Earlier that very same evening back in Bennett's desert valley, life had changed little during the absence of the warriors. The few men that remained took their turns at the watch, and the slaves went about their daily labors. It was almost dark, the evening star appearing brightly as the last hint of rose faded into deep indigo in the west. Carlos sat up high staring out at the encroaching night, absently twisting the gold ring on his finger, and observing the quiet valley below him. He had healed fully, regaining his strength and vigor, and was impatient to be gone from this place.

For some time now Carlos had been aware of Bennett's absence from the valley, along with the majority of the men. Though he knew not the nature of Bennett's mission and had for the few nights past, made ever more daring excursions into the camp to steal necessary supplies for his impending exodus. Carlos had done well, and all without being seen. Accumulating a good supply of food, a water canteen, a blanket, and some flint.

However, his biggest risk would be undertaken this night. He would have to gain access to Bennett's cabin to get his boots, and although he did not expect it to be difficult he did not relish the prospect of going so far into the camp's interior. That accomplished, he would still have to steal a good serviceable knife. By far the most difficult task of all. Weapons were not just left lying around, requiring that he steal one from a sleeping or careless warrior. Understandably he was nervous about this.

He did not know when Bennett and his minions would return, however, he was eager to be long gone before they did. Pushing his lengthy raven hair back over his shoulder he got to his feet, and hitching up his baggy army greens that hung loosely on his slender hips he went back to the interior of the cave. Selene cast her glare of mistrust his way as he entered, looking up from her work of gutting a rabbit through her mane of tangled dark hair. Carlos noted her hand was never far from her poisonous little bone weapon, and he had no desire to feel its bite again. Since committing his impulsive act, which he now regretted, Selene's demeanor had changed toward him markedly, and Carlos was confused as to why she had elected to return and stay with him since that fateful night. Still, he mused there was much he did not understand about his wild companion's motives.

He gave her a wide berth and went toward the stone-ringed hearth in which the fire had burned low to embers, and squatted down removing his shirt, retrieving the coolest of the coals from its edges rubbing their blackness onto his skin. The soot made the perfect night camouflage, and he had little doubt he would need it and all the stealth he possessed to accomplish the task at hand.

*****

Pig lay in his filthy crumpled furs close to the brightly blazing fire, one hand gripping a grimy tankard of alcohol and the other roughly kneading Sarah's exposed breasts. The vulnerable woman cried in pain at his not-too-gentle caress. The sweaty, dirty man cruelly persisted, oblivious to her discomfort and revulsion at his touch. Dwayne, lean and dark, sat close by, engaged in a similar sport with Kate, he too partaking of the alcohol and plentiful food.

Bennett's lengthy absence had benefited them both, and they were wasting no time living it up to the full, as underlings often do when left in charge. Although Pig only possessed one eye, he was far from blind and missed little being the opportunist he was, and he had noticed that during the last few nights, items had gone missing around the camp. Little things at first, a few items of clothing, some stores and such, and at first he had suspected it to be the work of the slaves.

He had enjoyed searching them, and their quarters thoroughly, and even more so pressuring them for a confession of guilt with his dreaded whip. Though he located none of the missing items. Despite this he was still not satisfied, and the past two nights he had incarcerated all the slaves, except for Kate and Sarah in the cattle truck's cage. Yet each morning there had been thefts, and none of the men, even those on watch had sighted the perpetrator. Pig his force numbering few, was disturbed by this greatly, and even more concerned when Dwayne found the tracks yesterday morning. Bare footprints, too large and deep to be anything other than a man's, leading away up into the cliffs.

"It's not that feral little bitch then, or those troublesome cubs?" Pig stated, shaking his head, his stubby dirty hand scratching at his patchy, ragged beard, as he knelt down to peer with his one good eye more closely at the tracks in the sand.

"No way," answered Dwayne confidently. "That's a man."

"Perhaps she's in season, and has a mate?" Pig lewdly volunteered, always steering any conversation toward a sexual scenario. Dwayne laughed maniacally at Pig's suggestion, sounding like a cackling hyena.

"I'd like to catch her, she'd be a wild ride," Dwayne added, drooling at the thought, as he and Pig had often tried to capture the elusive Selene on many occasions before, always without result.

So as evening drew in the two of them sat in the cave waiting for the onset of darkness, sating their inexhaustible appetites for drink, food, and sex. All the while deliberating and congratulating one another over their cunning scheme to trap the unknown thief, this night.

*****

It was dark now, the cold had crept in making him shiver, and Carlos felt he had waited long enough in the deep recesses of the rocky overhang, studying the activity within the camp. There was no one in sight, all was quiet and seemed normal, the only sign of life was the faint glowing flicker of the fire burning deep within the great cave. Cautiously he left his vantage point, taking great care to stay in the shadows of the ring of low scrub and brush that circled much of the encampment. He stayed to the east beyond the dump working his way in a wide arc in order to approach Bennett's cabin from behind. His progress was patient and slow, as he frequently stopped from time to time to listen, checking he had not been spotted by the watchers posted above, or overheard.

A large hare suddenly startled, left the underbrush, Carlos hit the ground and froze, sure that anyone nearby could hear his heart thumping in his breast, as he fought to bring his edginess under control. Finally, up ahead he could see his intended target, the black rectangular outline of Bennett's abode, with the door slightly ajar. On seeing this Carlos breathed a sigh of relief, surely within he was likely to get both of the items he sought. He edged forward, ever careful on the tinder-dry carpet of leaves and twigs not to make a sound. His every sense straining for the presence of a threat as he inched by slow degrees toward the hut. That was when his toes collided with something hard and uneven buried beneath the leaf litter, something that didn't feel quite right...

A split second later he was on his knees engulfed in searing pain, an involuntary cry escaping his lips as he clawed at his right foot frantically trying to make sense of what had happened to cause such sudden agony. His wild thrashing set off the rest of the rabbit traps planted closely together on the path, their rusty metal teeth concealed beneath the leaves. His fingers in the inky dark desperately seeking to open the jaws of the trap, followed by movement behind him, and a solid blow to the head, sending him into a pit of darkness.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

*****

Pig and Dwayne bent over the unconscious intruder turning him over, and igniting a torch so that they might see him better as the night was very black.

"Well, fuck me drunk!" Exclaimed Pig in surprise. "It's Bennett's whore!"

"I thought he was dead?" Dwayne said blankly, as he put the torch closer to see, both men shocked by their find.

"Well, it's obvious he ain't." Pig interjected, thoughts of self-preservation cutting in. He already knew that Bennett would not approve of his management of the stores in his absence. Perhaps Carlos' recapture would be the distraction he needed right now? "I be thinkin that Bennett might be only too happy to see him again I reckon, and perhaps with him here, the boss will not be noticing us so much on his return. I think that it would be in both our best interests to tie him up and keep him."

The two men lifted Carlos between them and carried him back to the camp, promptly freeing all the slaves and securely tying him to the bars of the cattle truck.

*****

Even in the darkness Raissa's first glance at the captive revealed his identity, as she was ushered quickly past him, and ordered to return to her usual place. There was no mistaking the jet mane, and athletic body of the man who she would have given all for, and had given up for dead. She paused, her emotions torn, a mistake she realized as Dwayne struck her hard with an open-handed slap to the face, pulling her back to harsh reality, and moving her on.

"Get a move on bitch!" He snarled. "You got better things to do!"

Warren his arm protectively around Lucy's chubby shoulders had recognized him too, and was just as bewildered at Carlos' survival. He had returned that fateful day at the first safe opportunity to the shallow cave where he had left the dying man some hours before. Warren had been astounded to find Carlos gone with no evidence of a trail to follow. He had pondered the strange event ever since, though like everyone else Warren had assumed Carlos dead.

Despite his shock, he was not going to make Raissa's mistake and be singled out for any more unwanted attention. Warren had already felt the bite of Pig's cruel whip, his back suffering for it even now, and he had no desire for more if he could avoid it. He was getting a move on back to Lucy's hut, and the inviting warmth of her bed.

Dwayne placed the flaring torch up high through the bars to light the area below, as Pig stood one hand fondling his leather-plaited cat, the other under his whiskered chin, an evil grin on his grotesquely scarred face as he appraised his prisoner's muscled, soot-covered back. "Let's have some fun." Pig suggested. The tall angular form of Dwayne towering behind his short, stout companion, ever eager to contribute in any way to Pig's vile schemes.

The recurring nightmare, ever the same, the crushing sensation of the earth all about him, the oppressing confinement and dispiriting darkness that was the hole. He was there now fighting the black, unable to move, and he was going down...

Carlos was awakened suddenly by a bucket of cold water jarring him back to ugly reality, he could see Dwayne holding the now empty metal bucket in front of him through the bars, the prominent white of many small bones plaited into his curly, black hair which tinkled as he moved. Realizing wretchedly he had been tied to the side of the cattle trailer with leather strips, which were cutting into his skin and fast divesting him of the circulation in his hands and feet.

His head ached dully, he felt dizzy, and the throbbing pain in his right foot did not bode well for a quick, clean recovery. Worse still he heard Pig chuckle from somewhere behind him, though he was unable to turn his head far enough that he could see the repulsive man. Chills of fear assailed Carlos then, he knew Pig all too well, and what he was capable of, and that knowledge made him very fearful.

"Well, well if it ain't Bennett's whore boy." Pig goaded from somewhere behind.

Carlos' dark eyes followed Dwayne as he set the bucket down on the soft sand, until he left his line of vision, and he joined Pig in the trailer. Carlos twisted vainly against the tight leather and the inflexible steel uprights, muscles rippling with the futile exertion, and his heart racing with what was now close to pure terror, as Pig's presence advanced close behind him on the verges of his vision.

"Let's see if we can make him moan like a woman. Shall we?"

Pig laughed lasciviously, cutting Carlos' improvised leather belt, the baggy army trousers sliding immediately to his ankles. Dwayne chimed in with his hyena cackle, amused and eager for Pig to begin his work.

Shivers ran the length of Carlos' spine as he waited helplessly for the game he would not win, to begin.

Carlos fought down his panic, trying to relax, he could feel Pig's fetid, hot breath on his lower back, and although he could not see, he had a fair idea of what was coming, and being tense would make it hurt all the more. He flinched, drawing a sharp intake of breath as he felt the well-greased butt of the whip enter him, inciting searing pain, bringing hot tears to his eyes.

"See how the bitch likes it?" Pig teased, pushing the handle further in with each measured stroke.

Dwayne laughed his manic laugh in reply. Carlos wanted to scream, such was the pain, but he knew it would not help him to do so. Any response would serve to lengthen the game, so he bore the abuse as silently as his body would allow, knuckles white as he gripped the bars, sweat breaking out on his skin. Hoping frantically Pig would soon become bored with this game, before he lost control of his pain threshold and cried out, consigning himself to yet further misery.

Predictably Pig and Dwayne soon grew bored, and the torture stopped as abruptly as it had begun, though to Carlos it was both humiliating and painful. Bennett's intrusions had seemed tame in comparison to this, he had been both deliberate and slow in accustoming Carlos to this manner of invasion. He could not say that Bennett had not inadvertently hurt him in all these long years of unwilling captivity, but never had Bennett hurt him in this manner. He did not know just how much of this he could take, and he prayed that this would be a one-time event.

"Perhaps he would moan better with the encouragement of this?"

Carlos had no time to contemplate Pig's next move before feeling the tearing, stinging lash of the cat. The cruel metal barbs opened his back with the first strike, swiftly followed by four more of Pig's best.

"That will teach ya not to steal, and to respect your betters, whore boy. It's a pity Bennett will still want ya whole when he gets back because I would have liked to have given you plenty more of these."

The session over the two men cut Carlos free, but not before they had secured him with a short chain by the throat to the trailer's solid bars. Securing the door behind them, and taking the torch, they departed back to the comfort of the cave. Leaving Carlos alone and sore in the darkness to dress, take stock of his injuries, and contemplate his dire situation.