"We should probably head for that grove of trees up ahead," Edward remarked, as if somehow reading her thoughts. "Since our shadows have disappeared, it is getting too difficult to tell if we are still heading east."
"Sounds good to me," Katie said, shifting her position. "My butt is getting sore. Probably because it's been a while since the last time I rode a horse."
Continuing on in silence, Edward tugged lightly on the reins when they reached the edge of the grove, stopping beneath the shade of an enormous oak. After carefully dismounting, he reached up to help Katie to the ground.
"I'm going to gather some wood for a fire. Would you mind taking the bow and seeing if you can find something scurrying about in the woods? My stomach is rumbling, and I'm sure yours is by now as well." With a raised eyebrow, Edward glanced at her hopefully.
She sighed. "I can try, but don't expect much."
"That is all I can ask."
As he started to clear a spot for the fire, Katie disappeared into the trees with the bow.
Chapter 31
Opening his eyes, George was unsure how much time had passed. After rubbing the sleep from them, he rose from his chair and crossed the room. He stood in front of the monitor and gazed at the display. Between the red dots, the blue line had grown considerably shorter. Almost there. His thoughts turned to the girl in the cage and his lips parted in a wicked smile. Turning away from the screen, he stepped into the corridor that led to the rear of the ship.
Entering the holding area, he walked to the cage where his prisoner was held and found her asleep, despite being shackled in an upright position. Anxious to play with his prey before he was forced to hand her over at the Factory, George stepped inside her cell. Loosening the cloth knot around her waist—holding together what was once a plush pink bathrobe, but was now a simple white cloth robe—the garment fell open, revealing the naked form beneath. He appraised her, and thought she was nearly perfect. If he could change one thing it would be her breasts. They were far too small for his liking, barely enough to fill out a training bra in his opinion. A far cry from the big-breasted women he enjoyed looking at.
Even so, she was pretty, and the rest of her body was flawless. Exactly the type of girl that he remembered toying with him when he was younger. Quivering with anticipation, he raised a hand and touched her bare flesh. Slowly running his hand down her side, starting from just below one of her outstretched arms, she quickly awoke. Within seconds she was screaming at the top of her lungs, desperately trying to recoil from his touch. Secured as she was, Julie couldn't manage more than an inch or two of movement, nowhere near enough to keep his hands off of her.
With a malicious grin, he removed his hand from her flesh and raised it in warning, as if preparing to strike her. She recalled the last time he had struck her, and her eyes widened in terror. Quickly, her mouth snapped shut. Tears rolled down her cheeks, her screams becoming whimpers. After a few seconds, she saw him begin to relax. Instead of moving away he moved closer, resting his hands lightly on her hips. His face drew nearer, to the point that she could feel his hot breath on her skin.
His hands crept slowly down her body, lightly caressing her buttocks, causing her to shiver. Crouching down, his fingertips traced the curve of her thighs. Wanting desperately to cry out, Julie watched his face draw closer, his breath now pulsing through her pubic hairs. "You may look innocent," his sneering voice drifted up to her, "but you still smell like a whore." Suddenly, Julie was sure that at any moment he would stand up and beat her to a bloody pulp. Instead, she felt his tongue pressing softly against her skin near her belly button, slowly working its way upward. When he reached what little cleavage she had, he finally pulled his tongue away from her body. By then, however, her fear had caused her bladder to let go. A stream of urine was traveling quickly down her legs, creating a puddle on the floor. "And you taste like one, too," he commented, his voice thick with menace.
"You will arrive at your destination in five minutes," the mechanical voice of the ship announced.
"It seems that play time is over," George confided to his prisoner with a sigh.
Tears of joy welled up in her eyes. For the briefest instant, Julie thought her torture was over. Then she saw him draw a blade from his belt that she hadn't noticed him carrying, bringing her fear back like a tidal wave. No more playing around, she thought hysterically. He is going to carve me up like a Thanksgiving turkey. As he raised the blade before Julie's eyes, her body collapsed from sensory overload and passed out. While she hung limply in her bonds, George methodically cut through the garment she was wearing until it fell from her body completely, landing in the pool of piss on the floor. Sheathing his sword, he exited the cage and headed for the front compartment.
Standing before the monitor, George saw that the blue line had completely disappeared. Only one red dot blinked in a steady rhythm on the screen.
"You have reached your destination. Please enjoy your stay," the mechanical voice stated in a tone that sounded oddly like a robotic cruise ship director.
The sound of a metal door being slammed open resounded from the hallway. As George turned to head toward the noise, he heard heavy footfalls approaching.
A stout, older looking man who was a couple of inches shorter than George entered the hall. The man's skin was extremely pale, as if it had never seen sunlight, and his short, gray streaked black hair only added to the effect. Stopping in front of him, he locked his hazy blue eyes on George. "How many do you have for me?"
"How many what?" George frowned.
"Workers, slaves, humans ... whatever you wish to call them."
Feeling like an idiot, it occurred to him that this man was likely the factory foreman, or whatever title they used here for someone who was in charge. "I only have one for you this time," George stated.
Nodding his acknowledgement, he turned and started toward the holding cells. Following the brisk pace the man set, they reached the cage where the unconscious woman was held. The foreman studied the naked girl curiously for a moment, then reached out and pinched one of her nipples. When he got no reaction, he turned to George. "Looks like I will have to carry this one. Will you release her hands for me?" Bending down, the man put his shoulder against Julie's mid-section.
After removing the shackles from both of her wrists, her upper body slumped forward. Once the foreman was situated properly, he instructed George to release her ankles. Crouching down, he complied. When Julie was free of her bindings the man stood up, carrying her like a sack of potatoes on his broad shoulder. After thanking George, he swiftly departed the holding area.
Upon reaching the exit, he turned to regard George. "How long until you return with more?"
"I'm not sure. Obviously I am new at this, so I can't really provide an accurate timetable for my return. Once I make another trip or two, I should have a better idea of how long it takes."
"No big deal. It's just nice to have a little more than a few hours to prepare for new arrivals."
"You knew I was coming?"
"Yes," the foreman grinned, "Morgana always informs us."
"Who is Morgana?"
"She is the spirit of the vessel you arrived in. Whenever she is activated, she transmits a signal to the location which was chosen as a destination. In every location that the boat provides service to, there is a monitor that will display a countdown to her arrival."
Machines have spirits? I wonder if it can also think for itself. "I see," George remarked. "In the future, I will do my best to provide you with a timetable for my arrival."
"Thank you." The foreman nodded, then turned toward a large door set into the stone wall of the tunnel about a hundred feet from where the ship was docked.
Stepping back inside, George pulled the hatch closed and returned to the passenger compartment. Pushing buttons in response to the barrage of questions, he let Morgana know where he wished to go next. Depressing the button marked Outpost 13 as his destination, he felt the ship hum to life beneath
his feet. As before, the mechanical voice informed him of the length of his trip, asking him to be seated as the map display lit up once more.
Chapter 32
Returning from her hunt, Katie approached the campfire that Edward had constructed while she was searching the area for game. A small rabbit dangled from her right hand. Absently whittling a piece of wood, Edward glanced up and favored her with a beaming smile. "I'm guessing that you had no trouble with hitting a moving target."
"Actually, I did. A little anyway. I would have brought back two of the little buggers, but I missed the second one and it ducked into a hole in the ground. I waited for a while to see if it would come back out, but it didn't."
"Still, one is a whole lot better than none."
"Very true." She grinned sheepishly.
"I constructed a makeshift spit while you were gone, just in case your hunt was successful."
Sitting down beside him, Katie admired his handiwork. "You're pretty good at that," she remarked.
"Now, it's your turn." Despite her puzzled look, Edward handed the knife to her. It took a minute for Katie to comprehend why he had given the blade to her, needing the not so subtle hint of his gaze upon her kill. Ten minutes later, the rabbit skinned and gutted, she held out both hands to him, the knife in one hand and the rabbit carcass in the other. While Edward skewered the rabbit on to the spit, Katie gathered up the innards, along with the other inedible parts, and placed them inside the outer rim of the fire to dispose of them.
Once the rabbit was perched above the fire, Edward removed a scrap of cloth from the pouch that was tied to his waist. After quickly cleaning the knife, he passed the cloth to Katie so she could wipe the blood from her hands. "You did really good. If I didn't know better I would think you've been doing that all your life."
"Actually, I've watched my dad and brother do that more times than I could count, but it was a first for me." Katie blushed, flattered by the compliment.
"Then, you have a truly amazing memory," he stated with pride.
As the rabbit cooked they sat in silence, watching the juices drip onto the fire. Plucking a piece of grass, Katie leaned back against a tree and popped it into her mouth like a toothpick. To pass the time, Edward picked up a stick from the pile he had gathered for the fire and began to whittle again.
When the scent of the cooking rabbit became too much to bear, Edward removed the skewered animal from the fire, placing it between a couple of fallen branches to keep it propped up off the ground to allow it to cool. Once he determined that it could be touched without burning his hand, they took turns carving chunks of meat from the carcass with Edward's knife. Unaware that she was making a scene, Katie wolfed down the bits of meat like a ravenous hyena, allowing the juices to spill down her chin like tiny streams. When the animal was nothing more than a skeleton, she burped loudly, blushing as she did.
"Sorry ... I didn't realize I was so hungry until I started eating," Katie admitted.
Edward laughed, easing her embarrassment. Removing a clean scrap of cloth from his pouch, he offered it to her so she could wipe off her chin.
"Thank you."
Watching as she cleaned her face, Edward waited patiently for her to return the cloth so he could do the same. After replacing the rag in his pouch, he began to scoop handfuls of dirt onto the dying fire. When there were only a few puffs of smoke rising from the dirt, he stood up and tamped the ground lightly with his boot.
"Are you ready to continue on?" Edward inquired, once he was certain the embers were out. The sun had shifted in the sky and their shadows had reemerged. Not a lot, but enough for them to discern what direction they were headed in.
"Sure," Katie replied, standing to dust herself off.
They walked over to where Edward's horse patiently waited for them, and he boosted her up to the animal's hindquarters to take her seat behind the saddle. Once he had joined her on his steed, Edward urged it forward, reining the horse toward the hills in the distance. It wasn't long before Katie's satisfied stomach began to make her drowsy. Leaning forward, she gently pressed against him, resting her head on his back and draping her arms loosely around his torso.
When she awoke, Katie saw that their shadows had grown long. How long was I asleep? As she sat up straight and adjusted her position, she noticed a small wet patch on the back of Edward's robe where her head had rested moments ago. The spot of drool confirmed she had been sleeping for quite some time. Wiping the excess slobber from her lips, she started to hear the sound of softly running water.
Sensing the shift in her posture, Edward turned his head so he could see Katie from the corner of his eye. "There is a stream just ahead. We should consider stopping there for a while. It's almost dark anyway."
"Sounds good," Katie slurred, her words distorted by a yawn.
Gently pulling the reins a few minutes later, Edward brought the animal to a stop at the edge of the water. He carefully dismounted and helped Katie down, allowing the horse the freedom to graze. Kneeling at the edge of the stream, she splashed a couple of handfuls of the cool liquid on her face, then cupped her palms together to dip in the water for a drink. Absently, she began to wonder if Amber was still in this world. She hoped so. Darkness was descending rapidly, so they would find out soon enough.
Standing silently by the horse and looking down at Katie, he couldn't imagine the strength of character it took to be abruptly jerked away from everything she knew and thrust into an unknown time and place unexpectedly. In his eyes, Edward thought her courage was admirable. Granted, there were at least some things that were not different for her, but there was still much Katie hadn't been exposed to. Only time would tell if she could maintain her current level of resolve.
Now that her thirst was quenched, Katie patted her hands on her pants to dry them. Glancing toward Edward, she caught him smiling at her. From the corner of her left eye, she saw a blurry bright glow. Turning her head as if she expected to see Amber, Katie was greeted with the unfamiliar sight of two moons floating in the sky; one was just above the horizon, the other slightly above it. In shock, she sat down and gaped upward in amazement. If she had trouble believing that she was no longer on Earth prior to this moment, the sight before her shattered any remaining disbelief.
At first, Edward was unsure what had provoked her reaction, but following her gaze he couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's so funny?" Katie asked in a serious tone when she heard his soft laughter.
"I apologize," he humbly stated. "I saw the look on your face and found myself laughing before I could stop. By your expression, I am assuming there are not two moons on Earth?"
"An astute observation," she smirked. "When I first saw the glow, I thought I was seeing my ghost friend that I told you about. The sight of two moons kind of caught me by surprise."
Judging by the expression on his face, for a second Katie thought he was mocking her. It almost seemed as if he were mimicking the look he saw on her face just moments before. Mildly agitated, she approached him. As she drew closer, Katie realized he wasn't even paying attention to her. She turned to see what had captured his interest, and saw Amber floating above the stream as if she were walking on water.
"Amber! I'm glad you're still here," Katie exclaimed happily as the ghostly figure drifted toward her.
"Hello," Amber replied. After nearly losing her balance, Katie remembered that the ghost could actually speak to her in this world. "I have never been far from you since you came here, and rest assured, I won't leave your side as long as the monster that did this to me is still alive and roaming free."
"Is there any way you can help us find my friend, Julie?" Katie asked after regaining her wits.
"If she is with the man who killed me, I could."
"Even if she isn't with him, I suppose we could obtain her whereabouts from him. I'm not exactly opposed to torturing the information out of him," Katie confessed, thinking it would be a good way to pay the monster back for all of the people he had ab
ducted and killed.
Shaking off his initial shock, Edward silently approached the pair and stood next to Katie. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"
Startled by his sudden appearance beside her, Katie stammered, "Uh ... I'm sorry. Edward the White, this is Amber ... Crap! I can't remember your last name."
"Richards," the ghostly figure intoned.
"I am pleased to make your acquaintance," Edward stated, bowing deeply.
"If you wish to find your friend," Amber began, turning toward Katie, "I suggest we get going. I believe the bastard is a few days north of here, but I get the feeling that he won't be there for long."
Edward made a clucking noise in the direction of his horse; it stopped grazing and slowly sauntered over. After helping Katie to its back, he climbed into the saddle and gathered the reins, making a sweeping gesture with one hand toward Amber. "If you would be so kind, could you lead the way please?"
Turning with a fluid grace that no human could possibly achieve, Amber floated northward. After following the stream for a few minutes, she spun her head to make sure she was not going too fast for the horse to keep up. Satisfied, she began using the steady clop of hooves as a reference point to ensure that she maintained an appropriate distance.
After traveling for an hour, small trees began to dot the landscape beside the stream. The farther north they went, the thicker the foliage became. Forced to navigate around the obstructions, their progress slowed as the clumps of vegetation grew steadily larger.
They dodged their way through the increasingly dense forest until the highest of the two moons above them was almost directly overhead. Without warning, Amber stopped beside a larger cluster of trees.
Poking her head over Edward's shoulder, Katie glanced nervously at the ghostly figure. "Why are we stopping? Is there something wrong?"
"I'm getting an odd sensation from a building nearby," Amber replied. "I don't know why, but I have a feeling that you should check it out. Ignoring the building could present problems later on."
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