The Bitter Truth

Chapter 19 ~ Penalties

Luis, the head guard of their section of the mine, bellowed "Out!" with such force that the sound reverberated through the dormitory, filling the air with an unmistakable sense of authority. His tone was laced with venom, leaving no room for argument.

    The gazes of the men in the room converged on Luis, some of them then sprinkling angry glances in Ronny's direction. They were aware now that the commotion had been sparked by the actions of the young boy Ronny had brought into the dormitory.

    As Luis's booming voice echoed, more guards poured into the room, adding to the chaos. They shoved, hit, and overturned cots, creating a scene of pandemonium.

    Ronny, feeling the urgency and fear pressing down on him like a physical force, made a quick decision. He handed Saija over to Arliss.    

    "Take care of her; I need to help Marcus," he whispered before vanishing into the crowd.

    Arliss lifted Saija into his arms and made a quick getaway out of the dormitory.    

    Ronny approached Marcus, offering his shoulder so Marcus could wrap his arm around it. His eyes darted around at the mayhem unfolding while doing so, taking in the scene of the guards destroying the place, ripping apart cots, and emptying bags onto the floor.

    "Her sack!" Marcus whispered in a worried tone. "The men will see her girl clothes!"

    Ronny made a judgment call in the tense moment and whispered back, "If I grab it, they'll think I'm hidin' somethin'!"

    "Ya ARE hidin' somethin'!"

    "We don't even know if she has girl clothes in there—"

    "Halt you two!" a voice pierced through their whispered conversation, accompanied by the sharp crack of a baton striking Ronny's chest, bringing their walk to an abrupt stop.

Both men's eyes widened in fear as they found themselves facing Luis, whose menacing gaze was fixed on Marcus despite his baton being aimed at Ronny's chest.

    His words were an accusation, "You're the cart driver... you're the one accountable for the disappearance of the rusnine."

    Marcus felt a lump in his throat as he nervously glanced at Ronny.        

    "Look at me, scum!!" Luis growled, his voice dripping with malice, grabbing their full, nervous attention.

Ronny could see the sadistic gleam in the guards' eyes and the twisted smirk on their faces, and he knew exactly what they intended to do. He also couldn't ignore the extent of Marcus's weakened state, which made the situation even more dire.

    The most important thing he knew at that moment was that Marcus had sacrificed his life to save Saija. A debt he could never repay. He had saved his little sister from certain rape, torture, and possibly death.

    The least he could do was take the punishment for the crime.

    "I'm responsible," he lied bravely; well, it wasn't entirely a lie; he was responsible for bringing Saija to the mine in the first place and then asking for Marcus's help.

    Luis's sights, hungry for blood and pain, landed on him, then raked him up and down with his eyes. His lips curled into a contented grin.

    The chaos of the dormitory had descended into a stillness; all the miners were out in the street now, and the guards had stopped their search to see Luis's scheme.

    Luis, coming to realize his men had stopped searching for the rusnine, barked, "Get back to work!" and a second later, chaos resumed. He then returned his sinister sights to Ronny. "Take off your shirt and get on your knees."