They bound her hands outside of Nipton and headed for the hills to the south. They arrived hours later at the Legion Safe house. She was led through the first room and down the stairs.
Caro indicated for her to sit upon one of the three beds. "Caesar will be here tomorrow. You should rest until then. Welcome home." He said, the spite in his voice was apparent. He left her in the lower room. She heard the men speaking quietly in the room upstairs.
She lowered her head into her hands and wept, despair finally catching up with her. she lay down upon the bed and tried to sleep.
She awoke to the sound of the outside door opening and closing, more voices, greeting each other, and another voice she dreaded.
"Where is she?" Caesar asked.
"She is downstairs, Caesar." Caro answered. She heard footsteps upon the stair and she quickly sat up on the bed. She kept her head down, a picture of misery and repentance. He stood at the doorway, Caro and another Praetorian guard behind him.
"Hello, Miranda, or is it 'Angie' now?" he asked coldly. She didn't answer him.
He came and stood before her. "I much prefer Miranda." He said. He grabbed her throat and pushed her back upon the bed. "You have no idea how upset I was to discover you both had run away, do you not remember what I warned you would happen if you tried?" he growled at her, his anger quite evident in his eyes.
"I'm sorry…" she rasped as he tightened his grip on her throat. "What was that?" he said, "You're 'sorry'?" he hauled her up with his hand still gripping her throat, she raised her hands to grab his wrist to help support her weight as he hauled her upright.
"You're sorry that you were caught. That much is evident." He said, releasing her throat and turning away from her in anger. She coughed harshly and rubbed her neck.
"Did you sleep with him?" he asked.
"No, Master, I did not." She replied. He turned and struck her hard. "You lying whore." He said and struck her again, she curled up and tried to fend off his blows, "Master, I am telling you the truth! Please, I have slept with no other man than you since my escape!" he grabbed her by the shoulders and put her on her feet, he shook her roughly. "If I find that you have lied to me woman, you will feel the full force of my wrath, for now I'm inclined to believe you."
He pushed her back down onto the bed where she sobbed. Caro came up to Caesar. "Take the town, enslave the women and children and kill the men." He said, Miranda cried out, "No, Please Master, spare them I will do anything, please!" she got off the bed and onto her knees, her hands raised in a pose of begging.
"I beg you, please, spare them, they have done nothing wrong." Caesar stood over her, terrible power emanating from him. He caressed the side of her face and then struck her again.
"Don't you dare speak to me unless I speak to you first! Their sin was harbouring you, something they will pay dearly for. You will learn from this lesson, as you should have learned the first time, that I will find you if you escape, and the next time, I will not be so lenient." He turned and left her upon the floor of the safe house, weeping.
The fires that lit the sky burned for days as Nipton suffered again at the hands of the legion. Caesar had Miranda brought up so she could witness the destruction of another of her homes. His promise fulfilled he turned to her and kissed her with an evil passion that caused a mortal dread to pass through her veins like bitter ice.
She walked behind him; the collar was tight, reminding her of her renewed status as his slave. The chain clinked with each step she took. He pulled hard on the chain if she slowed, causing her to stumble. Surrounded by his Guard and chained as she was, there was no hope of escape.
They camped by a burnt out farm, and there within his tent, Caesar took her back to his bed.
He was not gentle with her, focusing all his anger upon her, she was bruised, battered and bleeding when he had finished with her. The next day she walked with a noticeable limp behind him.
They arrived at the forward lines shortly before sunset that day. From as far as the eye would see tents of Legion soldiers were arrayed in neat lines. Mongrel dogs walked with their handlers, slaves with heavy burdens hobbled past, while others died and rotted upon crosses. Miranda wondered if he would have her adorning a cross this day, or would he be in a mood of mercy.
They entered his complex of tents in the middle of the encampment. He handed the heavy chain to Caro, who led her into the back tent where Caesar's room was. He attached the Chain to Caesar's bed and left her to await the Master's pleasure.
He entered hours later, she had gone to sleep sitting up against the bed. He removed his armour and sat on the bed beside her. She awoke when he stroked her cheek. "I think I preferred your hair longer, but this is a nice look for you too, you will have to grow it out back to the way I like it." He reached down and unfastened the chain, but left the collar attached. He took her still bound hands and brought her up to the bed beside him.
His quick hands had undone the buttons on her shirt before she knew he had undone them. His hand caressed her left breast and fingers traced his mark upon her flesh. "I told you that you would be mine forever." He said, leaning down to kiss the mark.
"But you tried to run, and that is not acceptable." He whispered, his voice raised goose-bumps upon her skin as his lips brushed against the swell of her bosom. "Where is my other slave?" he asked her quietly, dangerously.
Miranda took a deep shuddering sigh, "She fled to NCR territory, Master." She said her throat thick with fear and loathing.
"Why didn't you go with her? You two were thick as thieves." He said, moving his attentions to her neck, and the heavy collar there. He moved to the buckle and began to unfasten it.
"She left during the night, when I was sleeping, I decided I was safe in Nipton, and took work there." Miranda explained.
"Why did you run?" he asked her, his hands beginning to roam over her body,
"Jessica was… she…" Miranda's eyes filled with tears as she thought of her friend out there alone with a baby, "She was what?" Caesar asked, leaning back with his eyes narrowed.
"Pregnant." Miranda sobbed and held her face in her hands. Caesar moved away from her and went to the door of his tent. She heard him speak with Caro a moment, before he returned to her.
"We will find her." he said, smiling. He leaned in and kissed Miranda, pushing her into the bed.