Part 46
Harper simply moved away to the furthest end of the secret place, away from Rhade and Dylan to sit down and think. Putting his head in his hands he knew there was an easy option to fix this current mess, but it scared him too much to even begin to consider. For a long while he ran over many scenarios, avoiding the easy option, all of which ended with him being disowned by everyone, and then ending up stuck in Edenia for life. The more he considered the situation, the more he began to slowly realise why it was possible to believe drugs were involved, this place was so messed up it almost made sense and Harper wondered if he should doubt himself too.
His head was thumping now, and he knew his temperature was high as the fever gripped him, but he desperately tried to move passed it. Fearing it was more than a simple fever now, scared that it was something else, as Dylan had suggested. Feeling lost for a moment, in the despair of what was happening, Harper held himself closer wishing for something, anything to make things right again. He didn't want to fight Dylan or Rhade, and never in his life had he felt so alone.
He was about to make a decision about what he should do when he heard voices above him, and got unsteadily to his feet to listen, holding himself as the fever tried to beat him. One voice above all caught him, and he strained to confirm his initial belief, the voices sounded muffled, and it was more the pitch he could hear than actual words. Harper tried to find something to lift him up higher, but there was nothing in the room that would help him touch the ceiling so he could hear better, it was so high above them.
Harper glanced over to where Dylan and Rhade were in discussion, in two minds whether to disturb them, wondering if they'd even acknowledge him any more, finally Harper decided to speak up.
"Hey listen to this!" Harper called with haste to alert them, whilst considering the notion of climbing onto the Neitzschean shoulders, but even then he probably wouldn't reach the ceiling, not even Dylan on Rhade's shoulders would.
"What?" Dylan asked, now reluctantly moving over to the far end of the room to join Harper.
"I think Beka is in Asa's house, listen," Harper stressed.
"She'll need to take cover too, Asa must have found her and brought her back," Rhade noted, recognising the voice immediately and wishing he could hear it more clearly.
"Let's move away from the hatch, they'll need to move quickly if the riot is still nearby," Dylan gestured, having also heard the voice, and with no doubt to the origin.
"Hang on," Harper stopped them.
"She's leaving," Rhade noted.
"That makes no sense," Dylan joined them, and looked at the other two for a possible explanation.
"Asa's not back yet, I never heard his voice, only Ezra's voice," Harper then concluded. "See, I told you Ezra is not to be trusted, she's not told Beka we're right here, what's the betting that Beka is looking for us?" Harper ranted.
"Harper," Dylan frowned, reminding Harper rapidly of the current status he held with the two bigger men.
"Got a better reason?" Harper confidently asked with hostility as he immediately went on the defensive. "I told you, but oh no you think that's a stupid drug fuelled reason, oh, but hang on, wasn't that reason given to you by a pretty lady, am I surprised you believe her over me, what, I'm not your type?" Harper mocked angrily at Dylan before turning away with frustration.
"Do you have an explanation as to why you've allowed yourself to become a weak minded dependant on drugs idiot?" Rhade countered arrogantly.
"I'm not addicted! Something else I keep telling you!" Harper snapped with anger. "And what further proof do you need not to trust Ezra? We all heard Beka, so if they were truly looking after our best interests then why isn't Beka right here, right now," he asked aggressively, his fever causing his temper to be shorter than normal in the situation. "We're prisoners, I don't care what you say, I know I'm right," he stressed. "And Ezra knew I'd smell a rat, she knows I'm smart, so she must have drugged me back there, or something, and because she got lucky with me having a reaction, she cooked up some stupid story that my nose bleeding means I'm addicted and you two are the idiots for believing her, not me!"
"Why would Asa hold us prisoner?" Dylan asked with his patience thin, his voice was cold, as he stared at Harper with contempt.
Harper considered the question and then was hit suddenly by a returning memory that was so vivid he almost lost his balance. "Crap, I led us into a trap," he spoke almost under his breath, but loud enough for Dylan to catch.
"Explain," Dylan demanded though didn't sound surprised, he almost looked pleased by Harper's confession.
"I remember now, crap, in the forest, I recognise the voice now," Harper couldn't help his reaction, the suddenness of the memory recall being so disorientating that Harper was struggling to believe it. His hand moved up to his collar, and lightly tugged at it. "This collar, Asa put this collar on me! The reason it fits so well is because it's the original one, the one he took off me! It all makes sense now, Asa must be a part of the unknown faction and now it must be their turn to torment me, it all makes sense now!" he panicked, and with his fever he appeared delirious for a moment in his confusion.
Dylan and Rhade could only stare at Harper, not knowing what to believe, before Dylan spoke up. "This is getting ridiculous, Harper, you can't just keep accusing these people who help us," he stated firmly and then gestured to Rhade to move away.
"What?" Harper stressed. "I've just remembered something like that and you're dismissing it?" he stated with shock. "I'm telling the truth, Asa did this to me!"
Neither Dylan or Rhade looked back as they returned to their spot in the safe place, leaving Harper to just stand and wonder how things had so rapidly fallen apart. "You know what?" Harper then yelled. "You're the ones on drugs, because you sure as hell not the people I know, you're wimps, you know that?" Harper challenged angrily. "You're wimps because you're just going to sit and do nothing right? Just like you've done since you got here, well at least I've done stuff to try and make a difference and I'm quitting listening to you guys!" Harper yelled losing all composure, and although he felt slightly dizzy from fever his adrenaline pushed him on.
Grabbing a piece of wood from a pile in the corner, Harper began to use it to make some noise, whilst yelling madly, knowing it would get attention, and there was no way he was just going to just sit and be quiet, not whilst knowing Beka, his only hope was nearby, he had to get to her before Dylan or Rhade had the chance.
"I really thought they'd head to Asa's house," Beka frowned. "Where the hell are they?"
Killah could only shake her head, but she was clearly distracted when she turned back to Beka. "It's too dangerous for you to be out here, you should return to Asa's house for sanctuary," she advised. "I will continue looking."
"I don't want to," Beka stressed, concerned for her friends.
"Please," Killah insisted. "I am unable to protect you, and these men are prepared to kill the aliens, so please."
Beka considered the plea, and she could see genuine concern in Killah's face. "Ok, but promise me you will return," she insisted, and then saw Asa and Zal approaching.
"I will, as soon as I hear something," Killah insisted.
"Beka!" Asa then called and he hurried to her side with Zal. "You must come inside, before someone sees you!"
"I've been telling her the same," Killah noted.
"We will take care of her now," Asa spoke with care and Killah nodded her head, and then for no reason gave Beka some medical supplies.
"Are these for me?" Beka asked, knowing she still had some recovering of her own to do.
"Some are, but they are also for Harper, in case you see him before I do," Killah said, glancing at Asa.
"But," Beka was about to protest but Killah moved away quickly, and disappeared into the night.
"It'll be ok," Zal offered to Beka, putting his arm around her shoulder, and Beka suddenly felt a lot safer, and calmer.
"He's with you, isn't he?" Beka then stated.
"Let's get inside," Asa simply motioned and they hurried inside the building.
On stepping inside they saw Ezra frantic with concern, pacing the room and then they heard the noise from below.
"What the hell is going on?" Asa demanded.
"That stupid little alien won't shut up," Ezra stressed with anger, then glanced at Beka. "Great another one, will she be able to shut him up?"
"That's Harper," Beka recognised the voice now, and then looked at Ezra. "You told me he wasn't here."
"You were stood next to a Gilad, what did you expect, I was protecting him!" Ezra spat. "For what it was worth, he then starts up like this, how can we protect these aliens if they do this in return?" she gestured to the noise Harper was making.
"Killah wanted to help Harper," Beka countered.
"He's beyond help," Ezra snapped. "And Gilads don't know the meaning of the word."
"What do you mean he's beyond help?" Zal asked, still holding Beka.
"Stupid idiot is addicted to the Bantra plant, isn't he," Ezra stated coldly. "I want him out of this house, I won't have an addict in here, I'm sorry but you know my feelings on this, Asa."
"He's addicted?" Asa responded. "He's only been here a couple of weeks," he added with surprise.
"What do you mean addicted?" Beka looked between Asa and Ezra, needing an explanation but neither offered one, as Zal held her closer.
"This can't be true, I'd know if it was," Zal offered. "I've spent a large amount of time with him and never suspected," Zal simply said. "So how is this possible?"
"When I gave him some smelling salts to clear his head of his fever he reacted," Ezra explained. "Like an addict would, and it sent him crazy, like an addict too."
"A nose bleed?" Asa asked and Ezra nodded her head. "And will you hurry up and do something to shut him up, he's out of control and he's going to wake the whole neighbourhood up if we're not careful!" she stressed still hearing Harper, and she was clearly on edge by the whole situation. "It's bad enough you've brought these aliens here with what's going on but even worse that they are jeopardising our safety, our home as well!" she screamed and left the room.
"No," Beka began shaking her head. "Harper is not addicted to anything," she stressed. "He's not that stupid."
"If his nose bled when he was given the smelling salts," Asa began to explain.
"No," Beka continued to shake her head. "He must have something else, his nose bled the other day too, so maybe he just has a weakness?"
"A weakness as caused by drugs?" Asa commented.
"No!" Beka snapped.
"Buz, it has to be," Zal then spoke up with fear and Beka moved out of his hold to face him. "Buz has done it before, whilst holding people captive he's exposed them to the Bantra plant."
Beka was suddenly reminded of painful times, as she remembered her own uncle Sid exposing her to flash, and getting her addicted against her will. She looked away and felt nothing but anger that the same thing could have happened to Harper, and she hadn't noticed. She remembered Harper's nose bleeding after the girls had paid him a visit, and she made the connection.
"Tarah might have given him an additional dose, maybe that's why his nose was bleeding the other day, it was just after she'd been with him," Beka spoke with realisation and some fear.
"Tarah was with Harper?" Zal showed his confusion, and then his jaw dropped. "So it's true?" he offered with surprise. "I thought she was just spreading rumours, I never thought it was true, but if he was drugged it explains a lot," he then spoke with sudden seriousness.
"Harper did nothing with Tarah, the rumours are just that," Beka snapped. "I stopped it before Tarah got too far," she added, realising she had inadvertently told Zal about what had happened, after telling Harper she wouldn't. "Please, don't tell Harper I told you."
"You think he'd prefer me to believe the lies?" Zal questioned.
"Just don't mention it," Beka returned.
"Look I have to shut Harper up, Ezra's right he's going to mess everything up if he keeps this up," Asa stated. "And if he is an addict, then this won't be easy," he added.
"Harper is not an addict, I don't care what you say; I'd know if he was!" Beka stressed. "He's not that stupid and never has been, please, don't judge him."
"Beka's right, and so were you," Zal offered to Asa, confusing them both. "It takes a lot longer than just two weeks to become a full blown addict that suffers nosebleeds, no matter how much Buz might have exposed him too, it's just too soon."
Asa nodded his head, but he was clearly unsure and Harper was not helping matters by continuing to make noise that was risking everybody's safety. Asa moved to the side and easily lifted the heavy stone, revealing the basement below and immediately they could hear Harper yelling insults.
"What the hell has gotten into him?" Beka demanded, knowing this wasn't normal for Harper, sensing he was agitated. "Is he down there on his own?" she feared, knowing Harper hated being locked up alone, with the fears from his past.
"No, Dylan and Rhade are with him," Zal offered.
"Then why are they letting him get himself worked up like this? I have to go down there!" Beka fussed but Asa was blocking her way.
"Let me quieten him down, we can't afford for him to be heard right now," Asa advised and moved the ladder down into the gap that now existed in the floor. They heard the wood that Harper had been using to make some noise clatter to the ground and then saw the ladder jolt, as Asa began to descend. "Harper, get off the ladder!" Asa barked.
Beka tried to move forward again, but Zal pulled her back and she knew Asa needed as much room as he could get, as he battled to continue going down, knowing Harper was trying to go up. Beka was about to assure Harper that it was ok, when she saw Asa bring his leg up and then sharply down, followed by a dull thud of someone landing on the floor.
"What the hell!" Beka moved out of Zal's hold, but this time he offered little resistance as they both moved to the edge of the hole and saw Asa reaching the bottom, and Harper clutching his head in a ball on the floor.
"Harper!" Beka called down and began to climb down the ladder herself, with Zal moving to follow but could only watch as Asa grabbed hold of Harper and pushed him into the wall, with his hand gripping the human's neck pushing his collar up painfully against his jaw.
"You shut the hell up!" Asa screamed into Harper's face. "We're trying to protect you!"
Harper was struck with fear as he looked into Asa's face, his own hands trying to remove the tight grip Asa had on him. Asa pushed him back again, to make his point clear as Harper struggled to breath, his face getting redder.
"Stay over there and keep quiet, you hear me?" Asa demanded loudly, before discarding Harper by pushing him to the floor.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Beka demanded angrily, immediately going to Harper's side and cradling him protectively.
"It's the only way to deal with them, don't make a fuss over him it'll only encourage him!" Asa demanded, his actions gesturing to Beka to move away from Harper but she didn't move.
Asa shook his head. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you," he offered, but in defiance of his orders he saw Zal move to support Beka, and in turn Harper.
"What is going on?" Zal had to ask, seeing Dylan and Rhade stood with Asa and then seeing Harper exhausted and sick with fever in Beka's arms. "Why did you let him get so worked up?" Zal asked towards Dylan and Rhade.
"We couldn't stop him, every time we tried to get near to him he threatened us with the plank of wood he was waving about," Rhade stated.
"Harper only defends himself when he feels threatened," Beka said in a low voice, concerned by Harper's silence now, he had more or less collapsed into her arms and was now pretty much unresponsive. "What did you do to him to make him fear you both?"
"Nothing," Dylan returned. "But we found out the truth," he then added.
"You think he's an addict too?" Zal realised, almost wanting to laugh. "I thought you were his friends."
"We are, and we're trying to help!" Dylan returned abruptly.
"Does this look like someone you've tried to help?" Beka demanded, gesturing to the fallen man in her hold.
"Man, it really was as easy as Buz predicted," Zal then offered incredulously. "I never believed it, but he said he could make you all turn against each other, that he sensed weakness in you all."
"Well you do know Buz best out of all of us, I wouldn't be surprised if you've already told him where to find us," Rhade stated arrogantly.
"And now turn on me, again," Zal mocked.
"Dylan," Beka spoke up calmly now. "You really believe Harper is addicted to some drug? That all of us would miss this development and that it would happen so quickly?"
"I know what I saw," Dylan answered.
"You saw him suffer a nosebleed," Beka returned.
"That's all he needed to see," Asa remarked. "I'm sorry but this changes a lot, you heard Ezra, she's unwilling to have an addict in the house and with good reason, you don't know what that stuff does to a person, Beka," Asa explained. "You saw what he was like, ranting and raving, addicts have no control, and they become violent and unpredictable."
"Even more reason to believe he's not addicted, he's not been dangerous to have around," Zal protested. "I know what that stuff does, you know I do," Zal stressed to Asa.
"I know about your dad, yes, Zal," Asa answered solemnly. "Maybe in these aliens is not as bad a reaction that we see in Edenians."
"Harper admitted he lost control when he killed that man," Dylan remembered. "I have never seen him fight like that, enough to kill a man and injure two others to the point they couldn't get up."
"How'd you think he survived on Earth, Dylan?" Beka countered. "By singing peace songs and organising day trips?" she mocked.
"You didn't see Harper that night, Beka, he was like a man possessed," Rhade stated. "Or on something," he added knowingly.
"No," Zal shook his head. "I know Harper isn't addicted, he might be vulnerable to it if Buz did expose him to Bantra, but he's not an addict."
"The fits, Beka, it would explain them too," Dylan then offered.
"The fits have already been explained!" Beka argued. "His port is faulty, you know this, why are you now questioning this?"
Harper began to move, and he pushed himself up slightly from Beka's hold and looked around. Seeing Beka for what seemed to be the first time, he slowly smiled and then embraced her. "Beka!"
"Seamus," Beka returned the embrace with a smile, happy to see Harper focused again.
Harper suddenly looked panicked and emotional as he pushed back again and looked into Beka's eyes. "Dylan and Rhade have seriously lost it, Beka, they don't trust me anymore, we have to get away from here, Asa isn't the good guy we thought he was," he stressed madly, the fever still gripping him.
"Beka, remember my warning," Asa simply spoke up and Harper spun around, seeing Dylan, Rhade and Asa stood behind him.
Quickly the human got to his feet, and Beka and Zal both got up and stood either side of him. "You!" Harper sneered and then gestured to his collar. "You did this to me, you put this damn collar on me!" he yelled. "You're holding us prisoner! Beka," Harper turned back to Beka. "We have to get out of here."
"Listen," Asa then snapped and grabbed hold of Harper before Beka or Zal could stop him as he pushed the human against the wall again. "You will stay down here and not leave until you're clean, and stop ranting like a mad man, you'll be doing nobody any favours in the state your in, you weak minded fool!" Asa yelled into Harper's face.
"Get the hell away from him!" Beka demanded, and had retrieved the plank of wood Harper had used, to offer as a weapon.
"Beka, this is the only way to deal with addicts," Asa stated. "Trust me."
"That part is true," Zal agreed, then shrugged. "But in this case, Harper isn't an addict, as I keep trying to tell you," and he stood next to Beka, before glancing at Dylan and Rhade. "And if you two had any sense you'd believe me and stop this harassment of your friend," he stressed.
Harper remained in Asa's strong hold pressed against the wall, looking back into Asa's steely eyes, as if they were those of a stranger. Deep down he knew what he had to do, but still he was reluctant. His head swam and the fever weakened his resolve, he just wanted to lie down and pretend that this was all a very bad dream but he was too worked up to even close his eyes, as adrenaline pumped through him. But they were getting nowhere, and Harper soon conceded that he couldn't bear to lose the trust of Dylan, Rhade or even Asa, and he knew what he had to do. He managed to look past Asa and see the concern in Beka's eyes, and it pushed him enough to finally relent.
"My nose bleeds because when I was on Earth," Harper began in Asa's hold still, finding his breath that suddenly seemed to have left him, as the room fell silent to his words. "I was an addict, ok?" he revealed with a heavy heart. "But I'm clean, and have been for years, but that stuff must have triggered this reaction, the nose bleeds, ever since I quit I've been vulnerable to nose bleeds, ok?" Harper admitted with a sigh to a silent room. "I'm not addicted to Bantra but Zal's right; I'm probably vulnerable as a result of my past addiction, added to whatever exposure I've had to this stuff since I've been here."
The silence still filled the room, and Harper's confession had been spoken so calmly and with such precision that all notion that he was out of control quickly vanished. No one could find the words to speak, and it almost killed Harper to see Beka look away, and finally he closed his eyes to hide his pain.
"Let me go," Harper spoke quietly, almost with shame, opening his eyes again to look at Asa who simply removed the hold he had on Harper.
"Sorry," Asa offered, realising he had reacted blindly to a situation that had long been out of hand, but Harper didn't acknowledge his apology and just pushed past him.
"I know somewhere we can go," Zal offered and Harper briefly nodded his head to accept Zal's offer, as they headed to the ladder.
"Harper, wait up, I'm coming with you," Beka then stated, and Harper paused to look at her before briefly smiling when he saw she was able to look him in the eye again.
Beka waited as Harper and Zal began to climb the ladder, before looking at Dylan and Rhade. "You coming?"
"Do you want us to?" Dylan asked unsure.
"Your choice," Beka stated. "But you both know it makes sense to stick together, and if you chose to stay, then it's your choice."
Rhade glanced at Dylan who didn't move and then he looked at Beka. "It's dangerous out there, people are angry and willing to attack us, you shouldn't go at all, and that's the sensible choice."
Beka nodded her head to agree. "I'm not the one who needs to be persuaded of that, am I?" she then stated.
"Harper is welcome to stay here," Asa countered.
"Now you believe he's not an addict like you thought?" Beka countered angrily. "That's not what you were saying just a few moments ago," Beka added. "Did any of you actually give Harper a chance to explain before you accused him?" she then asked, and received blank stares. Beka sighed. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves, you all know Harper is your best hope of getting out of here, and now look what's happened," she shook her head, and then looked up to where Harper and Zal were waiting for her. "Give me a few minutes," she offered and climbed up the ladder to speak to the other two.
TBC