TAKEN: Journey to a New Home (4 page)

  Samantha cradled the sobbing Rose in arms and rocked her. Taylor was sitting clutching her ribs while Jasmine and Natalie examined Sienna. Holly knelt and spoke to Taylor then pulled off her lab jacket. Holly and Tabitha after a few moments consultation began tearing the jacket into long strips. When they had a large pile they began wrapping Taylor’s ribs as silent tears coursed down her face. Blanca sat sobbing by herself as Wendy first wrapped Rose’s ribs and examined Rose’s arm. The three vet techs then shredded Wendy’s jacket and used it to bind Rose’s arm after Wendy set it. Thankfully, Rose had passed out, before that, so Samantha just held her. The women used Tabitha’s jacket to make a sling and cloths for cool compresses made from the cool water in the tap.

  Through it all Dr. Martin sat staring in unblinking shock. She didn’t respond to touch or spoken words. Jasmine left Sienna in Natalie’s care and moved to check on Ashaa who was still pale green and spotted.

  “Ashaa, can you hear me?”

  Ashaa didn’t rouse and still twitched occasionally.

  “Holly, can you help me turn her so she’s a little more comfortable? She’s too heavy to move by myself.” Jasmine was puffing a little from the first attempt. Wendy nodded and the other two women went to help Jasmine move Ashaa to her back and straighten her legs while she finished Rose’s arm.

  “Boy, you weren’t kidding when you said she was heavy.” Holly agreed.

  Sienna woke a few hours later to concerned faces. Samantha smiled wearily, “So you decided to join us.”

  “Careful how fast you sit up. I’m pretty certain you have a concussion,” Wendy advised.

  Sienna’s stomach rolled. Her head throbbed painfully and her face hurt. She gingerly touched her cheek. She looked around at the subdued faces. Rose, Taylor and Ashaa appeared to be asleep. Rose had bandages around her arm and ribs while Taylor’s ribs were also wrapped up in some sort of white fabric. Ashaa lay on her back, breathing in and out evenly. Sienna did a double take at Ashaa. She was now pale green with spots that were dark green down the sides of her face and neck and dark green lips.

  “What happened?”

  “The private didn’t go down easy. After he hit you and Taylor, then he broke Rose’s arm and elbowed Jasmine.”

  Sienna turned to look at Jasmine who was sporting a big bruise on her face.

  “Ashaa finally came to from the blackout and attacked him. She threw him across the room and then jumped on him and started pounding. The keepers came in with sticks and started zapping her. She killed two but went down finally. About midway through all the zapping she turned green and spotted and then dropped and started twitching,” Samantha explained at length.

  The noisy food cart interrupted the conversation. Four of the aliens were with it. Two brandished sticks while the other two changed out pans quickly. Holly retrieved the pan while Natalie and Wendy filled the bottles. When Zabyss was unwilling to leave her corner, Wendy took her two pieces of food and filled her bottle for her since Taylor was incapacitated. Dr. Martin was still catatonic. No one had much appetite. The horror of the day was still too fresh. Sienna lay her head down again and tried to sleep. After a while noise began to rouse her but before she could sit up, she felt the tingling in her neck.
Oh no, not again.

  Sienna was really tired of waking up hung over. She wasn’t even getting to enjoy a party before the hangover either which made it even worse. She opened her eyes and screamed. Leaning over her was a yucky brown creature with scales, facial protrusions and red eyes with a starburst in each. She scrambled back away from it. It looked like demon in horror film.

  “So you are finally awake.” It said looking over her.

  She looked around and counted her crew as well as Ashaa. Everyone from her six was here and starting to wake. She double checked and counted Holly, Wendy and Tabitha. Dr.Martin and Zabyss were not here.

  “Pay attention!” he demanded waving a six-fingered hand in her face. “I cannot have merchandise out that looks so bedraggled or smells like animals. You will wash over in the corner. Find new garments on the shelf along the wall. Do it quickly!”

  With those words he exited the room and turned the lock on the door after him. Sienna held her head in her hands.
What now?
she thought to herself. Samantha stood and walked to the doorway in the corner.

  “Looks like a bathroom complete with shower cube,” she grinned back at Sienna.

  “Go for it. I’ll go when my head stops pounding so hard.” Sienna tried to smile at Samantha who selected and an outfit from the shelf and went in to the small room in the corner.

  “I’m not sure you have that much time,” Wendy told her with a rueful smile.

  “I see Ashaa has returned to her former color.”

  Ashaa didn’t stir as she was observed but now appeared human once more with her eyes closed and only her nails appearing painted green. But the pale green skin and spots were gone. Rose and Taylor had come around and were sitting quietly.  It was obvious they too were still in pain by their faces. Sienna moved to Rose and hugged her gently and kissed her forehead affectionately.

  “How are you?”

  “I’m okay. My arm is still hurting but it’s a dull throb now,” Rose replied with a grimace. “But I don’t think I’ll be lifting weight anytime soon and it hurts to breath or move.”

  “Taylor?”

  “Okay, if I don’t breathe too deep.” She smiled but it wasn’t quite the serene Taylor smile Sienna was used to seeing.

  Before Sienna could say anything else, Samantha exited the bathroom wearing what looked like a long duster type tunic over light weight loose fitting slacks. She looked clean and refreshed and wore a grin.

  “Okay, the shower is waterless and tickles,” she was laughing slightly. “But I’m clean for the first time in three weeks! It feels great!”

  “Me next!” Wendy volunteered with a laugh of her own.

  Samantha went back to the shelf and chose a pair of slipper like shoes she thought would fit. She slipped them on and grinned again.

  “Neat. The material of the shoes form fits itself around your feet,” she told them with a smile. After everyone else had showered they helped Rose and Taylor removed their soiled clothes and shower one at a time. Both were exhausted by the time the chore was completed and Rose was gritting her teeth in effort not to cry.

  “Do we know what happened to Dr. Martin or Zabyss,” Sienna finally asked after everyone was clean and dressed except Ashaa who still remained unconscious. Sienna hoped she would wake soon.

  “No, they weren’t here when I woke and I was first up,” Holly answered with a shake of her head. “None of the others from the other cells were here either so I don’t know what’s happened to them.”

  Sienna hung her head and said yet another small prayer. She’d been doing that a lot since Hell Monday. Before she could respond to Holly, Ashaa groaned behind her. She and Wendy both moved toward the tall woman. Her gold eyes opened and she held her head in her hands.

  “Go slow,” Wendy warned her. “You’ve been out a long time.” They eased Ashaa into a sitting position and gave her some help drinking water since her hands had a tremor.

  “Better?” Sienna questioned after she drank half the water.

  “Yes, but damn, my head hurts,” she said with eyes closed against the pain.

  “I hear and second that,” Sienna told.

  “Rose?”

  “A broken arm, probable cracked ribs and a concussion,” Wendy listed for her.

  “Oh God, that bastard. Where are we?” Asha looked around for the first time.

  “We’re not sure but I don’t think we’re still on the ship. Our new keeper is sort of brown with spooky red starburst eyes and scales and keeps referring to us as merchandise and the air smells much fresher,” Sienna elaborated. “Dr. Martin and Zabyss do not appear to be with us.”

  “Jennings?” Ashaa growled.

  “From the way they dragged him away after they attacked you, I suspect he was either dead or close to it,” Wendy told her. “I didn’t have time to check on him before they dragged him away but I refuse to shed tears for the prick after he attacked Rose and injured Taylor, Jasmine and Sienna. 

  Ashaa’s head came up and she peered at Sienna. “You have a black eye again. I guess I need to teach you how to duck,” she said with a small smile. Ashaa looked at the other women and her eyes quickly cataloged the bruises and wraps around Rose and Taylor. Anger sizzled in her eyes she muttered under her breath again.

  “Bastard.”

  “Are you steady enough to use the shower and change?” Sienna asked.

  “I think so.” She stood slowly and Holly gave her a gentle hug and a set of garments. Ashaa’s face showed her surprise. 

  “You deserve more than that but it’s all I have,” Holly smiled up at Ashaa. Ashaa nodded and went to the shower. She moved slowly and stiffly.

  “She’s in more pain than she’s willing to admit,” Wendy observed after Ashaa was in the bathroom. “Did you see her hands shaking?”

***

  Across the city in a little dive, Dezek and Rev were listening closely to the Trusky weaving his tale to his lunch companions. Truskies weren’t the most trustworthy of folks and as merchants they’d sell you your OWN mother. AND get you to believe you got a bargain!

  But this one had an interesting tale if he was to be believed. His tale began with a group of Mirkndacks (nasty little creatures who enjoyed meat even if it came in the form of sentient beings) that sold his shop owner cousin a group of humans, female humans. That was unusual enough because Mirkndacks didn’t give up prized meat, especially rare human. It was the reason for sale that had them listening hard, according to the Trusky, the Mirkndaks had sold the humans because they feared they might be diseased. One of the females had blanched pale green with dark spots and then gone back to her natural coloring after an incident of some sort aboard their vessel. They had wanted to get rid of them before they contaminated the rest of the feed stock. Dezek shivered. Few things could unnerve him but Mirkndaks referring to sentient beings as feed stock was one of them. He went to the bar and paid the barman to send the Trusky a couple of free rounds on him.  There was nothing a Trusky liked better than free, especially free food or drink.  He and Rev slipped out the side door.

  “Fazon,” he opened his comm link to his ship from the hired vehicle Rev had procured. “Call everyone in now even if they haven’t finished their assignment.  We may be leaving very quickly, very shortly.” 

  “What’s up, Boss?”

  “A Trusky telling an interesting tale about some humans while we were having lunch. Have Nyman start his pre-flight check and start up sequence. Send Vax to the coordinates I just sent you to wait for us, I’ll need his talent. If that cargo we sent earlier isn’t loaded, get it done. Neatness doesn’t count. Pay the ground crew a little extra if necessary. Not enough to be obvious but enough to make it seem like you’re impatient to start your leave. Ask about the nearest and best brothel; that will give them a good reason for your impatience,” Dezek was giving orders fast and furious but he knew Fazon was dependable and would follow instructions quickly and efficiently. Now all he had to do was swindle a swindler he thought as he sat back with a frown.

***

  “Are you covered in there?” The brown alien’s whiny voice called out.

  “Yes,” Sienna called back surprised he would be so polite.

  “Good,” he said entering with two huge dark blue creatures who looked as though they had been put together from chunks of broken concrete. “I can’t stand looking at humans without clothes.  You’re so squishy looking,” he smirked.
So much for being polite
Sienna thought ruefully. 

“Alright you’ll do. Tag them,” he said and waved at them. The two huge blue beings moved toward them. One carried a tray of what looked like chokers. None of the women dared protest in the face of the giants who stood nearly as tall as the suPonicks had been. Once they were all collared, one giant turned and led the way while the other gestured for them to follow the first. The brown scaly alien brought up the rear. They were led outside. Holly stumbled, busy looking up at the sky. It was a pale lavender. Samantha righted her and they continued down the line of open air pens. The pens contained creatures of varying sizes and shapes. Many wore clothing.
Slaves
Sienna grimaced at the thought.

  “Inside the square,” the brown alien directed as the group stopped at an empty space. He stood and watched them go by. “Hurry along now,” he pushed Rose who cried out. Ashaa moved fast and had him by the throat.

  “Don’t touch her,” she growled. The alien grabbed the cuff on his wrist and Ashaa convulsed and went down.

  “Drag her in,” the merchant ordered. “And let that be a lesson to any of you thinking about misbehaving. I won’t tolerate disobedience!” The big blue creature dropped Ashaa unceremoniously on the ground and stepped back over the rails lying on the ground in a rectangular pattern. The merchant pushed another button on his wrist. A hum of energy started and Sienna knew they were back in an invisible cell. Sienna turned from glaring at the merchant and went to where Samantha was gently rocking Rose again as they sat on one of the soft pallets.  Rose was trying hard not to cry. Out in the bright light of the pretty blue sun Sienna could see the bruises on Rose, Taylor and Jasmine looked even more horrible than inside. The one on her face must look as bad she thought.

  “What if they separate us?” Jasmine’s eyes were wet with tears and filled with fear. Sienna had no answer for her. She ached knowing she was responsible for all of them being here. She was even worried about Blanca as the teen had been very quiet and withdrawn since waking here. She moved to sit next to Jasmine and hugged her. She had nothing else to give the frightened young woman. Wendy, Tabitha, Natalie and Holly were straightening Ashaa’s long limbs and pulling on her onto another pallet in order to make her comfortable.
Poor Ashaa
Sienna thought
she just can’t catch a break.

  The air outside was pleasant and fresh. The temperature was moderate and comfortable under the strange pale lavender sky. Beings of all shapes, sizes and colors were traversing what she guessed was an open air market. They sat together and watched the crowds of creatures walk by. Some stopped and gaped at them. This made Sienna laugh despite her aches and worries since they were all gaping back at the crowd. The others looked at her worriedly. 

  “I’m laughing because we seem to be as shocking to them as they are to us,” she explained. As she looked around she spotted a familiar form and color. She stood and went to side of the enclosure.

  “Zabyss?” she called out. The creature lifted its head and looked at her. She sucked in a breath at the tears on the soft orange fur. “Zabyss, is that you?”

  “Yes.” The poor despondent creature had manacles wrapped around about half of her tentacles. The manacles were attached to chains which were attached to a large rock. 

  “Are you hurt?”

  “No.”  She didn’t lift her head again. Sienna ached for her too now. Sienna searched for Dr. Martin in the other pens before she returned to the pallet but didn’t see the older woman. She fought her tears and hugged Jasmine again. Her neck prickled and she looked to see what set off her intuition.

  Three tall well-built males were moving down the aisle. They were pale metallic gold in color, had stunning blue eyes and were made of well-defined muscles. Sienna thought to herself on any other day she’d be impressed. They could be fitness models on Earth. They stopped in front of the enclosure. The leader’s gaze locked with hers. She refused to look away or be cowed.

  The moment her gaze locked with his own, Dezek knew he’d found his mate. She was sitting with her arm around another female talking softly. Her eyes were a brilliant green and held defiance despite the fact that she was sitting in an enclosure at a slave trader’s kiosk in the market. He couldn’t tell how tall she was but her skin was a pretty pearl color and she had a dusting of small cinnamon spots the humans called freckles on the bridge of her nose and hair that was curly and a very dark red. He heard the shopkeeper coming from behind him and schooled his features to indifference. It wouldn’t due for the trader to know how much he needed to leave here with the defiant beauty.

The smarmy shop keeper rushed forward with a fake smile.

  “Gentleman, what can I do for you,” he smiled cheerily.