Prologue

Rosalinda ducked under a fence as gunshots whizzed past her head. Her long brown hair caught on a piece of the fence causing her to be jerked back and scream in pain. Her hands quickly went up to break her hair free.

Heavy footsteps crunched on the gravel. A gunshot sounded again. Rosalinda broke free and continued running. A shout sounded. “STOP!”

She ignored the shout and kept running, zig-zagging as bullets flew by. Finally she made it into the woods. Her heart raced inside her, Rosalinda stopped beside a tree to catch her breath. The footsteps grew closer again, she slowly rounded the tree, the leaves crunching underneath of her. Just as she took a step out, a large animal trap snapped around her right ankle and lower part of her leg. She screamed in pain and fell down, trying to pry the metal jaws open. Rosalinda gasped in pain as she slowly slid closer to the tree.

“Did you hear that scream?” A deep male voice asked.

“Yeah!” A man lowered his voice and motioned to the tree with his gun. “I think she’s over there.”

They both crept closer and waved the other men over. The one made his way to the front and pointed his gun at Rosalinda. “Don’t shoot!” She screamed, then grimaced in pain. “Please...don’t....shoot.” She held up a hand, tears streamed down her face.

The other men came around to see what was going on. “Well, what’re we gonna do?” one asked.

“Well, bring her in, of course.” The man standing in front of her growled. “Not sure, he’ll like that she’s injured though.”

“Rest of you head out. I’ll get her loose and carry her back.” He knelt down as the others walked away. “You’re Rosalinda, right?” His voice was gentle.

“Y-yes.” She gulped as he touched the trap, sending pain shooting through her leg.

“I’m Keith.” He pulled the trap apart and grunted. It slowly moved apart. “Ok, move your leg out.”

Rosalinda pulled her leg out and bit back more tears, the pain was awful! She wasn’t sure how much more she could handle it. Keith let the trap snap again and pushed it away with his boot. “Can you walk?”

Rosalinda stood and slowly lowered her injured leg down but as soon as it touched the ground she yelped and fell back down. “N-no.”

Keith holstered his gun. “Well.” He sighed then knelt down and scooped her up.

Rosalinda gulped back whimpers of pain. This pain was nothing compared to the pain she would likely experience when he brought her back to the prisoner camp.

Rosalinda woke up lying in a bed. The plush matress enveloped her, a white sheet was spread over her. She tried to sit up, but fell back down, gasping as pain surged through her body. Tears gathered in her eyes, she was done for; she had failed her family, failed herself, and failed her friends.

Her hand lifted to wipe her tears away and she spotted an IV line in her arm. The door to the room opened and light poured in. A man walked in, it was Keith. He stopped beside her bed and glanced behind him, his hazel eyes were filled with concern. “Listen, whatever he tells you to do, you better do it. Even if it seems insane.” He whispered the words then left.

Rosalinda blinked, trying to keep his words in mind. They were similar to the rules she had learned whe she first arrived at the camp. Do as you’re told, when you’re told. The words echoed in her mind, causing her to shiver slightly.

A man walked in, his slick black hair shone in the light. His boots clomped loudly on the floor and his dark eyes held an evil glint. “Hello, Rosalinda.”

Rosalinda averted her eyes from his piercing gaze and stayed silent. He walked over to her bedside and picked up a clipboard. “So, I hear you tried to run away?” His voice held a strange calm; like a cobra entrancing it’s prey before striking deadly venom into the victim’s body. He leaned close, his breath blew softly on her face. “Answer the question.”

“Yes.” Rosalinda croaked, turning her head away from him.

He stepped back and glanced at her, his eyes narrowed. “And why?”

Rosalinda glared at him, she tried to hold the anger out of her voice, “Guess why!” She sucked in a deep breath. “You enslave us here, you took us from our families, and you kill us off one by one! Why else would I run away?”

The man tilted his head at her, then started laughing. It started deep in his throat then came out into an evil, rumbling laugh. “You think you’re so smart?” He set the clipboard down and grabbed a syringe, filled with what looked like a green-ish blue liquid, from the table. He walked closer to her. “I kept you alive for a reason.”

Rosalinda squirmed under his harsh stare. “What is that?” She nodded to his hand that held the syringe.

He grabbed her left arm and stretched it open, so that he could see her veins in the crook of her arm. “Something to help you relax, and do exactly as I say.” He grabbed a cotton swab and wiped her arm. The needle was brought to her arm and he paused.

Rosalinda resisted the urge to yank away. She turned her head and didn’t watch as he pushed the needle into her arm. After he injected the liquid into her, he stepped back.

He set the syringe down and watched her. Rosalinda felt a sense of calm wash over her, suddenly she panicked, this was exactly what the man wanted.

She fought to keep herself alert and awake, yet drowsiness took over and darkness filled her vision. In a matter of moments she fell into unconsiousness.

Keith held Rosalinda up, gently trying to wake her up. He glared at the chief, the man who had injected the unknown liquid into Rosalinda. “How could you!” He screamed at the man.

“This is madness!” He gently laid Rosalinda down, her body still laid limp.

“Calm down, Keith.” Carson, the chief, spoke in a low tone. “I had to, it’s the only way to get exactly what I want from her.”

Keith glared at him, his eyes smoldering from anger. “You. Are. Insane.” He spat out the words. “I can’t believe you would do that to a harmless girl!”

Carson laughed. “Harmless?” His expression turned sour. “She’s barely harmless. Keith, she knows too much. This drug will simply cause her to follow my orders.” He glanced at her. “And cause her to forget everything.”

“Carson, this was way over the edge.” Keith knelt down next to Rosalinda and stroked her hair softly.

“What do you care?” Carson walked over to a table and grabbed scissors. “We need to give her a slight makeover. Dye her hair and cut it.” He snapped the scissors slightly. “Then get her a uniform. She’ll be like every one of my obedient soldiers, except for you, since apparently you’re joining the rebel side. Standing up for a girl.” He huffed as he said the last couple words.

Keith glared at him. “You really are crazy. You are going mad, Carson.” He stood and faced Carson. “You also have no idea who I really am, do you.”

“I know you’re a soldier here, I know you’re going against me.” He grabbed another syringe and hid it underneath his coat.

“Do you know that Rosalinda is my sister?” He pushed Carson into a table. “Do you know my father is a commanding officer that you got in trouble? Do you know I’m working undercover?”

Carson stabbed the syringe into Keith’s arm and quickly injected the substance. “No, but I do know you will forget everything you just said.” He pulled the needle away and watched as Keith fell down, fighting the slip into unconsciousness. “I also know you will no longer be a rebel soldier in this camp.”

“This is madness, Carson.” Keith’s words came out slurred. “Madness. You will never get away with any of it.”

“Never get away with any of it? Well, we will see about that.” He laughed and busied himself with creating more of his mind-changing, controlling serum to control the other prisoners.