Chapter Three
***Savanah***
Savanah awoke in the wee hours of the morning. Her body jerked as the creaking of the ship caught her unaware. It was an unfamiliar environment. She had grown used to waking to bright lights, for they were never turned off in the casino basement. The sound of murmurs coming from adjoining rooms had been almost comforting. Despite the knowledge that it was male customers speaking, it gave her the security of knowing she wasn't alone.
Aisaak had seen to it that she'd been given her own cabin. He had believed she would appreciate the privacy and feel more in control of her life. The silence and isolation were disconcerting. Savanah didn't blame him or Irene. They didn't understand her feelings at all. How could they? Yes, Irene was an empath, and she could sense emotions, but she couldn't see what was behind them. She most certainly knew that Savanah was experiencing sadness, fear, and anxiety mixed with happiness and relief. However, she couldn't imagine what caused each one. She'd be surprised to know that the fear, anxiety, and sadness had more to do with her current situation than the captivity.
Savanah needed a listening ear, someone who had been in that basement to see what had occurred. She required someone who had experienced the changes in her demeanor as the handsome man had mesmerized her. There was one person aboard who would listen and understand her confusion. She prayed Lolita was well enough for company.
She pulled the blanket off the bed and went out into the narrow corridor. Her bare feet made no sound as she hurried past the doors she knew belonged to the newlyweds and Tann and Mariana. Lolita's was the smallest cabin at the curve where the corridor led downward to the next level. It wasn't sealed, because they were all keeping a close eye on the injured woman.
Savanah was glad to find Lolita alone and awake. The older woman was staring at the ceiling, and her eyes were unfocused until Savanah called out, "It's me, Lolita. It's Savanah. Are you as lonely as I am?"
"Why are you lonely, sweet girl? You have your sister back, and from what I hear, a new brother as well. They will keep you safe. Don't you worry."
"I realize I'm safe, but it doesn't keep the loneliness at bay. I love Irene, and I'm grateful for all that's been done for me. Yet they don't understand how I've changed. They don't see the things he planted in my head, the doubts of my sanity. Everyone thinks that because I'm physically free and uninjured, I'm fine. You and I know better. You met me when I was first taken. You saw me fight, scream, and cry. You were there to see me slowly change. The crying was the first thing to end, then the screams, and lastly the arguments."
"I remember," Lolita admitted. "You became resigned and believed you were where you belonged most of the time. The difference was strongest after the visits from the handsome man, weren't they? That's when the customers would arrive, and you would take them to your bed with a gentle hand and a smile. Men came back asking specifically for you. Your beauty and soft touch made them feel loved. But in the hours between work and the man's return, you showed the spunk I had witnessed before, the same as you show now. Does it trouble your soul that there were two different versions of you?"
"Of course, it does. Worse than that is the fact that his training is still inside me. I can hear his voice, see his face, and feel his touch. I went into one of the trancelike states in front of Irene and Tika. They woke me and pretended it hadn't happened. That won't make it go away. Talking about it helps. That's why I came to you. You took care of all the women. It was you who made sure we had food, clean beds and clothes, and rest. You wouldn't allow us to be hurt by the customers. You insisted on the guards to protect us. I trust you, and you're the only one who can tell me it was real. Sometimes, I think I imagined it all: that I'm crazy."
"No, Savanah. It was real. I made a huge mistake in accepting the job of a madam. I was lured by the money and the cottage they gave me. They may not have stolen me off the streets the way they did all of you, but they bought my soul. I'm so ashamed. I should have known that anything that paid so well wasn't what it seemed. I tried to leave when I realized what was happening. It wasn't possible. They threatened all your lives if I quit. I stayed to protect you. However, I should have done better. I should have gone to Tann for help immediately. I deserve to lose the use of my arm for my sins. I considered willing myself to die, but this old body is stubbornly healthy and refuses to allow it. I keep telling myself I'm still here for a reason and someday it will come clear to me."
Savanah hugged her and replied, "You're here for me and all the others. You've become a mother to us. We need you to listen to our problems, remind us they are real, and that we can be saved. You know everything about us, and yet you care. We don't feel shame when we're in your presence. We need you as a buffer between us and the rest of the world, even Irene. Don't you dare speak of dying! We all made mistakes. No one is perfect."
"There's my Savanah, the fighter. That's why you were my favorite. You were like me, stubborn and opinionated. Those qualities will see you through anything. You're going to be just fine."
"I won't rest until all the women are free," Savanah determinedly stated.
"It won't be simple or fast, my dear. This organization is complex and has money to spread around so that no one will speak against them. The members behind it are powerful enough to have evaded the authorities. The evidence you will require is hidden so deeply, even the Universal Space Authority has been unable to discover it despite the fact they have swarmed over the way station twice now."
"They are still here. There's still a chance they'll get it. In truth, I don't really care whether they find proof or not. Prison sentences aren't what I'm concerned with. I want retribution. What if he can control the minds of the cops the way he did us? He would be released to continue his organization here or elsewhere. No, the authorities won't be enough to stop this. We need powerful weapons and warriors," Savanah declared.
***Kyllian***
The inside of the mansion was just as opulent as the outside. The ceilings soared and held chandeliers of crystal. There was a fireplace in the main area large enough to accommodate the roasting of an entire cow, or so Kyllian's imagination told him. He'd never actually seen one. Few had, for they were nearly extinct. The meat on people's tables was now either synthetic or from some strange creature on another planet.
He followed Thomas, as he gladly now referred to his father, into the room and found a seat on a striped divan. It was at least seven feet long and stuffed with feathers, yet more comfortable than he'd expected. He wondered if it had been chosen by a woman, which would explain why his father didn't want him or his mother on Delti Utopia 6. This home was too large for a man to live alone. Did Thomas have a second family without completely ridding himself of the first? There were no pictures on the walls or the mantelpiece to give him the answer and no sound to expose their existence.
"Would you care for a whiskey?" Thomas asked as if Kyllian were a simple business acquaintance. "It's the real thing. I like to keep it in stock for my own use. I hate the imitations. It's expensive, but I can indulge myself. I'm willing to share on this auspicious occasion, father and son reunited after all these years. Looking at you is like looking at myself, only thirty years in the past. It's gratifying to see myself replicated so perfectly. Had I known you would resemble me so much I might have brought you with me, despite your damaged DNA."
Kyllian came very close to punching Thomas in the face and walking out of his life forever, but he badly wanted to hear why he'd been summoned. "I don't consider myself damaged at all. In fact, I see myself as very special. Can you fly at will? Do you have the power of fire within you? I could destroy you in seconds if it appealed to me. That, sir, is gratifying."
"I see your mother has twisted your beliefs. You see the weredragon as a superior creature. Trust me; it isn't. We'll change all that, wipe out her teachings. Of course, I could just have the weredragon inside you destroyed with modern chemistry, but I won't.
“It may come in handy, a necessary evil, before this problem ends. I'll just ask Tuuleuss how to get it under control. You'll forget it exists until I call upon it. Yes, yes, that's what we'll do," Thomas said as if Kyllian wasn't present.
"Who's Tuuleuss and what problem are you speaking of?" Kyllian's curiosity was growing. Thomas didn't appear to see the world as it truly was. He was in a dreamland and fully expected Kyllian to go along with whatever his plans consisted of. He seemed to have forgotten the unpleasant way they had greeted one another. It was eerie.
"Oh, well, never you mind about Tuuleuss. You'll never deal directly with him. Very few do. We must get you cleared and indoctrinated before I explain the problem. That will come later, much later. You'll come to see my way of things. Your mother was too soft on you. We'll fix it. It's easy, so easy to resolve those issues. A simple brain reversal will do the trick. You'll make a wonderful son then."
Kyllian was appalled. Thomas actually thought he could brainwash him. The man was insane. He was the one who needed help. What had been done to him? Was he drugged, or had there been surgery involved? He'd find out. He might not love the man or have any good feelings toward him at all, but he was his father, and Kyllian's mother loved him. For those reasons, he would stay and learn what was so strange about this way station.
"Thomas, will you give me directions to my room? It's been a long, complicated day and I have much to consider. Perhaps, we can take this discussion further at breakfast," Kyllian said politely.
To his shock, the man who had met him at the door was back. "Giving orders in my house now, boy? You think you're entitled to something, do you? Well, you're not. This is my home, and you will treat me with respect. I demand respect. Why is it that no one gives it to me freely? Find yourself a place to sleep in the servant’s quarters. That's where you belong. You'll be good enough to be called my son when you decide to let go of that beast inside you. I'll beat it out if I must. I should have done it while you were a child. Get out of my sight."
Kyllian was more than happy to oblige, but he had no idea where the old man had sent his baggage. He would have to search the whole house unless he could find a servant. He left Thomas muttering to himself and began his search in what he assumed was the direction of the kitchen.
