Chapter 6: Unruly Gardeners

#2 circled the younger woman surmising her state of mind. Was she the same rebellious spirit as #6 or was she more compliant and subdued especially after her encounter with the rover and now knowing the extent of # 2's power?

"The Village can be a very nice place, you know, if the rules are obeyed." The woman sitting before her showed no emotion to either cower or fight back. #2 walked to her bubble chair, perhaps #67 was still too shocked to respond. She sat down thinking a less confrontational position might work better.

"Tea, perhaps, my dear?"

"No thank you," the woman responded. 2 noticed that the hospital hadn't given her clean cloths and she still had sand from the attack in her hair and stained on her cloths.

"Let me get us some tea. You look awful, my Dear. A good cup is just what you need." She said the words although in her mind she thought just the opposite, that somehow with disheveled hair and sand streaked across her face she was still beautiful. Just seeing #67 in person again brought back all those negative feelings she'd worked so hard to overcome. She was aware of how jealous she was, how unfair mother nature can be, and how her large frame always caught the attention of men but mostly, she guessed, it was wondering if they could actually beat her in a fight.

She forced a smile, and pushed a button on her console. The butler arrived. "Tea please. Two cups with a few finger sandwiches for our guest."

#2 wanted to see if #67's hands trembled when she was handed a china cup. A little test, she thought, and one way to get a handle on 67's emotional state.

She continued, "You can blame your boy friend, #6, for the rover attack." #2 let the words sink in. The other woman just looked at her blankly.

"I met him in the café and and he walked away from me before we were finished. It was very rude. We can't have that kind of arrogance here. It's not good for the other residents. It upsets them."

#67 spoke, her voice flat, "Is #6 alright?" She knew to keep the nurse's confidence. "I asked the girl who brought me here, but she wouldn't say how he was, or where he was."

#2 smiled with hollow kindness. "The staff are instructed not to talk about other residents. We wouldn't want to endanger anyone's privacy." Again she let the words sink in as phony as they were. No one had privacy in the Village.

"If you have a problem with #6, why was I attacked?" Again her voice was devoid of emotion.

"#6 is a very unruly man. I don't know if you're aware of that yet." She got up for her chair and walked towards the large screen on which the daily meaningless activity of the Village was playing. "You've been lovers, I know…" no reaction from the other woman, "…. and spent time together but #6 as a man, well, he is a very difficult. He is disagreeable, obstinate, and can be very dangerous…, but you probably like that, don't you." If it was meant as an insult #67 ignored the last comment.

"Why is he here? And why am I here? You said when we first met I was here for rest and relaxation but that's not true, is it." For the first time #67 made eye contact.

"Hummm…," said 2 enjoying this next part. "Let me start by answering your second question first." She began to stroll the circular space. "You and the two other women who arrived with you were simply bait for #6. We weren't sure what kind of woman he would find most desirable so we brought him a selection and since you are all well versed on how to influence a man in the most base manner, whomever he chose would stay. Given that you were all 'gifted' we were confident that he would not be able to stop himself from getting involved. You of all people know how weak men are." She smiled insincerely and continued, "So you see you are just an attractive worm."

#2 stared at the other woman expecting her words to hit like a sharpened axe. Instead #67 simply nodded her head and said, "It's true if you want to catch the biggest fish, you need the best bait."

#2 stood ready for an indignant reply but the younger woman simply addressed her words as a matter of fact.

Not having the hurtful impact that she'd hoped for, she stopped.

"Is #6 alright? You didn't answer my question," her gaze went to the floor. Defeated, thought #2. Good.

"#6, your boy friend, can I call him that or is lover a better word?" #2 was beginning to enjoy herself. She hadn't broken #6 yet, but maybe she'd broken his woman. Maybe.

"Please, would you tell me how he is, where he is?"

"6 is in the hospital. He couldn't stop himself from picking a fight with the guards who were just trying to keep him safe. In the process of trying to keep him from hurting himself, he was injured. Not too serious I'm told. He should recover."

A tear ran down the beautiful face. She continued to look at the floor. "Why is he here?"

#2 moved over now to stand over #67. Intimidation wasn't needed anymore, but she did it anyway. No reason not an enjoy a success, even if it wasn't the ultimate, it was a step closer. This woman, # 67, knew who was in power. #2 was a little disappointed though. She thought #67, who was supposed to be so good at her game, would have more spunk. Maybe she still did and was either in shock or playing possum. Time would tell.

"He needs to tell us somethings, little things, but he refuses. Like I said he's a very unreasonable man. I'm hoping you can help him. Convince him it's only hurting himself and now it will hurt you if he doesn't cooperate. You see the sad thing we've learned is trying to force him to talk to us just doesn't work, so maybe if he sees that you are at risk, he might be convinced."

#2's face wore a look of feigned concern. "Please understand. We,…I…, certainly don't want to injury #6 or you, or anyone for that matter but I do have a job to do. I'm hoping you can help us all."

Tea arrived and the butler slide down the ramp like a snow skier behind the serving cart of tea and sandwiches.

"Ah, perfect timing. Thank you," #2 said looking pleased. The guards' thrashing of #6 may just be playing into her hands with a potential subservient #67. If her attachment to #6 was strong enough, she might be able to convince him to talk.

"My Dear, have some tea. You look positively terrible." The butler poured the tea passing it to #67. When she took it, the cup and saucer shock so hard in her hand that she passed the saucer back to the butler and held the cup in both hands drinking from it like a man lost without water in the desert. #2 noticed a few more tears escaping and motioned for the butler to hand her a napkin.

"I hope we can work something out, my Dear. #6 is an important resident here…( she almost slipped calling him a prisoner) but time can't go on forever and time for you is even shorter." She dipped her eyes with a menacing expression.

She circled back to her bubble chair and with a push of a button changed the screen to the interior of #6's residence. "He has one of the nicest homes in the Village. Did you know that?" she said breezily. "We've tried to be so good to him but he just resists. A foolish man. Thankfully you know how to deal with such men. Appeal to his ego, his lust, his desire for you. I'm sure you can handle him, just as you've handled so many men before."

She finished her tea quickly and stood to leave. "May I leave now?"

"Of course," replied #2. "Go home and take a shower and get some rest." She smiled graciously and looked forward to telling the Control Room Supervisor, 'I told you it would work.'

#67 left the Green Dome and hurried as much as she dared down the stairs. She still felt unsteady physically and now emotionally. The threats were real, she had no doubts about it and #2's dislike of her bordered-on hatred now.

She walked to a group of trees and sat down under their shade while she pulled the two pocketed sandwiches she'd hidden in her shirt as she walked by the butler. He saw her take them and gave the slightest of nods as she passed him. She was shaking but a lack of food was the problem. Her performance with #2 was good she thought but you never know how well you've done until the show is over. She needed to look shocked, and to tell the truth, she was shocked by the rover attack. Sadists, like #2, well she'd seen plenty of them. No, # 2 wasn't much of a shock.

She wondered if she was being watched. Since it was wise to always assume there was a camera nearby, she wiped her face as if wiping away tears and crumbled into a seated heap under the trees. In fact what she was doing was bringing her breathing and muscles into a restorative state, not easy to do all hunched up, but she needed to clear her head and mentally sort out all that had happened.

The game was on the table. Whatever 6 knew, they wanted and they would kill for it. Apparently, he was too valuable to kill, but she knew that they most certainly had tortured him for it, and now they had her too. There was no need to speculate on what the information was, the fact was they'd do anything for it.

The last time she talked to #6, he'd blurted out escape. The way he'd gaze at the sea she was certain he'd already tried. But, maybe, they had inside help. How sincere was the nurse, #53, she wondered? She remembered Cilyana well, beautiful, smart and she seemed well connected. But was she well connected enough to foil the Village? And just what was the Village? So many questions: who ran it, what were it's government connections, or did it even have traditional connections? And was the little nurse anyone who could be trusted?

She stood up and looked around. There were no obvious guards just Villagers walking about. She started to the hospital. Maybe she'd see the nurse #53 again but her priority was #6.

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He was awake but kept his eyes shut. Someone picked up his right wrist and was taking his pulse, then switched to a stethoscope for a heart rate. It was a woman he could tell by the small hands and the gentle touch. She continued down his chest pushing lightly on what he guessed were major bruises, maybe a broken rib… he took a sharp breath intake.

"You can open your eyes, #6, it's just me your nurse, #53. We've meet before and here you are again to visit with me. If your girlfriend finds out, she's going to be awfully jealous." The last words came with an uncharacteristic giggle. Other than some poor deranged prisoner, he'd never heard anyone laugh in the hospital. He did recognize the voice though, Eastern European with a touch of Italian accent.

"You can speak, just whisper. The hospital is one of the few places that doesn't have cameras and microphones everywhere."

He opened his eyes. A pleasant round face with dark almond shaped eyes was looking at him. "How do you feel?"

"Couldn't be better," he groaned as tried swinging his legs off the bed.

"You have some bad bruises. You should stay tonight."

"Oh, I don't think so. Too many memories of this place." He attempted a smile but it ended as a grimace. "No need to worry, I'll be fine."

"Then I'll call you a taxi and you must come back tomorrow."

"Where's #67?"

"No more talking or they'll get suspicious. I'll tell you outside. Here's your cloths. Change over there." The last words were delivered hurriedly.

They started walking down the hallway when #6 stopped leaning against a wall. "You shouldn't walk next to me. I don't want to hit you if I fall." He was obviously in pain walking slowly and favoring his left side.

"I'm very strong, like a good cart pony, short and strong" her voice was confident. She moved to his side. "Put your arm on my shoulder and I will be like a walking stick for you."

He gave a small gracious smile. The hallway was empty. A good time to finish their conversation. "Where's #67? Is she alright?" He kept his voice low.

"#2 wanted to see her. I took her there. I think she's okay. She's smart and tough, that what Cilyana told me."

She was indeed strong like a cart pony as he found himself leaning heavily on her but her shoulder never shifted and her voice was not stained.

"Who's Cilyana?"

In a continued whisper she said, "My cousin. You called her 'Gypsy Queen'. She liked you a lot. She wished you choose her because she wanted to stay and make love with you." He was concentrating on staying upright and didn't see her embarrassed grin but heard her self-conscious giggle.

A door opened and a man in a white coat walked out. "You leaving us #6? I'm not sure that's the best idea." He looked at the little nurse speaking sharply. "Have you cleared this?"

He could feel an immediate change in the woman. "He was out of bed and changed when I went to check on him. He told me he was leaving, and I could either help him or not. I thought I should help him because otherwise he'd fall and get hurt more." Her voice was pleading. She sounded like she was afraid, that she was in trouble although #6 wondered if that was an act. She finished by saying, "I told him he'd have to come back tomorrow and if he didn't I would have to go to his house." # 6 wondered if she was going to start crying , her voice was so full of anxiety. The white coated man, whom #6 assumed was the medical director, said, "Yes. #6 you can go home but you are still in critical condition. You must come back tomorrow, or I'll send this nurse to go and fetch you." It was a given as an order, and #6 nodded obediently.

They continued walking silently now to the outside door where a taxi was waiting. He painfully climbed in the back seat with #53 helping him. She leaned over him as if checking a bandage and whispered, "I will come to your house tomorrow."

As the little jeep traveled along the Village road her words continued through his head, 'the Gypsy Queen wished he had chosen her so she could stay…..'

He hadn't chosen anyone or unknowingly, had he?

Three beautiful women show up one day in the Village and all very available to him. What serendipity that he chose to organize a skinny-dipping party! Of course, they would watch him and his interactions with the three women and add to that all of them in the nude! Who did he watch the most, who did he smile at the most. They picked his 'favorite' without him even knowing he had one. And they weren't the usual run of the mill damsels in distress, the type the Village had used on him in the past. Those had all been pretty girls with sad stories.

No, these three women were tops in their field, 'femme fatalities', he had labeled them when they first met. What a fool he was to think they just happened to be here. He'd let down his guard and he was paying the price.

So what of #67 now? Was she another of #2's plants? She's said no when he asked her insisting she came to him of her own will, but lying was first tool in the tool box for any spy. She remains a conundrum he thought, even if she is the most irresistible puzzle he'd ever met. And was his new companion now an overwhelming loneliness making him the weakest he had ever been?

The jeep arrived at his house, #6, he climbed out slowly. The driver asked, kind heartedly, if he'd like some help. He thanked the man but declined and watched as the door invisibly opened for him.

He had much to think about, plan for and overcome. He always won in the end and he would this time too. He hobbled over to the reclining chair just outside the kitchen and slowly folded himself into it. He heard the familiar mechanical whir of the door opening but didn't bother opening his eyes. No need as the Watchers always knew the comings and goings. A female voice spoke, an older woman, "I've brought you some dinner and I'll put the kettle on if you'd like."

"How kind of you," he replied. "So good to know they still love me after all they've put me through." He spoke with his familiar self-satisfied smirk settling on his lips, his eyes still closed. "Please, you can just leave it all there for now. Thank you." He heard the door opening again with soft footsteps leaving. "Be seeing you," he called, his voice light and friendly.

Yes, the guards had worked him over pretty good, but nothing he wouldn't survive, … probably. But #67, she haunted his thoughts as he lay there in quiet thought.

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Author's notes? Nothing really to add other than I hope you like this chapter. Stay well, my friends.