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Part 47
On reaching the main floor of Asa's house Beka, having climbed up from the basement, suddenly felt herself being hugged and although a little startled, Beka soon returned it.
"I'm sorry," Harper simply said, as he clung to Beka.
"It's ok, Seamus," Beka assured him, as he hid his face away from her. "Come on, come up for air and tell me what happened."
"I'm so glad you're ok, I don't know what I would have done," Harper simply continued with emotion, and she remembered that he hadn't seen her since she was beaten by those men.
"Ok, come on, Seamus enough, look at me," Beka demanded softly, though inside she could feel Harper's fear and it tugged at her that she had caused this reaction, realising how much she must have scared Harper. "I'm ok, just a little sore, everything is ok, come on," she continued until finally he pulled away and looked at her, and she couldn't believe how bad he looked.
"My god, Harper," Beka stated, as she used the back of her hand to feel his clammy burning skin. "Sit down, before you fall down," Beka requested and Zal assisted in helping Harper to sit down.
"I'm fine," Harper responded wearily. "But I'm not staying here."
"Here is exactly where you're staying, it's too dangerous out there with you like this," Beka stated firmly, and was thankful that Harper didn't protest, then realised it was because he lacked the energy needed to protest. Beka moved to where she had left the provisions Killah had given her, and immediately used the injector the old woman had prepared on Harper.
"What's that?" Harper asked, breathing hard.
"Something that should hopefully counteract your illness," Beka responded.
"When did you become a doctor?" Harper wearily asked with confusion.
"When did you start questioning me?" Beka returned with a smile and Harper backed off. "Just trust me, ok?"
"Always," Harper agreed and already felt his head clearing slightly. "You're not mad at me, are you?"
"About what?" Beka casually asked as she continued to sort through the things Killah had given her, some assortment of medicines and healing gels.
"I just admitted to being an addict," Harper reminded her, and looked away with shame.
"An ex-addict," Beka stated. "We have one more thing in common, right?"
"Yeah," Harper shrugged with less enthusiasm. "I never told you that before, I really should have, you shouldn't have found out like that."
Beka continued assessing Harper's illness for a moment before speaking. "Was it during your rebel days on Earth?" Beka asked calmly.
Harper continued to look away. "Yeah, I guess," he answered glumly. "I got hooked on this stuff called EZee, no idea what it was made from but some ubers traded it on the streets," Harper explained quietly, and looked at Zal who already seemed fascinated by the tale. "Pretty sure whatever it was, it wasn't supposed to be inhaled but the thrill of the ride was amazing when you did," Harper partially grinned with the memories.
"How old were you when you got hooked?" Beka asked, as she began to use some of the gel on Harper's hands, seeing how raw and bruised they still were.
"About twelve," Harper shrugged unsure exactly.
"What sort of things did you trade? I thought the ubers were the ones who kept you prisoner?" Zal asked intrigued.
"At first it was little things like tipping the ubers off about collaborators that maybe were double crossing them," Harper admitted, a cold expression coming over him. "Then tipping them off about anything that other kludges were doing that they could catch them in the act doing."
"They used EZee to control the kludges," Beka figured without accusation, distracted by her efforts in applying the various medicines to Harper. "Get enough addicted to tell tales, and do their job," she realised.
Harper was obviously shamed, as he looked down at the ground. "I just thought so long as I didn't snitch on my own, it was ok, I thought I was in control, I was just a freaking kid," he shrugged troubled now. "Then the need grew, and they were asking more of me, to the point I was more than willing, just to get my dose," he sighed. "Do I really need to say anymore because I'm not proud of any of this," he then spoke with agitation.
"Are you addicted to this Bantra plant stuff?" Beka then asked, using her hand to bring Harper's face up to look her in the eyes.
"No," Harper stated assuredly.
"Sure?" Beka checked.
"I don't feel a need, if that's what you mean," Harper explained. "It does weird stuff to me, I admit, but once that's passed I don't feel anything, maybe a little weird for a while, like I'm drunk," he added.
"After that incident with the girls I thought you were drunk," Beka remembered.
"Beka," Harper hissed, glancing at Zal.
"Oh," Beka looked down now. "I accidentally told him what happened, sorry," she offered.
"Tough break," Zal simply said. "You know Tarah is saying," he continued until Harper cut him off.
"I don't care what Tarah is saying," Harper snapped, and brought his hands to his head and rubbed his temples. "Beka, we have to get off this stupid planet," he then stated.
"I know," Beka agreed, sensing all of Harper's pain, both physically and mentally.
"Junia said she can help me, and you know I'm willing to trust her now, because I just want to get out of here, away from this damn place," Harper stressed. "I can't take these mind games anymore."
"You can trust Junia," Zal supported. "She's one of the good ones, I promise."
"Well let's go find her," Harper then made to move, but Beka prevented him.
"Harper, I'll happily order Zal to get Junia, and bring her back here if you do one thing for me?" Beka requested.
"Beka you don't have to ask, just say it," Harper returned fondly.
"I want us to stick together, and that means remaining here with Dylan and Rhade," Beka stated. "Let Zal who can move freely around the city right now find Junia, and then hopefully by morning things might have calmed down enough for us to continue with our plans and give you enough time to rest and beat this fever."
Harper noticeably backed down with Beka's request, and didn't respond immediately. "They don't trust me," Harper simply said after a few moments silence.
"None of us are thinking straight right now, Harper, but one thing is certain, we need to stick together," Beka held Harper's hand. "Seamus, I know you're more than able to walk away but in this instance, it's the wrong choice, we can't abandon Dylan or Rhade," she frowned. "As tempting as it is, they both need us right now, even if they're too pigheaded to realise this, you have the brains to get us out of here and I have the ship," Beka smiled.
"I know," Harper conceded trying to lighten up. "I'm just not sure I can actually deal with them right now, not after," Harper looked up and lightly shook his head. "You didn't hear them, they ganged up on me, Beka, made me feel like," Harper had to stop himself before his emotions took over. "I said some shitty things to Dylan."
"And probably with good reason if they were accusing you of being an addict, and risking their mission," Beka reasoned. "But Harper, they picked a real bad time to turn on you, after everything you've been through and this fever kicking in," Beka sighed, her hand absently stroking Harper's upper back tenderly. "Harper, this wasn't your fault, and they both know that so if you go down there now, they'll be the ones feeling more uncomfortable so enjoy it because they were in the wrong, not you, for once," Beka teased.
Harper managed a brief smile, coming around to Beka's thinking and she gestured to Zal to go and find Junia, and the Edenian soon left them. Harper looked up at Beka, and took in her still healing features, battered and bruised.
"I thought I'd lost you," Harper admitted, with some hesitation.
"Now you know how it feels to know you," Beka returned brightly, and Harper couldn't help the smile.
"Ok, point taken," Harper lightened up slightly. "I don't like staying here, but for you, I'll stay," he finally confirmed. "But don't expect me to play nice to Asa or his wife," he added.
"What was that about, Harper?" Beka asked. "When you said Asa did something to you?"
"The collar, I suddenly had a flashback and it was Asa who put this thing on me," Harper explained. "When I was in the woods, tied to that fricking tree, I recognised his voice."
"He did?" Beka couldn't hide her shock. "Why?"
There was a sound of a female clearing her throat and they both looked over to see Ezra stood in the doorway. "He did it for Harper's own good, not that we expect any thanks," she stated.
"Let me guess, it was your idea," Harper snapped back, and to Beka's surprise. "Listen I haven't said a word, and still you're punishing me because you can't stay faithful!"
Ezra noticeably panicked, knowing her husband was in the house and she quickly closed the distance between herself and Harper, as she rapidly knelt beside the sick human and grabbed his shirt.
"If you tell him anything, anything at all," Ezra hissed under her voice but soon felt a hand on her own shoulder.
"Hey," Beka pushed Ezra away from Harper, and both ladies got to their feet. "Hands off his new shirt," Beka warned. "You got any threats to exchange you exchange them with me, ok?" Beka stated standing tall and matching Ezra's height.
"Whilst you're in my house," Ezra began.
"Doesn't give you license to start threatening my friend," Beka interrupted standing her ground. "Now he says you're two timing your husband, at least that's the assumption I'm making so I don't think that gives you much ground to be making demands of us, does it?"
Ezra took some controlling breaths. "Of course you're welcome to stay as long as need be," she reluctantly stated.
"Now tell us why your loving husband put this collar back on Harper," Beka instructed.
"To protect him," Ezra repeated.
"How, exactly?"
Ezra glared at Beka, before glancing at Harper. "It was only a matter of time before Kenan figured it out," Ezra stated. "That what we believed was a myth was actually possible, that a being could have one of those silver disks attached to them."
"Kenan should have worked it out the day he couldn't freaking remove it!" Harper complained, and absently rubbed the area around his neck that was still sore after Asa's rough treatment earlier.
"Kenan put that collar on you to hide the truth from his people, its why he quickly had you taken away from the crowds so they couldn't see it, couldn't see a threat to his power, but some did, and word spread quickly," Ezra explained. "When you arrived here in this house we didn't want the truth covered, we wanted people to see the possibility of genuine power to overthrow Kenan. So we took the collar off but that made things worse, the Gilads then became interested and took the first opportunity they had to take you, when a myth suddenly becomes real we should have known what our actions would do."
"Yeah wasn't difficult for them to catch me after you threw me out of here though was it?" Harper sneered, and he caught Beka's questioning glance. "Because I'd caught her with her boyfriend," Harper explained.
"So if you hadn't have thrown him out onto the streets, the Gilads wouldn't have found him?" Beka realised, and Ezra looked away. "You told us he had freaked out and just run," Beka remembered.
"I was hardly going to say he caught me in bed with a man who wasn't my husband, when my husband was stood right there!" Ezra stressed.
There was suddenly another clearing of a throat, and all three turned to see Asa standing behind them, having come up from the basement. "I was just coming up to check if Harper was still here," Asa quietly explained.
"Asa," Ezra then panicked and moved to her husband's side but he sidestepped away.
"Go into the back room, I'll speak to you about this privately, later," Asa calmly motioned and Ezra didn't object, and she walked out of the room looking ready to cry. "Harper," Asa then spoke and Harper suddenly felt a chill. "I wish to apologise for my earlier actions, Beka was right, I should have at least offered you the chance to explain, and I shouldn't have acted like I did."
"Ezra was explaining why you put this thing back on me," Harper stated, ignoring the apology and tugging at the collar, but then grimacing as it caught his dataport.
"And don't say to protect him, we've already heard that, we want to know why," Beka moved closer to Asa.
"If the controls for this cities defences do still exist then Harper could be the only one who can control them," Asa explained. "The growing unease of this city with each day, the mayhem, we're no longer ready for the possibility of our only defences coming down, things have gone too far, this wasn't how things were supposed to have gone."
"I've heard about the myths and fairy tales," Beka returned.
"I haven't," Harper offered with surprise, and confusion.
"Asa, just tell me why," Beka offered, gesturing to Harper to stay silent and he didn't argue. "If this isn't how things were supposed to go, then tell me what you were expecting of us, of Harper?"
"We were expecting hope," Asa simply said.
"There's a queue, get in line," Harper remarked and brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them.
"The fact remains I put that collar back on him because the way things stand, the war that was then threatening, and is now a reality," Asa gestured with passion. "I can't let one man have that much power, this is my city, not his and I don't want him getting anywhere near those controls, and I'm not alone in this belief," Asa admitted. "This is Edenia's war and its only right that we resolve it, Harper may well have the power but he is but a myth, and we will not allow ourselves to become simple pawns again to his kind, only to be deserted again like last time to live without control over our own city," he stated firmly.
"And there I was thinking we were friends," Harper sneered with disinterest.
"So you put the collar on him to kill any hope he has?" Beka questioned. "And effectively trapping us here?"
"You are only four people and you will adapt to life here, we're talking about a whole population here being exposed defenceless against the horrors of this universe that Harper himself has only been too eager to explain!" Asa stressed, and Beka looked down for a moment as Asa words hit home.
"He's right," Harper now spoke up. "If we lower the shield defences, then who knows what's waiting up there, we can't be sure Andromeda is the only one up there."
Beka turned to Harper. "Andromeda, the Commonwealth, they are up there Harper and we have to trust them to deal with that, and let us focus on getting out of here."
Harper looked away now, in thought before Asa spoke up again. "If the controls still exist, Harper is the only one who can operate them," he stated. "If he leaves, then he'll leave us defenceless."
Beka and Harper now looked at Asa. "What are you saying?" Beka asked.
"I will do what I have to do to protect this city, my home," Asa confirmed. "As will a great number of my fellow Edenians."
Harper glanced at Beka, and both shared the same fear. "You can't keep me here," Harper stated. "If I want to leave I will."
"I don't think you truly appreciate what you might be," Asa now approached Harper, who remained huddled on the floor, recovering from the fever. The Edenian easily towered over him now with intimidation. "I'm protecting you, from yourself."
"I don't need protecting," Harper sneered defiantly, avoiding Asa's stare.
"If you operate those shields, do you really know what will happen to you?" Asa asked with interest.
"He'll become feared, respected, and he'll gain more power that anyone else here," Beka answered calmly.
"I will?" Harper looked a little confused.
"Ignore what I just said," Beka aimed at Harper, who looked more bemused than before, as Beka turned back to Asa. "That's what you're scared of."
"And rightly so," Asa returned. "You see what your presence in this city has reduced it to, now imagine that with many more of your kind, we are not ready for this fight," Asa stressed. "We've never had to fight!" he added and then sighed. "And do you really think that after so many years of no obvious power, that people here will just accept Harper? Does he even want that power? Look what it's already done to him simply based on the suspicion that he has it."
Harper wearily got to his feet. "Ok, enough, clearly I've missed a page or ten," Harper snapped and already he looked perkier after receiving the drugs to counteract the fever. "Asa, I want out, I have no great desires on your city so stop stressing."
"You're missing the point," Asa returned.
"I said enough, Harper is speaking now!" Harper snapped, and then composed himself, realising his temper was short. "I'm not dumb, I knew that my port must have sent fear in your people for a reason, and I'm guessing you somehow think it gives me the power to operate the shields, well that's a good deduction except you're all missing one very important fact," Harper took a deep breath. "My port doesn't fricking work properly, not since Kenan ordered that stupid metal to be poured into it!" Both Beka and Asa were silent, as Harper turned and moved away. "Which means, we could be stuck here whether we like it or not," Harper concluded. "And no one can help us."
"Harper, we will leave," Beka assured him, quickly regaining her focus.
"How?" Harper asked. "We don't even know if these controls exist and if they do," Harper was interrupted by Beka.
"Harper, when have you ever failed to get something working, port or no port?" Beka asked calmly.
"But," Harper gestured to Asa. "You," he then stopped knowing he didn't have an answer.
"We don't know, so let's not give up until we do," Beka stated firmly, with both hands on Harper's shoulders, and then she brought him into an embrace, seeing that he needed the added assurance.
"I can't let you risk the safety of this city," Asa reminded them.
"Fine, do what you have to do but don't complain when we do what we have to do in return," Beka stressed.
There was suddenly an eruption of shouts from outside and moments later Beka and Harper had to dive for cover as firebombs hit the side of the house, and gun shots were heard.
"Ezra!" Asa called out. "We have to retreat, before they get inside!"
Ezra hurried through, and Harper caught her cold expression and he could see she'd been crying. They all quickly descended into the basement, as fire bombs began to fly into the house. As soon as they were all down, Asa moved the stone to seal them all in.
"Hopefully they'll assume we escaped out back, but we all need to remain silent," Asa hissed, and without word they all quickly found a spot to sit the attack out. Harper found himself next to Beka and he instinctively moved into her hold, as they heard footsteps up above, and various shouts of Kenan's supporters gesturing a direction where they might have fled, some Edenians stayed behind to trash the house, and the gathered people stuck in the basement knew it was going to be a long night.
TBC