“So, this strategy?” Mencari said, his tone smacking of impatience.
Kiyanna called up the plans. “It’s as complete as possible given the information we have on this facility—which isn’t much. We can follow their standard procedures to get our people to the facility. In regard to getting out, we know there are three exits to the facility: the main lift, an emergency lift, and a defunct lift used before the current main one was installed. We should be able to use the defunct lift, and destroy it if necessary so none of the other prisoners can escape.”
“That’s a big assumption,” Mencari said. “And what happens in the middle?”
“That’s the part I can’t plan, sir. We don’t have a layout, and can’t predict what duties and opportunities we’ll have once inside. We’ll have to use our assigned positions to collect information about the site, find Tal, and finalize how we can escape. Naijen will have a unique opportunity to collect information from other inmates.”
“Kinda sounds like one’a your plans, Rylie,” Naijen jeered.
Kiyanna felt her jaw clench.
“This is a great deal of risk for one person,” Eyani said.
Dane pounded on the table and blurted, “Tal’s only crime was killing a Nukari puppet that took power on Keros. He’s also powerful, and would be a useful ally.”
Naijen scoffed. “She also has the hots for him.”
Dane glared at him, then said, “Even so—nothing I said was untrue.”
“I saw Tal’s abilities firsthand during the mission to Keros,” Kiyanna said. “I agree with Dane, he has strong abilities that would be useful to our team, and cause.”
“I just needed to bring it up,” Eyani said.
Kiyanna looked over the assembled group. “If everyone agrees, then we can move forward. Naldes is expecting their new prisoner and relief staff in two days.”
Toriko said, “I think I have a way we can establish communication down to you if needed, too—”
“There’s one more thing,” Eyani said. “We can get you in, but you’ll need disguises. New Eden needs to be able to disavow any of this.” A young man with purple scales like Eyani’s entered the room. “This is Kip. Most of you will remember him from when you went to K’pec. He’ll be giving each member going a new look.”
* * * * * *
You better be alive, Dane thought as the tram jostled on the desert tracks. What if we’re too late? Her intuition told her otherwise. This was exactly why she never got too deeply involved with anyone; it always got complicated and dramatic. Of course, this was taking it to a whole new level. Now everyone seemed dragged into her little rescue operation.
A gleam off the harsh desert sand blinded her. Scowling, she blocked the light with her arm. Eyes adjusting, an aura of light gleamed from around her dark gauntlet. The tech armor wasn’t sexy, but the wardens of Naldes demanded it for their guards. She twiddled her fingers, already missing her black nail polish. Though, Kip had quite the talent for disguise.
Blond? Blond! Who’d even imagine her as one? Raven black suited her best. Though, the sexy hairstyle, shorter on one side that grew longer as it swooped over to the other side, fascinated her. How did he get her nasty, steel wool-like hair to do that? All her previous attempts at styling ended in disaster.
A displeased grunt drew her gaze to Naijen. Look at the poor beastie, stuck in an energy cage. He looked helpless, pouting like a naughty schoolboy in the corner. She grinned. The sight stirred something deep within her. Seeing a powerful man completely neutered brought her a devilish pleasure. She soaked in the moment, allowing herself to enjoy it. She had to find a way to see that more often.
Kip did amazing work, even with Naijen. The prisoner Naijen had swapped places with shared his muscular build. Though his tattoos threatened to be an issue. How Kip hid Naijen’s originals, she’d never understand. When Naijen first saw his covered up, replaced with a large alien skull with chains wrapping around his back, she thought Naijen would run Kip through with the Skar. Somehow Kip assured him the changes would be reversible. The boy better be right. But Kip didn’t stop there. Naijen now was completely bald, with a thick beard. Even in the Naldes prison jumper, his natural animal magnetism made her weak in the knees. He didn’t have much for brains, but the beastie was quite the specimen. Sadly, she’d never catch his eye. Though an odd sense of satisfaction came with the realization no other woman would enjoy him either.
The tram jerked about on the track, nearly throwing her from her seat. The only one not affected seemed to be Kiyanna, who sat unnaturally unmoved by the shaking. She sat quiet, an empty gaze out into the desert. Dane knew that demeanor was as false as the woman’s disguise. Kiyanna might look quiet, but her mind never sat idle. No one could fathom the depth of her mind or the plans Kiyanna was continually hatching. The woman was tough, ironclad. Not even Naijen messed with her—directly. And despite their opposite upbringings, Dane knew she could count on Kiyanna. True friends were hard to find, and Kiyanna always proved herself one.
The memory of Kiyanna’s snorting reaction to her own transformation brought a smile to Dane’s face. Kip made Kiyanna’s overly butch military cut history. Now, curled auburn hair with deep-brown lowlights covered her shoulders. Short textured layers gave it a sexy feminine style. A sensible base and light mascara, and Kiyanna transformed into a new person—Kip’s masterpiece! Or fem-drag, as Kiyanna referred to it. Some people just couldn’t appreciate what a little glitz did for them. With exception to her rigid sense of humor and perfect posture, the only vestige of the warrior’s original form was her favorite pistol strapped to her side.
Dane felt the heavy weight of a gaze upon her. Looking across the tram, her glance met Mencari’s. What is he thinking? Maybe he likes what he sees? Not that she had a basis for the accusation. His boring round pupils now looked like bursting stars. The smooth, pink, Human flesh gave way to a grayish, scaly texture. Sandy-blond replaced his dark hair, and thick sideburns crawled down his jaw, stopping before an overgrown soul patch. Kip evolved Mencari’s provincial Human lineage into something mildly interesting.
Her mind wandered to conversations about Mencari during their side mission to find Tal. Nikko shared how he came into her life and changed it. Kiyanna had a similar tale. Now here he was, helping her with Tal. Admirable. But the personal cost of his deeds reflected in the dullness of his eyes and the slight bags skirting his eyes. Not even Kip’s magic could fully hide those. Nothing outwardly made her think much of Mencari, but his deeds—they spoke volumes. He seemed like a good man, far better than most she’d had relations with. And there was a strange symmetry between them. Her goal was to find Tal. His, to find his missing wife and son. Her heart wrenched with the mere thought of Tal. What must his heart feel like?
Narrik whispered something to Mencari, breaking his gaze, and redirecting hers. Narrik was an interesting character. She didn’t find him handsome, but after Kip’s work, she finally understood Nikko’s attraction to him. The scraggly beard had been manicured to a goatee. The sides of his head were shaved down to the skin, with a long mane of hair pulled back and woven into a thick, manly braid. He looked almost savage, like he should be holding a maul or a bastard sword. The rugged look suited him. On his neck, a black tattoo climbed up from his back. Was that there before, or part of Kip’s design?
For being so young, his talent for transformations left her in awe. Hopefully the success from Kip’s disguises on the K’pec mission would be equally as effective in this one.
Now what were their cover names? Looks were one thing, but the name changes just confused her. What were they again?
Her own alias was Sandra something … Lockhard. Yes, Sandra Lockhard. Naijen’s was simply Gravis. It made her think of “grave,” so it was easy to recall. Mencari’s was Bob Melos. Kiyanna’s would be Erin Saley, Nikko’s, Arra Sen, and Narrik became Kiran Ole. Who came up with these names? Were they real people too, or just fakes? Fortunately, the backstory fed to their new employers didn�
�t specify if they knew each other well. It would be entirely possible for her to point to one of them and say “Hey you,” and that would be sufficient to communicate without using the new names. If she could recall them, great, but she wasn’t about to sweat trying to commit it all to memory.
Seemed like a lot of trouble and annoyance to save Tal. Her newfound family wasn’t just helping, they were putting their own lives in danger. But, if they were successful, Tal would be a fine addition to the D’mok Warriors. Assuming he’d join. But with Narrik’s membership, getting his brother to pledge would be an easy sell.
A moment of frustration overtook her. No surprise. Her diva nature got in the way sometimes. If she’d been more trusting, not jumped to the conclusions she did about Tal, maybe he wouldn’t have been captured in the first place. But maybe being able to look back and see her mistakes was a good thing? Her time with Nikko and Kiyanna, even with Mencari and the other D’mok Warriors, helped her to see what a real family was like. Hopefully Tal would give her a chance to show him the new her, and she’d help him see where he fit in this new family.
Through the tram window, far on the horizon, a white structure rose from the sand. Her heart began to race. Their trek to find him ended there. Kiyanna’s strategies never had holes before. They were headed inside that place not fully knowing how they would get out, or even how to find Tal.
Would everything go as planned? Was what Kiyanna put together in such a hurry enough?
CHAPTER 16
The Hole
Mencari felt a hot breeze as the tram door opened. An armed guard wearing the standard Naldes armor trudged in. Waving his overside hand cannon, he barked, “Everyone out.”
A torrent of cold air gushed from nearby vents. The tram’s environmental system bellowed in vain trying to maintain any semblance of comfort within the exposed cabin. After a visual sweep of the interior, the guard stepped aside. Beyond him, sand blew across a long platform. A small team of workers already scurried in and out of a rear section, unpacking crates. One of those containers had one of Toriko’s beacons. If things went bad, or when they were ready to be picked up, they’d activate it. In the meantime the extraction team would wait just outside the planet’s security perimeter.
He followed the others outside, wincing from the glare of an unforgiving sun. The buzz of their transport and the whistling wind served as the only sounds around them. In just a few steps, the cool air that seeped from the tram dispersed, exposing him to the unbuffered, brutal heat that felt like standing in hell itself. The arid dryness sucked the very moisture from his skin. Suddenly he looked forward to being underground. He had to give it to the architects; putting a prison beneath a vapid dessert seemed brilliant. Who would want to escape up into such a hostile environment? Left unprotected, death would be assured.
More guards wearing Naldes armor rushed past and entered the tram. In moments they emerged, pushing the floating cage containing Naijen.
“Come on, hurry it up,” the guard barked.
Mencari led them across the platform toward an oversized gate that appeared the only way through the towering walls. The way down lay ahead in the towering building beyond.
A moment of panic struck when Kiyanna stormed up to the bellowing guard. Raising his weapon, he looked ready to shoot.
Kiyanna growled, “Lower your weapon!” Like an obedient dog, he followed her command. She came within inches of his face and snarled, “Who do you think we are? Convicts? We’re guards just like you.”
His sun-kissed cheeks turned a darker shade as he stammered, “I-I …”
“Shut it. The only thing I want from you is directions to Captain Harrim.”
If Kiyanna was anything, it was confident, fearless, and bold. She took command of every situation and rode it like a boss. He counted his blessings she was on his side. Her approach seemed especially appropriate for the environment they were about to step into. Showing weakness would be like ringing a dinner bell for the inmates. Mencari needed to be hardened and unmoved, two qualities he never desired in himself.
Rattled, the guard motioned to the big building. Kiyanna turned back, locking eyes with Mencari. Without a word, he led the others through the gate toward the building. Barbed wire lined the top of the surrounding wall, with large white spikes jutting up from the ground on both sides. They continued up a flight of stairs and entered the main building.
As the doors closed, cool conditioned air bit into his skin. Mere moments in the sun and his skin radiated heat. A dark-skinned man in an ornate version of the Naldes armor stood before them. “Welcome to Naldes. I am Captain Harrim, the warden of this facility,” he said flatly. “I’m glad to have you. Despite what you’ve heard, a post here is not a death sentence.” He looked over at Dane, then to Kiyanna. “First, I understand we have a few code violations to address.”
With a hand planted on her holster, Kiyanna said, “I don’t part with my gun. And it’s better than anything you could issue me.”
“Your contracting agency informed me of this. You’re right—keep it. I hope you won’t have need to use it. And you,” he said looking back at Dane. “And you, you have a very unusual accessory.”
Dane’s eyes gleamed as she said, “I’ve heard a thing or two about the men kept down there.”
“Oh?” he said, amused.
“I’ve heard they’ve been very, very naughty,” her hand stroked her whip. “Bad boys get punished.” With a playful innocence she added, “But I wouldn’t want to break any rules.”
His smile grew. “They’re also dangerous.”
“Then don’t keep me waiting.”
“It might be useful. You may take it with you. Follow me to the lift. Once we’re in below, I’ll orient you to our facility, provide your assignments, and organize your transitions with the outgoing guards. Any questions?” When there were none, he added, “This way then … to the Hole.”
* * * * * *
“Move the prisoner to the indoctrination chamber,” Harrim said. With a wave from the lead guard, Naijen’s cage of energy floated forward along with four heavily armed guards. In moments it disappeared around the corner.
Mencari asked, “Captain Harrim, what’s an indoctrination chamber?”
Harrim hesitated with a roguish grin. “First, call me Warden. Second, through here,” he said with a wave to follow him. Turning the corner, Mencari saw a long dirty hallway pocketed with narrow doors. Each had small slits near the top.
“This is where we put those new to the Hole. In the old days, we’d just throw newbies in with the rest of them. It was something, watching a wolf pack tear apart a lamb. We lost more than a few inmates back then, something the bigwigs from the capital didn’t like. Not that they were humanitarians, mind you, they just didn’t like the loss of potential income from housing the inmates killed. A side effect is only the strongest, most brutal among them survived.”
With a gleam in his eye, he waxed nostalgic.
“Now? We treat the incarcerated like new fish to a piranha tank. We help them acclimate to the new environment, instill new rules, and whatever else our funders want us to do.”
“How long are they in there?” Kiyanna asked.
“That all depends.”
“On what?” she added.
“How cooperative the inmate is,” Harrim gazed down at Dane’s whip. “You never know how one’s talents can be used to help encourage inmates.” Something about his grin made Mencari uneasy. “Rooms are kept near pitch black and dirty. Conditioning messages, subliminal and overt, are pumped in twenty-four-seven. Food is offered through a sliding panel in the door. No visitation beyond interrogators, otherwise it’s solitary confinement.”
He walked over to a digital board at the entrance of the indoctrination chamber. “Over here is a list of the soon-to-be inmates, in addition to those inmates currently inside.” Naijen’s name and face was already on the board.
“Memorize these faces and remember why they’re here. They didn�
��t rob a bank, or take candy from a baby. They’re cunning and deadly, and will kill you without a second thought. Am I clear?”
A collective “Yes, sir,” came from the group.
“Good. When we complete the tour, you’ll settle up with the guards you’re replacing.”
Mencari kept sharp-eyed as they continued the tour. A guards’ station overlooked an underground courtyard where inmates could lift weights, play sports, run on a track, or generally gather. On the opposite side of the guards’ station a second chasm opened, providing cafeteria space. Those locations served as the only two open spaces for inmates. Otherwise they stayed in their own cramped cells, separated across four levels.
An open chamber ran down the middle of each level, connecting them. The warden explained the approach was done so inmates could never take over entire sections of the facility. Suppression forces could maintain or regain order from other levels. He added that if a riot got out of hand, guards could retreat to the main station and flood the inmate sections with energized, toxic gases. Any insurrection would be over in minutes, all while the guards remained safe.
Beyond the monitoring rooms and reinforced doors, isolated from the inmate area, were the guards’ lockers, common sleeping quarters, a kitchen, a fitness area, and a well-equipped maintenance bay.
“Here is the emergency lift,” Harrim said. “It takes two keys from the lead guards and my own to activate.”
“Which of us will have the keys?” Mencari asked.
“Once you relieve the other guards, they’ll turn their keys over to their replacement. Speaking of that, shift rotations are coming up. I’ll give you your assignments. Shadow the guard you’re relieving. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. So learn what you need to from them—or learn it the hard way when you’re in with the prisoners.”
Why didn’t he mention the old lift? Perhaps because it wasn’t supposed to be used? Assuming their information about the old lift was right, they’d have to locate it to complete their operation.
D'mok Revival 4: New Eden Page 17
