Chapter 9

Jim, Reilly, and Mark Reynolds met Elisabeth at the Infirmary door.

"Brig time?"

Elisabeth nodded at her husband. They had discussed this subject last night after they had gone to bed. Jim was more than happy for Lucas to be thrown in the brig, providing his wife thought he could survive it. In his opinion, the Infirmary just didn't have the security to house a rapidly recovering psychopath. Whether Lucas was comfortable in the brig was of little concern to him. That was the safest place for him. Therefore, that was where he went. He turned to Reilly.

"Sergeant Reilly, are you ready to escort the prisoner?"

Reilly nodded respectfully.

"Yes, sir."

After her heroic actions in the recent crisis, Corporal Reilly had been promoted to Sergeant Reilly. Jim had begun training her up to fill the gap left behind by Lieutenant Washington. No one could ever really replace Wash. She had had many years of combat experience behind her and was the best in her field below Commander Taylor, but her death had left a huge gap in Terra Nova's security - a gap that must be filled as soon as possible. Jim felt he had made an excellent choice in Reilly. The young woman was learning quickly and seemed up for any task or challenge. It took a lot to rattle her and she had proved herself able to make intelligent decisions in the heat of the moment. She stood watching her senior officer calmly now, waiting for his direction. Jim gestured with his head and strolled inside.

"Then let's go!"

A respectful path cleared ahead of them as they followed Elisabeth into the room at the end of the building. Lucas watched in silence as Elisabeth double-checked his chart and his wounds, and made no attempt at a reply when she proclaimed him well enough for travel. He wasn't grateful to her for saving his life. Truth be told, he didn't want to be saved. He had to find a way to escape this place before they got him into the brig, where his chances of escape would become significantly slimmer. He was feeling stronger already. Maybe he could make a run for it. The boundary fence wasn't far away.

Elisabeth was rushed out just then to see to another patient. Jim took over.

"Right. Reilly, uncuff him from the bed. Reynolds, we'll probably have to support him to get him to the brig. Elisabeth doesn't think he'll be strong enough to walk by himself just yet."

Lucas continued to sit in silence. They were talking about him like he wasn't there. Making arrangements for him, while completely ignoring him. No one even looked at him! Despite his annoyance, he sighed in relief when the cuffs came off. He bent his weak arms slowly. They ached badly, but at least he could finally move them. Jim spoke to him at last.

"Back on, I'm afraid. Can't have you testing out your newfound health on one of your kind-hearted crutches now, can we?"

The restraints were snapped back on and secured just as quickly as they had come off. Reilly refused to look Lucas in the eye, but he could feel her carefully concealed anger bubbling away under the surface. It was betrayed in the rough way she gripped his wrist. Mark was "helping" him down from his Infirmary bed now - more like dragging him. He was running out of time. As he prepared to put some weight onto his legs, Lucas noticed an opening in the group of people around him. No one was holding on to him tightly yet - this may well be his only chance. With a sudden rush of strength, Lucas shoved Mark out of the way and made a run for the exit.

The next moment, he was staring at a couple of wooden boards a few inches away from his face .. the floor. His head was spinning madly. What had happened?! Had someone tackled him? He rolled over with a groan and became painfully aware of a small circle of faces staring down at him - some with stern disapproval and some attempting to conceal a wild desire to laugh in his face. Jim raised his eyebrows at Lucas.

"Are we good now?"

Lucas burned with humiliation and tried to stand up, but the pain in his chest made him nauseous and his legs refused to work. Jim took pity on the pathetic creature at his feet and pulled him up. He had to hold Lucas' arm firmly to keep him upright. Lucas was swaying unsteadily and had gone very pale. Mark returned to Lucas' other side and took hold of him. With a last nod to Elisabeth, they escorted their seedy prisoner unceremoniously out the front door.

As they drew closer to the Command Centre, Jim began to feel uneasy. He had gotten the distinct impression he was being watched; not just watched - closely observed. He cast a quick sweeping glance around the colony and then the boundary fence. There was a few people milling around the markets at that time of morning, and the majority of them had turned to stare at the unusual scene, but nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. Perhaps it was the stare of the market people he had felt?

"Where to now, sir?"

Jim turned to Mark. He wasn't quite reassured, but at this present moment, there was very little he could do about it.

"Straight to the brig, Reynolds. We'll take care of the details once he's in there."


The dark figure kneeling in the snow behind the fence growled to himself as he watched the soldiers take their prisoner across to the Command Centre. It had taken a ridiculously long time for the snow to let up enough for him to make his escape from the cave. After finally escaping his freezing dungeon, he had headed straight for Terra Nova. Now it appeared he had good reason to hurry. He was right. His son was here, but he had changed tactics and surrendered himself by the look of things. Taylor gripped the thick fence tightly with his hand. And the gullible people of the colony had fallen for his schemes once again. He should've known. At any moment, Lucas might jump up and kill everyone, but he appeared to be playing the long game. Coming as a patient, inspiring sympathy, waiting for the opportune moment to strike out. Nathaniel didn't stop to consider how many times he had used this tactic himself. He smiled to himself as he watched Jim pause and look around, suddenly alert. The man had always had good instincts.

As Jim turned back to give a word of direction to his helpers, Nathaniel brushed his fingers gently over his side where the scar had formed. Being a soldier, he had plenty of scars, but though it had just about healed now - thanks to Terra Nova's state of the art medical technology - this one would always be the most painful. This scar told a grim story. This scar was the symbol of the day any bond between the long-suffering father and his rebellious son had been severed. Forever. The son he had known had died long ago. Nathaniel's only regret was that it had taken him so long to realise and accept it. The final day of occupation was also the day of revelation. That was the day this Lucas had sealed his fate. He had dug his own grave, and the grave would be his only reward.

Filled with cold resolve, Taylor slipped away into the shadows as his son disappeared into the brig.


"Comfortable? Good."

Jim continued without bothering to wait for a reply. Lucas had been tossed onto a cot in the corner of the brig at the soonest possible moment, and was left there to contemplate his surroundings. It wasn't so long ago he had been questioning Jim in this same room - his favourite kind of questioning, the cattle prod kind. He sighed inwardly as he looked around the dingy cell. How the tables had turned .. Never mind. He would soon turn them back.

Jim was studying Lucas thoughtfully, as if reliving the same memory. Lucas looked up and they locked eyes for a moment before he finally voiced the question that had been plaguing him since his most recent arrival in Terra Nova.

"Where is my father? I assume he's not here," Lucas gestured to the room in general with a sardonic smile. "or else I would've seen him. He wouldn't miss an opportunity to come and gloat."

Jim shook his head.

"I've told you before, Lucas. You've got your father all wrong."

"DON'T." Lucas snarled. "Don't play games with me. Is he here or isn't he?"

"He's gone away for a few days, but he'll be back soon." Jim headed for the door. "I suggest you start working up a very good apology."

He ushered Mark and Reilly out of the room before hesitating at the door.

"Enjoy your accommodations. If you're lucky, maybe next time I come to see you, I won't bring the cattle prod." He threw an expressionless look over his shoulder at Lucas before disappearing into the dark corridor.

The heavy door swung on its hinges and creaked as it was shut. Lucas jumped as the sharp clap of the magnetic bolts echoed throughout the brig.