'Looks like it's our lucky day Ranch,' the youngest of the four scuttled
next to the older man.
'Sure is Pip. Now shut up and go help Badger tie up the boy,' Ranch waved him off like he was an annoying fly.
'Yes sir,' Pip shrank back, 'right away.'
Veronica sneaked a look at Ned. Badger was having a bit of trouble tying his hands behind his back. Pip went over and stood aside with nervous interest, until Badger yelled at Pip to stop looking like a fish and help him. Ranch, however, had taken a sudden interest in the blonde before him, who was clad in rather minimal clothing.
'You're a pretty thing, aren't you?' He grinned wickedly. Veronica glared at him and tried to free herself from the vice-like grip.
'Very feisty too. I like that.' And in one swift motion, dipped his head and kissed her full on the lips.
'Get off her you beast!' Malone's sudden outburst caught his two captors by surprise. They stumbled back as he sprang at the bigger man and slammed into him with full force, hands half-bound behind him. Both tumbled to the ground in a dusty heap.
Ranch cursed angrily, and upon getting to his feet, dealt Malone with a forceful kick to the ribs. He cried out in pain and curled into a fetal position.
'Stop it!' Veronica thrashed against the man who was holding her from behind. She wanted to help Ned, but her efforts were futile. Ranch lashed out again, this time his boot catching Malone in the face. Blood trickled down from his left temple.
'That,' he hissed through his teeth, ' was a very stupid thing to do.' Turning to Badger and Pip, he backhanded them both.
'Don't let this happen twice.' The two men nodded in fright.
Ranch eyed Veronica in a mixture of desire and contempt, and then let his gaze travel to the man behind her, who had remained unmoved throughout all the action.
'Tie her up. Tight.' He made sure his emphasis was clear to Badger and Pip.
They hefted Malone to his feet, who moaned slightly at the pain.
'I don't think he's in any condition to pull that stunt again Ranch,' Badger said lightly, hoping to improve his mood.
Ranch just shot him a glare that would have fried lead.
The two captives stumbled through the jungle, hands bound behind their backs with rough ropes. Veronica kept glancing at Ned, concern etched on her faces. He wasn't doing too well; his steps often faltered, earning him jabs in the back by the cold metal of a pistol. The head wound was still bleeding, and the loss of blood was making him weak and dizzy.
They had traveled several more miles when Malone's legs gave out under him and he collapsed to the ground, almost tripping up Badger. Ranch growled in annoyance and stormed over. He took him by the collar and forced him to his feet.
'Get up,' he ordered. When Malone fell once more, Ranch rolled him onto his back and kneeled on his chest. Malone gasped at the sudden weight.
'I said, get up!'
'He can't get up with you on him like that,' Veronica snapped, furious at Ranch's unreasonable command.
Pip opened his mouth to agree with her, but decided it was not worth his life, and shut it.
Ranch ignored Veronica and pushed a hand down on Malone's neck. Ned choked, struggling to breathe, his vision blurring from lack of oxygen. He could hear Veronica begging the trader to release him, but a loud roaring in his ears soon drowned her out. He was just about to slip into unconsciousness when Ranch suddenly stood up and air flooded into his starved lungs. He drew his knees up to his chest, almost sobbing for breath. After a few short moments, he was dragged to his feet.
'Walk,' the hot breath sent a shiver down his spine. 'Walk, or we may just kill the girl.'
Malone nodded and forced himself on, ignoring the pain coursing through his body. He could not let Veronica down.
It took all he had not to fall back onto the ground and lay his head on the cool earth. He had lost track of time and distance. The ground passed by under him, mud on mud, the twigs and the leaves. It was a mindless action, putting one foot in front of the other. Which made him absently wonder why it took such a conscious effort to keep his balance. He knew Veronica was worried about him. It was tangible.
'Ned!' Her harsh whisper made him start.
'We've arrived.'
He looked up wearily, taking note of the new surroundings. The camp was near the foot of a cliff, the ground no longer the moist forest floor but gritty sand, and scarce vegetation peppered the area. He knew he should have noticed the changes, but the throbbing in his head had prevented him from doing so.
One man came running toward them, excitement evident on his face. Veronica stared in increasing horror. Tremors played along her muscles. She felt nauseous from the thought that they were slaves.
'Is this the new merchandise?' When a nod confirmed his assumptions, he grinned and moved closer for inspection. 'They look good. So rare that we sell white-skins. They will fetch good price, eh?'
Something in Veronica suddenly snapped. With her left boot, she kicked the 'inspector' in the stomach. A general chaos then ran through the guards around them.
'The new slaves are always a nuisance,' Badger complained as he kept a tight grip on Malone, who was hollering at Veronica to stop.
'We are not slaves, we will never be!' Veronica screamed and bucked as the men tried to control her, slightly hesitant to hurt a woman.
'How could you? We are humans, as you are. Why are you doing this?'
'Shut up!' Ranch yelled, tired of her pleas. Grabbing his gun, he slammed it into her face. She immediately went limp.
'NO! Veronica!' Malone struck out at those nearest him. He struggled valiantly, and the men subdue him mercilessly. Unlike earlier, they had no qualms about using physical discipline on a male. When they were done, he was an unmoving heap on the ground.
'Great, now we have to carry them.' One man whined, nursing a black eye.
'Well, tough luck. Get to it,' Ranch said sourly. The recent skirmish had left him feeling very short-tempered. He watched crossly as the two unconscious slaves were slung over shoulders and carried to the cell-block.
'Sure is Pip. Now shut up and go help Badger tie up the boy,' Ranch waved him off like he was an annoying fly.
'Yes sir,' Pip shrank back, 'right away.'
Veronica sneaked a look at Ned. Badger was having a bit of trouble tying his hands behind his back. Pip went over and stood aside with nervous interest, until Badger yelled at Pip to stop looking like a fish and help him. Ranch, however, had taken a sudden interest in the blonde before him, who was clad in rather minimal clothing.
'You're a pretty thing, aren't you?' He grinned wickedly. Veronica glared at him and tried to free herself from the vice-like grip.
'Very feisty too. I like that.' And in one swift motion, dipped his head and kissed her full on the lips.
'Get off her you beast!' Malone's sudden outburst caught his two captors by surprise. They stumbled back as he sprang at the bigger man and slammed into him with full force, hands half-bound behind him. Both tumbled to the ground in a dusty heap.
Ranch cursed angrily, and upon getting to his feet, dealt Malone with a forceful kick to the ribs. He cried out in pain and curled into a fetal position.
'Stop it!' Veronica thrashed against the man who was holding her from behind. She wanted to help Ned, but her efforts were futile. Ranch lashed out again, this time his boot catching Malone in the face. Blood trickled down from his left temple.
'That,' he hissed through his teeth, ' was a very stupid thing to do.' Turning to Badger and Pip, he backhanded them both.
'Don't let this happen twice.' The two men nodded in fright.
Ranch eyed Veronica in a mixture of desire and contempt, and then let his gaze travel to the man behind her, who had remained unmoved throughout all the action.
'Tie her up. Tight.' He made sure his emphasis was clear to Badger and Pip.
They hefted Malone to his feet, who moaned slightly at the pain.
'I don't think he's in any condition to pull that stunt again Ranch,' Badger said lightly, hoping to improve his mood.
Ranch just shot him a glare that would have fried lead.
The two captives stumbled through the jungle, hands bound behind their backs with rough ropes. Veronica kept glancing at Ned, concern etched on her faces. He wasn't doing too well; his steps often faltered, earning him jabs in the back by the cold metal of a pistol. The head wound was still bleeding, and the loss of blood was making him weak and dizzy.
They had traveled several more miles when Malone's legs gave out under him and he collapsed to the ground, almost tripping up Badger. Ranch growled in annoyance and stormed over. He took him by the collar and forced him to his feet.
'Get up,' he ordered. When Malone fell once more, Ranch rolled him onto his back and kneeled on his chest. Malone gasped at the sudden weight.
'I said, get up!'
'He can't get up with you on him like that,' Veronica snapped, furious at Ranch's unreasonable command.
Pip opened his mouth to agree with her, but decided it was not worth his life, and shut it.
Ranch ignored Veronica and pushed a hand down on Malone's neck. Ned choked, struggling to breathe, his vision blurring from lack of oxygen. He could hear Veronica begging the trader to release him, but a loud roaring in his ears soon drowned her out. He was just about to slip into unconsciousness when Ranch suddenly stood up and air flooded into his starved lungs. He drew his knees up to his chest, almost sobbing for breath. After a few short moments, he was dragged to his feet.
'Walk,' the hot breath sent a shiver down his spine. 'Walk, or we may just kill the girl.'
Malone nodded and forced himself on, ignoring the pain coursing through his body. He could not let Veronica down.
It took all he had not to fall back onto the ground and lay his head on the cool earth. He had lost track of time and distance. The ground passed by under him, mud on mud, the twigs and the leaves. It was a mindless action, putting one foot in front of the other. Which made him absently wonder why it took such a conscious effort to keep his balance. He knew Veronica was worried about him. It was tangible.
'Ned!' Her harsh whisper made him start.
'We've arrived.'
He looked up wearily, taking note of the new surroundings. The camp was near the foot of a cliff, the ground no longer the moist forest floor but gritty sand, and scarce vegetation peppered the area. He knew he should have noticed the changes, but the throbbing in his head had prevented him from doing so.
One man came running toward them, excitement evident on his face. Veronica stared in increasing horror. Tremors played along her muscles. She felt nauseous from the thought that they were slaves.
'Is this the new merchandise?' When a nod confirmed his assumptions, he grinned and moved closer for inspection. 'They look good. So rare that we sell white-skins. They will fetch good price, eh?'
Something in Veronica suddenly snapped. With her left boot, she kicked the 'inspector' in the stomach. A general chaos then ran through the guards around them.
'The new slaves are always a nuisance,' Badger complained as he kept a tight grip on Malone, who was hollering at Veronica to stop.
'We are not slaves, we will never be!' Veronica screamed and bucked as the men tried to control her, slightly hesitant to hurt a woman.
'How could you? We are humans, as you are. Why are you doing this?'
'Shut up!' Ranch yelled, tired of her pleas. Grabbing his gun, he slammed it into her face. She immediately went limp.
'NO! Veronica!' Malone struck out at those nearest him. He struggled valiantly, and the men subdue him mercilessly. Unlike earlier, they had no qualms about using physical discipline on a male. When they were done, he was an unmoving heap on the ground.
'Great, now we have to carry them.' One man whined, nursing a black eye.
'Well, tough luck. Get to it,' Ranch said sourly. The recent skirmish had left him feeling very short-tempered. He watched crossly as the two unconscious slaves were slung over shoulders and carried to the cell-block.