Neutral Space(13)

“I’m one step ahead of you. There is a way just give me time. I know a few people here.” I looked at her. “You’re not in my position without making allies along the way.” She pulled me to the bed and sat down.

“Jack, I was set up. Parts of my trial were edited. They did not want me to escape because I said and did things I shouldn’t. If you leave with me, it could be dangerous.”

“I don’t care, Artemis,” I replied. She looked disappointed with the name. Kheda kissed me gently anyway.

“I don’t like the beard.” She replied.

“It has to stay for now.” She smacked me hard across the mouth and split my lip. “What was that for?” I asked.

“Sorry, but it has to look believable I do have a reputation to uphold.” Her lip twitched up at the corner. I sighed. “Hit me.” She ordered.

“I can’t,” I shook my head.

“Jack,” she said exasperated “Bite me.” She tried instead.

“Kinky, can we do this some other time for real.” She smiled at me then. I took off my shirt and handed it to her. She took it happily and changed as I pulled off my boots.

“I do like the muscles,” she commented as she climbed into bed beside me.

“Six months of digging in the mines and getting my ass kicked by Kelsairans.” I huffed.

“Surely you beat them sometimes.” Her brows drew together as she stared at me.

“I’m getting better at it.” I admitted, “Was Teesa mad at me?”

“Teesa? What do you care about her?” She was jealous. I could tell by the tone in her voice.

“She was one of my only friends in here that’s all.”

She looked up at me “Then no, she is one of my friends. I knew her before I came. Lucky for us, any other nurse would have found out what didn’t happen.”

She stretched out alongside me, and I pulled her close. I bit her neck just where it met her shoulder. She complained but didn’t struggle. I let go and changed my grip a little just to make it look like she did. When I was done, she had a large bruise on her neck. She rolled over and kissed me again. She said goodnight and settled into sleep. I knew we both wanted more but the thought of my first time with her here in this disgusting filthy jail cell didn’t seem fitting, so I lay on my back and slowed my breathing waiting for sleep to come.

Dan woke us before the siren the following day. He seemed happy to catch us together. “I don’t know what really went down in that room, but five different stories are floating around. And you, young lady, better watch out for those two Kelsairans you beat the shit out of. They’re out for blood now.”

“Doesn’t seem to have changed my situation much.” Kheda shrugged.

“Well, at least it looks like your scheme will work for the most part but whatever you’re planning you’d better do it quickly,” Dan advised. “Jack you better watch your back. There’s a lot of men in here that don’t like the way things went down.”

“Or that I’ve made one of their decorated officers my lap dog, I’ll be careful.” I found Kheda’s clothes and handed them back to her. She slinked into her pants then turned her back to change her shirt. She handed me back my t-shirt, and I frowned “You gave the last one back with your perfume on it.”

“And I bet you still have it,” she whispered in reply.

“Still neatly folded in my footlocker.” She pulled on her boots with a smile. The sirens blared, and our door flew open. Dan left, and Jim and Crow were just getting up. “When did you learn English?”

“After our encounter. When did you learn Kelsairan?”

“After an army official came to question me about you.” She looked at me surprised. “I’ll tell you later.” She nodded as she watched me put on my boots.





Chapter 6





W



e had the same routine for three weeks, and we were no closer to an escape plan. Then, one morning, she made a giant show of ignoring me. I was at a loss. Our whole strategy could fall to pieces if she kept this up but I couldn’t figure out what was going on.

She went to breakfast alone and sat by herself. I said something to her and even moved to hit her, but she merely blocked. I left it alone then hoping whatever was going on would pass.

She found Salea after she finished eating, but it wasn’t her day to work in the hospital ward. I was concerned for a moment that Salea had double-crossed me then cursed myself. She was a woman, Kelsairan anatomy was like human anatomy it was probably just time for her courses. And from what she’d said about the type of relationship we were supposed to be in it certainly explained her behavior. I heaved a silent sigh of relief.

Three days later, I said good morning, and she smacked me so hard that I nearly fell out of my chair. She set down her tray and moved to sit down beside me. I grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her back until she bent down to my eye level. I snatched a kiss, and the Kelsairans laughed as I let her go. She sunk into her seat sulking. “Feeling better?”

“My problems as a female are not your concern.” She confirmed my suspicions.

Things were back to normal that day, but she made sure we snuck away from dinner early. She checked up and down the hall for guards as she slipped into my room. “I have a plan, but you have to actually hit me this time. I need an excuse to get out of the mines tomorrow.”