Sharpe's Legend Chapter 13

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Chapter 13 Rats in a trap

Sharpe woke, dizzy and groggy. A faint voice was calling his name, drawing him back to reality. That voice suddenly snapped into focus as Sharpe awoke. Sharpe had been lying on a hard dusty floor in a black prison cell. The only light was filtering through gape's in a heavy metal prison door, from a flaming torch attached to the wall opposite the cell. Crouched down beside him, repeatedly calling his name was the Doctor. Despite a bruise on his right cheek and bloody split lip and the loss of his tweed jacket in this frosty cell, the Doctor gave Sharpe a quick grin. Sharpe sat up and groaned in pain, his skull felt like it was on fire. Sharpe was supposed that his face would be more bruised and bloody than the Doctor's.

"Ahhh, Doctor... What happened? We're not dead" demanded Sharpe!

"Yes, I spotted that too, looks like the Black Raja wants us alive for some reason. Probably to gloat, I find evil dictators with world domination plans often love gloat. It's kind of there thing" replied the Doctor.

"No doubt the Raja wishes to ransom us off but he's gone too far. No man, royalty or otherwise has the power to hold hostage a diplomat while making treaty" proclaimed a faint voice with a Scottish accent.

The voice came through a crack in a wall, from the next prison cell.

"Colonel McCandless, is that you sir" called Sharpe?

"Yes Sharpe it's me although God deliver me from this pit" replied McCandless.

"Not as bad as the Tippu's dungeon though" remarked Sharpe.

"I have my doubts that the outer domain of the devil himself could be worse than the Tippu's dungeons" agreed McCandless.

The Doctor helped Sharpe to his feet and dusted flecks of dirt and dust from the Sergeants red coat.

"Ok we've alive, it's a start. I can work with alive and stuck in a dark dank dungeon. McCandless how did you end up in the Black Raja's lest comfortable accommodations" queried the Doctor?

McCandless gave a sickly cough; the drafty prison cell was getting to his chest so it seized up.

"The Raja's men came for us in the middle of the night. They drag us out of bed and threw us all in the dungeon, apart from the soldiers. I could hear some of them putting up a fight, sounds like a few escaped. All I've had for company for the past few hours is Sir Saxon's screams of the indignation. The guards dragged you in an hour ago" explained McCandless.

"So they dragged you lot into dungeon before they captured us. Probably got the hint that we were casing the joint when they discovered are beds were empty, this was planned, they needed Saxon and his associates. So what does the Black Raja on the cusp of controlling the entire planet need with Saxon? There's also the question of what the Raja intends use to power his mind controlling monstrosity. Not to mention the most important question of all, where is Amelia Pond? To make matters worse, the Raja's Jackboots had the bright idea of emptying my pockets and taking my jacket. My Sonic Screwdriver, my Psychic Paper, even all my doodads and doohickies. They didn't even leave me with so much as a length of copper wire or a paper clip so I could pick the lock. What I'd do for a paper clip, my kingdom for a paperclip" shouted the Doctor in sheer frustration?

The Time Lord spun the spot and Sharpe could see the worry for Amy. Sharpe too was worried about Amy and was tempted to join the Doctor in pacing there small cell.

"The Raja perhaps took pity on the young lady and placed her in better quarters under lock and key" said McCandless, hopefully.

Sharpe shook his head disparagingly.

"His royal highness isn't a man who takes pity, even of women. Not when he has sentenced thousands of innocent women and children to slavery and death" explained Sharpe.

McCandless's eager questions were interrupted by the arrival of the guards. They opened the door to the Doctor's and Sharpe's cell and dragged them out at sword point. There heavy curved sabres dissuaded Sharpe from making an escape attempt. Waiting outside the cell was none other than the grinning devil himself and he had yellow teeth. He wore a gold braided officer's uniform but it was clear the man had the manners of a brute.

"HAKESWILL, you traitorous bastard" cried Sharpe!

Sharpe made a lunge at his most hated enemy but two of the brown coated guards caught him and held him back.

The Doctor just stared, a grim look on his face.

"That's sir to you Sharpie. Can't you see I'm an officer now, Lieutenant of the Black Raja's Royal Guard? So show some respect" demanded Hakeswill, with a sneer!

Sharpe struggled to get at the newly promoted Hakeswill but the guards held him back.

"Your no officer, you're not even a gentlemen. Just the Raja's own bastard!" snarled Sharpe.

Hakeswill back handed Sharpe violently. With such force that Sharpe's lip started bleeding.

The Doctor just stood and stared, offering no threat of violence.

"What did the Raja offer you Hakeswill" questioned the Doctor?

Hakeswill smirked at the Doctor, like a little boy who had just caught a fly and was thinking about removing its wings.

"My life! Your damn whore almost killed me in that bloody death trap of a room. But the Black Raja saved me and better yet, he's offered me gold, power and beautiful bibbis. Everything a soldier could ever want" boasted Hakeswill.

Both Sharpe and the Doctor reacted to this. Sharpe strained at his captors, while the Doctor's eyes burned with a cold fire.

"What happened to Amy, Hakeswill. What happened to Amelia Pond" demanded the Doctor!

Hakeswill chuckled.

"You'll see" stated Hakeswill, gleefully.

Hakeswill turned to the guards.

"Take them the throne room and get the stocks" ordered Hakeswill.