by Coralee June
"You’d think a Scavenger would know better than to listen to rumors," Cavil replied tauntingly. "There are people in Ethros convinced you all run around in the nude. I'm sure some of them will be disappointed when I go back and tell them you’re fully clothed,” Cavil chuckled. “You must be the Scavenger Chief that sent out the distress video." Cavil thrust out his hand for Tallis to shake, but instead, the Chief crossed his arms over his chest, brushing him off. Cavil didn’t falter.
"I have the resources necessary to get the Dormas Leadership Council out safely. All I need in return is for you all to take a little vacation to Ethros. This could be an opportunity to not only build an alliance, but find a solution that's mutually beneficial to our providences. I want to understand this mutation and find a cure. I'm not a bad guy, promise. You might even like it! Ethros is known as the Home of Love," Cavil said while wiggling his eyebrows.
“And how are you capable of saving the Dormas Leadership Council?” I asked. My voice wavered as I spoke, emotion crashing through me. Cavil gave me a calculating gaze, as if cataloging my reaction and processing how he could later use it to his advantage.
“I have the best army. The best weapons. I can have them in and out in no time, little Walker. I’ll keep your Holders safe. Your loyalty and concern is truly admirable.”
"We'll do it," a soft but solid voice said, and my eyes zeroed in on a shaken Jules who stood behind Tallis. Her chin was raised in confidence, but the small droplets of water that gathered in the corners of her brown eyes suggested otherwise. "Save them." Tallis stiffened at her words and took in a deep breath. “I don't care what you have to do.”
Cavil’s smile took up his entire face. In two short sentences, Jules not only revealed herself, but revealed her weaknesses. I groaned at her impulsiveness. However, there was a part of me that was relieved. I would sell my soul to the devil if it meant I could have my guys back, and this certainly felt like a deal with the devil. It was still too soon to tell if he had bad intentions, but there was a foreboding sense tingling in the back of my mind that there would soon be consequences for agreeing to Cavil’s deal.
"Mistress Black, I presume? I'm so happy to see you're still here and not off to Dormas yet," Cavil said while looking pointedly at me.
“That's me,” Jules said.
“Well my dear, you are more lovely in person,” Cavil said with a slight bow while keeping his eyes on her.
“So what's the catch?” she asked while taking another step closer.
“I'm sorry? What do you mean by a catch?” Cavil and Jules were playing a game of cat-and-mouse while Tallis and I stood helplessly on the sidelines.
“Men like you always have an ulterior motive. I'm sure on some primal level you see the value in hiring my brother to find a cure. But there's more, isn't there? Let me guess…” Jules drummed the tips of her fingers against her peach lips while inspecting the army behind us.
“Well obviously,” Cavil began, “I would like the rights to whatever cure Maverick comes up with.”
“So essentially, you would like to monopolize survival, similar to what Lackley has done,” Jules said with a deep frown. I gasped. Was there no one left in the empire that did things for the greater good anymore?
“That's exactly what I plan to do, Mistress.”
Tallis opened his mouth to speak, but Jules gripped his wrist in her hand and squeezed.
“I won’t lie to you, Mistress. I’d also like an opportunity to grind Lackley beneath my boot. We have history, you see,” Cavil added.
“And you can promise me that you’ll free the Dormas Leadership Council and that they will be unharmed?” Jules asked.
“Absolutely! I have a monopoly on the weapons, and some of the best trained military personnel in the entire empire. I hope to not only free your Leadership Council, but also kill Emperor Lackley. Furthermore, I will even allow the people of Dormas to have access to whatever cure your brother comes up with.”
I watched as Jules considered her options, but I couldn't help but interject. “And what about everyone else? Will you keep the same system? Will Walkers still be forced to live in poverty, fighting for their lives while the rich survive and thrive?”
Cavil snapped his neck and looked at me with eyes like daggers. I felt his demeanor shift as he considered my words. His stare made me feel unworthy, like a disobedient child. Like an insolent Walker.
His fingers twitched at his side, and I wondered if he would hurt me. “Not that you have any say in the matter, but I plan to continue our empire’s current system with a few of my own modifications.”
“Maverick wouldn't want that,” I immediately said to Jules. Once again, Cavil threw me a murderous glare and swallowed down whatever insults were on the tip of his tongue.
Jules also seemed exasperated by my questioning. “I'm sure Maverick doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in Lackley’s prison, either,” she said. “Okay, we’ll do it.”
I opened my mouth, once again, to argue, but Tallis’ frown and slight shake of his head made me pause. Although I thought that Jules was being impulsive, Tallis’ judgment was something I could trust. It was something I'd been clinging to since leaving Lackley’s lab.
Within moments, Jules and Cavil were walking off towards his makeshift military camp outside the safe house, while Tallis and I watched them make plans together.
"Did we do the right thing?" I asked. I turned to look at him, but his eyes were still glued to Jules. There was a hint of admiration in the way his lips quirked up in a small half smile.
"Jules thinks this is a good idea,” he replied with a shrug. “I’m going to trust her judgment.” Tallis started off towards them, and I quickly followed.
"Do you think we can trust him?" I needed reassurance.
"I think he's our best option," he replied with a shrug, taking larger steps after them. "But I don't plan on letting Jules out of my sight either," he added in a low steadfast voice just as Jules laughed loudly and looked over her shoulder at us. She gave Tallis a meaningful glance before facing forward again. I clung to what little relief I could at this new development.
Although I was happy that someone would finally take on the Emperor and rescue my men, I still couldn't help but feel like we were trading one imprisonment for another.
Chapter Two
It took them about eight hours to prepare for the attack on Lackley’s lab. During that time, I experienced many conflicting emotions. Was this the right thing to do? On one hand, I was prepared to give up anything and everything to have them back, but I worried how Maverick would respond to Cavil’s requirements for the rescue. Maverick wouldn’t like hoarding the cure for profit. Were we rescuing his body just to damn his soul?
Jules mindlessly nodded her head while Cavil trampled over her with plans for the ambush. She only piped up to argue when he insisted that we stay behind.
“If you think I'm going to let you leave here without me, then I'm not sure I can trust that you're intelligent enough to rescue them in the first place,” she said sarcastically. She crossed her arms over her chest, jetting her hip out as she stood underneath the awning of one of Cavil’s military tents.
“Do forgive me, dear, but you're somewhat of a liability. I'd like to keep you safe, plus I think you’re the leverage I need to ensure that your brothers willingly come to Ethros. I promise my guards will take good care of you and your Walker.”
Jules didn’t react to Cavil’s honesty. She understood that she was a pawn in his games. While looking around the Ethros military camp, Jules seemed to realize that she was fighting a losing battle. We had nothing, and Cavil knew it. So instead of arguing, she and Tallis snuck off for an hour, and when she came back, the only indication that she had been crying was her red cheeks.
When it was time for them to leave, Tallis boldly looked towards Cavil before placing a soft kiss on her cheek and boarding a transport. Cavil then scrolled through his tablet, turning his military invisible again. I was h
aunted by the fact that he could hide in plain sight. Even after the sounds of their transports were long gone, I still felt Cavil’s presence.
Two guards were left behind to watch over us at the safe house. I resumed my usual pacing, but this time, Jules didn't complain. She eyed our guards with scrutiny as they followed my every move.
"Why’s your Walker all worked up?" the blond burly one, who called himself Webb, asked while smirking at me. I ignored his question, as well as his determination to label me as a Walker.
It didn't take long for me to learn that nearly every soldier in the Ethros military camp did not like Walkers. I caught them staring at the hole in my ear where my tag once was. When Cyler removed my ear tag, it was freeing. But despite its absence, it still haunted me. It was like the soldiers were peering at my liberation and treating it like defiance.
"Hey, he asked you a question," the other snapped after neither of us replied. He had dark curly hair and black eyes framed by a single thick eyebrow that stretched across his forehead. He tilted his head and clicked his teeth together in frustration. Jules looked up and threw them a bored expression before picking at her nails. I stopped pacing.
After a moment, her face lit up with a smile and she asked, "How does it feel to be glorified babysitters?" She then stood and walked towards me. There was a rigidness in the way she carried herself. Her graceful smile and poised shoulders were deceptive, but I saw how her breathing became labored.
"I guess it feels similar to being a glorified prisoner, Mistress," the blond replied with a grin. He was leaning against the cracked wall before he straightened, stalking towards us. I immediately gripped Jules' wrist and pulled her back away from him.
"Now, we were supposed to wait a couple more hours, but I think Cavil would understand, don't you, Blan?" he asked. The dark-haired man smiled in response, then stood from his rocker and cracked his neck, the pops were loud in the eerily silent room. After glancing at one another, they both made their way towards us.
I held onto Jules’ arm and ran for the door, pulling her with me, determined to get away from them. The house was too small, it was too late. With just two strides, the guards grabbed our shoulders and pulled us tightly against their chests. With arms like suffocating steel, we were dragged outside towards a sleek, black transport.
I struggled against Blan's hold and firmly kicked my feet against the ground, praying it would slow him down enough so I could get away. I alternated between thrashing my body and going limp, but nothing worked. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Jules calmly being carried. She didn't struggle or fight. She merely wore an amused expression as the guard stomped towards the transport.
Both men plopped us down on the dirt. I fell on my back before immediately rolling over and dragging my torso across the ground. I lifted myself up on my knees and prepared to run, but Blan slapped me across the cheek. The sting and blunt force of it sent me sliding, and I fell back down. Dizziness consumed me as I tried to orient myself. Blan wrapped his thick fingers around my neck and lifted me up. While keeping a steady grip on my neck, he held his tablet up to my face.
“Just want to double check the Walker database,” he said in a nonchalant tone while scanning my image. My lungs threatened to burst from the pressure of his grip. Finally, the tablet pinged and he dropped me. Once again, I fell back down to the dirt and began gasping for air.
"Knew it. You’re a fucking Walker," he growled out while dusting off his arms and pants. “Losing your ear tag don’t mean shit. If you’re on the registry, you’re up for grabs.”
My breathing slowed as I realized what this meant. There was a national database which cataloged all Walkers. It ensured that they didn’t flee once receiving the vaccine or try to pass as someone that couldn’t contract X. But if Cyler never updated my status, then that meant I was still fair game to be claimed, bought, or sold.
“Looks like you have quite the pedigree. Immune. Worked for the Governor of Galla.”
I placed a cool hand on my cheek to soothe the pain caused by his slap, and when I looked at Jules, she had a mild expression and observed the scene before her with vacant eyes. None of this seemed to surprise her.
Blan kept talking. “Someone like you could trade for a pretty penny.” He gave me a calculating once over.
"I'm assuming you intend to take us to Ethros? I thought the plan was to wait for Commodore Cavil to return and we’d all travel together?" Jules asked in a sickly sweet voice with a small, sarcastic grin.
"You didn't honestly think that Cavil would let you wait here, did you?" Blan asked with a chuckle while brushing a thick hand through his hair. "Do you want to know why Cavil was elected our leader? He doesn't leave room for error. He wants to ensure that Maverick comes to Ethros, which means your pretty little ass will be there waiting for him!"
Webb chuckled in response. Pulling a wooden case from his satchel, he stomped towards Jules. "I've got a present for you," he said. Webb wore a sinister smile accompanied by dark, emotionless eyes. As he opened the box, Jules' brows shot up in curiosity, but I couldn't see what was in his hands.
"Well, I'm flattered, but that style is so last Spring," she replied before yawning. "Perhaps a necklace instead, hmm?"
Webb frowned and rolled his eyes at Jules' smug expression and pretentious words. Then he pulled out a thin metal cuff bracelet with a glowing blue line in the middle. I gasped once I realized what it was—a fetter.
Before I could stop him, before I could warn Jules, he grabbed her forearm and slipped the dull metal onto her wrist. At first, there was nothing but Jules' confused yet smug expression.
"Is this supposed to do some—" Jule’s shrill screams filled the air, and with a loud click, the fetter seared itself to her skin, attaching itself permanently. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as she hunched over and grabbed her forearm. Tears streamed down her face as she writhed in pain.
"What the fuck is this thing?!" she screeched as it lit up and began making a mechanical humming noise. My shoulders slumped in defeat. It was too late.
"I'm sure your Walker friend knows what this is, don't you, babe?" Blan asked with a menacing smirk that made me tense up.
"It-it’s a fetter," I choked out. Webb walked towards me. His smile was broad and bright, his white teeth blinding and misleading.
"What the fuck is a fetter?" Jules moaned and rubbed her arm next to where it was now permanently attached.
"It’s a tool that some Holders use to make sure their Walkers stay obedient," I whispered. It was only used in rare cases, and mostly by only the cruelest of Holders.
"What does it do? I’ve seen cuffs, but nothing like this," she asked. I saw the fear in her eyes. The worry.
"It’s fairly new. Cuffs didn’t have the...range that fetters do,” I explained. “It tracks you, for one. It ensures that a Walker doesn't run away once they receive the vaccine. It’s also impossible to remove. That pain? It was burning itself to your skin and embedding itself in your veins. Taking it off will kill you." I wanted to rub the place where my tag once was, but I kept still. There were many Walkers that resorted to cutting off an ear to escape their Holders, but I knew of no one willing to cut off their hand.
"Well, that's not too bad."
"Ah, she’s forgetting the best part!" Webb exclaimed while smacking his gums. "Fetters also help a Holder control their Walkers. So if you step out of line, one little push of my button can burn you." His hand grazed over the screen of his tablet, and Jules let out a shrill scream that made me flinch. “And in extreme cases, I can input a code, and you'll be injected with poison. BAM! Dead as X by morning."
Jules once again looked down at her wrist, before holding it away from her body. Webb chuckled. “It feels so wrong putting that technology on you, Mistress. You should know that I'm a gentleman. These are just extraordinary circumstances, you see. Otherwise, I wouldn't dream of marring your perfect skin with something intended for a nasty Walker.” Webb grabbed Jules’ outstretche
d hand and kissed the top of it, making her bristle under his touch.
Without warning, Blan forcefully grabbed my arm, the pressure and strength of his hold nearly popped my arm out of its socket. He didn’t present the torture device to me like he did to Jules. There was no fanfare when he placed the fetter on me, and within seconds, a searing pain traveled up my arm as it latched onto my wrist. But I did not scream. I did not cry. The only reaction I allowed to escape was a tight hiss of breath as I sharply inhaled.
In the little time I spent with these men, I knew that they were cruel and sadistic. Even though my legs felt weak and I was dizzy, I refused to give them what they craved...and it made them angry. Very angry. Blan leaned closer and his hot breath hit my face. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you, little Walker."
As we rode in the small transport, Blan took enjoyment in making me squirm. He pressed his hot thigh against mine while leaning close. Occasionally, he would shove his elbow into my side, and I’d pull away and scowl. It made me cringe to be so close to him, and although I tried not to show how much he scared me, he sensed my discomfort.
"So what’s your plan?" Jules asked in a calm voice. To an outsider, she appeared unaffected, but I had grown to understand her. She was still visibly shaken by the fetter firmly clasped upon her wrist, and every so often, I’d catch her softly petting the skin around it as she spoke.
"Cavil seems to think you're the leverage we need to keep Maverick in Ethros," Webb said in a bored tone while flipping through news clippings on his tablet. “This whole vaccine rejection business has got everyone in a tizzy. Ethros wants to be the first to find a cure.”
Jules sighed. “It’s so predictable, really. I’m getting bored with all these power-hungry men overcompensating for their little dicks. Cavil wants to be like Lackley and monopolize the necessary means for survival? Surprise, surprise.” Jules rolled her eyes.
“Commodore Cavil is a good man. His first priority is saving his people. If it makes him rich in the process, then that’s simply a perk,” Webb replied in a stern tone.