Eastern Expedition(Concluded)

[Page]

Nirai stared at the Captain blankly, wondering if she too were going to leave her now. Did she want her to strip in front of her? It was doubtful the enigmatic merc leader was attracted to her, but Nirai was sure every action served a purpose, whether that was to humiliate her or simply to test her.

She put her hand in the bathwater and felt it warming slowly.
"What would a Ranger do in this situation, or a Lykiar Agent?" she thought to herself, imagining violence. Could the heatbrick be used as a weapon against the Captain? Did wandering through the desert breed enough synergy among the four that they would all make a move at the same time and kill these people in one, relentless uprising?

Now she was less than grateful she never had any sort of military training. It was all futile, she realized, pointless to think about. Maybe if Josef, Esmerelda, and Max burst through the door with guns raised. Otherwise, she wouldn't try, she'd probably ending up getting herself killed.

Raising her hand to her cheek, she felt the shallow wound the knife had made earlier.
"Is this fun for you?" she finally asked the Captain.

[Haktiva]

"What?", the Captain asked, raising an eyebrow. "If you think I'm torturing you, that's not my intention. But then again, I doubt we have the same ideas as torture". She stared at Nirai for a few moments before gesturing to to pool. "I doubt those bricks will hold their charge for much longer. I'll shut my eyes for a moment if you wish"

The Captain grinned at Nirai's expression. "Hey, somebody has to keep an eye on you, and I figured you'd prefer a woman as apposed to one of my men. Don't get me wrong, my men are disciplined, but it's basic human nature we're talking about here".

[Page]

Nirai took off her clothes and stepped into the bath, less concerned about the Captain seeing her naked and more about how she was eventually going to get out of this. She lowered herself down and continued her conversation.

"I don't mean what you're doing to me, I mean your life. Basic introduction to psychology stuff, you know, needs hierarchy. People want to eat first, and then they want to be safe, then power, then self-actualization. Or alternatively, for most people it comes down to money. But wealth is boring, so they'll either seek to control others, or they'll go for thrills - jumping out of planes.

But in the end, it doesn't matter. Every single one of us, whether we die minutes after birth or live a century, whether we're royalty or peasants, we all die. So I just want to know, do you want to live like this, or is it just too late to go back?"

[Haktiva]

"There's an old Haktivan belief that our life is just a story book for someone else to read. I like to think I'm making it an interesting read", the Captain replied. She sat down on the edge of the water arms crossed. "Of coarse, power and money are nice enough. My men and I don't go hungry and I get to watch a cute girl bathe in an ancient bathhouse".

[Page]

"So this is fun for you" Nirai told the Captain. She moved a strand of wet hair out of her face and said "of course, if we were just part someone else's story, I think now would be the time where I play to your weakness, because just like Max, you have a soft side. And I might even invite you in here with me. Put my hand on your cheek, close our eyes. But the reader is watching my other hand, that is wrapping my fingers around your knife, about to plunge it into your neck."

The Captain looked shocked that Nirai actually just said that, and Nirai was nearly as surprised herself.
"But I'm not a soldier, or an assassin. And if I'd be a good novelist then now is an awful time to think about how I could be in a high-rise in Talyn with an old style typewriter rather than a hostage in an underground city."

Nirai's facade of confidence was impressive. She wasn't sure it would add up to anything in the end, but somehow it felt like survival.
"I really wish you'd let us go, but I realize but now begging is futile. And since I'm probably unable to kill you, and even doing it wouldn't mean I'd walk away alive, I guess I'm just here for your entertainment, and I can only pray to the Goddess you're more human than you let on. Let's just hope the readers are entertained, cause this is quite honestly the worst day of my life."

[Haktiva]

"I could feed you to a giant sand worm", the Captain suggested. "Your friend kept mentioning that when the medic patched him up", she explained. "Don't worry, there's no such thing".

[Page]

"I didn't think there was such thing as man-eating beetles either" Nirai replied as she washed her hair.

[Haktiva]

"Those things leave a nasty bite. I'd show you where, but that wouldn't be very dignified of me now would it?", the Captain said, her tone laced with a little humor.

[Page]

"If I end up being your captive for twenty years, I'm going to really miss home where there's a surprising lack of dangerous creatures. Except for other people, I suppose those are the most dangerous creatures in any country."

The heat was fading away in the water now and she wanted to leave it.
"I have another set of clothes in my backpack. Your people took it, I'd like to have those back if that's alright with you."

[Haktiva]

"Kafka. Bring me the girl's bag", the Captain said inter her mic.
"Yes ma'am", the merc replied.

The mercenary showed up a few minutes later with Nirai's things, the Captain grabbing it and dismissing her man. "Gotta say, these are more frilly than I expected from you", she said, grabbing a pair of underwear from the bag. "Were you expecting something?", she asked, her tone almost teasing.

[Page]

"I told you, I was expecting to get to the hotel and get on a helicopter. Figured this job would be done with some high-definition cameras, a few soldiers as security, some news vans. I really didn't have any clue about what I was getting into until Josef was listening to some stoner-rock song and Max was headbanging in the front seat and I noticed we went far beyond any semblance of civilization" Nirai said, somewhat defensively.

"So forgive me, I would have left my good lingerie home if I knew I were going to be a hostage."

[Haktiva]

"Fair enough. But I think you understand now why you didn't take a helicopter or have a large escort. Think about it. You're in an inhospitable place full of scavengers, with little chance of contact if you were to be, or in your case are captured. Traveling like you did was the best way to assure you wouldn't be find by types like us", the Captain replied, pacing as Nirai changed.
"Of coarse, you could have had an escort, but federal troops are beyond Esmerelda's control. Even though she has her own little army, their contracts don't allow them to leave the cities, less said contracts expire. It's funny, she could have hired us, but someone else got to us first".

[Page]

"But she could buy you out now, no?" Nirai asked as she stood up and began to dry herself. "Or is it that Haktivan stubbornness, she isn't going to lose millions to extortion? Believe me, I have my priorities straight, if I had money you'd be the first to get your payment."

[Haktiva]

"I believe in seeing my contract through to it's completion", the Captain replied. "Perhaps when it's done, we can escort you out of the desert... at a discount".

[Page]

"I still don't understand" Nirai said as she dressed. "I guess I'm safer if I don't."

[Haktiva]

"Indeed", the Captain replied.

Nirai was escorted back to her room, the guards a little less rough this time.
"So did you enjoy yourself?", Max called, his tone sarcastic.

[Page]

"Tyy'naul aliji indir, Paigyyadrii surtrina cya'maira halan a'kolsza!" Nirai snapped bitterly at Max.
(I really hate foreign men sometimes, a Pagian man would be worried about an innocent woman in the hands of terrorists!)

[Haktiva]

"I am concerned. Just in my own special way", Max replied.
"Did she tell you anything?", Esmerelda asked, her tone serious for once.

[Page]

"She sees her contracts through, and apparently cares more about her personal code of honor than money. So we're fucked, pretty much" Nirai said after she curled up in the corner of the room and closed her eyes.

Josef called out for the first time in hours, to one of the mercs he couldn't see, "I know my orange shisha is delicious but I'd really like my chemicals back. The pills at least if you must keep the vaporizer."

[Haktiva]

"You're not getting anything unless the Captain says so", the mercenary replied, his tone not Haktivan or Pagian, but from somewhere else.
"Give it up you old hippy", Max chastised.

[Page]

"I have two doctoral degrees and although I'm not a neurologist, I have a fairly decent understanding of how the human brain works. Realizing that certain substances will allow me to perceive reality in a less harsh and more relaxing manner, without impairing my intelligence, I elect to spend my time in an altered state of consciousness until my organic matter decays away and my neurons stop firing, it's actually quite rational!" Josef snapped, his voice rising with anger.

The "hippie" died whenever Josef experienced the unpleasant sickness called "total sobriety" and he could become quite irritable.
Although, he did have one more thing on him. He carefully picked away at the patch on his jacket. Before the mercenaries came, he had thought he'd save his LSD for when they really began to explore the eternal city. But now, it was all he had. Fortunately for him, he was worried about the legal repercussions of bringing it into Haktiva, and that left him with something so well hidden he forgot even he had it, until now.

"Black blotter" he whispered to himself, instinctively wanting to thank the spirits although he was an atheist most days. The very best trips came from these strips. And if nothing else, it would surely kill his headache and take away his anti-anxiety meds withdrawal shakes.

He placed it on the roof of his mouth, pressed his tongue against it hard, and smiled. The relaxation was instant. The effects would come in due time.

[Haktiva]

"So are we gonna get anything to eat?", Max inquired.
"Whenever the Captain feels like giving you some chow", the merc replied.
"Aw come on!", Max shouted, even more irritated than even Esmerelda thought possible.
"Sleep deprived, hungry, and held by mercenaries. The only thing that could make it worse is if this were your marriage eh?", Esmerelda joked.
"Nahlot!(silence)", Max shouted.

[Page]

"We're not held by anything, my friend" Josef told Max. "We are all celestial bodies, bound by gravity to each other, and only as long as we accept the inevitability of it. Besides, I find fasting to be a deeply spiritual experience."

[Haktiva]

"Oh for the love of...", Max said, attempting to control himself.

[Page]

"I wish you could walk this plane with me, Ezzie. Each of us could leave our bodies and melt into the eternal. No worries though, even without the blotter you will find a way. The old druids of Inis Nuira used to experience ego death by pure self-hypnosis, no chemicals needed. Of course, I have spent three days in the desert so I can be excused for taking the easy path" Josef continued to muse, watching a small tornado of purple sand swirl in front of him.

"Did you just drop acid?!" Nirai asked in disbelief. She into her bottom lip and whispered to herself repeatedly "I want to get the fuck out of here."