Dead World Rising

by Katerina Petrova

  'Do you know who it is they want to rescue?' I asked impatiently. I had no time for Dave, I didn't like him one bit. I found him to be ruthless, unnecessarily cruel, a liar and an arse kisser. No doubt he was only warning me of this in order to gain favour and get back on my good side, but if there was a group coming here then I had to do something.

  'Do you know who these people are after?'

  'You might want to ask your queen to leave the room,' he mumbled nervously.

  'No, she stays right here. Whatever you have to say can be said in front of Maggie!' I shouted at him.

  'I-I meant no disrespect, it's just that it's her family that are here,' he replied apologetically.

  I immediately looked at Maggie, expecting to find relief or sadness or even fear on her face, but there was nothing, she just continued to smile.

  'There is no need to worry, my place is here. Even if my family come, I will not follow,' she told them plainly.

  'You see, my queen can be trusted, now who else are they after?' I asked him forcefully.

  'The woman who came with her, Jade, the girl named Hayley, and two others but I'm not sure who they are.' 'Cyrus, Byson I want you to get your women and talk to them, find out all you can about their families,' I ordered.

  Aside from Maggie, Jade and those I'd got from Dave's compound the only other recent prisoners were Emily and Wendy.

  'Right away, boss,' Byson said as he and Cyrus exited the room.

  'How many of these people are there?' I demanded to know.

  'Thirteen, it's a mix of men and women, their staying at Dunvegan Castle not three hours from here,' he babbled. I sat for a moment thinking, I was in tough situation. I didn't want to risk losing Maggie, but I also didn't want to kill her family. I knew right away though, that I'd get my men to 'take care' of Dave, he'd been a thorn in my side for too long and now was the time to have him dealt with.

  'Maddox, get me ten of our finest men and send them in. Meanwhile I want you to take Dave and his men to get cleaned up and fed.'

  'Sure thing, come on you lot,' he barked at them. As Dave and the others left the room, I looked at Maggie expecting that now we were alone for her to be concerned about her family. Instead all she was bothered about was getting revenge on Dave and his men.

  'You've got to let me go with them, I need to see him die,' she said through gritted teeth.

  'Absolutely not, I'll not have you be put in danger for that scum bag,' I replied trying to keep my voice level.

  'You don't know what he did to me,' she growled.

  'Yes, I do. You forget I've been leader of this group for three years, I've seen how bad some men can be,' I told her sternly.

  'You haven't been there, you just ignore the screams while women are tortured and raped for their sick pleasure,' she bit back.

  'Keep your voice down!' I demanded.

  'I want my revenge,' she snarled.

  'I've said no, and that is the end of it!'

  'You will not deprive me of this,' she shouted angrily.

  'I won't warn you again, keep it down or I'll have to hurt you.'

  'Go ahead, do your worst,' she challenged me. I could feel my fists clench, I knew that if any of men came in I'd have no choice but to hurt her even though I really didn't want to. I breathed in and out a few times, trying to release my fury, I opened them to find Maggie still red faced from anger.

  I put my arms round her shoulders and kissed her head.

  'Please just let this go, he'll be dealt with. I promise,' I told her gently. She shoved my arms away and without warning, cracked me one straight across the face. She had a mean right hook for small girl, unfortunately for her it was at that moment that Maddox and my men walked in. They'd seen what she'd done, again I was shocked at the lack of emotion on Maggie's face.

  'You alright boss?' Maddox asked.

  'I'm fine, just give us a moment,' I replied through gritted teeth. They left the room, closing the door behind us. I turned to find Maggie standing her ground, she did not flinch or scream as I laid into her. I hated doing this, to her of all people. Even as I hit her so hard that she flew into the wall, she still didn't scream, if she didn't make a sound the others would think I wasn't disciplining her properly.

  'You will submit,' I told her angrily.

  I held her by the hair, pulling her head back so she looked me in the eyes, 'submit,' I ordered. She said nothing, I closed my eyes as I slammed her head into the wall, seeing the blood running from her nose made me want to cry, but I had no choice I had to carry on. In all the time she'd been here, I'd only hit her a few times in the beginning, she'd gone along with things since then. As much as I hated it, she was used to this level of violence from when she'd been held captive by Dave and his men. There was only one threat that would make her cry, I just prayed she wouldn't actually make me do it.

  'If you don't submit, I'll tear off your clothes and fuck you while my men watch,' I growled at her.

  It was that threat that made her cry and beg for mercy, I showed her no sign of emotion in my voice or face, she had to know I meant it.

  'I-I'm sorry, please don't,' she cried, tears now spilling down her face.

  I let go of her, feeling crushed at the look terrified look on her bloody, bruised face.

  'Maddox, get in here!' I shouted to him through the door.

  I could tell as soon as he walked in that he was trying not to smile, for some reason he'd never liked Maggie despite her obedience until now.

  'Take her back to my house, I want her cleaned up for later,' I ordered.

  'Come on you, get a move on,' he barked at Maggie. She clung to the table as she got up, I watched as she walked out the room, holding her ribs as she did. I wasn't going to rape her, but I wanted both her and Maddox to think I was. Once they'd left I told the rest of my men to come in, and we all sat down at the table.

  'I want you to go with Dave's group, get near to the castle and find out what you can. When you've got near enough, I want you to deal with Dave and his men,' I told them fiercely.

  They looked at me with strange looks on their faces, but they said nothing and just nodded.

  'For now though just treat Dave and his men as normal, but don't let them near any of the women,' I ordered.

  'No problem,' Tristan said obediently.

  'Consider it done boss,' Sam chimed in.

  I got up, leaving them to discuss how they would take out Dave's group. Maddox was waiting outside for me.

  'I took her to Ellen, she's got a good few cuts and bruises but there's no permanent damage,' he informed me.

  'Is she back at mine?' I asked.

  'Yeah, I told her to stay put. I doubt she'll disobey,' he replied plainly.

  'I'll head back, I've told the guys what I want doing. Just keep it between us and them.' I walked back over to my house, hoping that Maggie had come to her senses. I hadn't admitted it to anyone, but she had really gotten under my skin. I just hoped that I hadn't gone too far, not just with hitting her, but I was afraid that being here had done too much mental damage to her. As I got in my house, I locked the door and went upstairs. I found Maggie lying in bed with her furry black dressing gown on and her silvery nightie underneath. I took off my clothes, leaving on only my boxers as I always did and got into bed. I put my hand on her shoulder but she flinched at my touch.

  'Don't pull away from me,' I whispered gently.

  'Just stop, leave me alone,' she mumbled quietly.

  'I need to see.' Maggie sat up and slowly took off her dressing gown, she flinched as she caught her face. When she turned to look at me, I saw just how bad her face was. She had a cut below her eye that had needed stitches, as well as one on her neck. Both eyes were black, though they were still open, her lip was swollen with a cut down the middle. Her body was bruised and I'd somehow scratched her arm, I could see the nail marks on her left shoulder.

  'Admiring your handy work,' she spat.

  'Don't, you know I didn't want to do that. You ga
ve me no choice,' I told her sadly.

  'You didn't have to threaten me,' she muttered coldly. She wasn't referring to the beating. 'You wouldn't submit, I had no other option. If I'd carried on I would've seriously hurt you, and I didn't want to do that,' I tried to reason with her.

  'I thought you were a man of your word, you told me you'd never do that to me. Were you lying when we first met, or were you lying earlier?' She asked with a scared tone to her voice. I sighed, not knowing what to say. How could I convince her that I actually cared for her? That she was the only woman I'd taken for myself, in all the years since I'd ran this compound I'd always given the women to my men. It wasn't until I saw Maggie that I just knew, I wanted her to be mine.

  'I wasn't lying when we first met, but you have to understand, aside from Maddox no one else knows that I won't rape women,' I told her gently. 'Look I get it alright, you have to stay in control and if your men see any weakness, they'll overthrow you. But I will not let any man violate me again, the first time Dave tried, I beat him with a bat,' she replied coldly.

  I laughed, 'why does that not surprise me.'

  'Will you answer one thing for me?' She asked softly.

  'Anything.'

  'What am I to you? Am I just another girl you've taken in, will I eventually be passed around your men?'

  I took her hands in mine and looked her straight in the eyes.

  'I've never taken a woman for myself before, and as long as I'm running things, I'll not let any of my men touch you,' I hoped that would reassure her.

  'Can I trust you?' She asked looking me straight in the eyes.

  I sighed, I didn't like where she was going with this. If she was going to ask me to let her go, I couldn't.

  'Yes, but if this is about your family you know I can't let you go,' I told her.

  'It's not about me, but my brother will never stop looking for me. He needs to believe I'm dead.' The fact that she didn't even want to leave worried me, it was proof of just how much damage this place had done to her. I felt guilty for bringing Maggie here, for taking her so far away from those she loved.

  If I'd known that they would have attacked Dave's compound, I would have left her there.

  'What do you want me to do?' I asked. 'In order for it to work, even Jade needs to believe I'm dead. If it's at all possible, Jade needs to be let go,' she explained sadly.

  I thought for a moment, despite having become cold she still didn't want to see her family hurt. Jade was good with herbs, she would be useful in the field. I could send her with my men, I'd tell my men that the people who were after Maggie wouldn't give up. That Maggie had told me they knew where sanctuary was, and that they were going to team up with them.

  'I've got an idea, but it's risky,' I told her. We agreed that the only way to make everyone think Maggie was dead, was to kill someone else who looked like her. It was unnerving how comfortable she was with the idea. I would talk to my men, and tell them to let Jade go near the castle. I looked out the window, it wasn't that late, I could go down now and talk to Maddox and my men.

  'Give me an hour, I'll talk to the others,' I told her, as I kissed her gently on the forehead. The next morning I had to kill an innocent girl in order to save Maggie's family from being hurt, thankfully both Maddox and my men believed the story I told them. I'd told Cyrus that we needed to kill one of his wives, he was surprisingly okay with the idea. It still shocked me how brutal these men could be, without my leadership they wouldn't be so restrained. They would attempt to takeover the compound nearby and either be beaten or they'd win and become more brutal in their treatment of others. At least with me in charge they had someone to fear, and I could control them. For the most part any way, I still had to let them enact some of their vile thoughts and fantasies. Even I could only do so much to keep them in line.

  'Gather everyone at the clock tower, Cyrus have you made sure she's unrecognisable?' I asked him sternly.

  'See for yourself boss,' he said as he pulled off the bag on her head. I almost recoiled in horror as I saw the bloody, broken mess that was Emily's face. Her eyes were black and closed, her lip had been completely split in two. There were clumps of her long, ginger hair missing. Much of her pale face was swollen and bloody, most of her wounds were still bleeding.

  'Good, now gag her so she can't say a word and make sure she's wearing this,' I replied, throwing some of Maggie's clothes at him. Half an hour later, the whole community was gathered at the clock tower. I'd made sure that Maggie was at home and well out of sight. As Cyrus brought Emily to me, I saw that her body shook and that blood had seeped through the crotch area of her jeans. Given that he was losing one of his wives, Cyrus made sure that he enjoyed her one last time. I loathed each and every one of these bastards, in an ideal world I would have saved these women from the horror and torment they'd endured here. Much to my dismay Maddox had convinced me that if I was going to pretend to kill Maggie, that I had to do it in a way that would truly put the fear into the women. Looking down at their faces, I could see that the women were already afraid.

  'You will all see, what happens when you betray me,' I shouted into the crowd. They gasped as I pulled off the bag on Emily's head, blood had dripped down from her face on to the clothes she wearing.

  Her hands were bound behind her back, and a gag was placed in her mouth the prevent her from speaking.

  'This woman betrayed me, she lied, manipulated and schemed. Now she will pay the price!'

  'Maggie! No,' Jade cried, as she lunged forward.

  'Don't interfere woman,' I warned her.

  She slumped to the floor in front of me, with a begging look in her eyes.

  'Please, take me instead just don't hurt Maggie,' she pleaded as the tears streamed down her face. I felt so much empathy for this woman, I knew how much Maggie meant to her. I hated having to make her think that her daughter was about to die, but I took some comfort in the fact that I could return Jade to her family soon.

  'She has committed the crime, so she will suffer for it,' I yelled. I saw how desperate Jade was to save 'Maggie' I could only hope that she didn't do anything to force my hand. But then after everything Maggie had told me, I shouldn't have been surprised when she tried to stop me.

  Before either I or my men could react, Jade launched forward and tackled me to the ground. Emily fell from my grasp, she landed face down on the cold hard floor and I heard the crack as her nose was broken by the impact. My men were there in seconds, Maddox held Jade back as she screamed and tried to fight her way free. Emily lay there on the floor crying, while I composed myself and stood up, I could see the terrified faces of the women in the crowd.

  'No, please don't hurt her,' Jade begged.

  I walked up to her, knowing I had to do something. I stood next to her and whispered in her ear, 'It's a good thing we need you, otherwise you'd be on the pyre.' I pushed Emily down on the ground as she tried to get up, I put my foot on her back so she couldn't move. I picked up my axe from the floor, I didn't hesitate as I swung. The axe connected with her neck, cutting her head from her body. The head rolled on the floor, blood still pouring from her wounds. I picked it up, and held it for everyone to see.

  'For each person who dares to betray me, know this, your death will be much, much worse!' I shouted as I dropped the girls head.

  I watched as Jade fell to the floor, crying. I felt bad for her, but there was nothing I could do. She had to believe Maggie was dead.

  'I want you and Dave's group to head out now, and take that one with you,' I told my men sternly.

  'Right away,' Cyrus replied. I ordered the women to get back to work while I went back home, my mind was racing with what I'd just done.

  I knew that on occasion I had to kill the women when they disobeyed, but that girl was innocent. I'd killed her to save people I didn't know, I took some solace in the fact that Jade wouldn't have to be here any more. I sighed as I walked in my front door, I just hoped that this would be the end of it.

  I thr
ew my jacket over the bannister as I walked upstairs, I flung open the bedroom door to find a strangely tranquil Maggie sat on the edge of the bed.

  'Is it done?' She wondered aloud.

  'Yeah, she's dead and Jade has just left with my men,' I answered sadly.

  'Good, all is as it should be then,' her voice was calm, too calm.

  I sat down on the bed beside her, but she didn't even look at me. Maggie just stared into space seeming as if she was in her own world.

  'Are you alright?' I asked concernedly.

  'I'm fine,' she replied so quietly that I wasn't sure if I actually heard her. I looked upon her serene face, hoping that this reaction was just shock. Yet as I placed my arms around her and she didn't move an inch I feared that I knew what the true reason behind her behaviour was.

  The darkness I now saw within her, was not created by this place or her time as Dave's prisoner. Maggie told me she'd always been meek and quiet, even among her family she was never one for voicing her opinions too much. While unlike most other people I knew, she'd stayed with her family for years without losing anyone, yet deep down inside Maggie had always secretly prepared herself for the day when they would all die.

  This darkness had lived inside her for years, just waiting for the right time to come out. It was born of fear and self-preservation, but now that she was in a place where most of the men here were naturally vile she could unleash that side of her without fear of being hated by those around her. While I ran the compound and took charge of the men, many like Maddox were also in charge in their own way.

  The question I now asked myself, how far would the darkness inside her go?

  Chapter 5

  Jade

  I couldn't believe it, Maggie was dead! That bastard, he'd cut off her head in front of the whole town. I refused to cry in front of Dave and the others, I wouldn't give them the satisfaction. I couldn't understand what she could have done to incur Nathaniel's wrath, the poor girl, her face was so battered that the blood was still pouring even after her death. I couldn't even be by her side at the end, I could feel the tears welling up inside me, as the image of Maggie's lifeless body flashed in my mind. He was sick in the head, he'd put Maggie's head on a spike for all to see. He told everyone that it was going to stay there, it was bad enough he'd killed her. But to violate her body that way, letting everyone see it.