Author's Note - Right guys here's the next chapter and expect a quick update as I have the next one all lined up for you.
Chapter Nine - Capture
The Mercenaries led their captives through the barren wasteland of Sera, stopping to refill their canteens at a trickle of a stream. Each one taking their time to drink in the refreshment whilst their hostages watched with parched lips.
"Any chance you can fill ours up?" Miles asked, offering out his own canteen with his one good hand.
One Nightmare watched him thoughtfully before taking the container and filling with water. Then as he handed it to Miles he upended it over the acrid dirt at his boots, tossing the canister to the floor afterwards.
"Filthy COG," he spat, "You like to play with fire so much, no fucking water for you."
Miles stared back speechless, he glanced back at the others who silently watched the confrontation. Cam shuffled beside him on his bindings to place a hand on his companion's shoulder.
"Yer okay?" He asked quietly.
Miles shook his head indicating his broken arm which he held close to him in protection, "I'm a big boy Cam, I'm not going to show them my weakness. But it's the pain that's getting to me."
Wilks trudged to a halt, calling out to the Leader to alert him, "Hey."
The Leader stopped abruptly.
"One of my men is injured, he needs medical attention. If you can allow our medic to fix him up I would be grateful."
The Leader stalked down the line, eying up his prisoners till he reached Miles taking in his injuries. Eventually he indicated for one of his own men to attend, he carefully watched as his medic fixed Miles' arm into a sling and gave him a dose of some foul smelling liquid followed by a slug of water. As he returned back to the head of his group he gave Wilks a look before punching him heavily in his side. Wilks doubled over, stifling back a yelp as the Leader reeled him in by his chains till they were face to face.
"No one gives the orders except me. You're my prisoner now, act like one,"
The Nightmares continued walking, refusing to stop, rest or eat. None of them seemed to falter during their journey. Every so often they would pass across a meat jerky, each member chomping down and slurping the sustenance in as they followed it down with a gulp of water from their drinking canisters.
Aidie watched them chatter to each other as they ate and drank, they yanked on her binds to urge her forward as she had dropped back to the ends of her ties. Her stomach churned in contempt and she stumbled over her exhausted feet landing in a heap on the ground. The Nightmares cackled at her as they kept pulling her through the dirt face first. She rolled over onto her back and planted her feet heavily onto the ground to prevent them from humiliating her any further.
"Get up bitch!" one man rounded on her, heaving her to her feet and smacking her hard across the face.
She took the punishment and leered back at him with a look of contempt, spitting out a mixture of blood and saliva at his feet. His face flashed anger as he charged at her again, this time she was ready for him and one chained arm caught the blow as she clocked him quickly in the face with her own fist. He staggered backwards in shock, balling his fists ready to go at her again just as the Leader called him to stop.
"Chrysto, leave it. You can play with her when you get her back to base."
"The bitch killed my brother," he responded sharply, glaring back at her, "I need some retribution."
"And you can do it when we get back to base," the Leader dropped to the back of the group to walk beside Chrysto, taking hold of Aidie's binds and heaving her along with him, "we'll keep her for our own entertainment rather than donate her for the Professor's cause. It's been a while since we've had a pretty young thing to play with."
The Nightmares stopped at the base of a hill where a huge metal door was fitted into the landscape. As the Leader commenced unlocking the structure the Nightmares fixed hoods over the captives' heads.
Wilks resisted, "why now? What could there possibly be that you don't want us to see after leading us all the way here?"
The Leader grabbed the hood from one of his men and strapped it tightly over Wilks' head. He pulled the Gears so they were bunched close together, attaching the binds to each captive so they were connected to each other.
"Keep together and don't linger. There are monsters in the darkness,"
A cold unnerving stench filled the nostrils of each captive as they were led through the dark tunnels. They blindly felt their way into the darkness shuffling alongside each other. A sound of screaming echoed from somewhere in the distance, bouncing off the walls funnelling towards them. Even the Nightmares had gone silent as they made their way through the passageway. As they reached the foot of a flight of steps, each prisoner blindly edged their way upwards, feeling along the wall as they went until Wilks was the first to fall in a heap at the top of them. There were more voices now coming from nearby and the room seemed warmer.
Wilks found himself relying on his other senses, the sound of more men laughing in a larger room as they were led through it to a winding set of steps, this time he was able to feel out a banisters to aide him upwards. There was a sweet smell of fruit in the air and the unmistakable scent of men and meat.
He was the first one to be unhooded as they stripped him of his weapons, unchained him and thrust him into a cell overlooking a huge hall. He whirled back on himself, gripping the heavy metal bars to watch as they bundled each member of his squad into tiny cells. The Leader returned to Wilks, his mask still the only one in place now, his identity hidden from view.
"I'll send someone to look at your injured soldier shortly," he spoke gruffly, "sit tight and enjoy."
"What, watch as you debauch your way through the women from our village?"
"Jealous?"
"You sicken me,"
"You should count yourself lucky that I haven't chosen to keep that pretty whore of yours downstairs with my men. She'd keep us satisfied for hours,"
Wilks lunged out suddenly from the bars, grabbing hold of the Leader by the scruff of his neck and reeling him towards him. For a moment the Leader struggled, the whites of his eyes glinting from behind the hideous mask he hid behind. The men downstairs alerted at the sudden commotion were on their feet rushing upwards towards them.
"You fucking touch her and they'll be cleaning bits of you off that hallway floor for days. I'll kill you in such a brutal way, you would have wished never to have touched any of my family and I don't care how many of your men it takes to peal me off you!" He seethed between clenched teeth as they forcibly ripped Wilks away from their Leader.
He stepped back panting, momentarily humiliated at being outwitted by the captured soldier. Wilks' eyes flashed anger as he stalked to the back of his cell and stood watching him.
"Hmm we seem to have hit a nerve there gents," the Leader announced to his men as he plucked himself from their grip to approach him, tapping the bars with the blade of his sword, "watch it soldier I know your weakness."
Wilks snarled from the back of the cell, watching their every moves carefully as they left them in the darkness.
"I don't know why you're doing this?" The Leader demanded as he followed the Commander down the stone staircase towards the Professor's chambers.
She whirled round, twisting her fingers around her long hair to plait it back, and gave him a smile.
"Look at it this way, we need someone inside if those Gears are going to attempt a breakout. Those girls were so frantic when we led them back they never even noticed me. I'll gain their trust and they'll openly give me the information we need, plus if they do escape I can play a pretty convincing victim."
"What about Lem and the Professor? What's going to stop them from picking you as their next subject?" he asked giving her a concerned look, "I understand Lem I know him, but the Professor makes me nervous, I don't know his motives."
She reached out and placed a hand on his intact cheek, "You really need to be more trusting."
He took hold of her hand and kissed her palm lightly, "You are the only one I trust."
"Well then trust me on this. There's an empty cage next to the captives, it's the perfect opportunity to find out if they have any plans to escape. You leave the Professor to me, I'll be as safe as can be expected." she placed a hand on the door handle and braced herself, "Now punch me and make this look believable."
The Commander had arranged for Lem to bring food up to the Gears, Angelo skittered wildly beside him as he lugged up a box for the captives. Once he reached the top of the staircase he let Angelo loose from his leash so he could amble along the balcony to his heart's content. He could hear Angelo scampering in the darkness as he lit the first lamplight at the top of the stairs. Movement in the cells caused him to cheerily call out to the captives to alert them of a friendly presence.
"Hi, I bring food and water, don't worry I don't work for those brutes downstairs I represent the Professor. The gentleman who owns this building,"
Two hands gripped the bars of the first cell where the lamplight picked out the scars that arched down Wilks' face. Lem took a momentary step backwards before swinging the light further to adjust his view.
"Interesting establishment that keeps cells above a grand hall, especially this long into the Locust wars," Wilks growled from his cell.
"The cells are for your safety and ours," there was something about the soldier's face that reminded Lem of someone he used to know. Surely it wasn't possible this was the same man.
"What are you doing in those tunnels that seem to make those monstrosities downstairs fear you so much?" Wilks asked as he accepted a beaker of water from Lem.
Angelo hurled himself towards Lem in a flurry, tugging on his leg before stopping momentarily to stare back at Wilks. He awkwardly pulled himself to a full stand and sized himself up against the captive behind the bars. Blinking at him then scampered away again.
"What was that?"
"That's Angelo. He's the reason I'm here. I'm trying to find a cure for him, he's turning Lambent,"
"Angelo?... I know that name." Wilks drew himself up against the bars to reveal himself fully to Lem, the indicator lights on his armour depicting his features a little clearer for him, "did you once live in a Compound a few hundred miles from Jacinto until it sank into the Hollows."
Lem frowned taking a step back in uncertainty, "how... how do you know that?"
"I helped get you to Jacinto,"
The realisation hit like a bullet, "Sergeant Wilks?"
The soldier smiled back at him, "Hey kid."
"What about Aidan?" Lem uttered her name softly, "The last I saw of her was back in Jacinto when she left us. Did she ever find you?"
"You should look down the line," Wilks indicated to the rest of his squad.
Angelo yipped to him again as he sat in front of a cell further down. A small voice called to him in the darkness.
"Lem is that you?"
"Aidan?" Lem rushed over to the location of the voice and angled the lamp towards the cell, "praise the Allfathers you are still alive. I always wondered whether you made it that day in Jacinto, when they sank the city."
"I'm still here,"
"What are you doing here, Aidan?" he hissed, "These people are dangerous."
"They took the women from the village we protect. They brutally attacked a member of our squad, killed his children and kidnapped his girlfriend. We've come here to bring them back Lem."
"I'm afraid that's not possible,"
Lem turned back to his box and continued distributing the food and water to them.
"I don't understand," Aidie responded, ignoring the offer of food.
"Humans are turning Lambent, Aide. It's not just Rustlung anymore, it's something a lot more horrific," he placed a hand on Angelo's head and ruffled his balding tufts of hair as he looked back at him through his muzzle, "look at Angelo and tell me you wouldn't do the same thing to save the life of the person you love."
The captives silently each approached the bars to stare at the creature who had once been a teenage boy. No part of him reflected any emotion or recognition in his movements except to follow his handler loyally around.
"Find another way," Aidie begged quietly.
"Why don't you come with me then, maybe you'll understand what we're trying to do if I show you,"
He retrieved a ring of brass keys from his pocket and fiddled with them in the cell door until he found the one that opened it. As he pulled the door back he hesitated for a moment, picking up the chains from the wall and wondering whether he should be chaining her up. As if she could sense his caution she spoke up.
"Lem I'm not going to make a run for it, I have no reason to escape,"
He glanced back at her squad behind bars and particularly at Wilks at the far end who watched them carefully and silently from the darkness. As long as her biggest incentive to stay was locked up behind bars he had no reason to worry.
He led her along the balcony, glancing down to look over the Nightmares as he did so to ensure they were unaware of his actions. Then pressing a handle on the wall which opened up a doorway that led to a spiral staircase hidden within the walls. The stairs opened out to the courtyard where Angelo pranced and skittered around in the dimming light and followed them to the huge glass house where the peach trees grew.
Aidie stopped to take in the trees, gazing upwards at nature thriving despite the desolation around it.
"Wow, I've only ever read about these in books," she said in wonder.
Lem smirked back at Angelo who was by his side watching every move she made.
"They taste good too actually, the Professor has a lot of pride in his peaches,"
"Didn't think anything grew in Sera anymore,"
"You'd be surprised what survives out here,"
She glanced over to take him in for the first time in the daylight, "what happened to you Lem? You look so... so different."
Lem clenched his teeth and swallowed, running a subconscious hand over his head, shaved to a stubble. He had lived two years never really having to think about himself, he had no reason to, as his time and attention had gone on finding a cure for his friend. He then took in the girl he had known since childhood. Clearly a grown woman now, showing all the obvious curves with muscles in her arms and legs from her training. The last time he had seen her she had been a teenage girl making a choice for her future and here she finally stood a Gear in all her splendour, and she suited it. Clearly a life as a soldier had been a good decision for her.
"Ah, I had to umm trim a few hairs after a few incorrect experiments,"
"Experiments, Lem what the hell?"
"I'm doing everything in my power to help Angelo, Aide, look at him, but it isn't without risk. He has these moments where he doesn't know who he is or who I am and just goes into a mad rage,"
She frowned, inspecting the being that Angelo had become. He stared blankly back at her through his muzzle as she did so. Then slowly she dropped to her knees and offered a hand out to him.
"Gelo, do you remember me?" she asked him quietly watching as he cautiously edged to her "It's me, Aidan."
Angelo tilted his head and approached her, circling her to take her in. She sat silently as he prodded and poked her, flinching as he touched upon her bruises and cuts on her face. He placed a hand against her cheek momentarily before darting to her hair and sniffed intently at the strands, she let out a slight laugh as she looked back at him in amusement.
"Angelo?" Lem asked him, confused at these new movements.
Eventually Angelo ended up sitting opposite Aidie thoughtfully studying her face, trying to look through the bruises. Suddenly he made a move for her, Lem lunged forward in case he lashed out but Aidie was ready for him. She took him into her arms for an embrace. Lem watched in shock as Angelo melted into her arms as Aidie closed her eyes to hug an old friend back.
"That's never happened before,"
Angelo leapt backwards, sending Lem a beaming smile and darted around the glass house in excitement. She rose to her feet, dusting the dirt off her knees to smile back at Lem.
"What happened to you?" he spoke in wonder, "This isn't who I remember."
"I grew up Lem."
He shook his head, watching the new lease of life flowing through his best friend as he yipped and leapt around them. He made a move to continue walking through the trees towards the door for the Laboratory.
"You know we looked for you at the Rendezvous point," he said quietly, "we wanted to make sure you had made the right choice."
"We didn't stay long," she answered simply, "but you needn't have worried. I was safe."
"Shame the same couldn't have been said for Frost,"
A look of concern crossed her face, "How was he?"
"You broke him Aide, he opened himself to you, heart and soul and you threw it back at him. And we were left to pick up the pieces,"
"It was never my intention Lem, believe me I thought he was stronger than that" she was confused at Lem's sudden turn in behaviour towards her.
"You ditched him for those Gears and didn't even give him a second thought did you? Every part of him died the moment you left him for them."
"I thought leaving him would be better for him in the long run," She had left Frost in the hope that he would have thrived without her having to hold him back. She had never considered the contrary.
"That's your problem though, you thought."
She frowned, "Hang on a second Lem. The alternative was me living a life I didn't want, with a man I no longer understood. I was allowed a choice and I'm sick of justifying my decisions to people."
"Don't you understand, we lost him Aidan." Lem blurted angrily at her.
"What?" she felt a thud in the pit of her stomach.
"So I hope you're happy with your little life because it was at Frost's expense,"