by C. A. Wilke
A dozen voices jumbled together in the void, some calling out for her, some laughing and others that were incoherent mumblings. Neil’s voice rang out the loudest. His cold, flat tone called her name over and over.
Scarlett awoke to a bright white light over her face. The air reeked of stale urine and sweat. She turned her head and her whole body ached. A groan escaped her lips as she rolled onto her side. “What the hell?”
She squinted at the ceiling and the intense light overhead. From the ceiling to the floor, the four walls of her confines were a dark, gunmetal grey. Her cot, mounted to one wall, sat opposite a stainless steel toilet. She gauged the space between the two to be less than two feet. The entire room looked barely wider than her arm span and only a little deeper.
“Oh yeah. A holding cell.”
Scarlett reached up to rub the bridge of her nose between her eyes and found her hands still bound by the metal shackles. “Nice.”
She turned around and scanned the rest of the cell. A thick, metal door with a slit at eye-level barred the only exit. Near the ceiling sat a small camera with a blinking red light.
She climbed to her feet and stumbled to the door. Her cheek pressed against the cool surface, she yelled for the guard.
A loud click filled the room followed by a tinny voice. “What?”
The response startled Scarlett. She twisted around and leaned against the wall. “Oh, um.” Her mind raced, trying to come up with something to say back. “I, uh... Where’s Neil?”
The ceiling clicked again.
That’s interesting. She shuffled over to the cot and sat down. Her next words were quiet, like she was talking to someone right in front of her. “Just how well can you hear me?”
She raised her voice enough for someone outside to hear. “How well can you hear me?”
Click. “Well enough.” Click.
“Any chance I can convince you to let me out?” She waited several seconds for a reply. When none came, she sighed. “Thought not.”
The next several hours passed by excruciatingly slowly for Scarlett. As her heart sank lower and lower, any hope of escape faded. She knew it was only a matter of time before Derrick sent Neil or one of his other goons to kill her. Why he hadn’t already killed her was still a mystery. Neil had mentioned that Derrick wanted to see her. But why? What could he possibly get from seeing me?
Her thoughts drifted back to her last conversation with Agent Barnes, and how he’d asked her to help the FBI get to Derrick. Scarlett had simply denied everything. The last thing she wanted was the Feds to get involved. Having Derrick prosecuted with whatever crimes the Feds could make stick was not enough. She now knew the only way her family would ever be safe, was if he stopped breathing all together.
Scarlett glanced up at the exit. Wouldn’t mind Agent Barnes getting involved right now.
Something else he’d said triggered in her memories. One of the other research assistants, Aimee Lackston, had been a federal agent herself. When Aimee died in the same accident that had nearly killed Scarlett, the FBI believed the project destroyed and closed the case.
She raised an eyebrow. What if...
Scarlett reflected on her training with Neil and how easily she’d picked up the martial arts. Weapons had come quickly to her as well. If Derrick knows about my skills.
Her eyes opened wide. A scratch on the metal floor came into sharp focus. Shit. He thinks I’m the undercover FBI agent.
“You took too long.”
Scarlett’s head snapped up. “What?”
“I said you took too long. To go after the data core.” Neil’s eyes appeared in the narrow slit at the door. “If you’d have gotten there sooner, I would have completely missed you.”
She scoffed. “Yeah, that’s a real comfort.” She lay back on the cot and rested her wrist over her eyes.
“You know it wasn’t personal.” His tone, flat as ever, sounded like he was reading a list of facts, not talking about their relationship.
Scarlett forced herself not to laugh. “Which part? The sex or the betrayal?”
“That’s not fair.” His words wavered. “I told you the job is the job. You knew that before we...” Neil’s voice trailed off and he coughed.
“Did you come here to ease your tiny speck of a conscience? The fact that Derrick’s going to kill me any time now, that’s not coming back to haunt you, is it? Or are you compartmentalized beyond that?”
He cleared his throat. “No. Two guards are on their way now. We’re going to escort you to his office.”
“He thinks I was the FBI informant, doesn’t he.”
“Yes.”
“Does it matter that I wasn’t?”
“Not anymore.”
Scarlett rolled over to face the wall. “Then why don’t you leave me to enjoy my last few minutes in peace and quiet.”
Neil’s fading footfalls signaled his departure.
Lying on her side, a hot tear trickled from Scarlett’s eye across her nose. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. If this was going to be the end for her, at least one thought comforted her. Her family, Cash, Ruby, Emily and the kids, were safe. Derrick had no use for them now.
“You got busy with that guy?”
Scarlett sniffled and held her breath. She rolled over and looked at the door, but there was no one there. “Hello?”
The ceiling clicked. “What?”
“He seems like a real jackass.” Dax’s voice seemed to fill the room, even though Scarlett knew she was the only one who could hear him.
She blinked a few times. “Uh... nothing.” She rolled back over to the wall and whispered. “Dax? How the hell?”
“Yep. Me, in all my glory.”
Another voice rang in her head, this time more distant. “Oh, I don’t know. He sounds pretty handsome. But he’s still a jerk.”
Scarlett bolted upright on the cot. “Jules?”
Chapter 46
Out of Time
Sometimes, the only escape is to push through until it’s over, one way or the other.
* * *
The footsteps echoed from the hall outside Scarlett’s cell. The hollow metal sound grew closer until it stopped at her door.
“Dax, no. I... I don’t have time to explain,” Scarlett whispered. She glanced up at the camera in the ceiling. “Listen, just shut up and wait ‘till I give the word.”
“But...” His voice rose in pitch, sounding like a child’s.
“Shhh.”
“Fine.”
Scarlett rolled onto her back on the hard cot bolted to the wall of her small cell. A short while ago, she’d expected to die in this tiny room aboard the Universal Dynamics Industries research space station. Even if she did manage to get out of the holding cell, she had no idea where to go to escape. Neil’s news of Derrick’s need to see her only changed the location, not the outcome.
A surprise communication from Dax through her implanted chip gave her a small ray of hope. He’d hacked into the station’s systems and relayed his signal to her. The station’s core computer also gave him her exact location and an escape route.
Jules’ voice on the comms was an even bigger surprise. Have to ask her what the hell she’s doing there when I get a chance.
The door beeped and slid to the side. Two UDI guards in black uniforms entered. One of the guards held a short rod with metal prongs. He half smiled and half sneered as the tip of the rod sparked with blue bolts of light.
Taserboy
“Don’t worry.” Scarlett rolled off the bed. She rose to her feet slowly. With her shoulders slumped, she held her arms out and displayed her metal wrist-cuffs still intact. “I’m done fighting. It’s not like there’s anywhere for me to go, anyway.”
Taserboy’s half-smile disappeared, but his sneer remained.
The other guard, who she named No-neck, had arms thicker than Scarlett’s own thighs and his shirt bulged at every seam. He seized the center of her cuffs.
With more force than she expec
ted, No-neck yanked her off the cot and propelled her through the door. Once past the guard post and out of Holding, Scarlett was led down one dim corridor after another. Only Dax’s voice in her ear kept her from being completely lost.
Dax whispered a hushed explanation to Jules. “Okay. Running through the center of the ring is a wide hall. That’s where they are heading. Most of the corridor between here and there looks empty.”
Scarlett ran through several scenarios in her head of how a fight with these two guards would go. The only way she could win was with the element of surprise.
“Ok, up ahead,” Dax explained to Scarlett, “the passage you’re in turns then exits to the main corridor. Once you’re through the door, there’s people all over the place. You’re out of time.”
She lifted her head. All her mental scenarios vanished from her mind. Son of a bitch.
The trio turned the corner.
“I’ve locked the door. You’ll have a few seconds of surprise.”
Fuck it.
Ahead, the heavy door leading to the main corridor that ran the length of the entire station was closed. Her escorts took an extra step before they realized she was no longer between them.
Taserboy whipped around. “Why’d you stop?”
Scarlett closed her eyes. She focused on her heartbeat and waited.
“Hey! I’m talkin’ at you.” Taserboy leveled his electric prod at her face.
She opened her eyes again. Her upper lip curled up and she clenched her jaw. “Now.”
Dax’s fingers tapped in her ear. His computer beeped and confirmed the command was sent.
No-neck stepped back and held up a small device, similar to the one Neil had used earlier.
Scarlett’s shackles clicked and fell.
Taserboy’s gaze followed the metal cuffs until they clanged on the floor. He looked back up at her with wide eyes. “Shit.” The guard leaned forward and thrust the buzzing prod at Scarlett.
Scarlett turned and stepped in close to Taserboy. She grabbed the guard’s wrist and wrenched hard. The snap of the man’s bones reverberated through her own. She let the feeling fuel her rage and hone her focus.
From the corner of her eye, Scarlett saw No-neck produce a gun from behind his back. She snatched the prod from Taserboy’s useless fingers and grabbed the front of his armored vest. Scarlett pulled his body in close and hefted his weight.
Three plasma bolts slammed into Taserboy’s armored back, pushing her back. Peeking over his shoulder, Scarlett shoved forward and ran at No-neck. The large guard shot several more blasts, each hitting the dead guard’s armor.
Scarlett used all of her momentum and slammed Taserboy’s body into No-neck. The impact sent all three of them crashing into the wall. She reached up and grabbed her opponent’s gun hand.
No-neck looked down at her and grinned. His large arms were more than a match for all of her strength. He pushed against her hand.
Her arm burned as No-neck pushed her arm down. The man’s free hand grabbed a fistful of her hair and she screamed. He forced her arm lower and lower, gradually shifting the barrel of the gun closer to her face.
From between her chest and Taserboy’s she pulled out the prod. Her face shifted from the grimace of pain to a wicked grin. With the last bit of her strength, she shoved the prod into his neck and pressed the trigger-button.
No-neck seized and twitched with the current flowing through his body. His teeth slammed together and his eyes squeezed shut. Spasms wracked his entire body. His fingers gripped hard against the plasma pistol’s grip and trigger. A single blast shot out from the plasma pistol, singeing her hair.
Scarlett held the prod against No-neck’s skin until its charge was completely dissipated. Finally, she released the button. No-neck, Taserboy, and the prod fell to the ground as she stumbled back.
She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Her whole body shook. A twinge started in her gut and fluttered up through her chest. She felt wetness, but not sweat, at the corners of her eyes. Ohmygod...
“Scarlett? You still there?” Dax’s voice was tentative, worried.
Scarlett shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes, forcing her emotions away. “Yes. I’m still here.” She searched the guards and found a second plasma pistol.
“Oh thank God.” Jules voice started faint then grew very loud. “I was so worried. I mean... We can’t see what’s going on, so it’s like torture. Though, I don’t think I’d want to see ev—”
“Jules, it’s okay. I’m fine.” Scarlett sniffled and shoved one of the pistols behind her back. She put the other in her front waistband.
“Oh. Okay.”
“Jules... You gotta...” Dax grunted. “Here. Sit here. She can hear you just fine from there.”
Scarlett chuckled at the mental image of Dax trying to share his space with Jules. “Alright, you two. I need a place to put these bodies.”
Dax’s fingers tapped, but Jules answered first. “There’s a maintenance closet about fifteen feet back and to the left.”
“Excellent.” Scarlett grabbed Taserboy’s smoking armor vest and pulled him back to the closet. As soon as she got there, the door clicked. The handle turned with ease.
“I could get used to you guys opening things for me on a regular basis.”
“Does that mean I get to help?”
Scarlett heard the smile in Jules’s voice. “We’ll see.”
She shoved Taserboy into the closet and closed the door. Sweat poured from her brow and she wiped it away.
“Uh, Scarlett? You might want to hurry.”
“What’s up?” She bolted back to No-neck’s body. She skidded to a halt just in time to hear something pounding on the door into the main corridor.
“Someone’s trying to get in.”
Scarlett grabbed No-neck’s vest. “Yeah, I got that.” Without thinking, she pulled with the same strength she used on Taserboy, but No-neck didn’t budge.
“Shit, this guy’s heavy.” She grabbed hold with both hands and pulled with all her strength. The body moved as if stuck in mud.
Foot by foot she moved the dead guard, while every second someone pounded on the corridor door from the other side. With her teeth clenched, she grunted and rounded the corner to the closet. She yanked open the door and dragged No-neck inside. Scarlett closed the door and collapsed on the ground next to the two dead guards. “Okay, open it.”
“I already did, a few seconds ago. They were making a call to maintenance.”
She panted, trying to get her breath. “You couldn’t tell me?”
“Sorry, I was impersonating their maintenance department. A little busy.”
“Whatever.”
“Okay, they’re gone. Now that you’re safe, we gotta get you out of there.” Dax’s fingers clacked away at his keyboard. “Once you’re out in the main—”
“I can’t leave. Not yet.”
“What? Not... Why?”
She headed back over to the door to the main corridor. “If I don’t get that data now, no one ever will. We’ll never get a chance like this again.”
“Data?” Jules nearly shrieked. “You’re going to get yourself killed for some data?”
Scarlett smoothed her clothing, trying, in vain, to get rid of some of the wrinkles. “That data is the reason he tried to kill me in the first place, Jules. Even if I wasn’t being paid a lot of money to get it, I would not leave without it.”
She climbed to her feet and ran her fingers through her hair. “Besides. I still need to pay Derrick a visit. This won’t be over until one of us is dead.”
Chapter 47
Open the Door
Never walk into a room without having at least three exits. One for the enemy to enter, a second for them to flank you, and the third for your escape.
* * *
Scarlett made her way through the space station with Dax’s help. She kept to the side corridors as much as possible, avoiding most of the station’s staff. Outside of the
holding cells and a few classified labs, security was minimal.
Every time she passed a researcher or executive, her heart fluttered. She kept repeating a mantra in her mind, “Like you belong... like you belong.”
Even though she couldn’t thank him at the moment, Dax kept her from looking out of place. His instructions guided her turn by turn on her way to the data core.
Jules stayed silent.
Scarlett wasn’t surprised. Scarlett’s brush with death when she escaped from the two guards had to be traumatic for someone not used to violence. Scarlett became so focused on getting to the data core alive, she almost forgot Jules was there.
“Ok, there’s a few meters to go before the entrance to the computer core.” Dax’s voice was calm but wavered slightly. He whistled. “That place is like a small fortress. Extra bulkheads surround the core and the blast door ahead is the only way in. There are two guards inside and two more outside checking credentials. I’m still not sure how you’re going to get in.”
Scarlett stopped. The corridor turned a few feet ahead. She kept her voice to a whisper. “I was hoping you could help with that. You know, a secondary entrance or a ventilation shaft or something.”
“I got nothin’. The vents are six by six inches and this is the only way in or out.”
“Then I guess it’s through the front door.” Scarlet twisted the corner of her mouth. “Hmm... I’m going to need a distraction.” She pulled each pistol out and checked their charge levels. Both were nearly full.
“A distraction? What kind of distraction? My access to the station’s systems is limited.” Dax’s voice raised in pitch. “It’s not like I can just make something explode.”
Scarlett took a few steps away from the corner and whisper-yelled. “Dax. I don’t have time for this shit. Any second now they’re gonna know that I’m walking around this station and they’ll lock it up tight.”
“Wha— Hey! Jules!” Dax’s voice faded slightly, as if he’d turned away from his microphone. “What the hell are you doing? Give me that…”
A loud smack reverberated in Scarlett’s ears.
“Are you done?” Jules’ voice was calm but tense.
“Ow... you hit me. Scarlett, she hit me.”
