Hondo I. Sackett
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Hondo: So, You protected Zoey and that's what set things between you two in motion, I get that but what happened to make you say you learned from her? Tonya: Well, the day Horace cheated, won Zoey, and killed Mr. Archer I was there and saw it. Horace laughed as Louis Archer's body as it lay on the floor. He felt nothing. He was a cold man. The only thing that made life bearable was his wife. She was beautiful and sweet. He hid who he was from her most of the time, which she was sick often and that kept her in bed. She wouldn't stand for him beating us, so he only beat us when she was bed ridden. There was a rumor going around that he poisoned her constantly to keep her sick so she would be out of the way. I wouldn't doubt it. She was a prize for him, a trophy to be displayed when needed. She tried to act as a conscience. she was pure and good. Had she knew what truly was going on she would have tried to do something to stop him. Anyway, He left some to clean up and decided to go fighting. I was training to be a body guard but he decided to scare me and put me in the Colosseum event. Hondo: Aren't those usually to the death? Tonya: Not always. Sometimes its audiences choice. That's what it was that night. They put my against a girl about my age. She was favored to win against me as I was a rookie to the event. I learned later that Horace had her poisoned too. He made her weaker so I could handle her. Hondo: Why was she there is she wasn't a rookie? I was told those were usually all rookie events. Tonya: not always. Usually its true but slave owners are paid quiet a bit to enter their slaves into it. This girl . . . I never learned her name sadly, she had lost 14 straight fights. She had won several to begin with but, I don't know, lost her will to fight maybe? He owner had lost too much money on her. The one rule any fight arena has is that the owners of the fighters cannot bet on the opponent. It keeps owners from rigging fights, though some help each other out and still manage too but it requires some honesty which is hard to find. This owner had few friends so no help there and she wasn't getting any better so he cut his losses and took the money to throw her into the ring against me. Whether Horace paid him extra to poison her is unclear. But,I fought her, I knew something wasn't right but I continued to fight her. She finally collapsed and I knew something was wrong as it was almost too easy. When she went down the crowd called for me to kill her. I . . .. Hondo: You killed her? Tonya: No. They all screamed at me to kill her. I was given a spear to run her through. I threw it away. I am ashamed that I actually considered killing her, but I couldn't. The crowd booed me. I just looked at the ground. Horace came running out screaming t me to kill her. I just stood there. He hit me in the stomach and knocked the wind out of me. I fell to me knees and he just kept kicking me. I don't remember much after that except lying on the ground in pain. I could see the girl in front of me, struggling for breath herself. Horace pulled out a gun and shot her in front of me. Her blood splattered in my face. I remember him swearing still as I lay there. two of the other fighters he brought alone with us carried me out, I can't remember which ones either. Next thing I remember was I was back home. He . . . I . .. Hondo: If it hurts to talk about ti, ya don't hafta. Tonya: No, its alright. He had my hands tied to a couple posts, spread eagle style. He ripped my clothes off and used me as a punching bag. He kept saying he was going to rape me, though I know he wouldn't. He was odd about sex. humans only for him. I think he had a deal with the slavers to rape some of the girls they captured before they turned them into wessen. But he beat me with his fists then whip me some until he was tired, then he;d go inside, rest and start all over. He threatened all sorts of horrible things! IT was hot out too, I remember that. half way through the day I don't remember a lot but I lapsed in and out of conscientiousness. I remember he ordered everyone to leave me alone. along about evening I came to to someone giving me water to drink. I was then cut down and drug into and old barn that was close by. It was Zoey. She had to get a stool to give me the water and she somehow found a sharp rock and cut the ropes that held me up. I don't know how she got me into the barn but she did. Zoey: It was hard. I was smaller then, but she was nice to me when no one else was so I wanted to help her. Tonya: I think she saved my life. not sire if I'd have lived through the night without her. she talked one of the other wessen into sewing up some of my deeper cuts but they would only do so after Zoey took the risk to get me out of sight. she stayed with me all night and, tending to my wounds, giving me water, and even found a blanket to keep me covered. Horace was irate the next day but his wife was feeling better and her parents arriving on a planned visit. Hondo: How convenient that she was feeling well. Tonya: Yeah, I know. Anyway, it gave Zoey time to get me at least so I could get along and he never did find out who did it. We were all starved for about a week after his wife's family left to try to get someone to give up who freed me, but no one caved and his rage over me not killing the girl had subsided. Zoey and I stuck together from that day on. We had a few other incidents but we gave each other a reason to keep going on. Hondo: So what happened with the purge if Horace was so tight with the slavers? Tonya: We weren't taken in the purge. We were picked up. Hondo: Picked up? Tonya: Zoey and I gave each other strength to fight back. We did what we had to but some things we fought. Like when Geoffrey tried to rape me and I got whipped. I overheard him talking about taking Zoey as he liked them young. I hid Zoey and was where he thought she would be. when he tried to force me I kicked him in the little worm he tried to stick in me! Hondo: Good girl. Was that why you were sold? Tonya: No. The last straw was he decided Zoey's training wasn't going fast enough and started overseeing her training. Karl had come over with Geoffrey that day which was odd. Karl got me alone and told me that Leonard was gone on business and Geoffrey had decided he was going to have Karl fight in a Colosseum fight. He said he also overheard that He was going to sell me and and turn Zoey into a sex kitten if she didn't shape up soon. He urged us to escape with him. I thought he was just trying to help us. Now I know he needed help to escape and used us. HE originally wanted just me and said If I left Zoey she'd most likely be left alone. That's when I heard Zoey cry out. I went running to her and left Karl where he was. I found Horace beating her with a riding crop and screaming at her. She had bested her training partner and when ordered to finish him off she refused. I jumped in and shoved Horace back. I grabbed Zoey's knife off the floor. I'd have killed him had Geoffrey not came in. One of the staff overheard Karl and me talking. I guess they feared Horace's retribution if we ran off. Geoffrey had Karl at gun point and ordered me to drop the knife or he would kill him. I dropped it. Horace knocked me down and ordered me to be tied up. Geoffrey made lewd comments about what he wanted to do to me, but Horace was mad. He ordered my hands tied and had a roped tied from them to a beam in the ceiling so I was just on my toes. He belted me a few times, but refrained from whipping me. I guess it was in case he decided to sell me, or because he'd get less for me in the death matches if I looked beat up already. Anyway after a few minutes of humiliation and some beating he stopped and grinned evilly. He got Zoey and told her all about sex kittens and what they would do to change her, and how she wouldn't be herself anymore. Then he told her what would be done to her as a sex kitten and how she would probably die in pain by the hands of some freak with a horrible sex fetish. Then he gave her an out. Hondo: I have an idea what that was, but go on. Tonya: If she killed me she would be his wife's body guard and be protected from all those horrible things. Plus, she would have better food, better sleeping quarters, and less work. She took the knife, looked at me with tears in her eyes and cut my ropes again. she turned, and. . . . Zoey: Stop!! Zoey started crying and hid her face in Hondo's arm. Hondo: Whats wrong, little one? Zoey sobbed: No, no, I can't! Tonya: He needs to know. Hondo: Know what? Zoey just held onto him and cried. Tonya: She almost committed suicide. The thought of being turned into a sex kitten was too much to bear. She begged me to kill her a couple times later before we escaped and you found us. I . . I just couldn't. I tried to give her hope but . .. but we had none. If Karl was wrong about what he said would happen to us he no longer was. Our fates were sealed Zoey just continued to Hold Hondo and cry. Hondo: Who stopped her? Tonya: Horace did. He wanted us to suffer. He chained the three of us in his barn and the slavers picked us up a week later. Hondo stroked Zoey's hair as he held her. Hondo: Now I understand the night mares you two have been having. My poor girls. Don't you two worry. I'm here. Zoey sobbed: But . . . but what if they get you like they got mom?!!? Hondo: If they do Uncle Fernando will take care of you and I will be back. But don't worry about that. I'm here to stay and we will get Valentine back and' things will be a lot better for you I promise! Hondo may have seemed big and tough but his heart, already hurting for worry of Valentine was now almost breaking over the sorrow and hardships his two adopted daughters had gone through. At the same time it stoked the fires of his anger too. Tonya: We know. its. . . its hard to talk about the past but . . .I know if you know. .. Hondo: Yeah. I appreciate you tellin' me so I can be there for you two and understand ya better. Thanks. Tonya: No, thank you. you and mom are the only good things we have seen in years. Hondo: So what happened to Horace then and What about Geoffrey? Tonya: Horace thought maybe Leonard or Dean had put Karl up to it getting Me and Zoey to try to run to undermine his authority with his wessen and maybe even the slavers. Horace decided the Jenkins needed taught a lesson and Geoffrey wanted power over the Jenkins place, which Horace thought he could use him. Now know we only heard a bit as they talked outside the barn we were kept in to keep Horace's wife from overhearing. From what I heard Horace sent the slavers to take out the Jenkins plantation. I'm not sure where Dean was but Leonard might have still been away, but if he was he is running for his life now. Horace and Geoffrey were headed to the slavery headquarters in slave town then were suppose to meet up with us there to offload us for transportation. Zoey would have been sent out to be redone to a new owners specifications and Karl and I would have been sent to either fight town or shipped east to The Colosseum, where the rich folks pay to watch fights in a "nice" setting. We hoped for fight town as at least they gave us some armor to make the fight last. At The Colosseum they specialized in exautic fights. I would have probably been forced to fight naked with just a knife against another woman, or have a big male Wesson against two and have him try to rape us before killing us. They consider it sophisticated entertainment but really its sick, twisted, and barbaric. At least that's what we have heard from them and others before. We couldn't always hear all of their conversations but with them figuring we would be dead, or in Zoeys case mind wiped, they talked freely around us until they left to the slave town two days before we were picked up. Hondo: I see. But why did Geoffrey and Horace have to go there? Tonya: Horace owns several whore houses in different towns as well. He usually owns 50% to 60% and the other part is owned by the woman who runs the place. One of those women were in slave town and he was to meet up with her to discuss a business idea I heard. I guess she wanted to branch out as she was free of some obligation that had her tied down before. I think the name of the business was Lacey's Place. To be continued . . .
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