Lorne (The Dark League 1) (11 page)

I gave the mobile back to Gregory and he nodded to the four guards who were standing next to me. They took hold of me and I went with them without resisting. That was the deal. My life in exchange for that of my mate.

Trisha

For the second time since my abduction I woke up with an awful headache. Fortunately I was not hanging upside down this time. But I did feel sick and my stomach seemed to be turning over. I began to gag, then I brought up a torrent of blood. However the feeling of sickness was a little better after that. But not the damn headache!

“I’m so sorry!“ I heard Charleene sob. I turned my head and slowly opened my eyes.

“What the hell...“ I began, in disbelief, when I saw my best friend standing behind thick bars. Slowly, I looked around me and my brain needed a while to grasp where I was and what had happened. I was in the League’s prison, in one of the cells. Charleene and Lothaire had tranquillised me, then clearly brought me here. Anger and pain gave me the strength to leap up and stagger to the bars where I held on and stared at Charleene, filled with hatred.
 

“I’ll never forgive you for this!“ I spat at her and she visibly flinched. Her eyes were reddened and smeared with blood. She had been crying. Was Lorne already dead? How long had I been unconscious? Had the sun already risen and taken from me what I loved most?
 

I threw my head back and cried out, in emotional pain. Charleene called for someone. I heard footsteps and voices.

“Are you sure that she’ll cope with two doses so soon after one another?“ someone asked.

“She’ll harm herself if we don’t tranquillise her,“ sobbed Charleene. “We have to calm her until we have a response from the team.“

I lowered my eyes and stared at the small group that had gathered outside my cell. Altogether there were six hunters, including Milton. Charleene was holding a syringe in her hand.
 

I groaned, shaking the bars.

“You’re not tranquillising me again!“ I bellowed.
 

The six hunters came forward. Milton unlocked the cell door and they came into my cell. I was still weak but I resisted with everything I had. But it was useless. The six of them overpowered me, lay me back down on the bed and held me still until Charleene had stuck the syringe into my neck for the second time. Again that burning pain.

“Don’t let her go, will you. It can take a while as she fights against it,“ I heard my friend say.
 

I shouted and swore. I cursed them all, threatened them, but they held me very tightly until I grew more and more tired and I gradually drifted off into darkness.
 

Lorne

Those damn silver chains were burning into my skin. At least I did not need to worry any longer about all the scars that they would cause, as soon my whole body would slowly roast until there was nothing left of me but a pile of cinders. I clenched my teeth so that I did not cry out in pain. I did not want to give that satisfaction to the bastards filling the stands to witness my death. I was just glad that Trisha did not have to see this. I hoped that she would get over my death. Lothaire, Sean and Charleene had sworn to me that they would stand by her and if necessary, and I hoped it would not be, relieve her from her torment. Tears ran down my cheeks. I had not shed many tears in my life but now I allowed them to come without shame. It was not a disgrace to cry about one’s love. I did not regret anything. If I had the choice to continue living without ever having met Trisha or die here after experiencing a brief time of complete happiness, I would willingly lie here again and again, awaiting my death.
 

It was gradually getting light. I turned my head to the east. The courtyard was built in the shape of a U, opening to the east and so it would not be long before the first rays of the sun reached me. The sky was already red and golden. I had watched a lot of sunrises with Trisha and a smile came across my face. At least I would see this natural spectacle one last time before I had to die.
 

I felt the warmth of the first rays on my skin. They were still pleasant. I could be at least half an hour in the sun without suffering damage, even though I was not wearing suncream this time to protect my sensitive skin. But after half an hour it would gradually become uncomfortable. I had had to watch executions several times and knew that it could last a good hour from the moment when the skin begins to react with slight sunburn to the final burning of the body. I had heard the screams of those slowly roasting in the sun – most recently the Japanese, who had attempted to assassinate Victor. Davina would probably suffer this fate, too. I had not found out whether, and to what, my former playmate had been condemned once she had been sent to Victor in las Vegas.
 

Time seemed to be dragging. How long had I been lying here? I gradually felt the sun beginning to damage my skin. At first it was only a slight burning. Then it became so bad that I no longer felt the silver chains because the pain caused by the sun was worse. I clenched my teeth so tightly that my jaws ached. Damn it! That hurt! I had closed my eyes to protect them from the sun for as long as possible, so I could not see anything, but I could still tell that I was now beginning to smoke because the stench of burning flesh was filling my airways. Then I could no longer hold back the cry. I yelled and writhed about.
 

‘Trisha,‘
 
a final thought shot into my head. ’
My love, my life. I’ll never see you again!‘

Epilogue

The Team

“Damn it! Go quicker!“ Sean urged the others.

Lothaire and Nikolai were carrying Lorne’s charred body in a blanket and were running over the lawn to the street where they had parked the van. Sean had no idea whether Lorne was already dead or whether they could still save him, but to find that out they first had to be in the damn van.
 

They could hear shouting behind them. Some of the guards must have discovered that Lorne’s body had disappeared and they were now after them.

“Hurry! Hurry!“ Sean again urged them to hurry.

The van finally came into sight. Sean overtook the others and tore open the door to the back of the van. Then Lothaire and Nikolai finally came and pushed inside the blanket holding Lorne’s body. They jumped in after it whilst Sean pulled open the driver’s door and jumped behind the wheel. He quickly started up the engine and the van shot forwards just as their pursuers reached them. Two of them managed to hang onto the door that was still open. Lothaire gave the first man a violent kick and he lost his grip and fell back onto the road. The second man managed to get inside the van and Nikolai came to the assistance of his brother in arms. Both of them fought the Renegade whilst losing precious time needed to give Lorne life-saving blood.
 

Both hunters fought hard until Nikolai finally managed to put his arm round the bastard’s neck and with one tug he separated the head from the body. It rolled onto the street, from the van that was still open and Lothaire kicked the body after it, then closed the door. Both men rushed to Lorne’s body and fell onto their knees beside it. Quickly Nikolai threw the blanket aside.
 

“Have you got rid of the bastards?“ asked Sean from the front, without taking his eyes off the road.
 

“Yes!“ replied Lothaire.

“How’s Lorne? Is he still alive?“.
 

Nikolai examined the charred body. His eyes met Lothaire’s and they both shrugged their shoulders helplessly.

“I don’t know!“ replied Nikolai, worried. “We’ll give him blood now, then we’ll see.“
 

Lothaire bit cut his wrist and made blood drip onto Lorne’s lipless mouth. Both men stared expectantly and full of hope at the charred remains of their friend.

“Why’s nothing happening? Damn it!“ swore Nikolai.

He, too, tore open his vein and pushed his wrist directly onto Lorne’s mouth opening.

“What’s going on? What’s happening with you? Say something!“ called Sean, worried.

“We’re giving him blood, but so far no reaction!“ Lothaire informed him.
 

“Fuck!“ bellowed Sean, banging his fist on the steering wheel. “It must not have been for nothing!“
 

Trisha

When I woke up this time I was tied to the bed with countless thick iron chains. I could hardly move, let alone free myself. The chains did not hurt but in my weakened state they were more than enough to render me motionless and helpless. My eyes fell upon the worried face of Charleene above me.

“I was afraid that you weren’t going to wake up again,“ she said, relieved. “We had no choice other that to knock you out again but we also had no idea whether your body would cope with two doses so close together. I‘m so very sorry about all of this.“

“Lorne,“ I croaked weakly.

“They have him and are on their way here. I have no idea what state he’s in and whether he’ll come through but they were able to free him and get him into the van. That’s the latest information that I’ve received.“

Relief spread through me and I allowed myself to hope that
 
everything would turn out well after all. It simply had to. This could not have been the end. Our time together had been far too short. If he no longer lived then I did not want to either. I would kill myself if he did not survive. I would not tell the others – they would only tranquillise me or tie me up. I could not live my life under such circumstances. Without Lorne there was nothing more that could keep me on this earth. He was the point of my life. His end also meant mine!

The team

“I think it’s working!“ called Nikolai excitedly.

“What?“ Lothaire and Sean called, almost simultaneously.

“I think he moved. Watch his hands!“

Lothaire stared hard at his friend’s charred
 
hands. Definitely! The little finger on his left hand just briefly twitched.
 

“You’re right!“

“Is he alive?“ called Sean excitedly, turning to look through the connecting window.

“He moved his finger!“ Lothaire confirmed. “But now concentrate on the traffic before you have an accident!“

Sean turned his back to the road, letting out
 
a sigh of relief.

Trisha

“He’s alive!“ an excited cry came into the cell. It was Milton.

Charleene and I turned our heads toward the corridor to stare at the team leader.

“What did you say?“ my friend asked in excitement.

“I’ve just had a call from Sean. They’re on their way and Lorne began to move a little when Nikolai was giving him blood. He’s alive! They’re coming home!“

Milton’s relief was clear to see.
 

My heart leapt for joy. Tears shot into my eyes.

“Un... Untie me!“ I begged and Charleene nodded. She threw herself at me and embraced me, kissing my tear-dampened cheeks.

“Sorry,“ she murmured, embarrassed. “I just had to hug you first.“

“That’s OK,“ I replied, smiling.

Milton entered the cell to help Charleene release my chains.

“He will bear scars,“ he said to me quietly.

“I know!“ I replied. “But I don’t care as long as I get him back!“

***

I walked excitedly up and down the room. They were on their way. They would be here soon. What sight waited me? How much healing could Nikolai’s and Lothaire’s blood have given him on an eight-hour long drive? I swore to myself that I would not let it show if Lorne’s appearance shocked me. I would take care of him – I would give him my blood, which I knew would heal him much more quickly than the blood of the others, as we were mates.
 

Footsteps could be heard in the corridor and I rushed to the door to pull it open. Lothaire and Nikolai were carrying Lorne’s body, covered in a cloth. Tears of happiness shot into my eyes. I had not counted on ever seeing my beloved again and now he was here. I did not care what he looked like. He was alive and everything else would heal. Well, except the scars caused by the silver chains but I could live with that.

“Bring him in! Quickly!“ I said and the men came into the suite. They went straight to the bedroom and lay Lorne down on the wide bed. I hurried behind them and bent over the man who meant the world to me. He was unconscious, his body covered with ugly burn wounds. Hair, eyebrows and eyelashes were singed. But I knew from Milton, who had phoned Sean whilst they were still on their way, that Lorne’s body had not been much more than cinders when they had finally been able to free him. The Renegades had held out for a really long time at the execution, so the three hunters could only get to Lorne once he had already started burning. They had quickly extinguished the flames and covered Lorne’s body in a blanket, so that they could carry him more easily. In retrospect, I was glad that I had been spared this sight. Even though I was still a little annoyed with
 
Lothaire and Charleene.
 

“He’ll be fine!“ said Sean who was just entering the room. “Give him your blood regularly and he’ll soon be on his feet again.“

I sat up and threw myself around Sean’s neck.

“Thank you!“ I sobbed. I turned my head and looked at Lothaire and Nikolai. “I thank you with all my heart for saving him!“

Sean cradled me gently in his arms.

“Shh!“ he consoled me as I burst, unrestrained, into tears.
 

“I tried so hard no... not to ...“

“Shh! It’s OK. Cry away. It’s not a disgrace to cry when you’ve nearly lost your mate. Cry! You’ve gone through an awful experience!“

After a while I pulled away from Sean’s arms and he kissed me on the forehead.

“Go and heal your mate. We’ll leave you alone now, but in case you need anything, one of us will be on guard outside the door all the time. We’ll bring you something to eat later.“

I smiled.

“What then? Take-away maybe?“

Sean grinned.

“Yes, something like that!“

The three turned to leave and I sat down on the bed with Lorne. His eyes were still closed but I could clearly see the pulse in his neck and I felt infinite relief because I had him back. I bit into my wrist and pressed the wound to his cracked lips. To my joy, he began too suck after a short while. That meant that he was no longer unconscious.