Freeing Cymbal

Chapter 8

“Direct orders from Alva Dygon. Jolie Titan you are here by sentenced to thirty days in prison...cell block 666.” grinned the male judge and then he banged his gavel.
Jolie looked at him with all the malice she could muster. She had heard all too well about cell block 666. First of all it was a men’s block second of all they also called it the Devil’s Dungeon because people went in and were treated like souls gone to hell. It was a place where the crazies and the twisted murderers were sent to be punished other than incarceration. The law didn’t apply in that cell block and they were sending Jolie; a twenty seven year old, five foot eleven, one hundred and thirty two pound woman into the jaws of hell full of crazy sex deprived men.
Dygon was a sick twisted bitch, she thought bitterly as the police dragged her out of the court room. Jolie was determined to see this woman go down if not by her hands then by none. Jolie went silently as her two guards had a gun constantly pointed at her chest so she couldn’t duck away like she did last time. And they didn’t let up once, not getting into the SWAT car, not on the way to the prison. Only once they got her inside the gates did they pass her onto the guards there. They roughly brought her to a room where she was stripped down, searched and then cavity searched then put in an orange jump suit.
They had her finger printed, took mug shots and she was given a number. Once that was done she was walked down a long hall through several security doors straight to the middle of the compound. She was given a blanket and pillow and then brought to her cell. The men of this cell block where giving each other looks like they couldn’t believe she was in here. Muttering to each other. The cell block consisted of two levels, each level with fifty cells on it. The guard station was at the center of it. She was walked to the second level and placed in a cell at the very end. They left her there and she noticed that the bottom bunk was made meaning they put her in there...with a room mate.
She made her bed silently even though she felt her room mate at the cell door.

“I heard but I didn’t believe it.” said the man in the door way.
She put her pillow on her bed and turn to him and leaned against the bed, “Heard what?” she asked indifferently almost coldly.
He chuckled flashing white wolf like teeth, he was around her height with short brown hair, hazel eyes and a small goatee. He had three rings in his left ear and was dressed in a muscle shirt that showed off his chiseled arms. He wasn’t a bad looker, but that made him all the more dangerous.
“I heard they moved a woman in here and in my cell no less. I can see what I heard is true.” he said leaning against the cell door.
“What of it?” she made sure she replied coldly this time.
“...What’s your name?” he asked her lifting his head and eyeing her.
“Jolie Titan.” she said.
His eyes bulged out of his head and he blinked several times.
“They put the fuckin’ lieutenant general in Devil’s Dungeon!” he said in amazement.
“Yeah.”
“What did you do?”
She actually smiled at him, “The truth... I didn’t do any thing. I was arrested a few hours ago and direct orders from Alva Dygon that I be placed here for a month. I know you don’t believe that, but oh well.”
She vaulted into the bed and put her arms behind her head.
“You gonna sleep in your jump suit?” he chuckled.
“Yeah.”
“What afraid of me?” he asked.
“No, they just...didn’t give me any thing else to wear.” she said simply and she tucked her self close to the wall so she couldn’t see him any more.
He however walked over to her bed and folded his arms on her mattress.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Me...my name is...Antony Murano.” he told her.
She smiled, “Fate is kind to me.”
“What makes you say that?” he asked.
“You were sent here before I even made lieutenant. You and I are probably the only two innocent people in this cell block.” she muttered.
His stare was blank, “What do you know about my case?”

“I know that there were some gaping holes in it. They say you went on a drunken rampage and killed your whole family. When I saw your case on TV I got my hands on every file that pertains to it and I know who did it really.” she told him.
He grabbed the front of her jump suit and pulled her very close to him he looked furious. Her heart skipped a beat and started pounding, but she never showed fear.
“You better not be lying to me, because if you are I will rape you every night until you get out of this hell hole.” he warned her fiercely.
“I don’t lie. I can work your case and have you out of this place very soon if you give me some thing in return.” she told him.
“What?”
“Protection...Tony.”

* * *

They marched quickly through the complex. Jolie was flanked by seven very strong and sharp looking Italians. All of which were either related to or good friends of Tony. The guards handed over all of his case files at request and then they walked her to the library and cleared a table. She sat down and spread the photos and papers over the table.
“The fact of the matter is Tony your family just isn’t very well liked in this town. An experienced detective could have seen that it wasn’t you who killed your family, but your father just like you pleaded. But they claimed that couldn’t be since your father was found with a knife in his back.” she said as they all gathered around.
She took out several copies of the shots taken at the scene of his family’s death. A little girl, two older boys, his mother and finally his father. She heard him swallow when he saw their bodies again. She brought up the one of his mother.

“Your mother throat slit, first victim found dead in the living room. Your sister second victim three bullet wounds to the chest and neck. Your youngest brother third victim shot in the head twice. Your oldest younger brother beaten unconscious and shot in the head and chest. And finally your father stabbed in the back. Now when you were at the scene you were unconscious, your gun in your hand, half beaten characteristics for both murderer and victim. Your blood alcohol level was up. Broken glass found around your oldest younger brother from an empty liquor bottle.
“First big problem. The bottle that hit him came from a broken Jack Daniels bottle. It’s very hard, sure to knock some one out if you crack them over the head. However it was empty, no liquor at all. Had that been your bottle you would have died from alcohol poisoning.” she started to explain rapidly.
They all cracked a smile at her first evidence. She then picked up a pen and handed it to him.
“Write your name for me.” she said.
“What for?” he asked.
“Just go ahead.” she nodded.
He shrugged and signed his name with his left hand.
“Uh huh, just as I thought. Hole number two, your mother. When a throat is cut the attacker usually cuts from left to right as your mother was here. The cut can be easily deciphered, but that is for a man who is right handed as you just showed me your are indeed, left handed.” she said.
He sat down beside her as they looked on in complete amazement. They were all hunched over hanging on her every word.
“Third, the bullets found in your brothers and sister came from a Berretta which can hold seventeen shots. You however only carry around a Colt that only holds six bullets. Your sister was shot three times, your youngest brother another two and your other brother another two that is...”
“Seven bullets.” said a large man from across the table.
“Exactly and you were found with your gun completely empty and no other amo on you. The chances of you carrying around one spare bullet and having time to reload with your father still alive is incredibly slim. Now this is where your plea fell apart. How could your father have killed your family and stabbed him self in the back?
“You can’t just reached behind you and stab your self in the back and killed your self. This knife was thrust in half way past the handle.” she said with a shrug.
“Then how did he do it?” asked Tony.
She picked up his picture and too the pen and circled some thing.
“What do you see here?” she asked handing it to them and they passed it around.
“Water.” said a tall guy finally.

“Yes now what would water be doing all over the floor? There was no one holding a glass, no water bottle and it hadn’t rained in a week. Also your father was found lying on his back. How many people get stabbed in the back and fall backwards? And if you had indeed stabbed your father, the hilt was buried half way in the wound, you would have to have hands the size of a three year old to be able to grasp a knife and drive it in that far. So now we have your father’s very odd death. The truth is however that he killed him self.” she said and leaned back.
“How ya just ruled out every possible thing that he or Tony could have done it.” said the large guy again folding his arms.
“Yeah what have you got that the police didn’t get?” asked Tony.
“The water, there is a way your father could have killed him self. Here’s how it works.” she pulled a piece of blank paper towards her and drew a chair and a crude body in front of it, “There was also a chair near your fathers body as you can see in the picture. Now the thing that just doesn’t belong. Now what he did was he froze the blade used to stabbed him in a block of ice.”
“Huh?” they all said.
“Just the end of the knife like this.” she said and she drew to were only a few inches of the handle was in the ice and they nodded.
“Ok, so he froze the knife, now what?”
“He placed it on the ground. The weight of the ice allowed it to stand stiff and erect. He simply climbed on the chair and fell back onto the blade driving it up to the ice into his back. By the time the police get there the ice is melted leave nothing, but a puddle of water and a dead body. And that my friend is how you were framed.” she finished and lounged back in her chair.
They all applauded and Tony just looked at every thing in amazement.
“This is amazing I can’t even...” he had to stop because he was tearing up.
The others patted his back and his shoulders joyfully, “Far from a life sentence.” sighed Jolie, “With this alibi... you’ll be out of here before my sentence is over.”
He looked up at her completely stunned.
“You really didn’t do any thing did you?” he asked.

She chuckled and shook her head, “This isn’t about crime. This is about war and as far as I’m concerned. Alva just started one.”
She stood up and pushed her chair in.
“Thanks guys for the protection.” she said as a bell rang, “But you can’t protect me from that bell.”
“That’s just the bell for show...ers...” he said, but then he slowed down and realized.
“No way, they wouldn’t.” said the big guy shaking his head.
She sighed and tapped her hand on the back of the chair, “Oh yes...they would.”

* * *

“I found her cell block!” shouted Tula from Skips lap top, they all rushed behind here, “Jolie Titan prisoner number 75621...cell block...”
“666!!!” they all shouted together.
“They can’t do that, she’s a woman! That’s a men’s block they will tear her apart!” yelped Lataura.
“The toughest men don’t come out of that cell block with out seeing hell, what are they gonna do to her!” yelled Tommy at the top of his lungs.
“We have to get her out of there now for they kill her.” cried Hope.
“Every one we have to work double time. Come on we have to move now!” ordered Kelly looking at the map of the prison and Jolie’s mug shots on screen.
That was when they all heard a huge bang as Cymbal ripped the door off its hinges and threw it against the wall. Bobby was just barely holding him back.
“No...Cymbal...you can’t!” she said through gritted teeth as he tried to pull himself out of her grasp, “If they know...where you are...they’ll...activate your chip!”
“Cymbal doesn’t care!” he said through gritted teeth.
“You’ll kill them! All of them...you’ll kill Jolie!” she yelled at him and he stopped resisting her and she was thrown back.
“You can control it just as much as I can, you will kill her if you find her Cymbal...and that is just what Dygon is waiting for...” she said propping her self up on her elbows.

“This One can’t just sit around and let her get killed!” he roared making every one else back away and cower.
She however stood.
“Jolie at least stands a chance there, she can fight them for a while...she can’t fight you.” she told him.
He stood there towering rage, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists and his eyes shut. He finally just let out a lion roar and punched his fist through the metal wall and pulled it back. He slumped down against the wall and entwined his fingers in his hair. He couldn’t wait around, but she was right. And all he could do was waiting, but right now he wondered how any one could save her when he could not. Blood leaked down his arm from his busted knuckles, but he didn’t care. How could he feel like a powerful beast and helpless at the same time? He wasn’t sure...but he was and waiting was almost too much to bear.

* * *

Jolie was sitting up against a tiled wall. A shower of hot water falling on her head as she sat there limply. She could see the bodies of many naked men in the thick steam. At first rather mortified by all the male flesh she was now completely uncaring. She was sitting with her thighs against her chest, her knees pulled up to her chin and her arms were wrapped around her calves. The water ran down the drain mingled with blood. She suddenly saw two men rushing at her through the steam. She was prepared for another assault, but saw it was Tony and the big guy from before.
She didn’t lift her head or even acknowledge they were there.
“Jolie?...Jolie!” Tony knelt down by her and lifted her head.
Her eye was black, her cheek bruised, a cut over her eye bleeding freely along with her busted lip. Her body was full of hand prints especially her arms.
“Your too late.” she coughed, “way too late.”
He noticed the most blood going down the drain came from behind her feet.
“Oh my God.” he groaned and rubbed his head.
“Let’s get her out of here.” said the big guy.

They took her arms and pulled her to her feet and walked her out of the shower. They saw so many satisfied grins on the faces of the inmates as they took her to the towel room. They bother set her on a wooden bench and grabbed some towels. He gave her a few and she wrapped her self up and used another to dry her self off. The big guy managed to procure for her a shirt and pants before getting dressed them selves. Tony pulled on his pants just as Jolie passed out. He managed to catch her before she hit the floor.
“Just how many of them do you think raped her?” asked Tony.
“We were twenty minutes late. I wouldn’t be surprised if all of them had.” replied the big guy, “Let’s get her back to your cell.”
Tony sighed and lifted her up and carried her out with his uncle at his side.
“Just what the fuck were they thinking when they put her in here. They might as well have tortured her and then put her on fuckin’ death row!” spat Tony angrily as they ascended the steps.
“She said it was war between her and Dygon, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was what she had in mind.”
“Tony!”
They turned and several guards were coming at them.
“What?”
“Bring Titan down here.” said a guard.
“What for?”
“Just bring her the fuck down!”
He sighed and walked down the steps and before he could stop they took her. Several guards had to hold both Tony and his uncle back.
“What are you doing!? Where the fuck you taking her!?” yelled Tony.
“The hole.” said One of the guards as they took her away, “She put seven men in the infirmary one of them in critical condition.”
Tony stopped and looked as they carried her through the door. She tilted her head back and looked at him...with a wicked smile.


* * *


Jolie sat naked once again in a dirty brick room all alone. It was cold, empty and dimly lit. But as far as she was concerned so long as she was out of the cell block she was fine with it. Even if they only fed her twice and she had to piss in a bucket.
She shuddered however when a roach scuttled across the floor. She was probably contracting a disease just from sitting here if she already didn’t have some thing terrible from the other men. She had been in here for nearly a day now. It was taking much longer than she thought for the others to get her out. The door opened and a guard came in with her clothes and handed them to her. She raised her very battered and bruised body from the floor and dressed her self.
They brought her back to her cell where Tony was on the bottom bunk tapping his foot nervously. He rose as they shoved her inside and locked the cell again.
“Holy shit Jolie.” he sighed shaking his head as he looked at her.
“Not very pretty is it?” she said walking over to the sink and running the water.
“Did they ...do any thing to you in the hole?” he asked.
“After the guards beat me up, no.” she said filling her hands and splashing her face right before she threw up.
He crossed the room and pulled back her hair and she threw up again. She rinsed out her mouth several times and then turned off the water and put her weary body in bed. He folded his arms on her mattress like before, but that dangerous look gone.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For not keeping up my end of the deal. I’m supposed to protect you and needless to say I failed miserably.” he sighed.
She looked at him and pulled his hair from his face making his head tilt back.
“I knew you couldn’t.” she said.
“Then why help me, if I couldn’t?” he asked.
“Maybe I was just looking for some sanity and a few guys who wouldn’t beat me up and rape me. It’s nice to know you have control over some thing when you feel like every thing is out of your control.” she let her hand fall and she looked up at the ceiling, “Whether or not I’m in here I am still the lieutenant general and my word counts very well in court. So if your alibi fails to please the court. You can use me as a source.”

He just looked at her.
“You are way too good to be in here. How the hell did they slip an angel in Devil’s Dungeon?”
“His wife was involved.” she groaned and rubbed her face.
“You really put seven guys in the infirmary?” he asked.
“Yep, and none of them will ever be able to reproduce again.” she told him and he bit his lip and jumped up and down.
“God that hurts just thinking about it.” he chuckled shaking his head.
She gave a small chuckle and closed her eyes.
“Like I said, fate is kind.”
“Night Jolie.” he said and got into his bed.
After an hour it was lights out and Jolie as scared and as broken as she was feeling was sleeping like a rock. Tony half chuckled as he listened to her snore a little. That was when the cell door opened and two guards came over to her bed and pulled her down.
“Hey, where the fuck you taken her!?” yelled Tony getting up.
“None of your business Tony, go back to bed.”
They closed the door.
“Hey it is my fuckin’ business that girl is almost dead, she didn’t even wake up.” he said and indeed Jolie was still out of it.
They just merely chuckled and took her away. He ran to the corner of the cell where there was a small hole in the wall to the next.
“Ptsss, hey, hey Angelo.”
“Hmm...what Tony?” asked a groggy voice.
“Tomorrow morning, set the boys up for a search.”
“For who?”
“...Jolie.”
“Where’d they take her?”
“Now if I knew that I wouldn’t be askin’ for a fuckin’ search.”
“All right, Tony, all right. I’ll have them all out in the morning. We’re gonna find her.” Angelo assured him.
“Thanks.”

The word was passed on from cell to cell until every Italian knew they were looking for Jolie. Tony spend the remainder of the night pacing and biting his nails. He felt like he was waiting for his verdict all over again. The hours passed like days until finally the lights went on and every one lined up outside their cells for breakfast.
He looked down the line and all around and she wasn’t in sight. Nor was she in the cafeteria for breakfast. When they got back to the cell block they all gathered with Tony.
“Ok I haven’t seen her since last night after lock down. For all we know she could be dead by now since the guards took her. Check the stair wells and the trash cans every thing.” he told them all.
They nodded and sprung into action. With around twenty seven guys on the job they finally found her. They called Tony to the library and he ran to the back shelves. Every one was crouched around her, but the moment he looked he turned and covered his mouth.
“Who the fuck...” muttered Angelo the big guy from before.
He looked at her again prepared now.
She was handcuffed in between the bookshelves lying on the ground. Her head was bleeding from a huge cut on her forehead no doubt from a knight stick. Her face streaked with blood, her eyes open and staring, but completely unaware and a line of it coming from her slightly parted lips. The shirt she was wearing was completely ripped open and she was exposed. It looked like she had taken several knight sticks to the stomach and the ribs before they could subdue her not to mention a stab or two to her side. Her pants were missing all together.
“Three days...lesser women wouldn’t have survived one.” sighed Angelo.
“Some one go get a sheet.” Tony finally said.
Two guys left and came back with a bed sheet. He covered her up half way when she coughed several times and took a deep rasping breath her eyes closing.
“None of you checked to see if she was alive!” yelped Tony, “...She’s alive!
Her head rolled to the side and she opened her eyes again and she looked up at every one uncertainly.
“Come on we have to get her to the infirmary.” said Tony.
He wrapped her up in the sheet and lifted her off the ground. She hung limp in his arms like a body, would, but her eyes were still open and she continued to draw deep raspy breaths. They brought her to the guards station and they all just looked at her and went back to what they were doing.
“Hey, she needs to go to the infirmary!” he yelled.

One of the guards looked at her then at him, “Looks fine to me.”
Oh, he was about to hand off Jolie to some one else, but she grabbed his shirt.
“Don’t...they won’t...take me. Just...bring me...back to the...cell.” she choked out looking at him with the blood stricken face.
So for some reason he did what she said and took her back to the cell.
“I don’t take it any of you guys know any thing about first aid?” asked Tony.
“Tony...listen to me.” she muttered and he bent down beside her.
“Some one is gonna...order a transfer...on me. When they come to get me...let me go with them.”
“What...why?”
“Because...that’s...my ticket out of here.” she told him and she smiled as her head fell back on his arm.
And as if on cue three guards they had never seen before appeared at the door way.
“We’ve come to transfer Jolie Titan...” they all looked at her and you could tell how stricken they were at her condition.
They looked at each other and nodded. They placed her wrapped body on another sheet and they carried her out suspended on it like it was a hammock. Tony and his crew all stood respectfully as they carried her out even though some ass hole was playing a funeral procession on a harmonica. Jolie looked back at Tony.
“See ya...at your appeal.” she said and like that she was gone. In and out of Devil’s Dungeon alive in three days.

* * *

Private Sarah Mayfield was driving the cop car with Jolie lying in the back. A nineteen year old woman with long red hair, bright green eyes and next to her was Brad Cuthbert three years older with short black hair and blue eyes. And two privates holding Jolie steady in their laps, Privates Madison Gladis and Red Booth.
“Fuck Jolie, what the hell did they do to you?” muttered Sarah from the divers seat.

The wrong coordinates were given to the cars in front and behind them so when they turned one way they turned the other and slipped out of sight.
“Brad call up Captain Carlino and tell her we have to take a side trip.” she told him looking in the rear view mirror at Jolie who was unconscious.
“She wants to talk to you.” said Brad giving her his cell.
“Mayfield.”
“Mayfield where are you taking her, this wasn’t part of the plan!”
“I’m sorry Captain, but if I were to go there now the Lieutenant General would die before we got half way there. We have to take her to the hospital. We have people in there that will treat her with out making files.”
“How bad is it?”
“Madi, Red unwrap her and give me her condition.” she told the privates in the back they did and they both nearly retched.
“Uh...severe head trauma, more lacerations and lesions than I can count.” said Madi from her head.
“Two stab wounds to the side and she was indefinitely raped several times.” said Red trying not to look at her when they uncuffed her, “Uh fracture to the left wrist and right ankle.”
“Ya get that?” asked Mayfield .
Kelly sighed and choked out, “Yeah I want you to give me an update every hour on the hour you got it?”
“Yes Captain, we are arriving at the hospital I will report her condition.”
She hung up and gave Brad back his phone as they turned into the hospital. Ruben was standing at the front desk checking him self out when he saw a gurney rush by with what he thought might have been Jolie. But he shook his head and signed his name. That’s when he saw several privates running after her. They all quickly saluted to him and kept running. He dropped the pen and ran after them as well. They rushed her into the OR and they all stood winded at the waiting room.
“Private Mayfield, what’s going on?” asked Ruben.
“Lieutenant Mendel, Lieutenant General Titan has just been taken from New York State Penitentiary, cell block number 666.” she reported catching her breath.
“What!?” he ran to the door and looked in.
“Direct orders from General Dygon that she be incarcerated with out a trial, charges unknown.” she reported.

He sighed, “So this is what she was talking about.”
He stepped back and took out his cell phone and called Carlino.
“Kelly, it’s Ruben. You better tell me what’s going on but quick.”
Kelly sighed and told him every thing she could.
“...you expect me to believe this?”
“You don’t believe me then come down to Jolie’s place and see for your self.”
“No, never mind I believe you. I’m gonna stay here and make sure nothing happens to her.”
Kelly sighed with relief, “All right. I feel a lot better knowing your there.”
“...Uh.”
“I’ll see you later...Ruben?”
“Hmm.”
“I...love you.”
Then he heard a dial tone. He was so stunned he dropped his phone on the ground.
“Uh...Lieutenant?” said Madi looking at him confused.
He shook his head and picked up his phone, “I guess we’re waiting, we might as well get comfortable.”
Five hours passed before some reason the doctors brought her out in a wheel chair.
“Get this bitch outta here, if she kick another one of my attendants I’m gonna kill her my self.” said the Doctor.
Ruben stood up and walked over to her, “What did you do?”
“They fixed me up, yay! I have every thing else at my house now lets go.” she said.
Her arm was in a sling, she had a patch on her head and brace on her leg, looking incredibly woebegone.
“You almost died woman! Stop and take a breath for Christ sakes!” yelled Ruben.
She looked at him for a second, “All right that’s long enough, now lets go. Dygon knows we’re here and don’t think for a second she doesn’t.”
Ruben sighed and slapped his forehead. He grabbed her chair and pushed her out with the privates in their wake.
“Since when did you become GI Jane?” he asked her.
“When Dygon became the devil.”

“Did they really stick you in Devil’s Dungeon?” he asked.
“Yeah, we took her out of the cell our selves.” said Brad.
They got her into the car and loaded her wheels.
“You must be in a lot of pain.” said Ruben looking at her in the passengers seat as they buckled up.
“More than you could possibly know.” she replied leaning her head against the window.
“Why are you in such a hurry to leave, even if Dygon knew where you were do you really think she would arrest you in intensive care?”
“This isn’t about her.” she sighed.
“Then why?” he asked backing out the car.
“This is about Cymbal.” she said, “If he heard about what happened to me I don’t doubt he would kill every one in sight to get to me.”
“Who’s Cymbal?”
She rolled her head to the side and smiled at him, “The genetic experiment that I have living in my house.”
“Ah that.” he said, “Yeah Kelly told me some thing about that.”
“He was put together from a bunch of cadavers and animal DNA and you know what?”
“What?”
“He has Michael’s heart.”
Ruben jerked the steering wheel involuntarily, “Say what?”
“Dygon killed off a bunch of people in fake accidents and she used their bodies to build Cymbal and her previous experiment Bobby. She killed Michael and used his heart.” she told him.
“...Dygon is gonna die...very slow...and very painfully.” he was breathing like he was winded, “First Paul...now Michael...” he forcefully wiped away tears and turned down a country lane that lead to Jolie’s house.
She fell asleep on the way there and got in a good hour before they arrived at her house. He wheeled her inside and got her some clothes while the privates went down to her lab and grabbed every thing she asked for. Phelix came in and jumped on the bed very happy to see her.
“Hey Phelix, did you miss me?”
“Jolie...what the hell is that?” asked Ruben.

“The chimera VINA corp. said I couldn’t create. I’m afraid his creation led to Cymbal’s creation when they took my plans.” she said and rolled her self into the bathroom. After she was dressed, she pulled her hair back and rolled back out.
She rolled her self into the living room and whistled. Minnie and Max came running and Phelix stayed by her side.
“Ruben this is Minnie, Max and Phelix.”
“Uh huh, nice to meet ya.” he said feeling foolish talking to a bunch of animals.
“Pan!” she yelled and a small robot came buzzing into the room. It clung to her ankle.
“Jolie, your back! Where the hell have you been and why are you so damaged?” said the little robot.
“Been to hell and back again, but I’m gonna be fine. Look we’re moving base across the street. I’m leaving Phelix, Minnie and Max, you guys need to look after the house. And I need you to feed them.”
“You can count on us.” said Pan rolling back and saluting with her little metal arm.
“Phelix...” she said as he lifted his front paws in her lap, “You know the enemy, maul on sight all right?”
He let out a small growl showing his fangs and then he purred and nuzzled her.
“That’s my boy. You guys ready?” she asked as the privates came back up with big bags full of equipment.
“You really gonna need all this, Chief?” grunted Brad.
“Yep, too heavy for ya Brad?” she asked as they were all struggling under their burdens, “Cause I moved all that stuff down there before you were in the fifth grade. All right, I think that’s it, lets go.”
They followed her out of the house. Ruben with her over night bag and a crutch, the others with her gear. She went across the street into the woods and they followed her all the way to a clearing.
“Stay right there.” she told them before they entered the clearing.
She rolled over to a tree and pulled back a panel and hit a red button. From the grassy grown rose a perfectly disguised trap door that led down a flight of stairs.
“That’s awesome.” muttered Red.
“Ruben I need the crutch these aren’t wheel chair accessible.” she said.

He helped her out of her chair and gave her the crutch. He then folded up the chair and followed her down the steps ready to catch her if she fell. But she didn’t. They reached the bottom and walked a straight hall all the way to an open door.
“What happened to my door?” she muttered as she limped in with the crutch.
“Hey guys.” she said and every one turned.
“Jolie!” yelled Bobby who was about to run at her, but Kelly caught her cloak before she bowled into her legs.
They all ran to greet her but kept their distance.
“Oh Jolie.” sighed Hope in dismay when she laid eyes on her.
“Shit, they jacked you up.” muttered Lataura.
“Thank you captain obvious.” she said shocking them and making them smile she looked around, “Where’s Cymbal?” she asked.
“We had to put him in the second level.” said Bobby, “He heard about you and he kind of went off the deep end.”
She sighed, “I hade a feeling. Let me go take care of him and then we can get down to business.”
She limped over to the stair well and descended alone despite the spectators from the top of the steps. As she got down she heard a deafening bang and the metal door to the second level shook. He was trying to ram the door down. He did it again and the door jumped. She hobbled quickly over to the door as she heard him roar and slam the door again.
“Cymbal!” she yelled through the door and it stopped.
She entered the code on the side panel and opened the door and went in. He was standing there winded his arms cuffed behind his back, his face fierce and angry now changed to shock and concern. She went in further to him and he was looking at her face, her arms, her legs.
“Jolie...” he muttered, “You are so damaged.”
She saw tears stream down his face. She walked around him and took off the hand cuffs. They had bitten into his wrists from him struggling. He turned to her again and he gently touched her bruised cheek.
“Who did this to Jolie?” he asked quietly.
She swallowed, “She did.”
“But why, Jolie did nothing wrong.”

“Neither did you Cymbal, but she’s determined to punish us either way.” she said trembling tears of her own coursing down her face.
She dropped her crutch and she embraced him and sobbed into his chest. He gritted his teeth and wrapped his arms around her firmly, but gently.
“She will never hurt Jolie again.” he muttered with enmity, “Cymbal will never let Her again.”
He felt her body sink in his arms and he looked down at her. She had passed out. He lifted her up and walked up the stairs with her in his arms. They all backed away from the door as he came up.
“Jolie passed out.” he sighed looking at them all, when no one responded he sighed again, “Is some one going to take care of Jolie?”
They jumped and Tommy took her and placed her on a gurney that was in the room. He and Hope got to work on her.
“Why is she out of the hospital so soon?” asked Kelly.
“They kicked her out, apparently she was injuring the attendants.” replied Ruben.
Kelly chuckled and shook her head.
“Who knew that girl was just a time bomb waiting to go off.”
“No shit that girl is some thin’ else.” said Lataura.
She started to come around on the gurney, but they wouldn’t let her get up.
“I’m fine...”
“No you aren’t, so just lie down alright. This can wait a day or two. The last thing we need is you to die on us. Especially when you are supposed to be in the ICU alright?” said Tommy a little pissed.
“Fine.” she said a little pissed her self and folded her arms.
Cymbal was chuckling to him self as he sat down in the corner like before. He preferred them to ignore him rather than they look at him fearfully every few seconds. But Jolie was looking right at him with a smile on her face. He just felt compelled to get up and meet her so he did.
“Why are you sitting over in the corner?” she asked him silently.
He looked back and at her, “Every one else is afraid of Cymbal.”
“That’s...”
She was about to say it wasn’t true, but she could see the glances they were shooting at his back.

“Don’t worry about that Cymbal. You don’t have to hide because you think their afraid of you. If they find out what you’re really like they won’t be afraid, but they won’t be able to find out if you stay with drawn understand?”
He nodded and she smiled at him.
“Did you rip the door off the hinges?” she asked him.
He looked at his hands and nodded.
“Look at me and answer me.”
He looked up at her, “Yes.”
“All right, you’re not supposed to do that. That’s probably why their afraid of you.”
He raised his eyebrow in confusion, “Why would that scare a person?”
“Because other people can’t do that. People get scared when some one is angry, upset and violent, their afraid to get hurt.”
“This One would never...”
“I know that Cymbal, but you need to let them know you wouldn’t. You have to keep your temper under control and not act rashly all right?” she told him.
He thought for a second analyzing it all, “All right.”
She nodded and pointed to a seat, he sat down beside her until she fell asleep. After a while Bobby yawned and walked over to Cymbal and jumped up in his lap. He picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She closed her eyes with her left arm and left leg dangling over his arms like she was in a hammock. She soon fell asleep like this. Hope thought it was the cutest thing in the world. Cymbal looked up at her, she flinched at his eyes, but she smiled. Cymbal smiled back at her to her surprise and it made him look so different, innocent in a way.
Later he put Bobby right next to Jolie in the bed. Lataura was slumped asleep in her chair. Her mouth half open, her suit jacket was hung on the back of the chair. Cymbal went to a closet in the room and he started to unload several pallets and blankets. The ones that weren’t already asleep watched in awe as he unrolled a pallet, lifted Lataura with out waking her and set her in the pallet and covered her up. She rolled over and smacked her lips with out waking up.

He unrolled another and did the same thing with Tula, Zach and Skip. He looked up when he noticed they were watching him. They snapped out of their stupor and grabbed their own pallets and went to bed. Cymbal walked to the empty door frame and he sat down and lounged back propping up his feet and folded his arms.
“Aren’t you gonna sleep on a pallet?” asked Hope.
“No.” he replied simply.
“Oh...w ...why not?” she asked gently.
“If some one bad comes I do not want them to get in, this One can not fall into too deep a sleep.” he told her lightly.
She nodded.
“I have to ask man...why do you talk like that?” asked Tommy propped up on his pallet by his elbow.
“...what does Tommy mean?”
“Like that you refer to every one including your self in the third person.” he said.
“It was programmed into this One’s speak, this One can not talk any other way.” he told him.
They all kept quiet.
Cymbal looked at them, he could feel their tension, “You have no reason to fear Cymbal, this One apologizes for his recklessness earlier, this One was merely concerned for Jolie.”
He saw shame now...he couldn’t understand he wanted to ask them questions so he sat up and turned in the door way.
“How different is Cymbal from other people...other than his speech?” he asked them with his feet in his hands, he rocked back and forth like a child.
“Well you look different.” said Kelly sitting up and pulled off her white shirt showing a yellow wife beater. She let down her hair for the first time any one had seen
“...how different?” he asked.
“Well no one had turquoise or lavender eyes for one.” said Tommy.
Cymbal crossed his eyes as if he was trying to look at them and then he shook his head and that made them snicker.
“And your hair...it’s like lion mane, but it’s really long and black.” said Hope brightly.
He ran his hand over his hair.
“Plus you have claws and fangs, not to mention your massive size.” noted Ruben.

He looked at his hands with a concerned look on his face.
“It’s not bad, Cymbal every one looks different it’s what makes them unique.” said Kelly laying back.
“Yeah all of us here are very different from other people, not in our appearance, but the way we act and the way we work.” yawned Tommy.
“But we stick together, we defend each other and we hang around with each other. Hell we love each other, “ chuckled Ruben pulling off his suit jacket.
“Like...family.” said Cymbal.
They looked at each other and smiled.
Tommy said, “Yeah, just like family.”
“Cymbal has family.” he said with a nod.
“Who’s your family?” asked Hope.
“Jolie, Skip, Bobby, Minnie, Max, Phelix and Pan.” he replied leaning back in the door way again with his arms behind his head.
Every one was getting settled in when Hope asked an impossible question.
“Do you love Jolie, Cymbal?” she asked.
Cymbal thought about this for a second, “Love...this One is unfamiliar with it...and yet this One is very familiar with it... Cymbal, does love Jolie.”
“You do know what love means don’t you?” asked Ruben.
“Yes, Ruben has it for Kelly. Love is when you want to protect and be with some one forever, when you would do any thing for that person just to see them happy and never angry or sad. Some one you feel... insufficient with out. Is it not?” asked Cymbal.
“That’s exactly what it is.” grumbled Lataura half asleep.
Tommy chuckled, “I wonder who she loves.”
Jolie lay awake in her bed; tears streaming down her cheeks...Cymbal loved her. How and why? And did she love him back, could she love him back? The man wasn’t human, but did that matter? No, not to her he made her fell things she hadn’t felt since she was with her husband, but he was so innocent and unstained. He might actually be too good for some one like her, even though he couldn’t understand that. She sat up and looked at him, basked in the glow of the tanks, every one had fallen asleep. His eyes were closed, but he was ever alert. Jolie’s pain would keep her awake she was sure of that.

She got up quietly with out waking Bobby, she walked across the room with out disturbing the others over to Cymbal. He opened his eyes and looked up.
“Is some thing wrong Jolie?” he asked quietly.
She knelt down beside him and looked at him, “Did you mean what you said Cymbal...do you...love me?”
He swallowed and his face went red, but he nodded, “This One does.”
She looked at him tears falling on her face.
“Why is Jolie crying?” he asked wiping the tears off her face, “Did Cymbal do some thing wrong?”
She shook her head. She put her hand on his chest, she leaned in and she kissed him. He looked rather stunned when she parted from him. She laid her self down on his chest. He pulled her on him and she curled up in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her gently, but protectively. He could feel it, she felt scared and insecure, but when he held her he felt it leave her.
“I love you.” she said.
“I...I love you too Jolie.” he told her.
She looked up at him and smiled, he smiled back at her, she laid her head down again her pain seemed less now. She fell asleep just like that in his arms.
She woke to snickers.
“Don’t wake them, it’s so cute.” she heard Hope whisper.
“Cute my ass, it’s weird.” she heard Zach say grumpily.
“Jealous Choke?” chuckled Lataura.
Jolie sighed and opened her eyes; every one was up and looking at them. She looked up and Cymbal was still asleep. She sat up slowly wincing.
“What time is it?” she asked unabashed.
“It’s seven.”
Jolie sighed and ran her fingers through her disheveled hair.
“I’m injured, people, why not let me sleep in?” she snapped.
“Oo, sorry.” said Kelly defensively.
Cymbal opened his eyes, “They did let Jolie sleep, they have been starring since a half hour before Jolie woke.” he sounded a little pissed too.
Jolie gave them all evil looks, “You guys need lives of your own.”

She stood up and stumbled on the ground. Cymbal looked down his chest was covered with her blood. He got up and caught her before she fell and carried her to the bed again. Tommy changed her bandages and fixed her wounds again. Cymbal washed the blood off himself. Jolie’s phone rang and Tommy handed it to her while he finished her up.
“Hello?”
“Titan!”
It was Dygon.
“What do you want you sick twisted bitch?” spat Jolie making every one freeze.
Dygon chuckled, “I see you managed to escape, maybe not unscathed. My mole told me you were nearly raped by every prisoner that wasn’t an Italian. Not many can endure that I am impressed.”
“I don’t fuckin’ care what impresses you!”
“Temper my dear; I just might have to teach you another lesson. Seems your own bodily harm will not sway you. Let’s see what happens when it is your friends who get harmed.”
“There is no way you can get us, we are too well protected.”
“On the contrary, you have two weak spots in your defense and they are standing in the same room with you. They are the two blocks that will bring your whole pyramid crashing down.”
Jolie dropped her phone as the dial tone rang in her ear.

To be continued...

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RosettaMoon: Damn, talk about angst to the third degree. Give some reviews people! I thrive on your admiration and your scorn! ^-^