Chapter Five
They had been taken to separate cells. Droyen had not seen Grey since just after their capture, two days ago, and he feared for her. Strange. That he should care so much about someone he just met, someone who had broken into his house and had involved him in a government conspiracy. But then it wasn't her fault, none of it was.
He heard footsteps approach his cell, General Bax was coming to 'ask' some more questions. The man was clearly insane, that he could attain such a rank as he had was something Droyen often perplexed over to pass the time.
The door opened and sure enough, Bax walked in with his personal minion; Lim. Lim was a slippery one, Droyen could not figure out if he was incredibly smart or incredibly dumb. Droyen thought that the latter was more likely but one can never know with henchmen.
“Colonel, have a pleasant night?” Bax asked.
Droyen remained silent.
“Still silent I see.” Said Bax. He removed a lash from a bag that Lim was holding and approched Droyen.
“Who else is involved in your conspiracy?”
Silence. Lash.
“What is your past association with Grey Free'dac?”
Silence. Lash. Lash.
“Tell me what I want to know!”
Silence. Lash. Lash. Lash.
“This is going nowhere” Bax went to leave.
“Uh, sir.” Lim said.
“Oh right. I forgot. First, Lim, get me the powder.”
Lim shuffled through the bag and pulled out a glass jar with fine orange powder inside. Lim passed it to Bax who opened up the lid. Droyen recognised the smell immediately, it was a common food additive to make things less bland.
Bax poured some into his palms and held his hand out, palm up, to Droyen.
“Tell me Colonel, what did Ms Free'dac discover on your computer the night before we captured you.”
The question was a lot more pointed then usual. Droyen honestly didn't know what Grey discovered, but considering his current situation, wouldn't have told Bax even if he did. Droyen had no doubt that once the questions were over, he, Grey and probably even Kal, would be killed.
He remained silent.
Bax smeared the powder onto the fresh lash wounds. The pain was exquisite, Droyen struggled to remain composed.
“Marinate in that for a while.” Bax said, laughing at his own joke. “When your ready to tell us what Ms Free'dac discovered, we'll remove it.” With that the two left him to his pain.
****
Grey's whole body hurt, she had endured General Bax's attention the day before. He had ranted and raved about plots and conspiracies, asking vague questions and disbelieving the answers she gave. At one point she had said she knew the government lied about the cause of the Static Event. That had been a mistake, Bax had decided then that she must have told other people and wanted their names. Bax would not accept that there were no names and that led to more pain for Grey.
The cell door opened and Lim wheeled in a strange chair, then Bax entered with two soldiers. The soldiers roughly grabbed her and dragged her to the chair where Lim proceeded to rip the remains of her cloths off and bind her to the chair.. Soon she was completely immobilised and exposed. When she was secured, Lim and the two soldiers left her alone with Bax and shut the door.
“Well Ms Free'dac,” Bax said, “ready for more questions?”
“I don't know anything, I told you that.” Grey pleaded.
“We'll see.” Said Bax as he rotated a lever on the side of the chair.
Grey shook with fear as the back of the chair rotated down so she was lying flat on her back with her legs bent downwards at the knees. She could see the lewd desire on Bax's face and knew what must surely be coming next.
Bax's hand lightly touched the tip of her stomach just beneath her chest. He leaned down next to Grey and placed his mouth just over her ear. “Tell me what I want to know and this can end.” he whispered.
Grey was frozen in shock, he couldn't do this, surely he wouldn't do this. She looked into his eyes and in that moment knew that yes, he would do this.
“Please, I've told you everything I know.” Grey begged.
Bax took off his own cloths and climbed onto the chair, holding himself above Grey, looking down into her eyes. “We recently found out you discovered something about the Static Event. What was it?”
“Nothing, I...” Grey suddenly remembered something that she had forgotten in the panic at Droyens house, “It was artificial, there was a pattern!”
Bax stopped, and calmly, he climbed off Grey and put his cloths back on. “Thank you,” Bax said as he returned the chair to it's upright position. “Lim!” He shouted.
Lim opened the door, “Yes sir?”
“Get the Colonel and the child and bring them here.” Bax ordered.
****
Droyen heard footsteps approaching. He knew that there was no way they were getting released after the interrogation and that they would have to escape.
Lim opened the cell door, and walked in. Droyen had made a show of always sitting in the far left corner of the cell, this time he waited on the right of the cell near the door. Droyen timed his attack to coincide with the first few seconds after Lim entered the cell, when his eye's were still adjusting to the dark.
He struck Lim to the chest, knocking the air out of him. Lim doubled over in the cell, Droyen grabbed the key that Lim was holding and the gun too. He exited his cell and caught the guard unprepared. He relieved the solider of his knife and stabbed him before the soldier knew what was happening. He then took the soldier's uniform and put it on, careful to avoid showing the part eith the soldier's blood.
Droyen had deduced from his 'conversations' with Bax that Bax would interrogate Grey after he was done with him, not before. So Droyen went in the direction that he heard Bax leave last time. He turned a corner to see guards escorting Kal into a room.
Casually, he strode past the guards hoping that they wouldn't look too closely at just another soldier. Droyen knew he wouldn't have much time after entering the room so as he entered, he assessed the situation. Grey was wrapped in a blanket cuddling Kal, there was one other soldier in their room with Bax. If he was going to rescue them, he would have to take out Bax, the soldier with him, and the two guards outside the door.
“You, soldier, what are you doing here?” Bax said to him. Droyen sprung into action. He slung the pilfered knife at the solder, getting him in the neck. The soldier gurgled blood a bit but was otherwise silent. Next, Droyen pulled his gun on Bax.
“One word,” Droyen said to Bax, “and I'll end you.” Bax obviously believed Droyen because he was silent.
“Now, Grey, are you prepared to use a weapon?” he asked. Grey nodded. “Then take his weapon. Carefully. Keep it pointed at the general, no matter what, keep it pointed at him. If he tries anything, use it.”
Grey took the gun from Bax's holster. She had never held a gun before, it was lighter then she expected. It seemed to her that something so dangerous should be heavier.
At that moment an alarm started up. “They know I've escaped.” Droyen said.
The cell door opened, one of the guards came in. Droyen aimed his gun at the mans chest. The guard went for his gun. “Don't,” Droyen warned. “Let us go and no harm will come to the General.”
Grey, watching the exchange had dropped her guard. Bax acted, he pulled the knife out of the dead soldiers neck and reach for Kal. He wrestes her away from Grey and held the knife to her throat.
“Nice try colonel,” Bax said, “very nice. Surrender or the girl dies”
“No!” Grey shouted dropping her gun.
“You too colonel.” Bax said smugly. Droyen had no choice, he lowed his gun. One of the guards stepped forward and grabbed it from him. Bax released Kal – who ran crying to her mother – and picked up his gun from the floor.
“It's time to end this.” Bax said. He raised the gun and aimed at Droyen. “Any last words?”
All Droyen could do was sigh, he had failed and now they were going to die. He remained silent.
“Very well.” Bax said.
“Stop!” came a voice from the doorway. Everyone looked, a slender woman wearing the traditional robes of state walked in. “The prisoners are to be transferred into my custody.” She said.
“Minister!” Bax exclaimed, “These people are traitors!”
“That is unlikely. What is more likely is that you have exceeded your mandate.” She said to Bax, before turning to one of the guards, “You, have these people cleaned up.”
“Yes, Ma’am!” He said as he went to escort Droyen, Grey and Kal away.
Before they left, the minister introduced herself to the trio, “I'm Minister Neril Em, but you can call me Neril. You're safe now.”
