Eight

"walk." the guards barked at her. As they shoved and dragged her from the boy's body.

They mounted ATVs, tied her to the back of one, and roared back across the hilly forest. The nights dew was still on the leaves soaking her clothing still further. The trip was long, winding, still freezing, but she felt none of it. Her thoughts were still with her partner's body. Condemned to stay slumped against a random tree in a miserable part of the world, waiting to be consumed by both animals, and time.

She would not stand for that injustice. These monsters had stolen his life, she would protect his dignity. Somehow, she had to get him out of this place. He was, as the poets often say, brave and unyielding to his last breath.

She stomped and tripped after the vehicles as fast as she could and was still tugged by her bindings. Every time the man throttled to maintain speed, her hands were yanked so hard her shoulders strained to stay in their sockets, and her hands quickly grew cold and steadily they lost circulation.

"Ow! Take it easy... asshole..." she panted loudly at the driver. "I can only... go so fast!"

With the insult he hit the gas and ripped her off her feet. She dragged in the brush and mud for a few feet. This was going to be a longer walk than she thought.

"He dies first" she muttered to herself when he stopped, allowing her to climb back to her feet. They moved steadily for a couple hours, silent except for the roaring engines.

The camp she and nick had started out at turned out to be more of a small village-like encampment than a mere military base. Shouts and joyous laughter greeted them as they rolled finally into town. Several houses were to the west with steel sheds on either side. The northern part of town had a large, wooden building with flags flying over two armed guards.

She took in all of it. Committing as much of the towns layout to memory as she could. Never knowing if she would have use of the information. More offices and garage-type buildings finished the circle around a sandy clearing in the center. Where foot traffic wound its way through vehicles coming and going.

The group stopped in front of the large northern building and she was yanked up the stairs, across the deck, and through the doors. Two men led her and didn't give her an inch of freedom. Not until she was shoved into a dim room, shackled to a concrete basement wall, and knocked unconscious with one blow to her jaw.

Hours later Amber gasped for air and jerked against the chains as the ice water broke itself on her body soaking into her bra. Goosebumps rose instantly with her temper.

"Fucking shit!" she shot out once her gasps had subsided.

A man leaned into her and spoke with a heavy accent, "good evening, I do hope you are well."

She tried to focus her spinning eyes on the beard before her. "Eat shit, dirt-bag." And slumped back to hanging.

He rose and stepped away from her allowing the second man to hammer her ribs with a length of polished wood.

Screams flew from her lips, and the pain radiated across her chest and into her breathing.

The beard leaned back in, "what are you doing on my island, child?

"Training test," she heaved, "you have to know about the juvenile base."

The beard leaned into her, "yes, but I was expecting only one."

The look on her face changed and settled on confusion, "expecting?" she said through clenched teeth, "what do you mean expecting!?"

She tugged and strained at her chains furiously, as a large array of threats and cursing flew from her lips. The two men laughed, mocking her.

"Ms. Greene, that is quite enough." The beard said nodding to the other man.

Her bones and muscles braced themselves for the beating. Bloody Screams tore from her mouth and her eyes sparkled with fury.