Torment of Paradise
Chapter 12
Barred blocks of sunlight fell down onto the bed, but there was no person sleeping in it. The faint sound of keys clicking echoed around the room. Jess kept her eyes glued to the laptop screen, reading avidly; this was her only link to the outside world. She had managed to convince a servant to get her computer for her, saying that she was desperately bored and would go crazy if she didn't have something to do; her bluff had worked and she was now reading up on about two weeks worth of events and happenings in the world.
"God I should get some sleep." she muttered running a hand through her hair. "I've been up all night and haven't had anything to eat to boot."
Finally closing down the computer, she stashed it away in its hiding place. She rose feeling all her bones protest after being in a seated position for so long. With a face of distaste, she looked around her prison. It was a nice room to be sure with its own bathroom but all she wanted to do was rip it to pieces. She had done that before and received a beating...she wasn't in the mood for another one quite yet.
"I'll take a bath...I could use it after all." walking to the bathtub she drew herself a bath before stripping off all her loose clothes and stepping into the hot water with a slight groan; the bruises were still fading and aching.
With a heavy sigh, she glanced up to see the heavy bars over the window. 'I don't think I can ever get out of here. He prepared far too well; no one really talks to me, the door is always locked...' she let her head fall against the side of the tub as she let her eyes wander around aimlessly.
Despite the water being warm she shivered, remembering the entire fight as she was dragged here. Her voice had frozen up just seeing him standing there; it was only as she realized the car door was being shut that she was becoming a prisoner again. 'And I was so close to escaping. Damn him.' She gritted her teeth in anger remembering how she had jumped from the car, rolling along the ground and running away into the forest. He had hunted her down from there, for an entire two hours. She had nearly won her freedom for the second time when she doubled back to the car and started it up but he had darted into the passenger side and pulled out a gun on her. And as soon as they reached the house...
"He'll pay for what he did one day." she muttered, shifting slightly.
She really didn't want to dwell on all those depressing feelings that her imprisonment brought back up; they overwhelmed her when she was tossed into this very room and simply sapped all the fight out of her. 'Why did he let me come to the party with him?' Jess frowned up at the ceiling, wondering about the strange act that gave her back the hope she needed; she wasn't expecting Quatre to be there but was extremely glad that he was. If he hadn't talked to her, she may have just wasted away.
"Mrs. Orton?"
She winced at the sound of the maid voice; she'd much rather be living out on the streets again than be called that name. "Yes?"
"Breakfast shall be served soon."
"All right; thank you." she waited until she heard the door close again. "The only time the door opens; so I can be fed."
Leaving the tub, she dressed quickly, slapping on the oldest clothes she had. She didn't care if she looked like the world's biggest slob at this point, she was just plain hungry. 'Let's see if he wants to have a decent breakfast today.' She opened the door and started walking down the hall.
"Oh, Mrs. Orton!" it was the maid again. "We are having company today."
She gritted her teeth. "Thank you." she stalked back to her cell. "Now I have to change into some 'decent attire'."
Making a face she pulled down something else and put it on before leaving her cell again in a slightly huffy mood. All the servants cleared out of her way as he stalked down the stairs and into the dining room to seat herself. 'Just who the hell comes for breakfast on a Tuesday morning?' Frowning again once more, she folded her arms and waited patiently.
"Mr. Winner, I am glad you could come to finalize this deal."
Jess looked up sharply. 'Wonderful. I get to sit through tedious numbers. I really can see why Quatre doesn't like this.' Samuel and the elder Winner came walking into the dining room, seeing her seated at the table already.
"You remember my wife Jessica." Samuel's voice lost some of its warm cordiality.
"It's a pleasure to see you again Mr. Winner." she said, managing a gracious smile. 'You're not the Winner I want to see.'
"Likewise." he seated himself at the table. "Did you enjoy yourself at the party?"
"I did thank you; it was very...uplifting." she murmured.
Samuel shot her a glance as he seated himself at the head of the table, sensing some other meaning in her words. "I'm sure it was a success in promoting your business on Earth Mr. Winner. Otherwise you wouldn't be here today."
"Quite right. Now about this deal-"
Jess did her best to tune out all the droning talk of this many and that benefit. She managed to eat her food in a decent manner; it wasn't her fault that she wasn't fed sometimes along with her beatings. She finished before them, waiting patiently; Samuel had said that she didn't leave until he was done his breakfast as well. Without eating to distract her, the conversation unfortunately reached her ears.
"Yes, I'd say that's a fair deal. Oz and the Winner Foundation each get something out of it." Mr. Winner finally picked up his fork, looking at Jess. "Mrs. Orton, I hope that I haven't distracted your husband from you much."
"No skin off my back." she muttered so only she could hear.
"Mrs. Orton?" Mr. Winner asked.
"No...not at all." she replied, a feign smile on her face. "Are you enjoying your meal Mr. Winner?"
"Yes I am, thank you." he replied not seeing the exchanged glares between Jess and Samuel. "So how long have you to been happily married?"
"Two years now...close to three." she said. 'And I wish every God damn day that I wasn't stuck with him.'
"Sounds wonderful. I am hoping for the same thing for my son, you met him that night Mrs. Orton, didn't you?"
"Yes I did. Your son is quite the gentleman Mr. Winner." she said, a small smile coming to her face. "Unlike some I know." she slid Samuel a bare glance.
"Yes, I would hope that he was." Mr. Winner said before taking a bite of his food and swallowing it rapidly. "We did send him to the best schools available on the L4."
Jess remained silent for a minute. 'I get the feeling he may not have wanted that.' "Really? I myself went to private schools on L2 and Earth when I was young. What are the ones on L4 like?"
"They aren't exactly the greatest if you ask me, the curriculum was lacking a bit and-"
Jess nodded politely, making agreement noises as he talked; at least this way leaving to her prison cell would be delayed a bit. "You don't say? Art classes? In the curriculum?"
"Yes. Young boys should be outside, playing sports and such. Not inside playing on an instrument or putting color on paper. It is a waste of tax dollars and time."
She simply shook her head in disbelief, not quite sure of what she was hearing.
"Yes I know; utterly ridiculous. And he insists on spending his time doing those same things."
"Well...perhaps in some ways that does make him him Mr. Winner." she said with a shrug. "People do need a degree of freedom to discover themselves." 'Which you do not seem to be giving him at all.' she slid Samuel a glance. "Freedom can do wonders for a person Mr. Winner, make them a better person."
"A wimp in a matter of speaking." Mr. Winner said, before pushing away from the table. "I am sorry to have occupied so much of your time Mr. and Mrs. Orton. I really must be off, the office is expecting me at ten and I am a bit behind and all."
"No problem Mr. Winner." Samuel said rising. "Let me show you to the door."
Jess sat there thinking as the two men left the dining room. She knew that Quatre's father must have been a bit controlling, she had figured so when she saw Rashid beside him at the mall, but now she began to have her doubts. Never in her life had she heard such a condemnation of the arts as she had heard from Mr. Winner. She had found it difficult to sit there and stomach it; she did play the piano after all. 'Mama, if you had heard this guy...you would have so ripped into him.' She couldn't stop the small chuckle that rose up before she rose from her seat and headed to her room.
"You think that was funny?"
Turning around in the doorway, she saw Samuel stalk into the dining room heading over to her. She faced him calmly, looking him dead in the eye, arms crossed. "What was funny? I did make a number of comments; pick one and bitch about it."
He grabbed her arm hard, grip tightening. "I am in a good mood today; do not provoke me."
"Oh, Heaven forbid I should get another beating from you upon the countless others that you've given me." she glared right into his eyes before yanking away her arm. "What's another one to me huh? Or you, you little prick?"
A sharp slap made her face whip to the side, a small trickle of blood coming from her lip.
"I do not want your lip you insolent bitch." he snarled, wrenching her closer to him. "I suggest you take back those words."
She simply glared at him before doing a pitiful gesture to make up for all the pain he bestowed up her for the brief time with him; she spat in his eye before bashing her head into his powerfully. He reeled back, wiping the spit out of his eye, shaking his head to clear it. Equilibrium restored he glared at her, the one eye already starting to swell into a black and blue bruise. He charged at her suddenly a fist balling up and burying itself in her stomach. She bent over double, breath knocked out of her. His hand left and she sank to her knees, trying to get her wind back; then the sharp blow knocked her in the back making her collapse to the floor.
'You still need to learn your place do you?" he muttered angrily. "Do you?"
She curled into a ball as a kick nestled in her stomach again and again. She simply laid there letting him think she was taking his punishment before she caught his foot and pulling up quickly, making him fall to the floor. Ignoring the massive pain in her stomach, she jumped on top of him, pummelling him in the face with her small fists.
"You fucking no good dickless ass! I hope to God you rot in hell forever!! I hope you never find redemption for what you are and have done, you no good stinkin' bastard!!" she screamed at him as she punched almost blindly, letting her tears of rage come. "I hope you end up as scarred as him!! He didn't deserve such a thing from you, you no good fucker!!" her nails turned in gouging away flesh and skin now. "He's a good person and I hope you hurt forever what you did to him and me you asshole!!"
Suddenly, she was flung away, the table hitting her back hard and making her finally cry out in pain.
Samuel rose, his face a bloody mess. "So...you know the Gundam pilot do you?" his eyes narrowed with a sadistic gleam. "You think that you can defend such a traitor?"
Her back and gut protested violently as she rose herself up and faced him squarely. "I think that you should be the one to die; not them."
"Perhaps because you are one?" he started to advance on her slowly.
She edged away from him, sliding along the table edge, looking into his eyes; pure cold malice and triumph gleamed there. Then he was moving, making her try to dart around the table edge but her hand was caught and yanked back so hard that she ended up on the floor.
"I have been waiting so long to get you on something you no good scheming bitch. Now that I have you, you'll never escape here again. And your 'friends' will never see you again." he said as he started dragging her up towards her cell. "You have disobeyed me for the last time and now you will pay the price. Your laptop has been found and is gone. As for you-" he dragged her up the stairs.
"Bite me you no good fucker." she said, trying to relieve the pressure on her head as her body slid against the steps and along the hall. "I swear I'll die before I let you get to me ever again."
With a vicious snarl, he opened the door to her room and flung her in by her hair. "And that's exactly what will happen; you will stay in here until you rot away and only your bones are left."
The door closed with an angered slam, leaving her in the bright light of her cell. She curled up into a small ball on the floor, tying to ignore the pain. Eventually she fell asleep, wishing to God that it would all be over soon.
"Mrs. Orton? Mrs. Orton?"
Groggily opening her eyes, Jess found herself looking at the face of the maid. She managed to sit up, wincing at the soreness of her ribs. "Yes? What would you like?"
"Are you all right Mrs. Orton? I heard the...argument and I thought you might be hurt."
Jess chuckled to herself. "I'm fine for now. You really shouldn't be here; if that bastard catches you then you'll be in for it as well."
The maid shook her head. "He won't catch me. He's gone out for the evening and won't be back for a while. I think he went to see a doctor after the number you did on him." the girl's face broke into a smile. "And he deserved every bit of it."
"Yes well fact aside. I don't want anyone else involved in this. Just get out of here and save yourself a beating."
"Well here then; I found your laptop and I brought you a bit food. You have to make it last awhile because I don't know when exactly you're going to get out of here."
"Get out of here?" she looked up at the girl as she placed the computer and food packages on the bed. "How did you know about that?"
"I didn't; she told me she was going to get you out when she stopped by and found out that you were here." the girl said in a hushed voice.
"She? Did this she have a name by any chance?"
The girl shook her head. "All she said was that she knew you and she owed you a debt that she had to pay off." the girl went to the door. "By the way, my name is María."
Jess looked at her as the door closed, amazed that someone would even try something like that after seeing Samuel's rage. Glancing out the window, she saw the sun sinking slowly into the ground. 'Sunset; just how long have I been out?' Picking herself up, she slowly sat on the edge of her bed, looking down at the stuff. 'It would be wise to put it away before he comes back and finds it.' She started moving around slowly, placing things here and there until only the laptop was left.
"You, my little friend," she said, picking it up carefully. "you are going to sit right up there on the back of that bookshelf, behind all those books." she placed it in its spot, patting the books affectionately. "You are my link and I'm not going to lose you again."
She gazed around the room, not too sure what she should be feeling inside. Logic said that she should worry about her precarious position here, yet she felt a strange sense of calm wash over her. A weary ache settling in her bones, she headed to the bathroom to clean up the dried up blood from her face. Resting her head against the mirror, she turned on the tap expecting the water to come rushing out; only a dry dying cough greeted her followed by one lonely drop of water. Puzzled but feeling sure, she turned to the tub, spinning the taps to full; not a single drip came out. 'He turned off the water. Wow...for once he's showing some intelligence.' She went back to the bed, laying down on it, staring up at the ceiling.
"She? This 'she' couldn't be Lara could it?" she muttered to herself. "Or maybe it could be... I really don't know."
Sighing she closed her eyes and having nothing else better to do, she went to sleep.
'Day number five; it seems as if the time is simply dragging on by.' Jess paused, looking at he words on the screen before typing away again. 'That bastard beat me again, this time for making a racket about getting some food to eat.' She looked over to her side; there sat a lonely Twinkie package and half empty bottle of juice, the last bits of food she had. 'Strange...I feel oddly calm here; if I die then I accept my fate. But all the things I've ever known with this sicko, has been like nothing else; not even on L2.' She looked out the window to the predawn sky collecting her thoughts before turning back to the keyboard. 'For starters, Duo was with me...he's the one who actually saved me more or less. I still can't remember anything before he found me that day, huddling in the alleyway, shivering, cold and terrified.'
Standing up she stretched her muscles before pacing the room slowly, mind trying to recall her childhood and all the events that entailed it, she did have plenty of events to recall. It took her about an hour before she sat back down again.
'Duo...him and Solo...they took me in, kept me safe...that band of orphans became the family I never had. We had good and bad times, not as bad as being here though...and then the worst came; that disease.' She paused, sadly recalling the events once more. 'A lot of the other kids fell quickly, Solo tried to save them...and then he fell sick. I wish to God he hadn't told me what he did; that's what let Duo get me out of there and vaccinated.' She couldn't stop the tears from coming as she remembered Solo's last words to her. ' 'Whatever Duo says, listen to him.' I listened all right, right until he delivered me Noel and Akio, who became my adopted parents.' Even now, she could still see herself as the small child who had gone from one family to another and she hadn't wanted Duo to leave her with some people she didn't know. 'But he left me there in the end; I swear I never thought I'd see him again; I never heard from him and I thought he'd died from the virus. When I saw him again that day I nearly did beat him up; of course he laughed it off and all, but he did apologize and he was extremely glad to see me.' She smiled slightly. 'Now if I could just open up, get over my pride and tell-'
She looked up sharply at a sound that came from behind her door. Shutting down her laptop quickly, she stashed it away along with the food and wedged herself in to the gap between the bed and the wall. The door swung open a few minutes later, Samuel striding in.
"Get out here." he ordered, pointing to the spot in front of him.
"What do I look like? A dog?" she sneered at him. "Bite me."
"I do not have time for this bitch." he said in a severe clipped tone as he walked over, grabbed her wrist in a tight grip and dragged her out. "We're going to go for a small trip."
"Let go of me you asshole!!" she tried to yank her hand back repeatedly. "I'm not going anywhere with you! You-" a hand sliced across her face making her sentence stop short.
"Consider yourself lucky in this matter or else you would have died in that room." he hissed at her, eyes narrowed.
"I would have gotten out anyways you dickless wonder." she said in a frosty voice. "I don't care if you beat me any more; I'm done with no good scum sucking bottom feeders like you."
"Aren't we a good one to talk?" he said in a mocking voice. "We have been defeating your 'friends' all the time and as such we are going to take things into our own hands soon enough."
"Now who's talking crazy? You're bluffing and I don't believe a single word you're saying; not that I ever would."
His lips tightened, as he silently dragged her to the car. Opening the door, he shoved her in the back seat, slamming it shut and heading around to the diver's side. She dove for the handle, jiggling it but the door wouldn't open.
"Yes, the door is child locked." he slammed his door with finality. "You aren't getting out of this one so easily."
With a growl, she lunged at him, only to have a screen rise up suddenly, making her hit and squash her face. Sullenly she sunk back into her seat, rubbing her offended nose with angry mutters. Samuel gave a malicious smirk before starting up the car and driving away from the house. She stared out the window, seeing the stretches of grassy fields before they became the tress of a forest. Soon enough, the gates of a base came into view.
"What now?" she muttered as the car jolted along. "There's no way in hell I am going to cooperate with these people. Lord knows what they have planned for me. And they'll never get anything out of me as long as I breathe."
The door opened followed by Samuel's voice. "Get out now."
"Make me." she spat before bracing herself against the sides of the car, fingers digging into the soft seats.
"Don't make a scene here." he hissed. "Get out now."
She glared at him. "I'll get out when you pry my cold dead hands from the seats, you loser."
A small snarl came from him as he reached into the car and grabbed her legs, pulling with all his strength. She calmly let go, letting her feet strike him full in the chest. She sat on the edge of the seat, watching him with an aloof gaze as he picked himself up. His face was tense as if already pressed about something.
"None of my friggin' business." she muttered.
"Get moving." he ordered curtly.
She sat there before crossing her arms and turning her face away from him; why should she make things any easier for him? A thoroughly exasperated and angered sigh came from Samuel before he grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her after him. She dug her heels in making it harder for him to take her to wherever.
"What now?" she asked a bit testily as he stopped in front of a door.
"You're staying in here until you get a visitor." he opened the door and thrusted her in. "Oh, by the way."
"What? You've suddenly developed a conscience? You want to be kind and nice?" she asked in a voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Why waste my time on you?" he sneered. "This was where I beat the crap out of your little friend."
She watched as the door was slammed shut before she looked around the small grey room, the table and chair standing there. Slowly, she walked around to the seat, seeing the large dent in the backing from her awkward angle. Still speechless, she noticed a small stain on the ground.
"Blood." she murmured, fingers trailing over the discoloured red spot.
Looking around the floor she could see other spots, some far between, others close and thick. Her face steeled as the realization of what Quatre went through sank in even further than it already had; he had been beaten as much as she had been if not with more savagery.
"No wonder you felt so guilty." she let her fingers pause there; it was as if she could feel the rage and anger of that day lingering there. "It's not your fault Quatre. It's not."
The door flew open suddenly making her shoot up, body on the defensive. But her entire form relaxed slightly when she saw Lara walk in, Zechs following behind her and shutting the door silently.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"A bit testy aren't we?" Lara asked in an amused voice. "You can relax for a bit at least. Samuel is gone for now."
"I'll relax when I am out of here." she said, looking between Zechs and Lara. "I assume you had me brought here?"
"No. Colonel Une is going to talk to you." Zechs replied quietly, leaning against the wall. "We felt it best to talk to you first."
"Why?"
"Because you are a Gundam pilot and can help us."
Surprised, she let her guard down a bit, glancing between Lara and Zechs. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but I am in no position to help you. My first priority is to watch out for myself and not get killed; I have others who prefer me alive."
"Oh, like Quatre?" Lara asked with a good-natured smile.
Jess felt her face flush rapidly. "He's my friend Lara, that's all. Don't get any ideas in your head."
"At least I have an ally here in that respect." Zechs muttered before speaking up. "I'm going to level with you Jess, it wasn't easy to convince Samuel to let you come here. All you have to do is hedge for time when Une is talking to you."
"What's the catch here?" she looked at Zechs. "What do you guys want in return?"
Lara cleared her throat. "All we want is for you to help us when the time comes. That's it; nothing more, nothing less."
"Lara," she shook her head. "There's always a catch here; what is it? Tell me or I'm not going along."
Lara sighed. "Give us a moment please Zechs?"
"Sure. Don't be too long; we don't know when Une is coming." he said giving her a small smile before leaving the room.
Jess looked back at Lara, speaking once the door closed. "So what's the catch?"
Lara shook her head. "No catch here Jess. I know you may find that hard to believe but I couldn't stand to hear what the servants told me."
Jess' eyes widened slightly. "So you did stop by. Why did you?"
"To be honest, I didn't know you were married to that scum sucker until I found his file in the information you requested and there it was on the paper." Lara shrugged. "Why didn't you tell anybody?"
"That's my business OK?" she said a bit defensively. "I don't need to tell you anything."
"Jesus Christ Jessica!" she exclaimed a bit angered. "Why the hell can't you ever talk about what's bothering you? You can't be the stone fortress all the time!"
"I prefer to keep it private if you don't mind." she said in a slightly distant tone.
"Yeah well guess what? I tire of this attitude of yours sometimes; learn to talk once in a while!"
"Why should I huh?" Jess asked suddenly snapping at her. "Why should I suddenly be Little Miss Mushy Mushy when I've spent a good portion of my life trying to stop these feelings inside?" Jess looked at her. "You've always grown up in luxury Lara; you want to know where I grew up? I grew up in the slums of L2 until I was nine all right? You have no idea the things that happened there so don't you dare say that I need to open up. If I had feelings then I would never stop crying."
"You never told me that." Lara said falling back in a shocked voice.
"Yeah, I just go around telling everyone." she said sarcastically. "I'm the poor little girl who was adopted and escaped a terrible life." she made a face.
"I'm so sorry; I never knew Jess."
Jess looked at Lara who simply stood there quiet and unmoving before she sighed inside. "What exactly do I have to do here?"
"Just get yourself imprisoned." Lara said quietly. "The others will find out that you're here and come for you. Better than storming Samuel's house and getting caught."
Jess watched as she went to the door. "Why do you care if they get caught?"
Lara looked back at her. "Because there's gonna be a time when we need your help and theirs. Some things are too big to fight for two people alone."
Jess remained silent for a minute before speaking again. "Lara...why did you go to all this trouble?"
"You're my friend. I consider you that even if you don't think or feel the same." Lara paused. "I'm beginning to think you're living in denial or something."
"Why's that?" Jess asked quietly.
Lara simply looked at her before speaking. "Why else wouldn't you want to talk?"
Jess watched as the door shut with a tiny whoosh. She sat in the seat gently, unsure what Lara was talking about. She also felt unsure about so many other things. The door swung open letting in Colonel Une; she'd recognize that hairdo anywhere. The interrogation was brief until she was escorted by an armed guard to a cell. The door closed with a heavy slam. Funny how the calmness she had before had evaporated away; inside she felt as black as the cell around her.