warning: sexual assault of a child in this chapter. not 'onscreen' but closeby/aftermath

"So, who's off-limits?" said Raul, looking around.

"That one," said Gleb, pointing to the center, where Pearl and Danny were playing.

"Boy or girl?"

"Girl."

"I think I'm more in the mood for a boy, anyway. Anyone else?"

"Jason, of course."

"You sure?"

Gleb smiled wryly. "For now, he's exclusive to the Supreme. Everyone else is fair game."

"All right!" Rampage rubbed his hands. He scanned the room, eyes landing on each person. Then he headed toward the center of the room where the children were playing.

Ice ripped through Jason's veins. For a moment, he couldn't quite comprehend what was happening. He turned, muscles stiff, resisting.

Danny was splashing his sister, oblivious.

Raul stopped and considered him for a moment, as if he were a some kind of object he was thinking of buying.

I can't let this happen.

He charged forward. As Raul grabbed for Danny, Jason slammed his fist into Raul's jaw.

Pain jammed through Jason's hand. Jolting all the way up his arm.

Raul turned to him, smiling, rubbing his jaw. "Okay, that wasn't bad." He motioned "come here". Then formed his hands into fists.

Jason wasn't really in the mood to fight, especially since it felt like his hand might've been broken. "I'm not here to fight you."

"Try again, or I'm gonna have to go back to my original entertainment."

Jason forced his mind and body into fighting mode, even though he felt he needed more practice, gain more strength, to fight someone like this.

Jason aimed for his gleaming teeth

Lightning-swift, Raul dodged the blow and rammed his fist hard into Jason's left side. Sharp pain lanced through him. He ducked the next blow and shot his fist into Raul's stomach.

It was like hitting a cement wall. More pain jolted through Jason's fist.

He dashed out of the way just in time to avoid the next hit; that was one thing about being smaller. And Raul probably was used to fighting people more his size. Or people who didn't fight back.

Then Raul kicked his stomach, sending him flying backwards. He skidded across the damp floor but managed to stay standing.

Raul considered him for a moment; the grin never left his face. It was like he was using only a small fraction of his effort, playing a casual game that was amusing enough to pass the time.

I probably can't damage him much. But if I can keep him from anyone else…

Raul barreled toward him and Jason just managed to gather a defense, getting in some blows before a harsh one snapped his head back, pain cutting through his jaw. He staggered, fighting the ringing in his ears, the double vision.

Raul swept closer and Jason hit toward him but Raul easily danced out of his way then dashed two blows into his stomach that cut off his air. He doubled over, gasping. Not letting himself fall.

"Hm, Daric was right, you do have some steel in you." He stepped closer; Jason backed away. Raul gave a rumbling laugh. "But you're no match for me. Especially in your weakened state." He patted Jason's cheek. "There really is no shame in losing to someone as formidable as me." He headed out of Jason's realm of vision.

A scrambling sound, a stifled shriek.

Jason turned to see Raul hoisting Danny up into his arms.

Despite the pain, Jason forced himself forward. Ran toward Raul, hurled a fist toward his jaw—

Something hard shot into Jason's cheek and he fell

And seemed to keep falling, collapsing into blackness.

His head ached. Slowly he opened his eyes; the bleak cement room was still there, rain pouring through the ceiling.

There was something soft beneath his head. Lucia looking down at him. She had a cloth in her hand and was dabbing at his cheek.

He hissed in pain and she withdrew it.

"I'm okay. Thanks," he said, his jaw feeling disjointed.

A glint of copper. Quinn stepped into the periphery of his vision, holding his book, looking concerned.

"Looks like he'll be alright," said Lucia.

Quinn nodded, seeming to understand that much of her language.

A scream ripped the air.

Jason shot up, pain slicing through his head.

The scream had come from the Mush Room.

He stood, his head spinning. Nausea hit him and he had to kneel back down, breathe, force away the queasiness. Pain tore through his jaw, his stomach, his side. His hand throbbed violently.

Another shriek—heartbreakingly broken.

Jason crawled toward the Mush Room; his limbs trembled so hard he had to stop and curl up against the wall. His vision fading.

Please God. Please help him.

When he felt he could push forward again, he slid up against the wall, using it as support. The pain in his head almost crippled him. It felt like a small supernova was embedded in its left side.

It was silent except for a faint rustling sound.

Jason pushed himself along the wall, then reached the room. The stream of water was like a liquid ray of light, a massive shape nearly eclipsing it. The crescent moon of a grin. The shape moved toward Jason and he shrank back, pain reverberating through his muscles.

"Mmm," rumbled a detestable voice.

The figure strode past him, a swift shadow, a breeze flashing toward Jason in his wake.

Nearly paralyzed by sickness and dread, Jason rushed forward

There was a small pale figure lying in the water. Traces of blood swirling down the drain.

Jason knelt swiftly and lifted him out of the water. He was shivering uncontrollably.

A movement in the corner. Large terrified eyes.

Pearl.

Lucia appeared beside Jason and he laid Danny in her lap. Then he peeled his shirt off and wrapped Danny in it.

"He needs medical attention," said Jason, breathless. Guilt and horror poured through him, but most of all urgency—who knew how much the little boy was hurt.

He carried him out, looking for guards.

No guards in sight. The one time he needed them—

The medical room… there were some medical supplies there… perhaps something they could use…

Jason rushed into the next room. Lucia followed, Pearl creeping along the wall, trembling like a small white flame.

Inside, several people were working on an unconscious teen lying on the bed. An IV and some other devices were attached to her.

"Please, we need help," said Jason.

"You're going to have to wait till we're done," said the laconic voice of the woman in the white lab coat.

The man in a near-identical coat glanced at him with annoyance.

Jason's heart felt like it was disintegrating. He felt insubstantial, as if there was nothing left of his body except for the bright stabs of pain.

And a vivid thread of rage.

He stepped forward. "Do you want him to die?"

The woman pursed her lips. "Let's take a look." She turned. "Oh—he is one of our more valuable subjects. So is the girl. Is she hurt?"

Jason shook his head. "Well, she was earlier but… it's the boy that…" His throat tightened.

The woman peered closer. "He doesn't look good. What happened?"

The rage burgeoned. "He was—he—" A shudder ran through him. "Raul—"

"The guards have to have their fun… but Raul's… not gentle." She motioned to the guard in the corner. Or assistant… she was in scrubs. "Let's get that spare bed over here."

The assistant rolled a bed over and the doctor motioned for Jason to lay Danny down on it. Pearl crept forward, looking at her brother in anguish. Lucia lingered in the shadows, her hands clasped anxiously.

The doctor unwrapped Jason's shirt and handed it to him then scrolled a sheet over Danny, then the assistant bundled him in a blanket.

"We'll take it from here," said the doctor.

"Will he be okay?"

"We'll do our best. You did good to bring him." She shook her head. "Some guards should have limits…." She turned to Danny who looked especially small under the surgery light.

Jason reluctantly headed toward the door, his shirt crumpled in his hand. Lucia followed.

Pearl stayed beside the bed.

"Take her too," said the doctor impatiently. "I can't do my job like this."

Jason crouched beside Pearl. "We…have to go. So they can help him."

Pearl stepped up to the bed, reaching for her brother. Grasped his little hand.

Jason didn't have the heart to pull her away.

"I said, get them out of here." She motioned to the assistant, who unceremoniously grabbed Pearl and carried her toward the door. Pearl struggled weakly, then seemed to shut down.

"Let her go," said Jason.

"Here, you take her then," said the assistant, lifting Pearl into Jason's arms.

Back in his room, Jason bundled her in his blanket.

She was pale and shivering, like she'd been right after she'd been assaulted.

Jason sat back on the nearest chair, at a loss. He felt sick, his whole body humming with shock. Horror, anger, dread, all tangled up inside of him.

He was cold, but he didn't bother putting his shirt back on. He held it in his lap, looking at it, detached; followed the ragged trail of dark against the blue. Until it hit him fully what it was.

He rushed over to the toilet and made it just in time to throw up.

For a long time, he barely registered anything. He felt pain, but he barely felt it. He was sick and worn out, but that didn't matter.

Horrors crowded in on his mind, but they were dull and distant.

The one thing that mattered enough to not shut out reality at the moment was keeping Pearl safe. He watched over her as she slept. Several times he crept close to her when he couldn't tell if she was breathing or not.

At one point, he thought someone else was in the room, but when he turned around, he saw nothing.

The door was locked. He didn't remember if he'd shut it, or if it had closed automatically.

Gradually, the horror of what had happened began to creep up on him, but it made him feel so sick he had to hum loudly in his mind to block it out.

He wasn't sure how long he'd sat there when the door opened. It was dark in the hallway. Several guards appeared—the nondescript ones who looked like each other.

He turned toward them, vague alarm pounding through him. He stood as they approached Pearl and ran toward them.

"Don't touch her."

"Don't worry," said the female guard, laying her hand casually on her shockrod. "We're taking her up to the harem."

"What."

"Well, Med first. She's not in the best shape."

"Why didn't you help before?"

She shrugged. "The guards need their perks." She picked Pearl up gently.

"They—could kill them."

"We usually get to them in time."

"You're—taking her to the harem?"

"And her brother."

"You can't—"

The guard chuckled softly. "Don't worry. They won't be working for several years yet. Until then… total luxury. They're top quality products. They'll be good as new in no time. Won't you." She patted Pearl's head. Pearl stirred a little.

The horror of it was beyond comprehension….. but at least they'd be safe for now. And… hopefully we'll be rescued long before they have to face…anything like this again.

Still, he felt desolate as the guard carried her out of the room, holding her in a parody of tenderness.

The door slammed shut.

Immersing him in total darkness.

For a long time, he lay there, drifting in the twilight between waking and sleeping… finally a massive wave of darkness crashed over him, dragging him into its depths.

Gradually he drifted back toward consciousness…. Vague dread filled him, and he tried to stay under as long as possible. Even though he'd been nearly drowning in nightmares, part of him knew that those were just ephemeral. Reality was sharp and hard, and would slice through him, scarring him deeply.

He woke to tears on his cheeks. He didn't remember crying. But his heart ached with almost unbearable pain.

I couldn't save him, was his first conscious thought.

I tried.

I wasn't strong enough….

God! Why don't you help them!

Yes, I know that you have nothing to do with the evil that men do. But why didn't you—somehow infuse me with enough strength to protect him? I wouldn't have been able to wrest open that iron door when Pearl was….. Though you could've given me the strength if you wanted…. But you could have at least given me enough adrenaline to beat Raul!

I should've been able to do something… anything. Even… offer myself. Perhaps I should've done that… it didn't cross my mind… I… suppose I'm not ready for that kind of sacrifice. Perhaps I should be…. It will scar them for life! I at least have lived my life… I'm an adult… they're so young….

It tore his soul to think of it. He didn't know how it was possible for them to recover without a lot of internal damage… but Yavesh did have advanced medicine…

At least they patch us up afterwards, he thought bitterly.

The door opened; he flipped onto his side, facing the wall. He was too weary, limbs stiff and aching, to even consider going out.

His head throbbed; so did his stomach and side, but the pain had lessened. He guessed he had some large bruises. It was his hand that hurt the most. He looked at it; it was swollen slightly. He touched it. Then gasped in pain.

What if it's broken?

What will I be able to do against them then?

I have to plan… can't let them win…. Even when such horrors happen, I can't let them set me back….

Still, he couldn't gather the energy to think. When he tried to guide his thoughts, his mind wandered. Mostly to flashes of the little boy lying there, the rainwater washing rivulets of blood down the drain….

God, please. Please help him. I'm sorry for blaming you, I'm just… at a loss.

How can I endure more of this?

How can I move forward at all in this hell?

Footsteps down the hallway. He sat up, not wanting to be in a vulnerable position, though his head and stomach protested. He had no mental energy to face anyone.

Two guards stepped in. One carried a tray, the other carried a small paper bag. They set the items on the table. He barely looked at them, but then one of them stepped closer to him. It happened to be the guard who'd taken Pearl upstairs. "We've got you a nice breakfast. And painkillers and restorative. Do you have any complaints? What's your pain level?"

Jason shrugged.

"Just let us know if you need anything. I'm a liaison with Above, so approach me if you change your mind. You can ask Gleb and Kent things too. But best not to approach Raul." She laughed lightly.

Jason looked away. He had no bandwidth to deal with this. If he couldn't shut her out, he might attack her… she was more of an equal opponent…

But she seemed to take the hint and strode out the door with the other guard.

The smell of the food sickened him; he wished he could block it out. But he supposed he should keep up his strength… It took a while for him to convince himself to get up. First he drank some water. That refreshed him a bit. Then he nibbled on the hamburger bun and took the pills.

They'd actually given him whole bottles of restorative and painkiller. He held the painkiller up to the light, considering it absently. I could just… end it…. The thought floated away, too insubstantial to startle him.

Temporary oblivion tugged at him…. He longed to shut the world out for a while….

I could take three of these… that'd put me out without it being an overdose.

He slid out three pills and set them on the table, contemplating them with a vague detachment. He moved them around as if they were little game pieces, gliding them over the grains in the wood. Then he picked them up, setting them on his fingertips. He lifted them toward his mouth.

A shadow at the door. He jumped. The pills clattered to the table.

"Oh!" said Sasha. "Sorry!" She clutched a bun in her hand.

"That's okay! It's always good to see you."

"I brought you some breakfast." She approached. Then looked at the burger with the bite out of it. "Oh, you have some already." She held out the bun. "Do you want this too?"

"No—thank you." His heart warmed at her presence. She was someone he could still watch out for… "In fact, do you want this?" He held up the burger. "I'm not hungry."

"Don't you want to save if for later?"

"How about half?" He supposed he should force himself to eat something.

She nodded eagerly. When she sat down across from him, he tore the burger in half and handed the slightly larger piece to her.

She devoured it. He nibbled on the burger and lifted out the fries to share with her too, although they were lukewarm. At least there was ranch sauce to dip them in.

"Do you know where Danny and Pearl are?" said Sasha, dipping a fry in the sauce.

A jolt hit Jason's heart. "They…were taken upstairs."

"Are they okay?"

"I…" He couldn't tell her the whole truth. "They're going to stay somewhere comfortable from now on."

"Is that where we will all go?"

"Some will. It's better up there than here… but it's still horrible, because they can do anything they want to us."

"That's why we have to—get out. And see our families and the trees and birds and—Not mushrooms. I'm getting tired of mushrooms."

Jason laughed. "Me too."

Despite his desolation, he couldn't leave Sasha and the others by collapsing into oblivion, even for a little while. He had to keep going no matter how he felt, because they needed him.

Even though he'd failed… he had to keep trying. If there was just a small chance that he could protect them in some way… he couldn't give up.

And he had to keep steadily marching toward his overall plan.

Perhaps if he could figure everything out, he could protect the others until he was able to escape….

I can't let anything happen to Sasha. I won't.

Even if… I have nothing else to offer except myself.

Although he wasn't sure if he was strong enough to sacrifice himself if the time came….

After they finished the meal, Jason taught Sasha the basics of the code. They sat under the table to avoid the cameras.

Later, he went out, intending to teach the code to Lucia; she was sitting with Quinn, and they were reading The Inferno together. Jason didn't want to interrupt them, so he searched for another contact.

He wanted to reach the adults first, so they could form a wall of protection around the children. He approached a man who was scribbling with a shard of rock on the floor.

"What are you writing?" Jason asked.

The man looked up. He looked Indian, with large brown eyes and shoulder-length black hair. "It's a poem. Want to hear it?"

"Sure." Jason knelt beside the elegant but rather hastily scrawled Hindi letters.

The man folded his legs and laid his hand on the first few letters, then closed his eyes, as if he could feel them thrumming up from the ground.

"The sky is dark,

But I feel warm rays

Against my skin.

The sky is dark,

But I see

The glow burning

Through the earth.

Soon the sun will rise

The shadows will vanish

like a sea of mist

And my heart will merge with its golden core."

He sat back, looking at Jason a little hesitantly. "I'm not exactly at my best now, but I needed to get my feelings out."

"It's beautiful."

He smiled sadly. "I was dying inside. I need a pen and paper." He clenched his fist.

"You're a writer?"

"A teacher. Closest I could get. But I did write in my spare time… was writing a book… when…" He closed his eyes, face etched with pain.

"Where are you from?"

"Mumbai. How about you?"

"Odyssey. USA."

"What region?"

"Midwest."

"I've met some Americans from there. I heard it's a beautiful area."

"It is."

"I'd like to go there sometime…." His eyes strayed into the distance. "I…still can't believe this…. I've been trying to convince myself it's all a bad dream. If it is, it's worse than I could've imagined…. I won't even be able to find the words… I don't think I'll want to, either." He looked down, tracing the edge of the letters. "You know… there's a lot of trafficking going on in Mumbai, and I was always scared for my students, warning them. But then I don't watch the warning signs myself, because I don't think they'll want someone my age. I made some…bad decisions trying to get my work published, and then I had to borrow some money… they said they had a way for me to pay it off. I went there… they offered me a drink and the next thing I knew…" He shook his head. "I was so…so stupid…."

"Doesn't mean you deserve this."

"I just… there's not much to do here but think, over and over…. That's why I needed to write, get this out of my head."

"It seems…like the poem is about hope."

"I guess I still have hope." He looked at Jason with wonder in his eyes. "Even after…what I've seen…"

"They've…left you alone?"

"Except that medical procedure, whatever that is. That was bad enough. The guards seem to pay more attention to the kids…" His eyes were haunted. "If I could offer myself instead, I would…."

"Maybe there's another way. Maybe we can protect them."

"The guards have all the power."

"Maybe if we band together… There are people looking for us."

"Really?" Hope lit his eyes.

Jason told him about the general situation. And that perhaps they could protect the kids long enough for everyone to be rescued. Then he taught Kiran the basics of the code—words he thought they might need to communicate the plan. Kiran said he would help teach the others.

Most of the day, Jason worked on teaching the code to the adults who were out of their cells. Some were too despondent to listen. In the end, he gathered ten of them. Lucia coaxed Quinn to join. Was it enough? He wasn't sure. But at least now they could communicate and figure out a strategy. Use what few resources they had. Together, perhaps they'd come up with something with potential to succeed.

When the guards brought in supper for the others, Gleb and Kent escorted Jason back to his room and locked him in without any food. At least he'd eaten something in the morning, so he had enough strength to work out and practice fighting.

In the middle of smashing Raul's imaginary face in for the tenth time, the pain in his hand got so bad he had to stop. At least he still had painkillers and he had water. There were even a few fries in the bottom of the bag so he didn't have to take the pills on an empty stomach.

He sat back on his bunk, breathing through the pain, waiting for it to subside.

Perhaps I should get my hand looked at….

But he dreaded contacting the guards or medical personnel. Still… if he could fix an injury so he could fight better… he'd have to ignore his misgivings.

Since the door was locked, he wasn't sure what to do about it. Then he realized. He could test how sensitive his monitor and the cameras were….

He stood, a chill trembling through him. Then he waved his hand at the ceiling. Said he needed medical attention.

About fifteen minutes later, the liaison appeared and escorted him to the intake elevator. For the first time since he'd come here, he was choosing to go Above.

That didn't make him feel any better about it.