Chapter Eighteen

Danni found herself being escorted down a long empty corridor into a part of the prison she had never stepped foot in before. They had long passed Alana’s office and Danni knew she was not being taken to the male half of the prison. For one brief terrifying moment Danni wondered if their plans to escape had been discovered and she was now being taken to solitary confinement, but Danni dismissed that thought as paranoid thinking.

“Where are you taking me, Simon?” Danni found her voice and asked the handsome guard beside her.

“You will not address me so informally.” Simon glared down at her.

“Sorry.” She quickly apologized. “Where are you taking me, sir?”

“Observation room three.” Simon stated in a clipped tone.

Danni nodded, still unable to shake the feeling of dread that had begun to consume her the second Simon had appeared before her while she worked in the kitchens. At least she was not being taken to solitary confinement and away from the girls she had begun to rely so heavily upon.

At long last Simon stopped at a metal door marked with a large number three. He looked down at her and almost smiled, a smile that made Danni very uncomfortable and suspicious. “Step inside, Mall Rat.” He ordered. “The door is unlocked.”

Danni nodded, swallowing hard. The only good thing about stepping through that doorway was that she no longer had to wonder about her fate. She a brief moment she had entertained the idea that maybe Simon was taking her to meet the mysterious Ravenscroft, but that thought had been too optimistic to think about. Jenis had barely spoken to Simon. She doubted he could have pulled this off so quickly.

Summoning all of her courage, Danni slowly turned the cold metal of the door handle, pushing the door open. She found herself stepping inside a large white walled room that looked exactly like every observation room she had seen in police television shows and movies before the virus. There was a long mirror on one wall which Danni knew was a two-way mirror, someone hidden on the other side, as well as a table with two chairs.

Standing in the room, staring at her, was an extremely good looking young man with bleached blonde hair and amazingly black roots. “Ravenscroft.” Danni breathed, feeling her voice catch in her throat.

A smile flitted across Ravenscroft’s features making him all the more good looking. He quickly crossed the room and swept her up in his arms, pressing her still slim body hard up against his own well toned one. It was pure instinct that Danni found her arms slipping around his waist.

“We’re being watched.” Ravenscroft whispered, a look of pure adornment on his face. “Greet me as you would the real father of your baby.”

Realization swept over Danni and she nodded, closing her eyes and imaging that the man that held her in her arms was Bray. But as soon as she did, she realized she didn’t want it to be Bray holding her. Her heart and thoughts were suddenly clouded with images of Ravenscroft.

“I—“ She stammered, her mouth parting a little.

Ravenscroft took advantage of her open mouth and gently pressed his lips upon her own, taking Danni completely off guard. His lips were so soft and tender, and yet demanding as they explored hers. His tongue probed into her mouth and Danni found it impossible to resist as she melted into his arms, her knees growing weak.

“Oh Danni.” He moaned the moment they parted. “I’ve missed you so.”

“I, uh, I’ve missed you too.” Danni was still a little confused by the passionate kiss she had shared with the stranger. She knew he had only done it for show for whoever it was that was on the other end of the mirror, but it had unnerved her in a way she did not think possible.

“Come, sit down. We have so much to catch up on.” He motioned to the table, his expression still one of a man deeply in love. Danni attempted to mirror his expression, keeping her gaze light and sweet, but she found herself suddenly assaulted with memory of why she had wanted to meet this handsome stranger in the first place.

“Ravenscroft,” Danni began, reaching across the table and taking his hands in her own, more for his support than for show. “You’re probably a bit confused by why I wanted to meet with you, but I thank you for coming anyway.”

“That’s alright.” Ravenscroft grinned a flirtatious. “How could I not come? Especially after I was told that I’m the father of your baby.”

“Yes, sorry about that.” Danni ducked her head.

“Again, it’s alright.” Ravenscroft assured her, rubbing his thumb tenderly over the back of her hand, causing a rush of chills to run down her spine. “Are you truly pregnant, though?”

Danni nodded, biting down hard on her lower lip. “Yes.” She whispered. “But only a few weeks.”

“Bray is the true father, correct?”

Danni blinked, her heart twisting inside her. She so wanted to believe that. “Yes.” She told him, one of her hand slipping away from his and reaching down to her hardening abdomen. She knew she would not begin to really show for several more weeks now, but Danni could tell whenever she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

“I’m sorry to hear about your loss.” Ravenscroft apologized. “Bray was well respected by all the tribes. Even after the whole antidote fiasco.”

“Ah yes.” Danni tilted her head back and let out a short bitter laugh. “The antidote fiasco. That was my fault. I told Bray to keep telling everyone they needed the antidote so we could control them. Pretty stupid now that I look back on it.”

“We all make mistakes.” Ravenscroft shrugged. “The Mall Rats saved the city. We were all just a bit blind to it for awhile.”

Danni smiled her appreciation at his understanding. “Thank you.” She murmured. “It’s not too often that I find someone who actually likes the Mall Rats.”

“People fear powerful tribes. But I have a hunch that they would much rather have the Mall Rats in control of the city again than the Chosen.”

“We weren’t in control of the city!” Danni protested.

“You weren’t?” Ravenscroft cocked an eyebrow. “It certainly seemed to me that you were. You were the tribe calling all the shots.”

“We only did what we thought was best for the city.” Danni insisted.

“Hey,” Ravenscroft quickly backed off. “I’m not attacking you for it. I’m your friend. I was always telling my tribe that we had you to thank that we were still alive, that our city had begun to look like a city again instead of a disaster zone, that we had laws… What you guys did was good. Very good.”

“Thank you.” Danni found her cheeks flushing with color. She was so used to having to defend the Mall Rats actions that she found it strange and foreign to her that she was actually sitting at a table with a man that completely agreed with her.

“Anyway,” Ravenscroft broke into Danni’s thoughts. “I really don’t think they’ll let us stay all day and chit chat over old times. Why don’t you tell me why you risked all this to meet with me?”

“Oh yes.” Danni looked up, meeting his piercing gray eyes. Xenia was right. They were fascinating. “I wanted to talk to you about escaping this place.”

“Escaping?” Ravenscroft arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you know that word is taboo in this prison?”

“Yes. I know.” Danni frowned, wondering how come he had been so loose with Xenia the other day when he was talking to her about escaping the prison. “But we’re desperate. We must get back to the city.”

“We? Who’s we?”

“Well,” Danni hesitated, wondering if she could really trust Ravenscroft. For all she knew he could be working with the Chosen and the instant the relayed the names of her conspirators to him he would go and tell Alana and they would be all sent to solitary confinement.

“You can trust me, Danni.” He whispered, interrupting her as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I swear to you I will not betray you.”

Danni felt her voice dying in her throat as she found herself melting into Ravenscroft’s eyes. How did this man, this stranger, do this to her? What was this power that he held over her? “I, well, er, um…” She stammered, knowing that she sounded like a complete fool, but no other words would actually come out of her mouth.

“Would it help if I kissed you again?” He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Loosen up that tongue of yours?”

Danni laughed, throwing back her head and letting the feeling course through her body. How long had it been since she had actually laughed? She couldn’t remember. “I’m sorry.” She smiled at him the moment she regained control. “It’s just been a very long time since I’ve been able to trust someone.”

“I understand.” And Danni could tell from his eyes that he did.

Danni nodded, the smile still staying on her lips. “Us is my cell and I. Xenia of The Brood, Aya of The Clarets, Jenis of The Brotherhood, Silver of the Cheetahs, and Grieco of the Heavens.”

“All very respect-worthy tribes.” Ravenscroft commented. “How is it that you got put with them and I got stuck with the Mutants, Demon Dogs, and Jackals?” He chuckled.

“Ugh.” Danni made a face, memories of having to deal with Billy Boy all too fresh in her mind. “Billy Boy is a handful.”

“Handful.” A smile played up on Ravenscroft’s lips. “That’s not exactly the word I would have used for him.”

Danni grinned. “Well, he has been the throne in my side for quite some time. He was the hardest tribe leader to convince that we needed a bill of rights.”

“Ah, yes, the Bill of Rights.” Ravenscroft was laughing again. “It was you who drafted that, right?”

“Yes.” Danni nodded, immediately feeling her defenses creeping back up. She had received a lot of flack from different tribes for the Bill of Rights, as well as from her own tribe.

“Pretty b|oody brilliant, if you ask me.” Ravenscroft stated. “And then getting so many tribes to adhere to them. Your parents weren’t politicians, where they?”

“No.” Danni shook her head, a cold shiver traveling down her spine. No one here at the prison knew that it had been her father who was responsible for their parent’s deaths, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Ravenscroft nodded, understanding that she did not want to discuss her parents’ occupations. “So,” He stated carefully. “What exactly have you planned as far as an escape?”

“Not much yet.” Danni admitted, looking down. “We only have a few thoughts, that’s all. Simon, the guard who brought me here, seems to have a soft spot for Jenis. And well, the Lieutenant, well, I’m not really sure, but she seems to favor me a bit.”

“Alana favors you?” Ravenscroft frowned at her. “How so?”

“Well,” Danni hesitated, not knowing how Ravenscroft would react to her telling him that Alana had personally told her of Bray’s death. “I’m not really sure what it is, but Xenia thinks Alana actually liked the Mall Rats or something before the Chosen took over the city.”

“A Chosen liking a Mall Rat?” Ravenscroft scoffed. “No offense, Danni, but I really don’t see that as a possibility.”

“I know.” Danni let out a heavy sigh. “I quite agree. Since day one it seemed as if The Chosen hated us. But there has to be some reason Alana keeps calling me to her office.”

“What does she call you for?”

“Well, the first time was to tell me, to tell me…” Danni stumbled over her words, as if voicing them aloud would make them so. “She called me in to tell me that Bray had been e-executed.” She finally managed to get out.

“I’m so sorry.” Ravenscroft whispered, his grip on her hands tightening. “I didn’t know.”

“No one knows. Not even the girls in my cell.” Danni dabbed at the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes. “I didn’t know how to tell them.”

Ravenscroft nodded with understanding. “Hey, that’s alright.” He leaned across the table and planted a quick kiss on her lips, tender and gentle, still giving her a strange chill. “I’m here for you Danni, I know how hard it is to let someone go.”

“Oh!” Danni gasped, a hand fluttering to her throat. “I had no idea you had lost someone too.”

“Not quite the same, but it might as well be.” Ravenscroft stated almost bitterly. “The girl I was dating before the virus, well, she and I were quite serious. We were going to get married after we graduated. But then the virus happened and she began to change. She became a blood thirsty man-hating witch.”

“Sounds a bit like Ebony. Except for the man-hating bit.” Danni stated a bit sarcastically.

“Naw. It’s not Ebony. You wouldn’t know her.” Ravenscroft shuddered a little. “Her name is Moz and now she had a little tribe she likes to call the Mozquitoes. Pretty pathetic, huh?”

“Moz. Mozquitoes.” Danni shook her head. “Sometimes I have to wonder how these people come up with tribe names.”

Ravenscroft chuckled. “Well, Moz was never too terribly creative.”

“Hey Mall Rat! Ravenscroft!” Simon’s voice echoed through the room as he slammed the door open. “Time’s up.”

Danni paled, realizing that she had barely even spoke to Ravenscroft about plans to escape. “I—“ She stammered.

“Can I at least tell her goodbye?” Ravenscroft scowled at Simon, his expression exactly that of an annoyed lover’s.

“Of course.”

“In private?”

Simon nodded and ducked out. Ravenscroft quickly stood to his feet as did Danni. They met together wordlessly, knowing that they still had to put on a show. Ravenscroft slipped his arms around Danni and pulled her close, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

“May I kiss you Danni?” He inquired politely.

“But of course.” Danni smiled back, finding herself looking forward to the experience.

Ravenscroft leaned forward, his eyes wide opened as his lips found hers. Danni found his mouth as warm and inviting as it had been the first time they kissed and her knees once again turned to jelly. She found she quite enjoyed kissing with eyes wide opened, and momentarily wondered why she and Bray had never tried that.

“I’ll help you, Danni.” Ravenscroft whispered once they parted. “And somehow I will get it so that we will meet again.”

Danni nodded, happiness swelling through her, not sure if she was happy that he would help or happy that she would see him again. “Thank you.” She whispered.

“Until then.” He murmured, giving her a short bow.

“Until then.” Danni repeated.

~*~*~

Zandra watched with cold irritation as Danni and Ravenscroft kissed once again. She was annoyed that the speaker system did not work due to the lack of electricity and she could not hear a single word that passed between the leader of the Mall Rats and the leader of the Wild Kats. From all displays of affection, though, she could not doubt Danni’s claim that Ravenscroft was the father of her baby. That much familiarity… It could not be faked.

“This is no good.” Zandra scowled, looking over at Kandy, the guard who was with her in the hidden room. “They are obviously lovers.”

“Either that or clever actors, Lieutenant.” Kandy stated.

“No.” Zandra shook her head. “I would be able to tell. Those two, they have been together for quite some time. I only wonder if Bray ever knew about it.”

“So what are we going to do, Lieutenant?” Kandy inquired. “Should we keep them separated?”

Zandra hesitated, memories of her own brief pregnancy washing over her. She had needed Lex then more than she had never needed him before. She could not, with clear conscious, stand in the way of Danni and Ravenscroft.

“No.” She shook her head, hoping that Kandy would not find her weak. “They shall see each other three times a week for one hour, but no more.”

“Very good, Lieutenant.” Kandy nodded. “I will express your wishes to Simon.”

“Thank you.” Zandra switched her gaze back to the mirror. Danni and Ravenscroft were still kissing and Ravenscroft had moved his hand to the low of Danni’s back. No, they were lovers. Zandra could tell. These eyes could not be fooled.

~*~*~

For once Ravenscroft did not notice the noisy din of his prison cell. His cellmates, once again engaged in a rowdy game of cards, had barely noticed him when he slipped back inside his prison. They had been shouting at one another, accusations of cheating flying about, but Ravenscroft could not be bothered to intervene.

He climbed to the top of his bunk, his thoughts still occupied by the haunting beauty he had spoke to that day, the memory of her lips on his own still strong. He had met her just once before the Chosen had taken over, and he had remembered being extremely attracted to her then, but now, with her hair all chopped unevenly and her face marred with bruises and scares, he found himself even more attracted to her. It was eerie.

Balling up his pillow, Ravenscroft rolled over and closed his eyes, knowing he would have no problems falling asleep tonight. Danni, leader of the Mall Rats, would be taking a starring role in his dreams that night.

~*~*~

“So, how did it go?” Xenia demanded the moment Danni stepped foot back inside her cell.

“How did what go?” Danni stared at the blonde blankly. She had not been aware that her cellmates had known that she was going to go meet Ravenscroft.

“Your meeting with Ravenscroft, silly.” Silver jested, a knowing look in her eyes.

“Oh, that.” Danni smiled secretively. “Well. It went well. He’s going to help us.”

“I knew he would!” Xenia shouted triumphantly, almost too loudly for Danni’s liking. “My first impressions are never wrong.”

“And I’m so sure your first impression weren’t tainted by how incredibly good looking he is.” Danni winked at Xenia, her heart still fluttering from the last kiss she had shared with Ravenscroft.

Xenia colored slightly, earning herself several laughs from the girls surrounding her.

“So, he’s going to help us, right?” Jenis nodded, her young eyes eager.

“Yes, he will help. He said he needed some time to think of ideas. I told him of Simon’s weakness for you and Alana’s strange actions towards me.” Danni continued, pushing a short strand of hair behind her ear. “He said that was a good start and he would get back to me.”

“We’re actually going to get out of here.” Aya whispered, her dark eyes lighting up for the first time daring to hope. “We’re going to escape.”

“Yes, Aya.” Danni agreed. “Yes, we are.”