Page 9 of Taken By the Convicts
“Wait!” Melina said. “My patient needs to stay here to heal properly.”
“He can heal in the hole.”
She pushed her way to Reece and placed a hand on his head. “He’s got a slight fever.”
“I’m not going to argue with you, doctor. You’re just another prisoner here. You get to treat them, not decide their fate.”
“But he didn’t do anything wrong,” she argued with a fire that Reece loved, though it was sorely misplaced. He knew the punishment for killing another prisoner.
“Tell that to Collins.”
“My patient didn’t kill Collins! I did.”
No!he protested, but nothing but a gurgle spewed forth from Reece’s useless throat, making him sound like a dying animal. He pulled against the chains, trying to charge the guards, letting them feel his rage, so they’d follow their gut and not listen to her lie.
The guard eyed him, then shook his head at the doctor, as if he didn’t understand why she’d cover for him. Reece didn’t understand it either.
“Are you sure, doctor? I don’t think you understand the punishment,” Davies said.
“Lockup,” she repeated the guard’s earlier pronouncement.
No, not just lockup. They’d toss her down a stinking hole in the ice and leave her there for days. If she survived the cold, they’d haul her out, but not many survived the hole, not this time of year.
“Outside, in a hole in the ground, doctor. I’ll let you keep your clothes though. I’m giving you one last chance to tell me who killed Collins.”
She locked eyes with Reece. “Thank you,” she mouthed to him before turning to face Davies. “I did. Collins attacked me and I killed him in self-defense.”
“Self-defense is a concept that may work on Argus or whatever planet you’re from, but not here. On Veenith, we have strict rules when it comes to murder.”
Davies marched her down the hall.
Reece pulled against the chains again, yelling at the top of his lungs. After twenty minutes of yelling, one of the other med-techs entered the isolation bay.
“Cool it, Crusher, or I won’t discharge you.”
Fucking Akins had a god-complex.
“They took that uppity female away, which means I’m in charge now. And considering they didn’t even let her take her coat, I don’t expect she’ll make it out of the hole alive. You’re confined in here until tomorrow, so you don’t give anyone else that rash.”
Akins peered over the table, noting Collins’ body. “Well, this is my lucky day. Don’t have to deal with that asshole anymore either.”
Akins left the bay, leaving the body and Reece behind. Reece had to find a way out. If he waited until Akins discharged him tomorrow, Melina would be dead by then.
Chapter Three
IVAN
“What’s all the commotion about?” Ivan asked Jayce as he hung back from two dozen men gathered around the hole. He’d never seen so many men gather around the hole before, regardless of who the guards threw down there.
“There’s a woman in there,” Jayce said, without taking his eyes off of the crowd. Jayce’s eyes moved from man to man, memorizing details, but not in the same way as Ivan. Jayce looked for opportunities, to see which man was missing clothing or had extra and would be willing to deal. Ivan looked for weapons, injuries, weaknesses, and strengths, alliances among the men. They’d made a good team back on Argus. Not so much here on Veenith. Jayce had changed.
“There are no women on Veenith.” Not since that red-head a year ago. She hadn’t survived the week.
“This one’s been hiding in the med-center for a few weeks.”
That explained why Hawke had a man posted outside the med-center. He was quick to seize any opportunity, and having a female on Veenith was more valuable than all the serilium in the mines. The man would rent her out and make a killing.
“And how is it I didn’t know about her?” Ivan didn’t like being the last to know, or even just the second to know. He paid Jayce quite well for information, but the man hadn’t come through.
