Unfamiliar (The Vandran Legacy Book 1)

by Anna-Louise Dann

  UNFAMILIAR

  THE VANDRAN LEGACY

  BOOK 1

  By

  ANNA-LOUISE DANN

  Copyright © Anna-Louise Dann 2017 This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and

  without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent publisher. The moral right of Anna-Louise Dann has been asserted. ISBN-13: 978-1976461675

  ISBN-10: 1976461677

  I dedicate this book to Norman and Beryl Walch, the two most supportive and loving parents anyone can ever wish for.

  You saved me.

  Thank you.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  CONTENTS Prologue ......................................................................................... 1

  Chapter One .................................................................................. 6

  Chapter Two ............................................................................... 18

  Chapter Three ............................................................................. 28

  Chapter Four .............................................................................. 44

  Chapter Five ............................................................................... 62

  Chapter Six ................................................................................ 73

  Chapter Seven.............................................................................. 90

  Chapter Eight ........................................................................... 108

  Chapter Nine ............................................................................ 133

  Chapter Ten .............................................................................. 147

  Chapter Eleven.......................................................................... 157

  Chapter Twelve.......................................................................... 167

  Chapter Thirteen ....................................................................... 178

  Chapter Fourteen....................................................................... 189

  Chapter Fifteen.......................................................................... 207

  Chapter Sixteen......................................................................... 224

  Chapter Seventeen...................................................................... 236

  Chapter Eighteen ....................................................................... 245

  Chapter Nineteen ...................................................................... 254

  Chapter Twenty ......................................................................... 260

  Chapter Twenty-One ................................................................. 265

  Chapter Twenty-Two ................................................................. 276

  Chapter Twenty-Three ............................................................... 285

  Chapter Twenty-Four ................................................................ 302

  Chapter Twenty-Five ................................................................. 311

  Chapter Twenty-Six .................................................................. 319

  Chapter Twenty-Seven ............................................................... 328

  Chapter Twenty-Eight ............................................................... 340

  Chapter Twenty-Nine................................................................ 352 Chapter Thirty .......................................................................... 364 Chapter Thirty-One................................................................... 370 Chapter Thirty-Two .................................................................. 380 Chapter Thirty-Three ................................................................ 388 Chapter Thirty-Four.................................................................. 398 Chapter Thirty-Five................................................................... 404 Epilogue .................................................................................... 410

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  A big thank you to my family and friends who have supported me, laughed and cried along with me as I developed my characters and their individual personalities. I appreciated all of your input.

  To my husband and children who have been so patient with me while I have been busy tapping away to create this story – thank you, I love you lots.

  i

  Prologue

  The crack of the whip pierced through the deathly silence as she tensed her aching muscles awaiting the next sharp sting across her naked back. Her eyes closed tightly against unshed tears that threatened to spill; she refused to cry out as the leather tore at the raw skin. She hissed through gritted teeth with every crack. Two months she had been held captive, for two months she had endured constant torture and torment from this sadistic bastard. Getting out of here alive was the only thing keep her going, giving her focus. She just had to be patient, endure this for a little longer and then she would make her escape.

  “You enjoy this? You stupid whore,” her attacker cackled, the twisted excitement evident in his voice as he whipped her for the eighth time. Two more blows came, each as sharp as the last, and finally the assault on her body was finished. The shackles that held her arms and legs in place against the stone wall were unlocked and she slumped to the floor shivering uncontrollably, wrapping one of her arms over her uncovered breasts to try and cover her modesty; she used the other to pull herself up. The new wounds on her back stung as she struggled to her feet, making sure she kept her head bowed, focusing on the stone floor beneath her feet. She didn’t dare to look at her assailant. She felt him then, he was right behind her, his breathing erratic, coming out in short pants.

  “So strong, so pretty. The Master will be pleased you behaved this time,” he purred into her hair, pressing his crotch against her tattered black underwear, the only thing stopping her from being completely naked. She felt his obvious excitement through his trousers against her lower back. Bile rose in her throat but she swallowed it, keeping herself as still as possible, using her free hand against the stone wall to try and prevent her battered body from falling again while she awaited whatever came next. A blindfold was placed over her eyes, cold hands grabbed both her arms and forced her roughly to turn around, making her wince as the sharp movement made the welts on her back sting. The arm that covered her chest was pulled away exposing her naked breasts; her wrists were bound together tight with rope. The rope dug into her as she was pulled along, but she knew if she reacted it would mean more punishment, she had learned the hard way that fighting this beast never ended well. Soon, she prayed, soon she would find a way to escape this hell. She could tell she was going back to her cell – the strong smell of urine filled her nostrils making bile rise again into her throat. The quiet pleas and sobs of the other captives imprisoned in their own hell seemed to bounce off the stone walls and echo around her.

  Once pushed inside her cell she remained silent with her head bowed while her ropes were untied. Once the door was slammed shut and she was sure she
was alone she pulled the blindfold off and slumped down to her knees on the cold hard floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She crawled over to the blankets in the corner of the room she used as a bed. She was so exhausted; the pain had made it too unbearable to try and walk again. Laying down on her side on the makeshift bed, afraid to cover herself for fear of catching the sores on her back, she lay there sobbing into her bed, praying for something to take her away from this nightmare.

  Sometime later one of the other women captives came by carrying a bowl filled with warm water and antiseptic cream to treat her wounds. She gave her tablets that she assured her were for the pain. She bathed her raw back, bandaged her up and left muttering something about food. The pain although still there wasn’t as intense when she moved, the ointment and tablets were obviously doing their job. She managed to recover her t-shirt that had been strewn on the floor with her other clothes when she had been mercilessly stripped earlier. She pulled her tshirt on over her head; her breath caught in her throat as a sharp pain shot down her back when she lifted her arm into her sleeve, taking a minute to brace herself to repeat the action with the other arm. The door of the cell opened just as she eased her top down over her midriff, taking care not to drag the material over her tender flesh.

  “Soup, bread, and water,” the woman mumbled, keeping her eyes to the floor. She placed the tray on the ground next to the blankets. The woman looked middle-aged but could have been younger, she was wearing a dirty pair of once-white linen trousers and a black vest top. She was very thin, the strain and emotional turmoil was evident on her thin sallow face. There was yellow bruising visible on her jawline; the emptiness in the woman’s eyes made her wonder how long she had been a prisoner here. Judging by the wariness on the woman’s face, the hunched shoulders, and the defeated look in her eyes, she had been in here a long time. She spoke to the woman, feeling like she needed to show her gratitude for everything, keeping her voice low so no one else could hear.

  “I want to thank—” “Don’t!” the woman said, cutting her off rather abruptly, the panic evident in her voice. She stood quickly, heading to the door. “We ain’t allowed to talk to you,” she mumbled and slammed the cell door, leaving her alone again.

  About a fortnight went by without another incident. The welts on her back had begun healing and although still very tender were a little more bearable. The same woman came by each evening to bring her food, water, and to check the wounds, leaving tablets for the pain. She hadn’t tried to talk to the woman again, but she was desperate for answers. The woman entered in the usual fashion that evening, carrying a tray with soup, bread, and water. She placed the tray next to the makeshift bed. As she knelt, a fresh cut which had been inflicted along the woman’s left cheek came into view. It was like someone had sliced into her skin. Her lip was cut and her right eye was black and swollen closed. A wave of empathy overcame her as she gazed upon the woman’s ashen features; she had to try and comfort her.

  “Hey, what happened?” she whispered, placing her hand on the woman’s arm. The woman tensed underneath her touch, her good eye met hers filled with emotion, she didn’t pull her arm away. Tears filled her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. Her other hand lifted, covering her face as she sobbed quietly.

  “I can’t,” she sniffed, pulling her arm a way and wiping at her face, trying to avoid the cut on her cheek. “I can’t do this anymore,” the woman whispered, her voice trembling. She stood and turned to leave.

  “Wait,” she said to the woman, trying to be as quiet as possible but the desperation in her voice made her a little louder than she had wanted.

  The woman stopped, her shoulders slumped forward and she hung her head. “Tomorrow,” she mumbled and turned her head. “Be ready to leave tomorrow night.” With that, the woman left slamming the cell doors behind her.

  Chapter One

  The autumn wind tore aggressively at her long auburn hair as she staggered across the rocky verge using all her energy to keep moving forward. She fought the fatigue that claimed her battered and aching limbs; she had to keep pushing on, had to find refuge out of the open and away from the rocky cliffs that surrounded the violent crashing waves below. He would soon realise she was gone and then he would come after her. God only knew what punishment that monster would inflict if he caught her. “Keep going, keep going,” she whispered to herself breathlessly, willing herself to carry on. She looked up at the sky. The sun would be going down soon and then he would realise she was missing and come after her. She shuddered, terrified at the thought. No, this was not the time to allow herself to give up and let fear take over; she would fight, fight with every ounce of her being.

  Climbing up on a rock she looked ahead, praying to see something other than cliffs and sea. Just to the left was a forest in the distance. Jumping down she started running, determined to reach the cover the trees had to offer. Maybe there was a road or people, she could only pray there was salvation waiting on the other side of that forest. Her white pumps were worn and dirty but still intact, although they held hardly any barrier against the rough, jagged ground beneath her feet. Her jeans and sweatshirt were torn and filthy from climbing rocks in her frantic escape and her body was battered and bloodied, but she had to keep going, she would rather die than allow that sadistic bastard to catch her. With every ounce of strength and determination she could muster she dragged herself onwards, staggering and fighting through the cold wind which threatened to slow her down.

  She finally reached the trees, slumping against the nearest oak where she rested for a moment, allowing oxygen to fill her lungs. She looked at her wrists, they were raw and bloody where the rope she had been bound with had been rubbing; it hurt, but was nothing compared to the pain she had recently endured. The only thought that kept her from losing her inner strength these last few weeks was that of her escape. Those other women, he would make them suffer now she was gone. “Oh my god, they must be terrified,” she whispered, shaking her head. She had to push that thought to the back of her mind. She would save them but first she had to get help.

  Taking a deep breath, she entered the cover of the trees. It was still light in the sky; she had been climbing and walking for hours but she dared not stop now, she had to create distance. It had to be early evening, she had made her escape just as dawn was breaking and she knew she had been travelling all day. The leaves crunched and crackled as she walked swiftly, barely seeing the ground beneath her feet as she made her way through the forest. The trees surrounded her like the bars in a prison cell, seemingly closing in on her from all sides. The night would soon fall and vision would be impossible. Hearing a rustling sound, she whipped her head around fearing the worst. A shadowy figure loomed just behind her and she muffled a scream with her hands. Panic and adrenaline taking over, she broke into a sprint. Branches slapped her face as she fought her way through the treacherous forest. Losing her balance in her frantic escape she stumbled and fell, landing awkwardly, cutting her left thigh open on a sharp tree root that stuck out of the ground like a devil’s claw. “No!” she cried and pushed herself back to her feet. Her leg was badly torn, she could see the blood seeping through the ripped denim of her jeans but she carried on, forcing herself onwards. She quickly looked back and to her relief the figure was nowhere to be seen.

  An overwhelming wave of paranoia set in. What if he’s here? What if he’s watching me? she thought. No, she had to be positive, if he had found her she would already be on her way back to that hell and she had sworn to herself that she would rather die than be dragged back to that place. She needed to find somewhere to hide for the night. Looking around, she prayed to find something that would give her shelter. She dragged herself along keeping pressure on her injured thigh with her hand; she was a lot more aware of noises than she had been before, that fright had fully awakened her senses, making her warier of her surroundings. The noises of rustling leaves and animal calls that came from the forest seemed to echo all around her but she carried on her journey eagerly w
illing some salvation.

  It was starting to get dark and she struggled to see ahead; straining her eyes, she could see a giant oak tree. As she got nearer to the tree she noticed it was situated just above a dip in the ground and was surrounded by foliage and smaller trees. She limped over, wiping away the tears of relief which overflowed onto her cheeks. The tree and its massive roots created the shelter she had longed for. She broke some branches off some of the trees nearby, thinking their large full leaves and large branches would give her extra cover and warmth. The sharp branches dug into her hands and tore at her skin as she wrestled with the tough bark, but she didn’t care anymore, she was free for now at least. There was a small hollow created by the roots which was big enough for her to sit in comfortably. She ungracefully slumped down in the hollow between the two big roots with her back against the tree, wincing as the rough bark scraped against the still tender flesh of her welted back. She arranged the branches around herself, creating camouflage.

  Satisfied she had concealed herself enough, she began removing her jeans to see the damage. It was a deep cut about three inches above her knee but thankfully the denim had stopped the root cutting right into the muscle. The blood oozed out as she bent her knee to take a closer look; it was getting hard to see anything now but she could tell she would probably need stitches. “Shit,” she whispered, banging the back of her head against the tree in frustration. She needed something to bandage her leg with to try and keep the wound from gaping open more. “T-shirt,” she reminded herself, pulling her blue sweatshirt over her head as quick as she could, removing the white t-shirt along with it. She tugged both pieces of material apart and quickly put the sweatshirt back on, shivering uncontrollably. It took seconds to tear the thin t-shirt into two pieces; she used the first piece to apply pressure to the wound as best she could, wincing with every touch. When she was satisfied that the bleeding had slowed enough she wrapped the second torn piece of material around her thigh, leaving the other piece there as extra coverage. She tied it as tight as she could without cutting off the circulation to her leg. She eased her jeans back up – they were tight around the bandaging so she loosened them by pulling at the bloody tear in her jeans to make it wider. She didn’t want to rip it too much as her jeans would help to keep the makeshift dressing on. That would have to do, she thought wearily, praying it would hold the wound until she found help. Shifting herself until she felt comfortable enough to relax, she closed her eyes.