The Zanga had been quick to attack. They raided the houses and killed any trader that posed a threat to them. They took the torches from the guardhouse and set alight the thatched roofs. The smoke was thickening, as was all the screaming.

'Jakum, where is the cell block?' Roxton yelled, holding a cloth over his mouth and nose.

'I will take you there,' came the muffled reply. Roxton grabbed Marguerite's hand and they followed Jakum, careful not to stumble into crossfire.

'Did you find Ned?' Challenger shouted over the din when he finally saw them emerge from the cell-block.

'No,' the worry in Roxton's voice was evident.

Suddenly, a trader, in his panic, ran straight into Challenger, almost knocking him over. Roxton pushed him roughly to the ground, gun trained on him.

'Badger?' The man looked up at Jakum, anger clouding his features.

'You turncoat!' he spat.

'Now quit with that and tell me where's the boy you brought in this morning.'

'You know, Pip got killed because of you. When you and that girl got away, Ranch figured things out and Pip got shot for conspiring!'

'I'm sorry! What can I do about that? He knew the risks, and he agreed.'

Roxton was tired, worried, and getting very annoyed with all the delays. He grabbed Badger by the lapels and hauled him to his feet.

'Listen here, Badger or whatever your name is. I've got a friend, who is probably with that maniac you call Boss, and I don't know what's happening to him. He may be dead for all I know. But what I do know is that if you don't tell us where he is, I am going hang you by your worthless neck and feed you to the raptors, you hear?'

The severe threat stunned everyone within hearing range into momentary silence. Badger took one look into Lord John Roxton's eyes, and decided that this wasn't a man to trifle with.

'He. they took him to the chambers. I never touched him, honest! I-'

Roxton let go of him and he landed with a thump on his rear. Jakum slapped a palm to his forehead.

'Of course! The interrogation chambers, I should've known.'

'Stunning revelation, now let's go,' Marguerite snapped. Even if Malone was mainly on the receiving end of her teasing, she cared about him like he was her brother.



The Boss looked up when he heard the commotion above. He glanced at Quad, who was still holding the two-by-four, awaiting further instructions. The Boss faked a disappointed sigh.

'We'll have to leave for a moment,' he said to their semi-conscious captive. 'But we'll be back to continue the fun. Cut him loose.'

Quad slit the ropes and Malone tumbled to the bloodstained floor. He then proceeded to extinguish the torches in the room.

'Don't go anywhere now,' the Boss chided tauntingly as he exited the cell, his laughter echoing down the hallway.



They made their way to one of the tents. It looked like any other tent, but inside, underneath a rug, was a trapdoor, as Jakum told them.

The three explorers suddenly heard voices from inside, and Roxton quickly pulled them to the side.

'What on earth happened here?'

Roxton leapt out behind them, pistols aimed at the two men.

'We barged in. Awful sorry,' he growled, no humor or apology in his voice. 'Where's Malone?'

'Who?' the taller of the two feigned innocence.

'Malone, our friend. What did you do to him?' Marguerite snapped, finger itching on the trigger.

'Ah, the whelp is your friend? Well, we gave him a little discipline lesson. That's what happens when a slave thinks too much for his own good. He has a stubborn streak, that boy.

'Didn't cry out until the fifth stroke. I counted.'

Marguerite's hand trembled as she fought the urge to wipe the grin off his face.

'And from then onwards, he screamed so loud my ears rang.'

Roxton snarled and struck the man at the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. The other man turned and lunged with a roar, but was stopped short when Marguerite shot him in the shoulder.

'Take care of him,' Roxton told Challenger, 'we're going to get Malone.'



Roxton and Marguerite carefully made their way down the dimly-lit chamber steps. When they saw the chambers, they were shocked at the sheer enormity of the place.

'It's a labyrinth down here,' Marguerite whispered. The tunnels snaked down, twisting off into goodness-knows-where, and there were four entrances, each leading to, and lined with, dozens of cells.

'How on earth are we going to find Malone?'

'We look,' Roxton gripped his pistol and set off down the first entrance. 'We walk and look until we find him.'

'What?'

'Do you want to find him?' Roxton faced her impatiently, a scowl forming. 'Or are you too tired to bother?'

'I meant, is there a quicker way to do this?' She hissed, the tension getting to her. 'For your information, I'm not as cold-hearted as you think!'

'That's new,' he muttered as he walked off. Marguerite fumed, but bit her lip from returning a scathing remark. She glanced at his retreating form, then took another entrance, hand ready on her holster.



Marguerite glanced in at every cell as she passed, her mind embroiled with emotions. Anxious to find Malone, regret of her harsh words to John, the list seemed endless.

She shivered. There was no draft down here, but it was cold. And the thought of all the horrors that slaves endured down here made it eerily worse.

'Malone,' she said softly, scanning the cells through the barred windows of the doors for any sign of life.

But they all were cold and void.

She was about to pass one of the last cells when she suddenly spotted a dark figure crawling towards a corner. She looked in closer, straining to see in the dark. The torch along the corridor was of little use. She tried to turn the knob, but it was locked.

'Oh just perfect' she grumbled angrily as she tried to twist the knob, flicking it uselessly. She needed a hairpin, or anything to pick this stupid lock. She searched her pockets.

'Marguerite?' She jumped at the sound of that familiar voice. She turned around, confused when she saw Roxton.

'The tunnels are interlinked,' he answered her unspoken question.

'Great,' she forced a smile, thoughts of their earlier conversation coming back.

'Look, I'm sorry about what I said just now, and-'

'It's alright John,' she smiled, a genuine one this time. 'I understand.'

'Well, so much for the rehearsed apology.'

'Funny,' she sobered quickly. 'Something's strange with this cell. See that?'

Roxton peered in, just in time to catch a glimpse before the figure disappeared into the shadows.

'Looks like this cell's occupied.'

'Well, can you get the door open?'

She and Roxton stepped back as the hunter shot at the lock with his pistol.

'Won't open,' he grunted as he tried to open the door.

'John, what if it's Malone in there?'

A troubled look crossed his face.

'Then we'll have to break the door down. Try anything to get to him.' He slammed the door with his shoulder. It shook, but didn't open. He cursed under his breath.

'Wait, wouldn't that man have the key?' Marguerite said thoughtfully to herself, then pulled his sleeve hurriedly. 'He has the key! The boss would have to key.'

'Good thinking. You stay here. I'll need to find my way back.' He added the last part just as she started to protest.

She exhaled sharply, then nodded. As he ran down the tunnel and disappeared, she looked in, praying that she was right about the cell and its occupant, who was obscured by the dark.

'Hang on Ned. 'Help's coming.'