm. “Don't take Sashina back in there. He's a nutcase and he likes to kill people. He only let me live for one reason—to get her."

  "I won't. Don't worry. Paul Lestrano will protect her."

  "Somehow that doesn't reassure me. That guy is a little too smooth for me to be all thrilled he'll be around my woman."

  Jake smirked. “You'd better tell Sashina that. The two of you need to talk."

  "I'll tell her when I'm ready. Meanwhile, keep all this to yourself."

  With a shrug, Jake stood up. “If that's the way you want it. It seems like the waste of a great Dom."

  Troy's brows knitted together. “She's my Dom. I'll do this my way."

  Daniella, Sashina and Paul were all in the waiting room outside the infirmary. As usual, Sashina was pacing, Paul was studying her as if she were an interesting test subject and Daniella only had eyes for him the minute he walked through the door.

  "How is he?” Sashina demanded to know.

  "He's recovering."

  "I should be with him,” she said.

  "No. Leave him alone, Sashina. He'll be fine.” Jake shook his head. “He certainly held up under that beating."

  "What's the next step, Captain?” Paul asked Jake.

  "We start questioning the two men that we know might be involved.” Jake started for the door. “We'll start with George Finton."

  "Are we all going?” Paul started collecting some equipment.

  "I want to question him alone, but I need you nearby."

  "I need to go see Troy,” Sashina stated.

  "We'll come back after we pay a visit on Finton,” Jake reassured her.

  Sashina nodded. “Let's get this over with."

  As they approached the ATHV hanger, Jake stopped Paul and Sashina.

  "You stay here in case something goes wrong.” He gripped Daniella's elbow. “We'll go deal with
George."

  Adrenaline poured through his body. Daniella shot a quick glance at him and he realized his fingers dug into her flesh. He managed a rueful smile. Her smile was just as weak.

  The hanger was deserted except for the man they had come to see. Jake studied him as they got closer to him. He seemed older, more tired and nervous.

  He whirled around when he heard their footsteps and Dani smiled at him.

  "Hi, George.” She lifted a hand in greeting.

  "Dani. How are you?” he asked her, his eyes swerved from hers to Jake's and he licked his lips.

  She shrugged. “I've been better. Do you know Captain Jake Tarune?” Jake stepped forward.

  "How do you do, Captain? Is this about the sabotage?” George wiped his hands on a sani-towel.

  "In a way, yes,” Jake admitted.

  "What can I say? I discovered the sabotage in a routine inspection of the ATHVs and it was out of my expertise. Luckily, Dani here can fix them."

  "I'll get right to the point. Where were you about an hour ago?"

  George's brow furrowed in a puzzled expression on his face. “I was buried under this Walker.” He indicated the large suit worn by military personnel when working on the Sky Station.

  "Can you prove it?"

  "What's this all about, Dani.” The older man's eyes narrowed on her face.

  "Someone is trying to kill me, George. All we know is that he's ex-Tribunal,” Daniella told him.

  Jake stiffened. He didn't want to give too much away. They were there to ask questions, not answer them. It was clear that Daniella didn't believe this man was guilty.

  Doubt was written on her face as she noted George's reaction. His face twisted for a moment and some deep emotion passed over his features. “I see. Captain, I swear I was here and the vid security ought to prove it.” All emotion was wiped off the man's face.

  "You know something,” Daniella pressed.

  George took a deep breath. “I have no idea what's going on, Dani. I swear."

  "But you know something,” she insisted.

  He shook his head. “I can't tell you anything."

  "You know who it is,” she whispered and Jake touched her hand. It was clammy and cold. “Somehow, you know."