Matt was surprised to see Clive and not Vincent when he arrived on the bridge to carry out the next burn.
Clive briefly glanced at him. “You ever wondered what’s out there?”
Matt looked at the screen Clive was looking at; he could see nothing other than a multitude of stars. “Nothing.” He replied.
“That’s probably what all the ancient mariners thought too?”
Matt couldn’t argue that.
“We are the first of humanity to travel this road, doesn’t that inspire you?”
“Actually it frightens me.”
“The unknown is to be faced and understood?” Clive looked puzzled. “Somebody said that, but I can’t remember who?”
“Actually I have no desire to find out.” He didn’t even want to think about what could happen to them. “Where is he?
Clive turned to him. “Who?”
“Vincent; has he suddenly begun to trust me?”
Clive smiled and went to turn back to the screen. “He’s in his room having fun with the Ruskie chic…” He stopped and looked embarrassedly at Matt. “I shouldn’t have said that, should I?”
Matt’s mind had gone blank and he grasped for words “What did you say?”
“I’m sorry Matt; I wasn’t thinking. He said not to tell you…” But Mathew had gone.
Matt stormed down the corridor, barely aware whom he encountered or if he passed anyone. He didn’t know what he was doing or intended to; he was running on pure emotion: his mind in turmoil. He had been warned, and now she had taken him for a fool. He could see Vincent’s sneering face in his mind. He wasn’t sure if he resented her or Vincent more; He could tolerate the mans arrogance and betrayal when he knew that she had not betrayed him, but now all he could see was Vincent’s taunting face and them together.
How he got there he didn’t know but Matt found himself outside Vincent’s cabin; an illuminated red panel indicated the door was locked, but that wasn’t a problem to Matt as the master key was vivid in his mind. He had no idea why he was doing it but he was entering the code; the light turned green; the door opened and Matt stormed inside. The room was empty but there was light from the bedroom. Now he knew what he wanted, he wanted a confrontation with them both. With several strides he was thrusting the door open; it slammed back against the hinges and Matt saw them. His stride faltered as immediately his eyes were drawn to Jennifer; she was in the bed; she gasped in shock and reflexively pulled the sheet in front of her body.
At the back of his mind Matt had hoped Clive was wrong; or even for some reason he was lying, but now that hope was gone and a red haze consumed him. Now he looked to the middle of the room. Vincent was stood hurriedly pulling up his underwear back up; Matt’s mind registered the tattoos. Matt had never imagined the man had tattooed his body. Some of them seemed to ripple and glisten as Vincent’s muscles moved. There was at least one that Matt recognized as military. “Get out.” Vincent snarled threateningly.
Matt bore down on him, his elbow reaching back and his fist bunching as he covered the gap. Matt swung up contacting Vincent high on his left cheek with a crushing blow. The man was lifted off his feet and twisted sideways to fall over the coffee table and crash into the robe. In two steps Matt was around the furniture and gripping Vincent’s upper arm; lifting him enough that he could smash another blow into his stomach. A third blow in as many seconds crushed into Vincent’s jaw. Matt pulled back his arm for another but Jennifer’s terrified screams penetrated his brain.
“Matvey… stop it,” she sobbed. “Stop it… stop it…” her pleading turned into sobbing.
Matt still held Vincent, but his punch never made contact. Matt looked at the man; he was barely conscious and was making no attempt to defend himself. Slowly Matt’s grip loosened, and Vincent collapsed to the floor. Matt stared at him for moments wondering what had happened, then he could hear Jennifer, she was weeping uncontrollably, Matt turned to her but he felt hardly any compassion.
She saw him looking at her and her eyes widened in Fear.
Slowly matt realized what he had done and the hate drained away. He looked at her. “Why?” he said harshly.
Her words were choked and she could barely speak. “It’s not what you think?” she wept as she got off the bed, still clutching the sheet to her body.
“Once a whore always a whore; isn’t that what you told me?”
“No, no it’s not what you think… I did it for you.”
“Bitch,” he snapped as he turned to leave.
“Mathew please,” she pleaded as he got to the door. “He said he would kill you if I didn’t.”
Matt stopped but he didn’t turn around.
“Yes; I am a whore; I’m a bitch, I’m a slut; I’m whatever you want me to be, but please believe me, I didn’t want to hurt you.”
Matt turned; he looked at her. “And what do you think I feel, finding you screwing him?”
Tears were streaming over her cheeks. “I didn’t want you to find out.”
Matt gave a grunt that could have been a laugh. “You didn’t think I would?”
“I know,” she sobbed. “It was stupid, but I… I had no choice?”
It was more sarcastic that a question. “What, you’re saying he raped you?”
“No…yes… as good as. I’m a whore, but it was never my choice.”
“Them why are you here?”
“He told me I had to or you would end up like Vladimir?”
“Who?” Matt looked at Vincent he was still unconscious. “Him?”
“No; he was told he could have me.”
Another name came to matt’s mind. “Peter?”
She nodded as if she didn’t want to mention the name.
“Jennifer are you really that stupid?”
She had begun weeping again, but this time Matt felt sorry for her.
“Just him?”
She nodded again. “He swore he wanted me just the once.”
Now Matt shook his head. “Until the next time, and or when another of Peters stooges wants some?”
She broke down again. “I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“It’s too late for that.” Matt went to leave again.
“Mathew please.” She wept. “Don’t leave me.”
“You have betrayed me?”
“I swear I never meant it to happen.”
“How can I trust you now?”
“You cant. I am a whore, and if you leave me now I will be until I’m broken and dead.”
Again matt stopped. He took a deep breath and turned once more. “Now you want to make me feel guilty for you choice?”
“No; I need you. I can’t change without you? I can’t escape, I don’t have the courage alone.”
“I tried to give you that chance; you have to find the courage.”
“I swear I will try… I don’t want to be a whore; I want to be loved; I want a man to love me; I want you to be him?”
Matt stared at her; he knew he should walk away; she was a prostitute; she probably wouldn’t change, but she had stirred something inside of him, and it was something deeper than lust. “No more chances?”
“I promise; I swear.”
“Let me down again and I won’t have anything to do with you.”
“I won’t let you down.”
“Get dressed.”
They returned to Matt’s cabin and had sex. It wasn’t the love that Matt wanted; it was rough and carnal, and punishment. Jennifer hadn’t complained; she had given everything he demanded, but it left Matt feeling empty.
When he awoke the next morning, she was affectionate and caring. Matt tried not to show it but he wished they never had done what they had, then what she had said came back to him. ‘What did you mean about ending up like Vladimir?’ he had said.
‘I didn’t want him to kill you.’
‘But he died from radiation burns?’
She had looked at him knowingly. ‘He was murdered,’ she had replied. ‘Peter knew him; th
ey had business, Peter wanted him out?’
‘He didn’t die from the radiation?’
She had shaken her head in a way that left him in no doubt.
Riot and Disorder - Orbit the Sun – Part 7 Page 4
