Chapter Twenty Five

Prisoner

A field. The tall grass swayed in the wind. A bunch of people stood on the other side - Blake, Fran, Alain, Kira, and even Ben - but they did not see me. A pack of large muscular pit bulls with red glowing eyes and foaming mouths raced toward the group. 'Look out,' my mind screamed but I opened my mouth no sound came out. Frantic, I sprinted toward them and waved my arms. No one noticed me. Still, no sounds came from my mouth. The dogs lounged and a hole opened up in front of me. I fell in face first. I tried to stand and my back hit something. I turned around onto my back and put my hands up. A wooden box surrounded me. I pounded furiously on the top. The air grew thin. My breath turned into gasps.

That was the point I always woke up, gasping for air. I had no concept of time. Days? Weeks? Every time I roused, I was sick from the tranquilizers. They kept a bucket in the cell because the septic did not work. My ribs poked through the skin from the weight loss.

I always thought about Ari. How long would it take him to find me? How long had it been since I checked in with Alex? Even though I hadn't received a response from Noah in some time, I hoped he received mine. There was no way they would just leave me.

After my vomiting fit, I crawled off the cot. The cement floor cooled to my feverish skin.

Tremont, the man in the black sweatshirt that Dorothy called Tre, administered the injections.

"Please no more. Whatever it is you're giving to me," I pleaded every time.

Tremont would pick me up and lay me on the cot. As time dragged on, I did not think I could stop him if I wanted to. Eventually, I was not sure if I had the strength to sit up.

One day, Dorothy entered with him. "We tried to fetch some ransom money for you. But do you realize what the city leaders said? They wanted you dead. You are becoming more and more troublesome."

"Then why am I still alive?" I asked in a hoarse whisper from dry mouth.

She revolved on her heels and left.

Warm tears streamed down my face. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"She's afraid you'll run away."

"Where would I go?"

He didn't answer.

The doctor walked in and sat on the bed next to me. He shook his head as he monitored my vitals. "She's not going to last like this Tremont. Does your leader want her to die? Tell her to hurry up and do it and stop torturing her."

"I'm working on it, Father," Tremont answered.

"You're trying to find the drug, right? I can help. I can put you in contact with someone with inside information. Are you going to fight them? I can help you train. I was the Peacekeeper physical trainer. I can teach you what I taught them," I implored.

The doctor stood, grasped Tremont's shirt, and pulled him close. "Don't tell me again that you have no influence, Tremont. That woman has a sweet spot for you. I fear the next time I come in, she'll be dead. Do you understand what the consequences will be if that happens?"

"I will. I swear."

"You give it to her. I don't want to be responsible." He handed Tremont a syringe. "I'll be back later with the IV."

My heartbeat thrashed in my ears. I tried to push away, but to no avail. Black spots danced in front of my eyes. Tremont loomed over me.

"Please, no more..." Then I succumbed to the darkness once more.

***

The next time I awoke, the doctor presided over me with a makeshift IV pole on wheels.

"What is that for?" I asked the doctor.

"Don't worry; it's an IV for dehydration. You can call me Doc. Once you regain your strength, you will stay with us. I got them to agree to that much. You're not going to give me any trouble are you?"

I shook my head.

"Good, lie still," Doc said.

Electronic devices encircled my wrists and ankles. I struggled to lift my wrist in order to inspect it. It was a bulky gunmetal frame with a small seven-pointed Celtic design star etched on the bottom. I had never seen anything like it.

Tremont came into the cell with a plate of food. A sour taste filled my mouth. "No more injections. If you try to run away or if you do anything we don't like, those remote controlled shackles will send an electric shock and paralyze your limbs."

I did not answer him. He put the plate of food at the end of the cot. I turned to my side to look for the bucket. It seemed too good to be true. What came next? Maybe I would be OK with Doc.

"How long have I been here?" I inquired.

They did not answer. Doc moved to the door.

"How long have I been here?" I demanded.

Dorothy brushed past Doc. "Long enough. It is about time to make you useful if you are going to be eating our food. "

"Why am I still alive?"

"You may have some use to us," Dorothy said candidly, spun around, and left with Tremont in tow.

"What are they planning to do with me?"

Doc shut the cell door. "I'm sorry, but they won't tell me. I'll check on you in a little while."

Why would no one answer my questions? I stared at the door. Tears rolled down my face and soaked the mattress. How could they hate me so much?

***

I could finally eat. Doc and Tremont returned to lead me out of the cell. Hot and mildly humid air greeted me. Green leaves enveloped the trees. Birds chirped in the distance.

I squinted in the sunlight. "What day is it?"

"The first of May."

I felt dizzy. I stopped for a moment and put my hands on my knees.

Doc grabbed my arm. "Are you OK?"

Months. I had been in that cell for months. No one came for me. I slowed my breathing. My head cleared and I straightened my posture. "Let's go."

The small village housed maybe 400 people. Dilapidated houses, a general store, and a worn down motel bordered the road. The few people outside stared and whispered as we passed.

"Most of the people here fled Charlestown to escape persecution," Doc explained. "Times are bad. Hunting and gardening are where most of the food comes from so there is not much to trade. We are thankful for the underground electric lines from Charlestown. I think if they ever figured it out, we'd be in trouble."

"What are they going to do with me?"

He sighed. "You're going to help with training, but I don't know what they mean. Frankly, I hope it is true. But that woman seems to have it out for you."

We arrived at a medical clinic at the end of the main street. Inside were four exam rooms, with stairs in the back that led up to an apartment. Doc preceded me up the stairs; Tremont followed.

"I bet no one's come here in the past couple years. I know because I worked hard to stop the brutish tactics. I am not the enemy they think I am. Living isolated in the woods, how can they understand what is going on?"

"You're right; there have been no new villagers in the past couple years. However, they are convinced that it would never change. Come on, I'll show you where you'll sleep," Doc said.

I breathed a heavy sigh. The room resembled a closet. Threadbare sheets shrouded a small bed. A gray blanket and square pillow were stacked at the end. A small wooden box had clothing and a lamp without a shade poking out of it. It was better than the cell.

Tremont put his arm around my shoulders. "See? Not so bad. We found you a small bed, a blanket, AND a pillow. See if the clothes in the box fit."

I pulled away from him. "Don't touch me."

A tingling sensation shot through my legs from my ankles. I couldn't move my feet so the rest of my body toppled over. My shoulder crashed into the wooden box, sending a jarring pain through my body.

Tremont laughed wholeheartedly. "Yep, they work," he said with a smirk.

I got back to my feet and fantasized knocking the smile off his face.

Doc came back into the room, holding a towel. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Tremont said and left the room.

Doc offered me the towel. "I will show you to the bathroom, so you can get cleaned up."

"Yeah, thanks."

The bathroom door locked behind me. I peeled off my dirty clothes and threw them into a pile. A raunchy onion smell emanated from under my arms and my groin. With one hand, I covered my nose and turned on the shower with the other. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My cheekbones protruded. My eyes were bloodshot with dark circles under them. I had no idea how long I stared at my gaunt reflection. Once I got into the scalding water, I transformed into a human again. Except for the shackles, which made me feel like a dog. I tried to move them, but my skin pinched and throbbed from the attempt.

My eyes closed and I let the water run down my face. I was alive and getting my strength back. If Charlestown wanted me dead, they failed. But I still had yet to understand why.