The Lone Knight (Under The Cowl Book #1)

CHAPTER 49

     Outside and into the bus she went, Stephanie looked up and found Darla's gaze. You of all people had to be here. 

Stephanie's mood soured. She darted her eyes down and slightly turned her head away. If she had her long hair she could've easily avoided Darla without the obvious awkwardness of pretending she didn't see her. But grabbed by the arm Stephanie turned to look back and found Darla's grip wrapped around her forearm. You can't seem to leave well enough alone even on a different earth.

"You sure you want to do that?" Stephanie warned.

Darla yanked Stephanie in close, eyes locked on each other, chest to chest and just about nose to chin. It was Darla with the height advantage, but Stephanie was not the least bit intimidated.

Immediately Stephanie wondered how many girls did Darla stop in their tracks like this and swing the weight of her position in their face? Did they shake in their chains? Lower themselves where the top of their head stared at Darla's chin. "I don't know what kind of friends you've got but I'd say you should count yourself lucky that even gods are on your side." Darla said.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but if you don't remove your hand I will remove it for you."

Stephanie could feel the boiling anger seethe from Darla and pour onto the tightening grip from her hand. Even after Darla removed her grip Stephanie could still feel its pressure linger. In high school Stephanie would have never let any girl so bold mess with her or get away with less.

"Enjoy the ride." Darla turned away as she left the bus.

Darla's words were ominous, but not enough for Stephanie to feel that her life was being threatened. She could hear a hidden meaning behind what Darla meant, as if both were in on a secret. 

But Stephanie was in the dark.

Stephanie continued to make her way down the aisle and pass the guards already in their seats.

Stephanie kept her eyes peeled when she passed the gate separating the guards from the prisoners. The prisoners on the other side occupied a space vastly superior in size. Likely to keep everyone separated. Some seated in ordinary booths, while further back she could clearly see two prisoners strapped down from their neck to their ankles unable to move. But it was the rather large cage in the back holding a woman inside equal in its massive size that caught Stephanie's eye. 

Through the thick bars Stephanie could still see that the woman sat strapped in like the other two, but instead of leather digging into her flesh metal hugged her skin. Something was different with this woman, perhaps far more dangerous than the cage credited.

"Count yourself lucky." the guard said as he shoved Stephanie into her seat, far away from the ladies in the back despite the tempting urge to find out what made them so dangerous.

"Alright ladies if I may have your attention." the Collector at the front of the bus shouted. "My name is Collector Michael Jon Carter and I will be escorting you bad girls," he emphasized a little too sexually, "to the far reaches of the coast where you will wake up to the early morning chill with salt on your lips, coal in your lungs, and a new appreciation for hard labor building calluses on those ham hocks you call hands."

"You calling me fat!" one of the prisoners shouted from her seat.

"Huh? What?" Collector Carter stammered. "No, that's not what I said"

"Yes it is."

"I promise you, that is not what I said."

"How about I beat you with my ham hock!" another prisoner shouted as she tugged on her chains.