My Masters' Nightmare Season 1, Episode 7 Connections by Marita A. Hansen Page A

scared.
    The bigger of the two men went to Rita.
“Move, slave,” he said, his deep voice commanding.
    Rita got off the Don, allowing the man
access to him. The soldier started checking the Don. “He’s alive,
but I need to get him upstairs.” He removed what looked like a
radio from his belt and barked orders into it. He clipped the radio
back onto his belt, then picked up the Don as though he weighed
nothing. He turned to the door as another soldier entered the room.
“Move the slave to the next cell,” he said, indicating to Rita with
his head.
    “ No, I want to go with Frano,”
she said.
    “ That’s not
happening ,”
the soldier replied, heading out the door.
    The new soldier removed a gun from his
holster and indicated for Rita to leave. He was a muscular bald man
in his forties with a hard and uncompromising face. She glared at
him, but still headed for the door. As soon as she neared him, she
lashed out, moving so fast that the guard didn’t have time to
react. His gun went flying out of his hand, skidding across the
floor. Rita went for it, but the soldier spun around, knocking her
down with a roundhouse kick. Before she could get up, he grabbed
the gun. Although she looked winded, Rita rose to her feet, her
body tensing for another attack.
    He pointed the gun at her. “Do that one
more time and I’ll shoot you.”
    She pointed to the door. “Frano’s my
responsibility. Let me go with him.”
    “ Penso di no ,” he replied, saying he didn’t
think so, something that Jagger had said to me a number of
times.
    “ Then why would I protect
him?!”
    The soldier raised the gun. “Last warning.
I may not kill you, but a bullet to a leg or arm isn’t
pleasant.”
    Her body tensed again, the woman nothing
but muscle. She looked over at Jagger, who was still staring at the
scarred soldier in front of us. The soldier was intimidating to say
the least, because he was just standing there like a statue,
watching us, paying no attention to the other two in the room. I
knew the Landi soldiers were here to protect us, but if they were
our protectors I would hate to see our enemies.
    “ Jagger,” Rita said, “I’m sorry
I couldn’t stop Alberto.”
    Jagger turned his head to look at her, the
expression on his face cutting me. I wondered whether Rita’s
bruised face had been received while trying to protect Jagger from
Alberto. My heart told me it was. I wanted to repay her with
kindness—and when I had the chance, I would.
    She headed out of the room with
the soldier, who kept his distance this time, the man learning his
lesson. They disappeared around the corner. I looked back at the
scarred soldier in front of us, who was still staring at Jagger. As
soon as the neighboring door banged shut, he pulled out his gun and
indicated for me to move forward. “Out of the room now, donna ,” he said, saying woman in Italian.
    “ What are you going to do
with Jagger?” I said.
    “ He stays
here .”
    I shook my head, not wanting to leave
Jagger alone with the man. “He needs to return to his
room.”
    “ He attacked the Don, so he has
to be contained.”
    “ The Don said
Jagger’ s my
first priority, and I won’t allow you to lock him up like a
prisoner. He has been hurt; he needs to be attended to.” I
straightened, trying to appear important, even though I felt tiny
in front of the man. “I am his nurse, and he needs to be in his own
bed where I can attend to his injuries.”
    “ Then I will station someone on
his bedroom door, but Jagger will not be allowed to leave his room
until further notice.”
    I nodded, relieved at his concession. The
soldier stepped aside, indicating with his gun for us to pass. I
turned to Jagger, placing my hands on the chair. “Let go,
Jagger.”
    He shook his head, his eyes still on
the soldier.
    “ He won’t h urt you,” I said. “I promise; I
won’t let him.”
    His face twisted. “No one keeps their
promises and everyone finds a way to hurt me.”
    “ I keep my