As she'd been instructed, Donna entered the bedroom and waited till the woman on it stirred, awoke.

The woman stared at her, fear and confusion in her eyes. "Who are you? and why am I here?" the woman asked.

"My name's Donna. But I'm not supposed to tell you anything. Someone else will, I'll let them know you're awake, it'll just be a few minutes."

A few minutes later, Donna followed Nathan into the room and suppressed a shudder--it wouldn't do for him to see her show any reaction--as he addressed the woman. "Ah, my dear. So Donna was telling the truth--I shall have to reward her."

Donna bit her lip and prayed he didn't notice. Nathan Tompkins' idea of "rewards" left a lot to be desired. And she could see the confusion on the woman's face change to pure terror. She could feel it, too...she put her hands to her mouth trying to keep from crying out, so he wouldn't be angry with her.

"No, not you again! I can't...not you, it can't be you..." the woman cried.

Tompkins' cold eyes narrowed in puzzlement. "Ah, but we have never met, my dear, though I know who you are. It so happens you are a friend of someone I want very badly--and that someone will do anything to keep their friends safe. That is why you are here. Consider yourself my...insurance."

"No no no...oh please no..." the woman sobbed, and Donna could feel the fear coming off her in waves. "Please please I'll do anything just let me go, just don't hurt me!"

"Did I say I would?" he replied. "It requires only your friend's cooperation..." he looked at her. "And what do you mean, it can't be me? We've never met before today."

The woman only sobbed harder, pure terror having taken over, and Donna felt her eyes burning with the tears she wanted to cry along with her, but didn't dare.

Tompkins looked at her for a long moment. "I would know if I had seen you before--and yet, there is something. Some reason you are so terrified...I will know why." He nodded to Donna, who stepped forward reluctantly."You're so good at finding things out, my dear." Nathan smiled coldly at Donna. "And I *know* you would not have said anything to her, not after being instructed not to. So why is our guest in such a state, it cannot be simply that she is our guest, can it?" His cold smile grew even colder. "Something tells me there is more to it than that. And I will know what that something more is. You will find out for me."

Donna paled and shook her head. "Please...not again. Don't make me do that."

Tompkins' eyes narrowed. "Ah, do I detect a hint of reluctance? I would think carefully about that, if I were you. Remember your mother, my dear. And remember what will happen to her, if I should become...displeased."

Donna bit her lip. "Damn you..." she murmured, then nodded. "All right." and turned to face the woman on the bed, who could only cry helplessly.

Donna took her hands and forced her to look into her eyes. Then the room, Nathan, everything, went away, and for Donna there was only the woman's memories, colored with pain and fear and terror...why? She didn't want to push through this, it was tearing her apart as much as it was the woman--but he'd demanded it and she had to obey him. The alternative didn't bear thinking about.

Then, she saw it. Names, faces, places....God, was *that* it?? It had to be...it was. With an effort, Donna freed herself, withdrew from the sobbing woman's mind, and taking a deep breath, told Nathan what she'd seen there.

He stared at Donna for a long moment. "You are...certain...of this?"

Donna nodded. "I...wouldn't lie." she whispered, trembling lest he think she was doing just that.

Tompkins turned to look at the woman on the bed. "So. After all these years....you're alive. And you've been with another too." His mouth clenched into a grimace. "Filthy *whore*!" And he struck at her as she tried to dodge the blow.

Donna cried out but dared not interfere, lest he turn his rage on her too.

"Oh you'll pay for this!" he shouted and struck her again, and again.

But then he seemed to collect himself and drew back. "No...no, this is not the way. You shall pay, my dear, but not like this."

The woman could only cry. "No...please I'll do anything! Go ahead and k-kill me but don't hurt them please..I'll do anything..."

"But they, too, are part of this, my dear." Tompkins replied. "It wouldn't be right to leave them out--and you're right, you will do anything. Anything I ask. I shall return shortly and when I do, ah, then we shall have a proper reunion, shan't we?"

Tompkins stepped forward and took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look up at him. "There are consequences for everything, my dear. You should remember that."

Then releasing her, he turned to Donna. "Come, Donna. We have much to do."

Donna followed him out, daring only to glance quickly back at the woman on the bed. Then she had to look away, unable to bear the sight of her as she was now, a sobbing broken heap, looking like nothing so much as a trapped animal.

And it was worse knowing she'd caused this.

____________________________________________________

Some hours later...

____________________________________________________

This room--the basement, actually--looked almost like a cell in some medieval dungeon, at least, like the ones Donna'd seen in movies. She'd never expected to find herself standing in one, though.

But it wasn't the decor of this place that bothered her so much as it was the other two occupants. Not in themselves, but that they were both chained to opposite walls. The woman she'd seen earlier, and now another man--Tompkins had gone out and brought him back.

She glanced over to the male prisoner--a black, fiftyish man--as he moaned. Damn it he was waking up, and she didn't want to imagine what was going to happen now. She might not be chained, but she was just as much a prisoner as the other two.

The captive man looked around, blinking in confusion, then he cried out one word, or rather, a name. "Rebekah!"

Donna jumped at that, but before she could say anything...

"I'm so glad you could finally join us, *Reverend* Myles." Tompkins said in his silky sneering voice. "I suggest you not try to move too quickly, or you could injure yourself. I promised you you would see her, and there she is," Nathan went on. "Observe." He reached up and undid Rebekah's wrist shackles. Rebekah made no attempt to resist, other than to let out a moan. Tompkins then forced Rebekah to bend over, and now Ben could clearly see the welts on her back.

Donna looked away. It'd been bad enough watching Tompkins beat poor Rebekah earlier, she didn't need to be reminded of it. She felt sick for being part of this, but she didn't have any choice.

"God damn you what have you done to her!" Myles shouted.

"Oh, yes." Tompkins replied, in the same silky tone. "A fitting punishment for a harlot, do you not agree? Since stoning is passe these days."

Myles looked like he was going to say something, but before he could, the man continued. "Yes, my dear. That's exactly what she is. Does not the Bible say what shall be done with a woman who leaves her husband to lie with another man? Those welts...count them, my dear Benjamin. One of them for each year she played at being your wife--when she was *mine* and should have remained so!"

"That's what this is all about? You're..her first husband?" the man said.

"Exactly. And since she snared you, you must also pay the price for her betrayal of me. And along with you...the child. I will know where she is."

"Damn you!" Ben shouted. "I'll tell you nothing!"

"I rather thought that might be your first answer. Perhaps some more...persuasion..is required." Tompkins replied, as icily as always, then, picking up a whip, he began to beat Ben.

Donna looked away. She didn't dare leave, or he'd likely punish her too. But the cries were almost more than she could bear. She pressed her hands to her ears, trying not to hear them. Because if she did she'd lose it. And then Tompkins would come for her. She couldn't bear that again...not again.

____________________________________________________

A while later

____________________________________________________

Tompkins had left the cell after Benjamin Myles had passed out, ordering Donna to stay and keep watch. Which she was doing, standing just inside the door.

Rebekah still hung listlessly in her bonds, moaning and crying softly. She didn't look up when Ben called to her, she didn't seem to even notice anyone else was there.

Donna saw Ben twisting around, trying to free himself. As much as she wanted to cheer him on, if Tompkins came in and saw that, what'd already been done in here would look like children roughhousing. "You won't get out of here, not until Tompkins wants you to." she said bitterly. "That's what *he* tried, and look at him." Donna pointed to Ben's left, where now was chained another man, who looked to be in his twenties. And then to beside Rebekah, where a woman also in her twenties was now chained.

This woman, like Rebekah, was crying quietly. The young man had been through as much of a beating as Ben had, but Donna could both see in his eyes and sense in her own way the anger coming from him. "Damn it Tani talk to me--if I get loose he's going to pay for this!" the young man growled.

"J-Jesse...?" the young woman--Tani--sobbed. "I...I'm all right. For now..." she tugged at her bonds, but they were too tight and cut into her wrists painfully. "He hasn't...he hasn't...t-touched me. Not yet anyway."

Jesse sighed. "Thank God for that much..."

Benjamin looked at the two. "I know why my wife and I are here--but who are you two and why--?"

"I'm Jesse and this is my girlfriend Tani."

"Tompkins just wants to get revenge because I wouldn't let him take advantage of me, and he's probably mad at Jesse for giving him a damn good beating." Tani replied.

"It's no use trying," Donna cut in. "He always gets what he wants, one way or the other." she said, a tinge of bitterness in her tone.

"Why don'tcha go play with your dolls or something, kid." Jesse sneered back.

"You take that back!" Donna snapped, desperate to vent against someone since she couldn't, dared not, lash out at Tompkins.

"Oh, sure, when you stop helping that bastard and get us the hell outa here." Jesse retorted.

For a moment the look of anger on Donna's features vanished and she looked like a frightened child. "I...*can't*." she whispered. There was too much at stake, she reminded herself. "I'm sorry..." she shook her head and couldn't look at Jesse any longer, if she did she knew she'd start crying.

"Lord deliver us from this--" Ben Myles began praying.

But that was as far as he got before the door opened and Nathan Tompkins entered, the too familiar cold sneering smile still in place. "Ah, I see you're all getting acquainted." he said silkily. "That is so touching, but a good thing, since you're going to be...guests...here for quite some time." He reached over and caressed Rebekah's cheek. "I've missed you so, my dear. We'll have to catch up on lost time properly, won't we."

Rebekah moaned and tried again to pull away, to no avail.

"Take your filthy hands off her!" Benjamin shouted.

"I have far more right to touch her than you ever did." Tompkins replied, coldly. "She was my wife long before she was your whore. Remember that."

"God damn you to hell!" Benjamin growled, trying yet again to pull himself free, to no avail.

Rebekah only moaned and tried to pull away from the man's caress, but he wouldn't let her.

Tani sobbed, and Jesse glowered. Neither of them could do more than that due to their being bound.

"Actually..." Nathan's icy smile became icier, "I have a little task that must be performed. And there is the question of who shall do it for me. A message that must be delivered to a certain house in Tampa. Mr Lein and Miss Ross, you know the place. As does Rebekah, but she must remain here with me." He paused and looked over the prisoners.

"Now. That fool of a Monroe has warded the place, I cannot get near it. Donna might be able to, as they don't know her yet. But I would prefer not to take that chance. That leaves the three of you." and his cold gaze raked over Benjamin, Jesse, and Titania. "My dear `Reverend', I think it is best you also remain here, since you are confederate with Rebekah in her sins."

"*Her* sins? Oh please!" Tani said with as much outrage and contempt showing in her features as in the tone of her voice." But it didn't ruffle the infernal cad.

"Miss Ross...you should remain here, also." Tompkins continued. "I remember how it was when I was your guest. Now it is time to pay the piper, my dear. Which leaves you, Mr Lein. Don't think I've forgotten your interference that other time. But for now..."

"If you think I'll help you do anything, you're out of your head!" Jesse snarled, glowering.

"Did I say you'd have a choice?" He turned to the girl. "Donna--the collars, if you would?"

Donna shook her head. "Not those, please..."

"Refusing me again, my dear? Please," Tompkins replied, "don't make me have to punish you along with them. You've been such a help during all of this, don't go and spoil things between us with any...unpleasantness."

Donna bit her lip and looked down at the floor.

"For shame, using a child to do your foul deeds!" Ben exclaimed.

Tompkins looked at Myles, then shook his head and turned back to Donna. "Christine showed you how to activate them, before she was...detained, did she not?"

"Y-yes." Donna murmured, still looking down.

"That, by the way, is another affront for which your friends shall pay." he glanced at Titania and Jesse as he said this, then to Donna again. "But for the present--Donna, the collars." he said again, in a slightly more insistent tone.

Donna sighed. What was the damn use? Fighting only made things worse, she'd learned that the hard way. She turned and left the room, to return a few minutes later carrying a medium sized cardboard box.

"Ahh, there we are." Nathan said as he opened the box and looked into it. "Very well," he said to Donna. "You know what to do."

She nodded, slowly, reluctantly. Reaching into the box, she took out a metal band in the shape of an almost complete circle, almost because there was a gap between the two ends. She concentrated and the circlet began to glow faintly. "Which one first?" she asked.

"Mr Lein, my dear. Then Miss Ross and then the other two."

Jesse tried to resist, as did Titania and Benjamin, but their bonds wouldn't allow it. Rebekah alone just hung in her chains. Four times Donna placed the circlet around the neck and pulled the ends together. When she did, they melded together seamlessly as if welded. There was now no way the collars could be removed.

Tompkins nodded approvingly. "And you have the control?"

Donna nodded again, reaching into the box one more time she drew out a small glowing sphere. "This'll let me keep in contact with them, that's how she set it up. I can't turn it off, though. Christine's still the only one who can do that."

"Very well. Now, Mr Lein. This is the message you will carry back to those fools in Tampa--the collar you now wear will ensure that you do." He cleared his throat and recited what he wanted Jesse to say.

Jesse snapped. "I'm not doing a damn thing--"

"Resistance is useless, Mr Lein. As you will learn." was Tompkins' reply, then he nodded to Donna. She gestured, and Jesse Lein was gone.

Tani started to cry again, and Donna wished she could just let her go...but she couldn't. Tompkins had all the cards. He always did.