Chapter Thirty-Three

There were still several hours of daylight left by the time Lex arrived back at the racetrack. As he had expected, his strange feeling had begun to subside as he drew closer to the new location of the rebel base and further away from the village. He hoped that nothing had gone wrong back at the village, but he was positive that no matter what happened Ocelot and Manatee could manage.

He passed Pride on the porch, the taller Gaian was busy shoving several things into his pack, his expression dark. “Hey Pride.” Lex greeted him with a small frown. “What’s going on? Where are you headed?”

“To the city. To be captured by the Chosen.” Pride replied with a sarcastic tone. “Where else would I be going?”

Lex stared at him, not sure if he should take Pride seriously or not. Finally, he decided that Pride could not be serious and was still upset by Lex’s vote the night before. “Seriously, Pride. Where are you headed? Would you like some company?”

“Seriously, Lex.” Pride retorted, his tone mocking. “I’m going to go try and get captured by the Chosen and now, I don’t want your company. Besides, I’m sure Ebony wouldn’t want to loose you to the Chosen. Not now.”

“What are you going on about?” Lex stared at him, taken off guard by Pride’s surly mood.

“Maybe you ought to ask Ebony. Or Amber for that matter.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Lex noted that Pride had referred to Amber by her real name, not her Gaian name, something Pride had seemed quite reluctant to do so the night before, but he said nothing. “I’ll do that.” He nodded, intending to go straight into the house and having a word with Ebony so he could try and figure out just what was going on.

Pride turned to go, then hesitated on the top step. He turned back to Lex, his expression gentling. He reached for his neck and tugged on the leather thong that hung there. “Here, give this to Amber for me.” He slipped the necklace into Lex’s hand. “And tell her I’m sorry.”

Lex nodded, his hand closing around the item that Pride had passed him. “I’ll do that.” He waited for Pride to turn back and continued on his way before he looked at what Pride had given him. It was a ring. Amber’s ring. The same ring Amber had given Bray when they had become a couple and obviously the same ring she had given Pride. And now Pride was giving it back. That could mean only one thing.

~*~*~

Zandra exhaled a rather nervous breath as she slowly and silently crept her way towards the Gaian village, relying heavily on the few skills that the Gaians had managed to teach her in the brief twenty-four hours that she had spent with them. The skills helped, but Zandra knew it would take more then being able to creep up quietly on the Chosen for this plan to work.

She cast a worried glance over her shoulder where Danni and Ravenscroft followed her, already in the bounds that she had secured around their wrists. They looked just as nervous as Zandra felt. Only Zandra’s nervousness was coupled with the terrible feeling of guilt she was having to battle with. Ravenscroft and Danni could have made a clean getaway if she had not convinced them to help her in this scheme. If it didn’t work, she would be to blame for this young couple never to see each other again.

“We’re to the point of no return.” Zandra whispered her voice soft. “You guys sure you don’t want to turn back now?”

“Positive.” Danni affirmed, her eyes glinting with a hard light. “Those are our friends there. We owe it to them to at least try and help them escape.”

“Besides, I think your plan could really work.” Ravenscroft added with an encouraging smile. “It worked on Danni and I. Well, sort of.”

Zandra nodded, though Ravenscroft’s encouragement had not eased the nervousness in the pit of her stomach. She motioned for them to continue on, no one saying another word. They were only a few yards away from the Gaian village, though they couldn’t see it yet. Zandra was positive there would be guards lining the perimeter, however, and she needed to prepare herself for what she would say to them.

Zandra sucked in a deep breath, her eyes suddenly focusing on a guard wearing a rather obvious blue robe. She didn’t recognize him, but that did not mean he had never seen her before. She masked her face in an expression of cool aloofness and superiority, one she had used many times when addressing the inferior guards.

“You there.” She called to the guard in a clipped tone, turning her nose up at him. “Identify yourself.”

The guard whirled around, a panicked expression crossing his face, clearly alarmed that he had been taken by surprise. His face paled even more when he realized it was a lieutenant that had discovered him.

“L-l-lieutenant!” He stammered, giving her a quick salute. “I didn’t realize that the Guardian would send someone so soon.”

Zandra bit back a sly smile. She had been right in her guess that there was no one of any significant rank that had been left to take over the village. It would be like taking candy from a baby. “I said identify yourself.” She stated coldly, eyeing him with annoyance.

“Gregg, ma’am. Of brigade 0817.”

“0817?” Zandra arched an eyebrow. They had formally been under Luke’s command, but Zandra knew he had gone on to the city. “Who is your commanding officer, Gregg?”

Gregg swallowed hard at her question. “We have no commander, ma’am.” He answered her truthfully. “We were told by Luke that we were to remain here until the Gaians returned and then capture them.”

“Of course.” Zandra rolled her eyes. “That sounds like something Luke would ask you to do. Gregg, if there is no commanding officer here, I will assume command.”

“But Luke’s ord—“

“You can stuff Luke’s orders.” Zandra smirked. “I am in command now.”

Gregg seemed about to argue, but slowly he nodded his head. “Yes, Lieutenant.” He mumbled, his eyes downcast.

“Very good. Now, take me to the Gaian leader. I have need to speak with her.”

~*~*~

It was nearing dusk when Danni and Ravenscroft were thrown into one of the many cages that were cleverly disguised in the trees just beyond the Gaian village. It seemed to take forever for Alana to actually throw them inside, almost as if she were reluctant to do so, but at long last she did and Danni and Ravenscroft were freed to begin their portion of the escape – which wasn’t nearly as crucial as Alana’s, in Danni’s opinion.

Once inside the cages, Danni realized that the Chosen had been planning this capture for quite some time. They had set up the many cages long enough ago that there was plant life growing up around the base. It was obvious, however, that they had not planned on so many captives. There were only four or five cages and each of them was heavily crowded with prisoners.

“Danni, what’s going on?” Xenia was the first to approach her, her gray eyes wide with fright and her expression one of panic, obviously terrified at the prospect of becoming a Chosen prisoner again.

“Did Alana betray us?” Aya whispered as she pushed a long lock of dark hair away from her face. “We saw her out there talking with Lioness. She was wearing her uniform.”

“No, Alana didn’t betray us.” Danni assured them, shooting a sideways glance in Ravenscroft’s direction. “She’s on our side. Apparently these Chosen do not have a commander and she has assumed that role.”

“So why doesn’t she just release us all?” Aya demanded, her voice wobbling with fear. “If she’s their commander—“

“She can’t do that, silly.” Xenia cut her off. “Not without blowing her cover. Right, Danni?”

“Precisely.” Danni nodded.

“So what is the plan then?” The blonde inquired, clearly gaining control of her panicked emotions now that she knew they were going to escape before they were ever taken back to that terrible prison.

“It’s quite simple, actually.” Ravenscroft informed her, slipping a supportive arm around Danni’s waist. “She has a potion that will make all of the Chosen who drink it sleep very heavily tonight. When they fall asleep we’ll make our escape.”

“But how do we get past these?” Xenia asked, motioning towards the heavy padlocks that held the gates firmly shut. “They’ve taken everything we could possibly use to try and pick the locks.”

“They didn’t search us before they put us in here.” Ravenscroft informed them as he quickly produced something that looked strangely similar to a lock pick kit. “Alana gave this to me and told me to work on the locks. Once I get this one free I’ll move onto the next cage and work on that one. It’ll be a bit complicated, but I think it will probably work.”

“So what if some of the guards don’t drink the draught?” Aya asked.

“We’ll have enough people freed to overwhelm them.” Danni replied. “We actually outnumber them two to one. They just managed to take us by surprise and there are so many of us who have never come face to face with the Chosen.”

“That’s true.” Xenia nodded. “Most of the kids panicked. Not exactly what we need when we storm the city. So Ravenscroft, are you good at picking locks?”

“Honestly, I’ve never picked one before in my life.” He admitted. “But I’ve watched it numerous times on television. How hard can it be?”

“Quite difficult.” Xenia gave him a mocking smile. “Especially if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“So what do you suggest then?” Danni shot Xenia a quizzical look.

“Me.” Xenia replied. “I’ve been picking locks since I was a little street urchin. These locks will be a piece of cake for me. Would be even if I only had a bobby pin, but with a kit like that,” She let out a low whistle, “I can have us out of here before the sun goes down and maybe we won’t need that sleeping draught.”

~*~*~

Great White had caught wind of plans to escape twenty minutes before Xenia ever made way to their cage located on the southern most part of the Chosen camp. When she saw the tall blonde approach, still wearing her clothes that she had loaned her, she knew that this was means to the plan of escape.

“It’s about time.” Great White hissed as she approached the lock and young woman who was already beginning her work at picking it. “Everyone here has heard about the escape plans so I’m sure the Chosen have as well. That is if they’re paying any attention.”

“They’re not.” Xenia replied in a clipped tone. “Most of them are already drugged. A few haven’t eaten yet, but they will and when they do we’ll make our move.”

“Drugged?”

“Alana.” Xenia answered, pushing her honey blonde hair away from her face. “She’s still on our side. This whole thing was her idea.”

“Well, I really hope it works. We need to get back to the rebels.” Great White murmured softly. “I heard some of the guards talking. They don’t trust your friend and one of them set off to the prison to find out the full story of her.”

“When was this?” Xenia asked in alarm.

“A full hour ago.” Great White replied, pursing her lips together in a narrow line. “He could be arriving at the prison by now, especially if he’s familiar with the trails from here to there, and from the sounds of it he is. It won’t be long before he’s brining reinforcements back to make sure we don’t escape.”

“We may have to fight them after all.” Xenia let out a small sigh, still struggling with the lock. “We outnumber them, but most of these people are frightened children. They’re no warriors.”

“No, they’re not. And I wouldn’t want them to fight. Especially not the little ones.” Great White agreed. “I was hoping to have time to train some of them before we ever had to fight the Chosen, but obviously that’s not going to happen.”

“How many do you think you can count on to be able to fight?” Xenia asked.

“Forty. Maybe fifty counting those who came with you.” Great White counted in the back of her mind. “But there are well over a hundred Chosen guards. Even with fifty we don’t really stand a chance.”

“Then Alana’s poison is going to have to work. Otherwise we’re pretty much doomed.” Xenia whispered, her fingers deftly working the lock until Great White heard a soft click. “There. The lock is off. But leave it there until you see the signal.”

“What’s the signal?”

“You’ll know it when you see it.”

~*~*~

“So, at long last I get to meet the elusive Alana.” The blonde young woman whom Zandra had been told was Lioness murmured, her tone contemptuous. “Jaffa has told me much about you.”

“Jaffa?” Zandra arched a carefully groomed eyebrow at the woman whom she had suffered an immediate dislike for. “You know Jaffa?”

“Oh yes.” Lioness purred. “Jaffa and I go way back. Way back.” She repeated for emphasis. “Before the Chosen. Before Zoot. Before the virus even. Jaffa and I knew each other.”

“Who are you?” Zandra narrowed her eyes at the woman. She assumed the Guardian would have mentioned a woman like this, but then again, he had always been extremely secretive about his past.

“My name is Meredith, though I do prefer to be called Lioness. I’ve become quite attached to the name.” Lioness explained, her eyes gleaming with a wicked light. “It was the one, Jaffa, my brother, gave me when I was to infiltrate these pathetic Gaians.” She paused, her eyes boring into Zandra’s soul. “He always knew that his biggest fight would come from outside the city.”

“Your brother?” Zandra could not hold back the gasp of surprise. Now that Lioness mentioned it, she saw the similarities between the two, especially the mocking superior light in their eyes.

“You seem surprised, Alana. What? Did your lover never mention he had a sister before?” Lioness seemed amused, though not surprised in the least that her brother had failed to mention her.

“No.” Zandra pursed her lips together, feeling quite uneasy around this woman now. If Lioness was Jaffa’s sister, then surly she would know that Zandra had never accepted the teachings of Zoot. Jaffa always said that refusing to acknowledge Zoot for the deity that he said he was, would be her downfall.

“Of course not. He wouldn’t have told you.” Lioness replied. “See, he never trusted you. Even back when he was f*cking you. And now I can tell my dear old brother that he was wise not to. Though he should never have been so kind and put you at that dreary prison where you could stir up trouble.”

Zandra flinched, though she tried not to let the worry that shot through her show on her face. Obviously Lioness knew what had happened up at the prison, though she couldn’t be sure she had told any of the other guards.

“What do you intend to do with me?” Zandra asked, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible.

“I’m not exactly sure. Maybe make your face match your friend’s.” A wicked looking blade suddenly appeared in Lioness’ hands. “You know Danni and her lovely little scar?”

“Yes.” Zandra nodded, well remembering the tight pinched white scar that ran nearly the length of Danni’s face.

“I gave that to her.” Lioness grinned wickedly. “After my brother was done with her he left her to me. He said I could have fun. So I did. Only the poor thing was so out of it that she hardly remembered a thing. I can assure you, though, you won’t be.”

Before Zandra even had a chance to respond to Lioness’ cruel words, she lunged forward, her knife slashing out at Zandra’s arm, ripping through the flimsy fabric that was supposed to protect her from such attacks.

Zandra bit back a cry of pain as she leaped out of her seat, knocking over the table in the process. Her hand immediately went to her wound, trying to pinch the skin back together, but already her lieutenant’s uniform had a brilliant scarlet stain that was growing larger by the second.

“You witch.” Zandra hissed, looking up and into Lioness’ malicious eyes. “You’re evil to the core, just like your damn brother!”

“Yes.” Lioness gave Zandra a smile that dripped with malevolence. “Yes I am.”

~*~*~

“Now! We have to move now!” Silver pushed open the gate of the prison the second she saw Lioness attack Alana. Not all of the Chosen guards had fallen asleep yet, but they had to do this now or else doom Alana to a fate worse then death.

Prisoners began pouring out of the cages that held them, shouting war cries or screaming the name of their tribe. They attacked anything and everything that wore a blue robe using nothing but their bare hands. Silver knew that they did not stand very good odds, especially since they had no weapons and only a small handful were skilled in the arts of war, but they had to try. They had to before it was too late.

~*~*~

“We’re attacking.” Ravenscroft said it, his voice so calm that Danni thought she had misheard him.

“What?” She exclaimed, struggling to stand to her feet. “But it’s too soon. The drug hasn’t had its full affect yet.”

“Apparently some of the prisoners couldn’t wait that long.” Ravenscroft reached inside his shirt and produced a slender dagger. “We all have to attack now or else we don’t stand a chance. Here, I want you to take this.” He gave her the blade. “And to stay here.”

“Stay here?” Danni echoed. “But I have to be out there. I have to fight.”

“No.” Ravenscroft ordered. “You will not fight. You will not endanger that child’s life.”

“But—“ She opened her mouth to protest, but Ravenscroft silence her with a kiss.

“I’ll come back for you, Danni.” He whispered, brushing his hand against her belly. “I promise.”

“I love you!” Danni called after him as he raced off with the rest of the prisoners in her cage. “I love you!” Her heart began to break inside her as she watched him vanish into the crowds of fighting children. Something inside her told her that after today nothing would ever be the same – especially between them.

~*~*~

Zandra bit back a curse as she leaped to one side in order to avoid yet another of Lioness’ deadly sweeps with her knife. Though the blade was not very long, it was extremely sharp and Lioness was far too skilled with the knife than any seventeen-year-old should be.

Already Lioness had split open Zandra’s robe in several places, though the thick material had actually managed to protect her from some of the cuts. Her wounds were slowing her down, however, and Zandra was beginning to fear that she would not be able to avoid Lioness for much longer.

She began to yearn for the blade she had slipped Ravenscroft, but she knew he would most likely need it more than her, so she bit down on her lip and determined that she would make the best of her situation, and hopefully come out of it alive.

“What is it, Alana?” Lioness mocked as Zandra dropped to her knees then quickly rolled to her left as Lioness lunged at her. “Are you afraid to face the fate of an unbeliever?”

“I’m not an unbeliever.” Zandra spat as she threw a turned over chair at Lioness. “There’s nothing to believe in. Zoot’s dead. And even if he were alive, he’s just a kid. Just a kid like you or me.”

“Oh, he’s not dead.” Lioness threw her head back and laughed a mocking laugh. “Though your pathetic husband did try his best to kill him.”

“M-my what?” Zandra froze and she felt her face grow pale at the mention of Lex. “How do you know about him?”

“Oh, we know a great many things that you wouldn’t think we know.” Lioness grinned as she moved forward. “Like you are really Zandra, the once Mall Rat who was married to Lex, the man who pushed Zoot from the balcony. Like your little friend who supposedly died on the mountain is actually the leader of the Gaians and is right now in hiding waiting for her reinforcements to come.”

“Amber?” Zandra gasped. “Amber’s alive?”

“Oh yes.” Lioness smirked. “Very much so. It seems that the only thing that died on that mountain was the brat inside of you. That child that you were so terrified that Lex would find out you killed that you joined up with the Chosen, the soon to be sworn enemies of the Mall Rats. You didn’t think it was pure coincidence that the Guardian singled out the Mall Rats, did you?”

“No.” Zandra whispered as she shook her head, struggling to control her tears. Lioness had ripped open her still healing wounds and left them exposed, pouring salt into them and causing Zandra more emotional pain that the original ones had.

“Oh yes.” Lioness said again, circling around Zandra. “Zoot has revealed a great many things to my brother. And to me. Every one of your pathetic little plans we have known about before hand. You pathetic rebels lost before you even began.”

Zandra bit back a low moan, feeling the small flame of hope that she had allowed to kindle inside her slowly spurt out. All spirit to fight and stay alive so she could see the demise of the Guardian slipped out of as she faced his evil sister, still laughing and tormenting her.

“I give up.” She whispered, dropping the table leg she had picked up and had been using to defend herself. “I give up.”

Lioness, seeing Zandra’s defeat, crept forward, readying her knife, the evil almost insane gleam still lingering in her eye. “Prepare to meet Zoot, Zandra.” She chuckled, raising the blade up high. “Tell him I send him yet another of his murderers.”