The Miles That Lay Ahead- Chapter 25

The Miles That Lay Ahead

by Gabi

Genre: Action/Adventure/Angst
Rating: PG-13 (one or two chapters will be rated R later on)

Disclaimer: in chapter 1.

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Please notice: This chapter is rated R for graphic violence

Chapter 25

Malcolm recognized the darkly dressed person at once. "Hello, Harek, looks like you've recovered."

"You have very interesting weapons, Lieutenant. I've never before heard of a gun that could stun a person. Rassik and I are looking forward to taking it apart."

"Well, you're going to have to get it first."

"I don't think that'll be a problem."

Harek's self-satisfied smile annoyed Malcolm. This man wouldn't get his weapon so easily. He tried to find out how many men Harek had with him. Surely he hadn't come alone.

Harek seemed to be thinking along similar lines. "Who is with you, Lieutenant? Jeren or Erianna? Or both? Where have you taken the commander? Is he hiding in the basement?"

"Just have a look."

"Of course I will. After you, Lieutenant. Lay your weapon down on this table with your left hand. And be careful."

Harek seemed to have sharpened his tactical mind during the last days. Having recognized Malcolm as right-handed, he wouldn't give him a chance to fire. The incident at the Health Center seemed to have taught him a lot as well; he wouldn't let Malcolm out of his sight for a single moment. The lieutenant assessed that his chances of firing his weapon before Harek could react were rather slim, since he wasn't as fast with his left hand and Harek still had his gun aimed at him. Obediently, Malcolm laid his weapon on the table.

"It's a pity, Lieutenant, that you are on the wrong side. You would be a great addition to our team."

"I'd never join any team that delivers a helpless man to his murderers."

"Did Jeren tell you those fairy tales, Lieutenant? We were ordered to take the commander to the Health Center so he could be treated and that's the truth."

"Really? And that's the reason why Tasur ordered you to break into this house in the middle of the night to search for him?"

For a moment Harek was silent. "I guess he has his reasons. Keep your hands where I can see them, Lieutenant. Let's go!" Opening the basement door, Harek pushed his weapon into Malcolm's back. The stairs were fairly steep. On the third step, Malcolm pretended to stumble. Acting as if his leg had given out under him, he turned around on his heel, his fists raised right in front of Harek's face to place a good punch. Harek managed to block the beat, but Malcolm had been counting on the fact that he would do exactly that. While Harek was still busy with his hands, Malcolm kicked against his shin, full force. Harek cried out and, grabbing his leg as a reflex, he slipped on the narrow step and lost his balance. Smiling friendly, Malcolm stepped aside so as not to hinder him when he fell down the stairs. Before Harek had a chance to get up, Malcolm was over him and sent him into oblivion with a hard uppercut.

Just as he shoved the heavy body aside, Erianna showed up. Seeing Harek lying on the floor, she smiled thinly. "Hey, Malcolm, stop playing with Harek, we have work to do."

Malcolm grinned. "Erianna! What kept you so long?"

"Two bad guys who thought they could get away with snooping around in my bedroom. I have to say I'm growing to like these weapons. You sure they only stun a person?"

"Otherwise Harek wouldn't be here anymore." Malcolm pointed at the crumpled body. "I'm sorry I had to use violence."

Erianna only shrugged. "It's his own fault and I don't feel very sorry for him. What are we going to do with them?"

"There's no use in taking them with us. I suggest we leave them in the garden."

"Okay, then let's take the computer outside. I'll get the flitter. Will you take care of the two men in my bedroom?"

"Sure. Be careful." Malcolm grabbed Harek by his wrists and dragged him upstairs, not bothering to be very careful. Harek would have some bruises afterwards, but Malcolm didn't care. He dragged Harek across the verandah and into the garden. Then he returned to the house to get his weapon from the table before he took care of the two men in Erianna's bedroom. Erianna had done a good job. With a grim smile, Malcolm dragged the men into the garden as well and left them next to Harek's motionless body.

Erianna stepped out of the flitter which she had landed beside the vegetable beds. "Good job," she commented appreciatively.

Within ten minutes they had packed the computer into the flitter. Erianna locked the door and threw a worried glance at her house, but there was nothing else she could do. She guessed Harek and his colleagues would have lost their interest in searching her house when they regained consciousness. Sadly, she looked around the garden that looked silent and peaceful in the soft light of the street lamps. The wicker chair slowly swung in the wind, creaking faintly as it did so. Erianna shuddered when she thought about this afternoon's events. Things had changed dramatically since she had put Trip down in that chair so many hours ago.

"Please wait a minute," she said over her shoulder to Malcolm and picked up something that lay on the ground beside the wicker chair.

Malcolm had already seated himself when Erianna came back. Curiously, he looked at what she held in her hands. It was Trip's shoes and socks. Shrugging, Erianna smiled lopsidedly and sat down at the helm. She started the engine and the flitter disappeared into the darkness.

-###-

Jeren had parked his flitter in a small backstreet behind the Health Center. Carefully, he sneaked around the building that seemed to be dark and deserted. He tried his keycard and sighed in relief when the entrance door opened with a faint click. Shielding the light of his torch with his hand, he headed for his laboratory. He started when he heard a soft noise, and strained his ears to listen in the darkness. Had someone closed a door? Jeren wasn't sure. His heart still pounding, he decided to go on. Perhaps it had been just his imagination. Still upset by the day's events, he wondered if perhaps his nerves were so wound up that they played tricks on him.

He opened the door of his laboratory with his keycard, silently thanking security for their carelessness. The moment they had found out about him being involved in Trip's rescue they should have blocked his keycard. Malcolm had been right, after all. Renelan's security protocols were lousy.

The small smile on his lips vanished when he heard a low humming he recognized at once. His computer was on. Although the monitor was dark he could hear the hard drive working. Jeren closed the door and switched the lights on, prepared to find himself face to face with an intruder. The room, however, was empty. But someone had booted his computer. Jeren switched on the monitor, not surprised when he saw the back up directory of his tests appear on the screen. But then his hands grew ice cold when he realized that his disc was gone. He bowed down to check the slot, but it was empty.

"Damnit," he cursed. He had come too late.

"There a problem, Jeren?"

Startled, Jeren whirled around, just to see Rassik leaning in the door frame, his weapon aimed straight at Jeren's chest. A small club which Jeren recognized as a zapstick was dangling from the guard's wrist. Behind Rassik stood Sista, the secretary from the reception who'd had Jeren's absolute trust in all the time they'd worked together.

"I'm sorry, Jeren," she said uncomfortably, looking down at the floor. "But you shouldn't be here."

The truth hit Jeren like a ton of bricks. Sista had booted his computer to copy his test results to a disc and give them to Rassik. But why look on the computer when all his results, except the last one, were saved on his disc as well? He was sure Sista had taken his disc as well; perhaps she just had wanted to check whether the back-ups contained new material.

"Why are you doing that?" Jeren asked bitterly. "What do you get for spying on me?"

Sista didn't dare to raise her head. "They promised me to spare me the CDS-test as long as I keep them informed about your actions."

"As long as you..." Jeren fell silent. Suddenly he understood. Since she had been the Health Center's secretary as long as he could think back, Sista had to be at least fifty years old. He had never realized she had reached an age when a Renelan would normally die of CDS. Working in a Health Center, she had certainly gained a lot of knowledge about what was going on behind the left wing's closed doors. Could he blame her for fearing for her life? Blame her for spying on him if that was the only possibility for her to save herself?

"Let's go," Rassik interrupted his thoughts. Jeren briefly considered his chances. Rassik didn't expect any resistance. If he pushed the guard aside and Sista stepped out of his way, he might be able to escape. Would Rassik shoot him? Jeren knew that Harek would never try to hurt or kill him, but he wasn't so sure about Rassik.

Rassik put the weapon into its holster and grabbed a piece of rope. "Turn around and put your hands behind your back."

Did Rassik really believe he was so stupid? Jeren would never voluntarily allow him to tie him up. Deliberately slumping his shoulders, he pretended to resign to his fate, but all of a sudden he slammed his elbow in Rassik's side, and dodged past him towards the door. But Sista wouldn't step aside, barring his way. Jeren hesitated for a brief second. He couldn't bring himself to hurt the woman. Then an excruciating pain exploded in his side. His legs gave way and he fell on his back, hard. His head slammed against the floor so hard his vision blurred for a moment, his arms and legs twitching uncontrollably as he lay helplessly on his back. It was the most painful experience Jeren had ever had in his life. Every single nerve seemed to be on fire and he felt white-hot pain washing through his body. As he opened his mouth to scream with sheer agony, he saw Rassik standing over him, dangling his zapstick and smiling evilly.

-###-

Painful spasms were still racking his body when Rassik turned him roughly onto his stomach, tied his hands behind his back and even tied his legs together. After he had called for a colleague, they both dragged Jeren out of the laboratory.

Sista was still staring at the floor, she hadn't moved at all. "Please forgive me, Jeren," she whispered. "Please forgive me."

Not bothering to be particularly careful, the two men dragged Jeren along the corridor while the young doctor still was trying to get over the pain. The stories he had heard about this zapstick were true. He never had seen a device as mean as this thing.

His legs dragged behind him as they descended the stairs, his shins and ankles hitting every single step. Tasur's guard never bothered to avoid unnecessary noise. They opened the hatch of the flitter with the governor's glinting sign on it, and rudely threw him in.

When they boosted the engines, a person sneaked out of the shadows next to the Health Center building and ran over to another flitter that was parked nearby. Lifting off, the small aircraft began to follow the governor's flitter whose bright sign could still be seen in the distance.

-###-

Back at their hiding place, Yanis helped Erianna and Malcolm to reinstall the computer in the basement. With increasing amazement he listened to Erianna and Arissa who showed him the documentation and explained the new programs which Trip had written so they would be able to feed the film into the media channels. He let out an impressed whistle. "You did this in no more than half a day? I can imagine you boys are rather good with computers."

Malcolm smiled at the compliment. Renelan's people were advanced in some areas like medicine, but where computer technology was concerned they were certainly behind the times.

Worried, Erianna looked up. "What's taking Jeren so long? He's been gone for more than two hours now."

"He needs half an hour just to get there," Arissa tried to calm her.

"But it can't take him an hour just to get this disc."

On the ground floor, the door bell rang. It was extremely loud so that Malika could hear it even in the basement and knew not to show up when there were strangers in the house.

"Well, he's here." Arissa was relieved, but Yanis shook his head. "Jeren knows our keycode, he wouldn't ring the door bell." He nodded to Erianna and Malcolm. "Stay here in the basement. Arissa, you come with me."

The bell chimed again. When he opened the door, Yanis saw a young man who was nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Is Erianna here?" he asked short winded.

"Who?" Yanis acted as if he hadn't understood.

"Erianna. And the two humans, Trip and Malcolm."

Yanis' mind began to race. So they had been discovered. In a thorough search of the house, Tasur's men would not only find Trip and Malcolm but his mother as well. He considered slamming the door into the man's face and blocking it to at least gain some time, when he heard Erianna behind him. "Yanis, wait!"

Erianna hurried to the door. "Kenan," she exclaimed. "What are you doing here? How did you find us?" She grabbed Kenan's arm and pulled him into the house.

"Believe me, it wasn't easy. I found out only by using my contacts to the resistance movement. It took me quite a while, though, to get your address. Too long, I'm afraid. Erianna, they've got Jeren. Sista, our secretary, betrayed him to them."

Shocked, Erianna stared at him for a moment, then her eyes filled with tears. Comfortingly, Arissa laid her arm around her shoulder. Malcolm showed up behind them. "Do you know where they've taken him?" he asked Kenan.

"I followed them to the governor's palace. I think they've locked him up in the old dungeons."

"Dungeons?" With an appalled expression on her face, Erianna looked up.

Yanis shook his head. "I've never heard of any dungeons in the Governor's palace."

"As far as I know, they're a relic of former times. But where else should they've taken him? I don't believe that Tasur would offer him a room in his house and he is certainly not going to involve anyone else in the matter."

"What are they going to do to him?" Erianna's voice was only a low whimper.

"Tasur wants to know where Trip is."

"But Jeren won't tell him."

Kenan smiled bitterly. "He will, Erianna, believe me, he will. Tasur is rather squeamish where these things are concerned, but he has some mean bastards among his guards who will gladly help him out."

"Rassik," Erianna whispered and shuddered.

"He's not the only one. Erianna, I hate to tell you this, but they're going to torture him. They're probably doing so right now. Jeren is going to tell them all they want to know. And to be honest, it would be best for him to tell them soon. You have to bring Trip and Malcolm away from here as soon as possible."

"First of all we have to rescue Jeren," Malcolm said grimly.

Kenan sighed. "Believe me, I would love to do that. But it's impossible. Tasur's palace is well guarded and I suppose he will take additional security measures, now that they've got Jeren. We would never even get the chance to get into the house."

Malcolm frowned, thinking. "Do you know where to find these dungeons?"

Kenan nodded. "I had a look at a floor plan of the house a few months ago. Once I'm inside, I think I'd be able to find them."

"Okay. I'll get us inside."

"How?"

"Just leave it to me. I’m sure I can find a way in. I just need a moment. Please wait for me." Malcolm nodded for Yanis to follow him into the basement and to Trip's bedroom. Checking the phasers he had stowed away in one of the drawers, he explained the situation to Trip. Then he turned to Yanis. "Can you bring him to a place where he’s safe?"

"Of course. Do you know any place where I could take him?"

"Bring him to our shuttle. He'll be safe there until we can come and get him." Malcolm took the scanner out of his arm pocket. "The way to the shuttle is in there."

"I'm afraid I don't know how to handle this device."

"Trip knows. And bring your family away from here, either. Don't take any risks."

Malcolm stepped up to the bed and laid a hand on Trip's shoulder. "See you back at the shuttle, Commander."

"Be careful, Malcolm. Get Jeren out of there but don't take any risks yourself. Understood?"

Malcolm nodded, said good-bye and ran back upstairs. He was surprised to see Erianna standing beside Kenan at the door, ready to leave. "You can't go with us," he told her.

"Why not?"

"Think about it, Erianna. If they're really torturing him, I don't think that's something you want to see. After all, he is your brother."

"That's the point, Malcolm." Erianna looked at him, determinedly. "I'd go crazy with worry if I just sat here without doing something to help him. It's not my first rescue mission today, as I'm sure you will remember. And what would you do with the second phaser? Kenan doesn't know how to handle it."

Erianna certainly had a point, and deep down Malcolm was glad to have her with him. He knew he could trust her. "Okay, let's get Jeren out of there."

-###-

Malika and Arissa helped Trip to dress.

"I'm sorry I'm causin' you that much trouble," Trip apologized.

"It's not your fault, Trip," Malika said, shaking her head. "It’s Tasur who should feel guilty. He and the other governors with their politics of killing people. That kind of thing is poisoning our planet."

Trip tried to get on his t-shirt, but he had difficulties coordinating the movements of his arms. Smiling, Malika pushed his arms through the sleeves. "Don't give up, son," she said encouragingly. "You'll be okay."

"And what about you," Trip wanted to know. "Are you going to give up?" He had seen the expression of deep sadness on her face, and realized what a life she was leading down here in the basement. Loved by her family, but no longer having any social life. She had to hide when the door bell chimed, she could never go outside, was always confined to this house, to this basement, even. Trip couldn't imagine a life under such conditions.

Malika looked at him, smiling sadly. They both knew what the other was thinking, since they were both struggling to cope with an ordeal that threatened to overwhelm them at times. She turned to Arissa. "Look after your baby, dear, I'll help Trip."

Arissa nodded understandingly and shut the door behind her.

"Sometimes it's hard," Malika admitted. "To be honest, sometimes I've been toying with the thought of going to the Health Center to end this misery. But I don't believe in the afterlife. At least not in the one they're talking about all the time. I love my live and I love my family. But I'm a burden for Yanis and Arissa, although they never would admit it. They live in constant fear that someone'll come and find me."

"They're fine people," Trip said. "Not many people would hide a stranger in their house to protect him. I'm not even from Renelan."

"But there's hardly any difference between our species. We're happy to help you. After all, it was our governor who did this to you."

Malika slipped Trip's socks over his feet and then helped him into his shoes. Trip tried to catch her eyes. "And what are you plannin' to do? You're not gonna go to the Health Center, are you?"

"No, I'm not, although I'm still thinking about it, sometimes. But if I did so, I would be spurning my children's and Jeren's courage and dedication, who have risked their lives to save mine. The baby gave me something to live for. Only very few Renelans get the chance to see their own grandchildren grow up." Smiling, she helped Trip sit up, placing his feet on the floor and supporting his back. "You gave me another reason to go on."

"Me?" Trip exclaimed surprised. "What do you mean?"

"You are Renelan's hope, Trip. I wasn't able to understand all of these scientific things, Jeren told us about these poisons. But I understand one thing: that with your help things could be changed around here, and I want to live to see it."

Yanis entered the room. "All set?"

Malika nodded. "You can take him with you."

"Very well." Yanis gave his mother a friendly nod. "I'll fly Trip to his shuttle, then I'll come back to bring you to a safe place. Please stay with Arissa and the baby here in the basement and lock the door so that no one can get in even if they have the code for the front door. I’ll be back as soon as possible." Sliding his arms under Trip's body, he picked him up. "You okay?"

Trip nodded and reached out for Malika's hand. "Thanks a lot."

Malika squeezed his hand, and her eyes were soft as she spoke. "Thank you, too, Trip. We won't forget about you."

-###-

Jeren let out a ragged sigh. He felt dizzy and he didn’t know how much longer he would be able to endure the pain which was increasing with every minute. Rassik and his colleagues had untied his hands and had removed his shirt. Then they had tied his hands together in front of him and had fastened them to a hook that dangled at a chain from the ceiling. Leaving his legs bound together, they had hoisted him up until his toes barely touched the floor, and had left.

Jeren had lost all sense of time. He didn't know how low he had been hanging here. Being pulled down by his own weight, his arms felt as if they were growing longer and longer. The ropes cut deeply into his wrists, and he could feel blood running down his arms.

He let out another groan of pain just as Rassik and his two colleagues came back. Rassik slapped him in the face. "Stop whining", he snarled at him. "If it had been my decision, I would have hung you up by your thumbs. You're lucky that my friends are such nice guys. Where are the two humans?"

"I don't know."

Rassik's fist exploded on Jeren's cheekbone, throwing the doctor’s head to one side. "Don't fool with me, doctor. You're going to tell me what I want to know, sooner or later. Sooner would be better for your health. But later would be okay with me as well." Rassik took a whip out of his pocket and held it in front of Jeren's eyes. "Remember my zapstick? Good. This whip has about the same voltage, but it would cut you to pieces." Rassik moved the whip and the wires that were weaved into the string began to spark. Jeren swallowed. He couldn't tell them anything. He'd be betraying not only Trip, but Yanis and his family as well. And Erianna, who trusted him. He had to try and hold on as long as possible. Staring at the whip whizzing through the air in front of him, he could feel cold sweat soak his skin. He bit his lip to stop it from trembling. He had never seen himself as a hero. He didn't know how much pain he was able do endure, but the brief taste he had gotten in the laboratory had already been enough. How many hits with that electric whip would his brain tolerate until it would go mad? Until he would be beyond any hope for recovery, and Tasur would have a reason to officially send him to the left wing?

"Well, doctor? Are you going to tell me or not?" Rassik brought the whip down on the floor, leaving a long charred streak that crackled with flames and small electric discharges. Jeren felt his face growing pale and his mouth going dry. Rassik smirked sardonically.

"They are in my house," Jeren whispered, barely audibly.

With a cry of rage, Rassik pulled his fist back and hit the whipcord across Jeren's bare chest. Jeren's breathing stopped for a few seconds when the electric shock burnt its way through his body. His arms and legs began to twitch despite their stretched position as his nerves reacted to the shock, and the ropes cut into his wrists even deeper than before. The whipcord tore deeply through his skin, and instantly blood began to flow freely over his stomach. Trembling, Jeren tried to catch his breath. Nausea threatened to overwhelm him when he smelled his own seared flesh. The pain seemed to turn his whole body inside out. He bit his lip to prevent himself from screaming out loud but he couldn't stop the tears from falling from his eyes.

Rassik watched him with a satisfied grin. "Don't fool with me, doctor," he whispered in a cold tone of voice. "The commander isn't at your house. Harek found the lieutenant and Erianna there, but they were alone."

Found? What did he mean by this? Had Tasur captured them as well? He could hardly believe Harek would turn his ex-girlfriend over to the governor, but could he really be so sure about his old friend? Perhaps Erianna and Malcolm were somewhere in these dungeons as well. Maybe in the room right next to this, enduring the same painful treatment. Thinking of Erianna, Jeren swallowed anxiously. He was also worried about Malcolm, of course, but the lieutenant had been trained for situations like this. Erianna, however...

Rassik looked at him with a mad glint in his eyes. "So, where's Commander Tucker?" he interrupted Jeren's train of thoughts. "Are you going to tell me or do I have to ask your sister?"

Jeren only stared at him.

Rassik raised his arm. Jeren shut his eyes, preparing for the pain to come. But it wouldn't. Jeren tensed up when he heard the whip's crack, but it only hit the air. Seeing his fear, Rassik laughed. "This is your last chance to tell me what I want to know, doctor."

Jeren gritted his teeth, but it didn't help. The blow seemed to rip him in two. He began to scream when it cut into his skin like a red-hot knife, burning a deep cut from his shoulder to his stomach. Again his arms and legs reacted with painful spasms, bringing additional agony as his joints were bent in the wrong direction. His mouth filled with blood and somewhere beneath the blur of pain he noticed that he had bitten his tongue. Before he had a change to recover, Rassik stepped around him and smacked the whip across his back. The electric current seemed to go straight into his spine and set all his nerves on fire, turning his cramping muscles into instruments of torture. For a moment that seemed to go on forever his insides felt as if they were being roasted. Jeren gasped for breath, but he couldn't draw any air into his lungs. He couldn't even produce enough of a sound to let out a scream. Rassik raised the whip once again, but one of the guards stopped him.

"Give it a break, Rassik. We don't want him to snuff it, do we? Give him some time to think over the situation."

"Okay." Rassik smirked and gave Jeren a blow that sent him swinging back and forth at the hook. "Have a nice time, doctor. But don't forget, I'll be back."

TBC

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