Gorgoroth (Haladras #2)

SIXTEEN

Tanks held out his hand for her to take. Slem relinquished his grasp on her wrist. Showing that she had not suddenly transformed into Tanks' submissive pet, she shrugged off his hand and walked defiantly toward the stairwell. Tanks' greasy smile widened, then he turned and strode after her, arrogance ringing from every step.

Over the next several days, Skylar neither saw nor heard any sign of Kendyl. Tanks kept her too well locked away. "Safe." Skylar could only imagine what Tanks could do. It made his blood boil in his veils to think of. He only hoped that should Tanks try anything that Kendyl would bite off any finger he tried to touch her with; thrash and claw and kick. Whatever it takes to deter him.

Even if she did survive the rest of the journey with Tanks unharmed, she would not be safe. As yet, he didn't know what waited for her, or any of them, once they reached Gorgoroth. Slavery. But could it truly be worse than their current plight? He had no wish to find out. Though the smugglers commanded his body, his mind was free. He employed every waking moment in devising plans for Kendyl's rescue, and their escape from the smugglers. Yet no plan he contrived was without some fatal flaw. If only he could get a weapon to Kendyl, a knife-anything-there might a chance. Even if he had a weapon, they weren't allowed anywhere near Tanks' quarters.

Before long, the smugglers announced their imminent arrival at Gorgoroth. Preparations for their landing began. Being a much larger ship than the Luna, the task took all morning. It might have gone faster had the smugglers not insisted on ushering them around at blaster point. Skylar didn't blame them, though. Even in the final moments of descent, he would have sought for a way to liberate himself and his friends.

Skylar saw no sign of Kendyl through the whole landing preparations.

As soon as the captives completed the task of securing the ship for landing, the snugglers ushered them into a narrow chamber. Lining one side of the walls were a dozen seats, designed to fold away into the bulwark. The thick black straps and buckles of safely harnesses draped over the seats, which were bare of any padding entirely.

The guards ordered them into the seats. Skylar was surprised that the smugglers would go through any pains to see them safely harnessed for the descent. Then he realized that they only wanted to protect their investment. If something happened to one of the captives, the smugglers would lose money. Skylar grimly thought how he'd love to deny the smugglers that satisfaction. Once Skylar and the others were securely harnessed into the seat, the smugglers left them, locking the door to the chamber on their way out.

It took Skylar some moments to realize that they were alone-without anyone to stand guard over them. The companions could speak to one another. Skylar didn't know what to say, though. What could he say? All felt hopeless and lost to him. Endrick broke the silence first.

"I suppose these are our last moments together," he said nonchalantly. "If any of you ever make it back to Ahlderon, could you send me one of Maud's tarts? On second thought, don't bother. They'll probably have starved me to death long before that."

"If only I could get my hands around that filthy smuggler's neck..." said Grüny. "I swear, I'll make him pay for this."

Skylar remained quiet. What words of comfort could he possibly give to these brave men who put their lives in his hands? He'd failed them.

Within a quarter of an hour, Skylar felt the tell-tale signs that the ship was re-entering a planet's atmosphere. Another quarter of an hour after that, and the ship jolted to a stop, and the vibration of its engines died.

Minutes later, the chamber portal clicked, then slid open. The guards ordered them to get unfastened and file out. As each captive emerged from the chamber, the guards clapped steel shackles about their ankles and wrists. A steel band, too, they wrapped around the captives' necks. The bands all had loops, through which they threaded chains, connecting one captive to the next. Where one captive went, all the others must follow.