Skin Walkers: Taken (5 page)

Chapter 8

Nyree woke a few short hours later.  It was still too dark to see, and she was freezing.  Clamping her mouth shut to keep her teeth from chattering, she slowly climbed to her feet.  She needed to move, knowing that if she got her blood flowing she’d warm some.

Her head felt groggy and she wanted to sleep, but it was just too damn cold in the cell.  For a moment she considered seeking out Rohm’s large form to cuddle up beside, but the idea was just as quickly discarded.  He’d intentionally avoided physical contact with her during training, so the thought of him wrapping her in his massive arms now was silly. She thought of other things instead, like the mound of hot pancakes drenched in buttery syrup she was going to devour when this was all over.  Her belly growled at the thought, and when she imagined taking a bite of the creamy yolk of an egg with her pancakes, her mouth actually watered. Groaning, she shook her head, trying to shake off her need for food. She was hungry, thirsty, cold, and dirty.  She wanted a shower, warm clothes, a good meal, and a long nap, in that order. Sadness welled, and she wondered if they’d ever be saved.  It was a stupid thought though.  Of course Monroe would send a team for them, Fatal probably would too.  She strained to listen, wondering and hoping that their rescuers were arriving as she stood there, shivering in the dark.  When no sound was heard she began her miserable pacing again.

She heard a shuffling noise in the corner but chose to ignore it.  Seconds later, there was a bright flash and then something large brushed her hand.  Startled, she jumped back.  When she heard Zavier’s unmistakable snort, she reached out and buried her hands in his thick, warm fur.

Unable to resist, she knelt and wrapped both arms around the beast’s massive neck and whispered, “Hey, big guy.”  Across the cell, she thought she heard a moan.  Ignoring the sound, she shivered at the instant warmth that poured off Zavier, seeping into her aching bones.

He nudged her and she lost her balance, dropping back on her ass. 

“Hey,” she chastised quietly. 

Zavier used his snout to push her again until she was flat on her back before he settled on the floor beside her with a great ‘harrumph’.

Nyree realized then that Rohm had summoned Zavier to keep her warm.  As grateful as she was, it still stung a little that he’d prefer she cuddle with his beast rather than with him. But it was too late, too dark, and too cold for her to waste energy trying to figure out for the hundredth time why Rohm hated her.  She burrowed into Zavier’s side and was delighted that his fur was so long that, if she turned on her side, she was laying mostly on it and not the cold floor.  Within minutes, she was toasty warm but unable to go back to sleep.

“Why do you call them Soul Sentries?” she asked into the darkness.

Rohm, waited so long to respond she began to think he wouldn’t when he finally answered.  “You are a Sentry that guards Walkers and their home.  Zavier is the same, except he guards me.  He is part of me, part of my soul, and he is my Sentry.”

Okay, that made sense.  Since he was so willing to answer questions, she racked her brain, trying to think of something else to ask, but Zavier’s warmth was too great and the day too long.  Her blinks grew longer, and finally her eyes drifted closed. She kept them that way as she murmured an appreciative, “Thank you.”  Whether she was thanking Zavier or Rohm, she’d leave it up to the Keeper to decide.

***

Lights blared to life.  Morning had come too soon.

Nyree woke, noting right away that her body ached even more than it had the night before.  Slowly sitting up, she groaned at the pain in her neck, back, arms, hips, and legs as she silently cursed the unforgiving concrete.  She searched the cell, her eyes locking on Rohm’s angry gaze as he sat across the cage staring at her as if he’d been doing it for quite some time.   

“How are your wounds?” he ground out, sounding almost angry with her.

Looking down, Nyree was surprised to see that the slash across her chest was already healing.  She lifted a hand to finger the cut on her shoulder and it too was already sealed shut.  “Uhh, good.  Thanks.  Any movement?” she asked, glancing around for their captors. 

“No.”

The door at the far end of the basement opened and none too soon.  Nyree walked to the side of their cage and gripped the bars.  “I need to pee.”

The guards advanced, and one said, “Put the bear away and go to the far side of the cage.  Put your arms behind your back and stick them out of the cell.”

Nyree turned to eye Rohm, knowing the guard was speaking to him.  The Keeper stood scowling at the guard while Nyree began to dance around a little. “Come on, Rohm.  I
really
need to go.”

The Keeper snorted before holding out his arms and accepting Zavier back into himself with a flash of light.  Then he stomped to the back of the cell, turned to face Nyree, and stuck his hands through the bars.

“You too,” the guard ordered, and Nyree spun to find him staring at her. 

Fine!
  She’d do whatever she needed to get to a toilet some time very soon.

Standing next to Rohm with her arms behind her and sticking out the cell, she ignored the guard’s rough treatment as he bound her hands too tightly.

The guard who secured Rohm took a little longer while the other guard circled back to the front of the cage.  “Is he secure?”

Secure?
  Nyree leaned back and realized the guards had not only used metal handcuffs this time, but they’d looped them around a cage bar so that Rohm was cuffed and secured to the bar itself so he’d be unable to step away.

“Secure.” The guard behind her announced.

Rohm tried to step forward, but the cuffs held him in place and he growled.

“Come on.”  The guard barked as the cage door was opened.  Nyree gave Rohm an apologetic look as she rushed forward.

Rohm simply watched as Nyree was taken.

Chapter 9

The guards escorted to Nyree to a cell at the back of the room and closed her in, allowing her to relieve herself in semi-private—if she ignored the guard who kept peeking in through the Plexiglas window.  Finished, she quickly used the small sink above the toilet to wash her hands as she eyed the small cell for any weapon, but as expected there was none.  Dropping her lips to the faucet she took a long drink of water before crossing to the door where she knocked on the window. “I’m done.”  She half expected them to leave her in the cell, but the door opened and rough hands grabbed her and escorted her back toward the cage.  Rohm’s clear blue gaze tracked her movement, his eyes narrowing on where the guards’ hands bit into her arms. 

Nyree made to head back to the cage, but was jerked toward the exam table.  She fought them this time, earning herself a punch to the face that nearly knocked her out before they got her strapped down.

Her chest heaved as the result of her effort and her anger. “Doctor” Sicko was back and was hovering over her, examining the wounds he’d inflicted the day before.

“Interesting,” he mumbled to himself. 

He pulled the drawer under the table open and Nyree’s heart rate accelerated. 
Is he going to cut me again?
  She tried to steel herself as she watched him lift the scalpel. 

“Don’t
fucking
touch her,” Rohm growled from across the room.

“Glad I have your attention.”  He left Nyree’s side to pace toward Rohm.  “There is something I need.  Something you are going to do for me.”

“What?” Rohm growled.

“I want you to seed the female.”

Nyree’s mind raced to keep up. 
Seed?
  At first she didn’t understand what the ugly little man meant, but then her face paled when she realized exactly what it was he was asking.

Rohm’s response was instantaneous.  “No.”

“I’m not asking,” Chambers countered.  “I’m telling you what I want done.”

“NO!” Rohm boomed.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” The monster turned from the Keeper and strode with renewed determination toward Nyree.  “Perhaps more damage will change your mind.”

Nyree tensed as he approached and, without a single word, yanked her bodice down, exposing her bare breasts to the leering guards as he cut an ‘x’ across one nipple. 

“NOOOOOOO!” Nyree screamed furiously.  She wasn’t going to beg him to stop, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let him force Rohm into “seeding” her.

Rohm roared furiously, drawing the Doctor’s attention.  “Well?”

Nyree’s head snapped to the side, her eyes locking with Rohm’s.  He was watching her, waiting.  She shook her head with pleading eyes.  He couldn’t give in simply because the monster had cut her again.

Long seconds passed before he sighed.  “Have it your way.” 

Nyree watched with heightened panic as the male moved lower.  He shoved the lacy skirt that barely covered her parted legs to the side.  She began to thrash against the restraints, but her arms, legs, and torso were all firmly secured and she couldn’t do more than writhe, causing her wrists to burn and her muscles to ache.  “If you cut me again, I’ll fucking
end
you.”

Chambers merely laughed, a low, evil chuckle, and Nyree tensed, going eerily silent and still when she felt him press the blade against the inside bend between her legs. 

“Don’t. STOP!”

He pushed, running the blade down next to her sex, continuing to cut a trail down the inside of one thigh.  He was pushing harder than he had before, cutting deeper, and Nyree couldn’t hold back her ragged scream.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”  She thrashed violently against the restraints, trying in vain to move away from the blade.

Rohm roared, and she heard metal clanging.  She knew he was trying to break free as snarls and growls echoed through the basement.

“STOP!” Rohm roared, and Chambers actually did as he was told.

Nyree couldn’t see the madman’s features through the tears that blinded her, pain like nothing else assailing the vicious cut.

“Put her back in the cell, then release the Keeper.”  Chambers returned his scalpel to the drawer, then exited the basement, leaving the guards to release a shuddering Nyree from the table before hauling her up and dragging her back to the cell.

Her hands were clamped at her chest, holding her bodice up as her nipple throbbed painfully and bled through the gown.  Between her legs she could feel warm blood coursing down her leg, leaving a crimson trail. 

Quickly, the guards opened the cell, shoved her inside, and relocked the door.

Nyree hit the floor hard, ignoring the guards as they circled around to release Rohm, who was growling in a constant rumble now.  Blinking back tears, Nyree turned slightly away from the Keeper and guards to inspect the wound between her legs.  It was deep.  Too deep.  She whimpered as she closed her legs tightly, pulling the flimsy skirt tight to hide her legs.  Pulling the top of the gown up as high as it would go, she groaned at the pain the action brought to her still bleeding nipple. 

Behind her, she heard a ferocious growl and one guard shout, “Hey!” 

Jerking her head to look over her shoulder, she watched Rohm turn with inhuman quickness as his hands were released.  He had one guard by the wrist. Rohm jerked hard, bringing the guards face and body into contact with the cage bars with a sickening thud.  Terrified, the other guard stumbled back so fast he tripped and landed on his ass as he frantically jerked his pistol free of its holster.  “L-l-let him go!”  He commanded, pointing the weapon at Rohm.

Rohm released the guard and the man hit the floor, hard.  The guards eyes stared, unblinking, up at the ceiling. Death was a very good look on him in Nyree’s, admittedly biased, opinion.

“You fucking monster!” The other guard seethed as he got to his feet, his hands trembling as he pointed his pistol at the Keeper.  “DR. CHAMBERS!” he shouted, but the sadistic, so-called ‘doctor’ didn’t appear.

Rohm ignored the guard as he inched closer, still holding his gun leveled on Rohm.  Trembling, he grabbed his dead friend’s hand and drug the body away.

Dropping to his knees at her side, Rohm gripped Nyree’s shoulders.  “Let me see.”

She attempted to shrug him off.  “It’s fine.  I’m…fine.”

He didn’t wait.  Strong hands turned her, shoving her hands away to peel the top of the gown down.

“Hey!” She tried to cover up, but Rohm flashed his teeth and growled at her, stilling any resistance she might have put up.  She was annoyed that she actually blushed as the Keeper examined her bare breasts. 

He left the top down and gripped her thighs.

Nyree shoved his hands away, curling her legs in tightly to her body. “Leave it!”  To her surprise, when she looked up to meet Rohm’s eyes, his expression had softened.  He looked almost sad.

His tone was gentle as he spoke. “I need to see how bad it is.”

She swallowed hard, but when his large hands gently curled behind her calves, she didn’t fight when he eased her legs straight.

“Okay?” he asked softly.

She dropped her gaze to his chest and nodded.

He took painstaking care to ease the skirt off her thighs before placing his hands on her knees and coaxing her legs slowly apart.  When he spoke, his voice was enraged. “It’s deep.”

She didn’t trust herself to speak, so she simply nodded again.

“I’ll do your chest first…”

He didn’t get to finish as she jerked back out of his hold, slamming her legs closed.  “You’re not
doing
anything!”

Rohm rose to his full height as he growled down at her, “I’m closing those wounds, Nyree.”

Shaking her head, she scooted back even as he stalked her across the cell.  Her back hit the bars, and she reached for one with plans of pulling herself to her feet.  She didn’t get the chance.  Strong hands on her hips pulled her away from the bars, and suddenly Rohm was wrapped around her.  One thickly corded arm snaked behind her neck while his knees planted between hers.  Using his free hand, he gripped her arms and squatted, her body held tight against his as he lowered, her to a prone position.