Tara The Great [Nuworld 2] (38 page)

closed her eye, and slid the sharp edge into her skin.

Tara opened her eyes and pulled the minute disc from the bloody flesh. Pain shot

through her arm, and she took deep gulps of air to prevent herself from crying out.

The woman grabbed Tara’s arm to stop the bleeding while Tara gritted her teeth.

“Rip my sleeve off and we can use it for a bandage,” she said through her gasps.

The Neurian obliged.

Tara remained motionless until she could control the pain, then relaxed her body.

She stared at the disc even as blood spread through the black material wrapped around

her arm. The Lunians would control all of them this way, if they weren’t stopped. She

felt anger overcome her pain, then shifted her focus back to her cellmate. “What’s your

name?”

“I’m Tealah.”

“And you’re a doctor?”

“No, not exactly. I’m, well, I guess my title is personal advisor. I write a lot of our

programs and came along to ensure the gliders’ programs ran properly.”

“Why aren’t you a doctor?” Tara slowed her breathing, working to focus on this

Neurian who still squatted in front of her.

“I practiced medicine for a while.” Tealah smiled.

Tara studied the pretty face, wondering what made the woman stop practicing. “A

woman of many talents.” Tara noticed the expression she’d detected before. The look

was guarded. “Why don’t you tell me what happened right before you came here? I’m

sure we’ll have company as soon as they realize this device is no longer in working

order.”

Tealah briefed her, pausing when she reached the point where Darius, Gowsky and

she had found the canopy and been ambushed by Lunians. Taking a deep breath, she

went on, describing how Gowsky had turned tail and run, not fighting to save her.

Tara noticed resentment in Tealah’s tone.

The Neurian also said that Darius appeared to have killed most of the Lunians, but

she’d been pulled down the hole before he could save her. She admitted not knowing

where he’d gone after she’d been taken.

“I see.” Tara took in what Tealah said as she studied the room for the hundredth

time and listened to the noises beyond the door.

“I wonder why these people can’t reproduce anymore,” Tealah was almost

whispering.

“I’ve wondered the same thing. Then again, you can’t have a baby if you don’t try.”

Tara looked at the young woman. “This nightmare scenario they’ve created seems to be

an extreme answer to a simple problem.”

“I agree. Many ways exist to cure impotency, if that is the problem.”

“Is this a matter you could discuss with some familiarity?” Tara focused her

attention on Tealah.

The woman’s eyes were loaded with emotion, but Tealah didn’t respond right

away.

Tara studied her face until she noticed Tealah’s cheeks begin to crimson. Tara

narrowed her eyes, and Tealah began to look uncomfortable. “You want to say

something to me, and you’re holding back.” Tara frowned, but held her gaze.

“There are a lot of unwanted babies we could offer the Lunians,” Tealah whispered.

“And I heard Lord Darius say something earlier about these people really wanting you

two.”

Tara stared hard at Tealah. What was she getting at? Adoption? That made sense if

the Lunians were willing to listen. But why would she present an obvious alternative in

such an evasive manner? And what did she mean about overhearing Darius talking?

Did she think they should put one of their children up for adoption? That was absurd.

Tara’s eyes opened wider, and she stared at Tealah almost in shock. “Wait a

minute.” Her stomach tightened as an incredible thought entered her mind. “What are

you suggesting?”

Tealah’s face reddened as she looked at Tara, then dropped her eyes as she ran a

finger along the seamless floor as if suddenly finding it interesting. “I just thought…”

She didn’t continue.

“You thought what?”

“What if I knew about a baby?” After another pause, she glanced at Tara. “I mean

there are babies out there that shouldn’t have been born, that could cause trouble.”

Now she did look at Tara. “That could cause you trouble.”

Tara simply stared. The young woman sitting in front of her no longer looked like

the helpless female thrown into her arms. A transformation had occurred before her

eyes.

Tealah’s jaw clenched and her features hardened. There was a vendetta behind her

dark eyes as they focused on Tara without blinking. It came across loud and clear.

Revenge. Spite. Jealousy. Tara saw it all in her face. Tealah looked like a woman with a

purpose and a plan. Something, or someone, had harmed this woman, and she had a

look about her as if she had just figured out how to even the odds. The ugliness of

Tealah’s expression lessened the woman’s beauty.

Tara stood and walked to the other side of the cage.

Tealah didn’t move.

Suddenly, Tara knew exactly what Tealah was saying, and she pivoted to face her.

The beautiful young woman sat cross-legged on the floor looking up at her. She

cocked her head and looked far from helpless.

“How do you know about a baby who could cause me trouble?” Tara worried she

might not be able to stomach the answer.

“I have seen Runner transmissions. You have a handsome family, Tara,” Tealah

spoke with a tone of authority.

Tara raised an eyebrow at the assuredness in this woman’s voice.

“A visitor arrived before we made the trip to your land, and she brought a baby

with her. I could be convinced the child is yours.”

The door to the room opened and Tara turned, startled. She’d been so disturbed by

Tealah’s words she felt jumpy, and fought to remain calm as she turned to see who

approached the cage.

Polva entered the room with four guards behind her. The woman looked nervous,

but there was a sense of curiosity about her. Polva didn’t speak right away. She stood

and studied Tara, her gaze traveling from Tara’s face, to her feet, and back up again.

Tara took the time to do the same to her. Runners lived their lives learning about

new people and their cultures. But Tara couldn’t remember ever meeting another

person who came across in such a unique manner as the woman standing before her.

She guessed that Polva might think the same of her.

Suddenly Tara had a plan.

Polva was a woman with a mission. She couldn’t have children, for whatever

reason, and she wanted them enough to commit horrendous crimes. Tara was about to

appeal to that desire. If Polva wanted a child badly enough, Tara guessed the woman

would listen to what she had to say.

Tara met Polva’s gaze, and the woman looked at her suspiciously.

“You wanted to talk to me?” Polva’s voice cracked ever so slightly, revealing her

nervousness.

“I’m glad you got my message.” Tara smiled, trying to ease the woman’s nerves. “I

have some concerns I wanted to share with you.”

Polva laughed, somewhat forcedly. “Concerns? I don’t care about any of your

concerns.”

“You will. But I really don’t feel like sharing them with you with those brutes

behind you.”

“Oh, I bet you don’t.” Her laugh wasn’t forced this time. “I’m no fool. You’d break

my neck just to stretch your fingers if I gave you half a chance. You’re barbaric, Tara.

You belong in a cage.”

“Forcing people to have sex and stealing their unborn child seems rather barbaric to

me.”

“It’s necessary,” she said with enough indifference to bring acid to Tara’s throat.

“Hmm.” Tara nodded. She turned toward Tealah who sat looking at her. The

scared, unprotected look was back on her face. Tara wondered if she actually could

fight. She covered her true nature so well.

Tara walked over to Tealah, reached down, and took the small knife from her hand.

She then moved slowly back to the bars and leaned against the door to the cage.

“I’ve a very busy schedule,” Polva hissed. “What do you want?”

“I want you to know I have no plans to hurt you.” Tara glanced at Polva, then the

guards behind her.

“I know you won’t hurt me,” Polva said.

With a move so slight it was hardly detectable, Tara used the knife to pick the

cumbersome lock. She’d watched the guards lock and unlock it twice now, and had

seen the simplicity of the device.

“No!” Polva screamed. “She’ll kill us!”

Two guards jumped in front of Polva before the lock could fall to the floor.

But Polva tripped over them as she tried to race toward the door.

Tara shoved open the cage door, forcing them to stop rather than be hit by its

swinging impact. Jumping out of the cage, she kicked one of the guards in the face so

hard, she heard his cracking bones. She grabbed his electrical stick, punched the other

guard in the stomach causing him to double over, and disarmed him just as easily.

Polva had stumbled and straightened to find herself staring at the end of the stick.

“Tell your guards to leave. If they tell anyone what they just saw, I’ll kill you.” Tara

found the button on the stick and placed her thumb over it as she pointed the weapon

at Polva’s neck.

Polva backed against the wall of the room, looking like a trapped animal. The two

guards still standing, blocked her ability to run. Polva also blocked the guards’ path to

Tara. She returned her wild stare to Tara and studied her for a minute. Then she

glanced at Tealah, still sitting on the cage floor with an equally uncertain look on her

face.

“I don’t want them to leave.” Polva sounded like a child, almost begging. “I’m

scared.”

“Step to the side, ma’am, and we’ll put the bitch back in her cage,” the larger of the

two guards said, although when Tara looked over Polva’s shoulder and smiled at him,

the look of confidence faded from his face.

One of the guards on the floor moaned and attempted to stand.

Tara grabbed Polva by the shirt and pulled her away from the four men as she

pressed the stick against Polva’s chin.