The Price of Freedom Read Online Free PDF Page A

intense. Bragan shook his head. "Well, I do know him. We've been bunkmates and we've talked. He wants to escape. He has a sister, he wants to get back to her."
    "We all want to escape," Bragan replied. "And we all have families." He paused. "Or at least, we did."
    "Yes, but he and I have been discussing escape plans from the moment we met," Logan continued.
    "This is an opportunity for him. He may die. He may live. But if he does live and he missed a chance to have his implant removed, I can guarantee that you'll hear about it. You have to do this."
    "Just answer one question," Bragan said coldly. "And I want you to look me in the eye while you do it. If I did this, would I be doing it for him or for you?"
    "You'd be doing it for all of us," Logan replied, meeting his gaze with cool certainty. "We're all going to die here, Bragan. And most of us will die within months, not years. We have a chance to save him, and ourselves. You have to take that chance."
    Bragan closed his eyes without speaking. Then he nodded, once.
    "I'll do it."

    * * * * *
    Bethany stared in horror as four of the slaves carried the man in from the mine.
    He was covered in blood and black dust. His dark hair was matted with filth, and his breathing was fast and shallow. The guards had warned her that an injured man was coming, but nothing had prepared her for this…
    His fellow slaves had found him in the rubble of the cave-in. Blood vessels in his face were broken from the low air pressure in his leaking suit, but somehow he was alive. It was nothing short of miraculous. His partner hadn’t been so lucky. The other man’s body had been crushed almost beyond recognition.
    It was the same man who had taken the cart from her, the man with the penetrating stare. But he wasn’t able to look at anything right now.
    Bragan, the slave who was also a doctor, guided the men into the storage area where they careful laid the man down on Bragan's own pallet. The doctor gestured for her to join him, then knelt by the man’s side, carefully checking his vital signs. Standing over both of them was her father, Bose. He stared at the injured man with distaste, and Bethany felt cold fear for the slave.
    “How soon will he be able to work again?” Bose asked Bragan coldly. “If his recovery takes longer than two weeks, it’s cheaper to import someone new.”
    “It’s hard to know with a head wound,” Bragan said, careful not to meet Bose’s gaze. Bethany studied the doctor’s face carefully, trying to determine how serious the man’s condition really was. “He could wake up at any minute, and the rest of his injuries don’t appear to be that serious.”
    Bethany looked at the patient again, then bit her lip. His condition looked pretty bad to her. Bose wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of the slave if it was his cheapest option. The poor man had suffered through so much…he deserved a chance at life. Sudden determination to save him filled her.
    “Father,” she said quietly. Everyone around her went still. It was rare for a woman to speak in the presence of men on the station, and even more rare for one to speak to Bose. “I believe this man’s survival may be a sign from the Celestial Pilgrim. How else would this man had lived, if our great leader didn’t reach his hand out to save him?”
    She held her breath, waiting for her father’s reaction. Invoking the name of the Celestial Pilgrim, the prophet who had founded their sect a thousand years earlier, was not done lightly. Bose might react to her bold words with rage, or he might be moved by her bravery. His temper was too volatile to judge at times like these.
    “How dare you speak of such a thing?” Bose asked her in a startled voice, the slave before him forgotten. “How are you worthy to speak the name of the Pilgrim?”
    Bethany thought quickly. Bose was surprised, but didn’t seem that angry. What should she say to him?
    “Father, I do not know what moved me to speak,” she said finally,