by Leigh Harde
He stopped moving. Tears were forming in his rich brown eyes. “He murdered my sister,” he said to the top of Gabriel’s bowed head trying to get through to him. “And you love him?”
“No, Nate,” Gabriel said eagerly and met his eyes for the first time since they had started this conversation. “He didn’t do it.” He was glad to finally have something positive to say about Master. It wasn’t that he didn’t know what he was, he thought. He just loved him anyway and that wasn’t going to change.
“What do mean?” Nathan asked.
“Kevin freed them,” he said. “All of the women. Master took the blame to keep Kevin safe. He was afraid that the Marauder’s would try to hurt him if they knew the truth.”
“Hope’s alive?” Nathan asked. Gabriel stood up to face him.
“I don’t know, Nate,” he said and took his hands. “The Scavengers never found any bodies. I just don’t know. But there’s a chance.”
Nathan closed his eyes. He was tired and didn’t feel like fighting anymore. He leaned forward and rested his face between Gabriel’s neck and shoulder. Gabriel wrapped his arms around his back.
“Gabe?” Nathan said without raising his head. “Do you ever think about what happened?” Gabriel knew what he was referring to and tensed a little. “Sometimes,” he said. “I try not to.” After spending ten months inside the school’s bomb shelter with each other, they had become best friends. When the Scavengers captured them, they were given to the Marauders as sex slaves. Those two months were bad, even for Gabriel who was gay and had found that he had an affinity for humiliation and rough sex. Nathan was straight and had never been with a man before his abduction. One of the Marauders, Mac, had taken sadistic pleasure in beating him and forcing him to be with as many men as possible. Right before Nathan escaped, Mac had forced them to be with each other sexually while he and his friends watched.
“It still bothers me,” Nathan said into his shoulder. “I have nightmares.”
“Nate,” Gabriel said and rubbed his back. “I’m so sorry.” He had always felt tremendous guilt for what had happened between them at the Camp even though he wasn’t responsible. It was partly because while they were in the bomb shelter together, sometimes the occasional unwanted sexual thought would cross his mind. He never acted on it, and he never let on to Nathan. But when Mac had forced them together, he hated that there was a part of him that had enjoyed making love to his friend.
Nathan pulled back so that he could look into Gabriel’s light blue eyes. “I’m going to ask you something,” he said. “Say no if you don’t want to. I know that you’ve been through a lot with Master.” Gabriel shook his head and tried to say something, but Nathan cut him off. “Even if you won’t admit it,” he said and held up a hand to ward off any denial. Gabriel gave him a long-suffering look but remained silent waiting for Nathan to finish.
“I want us to have sex,” he said. Gabriel’s mouth flew open, but before he could say no, Nathan stopped him. “I think it would help me,” he said. “I can’t get what Mac made us do out of my head. It goes around and around in my mind, and it won’t stop.” He had been raped and abused by countless men at the Camp, but he had never felt as violated as when Mac and his friends watched Gabriel make love to him.
“When you kissed me in the medical center,” Nathan said. “It got me thinking. If we did it again, it might make the memories less painful. Now that I know that Mac’s dead, I think us being together again would help me move on.”
“I don’t know,” Gabriel said anxiously. “Are you sure it’s what you want?”
Nathan nodded. “I’m sure,” he said. “As long as it’s okay with you.”
Gabriel seemed conflicted. “I don’t want to make it worse, Nate.”
“You won’t,” Nathan said and leaned close. He gently pressed his lips to Gabriel’s. When he pulled back, Gabriel bit his bottom lip nervously. Nathan looked into his eyes. “Let’s go to the bedroom,” he said and started walking. Gabriel remained where he was for a moment then took a deep breath and followed him.
Nathan was almost undressed when Gabriel walked in. Once he finished, he crawled up on the bed and waited. He watched as Gabriel hesitantly removed his clothing and grimaced when he saw the fresh bruises covering his friend’s body. He hated the Camp and everyone in it for what they had done to them. He didn’t want to, but he forced himself to remember the details of the last time that they were together. Nathan had only been able to get an erection when Mac had forced Gabriel to fellate him. And then he had performed for the Marauders, obeying their instructions, because he didn’t have a choice. But he never came close to having an orgasm as he thrust in and out of Gabriel’s body. It wasn’t long before Mac ordered them to switch positions.
Gabriel wasn’t in a hurry as he undressed. He still had reservations about what they were about to do. Nathan seemed sad and lost in thought. Neither one of them was hard. But he couldn’t help admiring Nathan’s young well-built body as he walked closer to the bed. He climbed up and slid underneath the covers. It certainly wouldn’t be a hardship to make love to his friend, he thought. But he wanted to take things slow and give Nathan a chance to change his mind.
Nathan closed the distance between them and rested his head on Gabriel’s naked chest. Gabriel wrapped an arm around his shoulders then used his other hand to push Nathan’s curling reddish brown hair from his face. They laid side by side knowing that they were safe together. Nathan felt Gabriel’s body relax when he drifted off to sleep. Just like when they were in the bomb shelter, Nathan listened to the sound of Gabriel’s breathing until his eyes closed too, and he joined him.
Brick flinched when Master kicked Reid in the stomach. After Master found out that Gabriel had been taken to the Compound, he decided that their best course of action would be to go back to the Camp for reinforcements. They were almost there when Reid stumbled and fell.
Master and Kevin were in the cold weather outfits from the Colony. Brick and Juan had on layers of clothes and coats. But Master had forced Reid to make the journey wearing only what he had put on that evening. Brick was impressed with how well he had fared since it was night, and the temperature had fallen. But when he lost his balance and fell to his hands and knees, Master kicked him, knocking him onto his side in the snow.
“Get up Reid,” he said to the huddled figure shivering at his feet. Damn, he thought and smiled. Feels good. He still remembered the sharp pain when Reid mashed his ball. But he couldn’t let his best chance at getting Gabriel back go and die, now could he?
“Brick. Juan. You better help the asshole,” he said. Brick reached him first. He took off his coat and wrapped it around his shoulders. Mitch looked up at him gratefully. “I’m sorry, Mayor,” he whispered as he and Juan helped him stand.
They finally made it to the entrance of the mine. The trolley locomotive was gone, so they had no choice but to walk the long distance down the shaft back to the Camp. They used flashlights that they had taken from the Colony to find their way through the darkness. It became warmer the further down they went, and Mitch was glad. His teeth were chattering, but he no longer needed Brick and Juan to help hold him up. They stayed close beside him, though. He constantly scanned his surroundings looking for ways to escape. He was fairly certain that Master wouldn’t kill him now. If that had been his plan, he’d already be dead, he thought. It was a small comfort, though. He wasn’t at all eager to find out what Master had in store for him once they arrived at the Camp.
Kevin stayed close to his step brother. He was glad that they were going back home, but he felt Gabriel’s absence like a knife in his heart. He also felt sorry for Reid as he watched him trudge along between Brick and Juan. Even though he had kidnapped them and started all of this, he had been kind. Kevin was afraid that his step brother wouldn’t show him the same courtesy.
They had finally made it to the point in the mine where the first unlit lantern was hanging on the wall. Kevin decided not to waste the battery in
his flashlight and ran ahead of the group. He grabbed the lantern off its hook, and pulled loose a book of matches that was taped to its side. He noticed the smell of rotten eggs at the same time he felt a tight, burning sensation in his chest. He bent forward nauseated and dropped the lantern. Master saw that he was in distress and rushed to help him. He was greeted with the same smell and symptoms as Kevin. Disoriented, he barely managed to pull Kevin with him as he stumbled backward toward fresh air.
Mitch wasn’t sure what was happening, but it was the opportunity that he had been waiting for. He broke away from Juan and Brick and rushed Master who appeared to be ill. He caught a faint whiff of something that smelled bad as he tried to wrestle Master’s gun from his hands. Even sick, Master almost managed to fight him off. But in the end, Mitch succeeded in taking possession of the gun. Kevin fell to his knees and vomited.
Juan tried to go after Mitch as he bolted toward Master, but Brick grabbed his arm. He started to shrug him off but hesitated when he saw the pleading look in his eyes. He glanced at where Reid and Master were struggling for the gun then back to Brick. Carajo, he thought, but stayed where he was.
With the gun in his hand, Mitch hurriedly backed up until he was behind them. “Help Kevin and Master!” he shouted. “Quickly! We need to get out of here!” Brick scooped up Kevin in his arms, and Master leaned on Juan as they hastily backtracked through the mine shaft. Halfway to the surface, Mitch stopped and leaned against a wall breathing hard. Kevin moaned and curled in on himself when Brick sat him down next to Master. Master didn’t look much better as he put a shaky arm around his brother’s shoulders.
“What happened?” Brick asked. He knew that the Mayor was smart with all of his degrees, and he hoped that he could tell them what was going on. Brick cautiously kept his distance, though. He didn’t want to appear threatening especially now that the Mayor had the gun. Curious and concerned, Juan joined them.
Mitch looked into Brick and Juan’s anxious faces. He had a hypothesis. He hoped that he was wrong, but unfortunately, he didn’t believe that that was the case. Already, he was seeing “rainbows” around the light from their flashlights, and he had barely been exposed. And with Kevin and Master’s symptoms being so sever and coming on so quickly, it led him to believe that it was hydrogen sulfide poisoning.
“Has your gang been doing any digging around in the rock on the walls or making new tunnels?” Mitch asked.
“Si,” Juan answered. “Master recently gave his permission to allow us to expand some of the smaller alcoves.”
Mitch nodded. Damn, he thought.
“What, Mayor?” Brick asked softly. He knew it bad from the expression on his face.
“Yeah, Reid,” Master said from the opposite side of the shaft where he had been listening. He gently propped Kevin against the wall as he barely managed to stand. It was the first time that he had spoken since their flight through the shaft, and his voice sounded horse. He was pale, and he swayed on his feet as he staggered closer to Mitch. Mitch pointed the gun at his chest, and he stopped. “Do you know what the fuck is going on?”
“I believe it’s hydrogen sulfide gas,” Mitch said keeping his eyes and gun on Master. “Some mineral rock contains it naturally. Maybe when your people were digging, they hit a pocket.”
“And that means?” Master asked impatiently.
Mitch didn’t know how to break the news gently, so he just said it. “I believe that your people are dead,” he informed him. There was a gasp and a “no” as Brick and Juan both turned away. Kevin whimpered from where he sat propped against the wall. Master’s expression never changed.
“Hydrogen sulfide is extremely deadly,” Mitch explained. “It kills in minutes. If it made it this far into the main shaft…” he shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t see how anyone could have survived.”
Everyone was silent as they absorbed Mitch’s words until Master started laughing. Shocked faces turned his way. But it was funny, Master thought ironically and laughed harder. His gang was dead, and there was no way that he could get to his guns now. He had failed the only two people that he had ever cared about. “Well, shit.” he said and passed out.
Chapter Eleven
Gabriel woke up to a warm mouth surrounding his penis. His lips turned up into a smile, and he spread his legs wider to give Kevin more room. When he put a hand on his head and felt curly hair instead of straight, his eyes flew open.
“Nate?” he asked surprised.
“Mmm,” Nathan replied from underneath the blanket. The vibrations on Gabriel’s penis forced his eyes closed again. Nathan had never used his mouth on him before, but he clearly knew what he was doing. Gabriel wanted to make sure that Nathan was in control of whatever happened between the two of them, so he tried to remain passive. However, he couldn’t help curling his hands into the bedsheets. After a moment, Nathan pulled the covers back exposing both of their naked bodies to each other’s gaze.
“I want you on top of me,” Nathan said and reached over to the nightstand. He opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle of lube that he handed to Gabriel. Gabriel was more than willing to do what he asked until he noticed that Nathan still didn’t have an erection.
“Lay down,” Gabriel told him and Nathan complied. He steeled himself for what was to come. He loved Gabriel, but he just wanted it over, he thought. He wanted to get on with his life. He wanted the nightmares to go away which is what he thought would happen if they had sex again. Instead of climbing on top of him, though, Gabriel laid down beside him and propped up on an elbow. Confused, Nathan turned his head to look at him.
“Nate,” Gabriel said softly. His eyes were questioning. He used a thumb to caress the side of Nathan’s cheek. Inexplicably, Nathan felt his eyes start to fill, and he looked away.
“You know what really bothers me,” he said and angrily swiped at the tears running down his face. Nathan hated that Gabriel was being so nice to him. He didn’t want him to be nice.
“Mac made me enjoy it,” he said. “He made me come.” Nathan turned back to Gabriel and spat, “With you.”
Gabriel flinched at the hostility in Nathan’s voice. He looked like he hated him, Gabe thought feeling his chest constrict. He paled and tried to swallow past the lump in his throat.
Nathan felt bad seeing his friend’s wounded expression. He knew that Gabriel was a victim in all this too, maybe even more than him. But everything he had kept inside was coming to the surface, and he couldn’t stop himself. “That was the only time,” he said on a whisper.
“The only time?” Gabriel asked feeling sick.
“At the Camp,” he said. “Mac… All those men… But I never came with anyone but you.”
“Oh,” Gabriel said miserably.
“It’s what he wanted, you know,” Nathan told him and gave a humorless laugh. “For the straight guy to actually enjoy taking it up the ass. He really got off on it later that night. He made sure to tell me all about it while he was fucking me.”
“I’m so sorry,” Gabriel said. His heart was hurting, and he moved back a little so that their bodies wouldn’t touch.
“I was really messed up when I got to the Compound,” Nathan continued. “Ethan saved me, and not just my life. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have made it.”
“I’m glad you escaped,” Gabriel said not meeting his eyes. “I’m glad that you and Ethan found each other.” He started to get out of the bed. After what Nathan had just confessed, it felt wrong to lay beside him now. He hated that he had a played such a big role in some of Nathan’s worst memories. When he started to rise, Nathan grabbed his arm.
“Don’t leave,” he said sounding panicked. “Please.”
“Nate, I don’t know if I can do what you want me to,” Gabriel said upset. Nathan didn’t reply, but tightened his grip on his arm. His eyes begged him to stay.
Gabriel shook his head. He wanted to put his clothes back on, but he felt like he owed Nathan after what he had gone through with the Maraude
rs. After all, Gabriel thought feeling guilty, some of it was his fault. “Maybe we could kiss?” he said to compromise. That was something that they hadn’t done at the Camp. Nathan nodded. Gabriel pulled the blanket over both of them as he laid back down.
Gabriel held his body rigid, and he wouldn’t look at him. Nathan couldn’t blame him after what he had just said. It wasn’t fair, and he knew it. But now that he had gotten everything off his chest, Nathan felt better. He had never even told Ethan that he had orgasmed when Mac had forced him and Gabriel together. He had been ashamed, thinking that it made him somehow more complicit in his own abuse. Deep down, he supposed that he may have blamed Gabriel too. He had been gentle and loving with him that time, and it had felt so good to be touched by someone who actually cared about him.
“I’m sorry, Gabe,” he apologized.
“No, Nate,” Gabriel said sadly. “It was me. It was my fault.”
“No,” Nathan said quickly and propped up to look at Gabriel. Regardless of what he had said earlier, he knew that Gabriel wasn’t responsible for anything that had happened.
“You don’t understand,” Gabriel said and turned on his side facing away from Nathan. “I thought about it. Even before the Camp. I knew you were straight, but I couldn’t help it.” His voice sounded thick, and Nathan could tell that he had started to cry. “I liked making love to you, Nate. Even with them watching.”
“It’s okay,” Nathan said. He couldn’t stand seeing Gabriel upset again and knowing that he was the cause. After everything that Gabriel had been through, Nathan thought, he should have been taking care of him. Instead, he had made the night all about himself. Nathan turned on his side and pulled Gabriel close with an arm around his chest. “Obviously, I liked it too,” he said trying to joke, but neither one of them thought it was funny. He became serious again.
“The whole situation was fucked up,” Nathan said.