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A/N: I never do author's notes, I really don't know what to say. I hope you're enjoying this story. It's all Jamelet's doing, I just put other words in to make it pretty *lol* Seriously, drop her a line. She's a talent, and I know she wants to know if this story kicks some serious butt. *~*Ana*~*

Chapter 8 - Tainted

He trembled in his fitful sleep. Images of blood and tainted hands coiled about the misty fogs of memory. He twitches with the horrid encounters discovered in the soft moonlight. The first gaze at the young women proved to be relief. He had finally found her as she lay upon a table, breathing softly. Immediately, he was seized, and strapped to a table facing the woman. His insides churned while she was roughly jarred into consciousness. He felt his body tremble as she screamed out in protest.

The first hit occurred in that direct instant. The butt of a gun was shoved roughly against her clavicle “ shattering it. He watched as a coil of cold ice formed against her snow-white skin, providing a shield. He laughed with delight, almost a bizarre laugh. That’s when pain was inflicted toward him. He felt the hands of several fly against his abdomen, chest, and head. Blood rained down like a drenching summer storm. He felt his body drain of many fluids as he was forced to look at her.

Then the true barbaric nature began. She was displayed like a prized piece of meat, dangling from the ceiling by her arms. She screamed out in pain while a burning object was plunged against her open wound. Pus began to fizzle and bubble within the leaking whole from her abdomen. A knife was plunged carefully into the same burning wound, poking about the flesh as if she were a fish. She was submerged in water under her body nearly fell to a state of death, and then revived quickly by an on looking guard. A sadist smile smeared upon the tortures’ faces.

He screamed for her salvation, but it only offered more torture to them both. Her screams grew louder as pain increased in his soul. Their eyes connected for a brief moment. The pools of dark brown and sparkling blue meshed as they offered some comfort. However, his forbidden desire was tainted. His body was slammed about with heavy objects as needles were injected through various places. His body went weak as darkness invaded his soul. The screams continued to invade his hearing. He screamed out, suddenly jarred from the darkness.

“Howie!” a voice called to him.

He jerked from his fitful sleep. His eyes blurry from the swelling and bruises. He squinted against the harsh lights, still assuming his place within the dream. He screamed out as Ana’s screams filtered into his ears. Her pleas echoed for the freeing of Howie and sacrificing herself to death. She begged for him to be released from the straps of violence. The torturous sounds of slamming articles against brittle bones made Howie shutter. Her screams became utterly violent. Howie could feel the terrible cold mist that surrounded the room.

“Howie!” another called.

“LEAVE HER ALONE!” Howie screamed, grasping at his ears. He looked down to see a recorder being replayed simultaneously. He hollered in frustration as Ana’s voice continued to squeal out within the speakers. He took the recorder and smashed it against the floor. He slammed it so many times, watching the small pieces fling about the tiny room. Uttered gasps fluttered about the room in shock as Ana’s voice was silenced finally. Howie collapsed against the cold floor, bursting into sobs.

“Oh, gosh, Howie,” Brian sighed, watching his friend wail against the cold tiles. He hugged himself close, fearing that the same might happen to him. Nick touched Brian’s shoulder, watching Howie’s pitiful state. Howie had obviously been mentally and physically abused by the men. His eyes were dark with bruises, his left cheek held a cut from a needle of sorts. His arms were punctured from numerous injections. His chest was bruised and slightly deformed from several rib fractures. He was in a terrible shape as blood trickled down his cracked lips. He pounded at the floor, praying for Ana to be safe.

“I’m going to kill those creeps for what they did,” AJ avenged.

“Not if I get my hands on them first,” Kevin whispered, leaning down to Howie. He placed a gentle, but firm hand upon Howie’s shoulder. He jerked in surprise, pulling himself into a cowering position. “Hey, D. It’s just me. Are you okay?”

“N-No,” Howie stuttered.

“What happened?”

“They hurt her… They tortured her until I talked! They just wouldn’t let her go, and then they tried to get information out of her, and beat me down… Kev, I don’t want to go back. Please, don’t let them take me away,” Howie pleaded, grasping Kevin’s shirt with his bloody knuckles. Kevin grasped his friend in a brotherly embrace as the doors slammed open.

“Isn’t that a pretty picture,” a guard cooed as Cyrus appeared before the men. Brian, AJ, and Nick immediately backed away from the door, but were roughly seized by the guards. They screeched in surprise as Kevin was roughly thrown backwards and away from Howie. Cyrus laughed as he noted the broken recorder. “She screamed especially for you, Mr. Dorough.”

“You’re a sadistic man,” Howie hissed.

“And you’ll be a dead one if you keep up with that mouth,” Cyrus explained with a cackle. He leaned down and grasped Howie tightly by the throat. Howie choked as he was thrust into a standing position. He could feel is trachea being clamped closed until Cyrus placed a steel blade across his throat. Howie took an uneasy breath as he watched the rest of his friends be shackled with large handcuffs and ankle-cuffs. He prayed that death might eventually come upon them.

*~*~*

“You guys can’t slow down!” Jamelet scorned as she pulled on Alison’s small hand. Alison screeched out a complain as she yanked her hand back from Jamelet. Her dark eyes burned with intensity as Jamelet stopped. Summer let out a ragged breath as she collapsed onto the soft grass. Jamelet refused to let the girls travel on the roads where they could be spotted. They traveled the highway within the thickness of the forest. Jamelet watched as Rose placed Paige onto the ground, and then collapsed beside Kimberly. “Please don’t do this!”

“JAMELET, WE’RE TIRED!” Alison whined.

“I know that you’re tired, but we have to find somewhere to hide for the night! We’re only miles away from that hotel. They could be coming after us! You don’t want captured again, do you?” Jamelet cried with exasperation. She wanted so badly to fall asleep within a soft bed, but found the substance around her lacking. Her bones ached with a newfound pain. Jamelet pressed a palm to her sweaty forehead, praying for God to give her the strength to continue.

“Can we take a five minute break?” Summer asked, resting her back upon the pile of backpacks.

“I suppose, but we can’t just sit here, can we?” Jamelet asked.

“There’s a diner!” Rose shouted with glee. She jumped up from the grass and eagerly pointed toward the small sign. It was a small diner, probably housing only the locals of the tiny town. Her blue eyes glittered with happiness. “Is it okay if we go there and get something to eat? Please? I’m starving, Jam.”

Jamelet frowned, hating the nickname that Rose dispersed with. Ana had always called her that, as reference to the crazy personality she exonerated in Ana’s presence. Jamelet swallowed her aching to see Ana and picked up her bag. “We can get something to eat, but we’ll have to be careful. Okay? Nothing big. Probably just sandwiches and a bag of chips to share.”

“Sounds good,” Kimberly answered, placing her hands upon her growling stomach.

“That goes double for me,” Alison agreed eagerly, licking her lips.

Jamelet nodded as the girls stood up. They hurried over to the small restaurant with quickened steps. Jamelet was relieved when they entered. The small place held only two customers. They were older aged men that sat slowly drinking their coffee and reading papers. Jamelet and the girls flood to the small booth in the corner, seating everyone comfortably. Alison peers at a menu with Paige, her eyes growing with delight tat the tasty pleasures in the pictures.

“What can I get you?” a waitress asks as she snaps the gum within her mouth. She looks to be ancient. The folds, wrinkles, and creases in her cheeks contain the powder and concealer. Rose made a face of disgust as Jamelet ordered some water and sandwiches. The waitress nods, collects the menus, and walks back to the counter.

“I can definitely do makeup MUCH better than that,” Kimberly giggled.

“She looked like some hot-mama from the THIRTIES!” Rose snickered.

“Girls, shut up,” Summer sighed. “We have bigger problems than that woman’s makeup.”

“Sorry,” the older girls respond, bowing their heads.

“We need the news,” Jamelet murmured softly as she caught Alison gazing into her mind. Jamelet frowned as Alison blushed deep red. Alison immediately turned into Paige’s side, whispering something in her ear. Paige nodded as she scooted from the table. She walked a few paces to the old TV, and flicked it to the local news station. Jamelet smiled as the two younger girls beamed smiles. “Thanks, girls.”

“Welcome!” they chirped.

Jamelet studied the screen as the suburban New York came into view. She immediately noted the luscious trees and chirping birds. She felt her heart ache, wishing she could get back to reality. Something about running failed Jamelet. She just didn’t want to run anymore. Her mind quickly blanked when a particular house came into focus. An announcer stepped into the camera’s view as three bodies were being wheeled from the cottage.

‘Tonight, it seems there has been a bizarre tragedy in a local New York home. Police were called to this residence for an attempted robbery, but found much more. When they arrived, they discovered three bodies in baffling situations. It seems each man died from freezing cold temperatures. The details are only released to the police, but each case was grisly and horrendous. Police are baffled how the middle of the summer one could die from lethal frostbite… Or any type of cold for that matter. Jonathan, back to you.’

The girls all looked from one to the other. It was their house that had been robbed! Jamelet watched Alison’s dark brown eyes grow bright with appreciation. Kimberly and Rose frowned, folding their arms across their chest in a hostile manner. “COLD! That’s Ana! She toasted those guys that were going to kill us!!!” Alison shrieked with happiness.

“Shhh!” Summer whispered harshly.

“Was it really Ana?” Alison chirped with hope.

“It has to be,” Jamelet said, an actual smile forming against her lips.

“Does that mean she’s coming to rescue us?” Paige concluded.

“Why would she do that? She left us. Remember? She’s only out to save her own hide. She left us to be alone. She didn’t need any of us to survive, and that was made clear from the start! Don’t think she’s coming to get us. She’ll let us suffer before she’d ever save us. Remember that, Ali,” Rose growled.

“Rose,” Summer scolded.

“She’s right,” Kimberly answered quickly.

“Girls, please, just eat,” Jamelet concluded. She groaned as the girls went quiet, eating their sandwiches. She had stopped the argument quickly. Jamelet rubbed her temples, wondering where Ana could possibly be at that very moment. She closed her eyes, praying to God. She asked Him to keep Ana safe.

*~*~*

Ana screamed in wretched agony as her body lit with an intense fire. Her eyelids fluttered with awareness as she slowly awakened from the aching sleep. She found herself surrounded in the cool room. Heavy fog of cold air settled about the room. Ana’s eyes glowed a brilliant white-blue as her anger and anguish stimulated her brain. Hail and ice shatter against the glass concealing her in the tiny room. Her body was chained against the wall, providing her no support. She glanced down to see her white tank top stained with her own blood. She struggled to situate herself as the artic chill rose and stimulated a thundering blizzard. She screamed curses for Cyrus’s death as the misty clouds layer her haven for safety.

Before Ana could conjure up a stronger force, the shackles released her. Ana fell forward to the icy ground, slamming her weary body into the ground. The ice crackled to provide some sort of shelter for Ana. She heaved heavy breaths of relief as she braced her upper body against her arms. Her eyes continued to glow as the doors leaked her misty clouds. She pushed herself into a crouch position as shadows cast against each shadow. The hail continues to thunder, causing Ana to be obliterated from the shadow’s sight. She felt her fingers tingle with icy death as she prepared to attack.

“ANA, DARLING? COME MEET A SPECIAL FRIEND,” Cyrus calls through the mist.

Ana crouched deeper, cracking her knuckles. She noticed Cyrus’s leather boots appear against her icy ground. Ana watched as his face quickly appears. She lunged, only to be faced with Howie’s terrified face. Ana immediately was pushed, causing her to fall backward. The fog was quickly sucked from her surroundings in time to see Cyrus standing there with a blade pressed tightly against Howie’s throat. Ana muttered a profanity as Cyrus laughed. He could see the terror in Ana’s eyes as they settled back to the blue-green coloring.

“I try to bring you a special visitor, and this is the thanks I get? Miss Anastacia Lord, that is not how we behave for company,” Cyrus chided, glaring at the young adult. She fidgeted uncomfortably as she sat in the piles of her own snow. Cyrus pressed the blade tightly against Howie’s carotid artery. Howie squeaked in agony. “Get up and address him properly,” Cyrus barked.

Ana offered Cyrus a deadly glare as she stood up from the snow. She brushed off her bloody jeans carefully, holding her aching chest. Her lip was bleeding, but none of the other wounds from yesterday showed except for the bloody remains from her stomach. Cyrus had injured her beneath her clothing, still providing his client with a beautiful Ice Princess. Ana was revolted by Howie’s shabby appearance. He looked as if he had been tormented for days. She longed to reach out and caress his bruised cheek, providing comfort. But Ana stood there. Ana finally gave a little curtsy as her stomach ripped with pain. “Hello, Mr. Dorough.”

“That’s right, Darling. Politeness is number one in CAPPA. Now, you better be a good girl or Mr. Dorough will be in worse pain than you.” Cyrus pointed out toward the larger area of the room as the plates of glass slid into the floor from Ana’s cell. Her eyes grew wide in horror as she watched to see all the boys strapped to medical tables, which were directed at her cell. They all looked at her with tremendous pity as dozens of chemicals were injected into the veins. Cyrus quickly flung Howie out into the room toward a guard, where the man proceeded to attach Howie to the chemicals.

“Don’t do this to them,” Ana hissed.

“Fine, then we’ll see what your body contains,” Cyrus hissed back. With heavy hands, he slammed Ana into a container. She screamed as her ankles and hands were bolted directly into the metal wall. Cyrus plucked a large hammer, knife, and needle from the adjacent table. He advanced toward Ana with a look of pure delight. “You see, I can do whatever I want to you, as long as I don’t mar your beautiful face or arms.”

“You’re sadistic,” Ana spat.

“And I know the secret to get you to behave. Do you have a love of some sort for our Mr. Dorough? It seems that Mr. Dorough is quite annoyed if I place my hand upon you. I find it quite enjoyable. I like to play with his head. He’s quite the firecracker when he chooses to be. Mostly when I mention your name,” Cyrus chuckled as he let the blade trace down Ana’s medial line to her bellybutton. Ana winced as the knife drew closer to the stitches.

“Don’t you dare hurt him,” Ana threatened.

“Or what, Darling?”

“Or I’ll tear you to pieces when I get my hands untied. I’ll freeze your esophagus so you slowly suffocate, then I’ll make icicles erupt from all your major oranges. You’ll bleed out before I let you suffocate. You’ll experience the pain for ALL the experiments, you bastard! And that’s the truth,” Ana hissed menacingly.

“And you have far too much fire in your personality, dear!” Cyrus growled as he set the knife and needle down. He grabbed the hammer with both hands, setting it against Ana’s right femur. She watched as he reached back and smashed the hammer with all his force into her upper leg. Ana screamed in agony as the bone immediately protruded from her bloody pants. Pain invaded her body as she began to convulse. Bright red blood spewed forth as the guys called out for mercy.

“DON’T HURT HER!” Howie screamed in agony as another injection was launched into his throat.

“She’s not hurt,” Cyrus laughed as Ana moaned in agony. The blinding pain turned extremely cold. Cyrus watched with approval as the jeans lying against her hips were shattered from the freezing temperatures, exposing the heavily fractured femur. Within minutes, an icy cast was coiled around the bone, sealing it back into the ruptured skin. Ana breathed heavily while the pain continued to work its way through her central nervous system. She screamed out as Cyrus advanced again. “I need to ask you questions, Ana, and I pray that you give me the answers I need.”

“DON’T!” Howie cried out again.

Cyrus ignored him. “Where are the other girls, Ana?”

“I don’t know,” Ana mumbled softly, the pain controlling her.

“Now, Ana, try again,” Cyrus cooed.

“I…DON’T…KNOW!”

“Wrong answer,” Cyrus replied, digging the needle deeply into her first wound.

Ana screamed out as the needle dug deeply into her muscles. “I’M TELLING YOU THE TRUTH! I DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE! I LEFT THEM MONTHS AGO! I WANTED TO BE BY MYSELF! I DIDN’T WANT TO HURT THEM WHILE MY BODY WHEN THROUGH CHANGES WITH THE ICE! I DIDN’T WANT TO BE NEAR THEM! DAMNIT! LEAVE THEM ALONE!”

“You never had a heart, Anastacia, so don’t try to have one now,” Cyrus hissed with laughter.

Ana was stunned, realizing now that Cyrus meant her more harm then the boys. She watched with defeat while pus and chemicals began to fizzle against the wound, burning her insides. Her muscles ached with fierceness, begging for her to give up. Death curled its cold fingers about her neck. Ana felt tears fall down her face as agony gripped her soul. Words began to drown out as Cyrus continued his torturing devices, repeating the same questions. Blood drained from her cold interior, spilling against the floor and hardening. She glanced upward to see Howie watching with sorrow. His beautiful dark eyes shed tears for her pain. Ana whispered something before she slipped into another deep sleep.

“STOP IT! PLEASE!” Howie begged as Cyrus finally glanced at him. Cyrus nodded toward his men, stepping away from Ana’s wall. She lay against the wall, bleeding heavily. The icy cast was tinted with bright crimson liquid from her femur fracture. Howie struggled to move against the bondages, but found another needle injected into his neck. He squeezed his eyes tight as the burning liquid pulsated through his veins.

“SHUT UP, HOWIE!” Kevin pleaded as Cyrus closed Ana’s cell upon her.

“NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!” Howie wailed while Cyrus approached.

“Did you say something?” Cyrus asked as he walked straight to Howie’s medical table. Howie stood on his legs as the medical table lay vertical. Howie’s heart began to beat furiously while Howie glared. Cyrus’s face came within inches of Howie’s face. “Excuse me, Mr. Dorough, did you say something?”

“I said leave her alone,” Howie gritted.

“Aren’t you in enough pain to be sticking up for your little girlfriend?”

“No, just leave her alone!”

Cyrus laughed as he gazed back at Ana’s lifeless body. She had been taught a very important lesson, and Cyrus now knew how to make her behave. Howie was the key to Ana’s control and heart. Cyrus could tell Steeles to play that card easily. Cyrus had to call Steeles and inform him that Ana would be ready to leave by tomorrow morning. It wouldn’t hurt to let the boys say their goodbyes to the Ice Goddess. He reached up and grasped Howie’s gray t-shirt. He began to smear Ana’s cold blood against Howie’s shirt, tainting him with the smell of Ana’s near-death. He nodded toward the guards, telling them to inject the boys with the final drug. This would reverse the powers for a few hours, so they could be freed. Only until their powers became as strong as Ana’s ice could he be useless against them. Each boy winced as another needle was inserted.

“Howard, Kevin, Brian, Nickolas, Alexander “ get ready to say your goodbyes to the Ice Princess. Say your goodbyes, and be brief, because the dear Ice Goddess will be gone in the morning,” Cyrus concluded with the final smearing of Ana’s blood across Howie’s bleeding lips. He chuckled to himself as he left the room and bolted it closed. Each boy fell from the medical table as they were released. They lay still against the cold tiles. Howie was the only one who stared at the lifeless Ana. Howie only could imagine that as he lay there that he was tainted with Ana’s precious blood.
~**~

**~To Be Continued...~**