He obeyed, giving Driver and Maria a mixed glance of concern and curiosity, before shutting the door behind him.
Maria fixed her steel grey eyes on Driver. “What is the matter with you? Why are you doing this?!” she hissed. “I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“I think you know why,” he countered.
Maria scoffed. “You are the most disciplined man I have ever known!”
She was the only person who could make that sound anything but a compliment, but Driver knew better. His smug smile was gone before Maria saw it.
“You're always careful, but this?!” She pointed angrily towards the locked door. “You've never ever done this before, to anyone! None of us have. Certainly not this early. It's beyond irrational! You cannot change her just by clicking your fingers!” she clicked her fingers at the same time. “You're going way too fast!”
Driver glowered at her, though the knowledge that the old woman had a point held some of the annoyance back from his eyes.
Maria lowered her voice. “She's only been here a few days, she's practically a stranger; an outsider.”
“She’s more than that to me,” he retorted, though the harshness had seeped away from his voice.
Maria bobbed her head in agreement, trying to choose her next words carefully. “I understand this whole ordeal must be… strange for you. But I need you to think like you always have. Rationally and carefully. You have to be patient. I know this has upset you - no doubt this whole thing has upset her- but things will work out, at their own pace.”
“I'm not a cruel man.”
Maria smiled. She wasn't sure if he needed her to reassure him of that fact, but she did so anyway, because it was true. At least in her eyes. “I know. And I understand why you're doing this. You want her to move on, to trust us and toughen up for what's to come. You don't want to be accused of being too soft on her, or giving her special treatment.
“It must have hurt you to see her look at you with so much hate. It hurts me too. But she will come around. And though I didn't agree with giving her raw meat, at first... perhaps... this will help her.
“She now sees something is different about her. She’ll ask questions and we’ll have the answers. Eventually she will learn to confide in us, even trust us. But it won’t happen overnight.”
Driver leant against the door frame. The door to his bedroom was open and he gazed across the way towards Jaz’s door. “If either of us goes in now, it’ll make things worse.”
Maria nodded in agreement, smiling faintly.
“I’ll give her an hour. Then I’m taking these.” He held up the pills bottle and rattled it.
“Do it at your own risk,” Maria cautioned.
Driver flashed an unconcerned, teasing smile. “After you were so willing to go in? Kinda hypocritical, don't ya think? Or are you just concerned for my welfare, Maz?”
Maria raised an eyebrow. Only Driver got away with calling her that nickname. No one else would dare, not even Arik unless he was in a particularly daring mood.
“Oh, come on,” he protested when she continued to look at him with the same expression. “She has a lot of fire in her that’s for sure, but how much harm can she really do?”
“The bloody nose she gave you tells me differently.”
For some messed up reason, he felt his chest swell with pride at Jaz's fighting spirit. “She’s not eaten for days; she can barely stand let alone wrestle. I think I can handle her.” He simpered.
“You seriously underestimate us Kormak women.”
~Chapter 11 - Attack~
Tuesday May 10th, 7:13 p.m.
Jaz’s cell
She was amazed by how clearly she heard the man’s approach before the lock unlatched. The door was solid: soundproof. At least it had been until this very moment.
Everything in the room seemed to react to her edginess. The air was full of static. She could feel it on her skin; smell it, even. It was the effect of her senses wound to the tightest notch.
The disgust she’d felt towards these evil creatures, for their horrible torture games- the idea that they probably enjoyed her horror and torment (she sensed they had cameras in the room; why else would they play these foul games if they couldn't watch?) – caused every limb of her body to explode with scorching fire. Rage; unlike anything she had ever felt before; powerful and deadly like a volcano.
The lock clicked open.
She bolted to the bathroom. Wrapping a hand towel around her arm, she broke the mirror and grabbed a shard as she pinned herself against the bathroom wall.
Driver forced the door open in alarm. The sound of it smacking against the wall and the shudder of the wood from the impact was deafening. Within a second he was in the room, fists clenched, dark eyes scanning.
There was a chilled silence.
He sniffed the air.
His eyes pricked towards the outside wall of the bathroom he knew she was hiding behind.