The Wanderer

Chapter 11--Part 2

Author's Note:  This was added in after I had written a few other chapters.  I wanted to make sure we didn't forget Annie and what was going on from her side of things.  I hope you enjoy it.

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“Ouch!” Annie cried as the rude soldier shoved her through a heavy duty metal door and into her jail cell, if it could even be called that.  The small compartment was barely big enough for one person.  The back and side walls were made of solid cement with small, rough pieces jutting out along it, making it uncomfortable to touch, much less lean against.

“Shut up and get in there,” the soldier bellowed, pushing her harder into the cell.  With her hands bound, she couldn’t catch herself and felt her face being ground into the prickly spines that stuck out from the wall.  While it hurt, she was glad the spikes were actually sharp or she would have had some serious damage.  As it was with the momentum from his shove, the rough edges hurt, especially on the tender skin of her face.  Using her bound hands to push against the wall, she righted herself and turned to glare at the soldier.

“That hurt, you brute!  Did your mother teach you no manners?”

His deep, merciless chuckles were the only response she got, enraging her further.  She marched towards him, defiance in her eyes, ready to beat him to a pulp despite her ties.  His chuckles died as he saw his prisoner was making her way from her cell.

As she crossed the threshold of the cell, she opened her mouth, ready to give him a sound tongue-lashing.  All of her insults and scolding completely fled from her mind as he placed two hands around her waist to push her back in.  Instinct took over and she brought her knee up quickly to meet his groin.  Instantly, his heads dropped from her and he doubled over in pain.

Nostrils flaring, she spat, “Watch your hands, swine.  Don’t ever touch me again.  Apparently your mother didn’t teach you any morals or manners, if you even had a mother.”  Giving him a withering glare, she turned on her heels and returned to her cell, slamming the door behind her.   “I’d rather be in here than with you,” she yelled so her voice would carry out into the hall where she’d left the guard nursing his wounds.  “Tell your captain you did what you were sent to do.  I’m securely locked up.  You may leave.”  Over the guard’s hushed cries, she could make out the sound of muffled footsteps coming from down the outer corridor.

Low chuckles rumbled through the door and a new voice spoke.  “She turned out to be too much for you, eh, Lochan.  I thought you said you could handle a girl.  They’re more slippery than either of us imagined, I’m afraid.”  Growing weary of his little lecture, the amusement dropped from his voice.  Only commanding authority remained.  “Now, stop making a fool of yourself.  Get up and get out of here.  I’ll take it from here.”  She could hear the guard groan as he picked himself up and scuttled down the corridor.  As the sounds of his departure faded, the newcomer turned his attention to her.

The familiar voice floated into her cell, holding a droll quality. “Tsk. Tsk.  Miss Annie.  A good upstanding citizen like you shouldn’t be creating so much trouble.  And then the tone you used with poor Lochan, so insolent and demanding.  I didn’t realize you were the one calling the shots, miss.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but are you not my prisoner?”  At that last question, Conor’s deep voice held a cutting edge.

Staring defiantly at the door, Annie replied, “I may be your prisoner, but that’s only because you are a liar and a charlatan.  I didn’t steal anything and I have a sneaky suspicion that Kalysta didn’t either.  Besides the fact that my best friend would never do that, the fact that crown jewels randomly appeared in my home would add to my opinion that you are in fact the one to blame for everything going on.  Would you care to enlighten a poor, defenseless girl?”

“Oh, Annie…Annie.  You are so amusing.  Trying to deny your bad decisions and turn it all into some conspiracy theory to take the blame.  While very amusing, it doesn’t do anything for your case.  You’re just making yourself look worse.  I mean, stealing, then assaulting a member of the king’s guard, and now you make slanderous, not to mention insulting, accusations against His Majesty’s personal protector, whom he handpicked.  Not wise at all.”  He let out a sigh and took a new approach.

“Annie, dear, I know your friend got you into a lot of trouble.  If you say you didn’t steal those jewels, then, I believe you.  I know Kalysta’s your friend, but if you didn’t steal the jewels we found, then she set you up.  As an upstanding citizen of this kingdom, you have a duty to tell us where your friend has run off too.  She’s the one to blame for all of this mess.  What kind of friend is that?  Do yourself a favor and tell us where she’s hiding.”  Silence hung in the air for several minutes.

Realizing she wasn’t going to give in so easily, he tried again.  “You’d be greatly rewarded for your help in apprehending her.  Any information you can give us would help me to get you out of here more quickly.”  Still, she didn’t respond.  “Not to mention the old woman and the children.”  He heard her gasp through the metal door.  He had the right approach now.  “You wouldn’t want them to suffer in this terrible prison because you wouldn’t answer a simple question, would you?  Is protecting your backstabbing friend really worth more to you than the lives of those precious children?”

“Are the children and Ms. Endicott really in here?  Are they okay?” came the whispered response from the cell.

Smiling at his triumph, he continued with his feigned concern.  “Oh, yes, Annie.  Unfortunately, we don’t have a separate prison for children or the elderly, so I was forced to put them in here as well.  The children are frightened out their wits.  I had to separate them as the cells are too small to fit them all.  The littlest one has finally cried herself to sleep, but the older ones refuse to be beaten so easily and continue to cry out for each other, making themselves hoarse.  It’s really rather pitiful.  And poor Ms. Endicott is not doing so well, I’m afraid.  I believe the heat is getting to her and she just sits in her cell staring off into space.  I’m not sure how much longer she’ll last in this environment.  Do you see what your resistance is doing to your friends?  Just tell me where Kalysta is and I’ll make sure you all get out of here as soon as possible.”

A defeat sigh came from inside the cell.  Conor couldn’t help, but smile.  He was about to find out where that pesky peasant girl was hidden and crush her.  His plan would be back on track.  He held his breath as he waited for her reply.

“As much as it hurts me to say this,” she began, “The children and Ms. Endicott will just have to hang in there.  I don’t know where Kalysta is.”

“Foolish woman!” he roared, incensed by her refusal to give up Kalysta’s location.  “You’re not only ruining your life, but the lives of everyone else around you.  Tell me!”

“What part of ‘I don’t know’ don’t you understand, you idiot?” she yelled back.

Snarling with rage, he attempted to calm himself.  Gathering together his temper, he forced the words out with barely controlled rage.  “Apparently, you’ve still got too much fight in you.  We’ll see how loyal you are to your friend after you’ve been in this cell without food or water.  Think about that!”  He stomped off down the corridor leaving her alone in the dimness of her cell.

Drained from the events of the day, Annie leaned back against the wall and slid down to the floor, not caring about the rough protrusions that bumped against her spine.  Plopping her head into her hands, she closed her eyes and wished to be anywhere, but here.

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