Suzi

By C J L Marr

Sometimes people seek revenge for themselves. Sometimes fate steps in and arranges it ...

Suzi wasn’t seeking revenge for her rape and the murder of her family, but through a string of seemingly unrelated events, fate equips her to handle it and then puts her among the perpetrators.

Will she get her revenge or does she not have the stomach for it? Then again, will she have a choice?

Suzi lives in a universe sometime in the future when humans have colonized other worlds and rub shoulders with a few other alien races. Violence, crime and corruption exist much as they do now, but on a galactic scale. Can good possibly hope to win over evil in this universe? The Universal Security Agency is the only hope for justice that this universe has ...

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483537979

Book preview

9781483537979

Chapter One

I'll never forget the expression on Dad's face when he struggled into the cave with the nugget on that hot summer's day. Even though he was sweating and caked with mud, his teeth shone through his smile. To him it was the culmination of a lifetime's search. As he washed the dirt from the lump to reveal the dull glint of the precious metal, he was washing away years of poverty and deprivation to reveal a glimmer of hope for the future. He was mumbling insanely to himself but was quite speechless. For the next hour or so, if anybody spoke to him he simply stared at them smiling and glanced at the nugget, willing their eyes to follow his. Finally he must have spoken to Mum because she came and talked to us.

Your father has found gold, girls, she smiled.

We both smiled though neither of us properly realised the impact of this news. Despite Mum's smile there was something in her voice that told us she was worried. But why? Weren't we now rich? No more worries.

Pack your things. We've got to go into the city to sell the nugget and claim the land. Will you feed the animals please, Mari.

My older sister nodded.

What shall I do? I asked.

You can help me get the cart ready Suzi dear, she smiled at me. Feed the animals well Mari. They'll have to last while we're gone for the week.

To me, a journey into the city was an adventure on a huge scale. I could only remember bits and pieces from my one previous visit to the place several years before. I was twelve now and quite grown up enough to appreciate the beauty of the dome and the spires beneath it. Mari and I scurried to perform our assigned duties as quickly as possible, struggling to contain our excitement. Within an hour we were on the road with Mum sitting proudly beside Dad at the front of the cart. Our old horse, Starshine, was pulling us steadily along, unaware of our exciting news, while Mari sang softly and I lay back on the bedding watching the mountains meander by. The wagon wheels kicked up yellow dust from the trail, and made me sneeze. Occasionally I took off my hat to fan myself, while the sun beat down on our heads.

After a while we must have been nearing Trenton village because suddenly there were others travelling the same road and I felt more than saw my parents tense themselves and move closer to each other. I had never known them to be like this before. Normally they were so friendly to others and were always happy to stop and talk, but that day they simply smiled and nodded and allowed Starshine to walk on.

I assumed we would spend the night in Trenton but instead we rolled through the village and continued along the city road, slowly descending into the forest of towering pines. The light was beginning to fade even before we slid beneath the canopy of branches. Once in the forest, it was almost dark and I moved over beside Mari and joined in her singing. Mum whispered something to Dad who whispered back and then goaded Starshine into a trot, which made the cart jog and made our singing sound very strange. We carried on regardless, fending off the darkness with our melodies until we saw lights sparkling through the trees. The relief felt by Mum and Dad was almost visible.

What village is this? Asked Mari.

This is Farlow Bridge, answered Dad, and those were the first real words he'd spoken to us since finding the nugget.

Starshine was slowed to a walk again as we started around the last bend before Farlow Bridge. As we all watched for the lights to reappear between the trees, suddenly the loose surface slipped beneath our wheels and the cart slid sideways. Starshine held firm and Dad flicked him with his whip. The strong black horse must have been frightened by the sudden flick, for he reared up for a second and, at that moment, around the bend came five riders travelling fast. They were confronted by a rearing black horse and a cart that almost filled the road. The lead horse dug it's hooves in and stopped just short of Starshine, sending its rider soaring over its head. The second horse fell in its efforts to stop and the other three were pulled up in good time. For a second, only the fallen horse moved as it struggled to get back to its feet. Nothing else moved, not even Starshine who had regained his composure. I suppose it was the shock of the situation. I vaguely remember my heart missing a beat during the near-collision and then it pounded for several seconds afterwards.

Mum was the first person to move. She leapt from the cart to assist the lead rider who was lying right underneath Starshine. Dad secured the reins before climbing down to help the fallen horse get back up, freeing its rider. Neither rider was hurt and both were soon up and dusting themselves off. The other three riders remained mounted, laughing at the misfortune of their friends. I remember a mixture of surprise and curiosity at this, wondering what sort of person laughs at another's distress. Little did I know how close I was to finding out what sort of people they were.

Are you sure you're not hurt? Mum was asking them as they both remounted.

Neither of them replied. The rider who had been thrown started to laugh and soon all of them were howling along with him. Dad moved closer to Mum and put his arm around her shoulders protectively. Together they started to back away and had almost reached the cart when the leader noticed Mari and me for the first time. He cut his laughter dead and stared at us. A second later the other four had also seen us and were silently staring in the same way. Neither of us dared move but Mari started to hum one of the tunes we had been singing and I joined in. After what seemed like minutes, the lead rider grinned at us and then turned his horse and rode on up the road toward Trenton, trailed by his four followers. We watched them disappear into the gloom.

Shippies, snarled Dad.

Mum and Dad clambered back aboard quickly and we trotted into Farlow Bridge, with Mari and me watching backward in case the riders reappeared. We stopped outside a gloomy building with Farlow Inn painted over the arched doorway, and Dad went inside.

What's a shippy? I asked.

It's an expression used to describe those travellers from space, answered Mum.

How could you tell they were shippies? Asked Mari.

I think your father was guessing, Mum smiled, and reached down to gently touch Mari's right shoulder. They didn't look or act like mountain people, so he assumed they must be shippies.

Where would they have come from? I asked.

The city I expect, darling. There's a spaceport there. I think holidays in the mountains or down by the lake are becoming quite popular with space travellers.

I remember the lake, smiled Mari, and the conversation moved onto more pleasant things than shippies.

Dad returned after a while and climbed back up to the cart, mumbled something sharply to Mum and ushered Starshine back onto the road. I assumed that we weren't staying the night in the inn for some reason and that displeased Dad. These whispered conversations between Mum and Dad were quite common. I suppose they thought they were discussing things that little girls would or should not be interested in. However, it meant that I was probably more ignorant of life than other twelve year olds. I was overprotected although at the time of course, I didn't realise this.

We're going to camp out tonight, girls, Mum announced, a little too happily. What a lovely evening, she added looking upward at the clear sky sparkling with stars.

We left the main road and proceeded down a narrow track, through an old wooden gate and into a large field of rough grass. We could hear water trickling nearby, but otherwise the night was silent. Dad stopped Starshine and unharnessed him while Mari and I arranged the bedding beneath the cart. Mum served up one of her magnificent cold vegetable dishes and Dad brought some water up from the stream we had heard. After our supper, Dad wandered off somewhere while the rest of us sang songs. We had made trips away from the cave many times before but had usually spent our nights in Trenton. At other times we had camped out like this but had always had a fire. It seemed strange to not have a fire, but it was just another thing I felt it wisest not to question.

The night was crystal clear and, although neither of the moons was visible, there was just enough light for us to see each other, thanks to the myriad of stars. The forest of pines started just beyond the gate we had entered through and looked eerily black. I was glad we were well away from it. When Dad returned, he seemed much more relaxed and even joined in with us for one last song before we all climbed into bed.

I think I slept well and remember dreaming about travelling through space like a shippy with the stars drifting by. I awoke and found myself staring up at the black underside of the cart. It was still dark and everybody else was asleep, judging by my family's gentle rhythmic breathing. I didn't know why I had awoken. Something told me I had heard a noise so I waited, hardly daring to breathe, hoping to hear the noise again. After several minutes of silence I began to feel I must have been wrong and I closed my eyes hoping to drift off to sleep again. Then I heard a noise quite far off but clear over the noise of the stream. Starshine had heard it as well and stirred softly, turning his head in the direction of the sound. I had my eyes open again and was watching Starshine. He would warn us if danger was approaching. Animals seemed to know these things.

I turned my head very slowly until I was looking toward the noise as well and tried to make out anything in the darkness. Nothing was visible, but then came a sound like metal tapping on stone, softly. Whilst the first sound might have been a natural noise, the clink was definitely not natural and I felt it was time to act. I rocked Mari's shoulder and whispered her to silence.

Shh, I heard something, I rasped directly into her ear.

Mari raised her head a fraction so that both her ears could listen and, as if on queue, the clink was repeated. She reached over me and shook Mum vigorously. Mum wasted no time in waking Dad who leapt up as if he'd found a rat in his bedclothes. I could see he had his old gun in his hand and suddenly I felt much safer.

Who's there? Called Dad into the darkness.

Silence echoed back at him from the darkness and this seemed to worry Starshine and he gave out a sort of a stifled whinny. Dad put his hand on the horse's neck to calm him and walked out into the night. We watched him until he blended in with the blackness but even then we could hear him trudging through the thick grass.

I screwed my eyes up hoping to catch sight of him again and when a voice suddenly spoke from behind us, I swear my heart momentarily stopped. I had never known anything to startle me so much. It wasn't what the voice said; it was simply the complete unexpectedness of it.

Put the gun down, prospector, or your family dies! It said loudly.

The three of us whirled about to face the voice. I could make out a shape in the gloom but that was all. It was just too far away to see any detail. I felt like crawling under the sheets and curling up into a little ball, but I was mesmerised just like my sister and my mother. Together we sat there and stared at the shape, unable to move, unable to speak.

I said put it down prospector, or I'll blow the head off one of these kids.

It's okay Rolf, shouted another strange voice from Dad's direction, I've got him.

Well done lad. Bring him here, eh. We've got some questions to ask him and he might answer them if I'm holding one of his three ladies, snarled Rolf.

He walked up to us and stood looking down at us. I didn't recognise him, but he seemed to know Dad who trudged up to the cart with somebody behind him, holding his old gun.

Now prospector, you were in the inn earlier tonight and you were being very secretive, so we followed you and guess what we saw? We saw you burying something down by the stream. Now we got to wondering what a secretive prospector would be burying, and do you know what we thought? We thought it must be something valuable, like maybe gold or silver. So Treva here started digging over there where you buried it, but he couldn't find anything in the dark. That's why we decided to wake you up, so as you can show us where it was you buried it. Now you go back down to the river with Treva and find your little secret treasure. While you're away I'll be entertaining these ladies of yours, so I suggest you be as quick as you can before the entertainment gets out of hand, as it were.

Rolf chuckled and I heard Dad and Treva walk away. I assumed Dad had buried the nugget and that was what all the fuss was about, but I was a bit puzzled about the entertainment Rolf had mentioned. My puzzlement was soon answered as Rolf sat down on the grass in front of us and waved his strange-looking gun at us.

Now ladies, I want to see some flesh, so take those garments off please, he smiled.

Neither Mari nor I had ever had a boyfriend. It wasn't that we hadn't wanted them, but we lived in a rather remote cave and rarely received visitors, and when we did they were always other prospectors - older people like Mum and Dad. Mum had taken quite a bit of trouble explaining about boys to us, however, and about how babies were made and how they were born, and about love and marriage and all sorts of lovely things. Despite all this effort, nothing could have prepared us for something like this. This wasn't beautiful and romantic at all. This was terrifying and very ugly and unpleasant.

These are my daughters, sir, said Mum softly and her voice had a slight waver like it was under great control. Both are very young. Why don't you just take all our valuables and leave us alone.

Rolf looked at Mum. He looked quite old but younger than Dad. He was shabbily dressed and had a scruffy-looking beard. His hair was greasy and messy and long enough to cover his collar.

Lady, I have every intention of taking your valuables, but I also want to see some flesh and since I hold the gun…

All I ask, Mum interrupted, is that you leave the girls alone. You can do what you like to me but leave them alone.

Okay lady. Show me what you've got, Rolf waved the gun casually at her.

Mum slowly got to her knees and crawled toward Rolf, making sure that she was between him and us. She stopped in front of him and stood up. We were still under the cart and could only really see her legs.

Come on lady, before I change my mind.

We could see that Mum was moving but we couldn't see what she was doing until her hands appeared in view and they were holding her pyjama shirt and her sleeping bra and we knew what she had been doing.

Oh lady I'm sorry but they just won't do. I've seen better udders hanging beneath a cow. Put your shirt back on, please.

Rolf looked away and scowled, then turned his attention to Mari. You, he smiled at her, let's see yours, eh?

Mari glanced at me and I could see fear in her eyes like I had never seen in anybody before. Was it really that terrifying, I wondered? The man simply wanted to see her breasts. I felt that if he'd asked to see mine I'd have shown him just to get rid of him. Mari clearly feared that it wouldn't stop there.

Mum was not ready to give up. She fell to her knees right in front of Rolf.

Have you no decency? She cried. She is just a child!

Rolf ignored Mum and looked over her shoulder at Mari. Come on kid, I'm losing my patience, he ordered.

Mari knelt on her bedding and began to unbutton her pyjama shirt. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and she fumbled with the buttons. Her mouth was open and she was sobbing while Rolf watched her chest slowly appear in front of his unblinking eyes. Mum was watching him intently, her face just inches from his. Finally, Mari could control herself no longer and she let out a horrifying wail. This was the cue for Mum to act and in a flash she had grabbed the gun with one hand and covered Rolf's face with her shirt. I had not expected her action any more than Rolf had, but I reacted quicker than he did. I leapt forward and flew into the man, my fists flailing, while Mum struggled with the gun. I threw my punches at the head beneath Mum's shirt and one connected with something soft while the next hit something very hard and the pain in my hand sent a spasm right up my arm. I sat back, my mouth open stupidly, my damaged hand held limply in front of me. Rolf's free hand swept passed my head and caught Mum full in the face. She was knocked senseless by the blow and flew back, just missing the wheel of the cart, before landing in a crumpled pile. She lay still.

Mari was lying on her bedding, sobbing hysterically, and Mum was clearly knocked out. The pain in my hand was almost unbearable now that the shock had worn off, but my mind was racing. Rolf would kill us as soon as he had recovered from our onslaught. I had to do something. I looked up to see him untangling Mum's shirt from his head, his eyes looking around wildly. I could see his lips bleeding and one eye was blinking, so my punches had done some damage. I clambered to my knees just as Rolf steadied his gun and pointed it straight at me!

No! I screamed, and I held both arms out toward him with my palms facing him as if they would protect me from his gun.

You can see mine, I shouted, my voice shaking with terror. Please don't shoot.

He stared at me silently for a moment with his one good eye while the other blinked. My hand throbbed and my heart pounded.

Just shut up, he snapped and waved me away with the gun. I knelt back.

From the direction of the river came the noise of a fight. My screams must have started something. Perhaps they had startled Treva and Dad had jumped him. Suddenly it went quiet again and we both knew that it was over.

Treva? Shouted Rolf.

To my great relief, there was no reply. That could only mean that Dad had won. Rolf appeared to think the same because he reached out and grabbed me and pulled me to him, twisting me and locking his arm around my neck. I was completely helpless with my hand throbbing terribly. It was hard to breathe.

Treva! Screamed Rolf, his mouth right by my ear; I could smell the foul stench that came from every heaving breath he made. Still there was no reply.

Okay prospector, he continued in a slightly softer voice, I've got your kid here. Just come over here and put the gun down or she loses her face.

For the first time I noticed that Rolf's gun was pushed against my cheek and I began to lose control of myself. My mind was spinning with anger, pain, confusion and terror and I was close to panic as I gasped in air. All I could do was pray that Dad would find a way to save me, even though Rolf seemed to have the upper hand.

Come on prospector, Rolf's grip on my throat tightened and I feared I would pass out.

There was still no movement; the night seemed darker than before. I was beginning to see little dots of light in front of my eyes and then everything was beginning to spin. Then suddenly came salvation.

Let her go, said a foreign-sounding calm voice, from somewhere above me.

Rolf was so surprised that he actually jumped, but his grip on me remained tight and the gun was still at my face.

I'll kill her! Screamed Rolf.

Go right ahead, answered the soft voice, but when she dies, you die.

The gun pressing into me began to shake as Rolf found himself in real trouble. By now he had probably guessed that my rescuer was not Dad, but the fear and uncertainty of who it was behind us was unnerving him. His heavy breathing right beside my ear began to waver and his arm began to twitch. I could almost feel his fear. Finally he let me go and held his arms out. I fell and rolled onto my back, cradling my damaged hand and gasping for breath. Above me, Rolf sat with his arms outstretched, his whole body shaking with terror. At his temple was an even stranger-looking gun and behind him was a dark figure holding it.

Suddenly there was a dreadful noise like nothing I had ever heard before and right before my eyes Rolf's head exploded into a shower of blood and bone, raining onto me. In my lap was a piece of Rolf's brain; I vomited and rolled over to avoid choking. I landed on my broken hand and the pain was just too much. I passed out.

Chapter Two

I don't think I was unconscious for long, but I wished it could have been longer. My body ached with my hand as the epicentre, and I felt dirty and sticky. My nose was blocked by vomit and my mouth felt and tasted disgusting. My neck ached where Rolf had held it in a stranglehold and my head throbbed. I felt cold and very miserable. I tried to move but found that I couldn't. A moment's panic ended when I realised that I was tied down by something at each wrist and each ankle. Had I dreamed my rescue? Was Rolf still alive and as disgusting as before? I moved my head around in search of anybody. My vision was still a little blurred, partly because of my blackout and partly because there was something sticky on my lashes, probably more vomit. I caught sight of Mum lying under the cart - she wasn't moving.

A noise on my other side made me whirl my head round, which simply increased the throbbing, but there, just a couple of metres away was Mari and she was also tied down. Her pyjamas were lying in torn strips beside her and her naked body was beneath an equally naked man. He was moving in a strange way and I could see his hands squeezing her poor breasts. Her eyes were open but they just stared skyward, strangely glazed, blinking rarely. It was several seconds before it occurred to me what he was doing. Mum had described to us how a baby was made and he was doing what she had described. Poor Mari was just lying there, helpless, while this man made a baby in her body. It looked like he was hurting her breasts, but she continued to stare as he moved his body up and down hers. Suddenly he raised his chest up, although he kept his hips pressed against Mari's, and then his naked bottom rose and fell violently, making her whole body shake with his movements. His hips rose and fell again and again and then his mouth opened and he groaned as if he was ill. He stayed still for a moment, his arms shaking with the strain and his eyes tightly closed, and then he sank back onto her and lay still apart from his panting for breath. At last Mari's eyes gently closed and she seemed peaceful as he lay heavily on her.

I had remained silent, watching with disgusted fascination. I was tied up in the same way, so I supposed I was next. I didn't want a baby in me and I didn't want any man hurting me so I decided to pretend to be still sleeping. I closed my eyes.

Aren't you finished yet Tam? Asked a man's voice from nearby.

Piss off! Grunted the man lying on Mari.

I kept still.

Not yet, mate. I'm waiting for the little one to come round.

There was a smack of laughter.

How old do you reckon she is Jac? Fourteen? Fifteen? Definitely a virgin.

You'll break her in half, said a new voice.

So? She'll be dead soon anyway. Chas doesn't like witnesses, you should know that.

What about her parents? Asked Jac.

Dead. Shame really. We could have had some fun with mother and daughters together, he laughed and Jac joined in.

Suddenly I knew who they were. I had heard that same laughter earlier in the day. It was the shippies.

I had heard three of them so guessed there were another two somewhere nearby. I suddenly feared for Mum and Dad, but then it dawned on me what they had said. They had been talking about my parents.

They were… dead.

I tried to grasp the thought but it was impossible for my mind to comprehend. Their death was not something I could accept, so I simply rejected it. Suddenly I heard a movement beside my head and fought the desire to open my eyes.

Come on little girl, wake up, said a soft, soothing voice right beside my ear.

I could feel my skin crawling and wanted to scream, but instead I lay perfectly still. Fear and the cold night air made me shiver and I prayed he wouldn't notice it.

She's all messy, continued the voice. Any water there Jac?

I heard the bottle being passed and opened, then a sluice of cold water poured onto my nose and mouth. I withstood the first two or three pourings, but then lost control of myself. Automatic functions took over and I shook my head and struggled to free my arms and sit up. It was a waste of time. I was tied securely. I started to shake uncontrollably as cold terror ran through me.

Hello, whispered the voice from right at my ear. My name's Pol and I'm going to deflower you my little lovely.

He roughly wiped my face, cleaning away some of the dirt, blood and vomit. I opened my eyes to see him kneeling beside me. I recognised him as one of the riders who had stopped short of the accident during our incident with the shippies. He smiled at me and I felt it was not a friendly gesture, but more like the smile of anticipation of somebody who was about to receive a good meal. A shudder ran up me my spine. I was closer to panic than I had ever been in my short, sheltered life. Then I recalled something he had said earlier that hadn't registered at the time but had echoed, waiting to be grasped and considered. He had said that I would be dead soon anyway.

They were going to kill me!

I was quite helpless and quite hopeless. My mother and father were dead, Mari was as helpless as me if not more so, I was tied up securely and a madman was about to defile me. Goodness only knew what would happen after that. The panic built up in me and my breathing grew faster and faster while the breaths themselves grew shorter and shorter. I could feel my lower lip trembling uncontrollably and my stomach was churning. There would be no rescue this time … unless.

I took a deep breath and let it out again in the loudest scream I could muster, but Pol seemed to be expecting it. He covered my mouth roughly with a hand, killing the scream, and he laughed. I tasted blood and