Chapter 19

Ridding hard, they reached James' home in Quintessa in record time.

It was obvious that the Mercs had beaten them here as Phillip lay dead on the step, the front door hanging from its hinges behind him.

Dismounting, James ran to his brother, as Riddick, bellowing Carolyn's name, raced inside the home. Searching the house he found the maid dead in the kitchen, and in what was surely his wife's chambers, stooped down, picking up the torn shawl he had given her as a gift when the babe was born. The boy's cradle was on its side, bedding spilt to the ground. Setting it to rights, he took a blanket, holding it to his nose. He could still smell the baby's scent on it. Walking over to the bed, he breathed deeply of a pillow, gritting his teeth as he did so, his wife's scent almost bringing him to his knees. They hadn't been gone long, a day or two at the most. Stuffing the blanket into his vest, he twisted the shawl before knotting it around his neck.

Walking back outside, he sought out James. His brother's body had been covered with a sheet and moved away from the steps. Seeing Riddick, James broke off his conversation and joined him.

"Sir Nigel will handle things here, until I return."

Riddick reached out clasping James on the shoulder. "My deepest sympathies, James. Phillip was as a brother to me."

James swallowed and nodded. "Just promise me you'll kill the Bastard."

"You know it is so." Riddick replied. "Are we ready to ride?"

"Yes, Milord." James said his voice resolute.

Johns horse was foaming at the mouth by the time he pushed into his bailey. Bouncing off the horses back, he threw the reins at a stable lad that had rushed out to take the horse. Striding into his home he took a deep breath tossing his gloves and cape at the servant who appeared by his side.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"Upstairs in the green room, Milord."

"Excellent." Johns crowed heading for the stairs.

Bursting into her room, Johns did nothing but stand and stare for a moment before slinking towards the woman in the room who having been stripped of her outer clothes, stood before him in nothing but her undergarments, watching as a shiver ran up her body. He circled her closely without ever quite touching her. He listened as she quietly panted.

"So we meet again," he breathed near her ear, running a finger up her arm watching as her body broke out in shallow tremors.

"Where is my son?" Carolyn asked tamping her fear of this man down.

"Is he not here with you?" Johns asked looking around, seemingly truly surprised that the child was not with its mother.

"No. You're men took him when they took my clothing."

"For good reason, I'm sure." Johns said noisily licking his lips, forgetting for the moment why the boy was so important, now that he had his mother within reach.

Carolyn screwed her eyes shut at the sound. "Riddick is going to kill you for this."

Johns grasped her shoulders and began to laugh, his forehead coming to rest on her breasts, before pulling back up to look at her. "All this loyalty to a man who no other woman will touch? A missing eye and you surely know what they say about the rest of him. Tell me, is the boy even his?"

"How dare you! Carolyn exclaimed with a slap against his cheek that echoed throughout the room.

"Bitch!," he snarled knocking her off her feet with the back of his hand.

Striding to the door he threw it open motioning his guards inside the room. Tilting his head, he studied Carolyn for a moment watching as she wiped the blood away with the back of her hand.

"Take her to the dungeon," he instructed his men who picked Carolyn up off the floor effortlessly. "Let's see if a few days in hell will make her a little more receptive."

"You just hollar for ol' Johns when you decide you want a real man in your bed, darling." He said as they drug her past him.

Carolyn could hear his laughter echoing in the hallway as the men forced her down the stairs, other men reaching out to pull, pinch and grab along the way.

The chamber really was hell, Carolyn thought as she struggled to simultaneously cover her mouth from the sights and smells and fend off the advances of the two men beside her. Rats and spiders, huge for their size danced over the dead bodies littering the floors in various stages of decay. With a moan Carolyn turned her head, managing to vomit on the feet of the man beside her. Letting her go with a curse, he opened up the cell nearest him waiting as the other man pushed her in, laughing as she fell in the filth.

Pushing to her knees, she immediately went to the cell door pushing back and forth on it. The guards laughed at her as they took the torches out of their holders on the wall and began to douse each one as they left, leaving Carolyn alone in the dark. Jumping, she screamed as something brushed up against her legs.

Using the bars to guide her, she made her way to the back of the cell kicking around on the ground before sliding down the wall. Clasping her legs in front of her, Carolyn squeezed her eyes shut and began to pray.