CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

Sept15 2001

To Jarod, it seemed a day of agony, as the whip struck against his back, bringing back memories wiped out by hypnosis. He remembered why as a boy he could not sleep a certain way, why his back hurt. They said he had slipped and fell, showed him films, but they were false.

They had him stretched, his arms handcuffed to a pipe above his head, his feet barely reaching the concrete floor as he swung, trying to avoid the whip. He was somewhere in the lower recesses of the Centre. He did not know what sub level it was and they were punishing him because Miss Parker was somewhere having his children, a place the Centre knew not.

"All right, Sammy," came a voice that Jarod knew, "he's had enough. He doesn't know anything."

Jarod heard something metallic and Sammy's laugh. "Are you sure?"

"Yes and I want to be sure that Jarod is unable to contribute. You know what I mean." The man wheezed as he left the room. The metallic door closed.

Sammy came towards him, Sammy Rose, born Samuel Rose, but the Centre called its employees, names such as Sammy, Jimmy instead of James, Billy instead of William. They had tried with Antonio, but had failed. The lawyer would have killed them. The one he almost threw off the roof had pleaded with him, "Tony," but Antonio broke his finger. He tried once more, and Lambourni broke his next finger. If the other Centre staff had not reached the roof and heard Lambourni's ultimatum, that man would be dead by now instead of working in one of the Centre offices, shuffling papers. You can't hold a gun with two broken fingers, especially if they are on your good hand.

Because of Sammy Rose, none of the Centre called Sam the Sweeper, Sammy. However, even though Sam had killed a man in the wrestling ring, the Centre feared Lambourni more for the lawyer was stronger and more intelligent.. However, this little bit of information that Jarod had picked up would do him no good if that little man succeeded in destroying his manhood.

The Pretender waited, estimating the distance. Sammy snickered, as he brought out the scalpel, going towards Jarod's testicles.

Suddenly the Pretender swung his right leg, catching Sammy on the chin. The idea of a naked man striking him took the smaller man by surprise. He tried to arise, but Jarod kicked again, sending him flying across the room.

Sammy grabbed the scalpel and started once again towards his supposed victim. The handcuffs, made by that kind that no Dominant could break, kept Jarod helpless. He could not even bend his hands, making them small enough to go through. Raines's goon did not have the keys on him. Raines was not that stupid. Jarod could only keep him busy until Miss Parker had the babies and hoped that she got away safe from her 'father' and brother..

He kept the attack for an hour, taking short breaths, feeling his body strain through, noticing through his five-minute warning that someone was coming, coming to the metal door. He hoped it was not Raines.

The door buckled. Sammy screamed. Jarod heard someone tell him to close his eyes. The blast almost seared his arms and he fell to the floor. Someone threw a shirt and a pair of black jeans at him, his.

He opened his eyes to see Lambourni there with Lewison, two men, and three children, two boys and a girl.

"Thank you," Jarod said.

"Nothing to it," said Lewison and whispered to Lambourni, "This will make the Merging longer, less effective. He has to be ready for the initiation of the Column. You know the initiation requires blood from a man that will live. It has to be from us, but not of us. What about the little man?"

"I'll handle it. You three go with Lewison. He'll look after you. Jarod, you can stay here and watch."

"Are you giving the orders, Antonio?" asked the teacher, "it is up to the Council to decide."

"My son is the Chosen, the one that all of us made our leader and if it weren't for…" He picked up the scalpel, his anger growing inside him. Unlike the Dominants from Mexico, there were so many enslaved ones. Lambourni had never seen so many. Why back in the family of two hundred, his wife came from, he saw three human captives. They killed most of their prisoners. A Dominant in the Chameleon program would marry the human female working in the business he infiltrated and she would live in happiness, not realizing that her husband was busy on a killing spree and not selling computers. That was more common. .

The Column was almost finished. They needed sacrifices for the dedication ceremony, a brave Dominant male who agreed to have his throat slit (often one who disgraced the Council took this as an honorable way to die), a male human who they threw in the hole over his body and lowered the column on them, crushing them. In this case, they did not gag the human male, preferring to hear him scream.

Before this took place, they took one of their own, who was not their own whose blood initiated the top and bottom of the column, first when the Column was prone on the ground, and second when it was erected. They intended for him to survive and there were so many to choose from, not like the one who willingly agreed to his death. The Council had told Lambourni that he could use the body of a Dominant killed by humans as a substitute to throw in the hole.

"I know about your son, Lambourni, but unlike you, my parents are both free. Your giving orders will not be approved by the Council."

"Then perhaps you had better remain here to witness the fate of that cowardly little man." He pointed to Sammy. "The Costa Nostra has a very convenient way of punishment. It was used on men who slept with their bosses' mistresses, very effective." He motioned to the two other men who grabbed their victim, pinning him to the cement floor.

"No! No!" Sammy screamed as Lambourni bent over him, picking up the scalpel.

"You thought it would be amusing to do it to Jarod," said the lawyer, "but you aren't laughing now." It only took two cuts. "Burn these." He picked up the objects and walked over to Lewison who took out a small device. The flash destroyed the pieces of flesh. In a fit of contempt, Lambourni tossed Sammy a gun after removing the bullet. .

"Kill me, please! I have a wife! We were planning to have a baby!"

"Perhaps you can pound yourself to death," he said, "It's quite painful, but then you now know what pain is."

Leaving the bleeding Sammy writhing in pain, they left the room, locking the metal door behind them.