Chapter Nine

The day seemed to drag at an excruciatingly slow pace for Danni. She hated to admit it, but living at the mall had made her soft. She found herself straining muscles she had not used in moths, possibly even years, as she worked in the mine desperately trying to keep pace with the girls she was stationed between, Xenia and Silver, who had been working in the mines for days now.

Silver had been helpful at first, explaining to Danni what exactly they were supposed to be doing. But a guard, having heard them whispering quietly back and forth, had come by ordering them to keep their mouths shut. Danni quickly learned the rules of working in the mines and only had a few bruises to show for it.

After they had been working for what felt like hours a guard finally came by to let them know they were dismissed to enjoy their sparse meal that had been provided. It was only twenty minutes, but for Danni it was twenty minutes of pure bliss as she was allowed to eat outdoors inhaling the fresh scent of clean air instead of the musty insides of a seemingly bottomless cavern.

“What exactly are we mining for anyway?” Danni inquired as she sat with the rest of her cellmates under the shade of a gaunt looking oak tree. “All it seems like we’re doing is sorting rocks.”

“That’s what we are doing.” Xenia, speaking around a mouthful of food, rolled her eyes.

“Seriously?” Danni stared at the blonde in disbelief.

“We’re not supposed to ask questions.” Aya explained. “My first day in the mines I asked Simon and he seemed to take personal offense at what I was asking.”

Danni nodded, recalling vividly the bruises that Aya had come back to the cell with after the first day. It seemed that if anyone showed even the tiniest glimmer of defiance against the Chosen they were punished and not just by having their food rations revoked. Danni had heard whispers of some of the male tribe leaders being beaten within an inch of their lives.

“I don’t think they even know what we’re looking for.” Grieco, by far the most withdrawn of the group, spoke up, her lovely hazel eyes shining with an intelligence that Danni had not seen in very many people. “They are just putting us to work, trying to crush our spirits.”

“Well, they’re doing a good job.” Jenis stated quietly. It was obvious that Jenis was weathering even worse on her first day in the mines than Danni was, her pale face looking even paler and more sickly than usual. Danni felt pity for the other girl but didn’t know how to respond so instead she dropped her gaze and focused on the stale bread she had been given.

“Break time’s over.” Simon, the one guard who seemed to take particular delight in tormenting them, walked over, crossing his arms against his chest. “Get back to work.”

Danni had to bit her tongue to keep from shooting back a remark at the irritating guard. She quickly tucked the remainder of her bread into her clothes and followed suite as the rest of the girls from her cell began to slowly make their way back towards the caves.

‘I’m going to get out of here.’ Danni silently determined to herself as she followed single file behind the rest of the girls from her cell. She couldn’t be certain, but she was pretty sure that she could count on at least Silver, Xenia, and Grieco to help her plot a means of escape.

A renewed sense of hope washed over Danni as she headed back inside the mines, not even the darkened caverns and vicious glares from the guards could keep her down. She was going to get out of this place if it was the last thing she did.

~*~*~

The afternoon wore on lazily as Zandra sat reclined in her tall black leather chair. She had been watching the prisoners from her large bay window but had quickly grown bored with that. She had tried to keep her thoughts occupied by sorting through the files that The Guardian had supplied for her, but even that had grown dull and monotonous.

She let out a heavy sigh. It was really no use. When she was in moods like this nothing could keep her mind from traveling down that well-worn path that was so dangerous for her. She closed her eyes, her thoughts coming to her in a jumbled mess of her life as a Mall Rat, Eagle Mountain, the explosion and how Jaffa had first found her that day so many months ago.

A silent tear tracked down her cheek as her hand reached for her flat abdomen. It had been nearly a year and still she couldn’t get over the fact that she had been robbed of being a mother. Lex. He had robbed her of that joy. He had robbed her the moment he released her hand caring more for his own neck than he did for her and their unborn child.

Zandra’s hands clenched into angry fists as she tried to banish all thoughts of her ex-husband from her mind. She had been so in love with him. She would have done anything for him, given up anything. But he had never loved her like that. Not once. She had thought she was finally winning him over when he consented to marrying her but that had even turned out to be just another one of his lies.

It was all his fault she had become this woman. Alana. The Guardian’s special lieutenant. The Supreme Joke of the Chosen. But she didn’t care. Working with The Chosen, for the Chosen, would help her exact her revenge on the Mall Rats. Those pathetic individuals who said they were her family, who said they loved her. They had lied. Just like Lex. They had left her to die up on that mountain just as he had.

“Alana?” There was a sharp knock on the wooden door of Zandra’s office.

“What is it?” Zandra scowled irritably, recognizing Simon’s voice. He seemed to take particular delight in calling her by her first name rather than her title.

Simon strode into the office wearing an air of arrogance that fit him so well. His cocky smile reminded Zandra far too much of the type of boy she always found herself attracted to. His sandy brown hair was neat and trimmed as were regulation for Chosen guards however he got away without having to dye it blue. But it was his eyes that got Zandra the most. Such a soft pale blue. They were beautiful – even when they were challenging her.

“Pardon the interruption, Lieutenant.” Simon apologized, his lips twisting into a mocking sneer. “I have the reports from today’s progress in the caves.”

“Excellent.” Zandra kept her gaze steely. “Leave them here on my desk. I will look at them later.”

“I thought I would mention that girl you asked me to keep an eye on, the Mall Rat? She seems to be stirring up a bit of trouble.”

“How so?” Zandra arched a well-manicured eyebrow, trying to be more concerned with Simon’s information then wondering what he thought of her.

“Well,” Simon explained as he walked across her office and took a seat opposite of Zandra. “She has not spoken open protest as of yet, but you were right. She’s dangerous. She’s a leader. She has an ability to rally people around her without even trying. If she chose to oppose us…” He trailed off, leaving the words unspoken.

Zandra mulled over his warning thoughtfully. She knew that this Danni girl had to be something special if she had so quickly risen in the ranks of the Mall Rats, becoming leader over Lex or any of the other Mall Rats for that matter. She had heard rumors that she had become involved with Bray, but that was not confirmed as of yet and Zandra had never paid too much attention to rumors.

“Thank you, Simon.” Zandra dismissed him with a nod. Then, calling him back before he had exited her office completely she said, “I would like very much to meet with Danni. Arrange it that she is placed on duty inside the prison rather than the mines. Say the kitchen.”

“Very good.” Simon nodded, then turned and walked out of her office at a clipped pace leaving Zandra to her thoughts which had thankfully been replaced now with worries over this feisty young leader of the Mall Rats. She was trouble. Big trouble.

~*~*~

As far as Danni could tell it was still the very early hours of the morning when she was awakened with an over-whelming sense of nausea sweeping over her. Danni quickly sprang from her bed and rushed over to the small community toilet she shared with the rest of her cellmates. It offered no privacy and would not do much to block the sound of her retching but it was better than getting sick on the floor.

She pushed her hair away from her face and crouched before the porcelain throne. She had felt queasy and sick to her stomach for days now, but she had always chalked it off as being related to her injuries. But day by day her injuries had faded but the nausea had only grown stronger.

After vomiting Danni had hoped she would feel better, but the fact was she felt worse. She slumped against the toilet, wiping at the mouth with the back of her hand hoping to rid herself of the awful taste in her mouth.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, forcing down the tears that threatened to spill over. “No.” She whispered softly to herself. “I will not cry.”

Danni pulled her slender legs against her chest, hunching over and wishing for the incredible feeling of illness to leave her alone. All she wanted was to feel normal again, but a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that she would not feel normal again. Not for a very long time.

“You okay?”

Startled, Danni looked up to see the face of Xenia less than a few feet away from her. She was crouched near the floor, studying Danni intently, a look of concern in her soft gray eyes.

“Xenia.” Danni murmured, a little surprised to see the blonde looking at her with so much care. “What do you want?”

“I heard you get up.” Xenia stated simply. “And get sick. You okay?”

Danni nodded, self-consciously tucking her hair behind her ears hoping that none of her vomit had gotten in her hair or on her clothes. “Yeah.” She answered finally. “I’m fine. I’m just not feeling one hundred percent today.”

“Just today?” Xenia shot her a quizzical look.

“Yes.” Danni frowned, not sure what Xenia meant by her question.

“Just making sure.” Xenia nodded, though she did not seem convinced. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think—“

“I’m not.” Danni snapped, cutting the older girl off.

Xenia smiled pertly at Danni and rolled her eyes. “I was going to say that if I didn’t know any better I’d think that there was a stomach flu going around or something, but no one else has been getting sick. But since you obviously thought I was going to say something else, why don’t you talk to me about it.”

“No.” Danni stated flatly.

“Fine.” Xenia shrugged. “Have it your way. It’s no skin off my back. But seriously, Danni, if you are pregnant, I’d watch myself. These Chosen are pretty crazy. But I’m sure you knew that.”

Xenia quickly rose to her feet to go but Danni shot out her hand and pulled her back down. “Wait.” Danni blinked back the tears, feeling her voice grow thick with emotion. “You don’t think I could be pregnant, do you?”

“Well, I don’t know.” Xenia frowned thoughtfully. “I’ve never been pregnant, but I do know that morning sickness is a sure sign of a baby.”

“But it could just be the flu, right?” Danni looked at her hopefully.

“Perhaps.” Xenia nodded. “Do you have any other symptoms?”

“Like what?” Danni hated to sound so naive, but the truth was she had always been sheltered. Her father had tried to protect her from just about everything and then after him the Pandorax Company. Bray had been her first and only until the Guardian had raped her. And now her dream of only being with one man for her entire life was now broken and destroyed.

“Well,” Xenia continued, unaware of Danni’s private struggle, “Are you late?”

Danni nodded. “Yes, a few weeks. But I thought that maybe it was just the stress and everything.”

“Could be. Though I’d be might suspicious if you’re nauseous as well.” Xenia continued. “What about dizzy spells? Are you dizzy at all?”

Again Danni nodded, slower this time. “A bit.” She admitted.

“Well, I’m no doctor, Mall Rat, but I’d guess you’re pregnant.” Xenia diagnosed.

“But it’s just not possible, Xenia. It can’t be.” Danni shook her head, feeling panic begin to whelm up inside her.

“Really?” Xenia arched an eyebrow. “I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t realize you were a virgin, Danni.”

“I’m not.” Danni’s checks colored. “It’s just, well…”

“You haven’t been with anyone lately?”

“No.” Danni ducked her head, feeling the tears sting the back of her eyes. “It’s not that either.”

“What is it, then?” Xenia frowned. “You don’t know who the father is?”

“No!” Danni cried with more passion than she had intended. “Of course I know who the father is. It’s Bray. Bray’s the father.”

“Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?”

“I…” Danni trailed off, knowing she could no longer keep the tears in check.

“No.” She whispered hoarsely, the tears streaming down her cheeks. “It can’t be.” Without realizing it, Xenia wrapped her strong arms around the younger girl, allowing Danni to cry against her shoulder as the horrible realization came to her. She was pregnant and she didn’t know if the baby was Bray’s or The Guardian’s.