Good morning... please R&R!
OooOOooO
Betrayal. Joceline had betrayed him.
Jack had known anger before. He had been angry at himself. He had been angry at the world. But never, until now, had he felt this much anger towards one person.
Joceline.
He took four steps towards the opposite wall, and drove his fist into the plaster. It left a dent in the wall, and throbbing pain in his hand.
His team was in danger now. Was that part of her scheme too? Or was the sole plan to become Queen? Sacrifice the off-worlders, rule the country?
He had always known she was smart. Smarter then the Senate. Smarter then her father. Smarter then him.
Jack punched the wall again. This time he noticed a sharp pain in his ribs. Probably broken, he thought disdainfully.
They should have just killed me, he thought. A second later he regretted it. His team needed him, now more then ever. He had screwed up. Big time.
But there was still time to fix it.
Several hours passed before anyone approached Jack's cell. The torch across the walk way was just beginning to burn low when someone stirred him from his rest.
"Get up." Jack opened his eyes. Standing outside his cell was what looked like Sasquatch. Or one of the guards.
"What, no breakfast in bed?" He whined. The guard was not amused. He hauled the door open and pointed out the way with a long thin object.
"The Queen requests your presence." He said dubiously. Jack shrugged half heartedly, trying not to let his ribs grate together. He walked cooly out in front of the guard, assessing his surroundings. The hall extended for another 4 rows of cells, then ended as it turned into, presumably, the main hall. The walkway was empty. It was now or never.
In one quick, trained movement Jack spun around until he was behind the lone guard. He got an arm lock on the guard's thick neck, but he was bring the stick up over his head, grunting with the effort. Suddenly a blinding pain disrupted Jack's senses. Caught unaware, he crashed to the floor, writhing and twitching as his body left his control. He forgot where he was; the only thing he knew was the bright light and searing pain. An all too familiar pain.
"Really, I thought you had me all figured out on the first day." Joceline said, pacing before the chair Jack had sunk into. The chair was warm and comfortable. The company was the opposite. "That's the reason I chose you, you know. I had to keep you close. You were suspicious. But you turned out to be quite perfect in the end. Quite... malleable..." Her voice had changed. What had once been frightened, soft and seductive was now powerful and dangerous. She walked with a self-assuredness that reminded Jack of something he was praying not to be true.
"Funny, that it all turned out so well. That it all will turn out so well. But I guess I knew it all along-" Joceline kept on talking, but Jack's mind left her for a moment. The ribbon device the guard had used on him had left his body feeling weak and clammy. It was all he could do to keep his eyes open. He didn't know why he was letting her talk to him. He wanted to jump up out of this armchair and break her neck. Maybe knock her out with one of her heavy books. Push her down the stone steps...
"Do you know why you're here, Jack?"
Yes.
"Not a clue, actually." Jack said, not bothering to stop his words from slurring. The cheerful twang in his voice made Joceline sneer.
"Mare nostrum," she said delicately. The danger in her voice made the hair on the back of Jack's neck prickle.
"Never heard of it." Said Jack, trying to keep his voice overly cheerful.
"Few have," Joceline said eagerly, her face inches from his own. "But I thought our founder should."