Chapter 20

The general was getting worse by the hour. Despite her best efforts to keep him in the saddle, his back simply wouldn’t stand for anymore riding. Scarlet did the best she could to control his pain but nothing worked despite the high doses of drugs he was taking. He’d be fine for the first couple hours of riding and then the agony would overwhelm him and he would order them to camp again. Scarlet wanted desperately to help him but she was running out of ideas. Reflecting on Gypsy’s request for options she knew there was only one thing she could do that might buy him a few days of normalcy but that involved putting him in hibernation and she doubted he’d agree to that.

Outside his tent, she mentally prepared herself for the vicious mood he’d be in. As much as she despised him, she had to admit she was a little jealous of his selfless devotion to Harlan. He was such an interesting contradiction; a man capable of such intense love for a woman who was a complete and unrepentant ass to everyone else. Being alone with him had become an exercise in patience. Often she felt like she was entering a boxing match, lucky for her all his attacks were verbal. But she never knew when one was coming and, as his discomfort and weakness grew, he became even more combative.

She ducked inside and knelt down to where he was sitting on the ground. The confines of the large tent trapped the scents of stale sweat and old, uneaten meat. His rations sat on a plate behind him, untouched and covered in flies. The general was so ill that she didn’t think he’d even had a drink in two days. He had removed his patch and she could see the pale, shocking scar that remained in place of his left eye. The damaged eye itself no longer existed, only a scarred and sunken hole where it had once been. He rubbed his forehead slowly, like a man trying to solve all the problems of the world. There were dark circles around his orbits and a cruel hardening to his mouth. He was obviously quite exhausted and could have benefited from some sleep.

He looked at her, his one intact pupil narrowing to a sliver. “You will quadruple the dose.”

Scarlet, who had started rummaging in the drug case froze and stared at him. “That will kill you. I won’t do it.”

Gavin glared at her and she’d never seen such naked hatred. A chill crawled down her neck. “You’ll do as you’re told,” he snarled.

She stood up and took a few steps back from him. “I want to help you, General, but what you’re asking for is suicide. I won’t do it.”

Gavin tensed. “Funny,” he said in a mocking tone. “You weren’t always this scrupulous. As I recall from a report I recently became privy to, you were involved in a certain freshman internship with a man named Doctor Nathanial Ross.”

Scarlet’s stomach dropped. Oh my God! How the hell did he find out about that? “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered.

“Oh, but you do. What do you think Harlan would say if she knew the truth about your work there? Such fine, upstanding humanitarian work. I’m sure you neglected to put it on your resume. Do you think she would keep you on, or turn you over to the authorities? What about your boyfriend, Desmond? Would he still be interested in dating a woman who participated in the abduction and torture of dozens of AEssyrian peasants?”

Her throat tightened but she kept her tone even. “I never participated! I was just an intern, a student. I didn’t know what was going on in those labs until it was too late!”

“I’m sure the emperor would find this information as enlightening as I did. You’d probably find yourself rotting in an AEssyrian prison somewhere in the stinking jungle,” he mused.

“I hate you,” she said, glaring at him. “I really do. You are the vilest son of a bitch I have ever met and I can’t believe Harlan, or anyone for that matter, married you.”

“Give me the fucking medication!” he barked.

Scarlet’s stomach tightened into a sickening knot. “I’ll give you three doses.”

“You’ll give me four!”

“I’ll give you three and we’ll wait an hour. If you still need another one after that, I’ll give it to you.”

Gavin nodded defeated. “I’m done arguing with you. Do as you wish.”

Scarlet was wary. He’d given up too easy. She knew the moment she got too close to him, he’d be all over her forcing her to do as he demanded. No, she needed someone to keep an eye on him. Clutching the medical kit close to her chest she poked her head out of the tent. She knew Desmond was on watch and felt a warm relief fill her when she spotted him just across the camp crouching by one of the fires. “Desmond?” she called. “Could you come in here for a moment?”

Desmond stood and quickly came over to her. “What do you need?”

Scarlet smiled at him. “Since you are my assigned bodyguard I think I may be in need of some protection,” she said. “The general and I are having a disagreement and I’m afraid he might force the issue. Would you please stay and keep an eye on him while I give him his medication?”

“I’d be happy to,” Desmond said.

Gavin seethed with hatred. “Maybe I should tell my son a story about your early career to keep him entertained.”

She took her place behind Gavin and prepared the first of three injections. “You go right ahead, sir. Just take care not to move while you’re talking. And I’ll do my best not to hit too many tender nerves while I’m back here. Of course my professional recommendation is that you not talk and remain perfectly still, that way I have less of a chance of hurting you unnecessarily.”