"A thinking woman sleeps with monsters." Adrienne Rich

The ABC's of Perfect Mistakes

Chapter Thirteen: M is for Monsters

It was warm.

Too warm. She gasped too loudly but her brain was starved for oxygen. She sat up too quickly and almost blacked out again but kept her calm, what little she had left. Her legs felt heavy, too heavy to be hers. She wiggled her toes and startled when she felt a mass of skin beside it –not her owns. She covered her face and pushed her hair back before trying to wiggle her legs out from under the bulk of meat. When she finally got her feet out from under the bulk she hugged her knees to her chest and sat on the pillow just listening. She couldn't hear much but she knew there were other people in the room, she could hear them breathing and snoring. There had to be a light somewhere nearby, she reached to her left and found a desk. She felt around knocking over a glass of liquor and almost burning herself on a cigarette until she found the solid base of a lamp. She followed its long neck until she finally could switch the light on.

And she wished she hadn't.

Bodies laid everywhere. Half naked women on the ground, bras around their waists like bindings and underwear tangled around their ankles. Next to her were two women, one slept peacefully bound to the bed by her wrists and the other one was cold. A blank creature and stared up at the ceiling, she had bruises all over her body and her nails were bloody. There was a single bullet wound in between her eyes. Parker slipped out of the bed, stepping carefully beside a torso that had long legs and wore ripped fishnets. She knew the girl was alive because she rolled over and murmured something under the bed. She stepped over another girl, dressed up in leather and studs. Parker opened the door slowly, not daring a look back as she stumbling out of the room.

She crashed into the wall and slid to the carpeted floor. Her hair was a tangled mess of blood. She dragged her hands across her body, her clothes, expect for her bra and underwear, were gone and all her weapons were gone too. She tried to get to her feet but her legs wouldn't move as she sat there.

"Oh look," A voice chuckled down the hall. "One of them got out." She listened to the footfalls before a hand wrapped around her forearm. "Hey sweetheart, up for a threesome? We've got cash."

"Come on," The other huffed. "She's obviously done for the night, leave her."

"Then we won't have to pay for her services." The first chuckled yanking Parker to her feet. She wobbled on her feet and crashed into his chest. The man chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. "See, she wants me! Hey what's your name cutie?" Her arm fell to his side and she brushed a gun, she smirked and pulled it out. Her head connected with his and she felt something crack, she turned quickly and shot his friend in the knee before running down the hallway they came. Her legs screamed in protest causing her to stumble or to trip, every so often she leaned against the wall and breathed deeply before running again. She was on the fourth floor and the stairs were the easiest way to get down. On the main floor, everything was clean, perfect checkered floors and shining pillars of white. There were a mix of men and women standing around, all dressed in fine clothing or polished uniforms. They all gasped when they saw her.

"Shay!" A woman shouted. "One of them got out!"

Parker moved, running across the polished floors and shooting at the guards that lunged at her. She pushed through the wood door and stumbled outside into the city. The air was bitter as if it was going to rain. She ran down the steps and down the streets, ignoring the odd stares she got from the citizens of the city. She ran into the guard rail for the small waterway, her brain ran over every mission she ever had in the new section. She was a ten minute walk from the stadium or a seven minute run if she booked it. Panic flooded her and took her breath away, she crashed to the ground and gasped for air. Wheezing between each gasp, she started to shiver as people walked past her whispering. Her heart raced in her chest, she hugged herself and leaned forward trying to keep herself contained. She needed to get a grip but tears flooded her eyes and she started to cry. She pressed her hand against her chest and felt her sad little hear race –most likely trying to kill her.

"Oh Parker," Someone said behind her. She turned as several flood lights came on around her. Standing behind her was Erol, a devious smirk on his face as all his men, some in yellow uniforms, pointed their guns at her. "You've cause such a mess in Shay's place. I don't know if she'll let you stay now." She gave another wheezing gasp and leaned against the bottom of the guard rails. She pointed the gun at him. He chuckled. "Are you sure you want to do that?" He said stepping forward. "You might injure yourself and my men won't let you hurt me."

"Then I'll be dead before the night is done." She wheezed pulling the trigger and enjoyed the sound of the bullet breaking the sound barrier. Erol stumbled back, the shock of being shot by her clear on his face before it turned to rage. He stalked forward and yanked the gun out of her hand before she could shoot him again. He yanked her to her feet so aggressively she let out a pitiful yelp. The guards half carried half dragged her down the street like a common criminal. She laughed at that, she was a criminal –she just shot the Commander of the Guard, she's a traitor and she's been working with an underground group to over throw the leader, she was the definition of a traitor.

"Parker!" Someone shouted but before she could look Erol shoved her into the house, now cleared of its finely dressed visitors. Parker shuddered against the warm of the house. She was dragged down the carpeted hallways to a service elevator, the guards tossed her in, shut the cage and let the second doors shut. Erol squeezed her upper arm, a small pinch that was uncomfortable but wouldn't leave a bruise.

"You're turning out to be more trouble then you're worth."

"Then why don't you kill me?" Parker mumbled against his shoulder. She watched the floors light up one by one until they made it to the fifth floor.

"Because we might need you if the Baron's plan doesn't work."

She chuckled at that. "Is this how he treats his saviours? Isn't that what the Oracle called me?"

"The Saviour Stone, you aren't the stone."

She stumbled to the other side of the elevator and leaned on the walls. Blood streaked down her torso from leaning on Erol, he blanched when he saw her stomach but then remember she wasn't injured. She looked at him and felt her stomach turning, twisting into knots as a lump formed in her throat. She never wanted someone as much as she wanted him right now, she blinked back the tears trying to erase the images of him but she couldn't. The feeling of his arms around her and his lips pressed again forehead, the grip of his hand when he grabbed her and, of course, the chills he gave her when he threatened her during her first night with the Underground. She balled her fists up and hid them in the curve of her back, she never thought she'd want this –or him, but she wanted Jak, and only Jak. She something for Erol but she couldn't tell if it was fear or hatred, but it was powerful and threatened to kill her if she stay there. She needed to run, needed to get back to the Underground, back to her friends.

"Erol," She whispered, trying to hide the quiver in her voice. "Please let me go back. I just want to be with my friends…" He stalked across the elevator and grabbed the back of her hair. She cried out as he dragged her down the hallway. This one was carpeted as well and she could see dust bunnies on the floor as if it hadn't been used in a while. He unlocked a room and threw her in, she slid across the carpet and hissed at the burns on her hands.

He flicked the light on and walked into the room. Parker stayed where she was and watched him, he walked around the room to a cabinet. He took out a video camera, a tape and a tri-pod. "We're gonna make a little movie, something short-"

"Because you only can last two minutes?" She laughed.

He glared at her. "Consider this a warning," He said pulling out his gun and shooting at her, the bullet grazed her cheek and she fell silent as he moved a chair against a wall. "This is for the traitors and those who are considering helping the Underground."

She sighed. "Why bother you've already won this war, you've captured every agent and you're most likely torturing them right now."

Erol paused before walking past her and going into the small end-table next to the bed. "All the high ranking agents escaped."

She laughed again, this time out of confusion. "Please tell me how Amberly escaped, I'd love to hear that story sometime soon."

"It wasn't Amberly," He snarled.

She smirked. "It was Jak, wasn't it?"

"You won't say his name around me." Erol snapped heaving her up, she rolled her eyes before he plopped her down on the chair. He took a string and wrapped it around her upper arm. He looked for a vein, running his thumb along the soft flesh of her arm before he stuck a needle in. She hissed as blood ran up the line before he switched the needle for a stint, he capped it and went back to the cabinet.

"You've gotten pretty good at that."

"I've had practice." Erol said dropping several gray bags on the table. "I got bored after you left."

"I was kidnapped."

"And you didn't come back, either." He snapped. He took the cap with his teeth and spit it across the room, took a tube and attached it to her. She crossed her legs at her knees as he hung the bag on a small tack in the wall. "That's gonna have to do for now."

"So what are you giving me now? Did Slim make it for you?"

"Nope," He smirked getting right into her face. "This may be the last time you're coherent, any last words?"

"Fuck you."

He smirked and looked to the camera. "Hello Haven City, I am Erol, Commander of the Krimzon Guard. This is Parker Drake," He said grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at the camera. "Ex-Lieutenant of the Guard and an Underground Agent. I'm going to teach her what betraying her city truly means." He pushed her face away and went to the bag. "Watch citizens of Haven as you're beloved rebellious icon dies." He chuckled. "And I know her, every inch of her tar black soul, she'll change sides. So what do you say?" She spit at him. He snarled and slapped her across her face. "You're full of rage like me, Parker, so this won't hurt."

TBC…