Knight�s Pride

Chapter 10: From Inside

Derk had been working in the loading bay most of the afternoon. Well more like playing. He just wanted off the ship for a little while.

They had been traveling for a very long time and Derk was getting antsy. He needed to move around and get his hands on things. His father and mother were fairly patient people but even they could only put up with his tinkering so much.

His sister was a lot easier to deal with. She was into the computers and information, but he like the hands on building and repairing. She did get boring some times because of that and she was a girl.

********

�Hey!� Deida cut in.

�Well you are on both accounts.� Derk said looking innocently at his sister.

�I�� Deida started.

�You were saying Derk.� Ryan cut in.

All KaLee could do was smile and try hard not to laugh.

�Well I was board and wanted something to fix.� Derk responded.

******

The loading dock was the perfect place to find something to 'repair'. For only being ten years old Derk could actually repair a lot of things but generally when he was bored he usually took things apart in order to repair them. That was how he got kicked off the ship for a few hours. His parents were going nuts. It had taken them about twenty minutes longer than he had thought to finally tell him to go out and play. He wished his sister Deida had come along but she was working on some computer stuff on the ship and did not want to leave it.

Derk clambered over and into some crates that had been left there hoping to find something interesting. Sure enough he did. A small repair robot about the size of a man's shoe. It was somewhat broken; the feet were dangling not attached to its body but that could be fixed.

It would give me something to play with on the ship, since mom and dad won't let us have a Dog.

Derk pulled out his multi-tool and started to take it apart. Just as he was about to pull the main panel off to look at it's control chips he heard heavy boot falls and rough voices out side of the crate.

"So," a male voice rumbled softly. "We come and pick up the cargo and you create the distraction."

"That is accurate." A second voice spoke this one with a high pitch, grating slightly.

"We then meet on the other side of Brink's Alley and make the exchange." The first voice spoke again.

"So do we have a deal?" The second voice rubbed the air with his question.

"Grrrm." Derk felt a hum of air around him.

Kaven? One of them is a Kaven.

He hoped he had not been discovered.

"Yes." The first voice rolled. "We have a deal. All we want is her back."

"Of course and you know what we want." The second voice seemed to taunt.

A rumble of discontent filled the dock and footfalls could be heard leaving. Derk risked slight movement in the crate. He was not sure if they had all left yet. He knew he had to tell someone. But who and what he had no proof of anything illegal just a gut feeling.

Distraction? Why would anyone need any type of distraction for legal cargo? And when did a Kaven ever work with anyone other than another Kaven?

Derk did not like this; he wanted to be back on the ship with his family.

This does not concern me; this does not concern me at all.

He was about to get up and leave his hiding spot when more boot steps could be heard.

"You finally made it." The grating voice spoke.

"Yeah." A graveled voice responded. "I have your product in the next landing bay."

"So you'll be ready."

"Yeah. We be quick and get them without a problem." There was a low chuckle. "Most of these kids aren't seen for days at a time. Such a close community they don't think that anyone would come in and take anything from them much less their children."

Derk froze. These were kidnappers.

"Well young humans fetch a good price on the market." The grating one almost whined this. "It was brilliant the way you got the Kavens to 'help'."

There were other soft footfalls. "They actually assume I want to go back to the dessert world they call home." This was definitely a Kaven's voice, a female from what Derk could tell. "It is too bad that TorVen Reard will not live to see the betrayal we intend." She chuckled and Derk felt the sonar, as it rolled over him.

His heart was in his throat and he did not know what to do. He was ten, a scientist child, what could he do about kidnappers and slavers. I have to get out of here.

The footfalls of the people outside his hiding place began to move. "We should get back to the ship and prepare for the finally gathering." The second voice said, his boot steps deliberately placed.

The three of them moved off into the loading dock and Derk waited. He knew he had to do something otherwise the kidnappers would get away.

I don't even know what they look like. He thought to himself. No they said TorVen Reard. I think that is the name of their Kaven contact. Maybe if I let him know that they intend to betray him� Derk slowly pushed his head over the top of the crate. He did not see anyone. Tucking the �bot that he had into his bag he began to climb out.

"Gottcha." A large hand grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him out of the crate. Derk yelped as he was put on the floor.

"You were right. There was a little spy here." It was the grating voice but not from the one who held him. He squirmed slightly in his captor's grip.

The guy with the grating voice stepped forward grabbing Derk by the collar. His yellow teeth let off a smell of decay as he spat the words at Derk.

"What did you hear kid?" It was almost threatening.

"Let me go!" Derk screamed. "Help! Help!" A hand clamped over his mouth before he could scream more. They were rough hands callous and smelled like oil.

"Doesn't matter what he heard. He is one of ours now." It was the other voice. "We will put him with the others that we will be getting."

An evil smile spread across his other captor's face. "Yeah, kid. You are the first. Too bad your parents won't miss you."

Then the world went dark as he was thrown into a small crate just large enough for him.

**********

The room-stayed silent a moment as Derk caught his breath. Even Deida did not speak though KaLee could see the questions rolling in her eyes.

How do you even approach a question like why did your parents not notice? He took a sip of water before starting back into the story. "The next six or so days were just retched."

**********

"Get out." Bayron said. He was the one with the whiny voice. "Time to take care of business." He seemed to taunt Derk out of the small space he was confined in.

It had almost become routine. Open the box, get out go in the can, get a little food and water go back in the box.

He was no longer in the small box but now had three other children in with him. Two boys and a girl, all human and none over eleven.

"Come on now you need to take care of things, you get to leave the loading dock today." Bayron was almost cheerful as he spoke that line.

One of the boys with Derk perked up. "We get to go home?" He said and Derk flinched.

"We get to go home?" Bayron taunted him, mimicking his hopeful tone. "No, not quite. You get to go to your new home and learn what the real world is like." He cackled at his own humor. "Now take care of your business." He shoved the little boy who asked the question.

Derk knew not to antagonize him. The hand had been felt a few times in the first days of his imprisonment.

The little girl started to whimper and the final boy walked up to her and put his arm around her shoulder. He whispered something in her ear and she pulled tighter to him.

"Aww isn't that sweet." Bayron looked at them, before shoving them apart. "Now get moving before I put you back without letting you do anything." His voice was full of malice and contempt for he small charges.

Derk quickly went over to the little compartment where they had been allowed to relieve themselves. It did not take him long as he released everything and hurry out, but not before leaving a little extra something in the corner tucked away from prying eyes. The boy who asked the question ran in next.

Derk looked at the two children before him, Toby and Layra. He and Toby had been holding whispered conversations in the box. They had been planning an escape but knew it had to be soon. They had been hoping for rescue but it was not coming. They had to go now.

Derk looked directly at Toby. It was Toby's job to get Layra out and to safety; Derk was going to provide the distraction. Hopefully we have enough time. He knew it was a long shot but he also knew the alternative was not good. He was not going to be someone's slave.

Why hadn't mom and dad noticed I was missing? The thought suddenly was in his mind. Not now. He chided himself. Derk did not have time to deal with that, he was the distraction. When walking that thin line between imprisonment and escape any stay thought could get you killed.

With the look Toby nodded and pulled Layra tighter to him taking a couple of small shuffled steps backwards.

Then Derk started. "NOOO!!!!" He put his hands to his ears and screamed. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

"What the� ?" Bayron looked at him confused a moment.

"I won't I can't." Derk started to shake his had backing up away from the other two children. "It's too small."

He had done none of this before. He had struggled and kicked the first days but this was the first time Bayron had seen him really 'loose' it.

"I won't go back. I wanta' go home." He forced tears to begin to fall out of his eyes. Bringing in hiccupping gasps of air. Have to push this have to make him believe it.

"Listen you little brat." Bayron started towards him.

With all the force in his lungs Derk screamed. "And you can't make me." He turned on his heal and bolted, blindly in another direction, away from the other three kids and into the unknown surroundings of the storage area.

Run. RUN! His mind screamed at him.

Around boxes and through small pathways he thought he heard footsteps behind him. Finally he ducked into a little dark corner between three boxes. He pushed himself as far back at he could hoping they would not find him. Heavy boot falls could be heard coming down in front of him. He held his breath. They stopped right in front of his hole.

"Where did you go you little shit?" Bayron spoke to the open air, before pulling out and flipping on his communicator. "Hey boss." He spoke and Derk listened. "I lost one of the kids."

"The other three?" A silken voice came over the line.

"Put them back. They aren't goin' anywhere."

"I will send a couple people down there to assist you in recovering him." The 'boss' said.

"I can find him, just fine on my own." Bayron whined.

"I think I will send them anyway. You never know." There was humor there, taunting Bayron as the communication was cut.

"Send me help." Bayron muttered as he put the communicator back and started away. "Fine I will find this little brat before they get here and show him the consequences of his actions." He moved out of earshot and Derk moved swiftly, he did not have much time.

He still had his bag with him. Fortunately his captors had not thought to take that from him when they threw him in to the original crate and he had kept it hidden on himself or in the box the whole time he had been held captive.

Out of it now he pulled a small remote with a video screen. Flipping it on he hoped it would work at this distance that he wasn't actually too far way for the remote to work. The screen flickered to life and he saw the inside of the toilet.

Yes. It works.

With precision he started to maneuver the little repair 'bot he had picked up in the crate and fixed while he was captive. It climbed out of its hiding place and to the door.

Derk used its camera to look up at the handle. It's not lock. With a gentle nudge it pushed the door open and walked out into the area. A quick rotation of the camera showed there was no one around. Good.

Sweat beaded on Derk's forehead from his concentration. The little �bot zoomed across the expanse to the box where the others were. With a push of a button Derk set off its little thrusters and it lifted into the air.

Where is the lock? Have to find the lock. Scanning the lid he finally found it.

Thump.

He froze a moment. That was a sound near him. No. I have to finish this.

"You told us you would have everything ready." A male voice rumbled through the room. Footfalls could be heard coming down the walkway between the boxes.

"This was an unexpected event." Bayron's voice whined.

"Grumm." The first responded.

Kaven. Crap. Derk focused more intently on getting the lock off. A small lacer shot out of the �bot and started to cut through the piece of metal holding the lid in place. He did not have much time and he knew it.

"He is in this area." Bayron said and his voice sounded closer.

Come on. Derk watched the screen as the laser continued its progress.

"Yes," the Kaven spoke. "But why have you not found him?" The question was biting.

Almost there. Derk saw that the �bot was almost done and the lock almost cut through. He knew there was no other lock. There had always been only one opened when they were let out.

Then there were the footsteps and his attention was brought up to the opening of his hiding hole. There stood four pairs of feet. Two booted and two furred. Derk was not sure if the two furred were one Kaven or two; the fur looked almost the same color.

He glanced down at the screen again just as the laser made the final cut. With shaking hands Derk managed to do the next thing necessary and that was to knock on the box top, letting Toby know it had been done.

"He is close." The Kaven's voice filled the air. "I can smell him."

There was a loud bang as the box was opened and the three still in there scurried out.

"What was�" The Kaven spoke shifting his attention.

Like hell. Derk thought and drew up all his courage launching himself screaming out of his hiding spot directly at one of the pairs of booted feet.

Fortunately they were surprised enough to jump and pull their attention back to him. He latched onto the person; it was not Bayron and brought him down to the floor.

"Watch it TorVen." Bayron said as the Kaven took a swipe at the assailant. "We don't want to kill the kid. Just knock him out."

Derk squirmed and disentangled himself from the person he had tackled, shooting off down the aisle between the boxes.

"Graragh." The roar of TorVen rolled behind Derk as he heard the thump of feet hit the deck in a chase after him.

Crap. He knew he could not out run the Kaven he just hoped he could out maneuver him. With quick judgment he turned down another aisle.

"Grrr." There was other noises something above and then the large bear was in front of him. The dark fur rippled with anticipation. "You are not going anywhere little one." The tone was one of excitement.

Derk knew that Kaven's liked the chase but he did not realize how much until now. Both of them were panting but Derk's was in fear. He saw no way out of this.

At least the others got away. I hope. He started to shake; the adrenaline was wearing off.

TorVen dropped to all four and approached him nodding in the direction Derk had come from. "Go back that way." His voice growled.

Derk turned slowly moving cautiously in the reverse direction focusing on each step. He did not want to think about what would happen when they got back to the box and his compatriots were not there or what would happen once he was back in the box and being taken off to who knows where for who knows what reasons.

There has to be a way. His mind race, trying to come up with a scenario that would work. There has to be away to get free. But he could not see it.

As they rounded the corner Derk saw Bayron and the other person just causally standing there watching. "So you thought you could escape." Bayron did not make it a question. "I will show you what happens when slaves try and escape." His hand was raised and Derk closed his eyes. He did not want to see it coming but it did not come. He squinted his eyes open to see that TorVen stopped Bayron's hand before it was brought down on him.

"I can not allow you to hit this child." His voice held that of one used to being followed. "He was only doing what anyone of us would do in his place. Looking for freedom. That is acceptable."

Bayron pulled his hand back and looked at the Kaven with barley contained rage. "Now let us put him back and start loading the ship, my navigator will be getting anxious." TorVen spoke with a tone that Derk could not quite get. "He is good but a bit too intuitive for his own well being." He slightly nudged Derk in the shoulder moving him forward.

Bayron turned and started to where the box was. As the box came into view an expletive spewed forth from Bayron's mouth. "Son of a Bitch." He whipped around to face Derk. "Where are they?" He asked putting his face directly in front of the little boy.

Derk kept his mouth shut. Bayron's hand went to the back of Derk's head grabbing the hair there and pulling back on it. "Ahhh." Derk cried out.

"I asked you where are they?" The voice was loud and pissed off but Derk did not speak instead he clamped his mouth closed, not wanting even the slightest sound to come out and give his captors the satisfaction of his pain.

Bayron glanced up at TorVen as though looking for his disapproval. There was no sound that Derk could detriment.

Then he was on the ground and a boot came in contact with his side.

"Listen you little shit. You are going to tell me where they went. Now." His tone was deadly. There were other footfalls now, multiple that Derk could not determine who was coming or how many.

"Don't worry Bayron, we found them." A voice came to his ears.

Derk slitted his eyes open and saw a group of men, human and Kaven surrounding Toby, Layra and the other boy, all looking very terrified.

No. We were so close. Derk felt his heart drop. There was no way out now. They were trapped and going to be sold into slavery.

Why didn't Deida come for me? I could understand mom and dad, but Deida always comes for me. She is my sister. His mind shot those thoughts through his head.

"Put them back in the box and let's get moving." TorVen was speaking. "We are already behind."

Derk was roughly drawn to his feet and half dragged to the box. He had no fight left in him. This was their last shot and none of them had gotten away. He was thrown into the box and the others after him.

"Shit." Bayron spoke as the lid was put down. "The lock was cut through." There was a sigh. "Fine." Derk heard the footsteps walk away a moment but did not try and move. It was only going to get them hurt more.

He winced in pain with each breath. He did not know if anything was broken but his side where the boot made contact definitely was bruised.

"Ah ha." There were footsteps back and then the sound of sliding metal into place. "That should hold you." Bayron sounded proud of himself.

There was nothing else Derk could do he closed his eyes and waited, trying to push the pain that had settle into his side away. Layra was beginning to cry now and Toby was shaking. The final little boy was managing to keep his breathing regular but it would not be long before he started to hyper ventilate. He had done that the first day and passed out four times.

"Now�" There suddenly was a buzzing sound sounding in the air. "No." Bayron's voice was loud and the buzzing continued to get louder. "He promised to wait until I was out."

The buzzing suddenly stopped and Derk could hear the heartbeats around him, his own the loudest. Then a screech and everything went black.

*********

"So you heard the screech as well." Droe spoke up as Derk took a breath. "It was not just in the Kaven mind."

Derk shook his head. "No, it really happened. After that things got a little confusing." He looked at the table where his hand was playing with a fork. He was spinning it on the table one way then the other. "The box was thrown around and we were all knocked out. When I came too I was in the infirmary of the port. My parents and sister were there. I was told that if the ship had not pulled away from the loading dock the swarm would have been able to enter the port and kill everyone there. The ship caused the bay doors to crumple and close. It also drew the swarm up with it, taking their focus off of the base itself. There were no casualties from the kidnapped children. We all survived. I was the one with the most injuries because of Bayron kicking me." He stopped talking then and looked around the table. "That is all that really was of note."

"Did you ever see the boss of this group?" KaLee asked.

Derk looked at her a moment and shook his head. "No. I didn't."

"So you don�t know who really kidnapped you?" It was Ryan's turn and Derk shot him a glance.

A quirk of a smile tugged on his face. "No. I am pretty sure I know who ordered it I just don't have any real proof so I�"

"Who do you think ordered it?" KaLee shot the question across to him.

"Titan." It came out strong and poignant. "I wasn�t sure until I heard him talk over the com when he was here. But I would know that voice anywhere."

KaLee nodded. Is nothing below you Titan? Or would you sell your own soul into slavery too?

On to Chapter 11

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