Part 29

"Come now," a voice barked, and Beka looked up to see one of Buz's men stood at the tent's entrance.

"Where the hell is Harper?" Beka demanded, getting to her feet and instinctively grabbing the medical and food supplies she had to hand.

"He's thinking things over, but hurry, he might get bored very quickly," the man grinned. "We can not leave him where he is for too long."

"Why?" Beka asked, as she was led out of the tent and then flanked by the other man.

"He's a little tied up," the first man offered. Beka's attempt to physically show him her reaction was instantly thwarted by the other men holding her back. "This is why you're his carer, because it's clear you do care and that's what we need in our ranks."

"If you just left him alone he'd be fine!" Beka snapped, shrugging the hold the other guys had on her away.

They remained silent for the rest of the journey whilst they led Beka to Harper's location. On entering the room, Beka couldn't hide her horror.

"You're killing him!" Beka stressed and moved to where Harper was hanging in the awkward position that Buz had left him in.

"This method is not designed to kill," Buz dismissed, appearing from the side room where he had been observing Harper.

"You're hurting him, and you're going to kill him!" Beka re-iterated, turning to Buz when she couldn't get a reaction from Harper.

"His back is well supported, if it wasn't his spine would have snapped in two by now, he's just a little uncomfortable," Buz casually answered, completely unconcerned.

"Beka?" Harper then murmured, and Beka turned back to Harper partially conscious, and she moved to cradle his hanging head in her arms, to support him.

"I'm here, Seamus," Beka answered, her guts twisting having to see her friend like this and she forced herself not to show emotion. "Don't worry, I'll do what I can to help you, ok?"

"Hurts," Harper offered weakly, with his eyes remaining closed as his head now rested against Beka's shoulder.

"Please, let him down, how long has he been like this?" Beka asked towards Buz, but he failed to answer.

Buz didn't answer, he simply gestured for the pulley to be released, and slowly Harper's body began to be lowered towards the ground.

The cry of pain from Harper made Beka hold him more closely, as the sudden release in tension aggravated Harper's muscles, and he began to move uncontrollably to alleviate the pain.

"Hold still, Harper, try not to move," Beka insisted, as she lowered herself with his body trying to support and comfort as much of it as she could. Harper's face however was fixed in pain, with his eyes clenched shut as he tried to deal with the fresh waves of pain being inflicted as his finally reached the stone floor and came to rest in Beka's arms.

"He has one hour, use it well," Buz announced and left to a torrent of abuse from Beka, as she cradled Harper.

Finally turning her full attention back to Harper, Beka tried to assess where he needed help. Moving her hands to the wrapping around his stomach, Beka found she could only loosen it, and was unable to remove it after testing the locks that secured it to the chain. The same was true of the cuffs around his ankles and wrists, so Beka was only able to rest Harper on his side to recover, and she hated that he was still attached, already knowing that he would be hoisted up again some time soon.

"Harper?" Beka then spoke, brushing the side of his face and hair to get a reaction from her friend. "Stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere," Harper answered quietly, with his eyes remaining closed.

"Look at me, Harper," Beka requested, needing to see in his eyes the pain he was feeling. Slowly Harper turned his head to her and his usually bright blue eyes were dull and lifeless.

"My back hurts," Harper then spoke but Beka was at a loss as to what she could do to help him. "Can I," Harper paused, catching his breath. "I want to sit up, can you help?" Harper then managed.

Beka immediately assisted him, manoeuvring the human so he was sat in front of her, and resting back against her, his head fell backwards against her shoulder and she could see what looked like a brief expression of relief across his face.

"That's a little better," he managed a smile.

"Just watch were you put her hands," Beka returned, finding a forced smile and knowing his hands were behind his back and currently resting in her lap. It eased her concerns slightly when Harper was able to smirk, and she brought her hands around to rest on his stomach to keep him from toppling over.

"It's ok," Harper offered. "Can't feel my hands right now, or my feet," he added and Beka found herself holding him tighter. "Least they're not beating me," Harper then offered.

"If there's any consolation," Beka returned with a sigh. "Not sure if this isn't worse."

"Trust me, it's not worse," Harper defended. "My body sort of went numb after a few minutes, and it's all just a test, maybe endurance," Harper offered unsure.

"Why are they doing this to you?" Beka then asked.

"Because I made the grade," Harper returned with little enthusiasm. "Hey, go me, I finally make the grade where captain fantastic and meat head failed," he offered, until a coughing fit caused fresh pain, as Harper struggled to regain composure.

Beka held her friend tight, helping him through and when the coughing subsided she reached for the water canister she had brought along. Without hesitation she brought it to Harper's dry lips and encouraged him to take small sips. For a couple of minutes Harper took what he could, and seemed to gleam strength from the liquid, before Beka offered him tiny portions from the rations packs, that could be easily digested.

"Could you rub my back?" Harper then asked, getting comfortable now.

"So long as you don't get any ideas," Beka lightly teased, as she moved one of her hands and eased it under the wrapping still wound around his stomach. With care she gently began to rub and massage the aching muscles, partially restricted by their close proximity, but Harper clearly found the small movements helpful, as he relaxed against her.

"Are you still in pain?" Beka then asked, and Harper shook his head.

"It's more a dull ache now, than pain," Harper spoke quietly.

"That position could break your back, or do serious damage if nothing else," Beka lightly complained.

"I'll be fine," Harper dismissed tiredly.

"The numbness?" Beka argued lightly. "Harper, your body is not designed to be suspended like that, and the immobility alone could kill you."

Harper shifted slightly, so he could look up at Beka. "Why would they do this to just kill me, Beka?" he protested weakly. "No, I've lived in an uber regime for most of my life, hell, I've grown up with this crap," he stated passionately, finding some strength. "They are doing this to test me, to torture me and to weaken me, not kill me, and you know what that tells me?" Harper questioned.

Beka showed her confusion at his sudden spirit. "What does it tell you, if you don't think they are trying to kill you?"

"I think I have something they want, why else would they be trying to destroy me?" Harper offered, still looking up at Beka from his position sitting back against her.

"What could you possibly have that they want?" Beka questioned.

"That I don't know, not for sure," Harper looked away. "I got a feeling it's not my great wit and charm," he added with a smirk. "But I must have something to be picked ahead of Dylan and Rhade."

"The only thing I can think of is your data port," Beka considered.

"That's the only thing?" Harper admonished. "Not my natural genius or my amazing ability to find trouble?" he teased. "You think my only feature that could possibly be of interest to anyone is my data port?"

"It's why I allowed you remain on the Maru all those years back," Beka mocked.

"True, ok, maybe," Harper struggled to recover. "But my data port is useless here, remember?"

"True, so it must be something else," Beka realised. "Maybe your past?"

"My past?" Harper now questioned.

"Your time on Earth dealing with forceful oppressors might appeal to the Gilads, but might also give you an upper hand that they don't want you to have," Beka noted thoughtfully.

"That's a possibility," Harper admitted and then his body tensed.

"Harper?" Beka quickly moved, and returned Harper to his side as his body appeared to completely stiffen. When he failed to respond, Beka cupped his face and tried to get some kind of reaction. "Harper, please, hold on," she stressed and pressed her fingers to his neck to check his pulse, finding it was weak.

"I need him out of these damn restraints!" Beka screamed out, hoping Buz was nearby. "He needs help!"

The door to the room suddenly opened and three men came in carrying equipment. Beka was moved aside, as oxygen was immediately applied via a mask to Harper's face, whilst another person injected some kind of drug into his arm. A few moments later Harper's body relaxed, and he appeared to be responding to the treatment, and finally the men moved away and allowed Beka to return to Harper's side.

"Harper?" Beka spoke with urgency.

"Still good," Harper murmured.

"Don't ever do that again!" Beka snapped, but then held Harper in an embrace with relief.

"Time to let him go," Buz then announced, on walking into the room once again but Beka just glanced at him with disdain. "I'm not joking; we need to continue with his training."

"His training?" Beka snapped. "You're killing him and you told me he had an hour!"

"I lied, but he still lives, breaths, and we saved him, didn't we?" Buz questioned with an arrogant smile.

"You won't ever break him, you hear me?" Beka sneered. "Harper is one hell of a stubborn son of a bitch."

"Hey, don't bring my mother into this," Harper protested wearily, still being held by Beka and then he encouraged Beka to let him go. "It's ok, let me go," he spoke genuinely.

"Harper, I don't want to," Beka admitted softly.

"I don't want you getting on Buz's bad side, I mean look what he does to his friends," Harper attempted to smirk, but instead he could only grimace.

Beka didn't respond, or let Harper go but when Buz's men moved in to pull her away she didn't protest and her eyes remained locked with Harper's, as they repositioned him to be hoisted back into position. Silently they gave each other strength in their stares, as the pulley began to move him up.

"Back," Dylan ordered, and Rhade moved behind him against the stone wall of a regular building. Dylan then looked around the corner and saw a group of men standing around a building, near the edge of Edenia, and the looming perimeter wall towered over them nearby.

"What is it?" Rhade asked.

"Potential," Dylan simply said as he continued to observe. "No windows, and as far as I can see, no doors."

"So why are there people around it?" Rhade asked, catching a glance.

"They are Gilads," Dylan recognised.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I think a couple of them were in the game we broke up earlier," Dylan answered. "One thing, they definitely are not Kenan's men."

"Do you think this could be the place, and that we're not the only ones who have found it?" Rhade asked.

"Possibly," Dylan answered and then stopped, and both men observed the stone in the ground lifting up, and two more people emerging. "Maybe definitely."

TBC