Fuji started to fight the men and it was over before it began. They bound and carried her as she shrieked. Even that wicked tail she had was rapidly tamed. Rose and I tried to tell them, but they would not listen. We tried to resist them and were toted off in their arms.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    I looked up at my captor and noted he didn’t look mean or angry, just firm. He hadrge hazel eyes that darted around continuously. Beneath the fabric of his clothing I felt the strong sinew of his chest. If he wanted to, this man could cause me great harm. Still, I persisted.


    “Sir, please, you don’t understand,” I begged him. “Her owners will not go, she will be alone.”


    The man looked down at me quizzically for a moment before he spoke. “She will be free, Rachel, just like you. There is nothing to fear in our camp. No one will harm her or disrespect her. Rx and allow us to help you and your friends.”


    I continued to plead and the man just would not listen.


    There were two transports waiting for us outside the Keeper’spound. These transports wererger than I’d ever seen before. Two and perhaps three families could easily fit on each one. They also sounded different. Unlike the quite hum of the transports I had seen, these almost growled.


    Fuji writhed and screamed on the other transport and I saw the men gag her. I felt for my friend and tried to help.


    “YOU CAN’T TAKE HER,” I begged loudly one more time as I was carried onto the transport. “PLEASE!”


    “She goes,” he said simply, “we have our orders.”


    This man was as resolute as Damien would have been. Clearly, nothing I could say would change his mind.


    Shutting my mouth I looked into the man’s eyes. He smiled gently and put me on my feet as the transport raised frighteningly fast into the air.


    The transport took off going forward and I had to cover my mouth to not scream. I’d never been on something that elerated this quickly before. The men all seemed to find my reaction strange.


    I couldn’t look and stared down at my feet. The transport soared through the air at a speed I’d never experienced before. The growl it had made when on the ground was nothingpared to the roar it made now. Chancing a nce up I saw how far we already were from the mainpound. The speed was unreal.


    Small hands found my arm and Rose was suddenly against my side. I couldn’t tell if I was shaking, she was shaking, or the thing we were on was shaking. Looking into her eyes I could see we were both terrified.


    Boots were pulled from a chest on the transport and the men put two pairs at our feet, motioning for us to put them on. I was used to dressing myself, so I took off my sandals and slipped the new boots on. They had a sturdy sole and rose to my mid calf. This was hardy clothing and not what I was used to. As I got used to the feel, Rose just stared at her feet where the bootsy.


    “Go on,” one of the men encouraged, “it is your body to dress. It will be cold where we are going. Hannah sent these for you to wear.”


    I grabbed the boots from in front of Rose and put them on her. She didn’t fight me, but she wasn’t pleased.


    Coats were produced and I dressed both Rose and myself. The fabric was very thick and heavy. I chanced a look at the other transport and I saw the men wrapping Fuji’s bound form in the protective fabric. I guessed they didn’t know what it took to make her cold. They must just be working off assumptions.


    Thepound was a distant speck when the transport dropped suddenly and I did scream. Rose and I held onto each other as we were swallowed up in darkness. Luckily, our movement stopped a momentter.


    Lights flickered on around the transport and I realized where we were. The transport had dropped through arge hole in the desert floor. We were in a cavern deep beneath the surface.


    “Shut it up, Thom,” one of the guys said.


    Our transport went closer to the wall and the man that had carried me leaned over and turned several dials embedded in the rock. The giant hole we’de through was soon covered by a b of rock on aplicated conveyor.


    I looked around and saw where we were. The cavern was just wide enough for a transport, with a little leeway on each side. I looked over the side of the transport and saw water flowing beneath us.


    “Back up, Rachel, the air shield is off.” the man named Thom said, “The air shields wille back on when we start to move forward.”


    I nodded silently and took a step back. I didn’t want to fall off and the air shields on the transports were powerful, getting caught in one would probably hurt.


    “Wee to freedom,” another man said smiling at us and the transport took off.


    Several of the men stood and stared at us grinning broadly. Rose and I were glued to the spot and scared out of our wits. I watched the men, but Rose refused to look at them. Perhaps her idea was better, looking around was terrifying.


    If the transport was scary above ground, underground was a nightmare. The machines roared through the tight passageways. There were ces where I felt I could reach out and touch the walls we came so close to them.


    There was very little light down here and I had no idea how the driver saw where he was going. It seemed like he must be navigating on memory and not sight. The feeble lights on the transport seemed to barely illuminate the cave as we rushed through it.


    I held tight to Rose and she to me. The men didn’t understand our terror and in no way showed consideration for it.


    “I am Brand, rescued from the Youlypound. What will you do now that you are free?,” one of them asked jovially. “I have heard tell that some of our women are going to arrange portals back to Earth. Will you do that?”


    Rose refused to look at the man and stared into my eyes looking shocked. That displeased him.


    “Come now, you are free. Talk to me, no one will harm you for it. Tell me how you feel.”


    He was quite a persistent man.


    “I do not wish to leave my children,” I croaked out.


    “Children are important to you?” he asked stepping closer. “Are they important to all humans? I have wondered a long time.”


    The man’s inquisitive nature made me smile despite my fear.


    “You have human breeders in your line, don’t you?” I asked.


    The manughed and now I had their attention.


    “How did you know?” the man named Thom asked. “The women told us he does.”