by Cindy Combs
A smile brightened the freckled face. "Casey."
"Thank you, Casey." Then Frank fell back to sleep.
Next morning, jail cell inside mound
She had never realized before that one could be both bored and tense at the same time. During all of her adult life, Jane Mullway had been a woman of motion. Her time had been carefully managed between the lab and teaching, just barely squeezing in time for the normal day to day chores. Even her vacations were filled with activity. Never before had she not had something essential that she simply must do. But that was before her abduction.
It had happened while she was walking the single block between the parking lot and her small condo. It had never occurred to her before just how dark and secluded that path was. All the other times she had worked late, her dog Bear had been with her, adding the security of the big dog's protective nature. Yet Bear had died from old age only two days earlier. So there was no one there to hear her scream when the two huge men jumped out of the bushes and grabbed her.
She had woken up surrounded by Roachians. It had been horrifying to discover they wanted information on how to create a virus that would kill most of the human population. Though she had been able to endure the interrogations and torture, the drugs had been her downfall. Jane was still ashamed of how easily she had answered their questions while under the drug's powerful influence.
Afterwards, she had expected to die. It was well-known that the Roaches viewed any female as a threat to their queen, immediately killing women and girls upon capture. However, she seemed to be the exception. The Roaches decided to keep her alive just in case they needed more information. She had been thrown into a cold cement room with a sink, a hole, and a few blankets and mattresses.
Already in the room was Dr. Felix. Jane hadn't decided whether that was a good thing or not. It was embarrassing to have to share the facilities with a strange man, especially this man. The tall, husky engineer was egotistical and grumpy, prone to long speeches complaining about everything from the room to the Roaches and just life in general. Jane had never seen the use of complaining, so the man was soon driving her crazy. Then his mood seemed to shift from practically begging her to confide in him to having nothing to do with her. She just couldn't figure him out.
Once she was well enough to stand, she spent days roaming the cell, looking for any weakness that would allow them to escape. She couldn't find one, much to Felix's amusement. Finally, she had to give up. But without anything to work towards, her boredom grew overpowering. In desperation, she managed to create a checker board on the dirt floor. Using the small gray and blue tiles that had fallen off the wall around the sink, she taught the game to Felix. It was the only thing that broke up the monotony.
With a sigh, she scratched another mark on the wall to join the 32 other marks. She had been in this damn cement box for 33 days. She almost wished the Roaches had killed her off immediately. The waiting to either be killed or forced to give more information was nearly as hard to endure as the torture. She pushed up the sleeves of the large sweatshirt she wore, wondering what to do that would break up the boredom.
The loud clunks of the outside opening brought Jane back to the present. It was too early for lunch, so that meant there was some other reason for the Roaches to enter the prison. Were they going to interrogate her again? Or had she outlived her usefulness?
"Stand back," the electronic voice ordered. She and Felix stood in the far corner, watching and wondering. Two more drones entered the cell, dragging a shaking man between them. Jane's eyes grew wide. Even from a distance, she could tell the man was having convulsions. How much of her medical training did she remember? Would it be enough to help the man with only a standard aid kit at hand?
The drones dropped the lanky man to the floor, then turned to leave. Once the door had been locked, Jane rushed to the man's side. Thankfully, the convulsions were ending. His naked body was covered with extensive contusions, lacerations, and burns. Probably like I was a month ago. "Help me move him!" she ordered as she felt for the man's pulse.
"What's the use? Looks like he's going to die anyway." Dr. Felix grumbled.
"It's a reaction to the drugs," Jane explained forcefully, grabbing Felix's arm and pulling him towards her. Together, they managed to lift the now limp man and carry him to one of the mattresses. After a quick check for broken bones, she rolled him over onto his side in the recovery position. "Get me the aid kit," she ordered while her hands gently wrapped a blanket around her new patient. He should be okay now. At least, I hope he will. Jane vaguely remembered a study where they had estimated that two percent of the population would suffer severe reactions to the interrogation drugs used by the Roaches. This poor man must be in that two percent. Who are you? Why are you important to them? Whoever he was, she would not allow him to die.
This will be my last entry for a while.
I have an opportunity. It's full of risk. It could turn out to be nothing. But it is a chance to find out what happened to Dad. I have to know, I MUST know what happened. I even might find out where Dad and Frank are, so Uncle Pete can rescue them. I have to do this.
But I can't take anything that will announce me as Sam MacGregor, son of Jeff MacGregor. So I'm sending all my important stuff to Willie. He's still mad that I refuse to tell him what I'm doing, but he promised to keep them safe.
So long, Sam MacGregor. Hello, new world.
- Excerpt from the journal of Samuel K. MacGregor
Jail cell, three hours later
Blair was crying. Jeff could hear the heart-wrenching sobs. Yet when he tried to reach his son, his hands hit a barrier. Desperate, Jeff slammed his fists against the wall, over and over again. However, the unseen material refused to let him pass. Then from behind, he could hear Sam's scared voice calling for him. Turning around, Jeff ran a couple of steps before he hit another barrier. Frustration filled his soul. He ran back and forth within the confines, shouting, "Sam! Blair! Can you hear me? Sam! Answer me! Blair! Blair!...
With a gasp, Jeff's eyes flew open. Pain and confusion assaulted him from all sides. Shivering, Jeff closed his eyes again as the memories surged through his mind.
"Easy there," a deep female voice soothed.
Jeff forced his eyes open to find a petite woman watching him with concern, honey blonde hair flowing past her shoulders. "Do...I...know...you?"
She gave him a sad smile and shook her head. "No, we've never met before. My name is Jane Mullway."
The name sounded familiar, but Jeff was too exhausted to figure out why. "Mine's Jeff MacGregor." Holding his bruised ribs as he struggled to sit up, Jeff missed the woman's eyes widened in recognition. Besides, he suddenly realized he had more immediate concerns. He quickly yanked the blanket back up. "What happened to my clothes?"
Jane tried to keep the smirk off her face. "I don't know. But they left some sweats for you when they dropped off lunch." She handed him a sweatshirt.
Jeff immediately pulled it on, wincing from the numerous injuries. Then he realized most of the cuts and burns had been bandaged. Pointing at the gauze wrapped around his wrist, he lifted an eyebrow in Mullway's direction.
She smiled. "I interned as a physician before going into research." Jeff gave her a weak smile in return. Jane noted that it was a rather charming smile. Then she turned to pick up a bowl. "You need to eat this to get your strength back up. We lucked out this time and got soup." Jane ignored the grumble from Felix on the other side of the cell. They had fought only fifteen minutes ago because he wanted to claim the third bowl as his, since the other man was too sick to eat it. Just when she didn't think Felix could get any more selfish, he surprised her by sinking lower. However, Jane Mullway was not one to back away from a fight, especially when she knew she was right.
"Thanks." Cautiously sniffing the bowl, Jeff managed to lift it to his mouth and take a sip. He paused as his starving stomach fought against having food again. "What do you normally get?"
Chuckling, Jane repli
ed, "Whatever can of something or other the Roaches pull out and heat up. Sometimes it's a vegetable, sometimes we luck out and get stew or hash. I just hope we don't get the heated tartberries again. Some things just aren't meant to be hot."
Felix snorted. Jeff carefully turned to look at him, squinting his blurry eyes.
"That's Dr. Ted Felix," Jane introduced.
"Hello," Jeff greeted. Felix just shrugged his shoulders at him.
Jane rolled her eyes. "Felix got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."
Jeff took another sip of soup, a feeling of unease gnawing at the back of his mind. Pushing it to the side, he turned back to Mullway. "Where are we?"
Jane shook her head. "All we know is that we're still prisoners of the Roaches. I think they're keeping us alive just in case they have more questions."
Worriedly, Jeff searched his mind, staring at the bruises on his arm. "The last thing I remember is being strapped down on a table. They had tried one drug which simply made me attempt to throw up my stomach. But I don't remember what happened after they gave me the second shot."
Gently laying a hand on his shoulder, Jane softly explained, "I think you had a severe reaction to the second drug. You were still having convulsions when they brought you in here." She met Jeff's gaze bravely. "In everything that I've read, the Roaches are unable to force information out of prisoners who react to the drugs."
Jeff closed his eyes and swallowed hard. That meant the incredible amount of technological information in his head was still safe. Sam's future was still secure.
"Why don't you get some more sleep?" Jane suggested, noting the exhaustion in Jeff's eyes. She took the bowl from Jeff's hands and helped him back down. As he laid his head on a pillow, Jeff realized he felt like something was missing. Sleep stole upon him before Jeff could sort out what it was.
That evening, a mile from the mound
Frank was carefully picking at the stew Casey had brought. Not only was he not very hungry, but he could tell the girl hadn't been cooking for very long. I'll have to introduce her to Mama, she could teach her. Frank refused to think that he wouldn't be seeing his mother again. He looked up when the door opened.
A tall, husky man with curly, graying brown hair entered. In spite of the man's size, Frank could see the compassion in his eyes. "Hello, Mr. Colton. My name's Josiah Smith."
Frank smiled. "Call me Frank. You must be Casey's Preacher."
A faint smile of remembrance crossed his face. "The teens tagged me with that name during youth camp. Sounded more friendly to them than Reverend. But you can call me Josiah."
"All right, Josiah." The two men shook hands.
"How's the head?"
Frank shrugged. "Hurts, but not as bad as before."
"Those head injuries can take some time to heal."
"I don't have time." Frank placed the food tray to the side. "I hate to think of what the Roaches have done to Jeff by now."
Josiah was studying him closely. "Casey said your friend was abducted by those human-looking Roaches."
"That's the only thing that makes any sense."
"Why would they want your friend?"
Frank closed his eyes for a moment, then made his decision. "My friend is Jeff MacGregor."
"Jeff MacGregor?" Josiah repeated, astonished. "THE Jeff MacGregor? The same Jeff MacGregor who invented the sea barrier?"
"Yep, that Jeff MacGregor," Frank answered, worry clouding his eyes. The Jeff MacGregor who is my friend and practically my brother.
Josiah's face turned grim. "Not the type of person you'd want keeping company with Roaches."
"Jeff won't tell them anything willingly," Frank explained. "He knows exactly what's at stake here and Jeff can be extremely stubborn when he wants to be. What worries me is wondering what they're doing to him to change his mind."
"I don't like any of the implications," Josiah replied thoughtfully. "If they can reach MacGregor in Lansbury, who else is next?"
"There were rumors of at least three other disappearances before Jeff, though one was killed during the attempt. It's being kept hush-hush, but I work security at the capital, so I hear things."
Josiah's eyes narrowed a moment. "Were there any women in that group?"
Frank searched his sore mind for an answer. "Yeah, Jane Mullway the microbiologist."
"All right, over a month ago, JD and I saw the Roaches escort a woman to the old jail house. Since she was female and small, I'm willing to bet she's human and not one of those undercover Roaches. Now, that area is all covered by mound dirt, but I'd bet you they're still using it for prisoners."
"If you could draw me a map, I'll go in and see if I can spring them."
"Well now," Josiah drawled, "That's a mighty big job for one man, especially one still recovering."
Frank looked him straight in the eye. "You have helped me enough. I don't want to draw you or the kids into the line of fire."
"We've already been there and most likely will be again," Josiah pointed out philosophically. "However, I have an idea. JD and I should have the vehicle ready in another couple of days. That night, JD and Casey can finish loading while you and I search for your friend and any other scientist they've abducted. All goes well, we meet the kids on the road north, and we all escape. If we don't show up by the appointed time, I'll tell them to leave without us. Deal?"
Frank again shook Josiah's hand. "Deal."
Morning, two days later, jail cell inside mound
Sitting on a mattress and wrapped up in a blanket, Jeff watched Mullway and Felix play checkers on the dirt floor. From time to time, Jane would flash him a concerned glance. Jeff returned a weak smile. He knew she was worried about him. During the time he'd been in the cell, he had mostly slept. Fatigue still sank deeply into his bruised and aching body. Jane suspected he was just recovering from the torture and his violent reaction to the drugs. However, she wasn't very happy about the tiny amount of food Jeff was able to force down. Jeff tried to eat more, knowing he'd need all the strength and energy he could get. Yet his stomach rebelled, churning with nausea with every mouthful. Not that Felix minded. The engineer was happy to eat what Jeff couldn't. Again, Jeff tried to pinpoint what bothered him about Dr. Felix but gave up. His mind was too exhausted to make the connections it would have normally raced through.
Drawing the blanket tighter, Jeff pictured Sam in his mind. Between the Sealand invasion and Jeff's disappearance, the teen had to be worried sick and possibly grieving for his brother. But no matter how hard Jeff tried, he couldn't feel Sam. It was like his gift had been muffled, preventing Jeff from reaching out in a way that was usually second nature to him. He wondered if that might be why he couldn't reach Blair before. Had they given the drugs to Blair, producing a similar reaction in his son? Jeff swiftly turned his mind from that possible hope and back to the problem at hand. There had to be a way to get out of here and back to Sam. Again, Jeff sorted through their options and resources, searching for a way for the prisoners to escape.
At the sound of the outside door, the three prisoners looked at each other. Even without timepieces, they sensed it was too early for the next meal. They all stood up as the Chosen One, surrounded by guards, entered the hall outside their cell. The purple Roach stood close to the bars and stared at Jeff. Jeff stared back defiantly.
Then the Roach threw something at Jeff. Jeff caught the small object on a gold chain. Looking down, Jeff felt a numbing cold penetrate his body. It was Blair's star medallion. The medallion that Blair never took off, not even to bathe.
"~snap~ one is gone. ~crackle~ other will be taken ~pop~ you don't give us ~snap~ information." Stunned, Jeff raised his eyes to stare at his enemy. Again, it was his captor who broke the gaze first. "You have ~crackle~ tomorrow." The Roach turned around and left with his guard.
Confused and worried, Jane cautiously asked, "Jeff?"
Jeff couldn't answer her. He could barely breathe. Even though he had been telling himself to accept that Blair was
dead, he wasn't prepared for this small bit of damning evidence. He violently turned and marched to the corner, collapsing down into a ball facing the concrete. Burying his head into his crossed arms, Jeff felt his heart break.
Several hours later, just outside the mound
Frank laid flat on the embank, staring at his goal. It was the first time he been this close to a Drone mound. It actually looked like a mound of dirt, though admittedly a very large one. The crown was comparable to the height of a four story building, while the base covered close to a hundred city blocks. Now Frank fully understood how the Roaches could incorporate several of the human buildings inside their own structure. Josiah had observed them build the mound while covertly picking up the spare parts he needed. General Thornton would be thrilled to have an eye witness report on Roachian construction.
However, that would be well into the future. They had more immediate concerns, like finding a way inside. Somewhere within that mound of dirt was his friend. Frank was determined to get him out. He again surveyed the area between the embankment and the mound, searching for Roaches. It was all fine and good for Josiah to say that the Roaches were too cocky to post regular guards around their installation, but Frank still felt exposed.
"Here," Josiah whispered, breaking Frank's concentration. He handed him a piece of plant.
Frank studied the blue-gray stalk a moment, pulling it away from his face when the putrid odor reached his nose. "What's this?"
"It's what the locals call Roach plant. It'll cover our human scents with a Roachian base scent. That will prevent them from sniffing us out."
Wrinkling his nose, Frank smeared it on his arms and legs. "Does this stuff really work?"
"It's kept them from sniffing out the kids and I for nearly two months."
"Sounds like a vote of confidence to me."
Soon, both men were running bent over to the edge of the mound. Josiah silently knelt and began brushing the dirt away. Mystified, Frank joined him. Only when their efforts revealed a stick and mud structure did Frank realize Josiah's objective. Josiah then pulled a small hacksaw out from under his shirt. He cautiously sawed at the sticks. Frank found a rock and began to chip away at the mud, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to check for Roaches.
