Chapter 11

Jeremy walked down in the hidden door to the small cellar. He bent over as he walked down the aisle since the area was not high enough for them to stand. He looked at the few he had left. He stopped to look at Cody.

"Shame. You would have fetched a grand price. Same goes for you." He said looking at a bloody Cody then to Lloyd.

"I'm gonna kill you." Said Cody evenly.

"No son, I think I'm gonna kill you. All of you. I think Leanne may be right this time. I'll move the eight that are healthy and leave the two of you here to die."

"Where did he take Jimmy?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Jeremy stopped when he heard a noise upstairs.

He made his way back up to peer out into his study. He heard the steps. It wasn't his daughter. These were men. More than one. He walked back down and shut the door. He blew out his lantern. Cody blinked in the darkness that quickly surrounded him. He heard the steps also. He heard voices. He didn't hesitate.

"Help us! Down below!" He yelled.

"Cody?!"

Cody smiled. It was Kid's voice.

"Kid!"

He heard more steps as Jeremy rushed by. He saw him run by in the darkness.

"How do we get to you?!"

"Hidden door in the study!"

Cody saw a lantern lit. Jeremy stood at a door that he never knew was there on the far side. He saw the steps as he walked up them.

"Hurry! He's down here!"

"We're coming!" Yelled Teaspoon.

Cody could hear their steps finally going to the study at the far end of the hall. He shifted holding his side when he saw something tumble down the stairs. Hay. Lots of hay. He saw Jeremy standing with his lantern. He had the perfect smile on his face as he tossed it in the hay.

"No!" Screamed Cody as the hay was quickly engulfed.

Lloyd started pulling at his door as the other men screamed in terror. He heard the door being pushed open. He covered his mouth and nose hoping to avoid the smoke.

"Teaspoon! Kid!" He yelled coughing as the room filled.

"The keys?! We need keys!"

Cody could hear them yelling. Jeremy had the keys. Cody fell back coughing as his eyes watered. He knew it was over.

"I got the keys!" He faintly heard Buck as his eyes fluttered closed.

Jimmy opened his eyes slowly. He turned his head to look. He was in a room. He coughed. He took a deep breath and tried to push up. He felt someone get his arm to help. He looked over and recognized the two boys from the cellar. He laid his head back against the wall.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"We ain't sure. We've been waiting in this here room for bout a day. There's others here."

Jimmy looked around. There were probably five more boys there. He coughed again.

"Just take a minute. You ain't looking too good, mister."

"I'm ok."

"You ain't, sir. Your leg ain't looking good. It's turned color and it's swollen. You got a fever."

"Yeah." Jimmy coughed again.

"We don't know what to do." The young boy said.

"Ain't nothing you can do."

"I look?" An Indian asked.

Jimmy looked over at him.

"Who are you?"

"Friend."

Jimmy nodded as the other boys moved to the side. The Indian looked down at the leg. He ran his hand around it.

"Leg is sick. Make you sick. This." He said pointing to the swollen area. "Need out. Cut."

"I can't help you with that. Fresh out of knives." Jimmy panted out as he shifted.

"I fix."

The Indian stood and left. Jimmy shrugged at the two boys. He coughed then wiped his mouth.

"Y'all hear anything? What are we doing here?"

"Alls I heard is something happens tomorrow. Don't know what. We were just put in here and chained to the wall."

Jimmy lifted his hands again. He noticed for the first time that they had chains on them. He let them flop back by his side.

"Figure we are just laying low here during the day. They'll move us again tomorrow." Said Jimmy.

"He paid for us. We are his now." Said one boy.

"I don't belong to nobody but myself." Said Jimmy.

He looked as the Indian walked back over and knelt beside him. He held up a sharp piece of board.

"What's that?"

"Fix."

"Fuck no."

"Yes."

The door slammed open causing them all to jump. A tall skinny man walked around the room. He stopped in front of Jimmy.

"This is the one. Bring him out."

"I ain't going nowhere." Said Jimmy though he really didn't have the strength to fight.

"Bring him into the other room. Now."

Three men walked in and unchained Jimmy. He tried to fight them but he couldn't. He squeezed his eyes shut as his leg was jostled around. He felt helpless as they pulled him out and into another smaller room. They held him down on a table as his hands and feet were tied. A tall skinny man came closer and looked him over.

"So Quinton paid a hundred for you."

"Nobody owns me." Growled Jimmy.

"No, a business owns you, not a person and he needs to make some sort of profit. Merchandise ain't worth nothing broken and sick."

"I ain't a fucking thing."

"Stop fighting. This is how this is going to go. I get paid to fix any sick ones, if I can't he loses money. You see, the sick, can be bought cheap then resold for a hefty amount of money. So, I'm gonna work on this leg, then he will sell you, make some money, pay me my fee, and we all win."

"What do I win?"

"I guess you get to live, though I don't rightly know how good it will be. Now, we start."

"Don't fucking touch me." Jimmy snarled trying to fight his bindings.

"My goodness, a good strong specimen. Doesn't show a lot of pain or fear. I think I'm going to make Quinton an offer of my own. I could use you."

"What?"

"I'll be back."

Jimmy fought against the ropes as the skinny man left. He couldn't do this alone. He needed help but he knew it would be few and far between.