Page 23 of Tribute
“How long are you going to keep this up, Lee?” he asked. “The not-talking thing. I know you can speak. There’s nothing physically wrong with your vocal cords.”
He hadn’t been able to speak when they’d brought him out either, his voice dried up from screaming so hard and so long . . . but she should’ve gotten over that now. He couldn’t allow her to lapse into the silence of madness.
“I’m sure there are plenty of things you’d like to say to me.”
She darted past him, her back straight, and went to the refrigerator.
“Or maybe you’d rather just grab one of these kitchen knives and stab me through the heart.”
The fridge door slammed as she stared at him, the nutrition box clutched to her chest. He only just managed to duck when she threw it at him and then started in on his crockery, screaming and crying as she smashed everything he had out on the countertop. By the time she’d finished, he had two cuts on his face from flying shards of china, and was surrounded by a sea of broken glass.
“Ihateyou,” she whispered. “I bloodyhateyou.”
He smiled into her eyes. “Good. Now you’re talking. Tell me more.”
She shoved past him and hopped over the countertop to avoid the debris. After watching her for another few seconds to see if she’d start flinging anything else, Rehz reached under the sink for the trash can and a dustpan and brush and started cleaning up. He’d have to get new stuff, but by his reckoning this one was on the government. At least he’d gotten a reaction out of her and survived.
She stayed by the window, her arms wrapped around herself, her shoulders hunched. Rehz shoveled all the debris into the trash and surveyed what was left. Pulling his two remaining mugs down off the shelf, he started a fresh pot ofjavron. After it brewed, he took both cups over to the window and put one down on the low table beside her.
“Why am I here?”
With a strange sense of relief, he sank into one of the chairs and sipped his drink. Her voice was tiny, but at least she was using it.
“With me?”
She nodded, her back still turned to him.
“Standard procedure. When a trainee is physically cleared by the hospital, he or she becomes the responsibility of his or her trainer until ready to face civilian life again.”
“I . . . want to leave.”
He sighed. “I can’t let you do that, Anna Lee. You aren’t ready.”
“So I’m a prisoner.”
“You’re no longer under sentence of death, and you can’t be incarcerated again for the offense for which you’ve been pardoned.”
She turned toward him and sat in the other chair as if her legs had just folded under her. She reached for her mug ofjavron. His fingers twitched as he resisted the urge to hand it to her himself. After a few sips and a shudder, she got up, nodded at him, and walked out again.
Rehz let out his breath and stared up at the ceiling. Okay, it wasn’t much, but at least she’d recognized his presence and asked a few questions. It was a start. The scientists and the military interrogators could go fuck themselves until she was ready to talk to them. He wasn’t going to push her any further or any faster than she wanted to go.
Anna jerked awake, her heart thudding, as she heard voices in the apartment. She’d stopped taking most of the pills they’d given her at the hospital because they made her feel too detached. She was afraid of the nightmares that lurked in her mind, but more afraid of becoming some kind of passive doll that Rehz Akran could maneuver to do what he wanted.
Although he hadn’t done anything except look after her basic needs and leave her alone.
She wasn’t stupid. He’d want more. She just had to figure out what it was, but she was so damn tired. Hot tears dripped down her cheeks and she brushed them away with her hand. She hated this; she hated feeling so vulnerable and female andemotional.
After blowing her nose, she pushed the covers back and made for the door. If someone else was there in the apartment, maybe she could plead with them to let her leave so that she never had to face Akran again.
She paused at the corner of the living quarters, her water glass clutched in her hand. Akran was pacing back and forth on the rug, talking on his com. His expression was hard.
“Negative. She is not ready.” He paced some more. “Negative. I don’t care who thegreezis waiting for what. I’ll say when she is ready. Over and out.”
He slammed his com shut and turned abruptly around, stopping when he saw her instant flinch away from him.
“Didn’t know you were up. Sorry for the shouting, but high command are fucking idiots sometimes.”
“What do they want from me?”
