Scars Of Defiance (19 page)

As he pulled open the glass door of the gas station, a young
man wearing a crisp black suit exited and handed Greg an envelope. Sierra
gasped out Victor’s name, and at the same time movement from all areas
surrounding them caught their eyes simultaneously.

A trap! A well-executed ambush, and Greg was behind it.

Paul immediately slid over into the driver seat and would
have started the car except for the fact that Greg had taken the keys with him.
Sierra reached over and locked her door before anyone could open it. Eight or
nine men dressed in black surrounded the car, and she screamed as they smashed
her window and opened her door. Paul’s unlocked door was pulled open at the
same time, and they were both dragged out in opposite directions.

Paul fought like he’d never fought before. One man was
behind him with his arms wrapped around Paul’s arms and chest. Paul reached up
and held on his assailant’s hands and bent forward, quickly pulling the
assailant off his feet. This move caused the man to flip forward, landing him
on his back. Another man came at Paul from the right, and Paul slammed a swift
undercut punch to his jaw, knocking him to the ground. In the meantime, he was
rushed from behind by two men who knocked him down. Paul rolled on his back and
kicked with all his strength. One man flew backward, but the other had better
fighting skills. Before Paul knew what was happening, the man grabbed his pinky
finger and bent it backward toward his wrist, then he angled Paul’s arm in such
a way that it seemed to pull every muscle in his body to near tearing. The man
flipped Paul on his stomach and bent his arm behind his back, all without
releasing his hold on Paul’s pinky. Four other men jumped on him to hold him
down.

Sierra had been pulled out of the passenger side, and she
fought too, only her fight wasn’t even remotely fair. Her petite frame and
lightweight body couldn’t do much damage to her assailants like Paul was doing
to his. She did manage to poke her finger in one man’s eye and leave a trail of
bloody lacerated skin down another man’s cheek from her fingernails. She tried
stomping on toes, but one can’t do very much damage to steel-toed boots.

She watched Paul fight triumphantly, and she felt pride rise
up inside her. Then she saw him taken to the ground, and her fear overtook her.
At the same moment, she was forced down to the ground on her stomach with the
right side of her head pressed into the snow and gravel. A firm hand held her
head down while someone’s knee restrained her shoulders.

“Paul!” she screamed.

Paul heard her and fought with the five men restraining him.
He was able to turn his head to see her scared face for a fraction of a second
before seeing the front of a military boot come flying into his face. He heard
her scream his name in agony, and then he heard screaming no more.

Sierra’s face hurt from the freezing snow, and her shoulder
felt like it was dislocated because of her arm being twisted behind her back,
but it was nothing compared to the ache of watching Paul get kicked in the
face. He went unconscious immediately, and she cried. She cried even harder as
she watched the limited-viewing scene play out under the car. Several booted
feet began kicking her precious Paul in the gut. She screamed for mercy for his
sake and was comforted only by the fact that he was unconscious and couldn’t feel
the pain of the beating. The men continued to beat on him, and she cried
uncontrollably. She couldn’t stand the thought that she might be responsible
for another good man’s death.

A vehicle pulled into the parking lot in front of Greg’s
sports car, and Sierra was lifted to an upright position. She couldn’t see Paul
any longer, only the men who were still pounding on him.

“Stop! Stop hurting him, please!”

“Sierra, he’s an enemy of my father. He deserves to die.”
Victor had come to her side and spoke very calmly. “Any defiance is punishable
by death.”

“If he dies, then I die.”

“How Shakespearian of you. You’ve always been quite dramatic
that way.” Victor waved his arm, and the men stopped their attack on Paul.
“Now, we leave.”

Sierra was dragged across the parking lot by two strong men.
Her feet dug into anything and everything to try to stop her advance toward the
black limousine. She was pushed into the vehicle, and the door shut before she
could get out. The other door opened, and Victor climbed in along with two
guards who sat across from them.

She instantly flew toward Victor with the rage of a thousand
venomous vipers. She was pulled up short by the bodyguard’s arms around her
waist. “Let me go! Let me kill him! What’s the matter, Victor? Afraid of a girl?
Can’t hold your own? Had to have Daddy find me because you can’t stand to be
abandoned at the altar?”

“Sierra, shut your mouth. You’re only embarrassing
yourself.”

“You don’t like hearing what I have to say? It must be true
then!”

“This little escapade has set our time schedule behind. You
and I should have been married already, but if he’s already had you, then I
don’t want you. I’d simply ask, but I can’t trust your answer. So we’ll take
your little boyfriend with us so that when I find out that he took what was
mine, I can kill him with my own hands.”

“He’ll always have my heart, Victor, and there’s nothing you
can do about it.” She heard the distinct rip and tear sound that can only come
from Duck Tape. She turned to look, only to be silenced by the sticky tape
placed across her mouth. Her hands were also bound behind her.

“I like it when you’re quiet.” There was a knock on the
outside of Victor’s window. He rolled it down an inch.

“Sir, what should we do with him?”

Victor stared at Sierra for five long seconds and then
turned to the man. “Kill him. Find his parents and kill them too.”

“No!” Sierra tried to scream and made to move toward Victor,
only to be attacked by the two guards. They pushed her down on her side with
her face shoved into the leather upholstery. Outside, she heard four distinct
gunshots, and she was reduced to tears and sobs for Paul.

Chapter 11

It had been several hours since Paul was shot. They had
reached the palace, and Sierra was placed in a secure room with no windows. Her
bindings had been removed before she was locked away. She loathed being back in
this life, being called Sierra, and having bad memories flood her mind. Her
father had died because of her, and now the only man she had ever loved was
dead too, because of her.

Her thoughts wandered to the little gas station and the
memory of watching Paul being abused. The four gun shots ripped through her
even now. At least he was unconscious when they killed him. Had anyone
collected his body yet? Was he still lying in the parking lot? Did his parents
even know, and how would they take it? Had they been killed as well?

Fleeing Rendier had helped her discover the life she wanted
to lead. Paul helped her find herself. She would miss him terribly. She already
did. Paul would have wanted her to try to bring about change within the palace
walls, and she decided she would do just that. More tears trickled down her
cheeks.

The door opened, and Reginald Rawlings entered, along with
Dr. Roth. Reginald walked over to her. “Sierra, I’m so happy you are safe. And
I see you’ve recovered completely from your attempts to starve yourself, so
much so that you were able to pull the wool over all our eyes and flee. I hope
you’ve come to realize you can’t escape your duty to this country.”

Sierra said nothing.

Reginald continued. “Dr. Roth will ascertain your virginity
now. I would hope you have guarded it with your life. I heard about the young
man you were found with and how you had acquired quite an attachment to him.”

Again, she said nothing. Dr. Roth helped her lie back on the
bed.

“Reginald, would you mind stepping out during the exam?” Dr.
Roth asked.

“I
do
mind. I’m not leaving.”

Sierra turned her head to Reginald. “Would you at least turn
around? I am uncomfortable with my future father-in-law seeing me undressed.”

Reginald’s expression surprised her, and he actually turned
around. Perhaps it pleased Reginald to see that she had accepted her fate. Dr.
Roth performed the exam quickly and confirmed her status to Reginald.

“Good,” Reginald said, then he left the room.

“What is this splint for?” Dr. Roth asked her once they were
alone.

“I hurt my foot when I crashed through the ice.”

“Through the ice?”

“Yes, it was so thin. But in the end, it made it easier to
get closer to shore. Paul pulled me out the rest of the way.” Her voice choked
up, and tears filled her eyes.

“Paul?” Dr. Roth adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses.

“They shot him. When they captured me, they shot Paul. He
risked his life for me. He was so kind and caring. He called me brave, but he’s
really the one who was brave. He helped me realize that life is worth living.
I’ll never try to take my own life again. I’ll stand tall, for Paul. I’ll be
brave and live against all odds.”

“He must have been something else to change your mindset so
dramatically in just a few days.”

“He was one of a kind.”

“I think we should x-ray that foot of yours and check on
your other wounds. I’ll get the approval to move you to the infirmary.”

*****

Paul tried to open his eyes. He felt the cold stone floor against
his cheek and tasted blood in his mouth. He had been beaten severely but not
killed. Why? Why beat someone so badly but not kill them? He tried to push his
head up off the floor, but the pain was too much. He observed his surroundings
as well as he could with his limited range of motion. A stark cold room,
perhaps a cell of some kind, a large door, a large guard — damn, he must be at
the palace.

The guard exited the cell and yelled down the hall, “He’s
awake!”

Paul heard the shuffling of feet down the hallway and
watched black polished shoes walk into the room.

“Roll him over,” the deep voice of Reginald Rawlings
ordered.

The guards twisted him on his back roughly, and Paul let out
a yelp in agony.

“So, your name is Paul Bronson. You’ve kept Sierra hidden
quite well for these few days. I must compliment you. She’s sometimes a danger
to herself. In fact, on numerous occasions she has tried to end her life. I
just can’t have that happening.”

Reginald walked over to the corner, where a tiny slit of a
window let in some light, and continued. “You know, Paul, I see a different
light in her eyes now than before she fled. You are, I think, the source of
that light. I believe as long as you are here in the palace, she will remain
here too.”

Paul grunted out, “So you’ll keep me prisoner till she gives
you an heir?”

“Well, that’s a wonderful idea, Paul. I’ll tell her you came
up with that one all on your own. We’ll let her cling to some far-fetched hope
of escaping with you, and hopefully in that time she’ll get pregnant with a
son.” Reginald walked back over to Paul and squatted down beside his head. “But
we have a problem here. You see, my son has been robbed — by you.”

Paul narrowed his eyes in question.

“You stole his bride’s heart, and she will never love him the
way she loves you. So I’m sure Victor will want to be compensated for his loss,
and who am I to deprive him of it?”

“Compensated?”

“Yes, Paul. In whatever way that will satisfy him. I’ll let
him stretch his wings on this one. He will rule this country some day, and he’ll
need to learn how to be tough and hardened to emotion. What better way to
accomplish that than by torturing you for revenge? You will be his training for
leadership, Paul. Once Sierra produces an heir, I’ll have no use for her or
you, and Victor will have complete free reign over you.”

“Victor doesn’t need training to become like you. It’s you
who needs to catch up to him. I’d watch my back if I were you.”

Reginald’s head flew back in laughter. He turned to the
guard. “Take the prisoner to the infirmary, and have Dr. Roth fix him up.” His
eyes trained back on Paul. “You must have your strength restored a bit to
withstand Victor’s rage, and we certainly cannot have you dying on us now, can
we?”

Paul was dragged to his feet by two large men and taken down
the hall to the medical room. He knew right away this was the same place Sierra
had been taken after her beatings, and he surmised that the man wearing the
stethoscope around his neck must be Dr. Roth.

“Reginald Rawlings ordered you to care for this prisoner,”
the guard announced.

“Put him over here,” said Dr. Roth, pointing to an exam bed
in the corner. The men dragged him over and sat him down. Dr. Roth gently
pushed on Paul’s chest to lay him down. He reached across and fastened a wrist
restraint to his left arm and then another to the right. “What’s your name,
son?”

“Paul. Paul Bronson. Are you Dr. Roth?”

Dr. Roth’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “My reputation must
precede me. You two can wait outside the door. He’s not going anywhere.”

The guards exited the room, and Dr. Roth looked Paul in the
eye. “Where do you hurt the most?”

“My ribs. I can barely breathe. It hurts to be lying down
like this. Can I sit up?”

“No. Paul, you need to listen very carefully to me. My
position here is Reginald Rawlings’s personal physician. He trusts me, and
anything Sierra has told you about me needs — no, absolutely
must
be
kept quiet.”

“Dr. Roth, I understand.”

“I may be rude to you at times, and you may find yourself
wondering if I’m who you think I am. Rest assured, what Sierra told you will
never change.”

“My lips are sealed.”

“She thinks you’re dead.”