“Thank you, sir. Now why don’t you get some rest before we march again? I’m going to go talk to the doctor about your treatment options,” she said, standing up.
Gavin’s inner lids closed over and he drifted off into an uncomfortable slumber. He keeps getting worse and worse and I don’t know what to do to help him. What the hell am I going to do with you, Dad?
Chapter 22
“We have to do something drastic about your father,” Scarlet said to Desmond and Gypsy as they met in her tent later that evening. Gypsy, who had just come in after checking on Gavin, paced with her hands behind her back. Her pretty face was pale and grim. Desmond watched her, wondering what she was thinking, and mused on how much her mannerism reminded him of their father.
“I’m open to anything at this point,” Gypsy said.
Scarlet glanced at Desmond then stared at the ground as she rubbed the back of her neck. “I have an idea but he’ll never agree.”
“What?” Gypsy asked.
Scarlet went over and pulled her tent flaps closed as if that could prevent anyone from hearing what she had to say. “We have to put him in hibernation for a minimum of six hours. That should give his back enough time to heal. It’s not a permanent fix, but it should last him a few days. I’m just hoping that’s all the time we need.”
Desmond couldn’t help it, he smiled. That cantankerous old bastard would never allow them to put him under for five minutes, let alone six hours. If this was to be done, it would have to be by force.
Gypsy chewed her bottom lip. “Maybe I can talk him into it. If I told him how important this was to him continuing…”
Desmond rubbed his face and chuckled.
“What the hell is so funny?” Scarlet asked, scowling at him.
“You can talk to him until your hyperia grows wings. I can guarantee he won’t say yes.”
“Not even to save Harlan?” Scarlet asked surprised.
“It has nothing to do with saving Harlan. He just can’t give up that kind of control,” Desmond said, picking up a twig and bending it around his finger.
Gypsy paced the tent frustrated. “So what do we do?”
Desmond shrugged. “We don’t ask him.”
Gypsy stopped pacing and stared at him with a lack of comprehension. Desmond smirked and waited for it to sink in. Suddenly Gypsy’s eyes sparked with clarity. “You mean—”
Desmond nodded and Scarlet picked up her medical kit. Her fingers squeezed the handle so tight her knuckles turned white. “It’s going to take me a little while to calculate and mix the correct dosage. Which one of you is going to hold him down while I give him the shot?”
Desmond stood up, and tossed the twig on the ground. He dusted his hands off on his pants. He could feel Gypsy watching him. “I’m the only one strong enough to do it,” he said, rolling his shoulders and feeling a rush of happiness flood his gut. It was the first time in his life he’d be able to beat the shit out of Gavin and he was looking forward to exorcising a lot of old, bad feelings.
“Won’t he hold a grudge?” Gypsy asked worriedly.
“Oh, I’m sure he will,” he said. “But it won’t damage our relationship any. In fact, I’m kind of looking forward to it.” He went to the tent flap and lifted it up for Gypsy and Scarlet.
Scarlet gave him a grim look. “Don’t enjoy this too much. He will be feeling better afterward and we don’t need him taking out his revenge on you.”
“He and I have a long history,” Desmond said playfully. “Besides it’s better if he’s pissed off at me and not Gypsy. I don’t have much of a career for him to crash. Anyway I know how far I can push him.”
Scarlet shook her head. “That’s what worries me.”
Desmond rested an arm across her shoulders. “Don’t worry, everything will go okay. Now let’s get something to eat. We’re going to need plenty of strength for our upcoming scrap.”
Chapter 23
Harlan was awakened by a pair of rough hands grasping her upper arms and dragging her up from the floor where she slept. She was pulled through the darkness and thrust outside into the cold night. Stumbling in her bare feet, she struggled to realize what was happening. Overhead, the three moons were low in the sky indicating it was almost dawn. Looking back she saw two young AEssyrian males she recognized from Sulla’s followers. One of them grabbed her, wrapping his arm around her neck and covering her mouth with his hand. Forcing her down a narrow trail they led her away from the village and into the woods. When they reached a small clearing, they pushed her to her knees and one of them pulled his saber. It made a chilling hiss as it cleared the scabbard.
White terror filled her heart. She’d expected this just not so soon. One of them approached her with a canvas hood and she held up her hands to stop him. “Wait! Wait! Does Sulla know you’re going to kill me?” she said in her best AEssyrian.
The male with the hood hesitated. “He’s an ignorant fool,” he snarled at her. “Sulla may be too stupid to know who you are, but we aren’t. You’re General Theron’s wife and he’s going to kill us all if he finds you here. We have to get rid of you before he discovers where you are.” The other male lifted his sword high in the air.
“Stop!” she shouted, holding her hands over her head in a hopeless attempt at protection. “I’m treating Sulla’s injured brother. If I die, so does he.”
The two males shrugged. “He’s of no interest to us. He’s as good as dead right now anyway.”
Harlan tried another tactic. “If you know who I am then surely you must be aware of my husband’s reputation. You know that my husband will torture and kill everyone until he finds me…dead or alive. As it stands everyone in this town is as good as dead. You need me to stay alive because I am the only one who can convince him to spare you and your families.” That seemed to give them pause.
Harlan pushed her luck. “If you let me go and point me in the right direction I may be able to reach him first and tell him how kind and merciful you both were. He will listen to me. But if I’m dead, so are you.”
The males looked at each other. The one sheathed his saber and tossed her a canteen. The other male left the clearing for a few minutes then returned with her boots. He threw the boots and a small package of rations at her. Harlan was so stunned she fumbled catching one of the boots and it fell to the ground with the rations. She picked the rations and the boot up and nodded her thanks.
“I can’t give you a mount,” the one with the sword said, “because we’re poor and don’t have many. But you have some time before they’ll discover you’re gone. Good luck. This trail will take you to the river. Follow it downstream and it will eventually take you back to Sanguar.”
Then the two males turned their backs on her and walked off toward the town. Harlan sat back on the ground, quickly pulling her boots on and lacing them up. Stuffing the rations into her pockets and tying the canteen to her waist she began to run down the trail as fast as her legs would carry her.
Chapter 24
It was almost dawn when Scarlet, Gypsy, and Desmond came into Gavin’s tent to enforce his treatment. As expected, he was laying on his belly in agony, his spine swollen and discolored from the constant abuse it had been taking. The tent held the stale stench of old liquor and Scarlet just knew he’d starting drinking with his medication again. A fireball ignited in her gut. This man is the biggest asshole I’ve ever met.
Angry now, Scarlet stepped forward and Gavin turned and sat up quickly, glaring at her. He was no fool; he knew something big was happening. She cast a nervous glance at Desmond who nodded to urge her on. “We have an idea that might help you,” she said to Gavin.
The general made a sudden lunge for his saber resting nearby but Desmond was expecting the maneuver. In a blur of motion, he slid his boot under the handle and kicked the weapon into the air catching it effortlessly.
Gavin got to his feet. “Fucking swine!” he raged at his son.
“Did you hear what I said?” Scarlet shouted.
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Gavin ignored her. All his attention was focused on Desmond who was pointing his own sword at him. “Give me my weapon, you fucking whore’s son, or I’ll take it from you and shove it up your ass.”
“It’s right here. Come and get it,” Desmond replied coolly.
Gavin whirled on Gypsy. “I suppose you’ve thrown in with these two hopeless idiots.”
“Gavin, just listen to what she has to say,” Gypsy said.
The general stared at Scarlet. “Well?” he barked. “What is your brilliant idea to cure me?”
“I didn’t say it would cure you,” Scarlet said. “But I think it will make you close to normal for a few days anyway.” She reached into her kit and took out a large syringe filled with a black viscous fluid. “We’re going to put you into hibernation for six hours.”
“What?” Gavin roared, clenching his fists. “You must be completely out of your fucking head!” He pointed out of the tent, stabbing a curved black nail toward the dawn. “My wife is out there somewhere enduring who knows what and you want to make me helpless for six hours? There’s no way I’m going to agree to that! Now why don’t the lot of you get the bloody hell out and pack up the camp?”
“We’re not asking you, Gavin,” Desmond said, obviously suppressing a smile.
An evil darkness came over the general. He straightened up to his six foot seven height and fixed his one good eye on his son.
Scarlet suddenly felt a rush of fear. “Be careful, Desmond,” she said softly.
Now Desmond did smile. “What’s he going to do? Fight me? He’s as weak as a kitten.”
Gypsy took a step forward but stopped under her father’s withering glare. “Gavin, we have to do this. You just can’t go on in this crippling pain. We’re not making any progress because you have to stop every half-hour to rest like an old woman. Please let Doctor Jonson try this. Please.”
Gavin didn’t appear to have heard a word she said. His attention was riveted on Desmond who kept inching closer. “You’ve probably been waiting decades for this moment, haven’t you?”
Desmond didn’t reply. He just focused his intent, waiting for the right moment. The air crackled with the energy each man gave off.
Gavin tilted his head up in defiance and took a few steps back. “Even wounded, you’re no match for me, boy. Come and fucking get me.”
Desmond flew at Gavin landing a full body tackle and knocking his father to the ground. If Gavin had been feeling well, he would have been up in seconds with a counterattack, but instead he laid pinned under Desmond uttering a blistering series of cuss words that Scarlet was sure even the seasoned soldier hadn’t heard before. Then, fueled by the renewed suffering in his back, Gavin erupted into ferocious violence. He tried everything to get Desmond off him, but just as his son had predicted, he was very weak.
Gavin fought like a bound lion, roaring and twisting to get out from under Desmond. “If you don’t get the fuck off of me I will find the filthiest rathole in the universe and exile you in solitude until you cut your own throat from boredom!” Gavin pulled his legs up trying to gain some leverage and snarled from the pain it caused him.
“Gavin, please stop fighting this! Let us help you!” Gypsy said, rushing around the brawlers and shouting at the top of her lungs to be heard. “You’re only making things worse!”
“It’s okay,” Desmond said, obviously enjoying this. “Let him fight.”
Scarlet moved in close to inject Gavin in the neck and came within inches of getting mauled. Desmond responded by punching Gavin in the face several times which only enraged his father more.
“Desmond! You stop that!” Gypsy screamed, pointing her finger angrily at him.
Empowered in his frenzy, Gavin managed to toss Desmond off for a few seconds. But the maneuver had cost him, for he was immediately seized by a severe back spasm. Gavin fell to his knees hard, engulfed in suffering. Desmond threw himself on the general again, immobilizing him with a sleeper hold. “Get him now,” he said to Scarlet.
Grabbing the waist of Gavin’s black pants, she pulled them down just enough to inject him in the top part of his buttocks. The general growled his outrage but it was already softer than before.
Desmond loosened his grip and lowered Gavin to the ground. He would have just dropped the son of a bitch but he didn’t want to upset Gypsy any more than she already was. The general was fading fast, his inner lid closing over his golden eye. Scarlet collapsed on her butt and frowned at Desmond. “I think you enjoyed that a little too much.”
Desmond nodded and checked the time. “You will never have any idea how much,” he said distractedly, calculating the hours before Gavin would be awake up again.
Gypsy shook her head. “I’m going to take a nap. Wake me before you wake him. Desmond, you’re in charge.” Then she walked out just as the first golden rays of sunlight peeked out over the horizon.
Chapter 25
Gypsy emerged from Gavin’s tent and was immediately greeted by Nero and his supporters. It didn’t take a genius to know what their intentions were; each of them was decked out in full battle armor. Gypsy heard Desmond pull his weapon behind her and she did the same. She hadn’t even heard him come out of the tent. Scarlet must have been right behind him because she heard her gasp.
Nero gave them a wicked smile. “We couldn’t help but overhear your father’s been ailing. We just came by to offer our condolences.”
“He’s not dead, asshole,” Scarlet said. “He’s just resting.”
“They know,” Gypsy said icily. “Nero’s just trying to be funny.”
Nero rested his hand on his saber handle. “Come on now, Gypsy. This doesn’t have to come to violence. We’ll just take what we want from the camp and go.”
“So let me get this straight,” Gypsy said in a mocking tone. “We let you steal all our supplies and you and your men will go away and leave us in peace?”
Nero nodded slowly, glaring at her. “That’s right.”
“Hmmm,” she said not taking her eyes off Nero. “What do you think about that idea, Desmond?”
“I think it sucks.”
Gypsy nodded as if that had confirmed her thoughts on the matter. “Yeah, I think that sucks, too. So I have a better idea.” She blossomed into a bright smile. “How about I kill you and keep everything that’s mine?”
Nero shifted uncomfortably. He opened his mouth to speak when suddenly someone behind his group shouted out, “Back off!” Nero’s group parted and Trajan passed through followed by about ten mercenaries who had stayed loyal. They jostled their way through and came over to stand behind Gypsy and Desmond. Everyone who hadn’t done so already pulled their sabers out with a collective metallic scrape. Desmond nudged Scarlet and tossed his head to a place away from the conflict. She actually looked disappointed not to be part of the fight but she walked off to a spot where she could still see.
Nero didn’t waste any time launching his attack. Lunging forward, he tried to plunge his saber into Gypsy’s belly but he was a second too slow. Gypsy easily sidestepped the cut and danced back, bringing her weapon down across the flesh of his right arm. Nero roared in pain but kept coming, attacking her with surprising clumsiness.
Gypsy let go and let her fury and training take over. A rush of pure adrenaline pumped energy into her blood and she was disappointed to find Nero not as good an opponent as she’d thought he would be. Countless times he left himself open and she’d let him live, almost feeling guilty if she killed him too fast. All around her the camp was in violent chaos and she knew if she took Nero out, the other rebels would soon lose heart.
Desperate and losing, Nero found the cunning to deliver a nasty cut under her right ear. That’s when Gypsy realized the error she’d made in holding back. She’d let him make her soft and it could have cost her life. This had gone on long enough.
Ducking under a horizontal chop, Gypsy came up fast and drove her saber into a gap between Nero’s armor, puncturing his gut and pushing her blade all
the way through him. Her enemy sank to the ground, blood running down his legs and pooling onto the soil around him. She ripped her sword from his flesh and then, to take him out of his misery, she swung her saber in a wide arc, taking his head off.
Nero’s body collapsed on the ground and the fighting all around them stopped.
The rebel mercenaries, realizing their leader had fallen, dropped their weapons and sank to their knees. Desmond came over and glanced down at Nero’s body. “What the hell took you so long?” he said.
Gypsy frowned. “I was tired,” she said. Scarlet rushed over and looked at the cut under Gypsy’s ear but Gypsy swatted her away. “I’m okay, stop it.” Scarlet backed off with a scowl.
Desmond pointed at the kneeling men. “What do we do with them?”
Normally such disloyalty would be punishable by death, but they were going to need these men when they finally caught up with her mother’s kidnappers. “Bind them,” Gypsy said. “Gavin will be awake in a few hours. We’ll let him deal with them. After all, they are his mercenaries.”
Chapter 26
After Nero’s death, the camp returned to a more relaxed normal. The rebel mercenaries seemed to have a new sense of respect for Gypsy and they now ran to her for every instruction. Canteens were filled without anyone having to prompt them for it; a hunting party went out without anyone having to assign anyone; hyperia were fed and watered without anyone having to order them to do it. In fact, as barbaric as it sounded, the entire camp seemed relieved to be rid of Nero. The AEssyrians reminded Scarlet of a wolf pack in that way, if there was a clear leader, everything ran smoother.
Tired and frayed from the ordeal with Gavin and the brawl that ensued, Scarlet sat by the river’s edge washing her face and hands. She heard footsteps behind her and turned around to see Desmond coming down the embankment. He came over next to her and sat on a nearby boulder. “I thought I told you not to separate yourself from the camp like this,” he said annoyed.
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