by Maya Carnage
"Did you say everything you needed to say?" Kris puts the keys in her pocket.
"Yeah, I did. I'm tired, so I was going to go take a nap. See you later." Kris waves goodbye. Dawn takes her time walking to her cell. If the guard can't reach Kayla, Dawn has to find a way to talk to Axe. She needs to make sure that at the end of the month there's going to be a ship rescuing them. Because if they are caught trying to escape, the penalty is death. Her heart starts racing at the morbid thought. She pushes her fears away. She doesn't have the time to worry about that. Not until it gets closer to the time then she might let herself panic a little.
The cells around hers are all empty, and so when she lies down on her bunk, she falls easily asleep.
She is woken up a little while later by someone shaking her shoulder. "What is it?" she said groggily. She opens her eyes and sees Kris crouching next to her bed. "Is something wrong?"
She shakes her head. She gets up from the crouch and goes over to her bunk. Taking a seat, she gestures for Dawn to get up.
She rolls her eyes but sits up. She wraps the blanket around her shoulders warding off the chill in the air. This section of The Gregory is colder than the others. Kris said it is because the worse criminals are here, and they want us to suffer. Dawn assumes she is talking about the guards. Kris isn't a fan of them. She doesn't blame her. Dawn hasn't liked any of her previous guards, except for Axe, but none of them were as bad as the ones here. Some of them are mean, but most of them just don't seem to care.
"I'm up what do you want?"
"I'm coming with you when you break out of here." She looks Dawn directly in the eyes. There's a spark of fire in her gaze. "You're going to need my help. Your leader isn't coming for you because he's trying to tie up loose ends. I'm able to contact Axe, and I'll make sure to that he's here when the time comes to escape."
There's an air of stability around her that Dawn didn't think she's capable of emitting. She knew there was a possibility of the rebel's leader failing them, and that's why she wanted the backup ship. "How do you know all of this?"
Kris shrugs. "That's not important. I might explain it to you one day, but for now, we have more crucial things to talk about."
"Like what?" she asked.
Kris tells her where all the weaknesses are on The Gregory. Their biggest problem will be the guards. Once they realize what they are doing, they'll sound the alert, notifying the Malviks. That can't happen until they are on board Axe's ship. Their best chance of escaping is to get away as far as possible quickly. She says that their best bet is to escape through the cafeteria.
There's a glass divider in the middle of the room. It separates the women from the men. There's a door in the center that opens to let the guards come and go from each side. If they were to get the keys and go through the men's side, there's a long corridor that will take them straight to a small loading dock.
There should be a small flyer there that guards use to transport prisoners to and from other ships. They use that to board The Pursuer. For it to work, they'll have to come up with a plan to occupy the guards.
"Will Axe be able to make it in time?"
She nods.
"Next time we're out in the yard, I'll let my father know the plan," she said. "Can I go back to bed now or is there something else you need to tell me?"
"You may sleep, for now, Perkins. The rest will come later."
Chapter Eleven
Axe
Axe sits at the table with Enzo and Pax. They stare down at the written letter that got delivered that morning. He hasn't received physical mail in a very long time. Not since the time of the war. All correspondences get delivered through comm.
He was still in bed when Pax started banging on his door. When he wrenched it open, ready to berate the pilot for his rudeness, Pax shoved the letter at him.
He stared at it for a second, not quite understanding what he was holding. He met Pax's eyes. The front of the envelope held the official seal of the Malviks. He knew that it couldn't have been good news.
The Malviks never contact the cyborgs directly. An officer or clerk working for them will contact the cyborgs. If they were sending a letter to the sergeant of The Pursuer, it had to be grave.
Axe ripped the letter open. His eyes quickly scanned the contents of the paper. Rodrick has gone AWOL, and the Malviks have put a bounty on his head.
The three cyborgs sit together, not believing their friend would do something he would consider dishonorable.
"Why would he do it?" Pax threw his hands in the air. "Did he say anything to you about it in his voice message?"
"I would've mentioned it if he did. This isn't like him." Axe shakes his head.
"He knows what we're about to do, do you think it has something to do with that?" Enzo's word cause Axe to think.
A week and a half ago, Rodrick sent Axe his message. He hasn't stopped thinking about it since. His friend isn't the type to shirk duty. If he knew that they were about to betray the Malviks, he would've told. It perplexes Axe that he didn't. Now, with him missing and the Malviks putting a hit on his head, Axe is not sure what to think.
"He didn't mention what he was doing or where he was going?" asked Pax.
He shakes his head.
"He's been acting on his calls lately. Rodrick isn't the type to be open and talk about what's going on in his life, but there's been something off about him," said Enzo.
"Rodrick has done fieldwork in a while, but he had bruises the other day when I talked to him. Do you remember?" he asked.
They nod.
"It might not be important, but I think it is." Could Rodrick somehow be involved with the rebels, and is that why he warned him about their leader?
Pax picks up the letter, fingering its edges. "There's nothing we can do for him right now, but afterward we have to find him." He gets up from the table, dropping the letter back onto it, and leaves the room.
"Have you heard anything else from Kris?" asked Enzo.
"Yes, she said that everything is ready on their end, we just have to make sure to be in position at the designated time." Kris has messaged him twice more since the first time. She's filled him in on Dawn. She says that she's doing fine but will be happier out of the Gregory. Axe's relieved that she's not by herself there. Even though he doesn't know Kris, he feels better knowing someone is there to protect Dawn.
"Are you really going to say goodbye to being a sergeant? It's all you've ever been."
"I've grown tired of it, to be honest. Getting up every day and doing the same thing is terrible. I want more, and I didn't know that until I met Dawn," he said.
"What are you going to do when it's over?"
"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to see what she wants." Axe stands. "We need to get back to work."
Enzo gets up and heads toward the helm.
He raps his knuckles on the tabletop and looks around the room. The last week he has worked tirelessly making sure he has everything set for Dawn. It's going to be tough, but as long as everyone follows the plan and does their job, it should be fine.
The next day Axe is startled when he receives a call from headquarters on earth. He is going through the storage room, looking for anything they might need when Enzo comes into the room.
After he lets him know who is on the comm, he lingers by the door. Axe shoos him away, not wanting him to overhear whatever is going to be said.
He connects to the call.
He lets out a tiny sigh of relief when the face that shows up is human. Axe thought that the Malviks was calling. "Sergeant Axe of the 54th regent of The Pursuer. How can I help you?"
"Hi, Axe! Everything is good I hope?" The woman sounds overly chipper. She smiles wide, showing off her white teeth. "I'm Avery Hall. I'm with the Social Services here on Earth. I'm contacting you from headquarters in regards to a prisoner you recently transported." She rifles around her desk. When she finds what she is searching for, she looks back at him. "Dawn Perkins, is that correct?"
He nods.
"Okay, umm, there's a request for her personal records. The note says that there wasn't any information in her record about her family and the connection they have with the rebels. I've found something, but I don't know if it will be of any help. I didn't know if you could forward it to The Gregory. Their connection to earth is spotty most of the time. I've tried them a few times, but they've not answered," she said.
"I'll make sure they get it."
"Great! Her father is James Sanford. Dawn goes by her mother's maiden name, and that's why we weren't alerted of her relation to Him. He's the leader of the eighth ward rebels and is currently serving a death sentence on The Gregory. It's important that they know this information soon," she said. "Thank you so much, and I hope you have a nice day!" She logs off.
Axe knew that her father was on the ship, but he didn't know who he was. Dawn's father is a high-ranking soldier for the rebels. There are twelve wards the leader rules over. That means that Dawn's father is a step below the rebel's leader on the ladder of power.
It explains why they sent her on such an important mission. She's breaking out the twelve remain eighth ward rebels who are still on The Gregory. If she gets caught, the Malviks would never let her live. They'd demand her immediate execution.
This makes thing more dangerous. If one thing goes wrong, Dawn's life could be on the line, and Axe can't have that.
The door to the storage room opens. Enzo comes in "Who was it?"
"A woman from the social service department at headquarters. She had information about Dawn." Axe repeats everything Hall said.
"The Malviks have wanted to get their hands on a ward leader for years. You know that they've put a lot of security on him. It won't be easy getting them out." Enzo sits on one of the wooden crates. "Do you think Kris can manage to get them out without an issue?"
She's been a prisoner for over thirty years, and from what she has told him, she knows the place in and out. That includes the guards. "Yes. We have to make sure that we don't leave a trace behind, they can't know where we're going to take them."
Enzo voices his agreement. "What are you doing in here?" He looks around at the mess Axe has caused.
Their plan is to abandon the ship, leave it floating out in space, and take another craft to Teraz. There will be another ship waiting for them three hours form The Gregory. It's a pirate's vessel, so it won't be on the Malvik's radar.
"I'm going through our storage. It's a three-week trip to Teraz, and I don't know if the pirate will have everything we need. I'm picking out everything we'll take with us and pushing it to the front. That way we can grab it quickly," he said.
Enzo jumps down from the box. "I'll help."
He and Axe get busy going through all of the crates. They create piles of the stuff they are taking with them. When they empty a box, they fill it up with the stuff. It takes them several hours, but they organized everything to sit neatly by the door.
"I need to get back to the helm. Pax is probably irritated by now."
After Enzo leaves, Axe checks the comm. He logs onto his portal. There aren't any new messages from Kris or Rodrick.
The longer he thinks about it, Axe begins to believe that Rodrick's somehow involved with the rebels. He wishes he knew why he warned him about their leader. Dawn seemed to trust him, but maybe Rodrick knows something she doesn't.
There are only two days left before they rescue Dawn and the other rebels, Axe can hardly wait until he has her in his arms again. He'll have to ask her about the leader, if Rodrick says that he can't be trusted, Axe believes him.
Chapter Twelve
Dawn
She scratches at her arms. It feels like ants are crawling over her body. She knows it's because of what today is. In less than three hours, she'll be leading an escape. Anyone would be nervous in her place.
Kris asked her to play checks, and so they sit at one of the tables in the yard. They have been playing for the last hours, and Dawn has won all three games. It's not because Kris is letting her, either. The woman sucks at checkers. Maybe cyborgs aren't good at games.
"Did you want to play something else? We can borrow that chick's set of cards, and I'll show you a game called go fish." She gestures at the woman sitting on a bench by herself playing solitaire.
"I like this game," said Kris. "Are you excited to see Axe again?"
"I haven't really thought about him. I've been thinking about other things, you know, like what's going to happen at lunch."
"I wouldn't worry about that. I've got everything handled." She moves one of her pieces and successfully takes one of Dawn's. "I might beat you this time, Perkins."
She looks down at the board. Most of Kris's checkers are gone, only a few are left behind. "If you say so."
The two women continue their game until the guards shout at them. It's time for lunch.
They make their way to the cafeteria. Kris hums softly under her breath. He's the picture of calmness. Dawn's pals are sweating at her heart's beating hard enough to break her ribs.
They sit down at one of the tables. She leans close to Kris to whisper, "How are you going to occupy the guards?"
She told her a week ago that she'll handle the guards, but she hasn't told Dawn how she was going to do that.
"It's taken care of," she said.
Dawn rolls her eyes at the cyborg's secretiveness.
Women get up from their seat and make their way over to the lunch line. Kris places her hand on Dawn's arm when she moves to follow them. "We don't want to draw attention to ourselves. We should be up there with them."
"Nonsense, that would just cause us to get stuck." Dawn looks at the lunch line. Everything looks fine. She faces Kris to ask her what's about to happen.
Right when she opens her mouth, a fight breaks out among a group of women. Three of the four guards rush over. The fourth stays by the door leading into the women's yard.
Kris stands up and yanks Dawn to her feet. They hurry over to the door. She pulls a key from her pocket. They rush through the door when no one is looking.
The men's cafeteria is empty. They jog over to the door that will take them to the loading dock. On the other side, the eighth ward rebels wait.
Dawn rushes over to her father. He doesn't let her arms stay around him long. He demands to know who the other woman is and why she is with them.
"She's helping us get out."
James Sanford looks at his daughter about to argue against what she said, but Kris steps between them. "I'm the reason you're able to escape today, human. Perhaps you should be thankful."
Kris takes Dawn's hand and leads them down the long corridor to where the small flyer waits. She ushers everyone onto the craft before settling into the pilot's seat.
"Do you know how to fly this thing?" Dawn asked her.
"I was a pilot in the war." She switches on the engine, and it roars to life. "You should buckle yourself in, Perkins."
She moves over to the seat next to Kris while the twelve rebels buckle themselves into the benches running against the wall in the compartment behind them.
Kris maneuvers them out of the docking bay and into space. "We'll meet Axe in about thirty minutes. I sent him a message this morning to meet us at a set of coordinates." She says after they've left The Gregory behind.
"At least the hardest part is over," said Dawn.
She breathes easier with that part of the mission over. Thoughts of Axe flood her mind now that she doesn't feel as pressured. She's missed him these last two weeks. It's weird how she barely knew him, but he's such an impact on her. The fact that he's risking everything for her, she never imagined a man would mean so much to her.
Dawn depended on herself. Kayla and their father were always too busy with the rebels to makes sure she was doing all right, and so Dawn got used to watching her on back. She always thought that would be how it was always going to be, but that was fine.
This mission was about getting her family back, but it's
turned into something much more. She gained a person in her life that she knows will always be there when she needs him.
The ship jerks.
"What was that?" She looks at Kris who looks unconcerned.
"Axe turned on the magnetic pull of his ship. The Pursuer is pulling us into their docking bay." Kris shuts the engine down. Leaning back in her chair, she undoes her seatbelt. "We're going home, Perkins."
Dawn leaves her seat when the ship lands in the bay. She makes her way to the back of the flyer where the door is. She keys in the code that releases the locks. She doesn't wait for the ramp to hit the floor. Jumping from the ship, Dawn looks around for Axe.
He stands by himself near the entrance to the other parts of his ship. He takes long strides toward her. They meet in the middle.
Axe sweeps her off her feet, wrapping his arms around her waist, and kisses her on the lips. In front of everyone. When she pulls back, releasing his mouth, she looks gazes at his face.
"Is it weird to say that I really missed you?" she asked.
"No, but if we're ever apart for two weeks, will I get the same type of enthusiastic welcome?" Kris says from behind her.
Dawn chuckles and gestures for Axe to put her down.
He's reluctant to let her go. Dawn can read the fear that flashes across his face, but it's gone before she can decipher it completely. When her feet touch the ground once more, she pats Axe on the arm. She lets her hand trail down his strong arm and entwines her fingers with his.
"I'd miss you like I'd miss a wort on my ass, Kris."
"Ah, but you would know I'm gone, that's what counts." She walks away, deeper into the ship.
Axe signals for one of his crew to follow her. Pax waits for a second, letting her get ahead, before following in after her.
"Were you all right in there? Kris wasn't always that forthcoming with information," Axe asked.
"I hated being pinned up, but it wasn't that bad. No one messed with me because I was friends with the cyborg. Everyone was wary of her. It's sad if you really think about it. She was in there for thirty-three years, and she had no one to talk to, not really." She's always held prejudices against cyborgs, and if someone were to ask her what she thought Kris went through being kept in prison, practically isolated from all social contact, Dawn would have said nothing. She would have believed that it didn't matter. Spending time with them, they're the same as her and everyone else she realized. Those years spent locked away effected Kris. No one can ever make it up to her, what the Malviks did was wrong.
