CHAPTER 5
*HOSTAGE*
"I could ask the very same question of you," replied the man in a slow grave tone, "Now let's see, what do you want?" He paused as his voice echoed in the silence. "You see my name is Pentanious."
Roxton looked up at the man. He recognised that name. If only he could remember where he had heard it. The man continued. "You don't happen to know of a village, The Land of the Protector?"
It hit him "Marguerite," he shouted suddenly, raising his gun slightly. "What do you want with them?"
"You know her?" asked the man, intrigued.
"Way to go, Roxton," called Veronica from somewhere behind him.
Roxton turned to glance at her. She was smiling, always a trait of hers even in these conditions, confident of herself and ready to fight. The men also turned to look at the jungle girl, puzzled by her secure outlook. Turning back to Roxton, the leader looked far more determined than before. He glared into Roxton's eyes.
"So you know the woman who is putting me out of a job, do you? Well don't worry; she won't be around for much longer. Not once I get to that village anyway. No one will be around for long. Do you understand me?" He moved towards Roxton, retrieving a knife from a hidden pocket within his long garment. Roxton moved his gun forward.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned the man. "You're surrounded."
Roxton looked desperately over toward Veronica for help. She stared at the circle of men in front of her. 'Nothing more than I've handled before,' she reassured herself. 'Only this time, they all have bladed knives.'
She leapt forward, pushing three men to the ground at once. She leapt into the middle of the circle before flying back out, colliding with two men on the way, who abruptly fell to the floor. 'Well that's half of them gone' she thought.
At Veronica's attack, the leader grabbed at Roxton, the knife against his neck. "Veronica?" he breathed. The leader grabbed the gun from his hands and placed it on the ground.
"Now, where is she?" he jeered.
"Where's who?" asked Roxton, as innocently as he could.
"You know who I mean, don't mess with me," he cried with contempt. "I know she left this morning, so don't lie to me." The men encircled him, taking his hands behind his back and tying them tightly with a coarse rope. Veronica went to run, but before she could, one of the warriors seized her hair, pulling her rapidly backwards. "And you," hissed the leader, "tie her up too." She struggled to get free, kicking and constantly trying to flare her arms free of their tight grasp.
"Let us go," she screamed. "We don't know anything, we don't even know who you are."
"Well obviously your friend here knows something," replied the man, staring at Roxton as he jolted his hand up behind his back. Roxton grimaced in pain.
"All Marguerite told me was your name and the name of the village. That's all I know, that's all she knew."
The leader was about to answer, but suddenly he saw Veronica. Her face was familiar, a recent image of her popped into his mind, sorcery and dreams. 'The new Protector,' he thought, grinning to himself. "Veronica?" he muttered.
"How the hell do you know my name?"
"Why, are you not the new Protector?" he asked, patronisingly. Veronica looked down, shifting her legs to get free. "I'll take that as a yes," he scorned. The others laughed, mocking the woman. Veronica's anger stirred.
"What do you want with us?" she yelled.
"Hmmm, let me see, what do I want with you? Well you seem to know Marguerite very well. Is that not true?" He paused, his eyes suddenly lighting with pleasure. "Maybe we could use you as hostages."
The group of men broke into shrill laughter and muttered between themselves.
*HOSTAGE*
"I could ask the very same question of you," replied the man in a slow grave tone, "Now let's see, what do you want?" He paused as his voice echoed in the silence. "You see my name is Pentanious."
Roxton looked up at the man. He recognised that name. If only he could remember where he had heard it. The man continued. "You don't happen to know of a village, The Land of the Protector?"
It hit him "Marguerite," he shouted suddenly, raising his gun slightly. "What do you want with them?"
"You know her?" asked the man, intrigued.
"Way to go, Roxton," called Veronica from somewhere behind him.
Roxton turned to glance at her. She was smiling, always a trait of hers even in these conditions, confident of herself and ready to fight. The men also turned to look at the jungle girl, puzzled by her secure outlook. Turning back to Roxton, the leader looked far more determined than before. He glared into Roxton's eyes.
"So you know the woman who is putting me out of a job, do you? Well don't worry; she won't be around for much longer. Not once I get to that village anyway. No one will be around for long. Do you understand me?" He moved towards Roxton, retrieving a knife from a hidden pocket within his long garment. Roxton moved his gun forward.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned the man. "You're surrounded."
Roxton looked desperately over toward Veronica for help. She stared at the circle of men in front of her. 'Nothing more than I've handled before,' she reassured herself. 'Only this time, they all have bladed knives.'
She leapt forward, pushing three men to the ground at once. She leapt into the middle of the circle before flying back out, colliding with two men on the way, who abruptly fell to the floor. 'Well that's half of them gone' she thought.
At Veronica's attack, the leader grabbed at Roxton, the knife against his neck. "Veronica?" he breathed. The leader grabbed the gun from his hands and placed it on the ground.
"Now, where is she?" he jeered.
"Where's who?" asked Roxton, as innocently as he could.
"You know who I mean, don't mess with me," he cried with contempt. "I know she left this morning, so don't lie to me." The men encircled him, taking his hands behind his back and tying them tightly with a coarse rope. Veronica went to run, but before she could, one of the warriors seized her hair, pulling her rapidly backwards. "And you," hissed the leader, "tie her up too." She struggled to get free, kicking and constantly trying to flare her arms free of their tight grasp.
"Let us go," she screamed. "We don't know anything, we don't even know who you are."
"Well obviously your friend here knows something," replied the man, staring at Roxton as he jolted his hand up behind his back. Roxton grimaced in pain.
"All Marguerite told me was your name and the name of the village. That's all I know, that's all she knew."
The leader was about to answer, but suddenly he saw Veronica. Her face was familiar, a recent image of her popped into his mind, sorcery and dreams. 'The new Protector,' he thought, grinning to himself. "Veronica?" he muttered.
"How the hell do you know my name?"
"Why, are you not the new Protector?" he asked, patronisingly. Veronica looked down, shifting her legs to get free. "I'll take that as a yes," he scorned. The others laughed, mocking the woman. Veronica's anger stirred.
"What do you want with us?" she yelled.
"Hmmm, let me see, what do I want with you? Well you seem to know Marguerite very well. Is that not true?" He paused, his eyes suddenly lighting with pleasure. "Maybe we could use you as hostages."
The group of men broke into shrill laughter and muttered between themselves.