The Fires of Spring

Chapter Nine

Lilith did not know for how long they rattled about in the compartment, but it must have been at least a few hours later when they rumbled to a stop and she, immediately alert, listened to the sound of voices on the outside.

She could hear what they were saying, but she could hear that they were male, and at that there were at least three of them. No androids there.

"Christopher," she whispered, and squeezed his hand.

"Yes?" he breathed.

"But your blindfold back on."

"Why?" he returned.

"Because I don't want to give them an opportunity to be angry with us right off the bat. We should behave, comply. They might treat us better," she said.

Christopher let go of her fingers for a moment and she, flexing her hand, felt blood rush back into it. Her hands shaking more than she wished them to, she fixed the blindfold back over her eyes.

She was just in time, too, as she heard the door go flying open as light flooded the compartment. The brightness was dulled through her blindfold, but it still shone bright and she was glad that she was not blinded by the light.

Two pairs of hands grasped her - men's hands, she noted for they were big and very calloused - and hauled her unceremoniously out of the vehicle, placing her on her feet. Based on the way Christopher snarled, she could hear he had not followed her instruction of calm compliance.

"Get your fucking hands off me!"

There was a loud thud and a yelp of pain from Christopher.

Lilith thought it was time to act. "Please!" she said, and made her voice as plaintive as she could. "Please, don't hurt him!

There were some mumblings and a big fist poked her in the back, followed by a small, cold cylinder. The barrel of a gun. "Walk," ordered a voice.

Lilith took one step forward and then stumbled purposefully. She noted how it was not the man behind who caught her, but another one before. As she set off, walking with slow steps in the direction she had been ordered, she did the calculations in her head. Two men were guarding her, at least, and likely at least two on Christopher.

Four men, at the very least, then. Adding that to the fact that they had taken control of the androids, she supposed that this was no small-time kidnapping job, or a tiny radical group hell-bent on killing a prominent businessman and his wife.

Now a hand fastened itself to her upper arm and steered her left. She kept track of the directions as they walked - left, forward fifteen paces, left again, two minutes of walking and then a right.

"In," snarled a voice and shoved her forward. She went tumbling to the ground and gave a hiss of anger, which she tried to disguise as a sound of pain.

Someone ripped off her blindfold and she blinked as light threatened to blind her for a moment. However, she was able to catch sight of three men, with balaclavas covering anything that would mark them out, flinging Christopher, whose blindfold they'd removed, in with her.

He went soaring in and collapsed next to her.

As he, swearing and whimpering simultaneously, began to whine, she looked about the room. They were in a small cell, its walls and floor made of concrete, with a metal door leading to the hall from which they'd entered.

Standing up with some difficulty, she noted that there was a small, rectangular window high on one wall, through which a small shaft of sunlight streamed.

It was morning, then, and they had travelled all night.

"Christopher," she said, turning to her husband. "Christopher!"