It is good that a man's enemies want him dead, for it proves he has lived a life of worth.-Forrest Carter
An hour ago they had been led into a tent that resembled a jail, a series of cages lining its walls. They were separated and caged like zoo attractions, similar in size and shape as the one they were transported in, old and weatherworn, but sturdy. The locks and levers did not budge. Bo stared at the waving tent walls, hugging her knees. As the temperature dropped and the wind began to gust she was grateful that the cages were at least sheltered, even if it was so they didn't attract attention, not for their comfort. Evony had told them she had a very special fate for them and did not want to spoil it for the masses. Bo sat back and sighed. She looked over at Lauren who patently ignored her.
"Lauren," she said, trying to get her attention. When she crossed her arms, Bo scooted to the end of her cage and gripped the bars. "You can't ignore me forever. I'm right here and I'm obviously not going anywhere."
Lauren sighed and turned her head, her expression was harder than Bo expected. "What happens when they take you away and do whatever they're going to do to you? What happens then, Bo?" Then she remembered it the first time they met when she last wore an expression like that.
Bo blinked and nodded. "I'll think of something." She touched the collar that encircled her neck.
"You don't even know what that does yet," Lauren said, gesturing at the collar. "How can you be so sure you'll get the upper hand?"
"Because I'm not dying out here and neither are you. I have to believe destiny would not play such a hand just to snuff us out."
"Get real, Bo!" Lauren snapped. "Fate didn't bring us together, you did that. And fate isn't going to save us now either." She gripped the bars, resting her forehead against them. "We're in deep shit, Bo, and I just need you to try instead of deferring to the sun or the moon or the stars." She sighed and her eyes softened, looking at Bo through the bars. "I need you to put on your god damn thinking cap and get us out of here."
Kenzi shushed the pair. "How 'bout we table the argument till we're out of this circus from hell?"
"I should have told you," Bo said quietly, ignoring Kenzi. "I just didn't want you going off all half-cocked and making it worse than…well, than it already is."
"I don't think that's possible," she grumbled and let go of the bars, sitting on the floor again.
"No, I suppose you're right." Bo sighed.
"So what do we do now?" Lauren asked.
"I haven't figured that out yet. I need to watch how they do things around here to find our opening." Lauren leaned against the back of the cage, relief boldly painted across her features. "Lauren?" Bo whispered. "I really am sorry."
"I know," she said, more out of obligation than want to do so. "I don't want to talk about this here anymore."
Bo shrunk away from the bars and sat back heavily. She looked over to Kenzi, who looked away and then to Dyson who growled as he pulled on the collar around his neck. They were so divided in a time when they needed each other most. What the hell had they gotten themselves into? Dyson was surely blaming Lauren and Kenzi faulted Bo, it was obvious. The real question mark was Lauren. Bo had been furious about the research, but time had dulled her anger-it was still there, it just wasn't like a knife in the back anymore-and Bo had also committed the crime of omission. They were essentially even, even if Lauren didn't see it that way.
"Chin up," Dyson said quietly.
Kenzi hugged her knees and shook her head. "I got the Queen captured, I can't believe you're still talking to me."
"Not your best work, I admit." He smirked, scratching his beard. "But this is not your fault."
Kenzi laughed. "I'm sorry? Did someone else lead the riff raff to our camp?"
"No, but you could not foresee it."
"Then, who?" Kenzi shrugged and then pointed a finger at him. "If you say Lauren…"
His gaze hardened and her joke fell flat. "Sometimes there is no blame."
"And other times?"
He lowered his voice. "It's always obvious for a time who is responsible…"
Kenzi leaned in closer. "Well it's pretty obvious you blame Lauren for a lot."
The growl was low, Kenzi could barely hear it. "We are all guilty of something."
"Of course we are," she said. "And I know I like to keep that shit private. What about you?" she asked boldly. "Want to air your dirty laundry?" Dyson stared at her, blown away by her brashness, even now. His silence answered her question. "So maybe you can cool it on the Blame Lauren For Everything game and help figure out how to get us out of here."
There was an excitement in the air surrounding the big top. Bo watched the shadows of the crowds travel past their tent and wondered with a sense of impending doom, what the next few hours had in store for them. Lauren hugged her knees to her chest and stared into space while Kenzi shook her cage, and Dyson sat cross-legged, stoically watching Kenzi as she tested every last weld and rusted spot.
It was time for a speech, Bo knew. It was time to rally the troops, raise morale, and mend the hurts of the past three days. Problem was, Bo was out of words. All she had was uncertainty and a collar. And she didn't even know what the collar did, as Lauren so thoughtfully pointed out. "Shit," she blurted and suddenly all eyes were on her. "We've come a long way, but our journey had just begun," she started diplomatically. "Whatever happened out here is no bigger than any of us. We need each other if we're going to get out of here. And I will stand by each of you until my dying breath."
"Nobody's dying." Lauren's voice cut through the silence.
Bo smiled. Lauren's killer instinct was back and Bo was beyond thrilled by this development.
And then it happened. The tent flap blew open and Evony's long legs stretched into the space. Vex was at her side, excitedly tapping his fingers together as he spoke. "How's the talent?"
Evony held up a hand. "Don't be crass." She smiled at the cages. "My very own petting zoo." She swirled a finger through the air. "Eenie, meanie, minie, mo." She pointed at Lauren.
Bo gripped the bars in front of her and shook her cage. "Leave her alone."
"Or what?" Vex teased. Bo tried to take his chi, but nothing happened. He giggled sadistically. "You ain't doing nothing with that collar on. In fact, you might as well be Human like your little girlfriend for all the power you have now."
"You're getting ahead of yourself, Vexie. Guard!" She called to the front of the tent. A small Fae walked in with a cricket bat. Bo noticed he was wearing a collar too. "Vex, show our guests what happens when they take off their collars." The guard's face changed. "Take off your collar," she said to the guard. He shook his head and began to quake. "Do it."
Vex lifted his arms and the guard mimicked his actions, reaching behind his neck and unbuckling the collar. Evony took a step backwards. A series of beeps and then an explosion. The guard's body fell to the floor, his head rolling toward the door. Kenzi turned away.
"And I bet you're thinking you could just do as you pleased and leave the collar but you would be wrong." He pouted and lifted a remote in the air. "You see this button," he pointed at the red button. "This button right here makes it go boom, too!"
Evony strolled up to Bo's cage. "So you see, you're not doing anything. I'm going to take your girlfriend and her little meat bag friend and we're going to have some fun." She grinned. "But don't worry, I'll let you watch." She winked. "Guard!" she called again and another collared Fae opened the tent flap. "Clean that up," she said, pointing to the body on the ground. "When you're through with that, take our guests to their seats." She looked at Bo and then to Lauren. "We'll be seeing you soon."
"Ladies and gents." Vex's voice boomed through the aged and crumbling speakers. "Tonight we have a very special guest joining us for the first…" He held a hand up to his mouth and whispered into the microphone. "And last time. Give it up for the Dark Queen!" He pointed at Bo sitting in beside Evony. "Now, it's not often you get two Queens in one circus, so as you can imagine this is a very special occasion. And as such, we have a treat for you!" Lauren and Kenzi were led into the tent, helped along with a sharp prod in the back with a baseball bat. "These two adorable meat sacks are going to attempt the impossible…tightrope walking the high wire!"
The crowd cheered and Bo stood up. "Stop this now."
"Ah, ah, ah Succubus. Have a seat." He held up the remote to her collar. "It would be a shame to have to watch that pretty little head get blown off your shoulders." He shrugged. "Eh, who am I kidding, it would be amazing to watch that, but I've got something else for you to watch first. Now, sit!" Bo shrunk back as the guards prodded Lauren and Kenzi up the ladder. "How this works is, you make it across, you live to see another day and," he lowered his voice, "another trial. If you don't make it across, you die. Simple as that."
The women reached the top of the platform and delayed starting, talking quickly. "Come on, all these people came to see a show." The crowd cheered. "Give 'em one already!" Bo watched as they were clearly fighting over who would go first when Lauren stepped out. She wobbled for a moment, gaining her balance before dropping. The crowd gasped. Vex giggled and bounced about like a kid on Christmas morning but was silenced when Lauren gripped the wire and then lifted her legs to wrap around it as well. Hand over hand, she inched across the wire. "Hey." He looked at Evony. "That's cheating!" But by the time Vex looked back again, Lauren was pulling herself onto the opposite platform and it was Kenzi's turn. Kenzi tried the same tactic and it was working well for her until Vex raised his hand and began to interfere, using his Fae to pry Kenzi's hands away from the wire, leaving her dangling by her knees.
"Kenzi!" Lauren shouted and the crowd began to laugh at their misery. And then it happened. Kenzi reached up and reclaimed the wire, scooting closer still. Vex was furious, pacing around the ring, lifting his top hat, scratching his head and pulling it tightly against his head again. With a flick of his wrist, Kenzi's feet unhooked and she hung by her fingertips. Dyson lunged for Vex but was stopped in his tracks when the remote was brought into view again. Vex tapped the remote to remind him of the consequences, inadvertently giving Lauren enough time to reel Kenzi in and pull her up onto the platform. The crowd booed and Vex muttered to himself as the women climbed down the ladder, not wanting to test his control one bit longer than they had to. Bo smiled when Lauren was on solid ground, a wave of pride swelling in her chest.
Evony smiled cordially, but her façade was only skin deep, she was furious that her grand plan had failed. "Put the animals back in their cages, we're done here." She stood and left the tent flanked by two guards.
Bo took it all in. Watching her walk the short distance to the bank, the guards posting outside. She deduced that it was Evony's home base and let her eyes linger too long. "What's going through that pebble brain of yours, Queenie?" Vex prodded her with his foot. Bo jerked forward and Vex leapt backwards, laughing only when he remembered she couldn't hurt him again.
They were led back to their cages as the spectators filed out of the tent and into the streets, the noise was deafening. They weren't used to losing, it was clear, and soon she could hear a fight breaking out just outside their tent. Locked inside their cages once again, Bo was almost grateful that they were protected from the growing riot in the streets. It was complete and utter anarchy and there was no attempt to quell the rioters.
As dawn began to brighten the sky, the mob had mostly tired itself out and the clean-up crew combed the streets, dragging bodies to a central location to be burned. The smell was sickening. Burning hair and fabric covered over the meat smell. So little value was placed on life in the Outlands but especially in Evony's domain. It was a wonder she had any followers at all. But she kept them fed and she kept them in booze and they didn't even care that she had taken their Fae away with those collars, it defied all logic. And yet, there it was.
They were silent for much of the rioting, not wanting to attract the ire of the crowd but once dawn broke there was a sense of relief that they had actually made it through the night. Kenzi had drifted off not long after the sun had risen and Dyson sat with his back to them. Bo couldn't say for certain but she thought he had faded into slumber as well.
"Lauren?" Bo whispered. The blonde was facing forward, her feet on the bars.
"Hmm?" She answered.
Bo scooted to the end of her cage and reached through the bars. Her outstretched hand remained empty until she spoke again. "Please don't be mad at me. Not now. Not after what happened last night. I don't want to die knowing-"
"We're not going to die, Bo."
Lauren's hand fit into the palm of Bo's and the smallest kernel of contact had freed Bo from her doubts. The spark between them was still there in a handhold and she would be damned if she let anyone try to extinguish it. There was just one problem. "We still don't have a clue how we're getting out of here," she whispered.
Lauren squeezed her hand. "I have a plan."
The rest of the day was gloriously quiet. Lauren closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the bars, imagining herself at home and in that massive clawfoot bathtub. The ruckus in the streets outside the tent shattered her daydream. She could hear Fae shouting "Human scum!" and "Human garbage!" among other insults. Lauren's eyes opened and she perked up. The scuffle grew closer to the tent until a man was thrown through the open tent flap and five others were pushed in after. The Fae kicked and beat them until the blood ran into the ground.
"Stop!" Lauren shouted, getting to her feet.
The largest Fae looked up at the blonde angrily shaking her cage. He laughed. "Your leader demands I stop," he kicked another Human soldier. "How does that make you feel, soldier?"
"This woman is not my leader." He spat blood and looked away. His name was Gareth. He was a military man who had hoped this would be his last war. He just hadn't counted on a super race to be his last enemy.
The Fae lifted the man off the ground. "Lucky for me, I don't give a shit either way," he said, punching him in the back of the head. Gareth fell limp in the guard's hands and was tossed into an adjacent cage.
"Up!" Another Fae yelled at the other men and they slowly stood, holding their heads, their sides, and their faces as they were crushed into a single cage.
The large Fae turned and waved to Lauren on his way out. "See you soon, sweetie." He winked and let the tent flap fall closed behind him.
"Shit," Lauren said, letting out a breath. "Are you okay?" The men eyed her suspiciously and ignored her. Lauren looked over at Bo, who nodded in the new prisoners' direction. "I'm Doctor Lauren Lewis," she announced. "Leader of the Human Resistance. It's time to end this war, soldiers," she said solemnly.
"That giant ogre must've missed the memo." A soldier spat again. His compatriots murmured their agreement.
Lauren gripped the bars of her cage. "The service you've given your kind is commendable. I can offer you shelter, food, and jobs when we get back to the castle."
"Pfft," another soldier scoffed. "Yeah, at the Dark Queen's castle." It was a forgone conclusion.
"You must trust me," she insisted.
"No thanks," the same man grumbled, testing his shoulder. "We'll get out of here on our own."
"They mean to kill you for their own amusement, don't you see?" Lauren waited for the realization to dawn on them. "I barely made it through my own test in the ring." She could see a few of the men stop what they were doing, but the vocal one wasn't convinced.
"So where were you when we were fighting for our lives, Leader?"
"She was fighting alongside me," Kenzi interjected, coming to the front of her cage. "And I wouldn't have survived this long without her."
"You must have needed every little girl you could find," he chuckled. "Now if you'll excuse me, my associates and I have to formulate a plan of action." He turned his back on them.
Kenzi kicked at the bars in front of her in anger. "Listen up, asshole. Lauren is the man with the plan.
"Prove it," the small one said.
She rolled her eyes. "Fine," Kenzi sighed. "What was your last official mission?"
"The medical stores," Gareth said, holding his head against the pulsing headache.
"Perfect," Kenzi purred. "See if this sounds familiar: two guards at the gates, one at the main entrance, two patrolling, three in the back. Three in the back, you're saying? Yeah, you missed the sniper in the tree and he took out one of your men. And why were you at a Medical stores? Because our god damned Doctor needed you there, so yes, she is our leader. Any questions?"
A smile spread across Lauren's face.
"I don't care, lady, maybe she used to be the Leader…" Gareth looked at Lauren. "But you're not anymore."
Kenzi stuck her arms through the bars and swung at him despite the distance between the two cages. "You're an idiot!" She shouted.
"That's enough." Lauren's cool, calm voice smoothed Kenzi over. "He has a right to his opinion. What about the rest of you? Does this man speak for you?"
There were a handful who responded, "Yes, ma'am." And then two timid voices came from the back of the cage: "No, ma'am."
"Who said that? Come forward." Lauren's voice was authoritative. Stern. There was a jumble of bodies and then two young men had replaced the grizzled middle-aged men. "What are your names?"
"Murphy, ma'am," the kid with the crew cut said.
"And you are?" She pointed at the young one with the slicked back hair.
"Tyson, ma'am," wiping the blood from his nose.
"Can you fight like your name implies?"
A smile spread across his face and he kissed his flexed bicep. "Yes, ma'am."
"What about you, Murphy?" Lauren nodded at him. "Think you could hold off a bunch of these brutes while we coordinate an escape?"
"Without a doubt."
"Great," Lauren said. "We'll need you both if we're going to escape this place."
"That's what I'm talking about," Kenzi boasted. "Now sit back and watch the master plan our escape."
As the shadows grew longer and the sun began to set, the prisoners became restless in their cages. The Resistance company were jammed into such a small space that they had to keep moving or their limbs would go numb and they couldn't afford to be compromised when they didn't know the Fae's next move.
"Bo," Lauren whispered.
She was in a world of her own and did not even look up or into Lauren's eyes which were screaming her own fear but as the war had taught her, sometimes you just have to play through the pain to get what you want and she wanted to go home. With Bo.
"All right." Evony's voice cut through the silence. "Listen up, girls." She looked at the men pressed against the bars. "And my special guests…" She motioned to Bo and Lauren with a flourish. "That little shit show you pulled last night will be your last. Hear this, Succubus, tonight you will die."
"It's funny," Bo thought out loud. "That sounds awfully familiar. Didn't you say that last night?"
"I may have-"
"And yet, we're still here," Lauren prodded.
Hand on her hip, Evony tapped her foot. "You're right. We'll switch it up a bit tonight." She tossed her hair. "Hope you're ready for more fun than all your Queenly fortunes can buy, Bo. Tonight your life ends." The self-satisfied grin was telling. "And if I'm lucky, it'll be by your blonde terrorist lover's hand." She winked at Lauren and threw back the tent flap, a cool breeze followed her exit.