Disclaimer: I beg you not to sue me because, because, because, because, BECAAAAUSE…because-I-don't-own-any-thing.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Ok, yes, I suck. The last time I updated this was like... I don't know, three years ago? -hangs head in shame- I have at least another 2 plus chapters written (I've had them written for like... heh, well, three years and I just never posted them... because I suck) and as I'm in a quirky, fun mood, I'm going to try my darnedest to actually wrap this story up so those who still want to read it will have some sort of closure. Or even if no one cares to read anymore, I plan to finish it for me. Love to all!
CHAPTER 7
"Cain!" DG called out desperately before a calloused hand clamped tightly onto her injured shoulder, tearing an agonized cry from her throat, and she was shoved down onto her knees.
Also kneeling, roughly five foot in front of her, was a very pissed-off-looking Cain. He was shooting visual daggers at the men in front of him and he was struggling against the men holding him. Even the well-aimed blows he was being assaulted with didn't stop him. It was only, finally, DG's frightened voice that stilled his movements.
DG sought out his piercing eyes with her own, silently pleading with him to behave. She didn't want to watch these men, whoever they were, beat to death the man she loved. "Stop! Please!" she begged their captors as another fist landed squarely against Cain's already-bruised jaw.
"What was that, your Highness?" a tall man with dark hair and eyes spat as he turned from Cain to face her. He looked familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place where she knew him from. "You want us to stop, do you?"
Cain was now shooting DG looks that she immediately recognized to mean "Don't say a word!" but she pointedly ignored them. "Yes," she replied, although it didn't come out quite as strongly as she had been trying for. "Please. Just-just stop…"
"Well, if the Princess of the Zone commands it–" The man whipped around, sucker-punching Cain again before he had time to react. His men broke out into cruel laughter.
DG's eyes filled with tears, but by sheer force of will, she managed to keep them from falling. She didn't want to give these creeps the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
"You see, your majesty," the man began, turning back to DG with a savage smile on his face, "we don't take orders from you or anyone else of your kind." He walked the short distance over to her and grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to look away from Cain and directly at him. "But you, on the other hand, you will be taking orders from us. Or your stay here will be very unpleasant. Do you understand?"
DG clenched her jaw and remained defiantly silent.
The man's grin grew cold and then disappeared altogether. He let go of DG's jaw and straightened up a moment, glancing up at the sky. He looked as if he were going to move back over to Cain when his torso suddenly whipped around and he backhanded DG hard across the face. "You will speak when spoken to!" he bellowed in furious madness.
"DG!" Cain exclaimed, resuming his struggle against the men holding him.
The man grabbed DG by the chin again and yanked her head back to face him once more. He waited until she had blinked her large eyes open before he hissed, "Do. You. Understand?"
Bottom lip quivering slightly, DG nodded. "Yes," she managed to get out before cringing at the metallic taste of blood in her mouth and the sharp stinging of her abused cheek.
Smiling, the man let her go and straightened back up. "Good." He took a breath, brushing his greasy hair back out of his face. "Now," he started, "Mister Cain, Princess, you have some information that I want and you're going to give it to me."
DG glanced past the man, seeking out Cain's eyes again, a confused expression on her face. What could they possibly know that would warrant such treatment? Surely these men were confused…
"And if we don't?" Cain ground out.
"I believe I already addressed that," the man replied, glancing at DG's already-bruising cheek. "But if you need a clearer definition…" He raised his hand as if he were going to strike DG again.
DG quickly clenched her eyes shut and steeled herself for the blow.
Cain's eyes widened in horror and in an instant, before he could stop himself, shouted, "No!"
The man grinned and dropped his hand. "That's what I thought." He cracked his knuckles and then continued, "Now, as I was saying, you have something I want."
"What?" Cain growled in question.
"Zero."
And that's when it occurred to DG where she had seen the man before. Prior to the fall of the witch, he had worked under Zero. She thought hard, trying to remember his name. 'Jag…Jett…...JAX.' His name was Jax. She had heard him being addressed by Zero back when she had been captured by the witch.
Cain frowned deeply and clenched his jaw tightly. As far as he knew, Zero was still in the tin suit he had put him. And he was not about to tell this guy where it was. The last thing the O.Z. needed was for the likes of Zero roaming free and causing havoc again.
"I haven't seen him."
Jax's brow furrowed. "Don't lie to me, Cain," he ground out, anger rising once more.
DG's eyes darted around, unsure of what to do. The look she got from Cain was once again silently screaming at her not to say anything. To her credit, she kept her mouth shut this time.
Cain shot icy daggers Jax's way.
Jax's left eye twitched ever so slightly, his hands balled up into tight fists, and the veins in his forehead and neck began to bulge out. "You're lying. And I hate being lied to." His voice was shaking with barely-restrained rage. "Now, tell me."
Cain resettled his gaze on DG and kept them there, staring unwaveringly.
Growling out a tight breath, Jax looked down at the ground for a prolonged moment before he turned his attention to the icy-blue-eyed man. "Well," he started, seemingly having contained his anger, "I know the injuring you would be pointless, so…" He looked at one of the men that was holding DG and nodded.
Without pause, the man wrenched her injured arm behind her back and twisted it viciously to the point of nearly breaking it. An agonized scream tore itself from DG's chest and echoed through the trees. Her vision darkened and she was sure she was going to pass out. Unfortunately for her, she didn't.
"I ask you again," Jax growled threatening, "where is Zero?"
Cain ground his teeth together furiously. He swore the moment that he managed to break away, he was going to snap Jax's neck. No one touched DG and got away with it, not ever.
Again, neither captive spoke up.
Jax pursed his lips and crossed his arms, drumming his fingers in annoyance. A second later, he growled out a single word: "Heller."
Barely a millisecond passed before there was a sickening pop and another scream from DG was heard. The man who had her arm twisted behind her had grabbed a hold of one of her fingers and bent it back viciously, snapping it out of the socket.
Tears were now, against her will, slipping down her cheeks as she panted and fought off the pain-induced wave of nausea that was coursing through her. DG gazed desperately at Cain, wishing she knew what he wanted her to do. Obviously he didn't want Jax to know where Zero was, but he had to have some sort of plan, right? He always had a plan…
"Remembering anything yet?" Jax asked, smirking at the murderous expression on Cain's face. "She has nine fingers left and plenty more to…work with. I suggest you speak up before she has to experience more pain."
Cain's eyes shone with grief and guilt as he watched DG quietly cry. His heart was hamming so hard in his chest that he thought it might burst. And it hurt, his heart hurt so much to see DG in such pain. He would have done anything to switch places with her…except maybe tell where Zero was, not after they had already gone through so much to keep the secret.
Jax signaled to Heller again.
Or at least he couldn't tell the truth about where Zero was.
"Stop!" Cain suddenly exclaimed as he watched Heller prepare to brutalize another of DG's fingers. "Just…stop."
Heller paused and glanced at his boss. Jax nodded to him after a second and he let go of DG's hand.
"Where is he, Cain?"
Cain's jaw tensed and then he finally ground out, "He's at the palace. In prison."
Jax narrowed his eyes at him. "That's not what I was told."
"Well, what you were told is wrong. He's in the high security lock-up. Very few people have access to him…for obvious reasons."
A beat passed. Jax licked his lips and drummed his fingers. "You better be telling the truth, Cain, or your princess is really going to feel the pain." He reached over and ran his knuckles down one of DG's cheek. "I've got a lot of lonely men…" They were a few chuckles from the group. "And they'd all appreciate a little time with her to thank her for ruining their lives."
DG visibly shuddered at that despite her best effort to contain it. A few more tears escaped her doe eyes and her breath hitched in her throat. She really just wanted to go home now.
Jax looked around at his men. "We move tomorrow night. Get them out of my sight."
Cain and DG were hauled up onto their feet and taken back to their makeshift cell. They were tossed inside and the door was locked behind them. And then they were left alone once more.
In an instant, Cain was at DG's side. He whispered her name as he pulled back the shaking hand that she had covering her eyes and, upon seeing the tears streaking down her face, carefully coaxed her up into his arms. He hugged her tightly to him, cradling her head to him with his hand.
Unable to contain herself any longer, DG started sobbing. She buried her face into Cain's neck and clutched tightly onto his vest with her uninjured hand.
"Shhh, it's ok," he soothed. "It's over now."
"I want to go home," she whimpered.
"I know, Sweetheart. I know," he whispered into her hair, rocking her gently back and forth as she continued to cry. "I'll get you home. I promise." He just hoped he could keep his promise.
TBC...
(A/N's: More to come! If it doesn't arrive soon, you have my permission to strap me to the munchkin flayer and listen to me squeal as I peel... until, ya know, I update. -shifty eyes- Review if you please.)