"But Blue, she can't --"
"Enough, Rolan! I am carrying out the Council’s order! She must be taken back."
Tane sighed, defeated. He had no doubt that by returning the girl to the Minith, their goal to eliminate the aliens from their planet was doomed. The human race had decided once again to ignore long-term benefits in order to sate an immediate need. The Peace that was earned with Avery’s return would be short lived. When the Minith discovered what their human chattel were attempting, the repercussions would be severe.
The Minith would squeeze information from Avery. Short of kidnapping or killing Avery, he had no idea how to stop her return. He could not carry out either of those options.
Tane nodded his acceptance of Blue's order and turned to go. He saw Blue smile, apparently pleased with his victory. Tane accepted the failure. It was a short-term loss. He was more concerned with long term success. As he departed Blue's apartment, his mind was already considering his next step.
Grant would not be pleased with the Council’s latest decision.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
They entered the darkness slowly, hesitantly. Grant felt his way forward. He balanced on the balls of his feet and waited for his eyes to adjust. Unlike the four previous squares, this one was unlit. The only illumination came from the doorway they had just entered and a pale light that shined in the distance. The fact that this square was different from the others, coupled with the ease with which they had been granted entry, set off alarms in Grant's head. He was an experienced soldier. One trained to detect slight changes in routine and not-so-routine patterns. His entire being shouted 'danger'.
He suddenly remembered Avery's ability to see in the darkness.
"Mouse," he whispered to the large black man. "Can you see anything?"
"Nothing but that light in the distance," Mouse whispered back from three feet away. The words surprised Grant. He had not realized the other man was so close.
"That's what I was afraid of," Grant replied. He moved toward the light, alert for any smell, sound or movement.
Grant searched the blackness around them as they made their way through the corridor of the Inner Square. He heard rustling and turned to face the sound.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The communicator beneath his belt went off. The tin beeping of the device echoed like thunder in the stillness and Grant fumbled to quiet the sound. The beeping had surely given away their location. He found the button to silence the incoming signal. As he pushed it --
-- light flooded the three figures.
The harsh white light blasted his eyes and Grant lashed out blindly with the staff. Nothing but air.
“Nice trap,” Grant had time to think before being slammed brutally to the ground. He fought against the weight holding him down but could not move. Struggles and curses behind him. He had no doubt Mouse and Sue were similarly captured.
"Son of a bitch," he muttered.
"Shut up," a voice spoke from beyond the light. "You will not speak unless told to do so."
Grant was in no position to argue.
* * *
They were marched through the Inner Square corridor by eighteen men. They were boxed in – four guards ahead, four behind and five on each side. All were armed with pikes or swords. And most were pointed at them. The guards did not tie their hands or bind them in any manner but Grant did not fight or struggle. There were too many. And he suspected they were taking him where he wanted to go.
His eyesight returned to normal. Grant took in everything they passed and filed it away for future reference. They passed men, women and children. All seemed amused at the trio being led through the corridor. Many of the women and children threw garbage and stones. Grant ignored the garbage and did his best to dodge the larger stones. Grant opened his mouth to ask their destination and was immediately jabbed in the ribs by one of the guards. The men who escorted them were alert and well trained.
The women were more attractive and better fed than in the outer squares. Sue also noticed. She stared at the women with suspicion and envy written upon her features. There was obviously no love lost between the women here and those in the outer squares. The pecking order appeared to be based strictly on appearance.
Sue also bore the brunt of the taunts and jeers. To her credit, she ignored the words and dodged most of the trash that was thrown. Grant was proud to be in her company. He doubted if many of the women who wielded the garbage and hostile threats would have held up so bravely.
Most of the male prisoners they passed were actively engaged in some type of fighting, sparring or exercising. Grant sensed an army in training. Grant was reflecting on this when the procession turned into a large stone chamber off the main corridor.
A raised, two-feet tall stage made up the far end of the chamber. A giant of a man, easily seven feet tall and massively built, stood on the raised platform. He had shoulder-length, brown hair pulled into a pony tail. He wore pants and boots, but no shirt. His muscles rippled and flexed as the group approached.
"Titan," Grant said beneath his breath.
The dais increased the man's presence; his sense of height. Grant knew the position was an affected one, chosen for its effect on the visitors to the chamber. The knowledge did little to diminish the man’s true size, however. This man deserved the name Titan.
"Kneel, strangers," they were told by one of the guards. Mouse and Sue immediately dropped to their knees. Grant remained standing.
"I said kneel!" the guard shouted. The end of his spiked bar stabbed into Grant's kidney. He meant business.
Grant staggered. The pain bit, but he did not kneel. Instead, he turned his head and spat at the guard. The incensed guard jabbed the sharpened steel for a second blow. Grant sidestepped the weapon, flashed forward and sent his boot into the man's solar plexus. The guard flew backward, dropped like a swatted fly.
Four of the man's comrades moved toward Grant but a deep voice, resonant with authority, halted the movements with a single word, "ENOUGH!"
Grant faced the four attackers and, seeing them back down, turned to face Titan.
"I’m not kneeling to anyone, pal."
Titan seemed amused by Grant’s defiance.
“You may be a fool, little man, but you do not lack courage." Titan stepped from the dais and Grant sized him up. Titan had superior strength and size. No doubt about that. The giant would likely view him as an overmatched opponent. If they fought, it would be the intangibles that made the difference. Speed, cunning, fighting skill. And his newly improved body. Grant was more than ready.
"Bubba, I ain’t kneeling. And I’m no man's fool."
Titan's eyes widened slightly at the stranger's affront but he held his anger.
"Who are you? And why have you been looking for me?"
Grant was surprised, but saw how information might travel quickly in an environment like Violent's Prison. There were no distractions from the outside world and anyone with information would surely try to parlay such information into a favor. It was obvious that his rapid journey to the Inner Square had been noticed and communicated to Titan.
Grant had every intention of telling his story to Titan. It was the sole reason for his being here: to enlist Titan into the fight against the Minith. However, Grant had a rule when bargaining with an opponent – never give up anything unless you get something in return.
"How did you know I was searching for you?"
Grant's question was met with a blast of laughter from the giant.
"Ah, little man, who are you, eh? You say you are no man's fool but you act like one at every opportunity. I asked you a question and you answer it with one of your own! If that is not the act of a fool then you must be a powerful fighter.
"And outside of these walls, there are no fighters. Only inside the walls of Violent's Prison do real men live and die.” Titan waved his hand at t
he stone walls that surrounded them. “Outside... outside there are only cowards who live with their heads hidden beneath the coverlets of their comfortable beds. Men who believe in the lie that they call 'Peace.'
"Are you one of those, little man? Or are you a fighter as your talk and your actions would have me believe?"
Grant ignored Titan’s question and repeated his own. He had an agenda and it did not include Titan being amused.