Brianna (42 page)

“He treats humans like animals,” Rodane said in disgust when he saw the cages against the back wall. “Free her and I’ll go back and pick up that woman you knocked out, Ban.”

“Best idea at the time,” Ban answered as he and Char headed to the back of the room.

“Gothran has the keys,” Eliana said in a helpful voice.

“Who? Oh,” Ban said as he looked at the bloody body on the floor. “You definitely don’t do anything halfway, do you, Marl?”

Marljas remained leaning against the table, Sheala cradled in his arms. “He raped her! What would you have done?”

Ban’s answer was terse. “With your claws, castrated him and shoved his balls down his throat.”

Marljas said nothing, but there was approval in his eyes.

Bending over the body, Ban sighed with relief. The force of Marljas’ attack had thrown the keys clear of the body. He grabbed them and joined Char, where he got his first good look at the woman in the cage. “Sosha!”

Marljas looked up when he heard the name. Still cradling the unconscious Sheala in his arms, he joined Char and Ban.

She was naked, her body battered and covered with both fresh and healing bruises in a kaleidoscope of colors. She moaned and tried to cover herself. “Please, get me out of here.”

Marljas snarled. “Sosha, what has been done to you?”

“He addicted me to mithrin,” she sobbed as they opened the door to her cage. “I’ve been used as the sexual plaything of Bakom and anyone else he brought here.”

Ban lifted her into his arms and cuddled her against his chest.

Sosha lay listlessly in his arms.

Eliana tugged Char’s sleeve. “We’ve got to get out of here. I don’t think Bakom plans on coming back tonight, but I’m not sure.”

Hope leaped into Marljas’ eyes. “Then he is a dead man.”

Sosha struggled in Ban’s arms. “The files. Bakom kept notes on everything. There are also videos.”

An ugly smile appeared on Char’s face. “Where are they?”

She pointed to a spot on the back wall. “In the wall safe, behind that cabinet. Be careful, it’s set with a chemical dissolvent. The wrong number code will trigger it.”

Char muttered a blasphemy. “Without the correct code, those files may as well be on Gattan.

Sosha’s voice was bitter. “Six, two, three, seven, four.”

Char looked from Sosha to the wall. “Are you sure of that? If you’re wrong…”

“I am sure,” she answered even more bitterly. “Bakom would often recite it in my ear when he mounted me. A game he played. He thought I would not understand because of the mithrin.”

Rodane shoved the cabinet out of the way. “There’s only one way to find out.”

In a few short minutes, the safe was open.

“Hurry,” Marljas snarled. “We must get the women to a doctor.”

Char tossed a blanket to Ban for Sosha, then rummaged through the equipment and other items lying on tables. “Just put everything in a case or sack or something. We can go through it at home. Marljas is right. We need to get to Lori.”

Rodane found a large box and a sack and emptied Bakom’s safe.

Char picked up the boxes. “The authorities have to be notified. Rodane, see if you can shake that other woman awake enough to walk to the shuttle. If you can’t, you’ll have to carry her. Eliana, can you get yourself home from here? We’ll take care of the shuttle.”

She handed a slip of paper to him. “I’ll manage. This is the name and address of the shuttle owner. Bakom never uses an Academy shuttle when he comes here.”

Marljas and Ban carried Sheala and Sosha toward the door.

Rodane slung the sack over his shoulder and followed them out.

“Where will you take them?” Eliana asked Char.

“We’ll take them home. Lorilana is probably there already.”

Char clasped her arm when Eliana turned to walk away.

“The Alalakan clan is grateful for your help tonight, but you do realize that there will be a great deal of explaining to do if you lied about Lorilana’s patronage.”

Eliana grinned. “Then I have nothing to worry about. If Dr.

Sendenton doesn’t acknowledge me, Cindar will make Miklan’s life a living hell.”

Char smiled. That was the one answer from Eliana that he totally believed.

She nodded her head towards Gothran’s body. “What about that?”

His lip curled. “We’ll take care of it and the woman. Go home before you’re missed.”

“With what you got out of that safe,” she said as they left the laboratory, “you aren’t going to need any more help.”

When they arrived home with the Sosha and Sheala, Lorilana sedated the two women and made sure they were tucked into beds.

Informed of their goddaughter’s rescue, Mendas Teekeson and his wife Pikeen Sodasdotir arrived a bare ten minutes later.

They remained upstairs with her.

Restless and angry, Marljas, prowled Sheala’s room. Only Brianna and Jenneta had the courage to demand that he wash the blood off of himself.

Brianna he ignored.

Jenneta proved to be more intimidating than any Gattan matriarch.

Brianna walked into the breakfast room as the family was engrossed in the new plans for that afternoon’s meeting before the Ruling Council.

“There’s no doubt that Bakom will be held criminally responsible for his actions,” Jamiros said as he steepled his fingers together. “We only have to decide how to go about revealing his crimes to the Council.”

Char leaned back in his chair. “Bakom’s downfall will be much more effective if we let him believe he’s in control.

Brianna’s obvious pregnancy and her marital status will certainly cause him problems. I’d like to see just how he reacts.”

Jamiros frowned. “Is that wise?”

Char nodded. “If we hadn’t discovered Bakom’s secret laboratories, that’s the position we’d be in. What’s more, we need to discover which members of the Council knew about the laboratory. Sosha said that Bakom would give her to others when she was under the influence of mithrin. If any Council member ever entered that laboratory, he or she is just as guilty as Bakom and should be punished and censured accordingly.”

Jamiros turned to Brianna. “What do you think?”

She shrugged as she ate her breakfast. “I’ll go along with whatever plans you devise since the baby won’t be in any danger.”

A concerned Jenneta interrupted. “Will Sheala or Sosha have to be there?”

“No, Grandmother. Sosha may be called upon another day to identify any other Council members who were in Bakom’s lab, but the ‘scientific records’ that Bakom filmed will condemn him as far as their rapes are concerned.”

Xdana winced and fresh tears began to flow at the word
rapes
.

Char patted her arm. “I’m sorry, Mother.”

Xdana waved him off. “It’s not your fault, Char. It’s just that Sheala didn’t deserve the treatment she received from that animal.”

Jamiros rose and walked around the table to his wife. Taking her hands, he lifted her from her chair and pulled her into his arms. “No one deserves what happened to Sheala and Sosha.

Now we must help them. As long as Sheala has us to love her, she’ll be fine.”

Ban had remained silent during the discussion. Now, however, he spoke. “Don’t forget Marljas. You can be sure he intends to be part of any plans concerning Sheala.”

Jamiros frowned. “We’re going to have to decide what to do about Marljas.”

Brianna’s head snapped up. She had just finished the substantial breakfast and now turned her attention to the family discussion. “Do something about Marljas?”

Everyone looked at her.

“We are discussing my brother.”

Xdana’s voice was sharp. “Do you expect us to accept this marriage?”

Brianna nodded. “Yes. Mine and Char’s marriage began under similar if less violent circumstances.”

Ban grinned. “She has you there, Aunt. And you’re discussing Sheala as if she has no say in the matter.”

Jamiros shook his head. “Sheala was hysterical. She didn’t know what she was doing.”

Jenneta spoke for the first time. “Why don’t we ask Shea when she wakes up?”

Jamiros stared at his mother, his surprise obvious. “You think we should honor this marriage?”

Jenneta pursed her lips. “If my information is correct,” she said, nodding in Ban’s direction, “Sheala spent Solstice night with Marljas on his ship and the night before last in his room here. She must have some feelings for the boy.”

Brianna snorted inelegantly. Only Jenneta would call Marljas a boy.

Jenneta ignored Brianna and continued, “We can be very grateful for Marljas. If Sheala had still been a virgin when Bakom and his assistants raped her, the mental damage would have been much more profound. As it is, it may take years for her to recover from this experience. This marriage to Marljas may aid in her recuperation. We must think very carefully before we try to deny them.”

“Marljas would just take her to Gattan anyway,” Brianna muttered.

Char gazed at his wife thoughtfully. “Brianna’s right. We all know Marljas is impulsive. Right now he’s convinced he loves Sheala. Maybe he does. At this point, it will harm no one to agree with them. Later, if one or both believes there’s been a mistake, well, there was no formal marriage. They can walk away from each other.”

Brianna stared at Char as if he’d grown another head, but she kept her thoughts to herself. From Denieen, she’d learned that nothing on Gattan was as binding as a bloodbond. Sheala and Marljas’ blood had mixed on his chest and her palm. To the Gattan, they were as married as married could be.

Jamiros sighed and patted his wife’s shoulder. “Then we’ll bide our time with Sheala and Marljas. As for Bakom and this afternoon’s hearing, we are in agreement?”

Affirmative nods answered his question.

“Good. We’ll meet together again in four hours to leave for the Council building. Until then, I suggest we make sure everything is ready.”

As everyone was going his or her separate way, Brianna said, “I am expecting Denieen soon. Please have her brought to my room when she arrives.”

After Brianna left, Char turned to Ban. “What are my wife and Denieen planning?”

Ban stared at the doorway Brianna had just disappeared through. “I haven’t got the vaguest idea but knowing Brianna, whatever it is will make an impression.”

Char started towards the door. “That’s what I’m afraid of.

We’ve got Bakom right where we want him. I don’t want Brianna to ruin that, nor do I want her in any danger of any kind.”

Ban’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Don’t. You know Brianna. If she doesn’t want you to know what she’s doing, she won’t tell you and you’ll both only become more upset. Brianna won’t do anything to endanger her baby. Leave her be. What could she possibly do, anyway? We’ll all be there to stop her.”

After a short pause, Char nodded. Ban was right. What could she possibly do with all of them there? Findal surely had assassins somewhere. The members of the royal family always had at least one guarding them at all times. Char cursed mentally, wishing he could recognize the assassins. Not the Aradabs. They’d never shown any interest in the Brotherhood.

Damn, but he had to talk to Findal. Brianna was
his
wife. He deserved to know what the assassin guarding her looked like.

Ban stared at the wall. Brianna would do as she damn well pleased and not even he would be able to stop her. Shaking himself out of his reverie, Ban rose. He too had things to do before the meeting.

*

Bakom awoke refreshed. The Alalakans were exactly where he wanted them. Unfortunately, late-night planning had caused him to sleep later than usual, and he wouldn’t be able to stop at the secret laboratory before the Ruling Council’s hearing. A session with the Gattan would have been so invigorating.

Charging Alalakan don al’ Chardadon with treason had been a stroke of genius, Bakom admitted to himself. He only needed the agreement of ten other Council members to register that charge, and he’d had little trouble finding ten members who hated the Alalakans enough to agree. The fact that treason was normally leveled against only those who compromised the security of Drakan in some way didn’t matter. He, Bakom, was or soon would be the ruler of Drakan. Anyone who went against his wishes was a traitor. Soon he’d have not only the Alalakan daughter but also his stolen specimen back.

Slipping into the official yellow robes of Academy President, Bakom chuckled gleefully. These robes would bolster his argument by reminding everyone of his position. And anyone voting against him would be marked and remembered.

After checking his appearance one last time in the mirror, Bakom left his bedroom. Calling to his housekeeper to bring his breakfast, he made his way to his study. Sitting down before his computer, he checked his agenda. Shrugging away the irritation he’d experienced earlier because he wouldn’t have time to stop in at his secret laboratory, he checked the time. He had one hour until he had to meet with his primary allies on the council to review their strategy. Two hours after that, he would break the back of the Alalakan clan.

Taking a deep breath, Eliana pressed the code that would connect her with Bakom’s personal computer. The early morning call she received from Alalakan don al’ Chardadon had been very clear. The longer it took Bakom to reach the Council chamber, the better. She knew exactly what they were asking her to do.