Avarice Desperation Valley Ch. 25

At last a way to deal with the Captain had delivered itself into his hands, he was grateful. This deadly cocktail should take care of the last impediment to his escape plan, though he was unsure just how swiftly it would work and how incapacitating a mouth full of it would truly be? Forgetting any kindness the man had done for him on his capture completely in his headlong desire to free his beloved master, a trait becoming typical of him.

He froze in silent panic momentarily as the powder fizzed and bubbled sure someone would notice his nefarious act, but the clamor of the kitchen drowned out any noise that issued forth. The collective chorus of hissing steam from the huge blackened cast iron pots, and wood being thrown into the stove's gaping maw by Jimmy masked his intentions completely. Nathan breathed a sigh of relief as the chemical reaction subsided, the first part of his plan had gone off without a hitch.

Nathan had slowly pilfered from the kitchen stores and Robbie's disheveled room all he would need over the past days of nervous waiting, and bundled everything in a huge navy coat tied firmly with strips of cloth. This task had at least helped him pass the wait. The time had seemed to drag relentlessly, even a slave's sense of patient resignation to a world beyond his control had helped him little. Now that the moment was on him it all seemed to rush by in nothing but a blur.

Nathan recalled his many uncomfortable nights in the desert above vividly, determined he was not going to shiver in the desert this time, the huge wool overcoat of Robbie's would amply suffice to keep him warm on the bitter frosty nights. Nights when his master had other matters than his blond slave boy to occupy himself with. Everything he would need was contained within its ample folds, provisions, clothing, useful odds and ends like flint and a sharpening stone, most importantly knives to arm the men.

Nathan had wanted to take and use the great carving knife in his escape plan, he had envisioned using it many times while daydreaming of his escape, but had wisely decided against it.

Nathan had reconsidered he would opt for stealth, the smaller knife narrow and sharp would just as surely dispatch a man if placed with precision. He had witnessed it done by the others many times. A lesser knife would not be missed and much easier to conceal, he brushed his pants pocket again for reassurance as he had many times already that day, there it was pressing comfortingly against his thigh, sharp and at the ready.

The smell of fresh baked bread enticed him, emanating from the ovens, mouth watering. However he would get none of it this day as he had eagerly every day since his arrival. Soon he would be back to the desert and the meager existence it afforded him as Wesley Bennett's property. He would be happy with that, in fact he wanted nothing more.

"You there!" Nathan jumped, but it was Jimmy who Robbie had commanded. "Take the food to the prison, and hurry up about it." The heavy blackened oven door clanged shut as Jimmy made haste to do as he was bid, fearful of yet another beating. I wish he had of asked me Nathan sighed inwardly realizing he would have to do things in his most non preferred manner now and all with great haste before Jimmy made it out the door.

It turned out Robbie unwittingly made Nathan's task a little easier as he sidled up close to the boy, his heaving perspiring bulk threatening to engulf his prey.

However this day Nathan was no longer prey but rather the hunter, his fine fingers straying to the hilt of the sequestered blade and clasping it in shaking fingers. I can do this he commanded himself trying to exact some mysterious power from the weapon in his grasp to boost his steadfastness.

"My little pet." Robbie purred in his high pitched falsetto voice, which laid bare his sexual orientation in an instant. "Come with me." He smiled down at Nathan as his arm encircled the slight boy tightly. Revulsion rose in an instant as it had each time the grotesque sweating lump of a man had touched him making the next act a lot easier to accomplish.

The next few seconds were a blur to Nathan, even later as he tried to recall the events of the initial escape he found he never could with any great clarity. But in those few frenzied minutes Nathan learned for the first time what it was like to have blood on his hands, and what it was to take a life. Feeling surprised that it was less difficult than he had thought it would be.

Fumbling with the blade the hesitant amateur Nathan was; it plunged in far easier than he thought it would in his imaginings, though death itself was a messy affair. Not at all the clear cut thing he had witnessed many times and expected it would be.

Robbie stared in open mouthed shock as the knife slipped between his ample ribs speechless. All he could do was gasp in wordless horror and try to thrust Nathan from him like a poisonous snake. Nathan hung on and realizing his first attempt had grievously wounded the ghastly man, but failed to kill, the boy stabbed at him repeatedly fueled by the hatred and abhorrence for this man who had so used and abused him.

Robbie went down heavily in a heap of flailing limbs, and the floor was slick with blood. Nathan stabbing him one more time through his throat the flesh soft and white, the blood bubbling from the gaping wound as the man took his last breath and died without so much as a coherent word.

Jimmy was frozen in horror as was the wretched girl, luckily for Nathan neither of them had the presence of mind to run or raise the alarm. Nathan fought to clear his head and gather his wits about him as he herded them both into the store room at knife point, barring its sturdy door.

His escape should not be discovered for some time. He estimated he would have about one hours grace before the curious would care to look in on the kitchens wondering when dinner would be served? By that time he planned to be long away.

His clothing choice was fortunate, black, it hid the blood stains well. He washed the telltale blood off in the small basin in Robbie's room smearing the stiff towels with watery crimson, his unruly blond hair wet and tousled hanging in his eyes.

The boy had too much adrenaline in him to pause now, gathering up his well tied bundle, thrusting it under his oversize jacket he grabbed the tray and headed into the corridor, every sound, sight and movement sent new waves of fear as he made the journey to the cells.

Attempting to walk slowly and project calm it seemed the longest walk he had ever made. In all his caution he had completely overlooked his bloody footprints starkly preserved on the passage floor...

*****

Captain Harris looked up briefly from his work as Nathan appeared through the doorway flanked by two guards on duty outside in the passageway. It had been a long day and he was tired, another couple of hours and he would leave his post, go back to his family where he wanted to be, leaving the horrors and troubles of this place behind at least for a little while.

The Captain had always thought to himself he was fighting for his family, trying to forge order in this brave new world and what he was doing was right and had some very real merit, but daily he had to question that with the comings and goings of the Lord's black shadow Victor Krosse.

The Captain was no ignorant man and knew full well the extent of the dark doings occurring within the prison walls here. He tried to reason these were bad men, they were deserving of such treatment, yet deep down he knew even these men were deserving of better. The guilt of just standing by filled him with bitter gall and a sense of unease. Still this was as close to a 'safe, ordered society' as things got, he was fairly comfortable and his family his number one priority lived better than most. However he was not a bad man and at times he felt sick with the things he witnessed here. It was hard for an honest man like him to turn a blind eye.

"I haven't seen you for a while." The Captain said cheerily to the boy not really looking up from his mound of papers he was signing. If he had perhaps his soldiers sense would have seen the wild gleam in Nathan's eyes, and the danger that lie there.

Nathan was glad he had no voice at this time sure words at this moment would have given him away completely. The Captain expected no answer from the mute and kept on with his work, Nathan setting down the tray fervently praying the man would drink the wine sooner rather than later and it would have a dire effect on him, all the while eyeing the cell keys laying in full view on the desk.

He dare not tarry but he so desired to, he must appear normal in every way. Nathan was reaching for the hilt of the still blood smeared knife stowed in his pocket as Harris unsuspectedly up ended the pitcher and poured the wine. It was to be the Captains last coherent act.

It was only mere seconds until the man took the first big drink, he was so engrossed in his work he had failed to notice anything amiss. The man stood up abruptly pushing his chair over with a loud clang, gasping and clutching his burnt throat as the caustic soda consumed his insides with raging swiftness.

Nathan lunged at his stricken quarry, knife in hand viciously ramming it home. Captain Harris went down heavily to the floor trying to clutch frantically at the desk for support, all his soldierly art had not prepared him for the slyness of this captive slave boy.

His last moments spent staring into the vibrant green eyes of the boy he had saved, only to be murdered by him in return. Nathan had no time to wallow in such remorse, nor did he care, his existence as a slave had necessitated he had given up feeling guilty about such things a long time ago. He grabbed the keys from the table top and bolted toward his master's cell.

*****

Victor Krosse had left his day's work but moments before, narrowly missing Nathan in the meandering corridors. His pristine black boots resounded on the steel walkway, his black leather floor length trench coat with its gleaming silver buttons fanning out behind him. The yellow light globes in their metal cages overhead, casting small pools of brightness in the hard steel world illuminating him one moment and plunging him into shadow the next as he passed beneath.

There were a number of routes to the prison in this twisting labyrinth, it was easy for a new comer to get lost here as one place looked the same as the next. Another day of no results the saturnine man thought glumly, and another evening to face Lothar's displeasure, though he had expected half as much. Bennett was a hard man and had borne the four days of torture well. It appeared to the experienced torturer he would hold his secrets for many days yet.

*****

Bennett stooped down low over Sven's recumbent form as he had lain for the vast majority of the time on the cold cell floor for days with little sign of movement. The blanket covering him was soaked in the man's own blood and urine.

Gareth was close behind ever watchful, he too was otherwise naked save his loins being wrapped in a dark blue blanket which covered very little of the large man, showing off his ample tattoos. Dragons, swords, serpents, geometric designs and other mythical creatures covering most of his upper torso and arms in heavy black ink.

Sven did not stir as the two looked him over. Nathan fidgeted nervously on the periphery constantly eyeing the entrance unable to clearly see over the bulk of the two men's backs, and not sure if he wanted to. Selfishly he thought that maybe Sven was dead making it much easier to escape, and if he wasn't maybe they could just leave him there.

Bennett even though he was in a hurry and anxious to be gone from this place had been very curious as to what had been done to his man. He peeled the sodden blanket back carefully revealing all of Sven's nakedness. The man's body was crisscrossed in abrasions, cuts and bruises, hardly a surprise to either of them. There was little left of the untouched flesh visible to his eye anywhere.

Gareth looked over Bennett's shoulder his face a mask of concern. Both men pondering the difficulty of getting Sven out of here without compromising their own escape. Bennett usually a man of little compassion, hard as the land he survived and prospered in was taken aback when he realized just what terrible thing had been done to his henchman and most trusted friend. Where Sven's maleness should have been there was nothing visible except neat suturing and a small drain tube. The essence of all he was taken irrefutably in one clean cut, never to be returned. It was so final.

This had gone to a level he had never anticipated, Bennett had always liked to think he was the highest in the food chain, but Krosse had bested even his most outrageous cruelties.

Bennett felt inner cold grip him in a way he never had before in his life, shocked at the extent of that which Victor Krosse's torture entailed. It went to some dishonest place even he would never dare tread. Bennett just stared at the disfigurement his mouth dry for some moments in stunned silence, he could not tear his eyes away.

Gareth looked away like he had been slapped, not a word was exchanged. The horror of what had been done to Sven difficult even for these hard men to comprehend.

Bennett replaced the soiled blanket swiftly, neither man had expected or had been ready for this. They owed it to Sven to bring him home, the scapegoat for them all, he who had borne the days of torture so that they had been spared. Both he and Gareth forgot their own aches and pains, and galvanized themselves into action.

Nathan lingering behind the two men was unhappy as he realized they would be taking Sven with them. Why did they not just leave him here to die, it made no sense to jeopardize them all? He had become a very mercenary boy indeed.

Swiftly they stripped Captain Harris of his clothing and weapons, he would have no further need of them in the after life. The garments were predictably too small for Bennett, but they fitted Gareth well. The Captain's weapons consisted of fully loaded.45, a clip of ammunition as well as a serviceable short sword and dagger.

Nathan stood back as the door was opened and the two guards were easily dispatched, no match for these wild, desperate men from the desert above. They never even managed to raise the alarm as their throats were slit, or even glimpse their assailants. Bennett an imposing sight even naked as he was took Sven's great weight, slinging him on to his shoulder. He groaned but did not awaken.

It was Nathan's turn to put into action all he had practiced. He had learned this place well. To others not familiar with the twists and turns in these half lighted corridors they all looked the alike. A labyrinth of no escape, but he knew the way.

Bennett hoped he could trust the easily panicked boy in truth at this moment he was left with little choice but to follow. They ran as fast as they could with their burden, a lesser man than Wezley Bennett could not have done the same. It seemed they were going deeper into the workings of the city, the very bowels of hell itself. Water tainted with corrosion dripped at intervals, the puddles slick and dangerous on the steel path. Steam was erupting from pipes and valves overhead, the lights here were dimmer and flickered threatening darkness.

A few times to avoid detection they had to swiftly secret themselves in side rooms from passers-by. Once they collided into an unfortunate civilian as they did this, the surprised resident was dead by Gareth's hand before he could make an utterance. The patrol passed by unaware of their proximity. The three fugitives senses full of their own desperate rasping breathing, and the pungent smell of their sweat mingling with the metallic stench of fresh blood.

They were about to leave this barely lighted room when they realized much to their fortune this was a store room. The alarm as yet had not been raised and the men took no prompting to rifle through its contents, Bennett finding a good set of leathers and boots. If they were to survive on the outside they knew it made sense to equip themselves adequately. Bennett smiled a gruesome smile, one that never reached his ice eyes, providence was shining on him after all as he grabbed a stack of wool blankets and threw them to his boy to carry.

The alarm was just being sounded as they made the semi dislodged vent pipe cover. This major breach in security had been quite forgotten. Its exit standing in dense brush a small way from the city walls and near the refuse dump.

Nathan held his breath for a moment not because of the pervading stench, but due to the steel fortress erupting in a cacophony of sound as alarms went off everywhere within its dark heart. This was the part of his plan Nathan was very unsure of, he had tried on many occasions to budge this cover repeatedly to no avail. Could the others even open it he fretted?

The iron grate was heavy and well made. Gareth tried to dislodge it with all his might but it stood firm, he cast a far from confident look at Bennett. Bennett put his burden down carefully as the restrictive space in the tunnel allowed, and both he and Gareth strained to budge the grate.

Nathan watched in silent dread, all this to just be caged here like rats in plain sight of freedom? The sight of the gap was tantalizing he could easily squeeze by it and be free, but none of the others stood any chance of that. Somewhere far off they could hear guards their boots thrumming on the steel walkways deep within the fortress, time was running out to be leisurely in their escape.

Nathan started, suddenly feeling something by his legs, he was incredulous to discover once he had calmed his raw nerves it was nothing more than Tiger. She was milling about his feet in ever tighter circles, she must have been here mousing, and had often followed him to this point in the past as he had attempted to memorize this exact location. The sight of her pulled him up from the events of the present, how could he have ever forgotten her, his little furry devoted friend of the kitchens?

He scooped her up in his bundle of blankets and she sat embedded in them purring contentedly, her slitted eyes shining bright. Nathan hoped she would quietly stay there for it was not the nature of most cats. The steel grate rasped against rusted metal and promptly fell away, Tiger tensed in the bundle but did not leave it. Gareth and Bennett maneuvered Sven through the opening and they were free and under the open sky. To all it was a beauteous vision.

It would soon be dark but they dared not leave the brush until the cover of night fall. The two able bodied men replaced the loose cover so their escape point was not blatantly obvious and moved Sven out of sight, making him as comfortable as possible, covering him with a light blanket.

It was a difficult wait, a couple of times patrols of armed men passed perilously close by. Fortunately they had no dogs with them. They all held their breath eyes riveted on Sven hoping he did not make any sound in his sleep as he had been doing on occasion all day. Bennett ready to silence him should he do so. The two escapees may have been able to take the patrol but more would be alerted and soon deployed. They had no choice but to wait it out.

Black carrion eaters circled lazily high in the sky catching the last warm thermals of the day and diving for the repulsive scraps the city saw fit to discard to them. The air was thick with decomposition, and the flies were in such menacing numbers it was hell to sit silent there and remain unnoticed. Somehow they were not located and at last the merciful darkness descended. The swarms of files retreated from the cool evening air bringing relief. It was time to leave their cover and make for some safe place where they could access fresh water and prepare for the long march home.