Auska sighed in defeat. “Goddamn it, fine!”
With her eyes open she found she was laying on her back staring up at an uneven rock ceiling. The faint flicker of torch lights giving the room a sinister feeling, well-keeping the grey fog of her dream world at a distance. This wasn’t what she had expected at all; this was different from last time, entirely different.
“Where the hell are we this time?”
“A place I certainly don’t have many fond memories of I can assure you of that,” Archer said. “And one you’ll find yourself in, or worse, if you keep letting your sentiment get in the way of logic.”
“I couldn’t help it.”
“You could have, should have, but instead you let your feelings get in the way of your fucking brain,” he scolded. “Now you are laying on the cold ground, bruised, battered and nearly defeated. Your chance at escape might have been right now and you’ll miss it because you are a stupid child still. All for a piece of bone.”
“It’s more than that to me,” she chimed in, trying to keep the whimper from her voice. “It’s… so much more than just bone.”
“And yet the facts remain the same. Now get off the ground and help me already.”
Auska pulled herself to her feet and saw Archer was locked in a small cell beside several others, with faint but blurred figures within them. The harder she seemed to look, the more blurred and distorted they became. Even the one that she knew had housed Vincent had nothing more than a blurred human-looking figure moving within.
“You never knew any of them, never took full note of who they were, what they were,” Archer explained to her, seeing her confusion. “That’s why they are nothing more than blurs to you.”
“Then why is Vincent a blur?” Auska asked. “We saved him that day, too, and I’ve known him ever since, very begrudgingly sometimes, too.”
Archer laughed. “You know anything I tell you is just what you already know deep down inside. Now get me out of here already, I hate being caged up.”
She rolled her eyes and went to the cell. As soon as she touched the door it clicked open. “Humor me anyway. I’m a stupid child, remember.”
Archer stepped out of the cell and stretched to his full height with a groan. “Clearly you blame him for your current predicament.”
“That’s absurd. No, I don’t.”
“Is it really?”
Auska looked into his cold grey eyes and found even in her dream they held such strength. “What could he have done for me?”
Her mentor kicked the cell that should have held Vincent, but the gloomy creature didn’t even notice. “You tell me.”
“Nothing,” Auska spat back annoyed by the cryptic reply, “nothing at all. I already know that this is all my fault for being stupid to agree to go with Jennifer and the others.”
“You’ll get no argument about that from me, girl, but deep down you know what you had wanted, needed from him even at that moment.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Being cryptic isn’t really helpful.”
“Then stop being cryptic and use fucking logic. Stop hiding behind a wall from yourself.”
Auska took a deep breath. He was right, damn it; even here he was always right. She was trying to hide her real feelings from herself, no less; what a stupid notion that was. “Well, he could have tried to help me. Should have known I wouldn’t have run to them like that if it wasn’t important.”
Archer kicked the cell again but this time the creature did stir with a cry of fear, its form not so hazy now. “What else?”
“He should have followed them when they took me, even if it was in secret.” Her tone was angry now. “They could have seen what they were doing with me and know without a doubt something wrong was going on and that I was telling the truth! But no! He let them take me without so much as a fight! Kelli was no better!”
Now the cell held the vision of Vincent trapped within like he had been so many years ago; frightened and dirty.
“I’d say you figured out what the problem was, kid.”
Auska turned her attention to the dirty man she had known for nearly half her life now. He looked scared, weak and broken within the cage. Nothing like the man she knew he was now.
“You are holding on to resentment against him.”
“Only because he did nothing to help me!”
Archer shrugged. “Didn’t you say there was nothing he could have done?”
“He could have tried at least,” she countered. “You would have.”
“Only because you made me, stupid kid.”
“So, what does all this mean then?”
Again, he shrugged. “Only you can know that kid. But now the question is left, will you leave him in there, or let him out?”
“It’s only a dream what difference does it make?”
“Everything and yet nothing.”
Archer’s voice sounded far away and when Auska turned to look at him, he was gone…
A thick-soled boot ripped Auska from the vividness of her dream world as it kicked her legs cruelly. The dim light of dawn stung her tear-encrusted eyes as she pulled herself to her knees, only to have a ladle full of water thrust in her bruised face.
She drank greedily, half of it spilling on her, hating how she must have looked to her captors. Desperate, dependent, weak and trapped. The thoughts almost made her spit the brackish water back out, but her strength and survival for escape demanded she take the humiliation. Ego was a killer when survival was on the line.
Every inch of Auska hurt and she could barely keep her feet beneath her as she was forced towards the trailers. Collapsing now would likely only attain her another beating, one she could ill afford. Already she berated herself for last night’s stupidity. Dream Archer had been right. How could she possibly hope to escape when she could now barely stand? Not to mention now she was even more of a wild card to her captors. If they weren’t already keeping a close eye on her for what had been doing at the pump house, they certainly would be now. But seeing someone else handle his skull in such a disrespectful manner had overwhelmed her common sense; it was all she had left of him. He had been right about that, too; it was just a piece of bone.
She stole a glance at the open door of the truck before she was shoved within the cage and noted the skull on the dashboard and sighed inwardly with relief. It was just a piece of bone, but it was hers! And she would find a way to get it back… one way or another.
Within minutes the camp was packed, the slaves loaded and the slavers climbing into the three trucks. The trucks roared to life and they set off again. They followed a long-forgotten dirt road that was grown in and rugged, making progress slow even for the trucks. Each bump, root or washout they drove over jarred and rattled the trailers horribly, making it impossible for those inside to get comfortable for long. Had it not been for the ability to contain the prisoners and move them together, on foot would have only been a little slower.
It took all Auska’s remaining willpower to not cry out each time the trailer hit something. Each bump was like another kick to her battered body, yet she did her best to accept them. Using the pain and discomfort to make her stronger and fortify her resolve for the escape she would sooner or later make. This wasn’t permanent, just a hiccup.
The talk within their confines was what anyone would have expected. ‘Why is this happening?’ ‘There must be some mistake.’ ‘How could they do this to us?’ ‘What are we going to do?’ ‘What are they planning to do to us?’
The despair and betrayal in their voices were understandable. All of their lives, they had believed themselves safe and protected from a world just like this. Most of them had been born in the safety of Sanctuary or were there early enough at the beginning that the reality of outside was just bad stories. It had to be a knife to the guts to find out those whom they had allowed to give them that comfort had only betrayed them in the end.
Auska ignored them, adding nothing to their sorrowful discussions, even the f
ew that played with the idea of escaping. Jennifer and herself were the only two that had any combat training and experience. Ross had some training but nothing in way of experience, and likely nothing that would help against the hardened slavers that guarded them. Unless, of course, he was used as a distraction or sacrifice. The only chance they had was if they got lucky and something happened and they scattered, but even then, they would likely die within a few days on their own out in this world. Or when they were sold, if they found a way to escape their buyer.
Looking over to Jennifer, she cursed to herself. If only her brother wasn’t among them, maybe then she would be a useful tool and ally in escaping. But with her mindset on freeing her brother at least, and the others if she could, she would be useless in any planning and likely get Auska killed.
Auska understood Jennifer’s dilemma; it was her brother after all, and she had to wonder if she had such a person here, her own mind might be set the same. The thought only assured her that years of keeping everyone at a distance was well-founded. She would escape; if in the process she could free others, she would but only if she could still guarantee her own freedom. Survival was the key, not becoming a hero or martyr for the sake of people she didn’t know or care for.
Jennifer noticed Auska looking at her and frowned, slowly moving closer. “Did you really mean what you said last night?”
“I make it a point not to say anything I don’t mean.”
“So that’s just it for you, everyone is just to fend for themselves? No joint effort to try to overcome our captures and escape?” Jen’s voice was dripping with bitterness.
Auska tried to make herself more comfortable but found it impossible within the small confines that bounced aimlessly at any moment. “What more is there to do?”
“Are you talking about escaping?” a young man named Parry asked, licking his lips with obvious fear and excitement. He had been one of the field hands for the gardens that grew most of Sanctuary’s food supply. “Do you have a plan? Or at least the start of one?”
Soon the others were moving closer to listen and Auska cursed; this was the last thing she needed. People were sheep, and their minds would listen and wander to whatever talk fit what they wanted.
“Auska here thinks we just fend for ourselves and anyone who can escape should and the rest of us just get left behind to whatever fate has in store for us,” Jennifer replied, knowing full well she was throwing Auska under the bus. She didn’t care, maybe this would prompt her to feel guilty and finally agree to help them.
“How could you say that?” several people cried in dismay over the rumble of the truck.
“That’s horrible, we are all from the same group, we can’t just abandon anyone!” another called from the back.
“We are like a family!”
“…no one can get left behind…”
All eyes were upon her now and a tingle of guilt touched her with all their fearful and accusing stares, but not enough to change her mind. The facts remained the same: these people were weak, clueless and unprepared for what was going to need to be done. “Those men out there are killers, murderers, rapist, and highly-skilled in all of those things. What are any of you?” She pointed to the man who had first spoken. “A gardener, and you, you cart water for the livestock, and you,” she pointed to one the of women near the back, “you mend clothing. The others in the other trailer are hardly more than children, no older than fifteen.”
“What are you trying to say?” the women she had address cut in sharply.
“Want it spelled out? Fine,” Auska growled, pushing herself up. “You try and fight these men, you’ll die. It’d be better if you let them sell you and try to escape from whoever becomes your owner. Fake acceptance, pretend to submit, play the game, block out whatever happens, until the moment where guard is let down, then escape from wherever you end up. It won’t be pretty, and you will never have the life you had in Sanctuary, but that is the world we live in.”
There were murmurs of shock and disbelief for several moments. Others seemed to understand the reply and almost accept it for the truth it was as they slumped back against the floor and hung their heads.
“And what about you?” Ben, the water cart driver asked. “You’re a fighter, one of the best Sanctuary had if what I have heard is to be true. With you and Jennifer beside us, we can do something. Strength in numbers and all. Just tell us what to do, and we’ll do it! If we are all fucked anyway, we might as well make a go for it!”
“I don’t want to die!” someone muttered from the back, and another person moved from view, accepting her words.
“Not even with Jen and myself do we stand a chance of overwhelming these men in any hopes to free everyone,” Auska replied coldly. Why couldn’t they just grasp the situation and leave her alone? “My advice to all of you, if you get a chance to escape, do it and don’t look back at any of us. If not, play the long game and escape if or when you can. The life you once knew is over. The sooner you accept it the better you’ll feel.” With that said she turned away, ending the conversation before anything more could be said.
More conversation continued, about how she was right, or how she was wrong; how there had to be a way to escape, or how it would be better to just die now. She ignored it, tuned it out as best she could. Before this was over, most of these people would be dead or broken mentally beyond fixing.
Vincent paced in front of the worn, double oak doors where the council ran business, waiting to be allowed admittance. It had been three days since they had hung Auska, and every day before and after work duties he was there seeking an audience with them. And every day they had been “too busy” with other matters to see him and he had been sent away.
But today he would be seen and heard, even if he had to kick the door in and corner them to do so. They had ignored his requests and pleas long enough. He had been patient, he had been understanding, he had even continued working regardless of the emotional trauma suffered. Today he would have his answers. Demand them, if he must!
If he had slept more than four hours since the hanging, he’d have been surprised. He was exhausted, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw her falling from the causeway, and then the voice of Archer echoed within his head… “You failed her!” He needed to talk to the council, to find out what happened that night. Once he had the answers, he hoped he’d be able to move on. But right now, it was all a mess and he was nowhere near closure.
“Come and sit,” Kelli told him from the bench in the hallway. “Pacing around like a cornered dog isn’t going to make time go any faster.”
“I can’t sit. I need to keep moving until this is over.” He stopped and looked at her. This had taken its toll on her as well; he could see it in her eyes and the deepened lines around her face, though he wondered how much of it was from what had happened to Auska and how much of it was worrying about him. “How can you be so calm about this?”
Kelli smiled wearily at him. “I may be calm on the outside, but inside I am screaming in rage and mourning the same as you, my love. But no matter what happens when we talk to them, nothing changes. She is still gone.” Shrugging, she sighed. “I guess I’ve just been able to come to terms with that part.”
“I just can’t get over what she said,” he paused, looking around to ensure no one was around, “before they took her.”
Kelli shot him a warning glance as fear glazed her features. “We were half asleep, and she was running for her life, we don’t really know what she said.” She knew that was a lie; they had both heard her clearly, but now was not the time for this conversation to be rehashed.
“It just can’t be true, it just can’t and yet...” he started, “Auska was a lot of things, but a liar and a cold-blooded murderer were not among them…” he paused, “at least not like this.”
“Auska was a lot of things we have no idea about.” Kelli reminded him. “She was a woman now, not a child, and she did a lot of things no one knows about. They found all s
orts of hidden and stolen items in her home. Not to mention all the things others are coming forward saying about her, and what she did and said. Even others from the Eight are coming forward with how she used to disappear for hours at a time or bring back supplies that she used to bribe them with for their silence.”
Vincent scoffed at her. “I’ll never believe she was what they are accusing her of, never! The rest of it is just rumors with little truth involved. People are cruel and fearless when there will be no repercussions.”
Finally, the doors opened and an armed guard from the First accompanied the council’s assistant, Mr. Greenfield. A short and portly man with an ever-growing bald spot on the top of his head, he nodded to them both with a forced smile. “Thank you both for your patience. The council has a few moments to spare today and will see you now if you wish. But remember they are very busy, so please try to keep it as brief as you can.”
“About bloody time,” Vincent muttered louder than he intended to. The sound of a shifting gun made him instantly regret his words.
Mr. Greenfield turned a stern eye on him. “I would advise you not to allow such ill mannerisms to become you once inside. Such insolence wouldn’t bode well for you after what has happened of late. The fact that the council has made time for you is a large step in their trust and admiration for what you do for Sanctuary, nothing more. But to provoke or prove that trust otherwise,” he glanced at the guard, “would be foolish.”
“Yes, yes,” Vincent told him with a wave of his hand. “It has been a trying couple of days. I’m sorry. I forgot myself for a moment, it shall not happen again.”
Mr. Greenfield looked over to his armed companion and for a moment it looked as if he would refuse them, but after a long pause, he dipped his head again. “Very well, I believe I can understand your position. Please follow me and please do not touch anything.”
“What is with the armed escort?” Kelli asked, never having seen such a thing before as she spotted two other guards in the hallway beyond.
What Remains (Book 2): What's Left Page 9
