Ryan didn’t have to wait long. The sound of more than one voice echoed through the corridor drawing closer and closer. Their banter indicated exactly what they had been sent to do. He braced himself for what was to come.
His beautiful girl’s face flashed through his mind and the last image of her lying naked in slumber caused his heart to break. He didn’t care what they did to him, but the thought of causing her pain fired his anger. This would be what would get him through - anger, and the thought of never seeing her again.
Without directly addressing him, one of the troopers lowered the shield and dragged him out of the cell. There were three of them. Two approached him and snared an arm each. He fought against their tight grip, but it was useless. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself again.
“I think I’m going to enjoy this,” the third man said as he pulled on leather gloves. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a sewer rat and an important one at that.” He sneered and the others sniggered.
The first blow caught Ryan off guard. It came fast and hard across his face, jarring his jaw and whipping his head sideways. Stars blurred his vision. The second blow broke his nose. A knee to the sternum doubled him over and sent bile to the floor. Another punch to the stomach sent him to his knees, but the men holding him pulled him back to his feet. Blow after blow rattled his brain and before long the world turning black became his friend.
Hours, minutes, seconds later he tried to open his eyes and found one to be swollen shut. Blood splattered his shirt and pooled next to his head where he lay. With slow movements, he sat up and was greeted with the world spinning. Nausea churned his stomach and soon vomit joined the blood on the floor. Ryan swiped at his mouth and then groaned as he rubbed swollen lips. Blood and bile coloured his hand.
Taking deep breaths proved painful; his ribs were probably broken. With tentative fingers, he touched his face and although swollen he didn’t think anything was broken besides his nose.
A tray containing food not fit for consumption lay on the floor just inside the cell. He forced the gruel down, knowing he needed to keep up his strength. They hadn’t killed him yet, which was a good sign. Maybe.
Mackenzie hardly slept and she was both thankful and unhappy that she didn’t have to work in the hospital. It would take her mind off exactly where and what could be happening to Ryan, but the distraction wouldn’t help.
Every part of her ached to go to the surface and confront Cody, but Simmo’s words halted her. If they held her in Ryan’s place he would never forgive himself. Would Cody even let him go? What would be left for her then? The same conformity and life from before? How could she go back to that life?
How could she go on with her life without the love of her life?
Waiting was just as bad. The not knowing consumed her.
The whole day, and evening, Mackenzie stayed in their quarters. His scent lingered on the pillow. She held it against her and breathed him in as day turned to night. She didn’t eat or leave the room.
On the second day, she went to the hospital and attending to the patients helped pass the time. The distraction wasn’t enough and thoughts of death or the beating that Troy had received caused her heart to ache. Would they be doing the same thing to him? Shaky hands re-dressed wounds and on more than one occasion she had to double check temperatures and blood pressure readings.
An hour before her shift was due to finish, Simmo came into the hospital and her heart thumped inside her chest. His expression gave little away.
“Simmo?” He shook his head and her hope faded. “You haven’t heard anything then?”
“No.”
“We have to remember they let Troy go.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” He shrugged.
His hang dog expression showed how much Ryan meant to him. This would be as hard on him as it was on her.
“Cody … he won’t …” The rest of the words escaped her. Simmo’s only answer was a shrug. “He won’t.” Mackenzie wasn’t sure she even believed this anymore.
“We’ve been talking to the gangs above ground. No one has seen him, but that doesn’t surprise me.”
“With all that has happened I forgot to tell you about the idea I had,” she said, remembering.
“Fire away.”
“You’ve been fighting with the gangs all this time when you should be joining forces.”
“True.”
“So why don’t you try?”
“They aren’t interested in going underground.” He shrugged.
“Maybe they won’t have to.”
“We’ve tried before.”
“That was before the rally. They may be interested in it now,” she said with the hope of a solid plan.
“Most of the gangs knew what would happen if they surrendered, this hasn’t changed.”
“They might be more willing to have numbers behind them now theirs are lower.”
Simmo’s face contorted as though considering and Mackenzie waited it out.
“I suppose if we tell them about Ryan, they might consider helping us. He has always pushed for us to leave the gangs in peace. They don’t usually fight us and keep to themselves, but if they thought joining forces could help … then they might be interested. The more of us there are, the more chance we have. They would have more protection with us too. The gangs are more susceptible to capture being above ground. We have never tried to help them before, but if we worked together …”
“The more on one side, the better.”
“I’ll gather a group of us and we can go and talk to them. It can’t hurt.” Simmo’s genuine smile was the first he’d given her.
They were in this together now. They both had a lot to lose.
They left Ryan alone on the second day. Meals came and were taken away, but further beatings didn’t follow. It was only a matter of time before he was brought before the firing squad and his punishment for treason carried out. Escape would be pointless and he’d already discovered the damage the laser bars could do when he ran a hand through them. The burn ached more than his other injuries.
On the third morning, after breakfast, they came and repeated the process. When he regained consciousness, he thought a cheekbone could be broken, like his nose and ribs. One more beating like this and he would be broken beyond repair.
He wished for death and for the first time since the death of his family, he shed a few tears. Not for the end of his life, but for the thought of never again seeing the woman he loved with all his heart and what this would do to her.
Cody paced his office, his conflicting emotions causing him turmoil. His hatred for Ryan and the other sewer rats threatened to choke him, while his remorse and compassion for his sister, and the man she loved, rose up and buried itself inside him again.
It had been years since he’d felt any kind of emotion towards the rebels besides hatred and revenge. It had also been years since he’d felt any positive emotion or warm, fond feelings. The night that changed his life forever flashed into his mind. The night Taylor had killed his father.
For a moment this simmered inside of him, until he thought hard about what actually happened. He didn’t see Taylor pull the trigger; in fact, he had no evidence at all as to who actually killed Matthew Edwards. The shot appeared to have come from an abandoned building, or so he’d been told, but from that moment on, he’d decided that Taylor and his rats were to blame.
Now he thought about it, the shot could have come from anyone. There was no one to blame. Well, there was, but this thought entailed him going against all that he stood for.
The government.
He’d believed in the cause for so long he’d forgotten how it all began. The propaganda that was drummed into them laid blame with the rebellion.
What to believe? Mackenzie’s change of heart and belief in the man held in C -block had him questioning everything. Cody didn’t want to live with hatred anymore.
Bellowing in the hall broke through his reverie. Councillor Bo
swell wouldn’t be happy that Taylor was still alive. Cody activated the doors and Boswell stormed into his office.
“Why is there a renegade prisoner in C-block?”
“He's being interrogated.”
“He should be standing in front of the firing squad.”
“He has my sister at his compound.”
“We don’t negotiate with rebels.”
“I know, Sir, but …”
“No buts, General. I want that rat out of my prison.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The man left as quickly as he came. Cody summoned Smith and gave him his orders.
26
The Order
When they came for him on what he believed to be day four, Ryan prepared himself for death. They’d had their fun and now they would carry out the punishment for treason. What had he been thinking coming here? Did he really believe that Cody would see reason?
What astounded him the most was that Cody would do this to his sister. He’d been naive to think because they were from the same family that intrinsically they held the same morals and compassion. How wrong he had been.
Now he faced certain death. His heart ached for Mackenzie and he thought he would die from a broken heart before they even handed out their sentence.
Cody stood in the same spot he had days before, staring out the window. His body language and expression gave little away as he turned to Ryan and dismissed his troops.
Ryan fell to his knees when they let him go. The beatings left him fatigued and he thought he was probably half dead already; the final shot would finish what they’d already started.
“You really do love my sister, don’t you?” Cody asked, his voice almost gentle.
This surprised Ryan enough to look into the face of the enemy. All he found there was what appeared to be remorse.
“Yes, with everything I have,” he managed to mumble.
“Can you stand?”
With shaky limbs, Ryan gingerly stood. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest.
“I’m releasing you because I care about my sister. Let this be a warning to you. If you don’t let her go and lay down your arms, then we will attack again.”
“We will never surrender,” he slurred between swollen lips.
The vehemence he sought in his words was lost in pain. With the last of his strength he spat his contempt on the floor.
“We’ll see about that.” Cody summoned the guard back into his office. “Let him go.”
“But, Sir …”
“I said, let him go. He won’t get far before the gangs find him. Let his death be on them.”
Forceful hands escorted him out of the office and out of the building. The blinding sunshine burned his eyes as they walked towards the exit. Using his BIT, the guard opened the gate, shoved him through and closed it behind him.
Ryan fell to his knees, fatigue assaulting him again. He didn’t think it was possible for him to make the journey back to the compound. If the walk didn’t kill him, then one of the troops or one of the gang members could see to it.
Mackenzie.
Bending over onto all fours, he heaved the contents of his stomach onto the ground before slowly easing himself onto tired legs. One step at a time, he made his way across Artinean, towards the desert and his girl.
Days passed. Mackenzie lost track of time, and began to believe he wasn’t coming back. The thought of a world without him in it took the last of her resolve.
Georgie and Bec insisted on covering Mackenzie’s shifts and she didn’t put up a fight. Hour after hour, she laid clutching his pillow to her chest, surrounding herself in his lingering scent. Soon that too would disappear, just like him.
A persistent pounding on the door forced her from the bed and with irritation she pulled it open, to find an anxious but slightly relieved looking Simmo.
“He’s back. I can’t believe it, but he’s back.”
“What?” Had she heard right?
“A gang member found him passed out in the street. It was lucky that they found him and not a GAP.”
“Where is he? Is he okay?” She pushed passed him and searched up and down the tunnels.
“He’s in the hospital.”
“Is … how …?”
“Not good.”
Without another word Mackenzie weaved her way towards the hospital. People mingled outside the entrance, all eager to see if their captain would be fine. She shoved her way through and stopped when she spotted him.
Her gasp caused Dr Evans to turn and his concerned frown almost stopped her heart.
Immediately she went to his side and stared into the battered face of the man she loved. If she hadn’t known it was him, she wasn’t sure if she would have recognised him. His face, so swollen and bruised, caused tears to stream down her face. Her relief at him being alive caused her to brush the tears from her cheeks and take his hand
“Doctor?”
“He’s not good, I’m afraid.”
“He’ll be okay though, right?”
“I don’t know, Mackenzie. We don’t have the equipment here to run adequate tests. He could have internal injuries or bleeding and I have no way of finding out the extent. His nose is broken, and his right cheek is fractured, a few ribs are probably broken too. All we can do is patch him up and hope for the best. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing more we can do here.”
“He’ll be okay,” she said with a conviction she didn’t feel.
“I hope so.”
Dr Evans turned to the faces waiting anxiously at the door. “Okay, you lot, we need to attend to him now and he needs to rest. He’s all right for now. Off you go.” He shooed them away with his hands, and all but Simmo left.
“Do you want me to stay?” he asked Mackenzie.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll clean and dress his wounds. I’ll stay with him and look after him.”
Simmo simply nodded and Mackenzie noticed the glistening of tears in his eyes. Losing Ryan would tear him apart, almost as much as it would her.
“He’s going to be okay,” she said again.
Simmo nodded briefly before leaving.
“Do you want me to tend to him?” Dr Evans said.
She shook her head. “I can do it.”
“Monitor him as best you can with what we have and if there is any change, let me know.”
With tender hands, she first cleaned his wounds and then bandaged them. A cut on his cheek required bonding and there wasn’t a sound from him as she sutured. During the entire process, he didn’t move or make any kind of sound. His lack of consciousness worried her. Thankfully their antiquated hospital was fitted with machines that could monitor his heart, so at least she knew it still beat strongly.
When she’d finished, she pulled the curtain around the bed, dragged over a chair and took one of his hands in hers. The beeping of the regular heartbeat and the ticking of a clock were the only sounds in the room. She watched the rise and fall of his chest, and waited.
A hand on her shoulder and the gentle call of her name woke her. Annoyed at herself for dropping off, she checked the heart monitor, ensured he still pulled in breath, before turning to Simmo.
“I brought you some food. I thought you might be hungry.”
“How long has it been?” she asked, noticing breakfast food on the tray.
“Since he got back? About nine hours.”
“I can’t believe I fell asleep.”
“You must have needed it. Here,” he said, shoving the tray towards her. “Eat.”
“Thanks, Simmo.”
He offered a brief salute and turned to leave. “Will you let me know if he wakes up?”
“Yes, when he wakes up.”
Simmo smiled. “When.”
Two days of unconsciousness passed. Dr Evans said it was a good sign. If any internal injuries had occurred they would have revealed themselves by now. Her concern over his lack of consciousness didn’t seem to worry him too much. His body needed time to reco
ver and this was its way of doing that. Pain, he hoped, would soon bring him back.
Mackenzie ensured she had medication ready for his relief when he woke up. ‘When’ became her mantra. ‘When’ he woke up.
Fatigue and nightfall beckoned her so she laid her head on the bed beside him. Her hands clutched his as she waited for the slightest movement. Heavy lids and sporadic sleep soon caused her to drift off.
A groan and a faint squeeze of her hand sent her into wakefulness and her lids flew open. Fluttering lids greeted her before his eyes met hers. Never had she been so happy to see his indigo pools.
“Oh god … Ryan!” Without thought she showered his face in excited kisses until he groaned again. “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m hurting you.”
“Only a bit.” His hand squeezed hers and a small smile lifted his lips.
“I was so worried about you … I thought … how could you just leave like that!”
“I’m sorry. I guess it was a bad idea.”
“Bad idea! You could have been killed. I thought you were dead!”
“So did I.” He offered a small smile again.
“Don’t you smile at me. What were you thinking!”
“I wasn’t.” His face contorted into a grimace before he winced.
“Oh, how thoughtless of me! You’re in pain.”
“A little, yeah.”
She administered his relief and his eyes closed for a few moments before opening and returning to her face.
“Cody let me go.”
“He did?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe there’s hope after all.”
He seemed sceptical. What had been said between her brother and the man she loved? Not wanting to push him too hard, she decided to wait until he felt better before finding out exactly what happened.
“How long have I been out?”
“A couple of days.”
“Could you get Simmo for me, please?”
“Now?”
“Yeah.”
Once she disappeared he let out a long groan. The medication had taken the edge off his injuries, but the pain was strong nevertheless. He feared he wouldn’t recover in time and be ready to face what Cody and the GAP would dish up.
Renegades Page 15
