Barren

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Mackenzie kept her head down as they walked. No one spoke, aside from Boroslav who was singing some song in Ukrainian at the top of his voice. There were men with guns all around them, keeping the Diviners in line. If any of them tried anything, Mackenzie knew they would be shot dead in an instant. Or if not killed, then at least stunned with the painful taser rounds Boroslav was gloating over.

  Turning her head just enough to look over her shoulder, Mackenzie saw Rhiannon being driven along behind them, strangers now in control of her. Facing forward again, Mackenzie braved a glance up to see Boroslav leading the way, his rifle resting on his shoulder like a baseball bat, an arrogant swagger in his step as he continued to sing. As though he hadn't just ripped a man's throat out with his bare teeth, the blood still staining his face.

  "Miller," Abbas whispered beside her. "You okay?"

  Mackenzie nodded. "I'm not hurt, if that's what you're asking."

  "They shouldn't have hit you," Abbas insisted angrily, shaking his head.

  "Jesse got it worse than me," Mackenzie pointed out.

  "That bastard will get his," Jesse growled through his teeth. His cheek was swelling rapidly, almost forcing his left eye completely closed. His whole face was a mosaic of blue and purple bruises, his own blood drying on his lips.

  "Who are these people?" Mackenzie asked. "Did anyone know they were here?"

  "No," Abbas replied. "Except for Vasseur, apparently. If we can believe Boroslav."

  "Do you think it's true?" Bell asked. "Was Vasseur in league with them? And what did Boroslav mean by an offering?"

  "Sounds like Vasseur slipped them supplies," Abbas frowned. "How he did it without anyone noticing is beyond me, though. Same as why he wouldn't tell anyone about these people. They're clearly dangerous. And they look like they've got more advanced equipment than we do."

  "He was lying," Jesse snapped. "No way Vasseur would do that."

  "Then how do you explain Boroslav recognizing him?" Mackenzie asked. "How did he know about Diviners and how many are in a team?"

  Jesse didn't have an answer to this, so he remained silent, glaring furiously at his feet.

  "What are we gonna do?" Bell asked, barely moving her lips as she spoke in a whisper. "We can't stay with this psycho. Look what he did to Lowe."

  "I saw," Mackenzie replied quietly. "But what can we do right now? We're surrounded by armed men. And we told Boroslav we wouldn't fight back while he took us to Scylla. If we do, he might kill someone else."

  "I can create a distraction," Jesse said. "You guys can escape while he's busy with me."

  "Do you want to die or something?" Mackenzie snapped.

  "Wouldn't work, anyway," Bell said. "His goons would shoot us down before we got three feet."

  "We have to come up with a plan," Abbas said quietly. "Whoever this Scylla guy is, if he's in charge of someone like Boroslav then he's probably even more dangerous. We'll play along for now, but we need to be ready when we meet Scylla. Be able to defend ourselves."

  "While we've got our hands tied behind our backs?" Jesse asked. "I don't know about you, but I usually defend myself better with my hands free."

  "Does anyone have a knife?" Bell asked.

  "They took my vest when I was knocked out," Mackenzie replied. "My knife was in it."

  "Same," Abbas replied. "Everything useful we had on us was in our vests."

  "What about my hand?" Mackenzie asked, an idea suddenly occurring to her.

  "What about it?" Abbas asked.

  "They tied my wrists together," Mackenzie began, trying to look around with only her eyes to see if anyone was paying them close attention. "I can remove my bionic and slip out of the tie, then reattach it and keep my hands behind my back so they don't notice."

  "If anyone looks too closely, they'll see right away," Jesse said, sounding worried. "They'd kill you."

  "Says the guy who's big plan was to let Boroslav kill him," Mackenzie retorted.

  "He's right, though, Mackenzie," Bell said. "If anyone notices you're out of your restraint, they might kill you."

  "If all they wanted to do was kill us, we'd already be dead," Mackenzie pointed out. "Boroslav wants us for something. Or at least Scylla does. Boroslav only killed Lowe because Lowe killed one of his men. If they do see me out of restraints, they'll probably just beat me or something."

  She said it casually, but Mackenzie still felt like she should have just stayed quiet. The thought of Boroslav unleashing his wrath on her was not a pleasant concept.

  "Mackenzie," Abbas began, keeping his voice low. "You don't have to do this."

  "I know," Mackenzie replied. "But someone has to do something."

  Before anyone else could try and talk her out of it, Mackenzie began to try and reach the button that would loosen her bionic hand. It wasn't easy to reach with how her wrists were tied, but she eventually got her fingers on it.

  "Cover," Abbas said softly.

  He, Jesse, and Bell all fell into step around Mackenzie; Jesse and Bell on either side and Abbas walking close behind, shielding Mackenzie's hands from the view of their captors.

  Pushing the button, Mackenzie felt the hand loosen its grip, then begin to slip off her arm. It came off quicker than she expected and it dropped from her wrist. Gasping, Mackenzie quickly fumbled for the hand and managed to catch it before it fell. She heard Abbas breathe a sigh of relief behind her.

  Moving quickly now, Mackenzie slipped the plastic tie off the bionic wrist and then hastened to replaced the hand on her arm.

  "Hurry," Jesse urged her out of the corner of his mouth.

  "I've nearly got it," Mackenzie replied.

  "STOP!"

  Mackenzie and the others lurched to a halt as the soldiers all froze and the truck hit the brakes. Boroslav had turned around and was glaring at Mackenzie with his eyebrows pressed hard together, a scowl dehumanising his features even more.

  "Did he see?" Mackenzie whispered, her heart pounding and a terrified bile churning in her stomach.

  "Just stay calm," Bell whispered back.

  Boroslav was marching towards them, his eyes locked on Mackenzie, not blinking even in the harsh sunlight. Mackenzie was still trying to reattach the hand to her arm, struggling to do so without moving too much and drawing attention to her actions. If Boroslav hadn't seen what she was doing yet, he was about to, if she couldn't reattach her hand in the next few seconds.

  Finally Mackenzie managed to get the hand over her wrist and hastily pressed the button The gel tightened around her arm instantly and Mackenzie nearly cried with relief, though she knew she was still far from safe. Boroslav walked straight up to her, still scowling. Mackenzie stared back at him, hoping she didn't look as scared as she felt. Beside her, Jesse tensed up, like a snake coiling its body before striking. Mackenzie wanted to say something to him, tell him not to do anything stupid, but with Boroslav standing right before her, there was no way she could speak without Boroslav hearing.

  "Is there a problem?" Abbas asked defiantly.

  "Why were you whispering?" Boroslav demanded.

  "We weren't," Mackenzie replied.

  Boroslav's hand suddenly struck her face before she even saw it move. The vicious backhand nearly spun her completely around, but Mackenzie thought only of keeping her hands together behind her back, even as she staggered into Jesse. Boroslav couldn't know her hands were free.

  "Hey!" Bell shouted in protest.

  "Don't touch her, you piece of shit!" Jesse roared. Mackenzie was then glad that she had staggered into him, because while he had stopped her from falling, he was distracted enough to not attack Boroslav.

  "There's no need for that," Abbas barked.

  "Then do not lie to me," Boroslav replied with a sneer. "I am no fool. I know when people whisper behind my back. Why were you whispering? What did you say?"

  "I was scared, all right?" Mackenzie cried out, trying to sound as indignant as possible. The burning sensation
in her cheek helped her work up some tears, which she hoped wasn't overkill. "I told them I was scared and they were trying to make me feel better! Lowe was my friend, and you killed him right in front of me! What's to stop you from killing me next?"

  Boroslav regarded her as a smile slowly grew on his face. He looked around at his men, still grinning.

  "The pretty one is afraid!" he shouted, to which his men sniggered cruelly. Turning back to Mackenzie, he said, "Don't be afraid, pretty one. Scylla wishes to speak with all of you, so it shall be. As for your friend Lowe, well... I am sorry for your loss."

  Boroslav's men laughed again. Mackenzie waited for him to leave, but he was still staring at her in that disconcerting way. Grinning like she was a steak dinner he was looking forward to eating. He then reached out and gently stroked Mackenzie's cheek, where he had struck her. Mackenzie cringed and half-turned her head away, but Boroslav still kept his hand on her cheek.

  "Of all your friends," Boroslav said softly, almost gently, "I think you have the least to be afraid of. Trust me, pretty one. If you all behave, you will not be harmed. Now come. We are not far. Scylla awaits."

  Boroslav finally stopped his gentle stroking of Mackenzie's cheek and turned away, resuming his march. His men and the truck all continued forward as one, forcing Mackenzie and the others to follow suit.

  "You okay?" Bell asked Mackenzie.

  "I'll kill him," Jesse growled. "I swear to God, I'll kill him."

  "Everyone, just stay calm," Abbas warned. "I don't like this guy any more than you, Jesse, and I worry about what I might do to him if I got the chance, but we can't do anything risky or stupid. Mackenzie, don't draw attention to yourself. Just keep your head down. Boroslav seems to have taken an interest in you that I don't like, so you're only to make a move if it's a safe one."

  "Got it," Mackenzie nodded, swallowing hard. "Don't worry."

  "But I do," Abbas replied. "I know Boroslav said you should be the least afraid, but the way he said it makes me think you should be the one most afraid."

  "Don't freak her out, Abbas!" Bell scolded, though she glanced worriedly towards Boroslav as she spoke.

  "I'm already freaked out," Mackenzie admitted. "But at least now I can defend myself if he tries anything."

  "Mackenzie," Abbas began, sighing wearily. "What you did back there... standing between me and Boroslav when he was about to shoot me? That was probably the bravest thing I'd ever seen. Thank you."

  Mackenzie offered a smile, though it was weakened by her nerves.

  "But I have to say," Abbas added. "If something like that ever happens again, if it comes down to a choice between my death or yours, let it be mine."

  "What?" Mackenzie whispered in harsh surprise. "I'm not gonna just let you die."

  "If it comes down to that, yes you will," Abbas scowled. "I won't order you, but promise me. Promise me that you won't sacrifice yourself to save me. Please."

  Mackenzie sighed heavily at the ground. "Fine. I promise."

  "Thank you," Abbas said gratefully. "I couldn't live if you died for me. Same with any of you."

  "We'll get out of this," Bell said. "Don't worry. No one else has to die."

  "Maybe just one," Jesse growled, glaring at Boroslav's back.

  Mackenzie was about to reply, but then they rounded the bend in the river and the cliff face gave way to reveal the place they were going and Mackenzie fell silent in awe.

  The structure was enormous, easily a hundred feet high, and hundreds of feet long, made of sleek white steel. The sunlight bounced off the steel and glared in Mackenzie's eyes, making her squint as she tried to take in the incredible sight. It was as large as a football stadium, sitting peacefully a few hundred yards away from the river, and there were hundreds of stone and cement structures built between it and the water, making it appear as though it was some religious monument for a town of cold garages or warehouses. One end of the structure formed a cone-like shape, much like the front of an aeroplane, and Mackenzie thought she could see a large window over the "nose."

  At the opposite end of the structure, there were a dozen vents the size of houses. At the very bottom of the structure, Mackenzie could see wide openings that stretched almost the entire length of the building, which must have been the entrance.

  What struck Mackenzie as the most amazing, however, was what was written on the side of the structure in enormous black letters.

  Panspermia 7.

  "It's an evac shuttle," Mackenzie realized.

  "No way," Jesse replied in awe.

  "From the Panspermia?" Bell asked. "Out here? With these people?"

  "Impressive, yes?" Boroslav asked, leering over his shoulder at them. "What was supposed to be our tomb is now our home. Scylla is inside. Move quickly now."

  Mackenzie, Abbas, Jesse and Bell followed Boroslav into the complex, walking between the cement buildings. As Mackenzie studied them, she noticed that none of the cement buildings had windows. And the doors she saw were made of heavy iron, complete with a thick steel bar that looked as though it locked the doors from the outside.

  "Anyone notice something strange about this place?" Jesse asked, keeping his voice down so Boroslav wouldn't overhear.

  "Yes," Bell whispered back. "It's too empty."

  "What do you mean?" Mackenzie asked.

  "If this is their town," Jesse began, glancing sideways at Mackenzie, "then where are all the people?"

  Mackenzie looked around and was shocked that she hadn't realized sooner. Despite the size of this colony, there wasn't a single soul in sight. No people moved between buildings, no one came and went from the enormous shuttle they were heading towards. No children ran or played. Aside from the troop of soldiers they were confined within, there was no movement anywhere.

  "Where is everyone?" Mackenzie breathed.

  "This can't be good," Abbas murmured.

  They all marched wordlessly through the ghost town, searching for any sign of life and finding none. Mackenzie was beginning to have a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach as she wondered where all the people who had lived in these houses had gone. There was a feeling of terrible dread that seemed to float in the very air around her, weighing Mackenzie down heavily. Whatever had happened here, it had been bad enough to leave its impression on the town, then leech the life out of anyone who dared to walk there.

  They passed through the town and finally reached the gaping jaw that entered into the evac shuttle's lower floor. The entrance was enormously wide, but inside was so dark, Mackenzie couldn't see beyond the door. Looking down at the ground, though, she noticed numerous impressions in the dirt that looked like large tire tracks. All coming out of the large door and snaking off around the town, heading west.

  As they all passed through the entrance, Mackenzie felt momentarily blinded as they walked out of the sunlight and into the shadows. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the change in lighting, she found herself standing in what could have been an underground garage, though there were no vehicles to be seen. Their footsteps echoed lightly against the walls, floor and ceiling, which was far above Mackenzie's head.

  Boroslav signalled for everyone to stop, then turned to face his men.

  "You four," Boroslav pointed. "You come with me and the Diviners. The rest of you, start stripping the truck for supplies and materiel."

  "What!?" Bell shrieked. "What do you mean by stripping?"

  "Resources are hard to come by," Boroslav leered. "We need the metal."

  Bell looked back at Rhiannon in horror as Boroslav and the remaining four men ushered them all away, those ordered to strip the truck now putting aside their weapons and picking up tools that whirred ominously.

  Boroslav led them to a wall that had a row of shiny metal doors in it. One pair of doors slid open, revealing a small square room. One of Boroslav's men was inside, his hand on a panel of switches. Boroslav leered once at Mackenzie, then jerked his head towards the small room, silently telling them all t
o step inside. Doing as they were told, Mackenzie and the others all stood in the centre of the tiny square room, not exactly sure what was happening. Mackenzie was about to ask when Boroslav spoke to the man on the panel of switches.

  "I'm taking these to Scylla," Boroslav said.

  The man at the panel nodded, then said, "Scylla is on the holding level. Interrogation."

  "Why?" Boroslav asked, seemingly annoyed. "Interrogation is my duty."

  "Apologies, Master Boroslav," the man replied, as though fearing Boroslav may lash out at him. "The prisoner stole from Scylla's rations, and you were on another mission. Scylla wanted swift justice for the crime."

  Boroslav nodded, apparently satisfied with the response. "Good. Take us to the holding level."

  Suddenly the metal doors closed, the floor lurched beneath their feet and the room began to rise with surprising speed. Mackenzie's body felt like it was pushing down into the floor and she was momentarily concerned she would be flattened by the velocity.

  "What's happening?" Bell asked before Mackenzie could, sounding worried as she looked down nervously at the floor.

  "It is only an elevator," Boroslav replied, sounding disinterested by Bell's concern.

  Mackenzie had heard of elevators, read about them in books, but never imagined ever seeing one for real. They had no need for them back at Town, the tallest buildings only being two or three stories tall, and there were only a handful of buildings that even had more than one floor. Stairs were sufficient and an elevator would have been a waste of resources.

  "Listen carefully," Boroslav began, turning to look at Mackenzie, Jesse, Abbas and Bell. "Scylla will have questions for you, but first you will hear the rules."

  "What rules?" Abbas asked coldly.

  "Rules that will keep you alive," Boroslav replied, just as coldly. "First, you will not speak unless directly spoken to. Second, you will not ask Scylla any questions unless told you may do so. Third, you will not move. If you move without permission, I will hurt you."

  The way Boroslav so casually spoke about the possibility of hurting them made the hair on Mackenzie's neck stand on end.

  "Last," Boroslav began, his tone having grown colder and his expression becoming darker. "At no point are you to attempt to escape. You will not fight us, you will obey any order given to you, immediately and without question. If Scylla asks you a question, answer at once. If Scylla tells you to do something, do it immediately. If you respect us, we will respect you. But if you break these rules, if you try to run, if you try to fight us, if you even so much as lift a hand against Scylla or me or any one of my men, then you will die. I will not repeat these rules again."

  Boroslav didn't ask them if they understood him. Mackenzie got the sense that he didn't care if they understood him or not, and even suspected he wanted someone to disobey so that he could hurt them or kill them. When he had killed Lowe, and when he was beating Jesse with his gun, Mackenzie had seen a mad glint in Boroslav's eyes that looked like excitement. He enjoyed hurting and he enjoyed killing, of that Mackenzie was certain. Why else would he have been upset by the fact someone else was interrogating a prisoner? He wanted that pleasure for himself. Mackenzie pressed her freed wrists tighter together, silently praying that Boroslav wouldn't notice she was no longer restrained.

  The elevator began to slow and finally came to a stop, though Mackenzie couldn't see where they were supposed to go. She was about to ask, when suddenly the metal wall in front of her split open and the two halves of the door slid smoothly apart with a gentle hiss.

  "Out," Boroslav ordered.

  Stepping out, Mackenzie and the others were herded and shoved down a corridor that was gray and cold, made of nothing but steel. Looking at the floor, Mackenzie thought she could make out the faint remnants of brightly colored lines that had once been painted on the floor.

  Before Mackenzie had time to wonder why there would have been lines painted on the floor, she was abruptly stopped by a hand grabbing her shoulder. Looking up, she saw that they had come to a large metal door, much like the one from which they had exited the elevator. On the wall beside it, though, there was a large flat screen.

  Boroslav stepped up to the screen and placed his hand on it, not bothering to speak. Mackenzie watched as the screen lit up green and then scanned Boroslav's hand. A moment later, the door slid smoothly open and Boroslav marched inside, Mackenzie and the others being shoved in behind him.

  They found themselves in a long corridor again, only this one was vastly different from the last. The walls on either side were lined with a kind of transparent plexiglass, and the lights overhead were dim and uninviting. Mackenzie could hear a voice coming from somewhere far down the corridor, but couldn't make out the words.

  As she, Abbas, Jesse, and Bell were shoved unceremoniously deeper into the corridor, Mackenzie glanced sideways through one of the plexiglass windows. When she saw what was inside, she started as though shocked and had to stifle a gasp.

  There was a man inside, sitting naked on the floor (as there was no furniture to sit upon), his legs crossed under him as he leaned sideways against the wall. The man looked skeletal, his ribs easily visible against his bare torso. His hair was flat and sweaty, his face gaunt and yellow. His mouth hung slightly open, as though he was dazed. He was staring straight at Mackenzie as she looked back at him, but his eyes were unfocused and glassy. As Mackenzie stared at the man, he suddenly jerked his neck and hit his head against the wall with a loud thud. Mackenzie flinched at the sound, then looked to Boroslav to see if he was going to do anything. Mackenzie was horrified to see Boroslav was grinning at the man, his cleft lip baring that sharp canine tooth once more as he watched the man behind the window.

  Turning back to the man, Mackenzie saw him thud his head against the wall again. This time she noticed the small circle of blood that had splattered on the steel wall. The man kept thudding his head as Mackenzie and the others were forced to keep walking, the sound of his head hitting the wall over and over again following them down the corridor.

  As they passed the other plexiglass windows, Mackenzie saw other people in similarly horrifying states. Some would cringe away from the glass when they saw people approaching, but most seemed completely unaware of their surroundings, as the first man had been. They were all naked and filthy, and Mackenzie could smell the stench of sweat, urine and faeces. These people had been left in their own filth, left to suffer. God only knew for how long.

  "This is a prison," Mackenzie whispered in sickened horror.

  "No," Jesse scowled, shaking his head. "This is torture."

  "A concentration camp or something," Bell breathed, peering in horror at a girl no more than seven years old who was imprisoned behind the plexiglass, trying to hide in the corner with her tiny arms shielding her head.

  "This is inhumane," Abbas glowered at Boroslav. "How can you treat people like this?"

  "Be quiet," Boroslav snarled at them. "These things are no concern of yours."

  "Things?" Mackenzie hissed, but a single look of warning from Boroslav stopped her from saying anything else.

  Suddenly, there was a bright flash of blue light coming from one of the cells up ahead, followed by a blood-chilling scream, though it was somewhat muffled, like the screamer had something over their mouth. The blue light flashed again and the muffled scream immediately followed.

  Boroslav approached the open cell and bowed his head quickly, before raising his eyes to look at the person inside.

  "Scylla," Boroslav began, the ghost of a smile already beginning to play out on his lips. "I have brought you the Diviners, as you commanded."

  "Bring them here," came the reply from within the cell. Mackenzie was surprised to hear it was female.

  Mackenzie was suddenly shoved forward to stand in front of the cell, but then a swift kick to the back of her legs brought her to her knees. Jesse, Abbas and Bell were quickly shoved alongside her, also forced to kneel. Mackenzie looked up to see t
he one named Scylla, who now stood before her like a demon at the gates of Hell.

  Scylla held a lit blowtorch in her hand, the blue flame burning brightly and flickering against the walls. The light cast Scylla's shadow against the wall behind her, a silhouette that towered above its own physical counterpart, appearing far larger and horrifying than the woman staring down at Mackenzie. Her hair was black and cut short, almost completely shaved. She looked to be of Asian origins, perhaps Korean, and she stared with cold, almond-shaped eyes. She had a slim frame, but her arms, exposed by the dirty white singlet she wore, were toned with muscles. The singlet was stained with black and red smears; how they got there, Mackenzie wasn't sure she wanted to know. Some of it looked like blood.

  Behind Scylla, Mackenzie saw a man hanging suspended in the air, his wrists chained to a hook on the ceiling and his toes dangling an inch above the floor. He wore nothing but a dirty pair of pants, his face hanging down to his chest as he slowly spun in the air. If he hadn't been shaking with fear, Mackenzie might have thought he was dead.

  "Which is he?" Scylla snapped at Boroslav.

  "None of these," Boroslav replied. "He was not among them."

  Scylla was silent for several seconds in response and the air seemed to thicken with tension. Scylla's expression never changed, but there seemed to be an electric energy emanating from her that suggested her barely contained fury.

  "Really?" Scylla asked slowly, dangerously. The sound of her voice made Mackenzie think of a snake gradually uncoiling itself before striking an enemy. "And where is Vasseur?"

  "Dead," Boroslav informed her. "We found his body in the Diviner truck."

  "Hmm," Scylla said thoughtfully, her narrow eyes slowly examining Mackenzie and the others. She pointed at Abbas with the still lit blowtorch and snapped, "You there. What is your name?"

  "Kian Abbas," Abbas replied, eyeing the blowtorch apprehensively.

  "And you?" Scylla demanded, turning her attention (and the blowtorch) towards Jesse.

  "Jesse Greaves," Jesse said with as much contempt as he could manage.

  Mackenzie waited for Scylla to ask her and Bell's names, but Scylla seemed to have become disinterested, turning her attention back to Boroslav.

  "Did Vasseur back out of the deal?" Scylla wondered aloud.

  "Who can say?" Boroslav shrugged. "He was dead before I got the chance to ask him."

  "Wait," Scylla said slowly, her eyes roaming over the Diviners once more. "There are only four. Where is the fifth?"

  "Your dog killed him," Jesse snarled.

  Boroslav struck Jesse in the side of the head with his fist in a flash. Jesse swayed on his knees, struggling to stay conscious.

  "Hey!" Mackenzie cried in protest.

  "Zamovkny!" Boroslav snarled.

  Neither Jesse nor Mackenzie spoke Ukrainian, but they understood well enough. Jesse silently spat blood out onto the floor, then resumed staring at Scylla, who hadn't even flinched.

  "You killed one of the Diviners?" Scylla asked Boroslav coldly.

  "Yes," Boroslav replied, not a hint of remorse in his voice. "He shot and killed one of my men."

  Scylla nodded, but her lips were pressed together tightly. "And what was his name? This man you killed."

  "His name was Seth Lowe," Boroslav replied. "Not him."

  "Not who?" Mackenzie asked.

  "Shut up!" Boroslav snapped at her. "I told you not to speak unless spoken to!"

  "It's all right, Mikhail," Scylla said. "Vasseur seems to not have told them about our arrangement. As they are now our guests, I think it's only fair they know why."

  Boroslav looked disappointed, but said nothing. Scylla extinguished the flame on the blowtorch, then stood over Mackenzie as she spoke.

  "Vasseur and I were in regular contact," Scylla explained, slowly looking between Mackenzie and the others as she spoke. "I would tell him what I needed and he would bring it to me. In exchange, I would tell him where he could find a new water source for your colony. The river you saw, I know everywhere it flows. I know every well it created, every stream, every pocket of drinkable water. Years of mapping gave me this knowledge, while your people scrambled like ants trying to create the simple society you know today, but neglected to figure out how to survive long term. However, while I have an abundance of water at my disposal, I lack the resources I truly need. That's why I offered a deal. Vasseur was to give me whatever I needed, whenever I needed it. I would then tell him where to find water."

  "So Vasseur was bringing you something?" Mackenzie asked.

  "Yes, that's right," Scylla replied, smiling. "Something very precious to me."

  "Well, maybe it's in the truck," Mackenzie said.

  "Yes, it would have to be," Abbas added. "If you find it, by all means, take it. Vasseur never told us about your arrangement. You can take whatever you need and we'll go."

  "It's not that simple," Scylla replied. "See, Vasseur wasn't bringing me some tool or piece of equipment, or even food. No, he was bringing me a person."

  "A person?" Mackenzie repeated. "That's why you were both asking our names! You were looking for them. You thought it was one of us."

  "Yes," Scylla nodded. "This individual was promised to me."

  "Who?" Abbas asked. "Who was promised to you."

  "As they are not here," Scylla began, fixing Abbas with a cold glare, "I fail to see why that should matter to you."

  "Well, there's no one with us," Abbas scowled. "We're useless to you. You might as well release us."

  "Scylla will decide what to do with you," Boroslav spat, stepping in front of Abbas, sneering in contempt. "You will remain silent as you were told."

  As Boroslav had stepped past Mackenzie to address Abbas, she noticed the pistol on Boroslav's hip. It was holstered, but well within Mackenzie's reach. Her heart rate quickened to triple speed as she realized, wondering if she could do something to get them out of this place.

  "There's no need to keep us here," Abbas continued to argue, beginning to sound angry. "We never knew anything about this deal you had with Vasseur, we don't even know who it is you're looking for! You already killed one of my men, there's no need for any more violence. Just let my team go and hold me if you must."

  "You're right," Scylla began, smiling nastily. "There is no reason to keep you. Boroslav, take them outside and shoot them."

  "Yes, ma'am," Boroslav grinned, flashing his canine tooth in anticipation.

  Mackenzie knew she had to act. She leaped to her feet and, as she rose, reached out and snatched Boroslav's gun from its holster. Boroslav saw her rise, her hands no longer restrained, and began to reach for his gun, but the suddenness of Mackenzie's movement made Boroslav hesitate for just a fraction of a second and he didn't reach his gun before Mackenzie was able to snatch it away.

  Making the decision without even thinking about it, Mackenzie lifted the gun and aimed it at Scylla's face. Scylla looked at her with mild surprise, and Boroslav's men were raising their own guns, pointing them at Mackenzie, ready to shoot her down.

  "Stop!" Scylla shouted, her voice echoing around them.

  Boroslav and the other soldiers all froze, though with some confusion. Those with guns didn't seem sure where to point them now, so kept them half-raised towards Mackenzie. They weren't about to shoot her, but they could in an instant if ordered. Boroslav was sneering at Mackenzie, furious that she had somehow broken free of her restraints and gotten the better of him. Mackenzie felt like she wanted to throw up and she fought to keep from shaking. Scylla, however, seemed completely at ease. She was regarding Mackenzie with polite curiosity, as though Mackenzie was simply a brief distraction, almost amusing.

  "Well," Scylla began, still smiling. "I've never seen anyone take Boroslav's gun away from him before. I hope you know that you must have wounded his pride a great deal."

  "I don't care about his pride," Mackenzie replied, trying to keep her voice from giving away her terror. "He killed my friend."

&n
bsp; "I'm sorry for that," Scylla said, sounding sincere. "He was not supposed to kill any of you. I wanted you all alive. So, I'm curious, what is your plan here? Are you going to shoot me? Then somehow overpower Boroslav and the other six armed men here? Are you going to shoot your way out of my home and make your way back to your colony?"

  Mackenzie tightened her grip on the gun.

  "Let us go," Mackenzie demanded. "Or I'll shoot you. I know we probably won't survive, but at least you won't either. Maybe I can even get Boroslav while I'm at it."

  "My men will gun you down before you can pull the trigger," Boroslav snarled. "Don't be stupid."

  "You're planning on killing us anyway," Mackenzie snapped, her hands beginning to shake with fear and adrenaline. "The way I see it, I'm dead either way. But at least you two won't be able to hurt anyone else."

  Mackenzie felt all eyes on her, those of both Scylla and Boroslav, as well as all of their soldiers and those of Abbas, Jesse and Bell. Everyone held their breath as they waited to see what happened next.

  "Have you ever killed anyone before?" Scylla asked, now sounding surprisingly gentle. Her voice was soft and calm, as though the gun in her face was inconsequential. "I don't think so. I can see it in your eyes. You lack the conviction to kill. You know as well as I do that you won't pull that trigger."

  "You don't know shit," Mackenzie snapped, hoping she sounded braver than she felt. "I'll do it."

  "Then do it," Scylla replied, smiling.

  Mackenzie tightened her grip on the gun as she aimed down the sights at Scylla's smiling, unafraid, face. She sensed the soldiers tighten their own grips on their weapons, readying themselves to shoot her down.

  "Do it," Jesse whispered. "Go on. Do it."

  "You heard your friend," Scylla grinned. "Do it. Kill me. Blow my brains out. At this range, you can't miss."

  "Just let us go," Mackenzie insisted, realizing she sounded like she was begging. "Don't make me kill you. Let us go and no one has to die."

  "Either you pull that trigger or I order my men to shoot you here and now," Scylla replied, still calm.

  "I... I..." Mackenzie stammered, beginning to hyperventilate.

  "Just shoot her," Jesse hissed.

  "Shut your mouth!" Boroslav snapped at him.

  "Mackenzie," Bell began, but didn't seem to know what she was going to say.

  "Yes, Mackenzie," Scylla said sweetly. "Shoot me if you can."

  Mackenzie felt the trigger under her finger. She pictured squeezing the trigger and shooting the smug smile right off of Scylla's face, then shooting down Boroslav and his men, then leading Abbas, Jesse and Bell to freedom. She knew this was just fantasy, though. There was no way she could fight all these men. She'd be lucky if she even managed to shoot Scylla. Mackenzie knew she was moments away from death, no matter what she did.

  Suddenly, as though deflating, Mackenzie lowered the gun. She let it slip from her hands and fall to the floor. Mackenzie lowered her gaze and stared at her own feet, too ashamed of herself to look anyone in the eye.

  "That's what I thought," Scylla leered.

  Boroslav picked up his gun, then drove a fist hard into Mackenzie's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and bringing her to her knees as she gasped for air.

  "Don't touch her!" Jesse roared.

  Looking up, struggling to breathe properly, Mackenzie met Abbas' gaze.

  "I... I'm sorry," she choked.

  "It's okay, Miller," Abbas said softly. "It wouldn't have changed anything anyway."

  "What did you call her?" Scylla suddenly demanded.

  Looking up, Mackenzie saw that Scylla was now standing over Abbas, her eyebrows pressed firmly together as she spoke. Abbas was looking up at her in surprise, while Jesse kept glancing between Boroslav and Mackenzie. He was shooting daggers at Boroslav with his eyes, while his expression softened to concern when he looked at Mackenzie, who still gasped for air.

  "What did you call her?" Scylla repeated, softer now.

  "Miller," Abbas repeated.

  "Are you any relation to Captain Stephen Miller?" Scylla asked incredulously, turning to Mackenzie.

  "She said she is his granddaughter, Scylla," Boroslav offered.

  Moving lightning quick, Scylla turned and slapped Boroslav as hard as she could across the face. The force of the blow sent Boroslav reeling, staggering several steps aside and nearly tumbling into the man who still hung suspended from the ceiling. Boroslav looked at Scylla in shock, holding his cheek.

  "Why didn't you tell me that sooner, you idiot!?" Scylla shrieked. Then, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Scylla slowly calmed herself before speaking again. "They are not to be harmed."

  "What?" Boroslav asked, confused.

  "They are not to be harmed!" Scylla repeated, shouting this time. "Give me your gun."

  Boroslav hesitated for only an instant before placing his pistol in Scylla's outstretched hand. Scylla turned her attention to the man who was hanging from the ceiling by his arms. He had kept his face down this whole time, but now he looked up into Scylla's eyes. Following her gaze, Mackenzie looked up at the man and immediately felt like screaming.

  The man looked as though he had been severely burned. The flesh on his face and neck was blackened and charred, blood and pus oozing out between his cracked flesh. One eye seemed to have been melted completely shut, and there was a red, yellow and white liquid running down his charred cheek from where the socket had been, suggesting his eyeball had exploded from the heat. The man was quivering as he looked back at Scylla, a rag tied over his mouth so that he could not speak.

  "We're done here," Scylla said to him.

  Then Scylla lifted the gun and fired a single shot into the man's head. The bullet went straight through and Mackenzie saw blood, bone fragments and pieces of brain splatter against the wall behind him. The man immediately fell limp, his suffering over.

  "That's how you kill someone," Scylla said flatly to Mackenzie. Then, to the soldiers, she said, "Detain them."

  Mackenzie looked up in time to see a soldier hammer the butt of his gun down on her head, and then there was nothing but darkness.