The Fire Within a Ninjago Soldier

Chapter 57 - New Hope

Chapter 57 - New Hope

Nya's face paled before replying in an equally low voice, "I'm not supposed to talk to soldiers, so wait till I go back upstairs, then follow and come to the second bedroom on the left." Nya turned and retreated back up the staircase.

Very shortly thereafter, when there was a lull in hallway traffic, Skylor made her way unseen up the same stairs and entered the small room, and Nya closed the door behind her, shutting out the noise of soldiers' activities on the floor below. The quiet bedroom was crowded with two small beds, a writing desk, an armoire, and a bassinet, in which a baby lay peacefully sleeping.

"What do you know about Kai?" Nya immediately demanded.

Skylor settled herself on one of the small beds. "Well, I just came from Kryptarium Prison. Kai was in the infirmary recovering from...an illness." Skylor did not want to admit it was an injury that she caused. "But I made sure he got good care, and he's recovering nicely. But where's Sam? I'd like to tell her myself."

"I'd also like to know where Sam is." Nya folded her arms. "But she left here with a Purple officer on New Year's Day and didn't come back with him."

Skylor gasped. No! Sam was enduring personal indignity AND was taken away from her home?!

Nya continued. "The bastard said he brought her to Ninjago Town to tend to a sick saloon girl, but I know he was lying, just like all you Purple sleeveens lie and cheat and ruin innocent people's lives!" she spat.

Nya braced for some sort of retaliation from Skylor for the criticism of the Purples, but to her surprise, the redhead bent over and held her head in her hands. "Oh, Nya," she lamented in a hushed voice, "I agree with you! I'm not on the Purple side anymore. In fact, if I don't escape from Ninjago soon, I'll be caught by a Purple posse, arrested, and thrown into prison, and my lover will no doubt be executed!"

Remorseful about the snide comments she had just made, Nya sat down on the bed next to the redhead, feeling awful for her in her predicament. "Oh, Skylor, I'm so sorry," she sympathized, patting the woman's shoulder.

Skylor was touched by the gesture of kindness. "Thank you, Nya," she responded, clasping her hand over the hand of the other woman. "I feel so guilty about bringing Jules all the way out here to the Ninjago Town area for nothing, like I led an innocent lamb to its slaughter. I thought for sure that Daddy would help him with some trouble we got into back at Kryptarium-"

"Wait...your daddy is some high and mighty Purple officer?"

Skylor grimaced and bowed her head. "Yes, he's General Chen, the Third Division commander."

Nya's silence caused Skylor to look up. The raven-haired woman was slack-jawed.

"Sakes alive, Skylor!" Nya finally sputtered. "General Chen forced Sam to be his courtesan in exchange for Kai's welfare at Kryptarium!"

Daddy's the high ranking officer who's violating Sam in exchange for Kai's safety?! Skylor felt bile rise in her throat.

Nya continued. "His right-hand man, Major Clouse, tricked her and took her to the general on Christmas Day for the first time. Clouse is the bastard who took her away on New Year's Day and didn't bring her back."

Jake's been part of this, too?! He IS a bastard!

Nya lowered her voice to a whisper. "I haven't told Mr. Wu or Miss Gayle this, but I think Sam's being held against her will at the cottage that belongs to her and Kai. On the day she disappeared, our dogs got loose and came back with moss on their fur, and moss grows by their cottage, which is in a wooded area by the Ninjago River. It's a secluded place, so I can see why she would kept there. I'm worried because the Purples are breaking camp in order to march to eastern Ninjago and fight the United States, and I'm afraid she's going to be taken with them."