There is some violence in this chapter. also some 'suggestive dialogue' and implied/mentioned sexual assault.

Things are going to intensify from now on, so there will probably be warnings each chapter.

"So," said Jason, "We really can't do anything until we neutralize the monitors." He was sitting in the lounge in the back of the library, a fake window showing mountains through a wooden frame, a faint purple glow illuminating their faces. Elliot sat in the large salmon colored chair beside him and Serhii sat opposite him—they were the intelligence cell of the group, charged with gathering information and planning the overall escape. Along with Sahara, they knew the most about the plan; the others would have deniability until it was much closer to the time to escape. Which could be in days—or months.

Not months, Jason pleaded. He now knew the current date—Saturday, September 3—since Alelu had shown him her calendar. It just made him more desperate. The time since he'd seen Connie already seemed infinite, even though it had only been 11 days so far.

"That is maybe our biggest problem," said Serhii. "We won't be able to get anywhere unless we figure out this dilemma." He flipped a page in his book; this was ostensibly a book club. Since few people came into the library, it was one of the best places to meet. Still, they mostly spoke in code because of the cameras.

"Neutralizing the monitors and finding a way out," said Elliot, "are the most essential elements of the plan. Those have got to be the priorities."

"I think we should get some kind of weapon," said Serhii.

"We might just be able to sneak out."

"But we'd better have something prepared in case. I'm okay with fighting bare-handed, but I'd feel better with a weapon."

"Maybe we can improvise," said Jason. "They'll be caught off guard when we can't be shocked by the monitors. We could take their shockrods then too."

"If it comes to that," said Serhii. "I'll try to find something."

"In all my time Above," said Elliot, "I never found out how the monitors are controlled."

"That's their ultimate fail-safe," said Jason. "They're so powerful, even if we find a way out, we'll never be able to get out unless…. Maybe we can short the monitors out. Or cut them out."

"There might be a fail-safe for that, too," said Serhii. "I wouldn't mind cutting this thing out of me if it meant being free." He rubbed the back of his neck pensively.

"It seems like everything here is biometric. So to get into the control room, we'd probably need an actual…hand."

"And we probably can't chop one off. The system would know if it were alive or not."

"So…we have to access…one of the Admins." Jason didn't like where this was going.

"It doesn't have to be her," said Serhii. "If you can find someone you know who has access and take them hostage…. Or even persuade them. Ali seems pretty sympathetic."

Absently, Jason touched the cell phone in his pocket. The last few days as they played chess together, Jason had grown to grudgingly trust him, although Ali's obsession still made him uncomfortable.

"I'm not sure where his…affection for me ends and his loyalty to Yavesh begins. I might have to…test that…."

"Meanwhile we'll have to get more intel on a way to escape. Elliot, you know the upper layout."

Elliot nodded. "I could draw a map. As much as I know, anyway. I was always under guard, or…locked in her room." His voice tapered to a whisper.

"Someone else might know," said Jason. "Rick tried to escape… but he was severely beaten. He might not be willing to risk it again, though, even if we give him our code."

"Can we trust him?" said Serhii.

"I think so."

"Best is to get the intel without telling him anything. Keep our cell structure intact. Is there anyone else who might know a secret way out?"

"Alelu knows this place better than almost anyone," said Elliot. "But I –don't want to risk her safety. Not unless we know we can get her out."

"We might not be able to."

"I'm not leaving without her. Or my son."

"Elena might be our key. She'd be able to open any door—and if she was a hostage, the guards would have to obey. But that would risk your son."

"We wouldn't hurt her."

"There's always a chance it can go south…."

"We could wait until after he's born."

"We can't count on a timetable. Once we have an actionable plan, we'll have to move forward. When we get out, that's when we'll warn the authorities. That's why it would be better if we escaped secretly."

"We will probably have to make some of it up as we go along," said Jason.

Serhii nodded. "As long as we have the main elements. Let's focus on neutralizing the monitors and a way to escape for now. We may also pick up info on the nonessential elements along the way."

"I'll see if I can get a message to Nalika," said Jason. "She'll know the layout of the harem and maybe other things."

"I'll talk to Rick about his escape attempt. He has always been careful and sympathetic."

"I'll talk to Alelu," said Elliot. "I won't let on what we're doing… but I'll see if she knows anything we've never talked about."

Jason stood, shut his book, and stepped out into the Cathedral.

A scream pierced his ears.

Alelu was chasing Tim around a tree. They jumped over the stream and Alelu caught him, and they fell backwards into it. Jason's heart flipped over, but they toppled into each other and kept laughing.

Jason helped them out. Water splashed onto him as he carried them onto the marble floor. They gave him a drenched hug and then dashed off among the leaves. Other children joined them.

Elliot stood beside Jason, his eyes gleaming with happiness. "To see her like this…."

"She can finally feel like a kid…. Not prey for that—" Disgust filled him just thinking about Lila.

"I'll do everything I can to keep anyone from touching her again."

"If we can escape," said Jason in code, "then we won't have to worry about keeping her safe much longer."

Elliot looked at him sharply. "I haven't had this much hope…. since I was taken. It feels… dangerous, forbidden. I feel like I shouldn't feel it, just in case—"

"Hold onto it," said Jason. "We have to keep that hope alive—despair is a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Just then, two people strode into the Cathedral from the residential hall. Gray—and Lila. Gray looked a little uncertain. As he drew closer, Jason could see that he had a black eye and several bruises.

Alelu ran out of a thicket of branches, laughing. When she saw Lila, she froze. The kid who was "it", a little boy with brown hair, tapped her shoulder. "Got you!" he said.

She shuffled away from him, arms wrapped around herself. Elliot walked slowly over to her, and she reached out for him and clung to him. He shielded her from Lila.

Lila gave a cursory scan of the room, then turned to Gray and laid her hand on his shoulder. He flinched.

"Hey," she said. "I'm sorry what we had to do to you. But you understand, we must have discipline here. You are simply on probation; you have to learn the rules."

"I'm still a slave, in other words." Gray looked at her warily, anger stirring in his light blue eyes.

"Everyone gets discipline at first. It's the people that are smart enough to learn their lesson that rise in the ranks. That is, if they show promise. I probably shouldn't say this, but you show the talent to be on the Enforcer track. Enforcers are Breakers first. But once they show their loyalty, they're set loose on the world. You'll have leeway to do as you see fit, as long as you stay within our basic parameters. It's a good job, with lots of freedom. Ali is an Enforcer, for example. He wouldn't be here if he weren't injured. But he's evidence we take care of our own. He'll be sent back out on another mission—free to move seamlessly between worlds. You've proven you have that ability. You've just got to get your confidence back. I know it's hard after what happened to you. But now—you're safe. Just a little discipline—not near the punishment the slaves get. Even guards get more punishment if they step out of line. Since slavery is still so close to what you experienced…I've received permission to train you to punish guards. For now." She motioned to the guards who were pacing the room. They looked a little apprehensive; they must've overheard her. "Hey," she said. "Can you fetch me Theo?" The guards looked relieved. "Last time I knew, he was in the entertainment room. Again."

The guards nodded, turned in tandem, and walked to the other side of the Cathedral.

To Jason's chagrin, Lila walked over to Jason, Gray following her. Elliot quickly carried Alelu to her little refuge under the curving branches.

"Hey," said Lila, tilting her head. "Long time no see."

Jason could only glare at her, not trusting himself to speak.

"So," continued Lila, "I heard you two have a history. A rather…complicated one. At first not so much—he was your torturer—but later, he veered over to your side. Now he's on ours. Perhaps you hate him now, and that would be understandable. But I also know you tended to his wounds." She glanced at Gray, who was looking at her. Then she leaned in closer and said softly, "He's still wounded. If you care about him in the least, you won't sabotage his rise."

"What—"

"He is being punished because of you. If you'd just stood still and not interfered with Elliot's punishment, he wouldn't have had to be taught a lesson."

Gray looked away, wincing.

"You had a choice," said Jason. "You didn't have to hurt him."

"I'm his advocate. Like I was with you." Resentment flitted through her eyes. "He was punished by other Breakers."

"You could have stood up for him."

"His punishment has to be rather harsh in the beginning. So if you know what's good for him—and yourself—you'll help him out next time he's given an order by doing as you're told."

The guards returned, dragging a man between them. He was nearly identical to them, with close-cropped brown hair and wearing a sleek black uniform, but he was a little taller than the others. When he looked up, Jason realized he was the guard who had assaulted Marie.

His blood ran cold.

The man—Theo, apparently—had blood on his face and clothes. Jason was horrified—but then saw scratches on his face. At least some of the blood was his, then.

Jason couldn't help but feel a stir of satisfaction. He supposed he should be disturbed by the lack of guilt for it—but at the moment, he didn't care.

Lila placed her hands on her hips, looking at Theo sternly. "So, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Theo sneered. "I was just having a little fun."

Lila shook her head. "That's not the problem. You had your com turned off."

He paled a little but said, "I was on break."

"You know full well you were not. Your break wasn't until supper."

"I….thought I'd take it early. I mean—that little Gypsy needs to be taught a lesson. She was flaunting her pretty little body—then resisted me. I couldn't let her get away with that."

Lila slid closer, her nose almost touching his. "You know you are to stay open for communication at all times. Even on break, preferably." She cupped his jaw, rubbing it with her thumb. "You should have waited until later. But you just couldn't control yourself."

She slid her hand down and grabbed him between the legs, twisting. He cried out.

She released him, contempt on her face. "You've been on thin ice before. Letting lust get the better of you when it's work we need you for. Follow your passions on your own time. You realize this is a privilege? You've forgotten what we've given to you. We could throw you to the wolves at any time. But we're giving you another chance. This is for your own good."

The guards yanked his hands behind his back, bracing him, and Lila slammed her fist into his face, her eyes gleaming avidly. She hit him in the jaw with quick vicious punches, then rammed her fist into his stomach. He doubled over, gasping.

Gray watched at first, but with each hit, he looked paler. Finally he turned away, trembling.

Theo sagged in the guards' hands. Blood spilled from his split lip onto the marble floor.

Lila slid a strand of sand-colored hair behind her ear. She turned to Gray, grasped his shoulders, turned him toward her.

"Hey," she said. "No one's going to hurt you."

"They… did…"

"But you haven't done anything to deserve punishment this time. Besides, you're smarter and more disciplined than he is." She cupped his jaw gently, looking into his eyes. "That's why I need you to show it. I need you to be strong now. Look at him." She turned his face toward Theo, who had been dropped onto the floor and was breathing hard, wiping the blood from his face shakily.

"In fact," said Lila, "I want you to finish his punishment."

"What?"

"I know you can do it. I know you have it in you." She gestured toward Jason. "You've done much worse to someone who, morally speaking, has done much less." She guided him toward Theo. "This man is a sadist. A rapist. Against our guidelines, he has brought slaves to near-death. Slaves are some of the perks here… but some of us are gentler than others. This man cares nothing if they survive—or how much pain they're in. I know you're…intimately familiar with such men."

Gray turned away, his face deathly pale.

Lila rubbed his arm in a soothing motion. "Remember—if you finish your training, you can be the kind of agent you used to be. You'll be able to punish men like this—men who have tortured and raped others brutally. In fact, I want you to imagine this is one of those men. One of the prisoners who abused you."

Gray looked at her sharply.

"You need to have that kind of catharsis. You need to get past this—crush all fear that remains inside you. Emerge triumphant over the brutes who tried to grind you beneath their boots. Remember what they did to you. Remember what you would like to do to them if—"

With a feral yell, Gray slammed his boot into Theo's face.

The guard crashed back onto the floor, blood bursting from his nose.

"Good, good," said Lila. "Again."

Gray advanced. He kicked Theo in the stomach. His back. Screaming with rage, pain ripping through his voice, he stomped on the man's side. A sickening crack.

He kicked him again and again in the stomach, and Jason feared he would crush his internal organs. Theo tried to squirm weakly away, but Gray lifted him up by the collar. Glaring into his eyes, he punched the guard's jaw and sent him sprawling.

Theo crawled away, whimpering, blood streaking the floor.

Gray grabbed him by the throat and began squeezing, his jaw quivering with hatred.

Lila watched with satisfaction.

"Aren't you going to stop this?" said Jason.

"What, you're sympathetic with a rapist now?"

"He's going to kill him."

Lila shrugged. "I see Gray's value. You on the other hand…." Her eyes flickered over him derisively.

Of course Theo was scum of the earth, but at the same time… he couldn't let him die.

Could he?

Maybe Gray did deserve this catharsis…. Theo certainly deserved to die….

But this was a manipulation. Gray was doing this because of his pain… he might regret it later. Such loss of control wasn't like him—and such violence wasn't like the new him.

Besides, Jason remembered with a current of disgust, I did promise Theo a favor… and maybe this favor is better than any other he might extort from me…

Jason charged over to Gray and pried his hand loose from Theo's neck. The guard fell, barely conscious.

Jason held Gray's shoulders, shaking him gently. Gray's eyes gradually focused, losing their virulent hatred.

"Jason?" said Gray, in a daze.

Jason nodded. "I think you got him."

Gray looked down at the guard, who was drenched in blood. Then horror crossed his face. "I hardly even realized—"

"I…don't blame you."

"I shouldn't have lost control…."

"She…cajoled you into it." He glanced at Lila, who was, disturbingly, looking at the thicket where Alelu was hiding with Elliot.

"I'm not…myself…."

"You were hurt. That's… changed you."

"I haven't been myself for a long time… But…maybe… I can become myself again, here."

"You mean a cold-blooded torturer."

"Someone who doesn't fall apart at every little—touch and glance. Someone who grows callouses where those wounds are. Someone who can actually take pride in his work. I just have to…learn to keep control… maybe this was good for me. I've gotten it out of my system and…. I can move forward." A glint of the old Gray sparked in his eyes, making apprehension burn through Jason. He instinctively stepped back.

"You were free. This is just…more chains. They'll make you do whatever they want. Even outside. You're on the side of the men who hurt you. There's another way."

"How exactly can I get out of this? This is my best bet. I don't exactly want to join you."

"Do you really want to become like them? What about Tasha?"

Guilt flickered through his eyes. "I need to strike out on my own. Become strong, independent—not rely on anyone."

"That might not be possible," said Jason softly. "My…wounds might have healed, but the scars are still there. You can't totally get rid of them…."

"Maybe I'm stronger than you."

"You probably are. But we still need other people… haven't you learned that? You can't be invincible. No matter how strong you are. Others can crush you. These people—if they wanted—could crush you in a second. They could drag you to that room and—"

Horror flickered through his eyes and Jason stopped, feeling guilty for going that far.

"I know it's precarious. But I can't choose that. I can't."

"Would you… do the same thing that—was done to you—" Jason's heart ached.

"Stop!" yelled Elliot.

He was standing in the entrance of the thicket. Lila was trying to force her way through. Elliot held up his arm, ready to protect Alelu.

Lila drew her shockrod.

Jason dashed over to them, jumping over the stream. He yanked back Lila's arm. "Don't," he said.

Lila drew back her fist and he braced for the punch. But then she smiled, lowering her arm. "You don't have to worry, I wasn't going to do anything to her. I just wanted to see her. But this obtuse slave was blocking the way."

"We have to protect Alelu," said Jason. "That includes not letting you near her."

Lila pouted. "What spoilsports. Listen, I have to get my Elena fix, okay? I'm going crazy."

"What are you talking about."

She leaned in closer. "Elena can never love me. I know that, unlike some people I could name. Alelu is the next best thing."

"You're sick."

"I haven't seen Elena for days. If Tamara would just end her ridiculous restriction… if she'd just see that Alelu is a little fruit ripe for the plucking and not a forbidden one… for some reason her love shields Elena's castoff instead of seeing what she is—a delightful little whore—"

Jason's hand darted forward and squeezed. Lila's neck yielding beneath his fingers. The throb of her throat beneath his thumbs… she gasped, her blue eyes popping.

Snap!

Shocks chomped onto his side, and he staggered, his knees slamming into the floor. Pain writhed through him, and he doubled over, feeling bad for letting his feelings get the better of him. He had to protect Alelu…. Preferably not kill anyone in the process…

A shriek.

Alelu.

Lila was grabbing at her—

Jason tried to get up, but he was in too much pain—only vaguely did he realize Gray had appeared beside him—

Elliot pushed Lila away. Lila slammed her shockrod into his stomach and he doubled over, but he still managed to stay standing and shielded Alelu with his body.

Lila rained down blows on his back, but he didn't yield.

Finally Lila stood back, grinning, sweat dripping down her face. "You win this round." She swept damp hair back from her face. "I'm exhausted. Time for a shower." She strode out. "Come on, Gray."

Gray looked at Jason, then Elliot, admiration in his eyes. Then, reluctantly, he turned and followed Lila.

Elliot held Alelu, and Jason sat back against the closest tree trunk. The guards had taken Theo away; there was a large smear of blood where he'd been lying.

Dear God, please, please help us… help Gray… help Elliot…and Alelu…. help me not to go overboard and lose pieces of my soul here…. I can feel myself drifting away…. Remind me of what's true and good…

Rick appeared and began mopping up the blood. Afterwards he came over to Jason and asked if he was okay.

"Yeah, I'm okay-mostly."

"I was afraid when I saw all that blood. But…" He looked around surreptitiously, "I'm glad it was one of them." He picked up his pail of pinkish sudsy water, then limped away.

Tamara announced supper; Jason considered disregarding it, but realized he was hungry.

Can't waste away, he reminded himself. He dragged himself to his feet and headed to the cafeteria with Elliot, who carried Alelu.

Sahara waved at him; he sat beside her. Zakhar was sitting at her other side; he'd only come down from Med that morning, since his fever had been severe. He looked pale and despondent.

They had taken to sitting together so they could speak freely in code if they wanted. It could make outsiders suspicious if someone said something nonsensical. Still, they didn't speak of anything especially sensitive, because the Intelligence cell info was need-to-know in order to protect the others. Sahara was the liaison between the two groups. She knew some things, but not all the details. If an outsider happened to sit with them, they wouldn't speak about the escape plans at all. Even though code was meant to masquerade as real conversation, no one from the outside would be able to contribute to it, so it was fruitless to speak it then anyway. And the code was more coherent in theory than in reality—sometimes its surface meanings didn't make sense, so the façade could appear suspicious.

Today, Pedro, Mira, and Marie were at their table. Mira was already in their group; she'd been astute enough to figure out something was going on and had approached them two days ago. It was risky adding more people; they were already at their limit, although Jason hated the idea of leaving anyone. But once outside, they'd tell the authorities about this place. Yavesh's operation was too massive to disappear instantly; Jason hoped desperately the authorities would get there in time to rescue everyone.

Mira also asked if her friend Pedro could join. And Jason wanted to bring Marie. And some more of the kids, if possible. And Nalika, if she ended up on their side. But to keep the intel safe, he wasn't going to tell Marie or the children about it until the last minute. He didn't want them to get their hopes up too high, either.

Several bruises marred Mira's face and she looked a little more subdued than usual, toying with her food.

"Are you sure you're alright?" said Pedro.

"He didn't get at me, I told you. I had to fight and scratch and bite. I'm usually pretty good at keeping them away." She grinned but her eyes were grim.

"You're not eating," he said softly.

"You think something happened? Well it didn't."

"Something happened, even if it wasn't—"

"I like fighting them, so it doesn't matter unless…. Only…."

"What?"

She lowered her eyes, shame in them. "I…almost lost. He had one arm strapped down and…" She shook her head, tears gleaming in her eyes. "It was one of the other guards who…rescued me." Bitterness nipped her voice.

"You can't always win…"

"I can! I should!" Her eyes flashed and Jason feared she might hit him.

"It's not your fault—"

"I should be stronger… I should've been able to fight that—" Tears streaked down her face. She angrily wiped them away but more welled up in her eyes. She glanced at Marie, who was sitting beside her at the end of the table, slowly eating potato cubes. "He's been stalking me lately."

"Theo is—" Pain wracked Marie's face. "Don't blame yourself. I fought, too. But…they always win, in the end." She looked down at her plate, the weariness of endless suffering written on her features.

"At least," said Jason, "he won't be bothering you for a while."

"What do you mean?" said Mira.

"They punished him. He might have internal injuries."

"Really?" Mira's eyes lit up. She clasped her hands. "I wish I would've been there." Her eyes gleamed avidly. "Thank you." Mira embraced Pedro.

"For what?"

"Being there for me." She kissed his cheek.

A guard advanced toward them, warning in his eyes; she reluctantly slid away.

Jason turned to Alelu, who was sitting beside him. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I was so scared. But she didn't hurt me. Because of Elliot. And you." She held out her little hand. Jason took it. She looked into his eyes with wonder and gratitude.

His heart swelled with happiness.

Perhaps, with protection, she could gradually heal….

But not totally. None of us can—until we're free.

Otherwise the wounds are just—dug into again and again… no chance to even form scars…

Alelu gobbled up the rest of her food, then ran off to play with the other kids. At the table beside theirs, Vanya was talking animatedly with one of the other teen boys. Several laughed, and he joined in.

Without Zar, they can be themselves too. Hopefully Zar never comes back—hopefully Serhii scared him off for good…

The call for rest resounded throughout the cafeteria, and Jason slowly stood, still aching from the shockrod. Elliot helped him toward the door; everyone else filed out too. However, Kara and Karim stayed at the table, gazing into each other's eyes.

"Maybe someone should warn them," said Serhii in front of Jason.

"Back up, slaves!" said a guard, bursting through the door, another beside him.

Behind them strode Michelle. She surveyed the room haughtily, her black curls gleaming, her eyes painted dramatic purple to match her lips. She wore gold earrings and a tight black leather shirt and black pants. She strode up to Kara and Karim; Kara jumped, as if she'd just realized who was in front of her.

Michelle leaned onto the table. "What's this? Two lovebirds?"

Kara shook her head. "No—no—"

"Looks… interesting." She licked her lips.

"We're friends," said Karim, turning to face her, using his body like a shield.

"Not 'just' friends?" Michelle laughed. She stood straight again and gestured to the guards. They strode around the table and grabbed Kara. She struggled but one tapped her with a shockrod, and she stilled.

"Please," said Karim. "Don't take her."

Michelle rubbed her chin. "Ah. So there is love here."

"I'll do anything. Anything you ask."

"Anything?" She reached forward, touched his chin with one finger, gazing into his eyes. "There are possibilities…. What about this. I'll spare her this time. And I won't report you. If the others find out—I'll even advocate for you. I'm looking for something new to entertain me anyway—Zakhar has become boring." She laughed. "Technically it wouldn't be stepping on Maylin's toes if…. Both of you come to my room. I'll let you have what you so obviously want. What you aren't allowed to do down here. You'll have your own private space… well, I'll be there, but I won't bother you much. What do you say?"

"What do you mean?"

She laughed. "You know perfectly well what I mean."

He dropped his eyes, horror emblazoning his face. Kara stared at Michelle in disbelief.

Michelle grabbed his chin. "Let's go, beautiful."

"No—I can't."

"You want her." She looked at Kara. "You want him."

"We don't—believe in sex before marriage," said Kara, her voice trembling but firm.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Both of you have had it more times than you can count."

"That wasn't real," said Karim. "We didn't choose it."

"And that makes a difference?"

"All the difference in the world. I'd never choose this. Even if we were married. Because it's—it's still forced. I would never do such a thing to her."

"Your loss." She waved a dismissive hand. "Let's go." She pivoted and the guards followed her, dragging Kara.

"Please, please!" begged Karim. "Don't take her—take me instead!"

Michelle half turned and smirked. "Maylin wouldn't like that. Besides, she'll be here any minute." She looked him up and down. "Don't worry. Your little secret's safe with me. For now." She strode away; Karim followed but one of the guards shocked him in the arm and he fell back against the doorway. He sank to his knees as Kara disappeared down the hall.

Zakhar was trembling; Serhii was holding him, as if to keep him from falling. "She's gone," said Serhii. "Don't worry."

"She—she has Kara…." Zakhar grasped his shoulder tightly. "She's going to hurt her…she'll get sick—"

"We don't know that. Hopefully… she won't be as brutal." He stroked Zakhar's hair. "Let's get you home."

Jason trudged out, in shock. Wishing he could have done something.

Hoping that Kara wouldn't be hurt—

But he couldn't do anything about it.

Except pray.

He paced his room for hours after they locked it. Absently he nibbled on snacks. Except the wine. He'd stuffed it in the highest cupboard to diminish temptation.

Finally, exhausted, he lay down on his bed. Just as dreams began to drift through his half-conscious mind, he heard a muffled scream.

A body was being dragged through the hall, weakly struggling. The footsteps stopped outside Jason's room and a slicing voice said, "You will do as I say."

"Never," said Karim.

The voice laughed. "Never say never."

The footsteps receded.

Jason lay awake for a long time, his thoughts with Kara and Karim. Desperately hoping he'd hear them taken back down again.

But he fell asleep before the silence was broken.

And he woke in an ocean of gold.