"Here you go," said Ringer. He held out his hand and gestured to the very last room.
"Thank you," Nova said.
Ringer nodded and started back down the corridor. "I'd lock the door if I were you."
She nodded and stepped inside, shutting and locking the door before letting her shoulders relax.
Her new room was a definite improvement on the locked crate she'd had before. The cement walls and solid metal door created a sense of security and for the first time since she arrived she felt she could breathe.
A thin mattress, covered in stains, hugged the far corner on a rickety frame. She longed to lie down, despite the filth. She tried not to think about who had had the room before her. Probably Brett or Kirt. They didn't need it anymore.
A tap dripped in the corner of the room, creating a damp circle that spread mould up the wall, a small price to pay for her own water supply.
She stepped over a pile of dirty clothes and a long metal pipe to get to a small window. Gripping hold of the rusted metal bars she looked out into the yard below. Prisoners sat at tables inside the courtyard, playing cards and talking. A light breeze brushed over Nova's face, lifting some of the stench of sweat and unwashed bodies that hung thick in the air, almost heavy enough to touch. Nova sighed and sat on the bed, unable to accept that the dingy cell would be home for months.
That night Nova slept better than she had since she arrived on Ankar. The rabid noises of the prison drifted through her barred window but it sounded just like Outer Tabryn, the noises she'd grown up with. A few times her door shuddered, loud bangs echoing around her cell, as people tried to get in.
Her eyes locked on the door but it stayed firm. The solid metal had been designed so that people couldn't break through.
Even those violent interruptions couldn't destroy her night and when she woke in the morning she felt more refreshed than she had since she'd first arrived.
Now that she'd finished phase two she had to prepare for phase three. There was a lot she had to do in the next two months.
CHAPTER TEN
Two and a half months until guard change.
"Nova! Join me!" Carter hollered across the courtyard.
Many prisoners looked up and glared at her as she walked past their tables with her bowl of gruel. She sat down opposite Carter, her knife sprouting from her belt. She'd found a rusted spoon under her new bed that she'd washed and scrubbed until it shone. It didn't make the gruel taste any better, but it did make it much easier to eat.
"Morning," she said.
Ringer took a seat next to her. Both he and Carter had crude spoons similar to Nova's. She stifled a smile at the thought that even here the class system flourished. They had spoons while the masses went hungry. Silver spoon in hand...
She shook her head, getting rid of the revolutionary thoughts. They were the reason she was in this mess in the first place.
"Honouring us with your presence two days in a row?" Nova said, raising an eyebrow.
Carter grinned. "Proving that I'm not afraid. I'm sure you understand. I also wanted to talk to you, and I think we'd have a revolution on our hands if I let you into my quarters after you've only been here two weeks. How's your new room?"
She swallowed a mouthful of gruel. "Better than where I was. I'm glad it has a lock."
"Yes. I'm sure you haven't made many friends. Some of these have been waiting years for a cell," said Ringer, glancing over his shoulder at the other tables. Many prisoners cast dirty looks in Nova's direction.
"Don't mind them," said Carter, waving his hand. "If they wanted rooms they should have saved my life."
Ringer chuckled as he ate another mouthful of gruel.
Nova followed suit. The sticky food slid down her throat like a ball of slime.
"The Hunter here thinks she can get out," Carter said in a low tone to Ringer.
Nova's eyes flew open and the blood drained out of her face. Cold fear gripped her throat, making it impossible to swallow.
She whipped her hand to her knife and had it out of her belt before Ringer could reply. Sweat trickled down Nova's face; she had no doubt the prisoners would chop her to pieces to find out her plan.
"Whoa!" Carter said, holding up his hands. "Take it easy, Hunter. Ringer's good."
Ringer chuckled and held up his spoon. "Your knife is no match for my spoon."
Nova frowned but didn't put away her weapon.
"I don't want to get off," Ringer said, turning back to his food.
Nova stayed tense, eyes flicking between Ringer and Carter. They both looked relaxed.
She lowered her knife but kept it clamped in her fist. If Carter was going around telling everyone her plan, then it was going to get a lot more difficult.
"You must be the only one who doesn't," said Carter around a mouthful of gruel. "Just this food is enough to make me want to leave."
Nova eyed them both. Her hands twitched and the knife quivered. "Why wouldn't you want to leave?"
Ringer glanced at her. "Where do you come from?"
"Tabryn," Nova said without pause.
"Ah, Inner or Outer?"
"Do you think I'd be here if I came from Inner Tabryn?"
Ringer smiled and shrugged. "You never know. Some of the kids in here have some crazy stories."
"Outer," she said.
"Then maybe you can understand," Ringer said. "You ever been an addict?"
"Never touched the drugs," Nova said. "Saw too many friends die."
"Ah," Ringer said, nodding. "So you've seen what it can do."
Nova grimaced, thinking of Caila choking on her own blood.
Ringer stared down into his gruel, eyes glazed over. "Zine was my poison. I would have done anything for another hit."
Nova nodded
"I got into dealing and pushing," Ringer said. "Just so I could have another dose. You should have seen me! I was bleeding from my nose, gums, eyes, but I kept going. Luckily there was always someone there to pump my lungs for me, otherwise I would have died a long time ago."
Nova nodded. She'd pumped Caila's lungs more times than she could count, but there were only so many organ failures one body could take. She shifted in her seat, unsure why Ringer was telling her this. They barely knew each other. Was he trying to sneak his way onto her good side? Use her sympathy?
"Anyway. The Confederacy caught me pushing to some of their reps. Threw me straight in here. They didn't want me spreading the word that half the department was hooked."
"You should have seen him when he arrived," Carter cut in. "He was so skinny, you could see his bones, and his veins stuck out like purple rivers. Every inch of him was covered in bruises and he was raving like a lunatic."
"The next three weeks were the worst of my life," Ringer said, looking around. "Coming down cold-turkey in a place like this."
"How did you survive?" Nova said, eyes wide. She'd barely survived so far and she wasn't coming down off the worst high.
"I think people were scared of me," he said. "Zine gives you crazy strength. I don't remember much of it, but I do know I flipped a small shack. After that, people stayed out of my way."
"I watched him from a distance," Carter said. "I could see that he'd be useful if I could get him back in working condition. I decided that if he survived, I'd take him in. I'll admit I didn't think he'd make it. He spent entire days curled on the ground shaking and yelling. He'd just lie there; no food, no water. It made me cringe even from here."
"I remember the last week or so," Ringer said, voice dropping to barely a whisper. "I was covered in cuts and bruises. My left eye was swollen shut and there was a siren going in my skull that made me want to throw up. But my head was clearer than it had been in a long time. Even so, I was still looking for another hit."
"You should have seen him!" Carter said, shaking his head. "He'd only just come down and he was scrounging every inch of this place looking for Zine. There isn't any of course. The Confederacy made sure there wasn't, because wit
h that kind of strength we might have a chance of getting into the guard complex, even with the radiation shield."
"I remember a couple of people lied to me. They said they had Zine and I could have it if I paid 'em."
"Those poor bastards didn't last very long after he realized they were lying," said Carter with a chuckle.
Ringer nodded, his brows drawing together.
Nova shook her head. "I don't know how you did it, but I'm impressed you survived. Although I don't see why that should make me trust you."
"Don't you see?" said Ringer, lips trembling. "I can't afford to go back out there. Even just talking about Zine makes the cravings come back. Look at my hands."
Nova glanced down. Sometime while he was talking Ringer had put his spoon down and now both of his hands trembled and clenched intermittently.
"I can't afford to go back out there. I know me. I'd go straight to the closest dealer and get a hit. Then I'd be back on the downward spiral. Within a few months I'd be dead. At least in here I'm alive."
"How long's it been?" Nova asked.
"Five years," he said. "And it still keeps me up at night."
"It's a hell of a drug," Carter said. "Even I draw the line at Zine. None of my people distribute it. There's too much risk of them getting hooked."
Ringer nodded. "I respect you for that on top of everything else. I wouldn't wish Zine on anyone, not even the Confederacy."
Nova nodded.
"So there, Hunter," Carter said. "You can trust him."
"Yep, and if there's anything I can do for you, just ask."
"What's in it for you?" Nova said, tucking her knife back into her belt.
Ringer frowned, lifting his spoon in still-trembling hands. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, why would you bother helping us? What's in it for you?"
"Ah, perhaps I can answer that," Carter said. "I've promised Ringer that he can take over the prison operation once I'm gone."
"King of my own little kingdom," Ringer said with a satisfied smile. "Really it's in my best interest to see you gone as soon as possible."
"Will they let you take over?" Nova said. She glanced around at the other tables. Dark stares and gritted teeth met her gaze, making her spine tingle. She couldn't imagine these prisoners following anyone. It amazed her that they even followed Carter.
"Don't underestimate me," Ringer said. "I've got my own muscle and my own friends."
"And my word has a lot more pull than you'd think," Carter added.
"But surely prison rules apply?" Nova said. "Whoever kills the old king gets the crown, and so on."
"For some," said Carter. "But a lot of these people have families. They know that if they try anything, my people would kill their loved ones. So they stay in line."
"But how do you do it?" Nova said. She'd known Carter was controlling his empire somehow but Ankar was shielded from all known communication devices. Her link with Cal had been severed the moment she entered atmosphere.
Carter grinned. "I can't receive. But I can get messages out."
Nova's mind raced. Was this some new technology she hadn't heard of?
"By going right back to basics," Carter said. "Light signals."
"What?" Nova said.
"He's a genius," said Ringer. "Don't ever forget it."
"Lights. I've got people watching the planet. I signal them by turning lights on and off."
"That works?" said Nova.
"So far."
"Wow."
"Yep. So the other prisoners stay in line. I've got them by the balls you might say."
"Clearly," said Nova.
"So, what do we need for this grand escape of yours?" Carter said.
Nova's mind raced over the plan. She hadn't counted on help. This could make things a lot easier.
"I need two of the big labourbots," she said.
"What the hell for?" Ringer said. "You know they take everything out of them that could be turned into a weapon."
"I know that," said Nova. "Can you do it or not?"
"Yeah I can do it. There're some in the Outers. I don't know what they're doing because it's not like there's anything they could fix out there," said Ringer.
"Good. Bring them to my room. There are lots of other things I need, but they're step one."
"Are you going to share your grand plan?" Carter asked.
"No way," said Nova. "That's my bargaining chip."
Carter raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to need something, otherwise you could be playing me for a fool."
Nova folded her arms across her chest. "The transport ship's outer casing is resistant to radiation."
Carter nodded. "So?"
Nova waved her hand. "That's all I'm giving you. I need to keep myself alive."
Carter chuckled. "I like you, Hunter."
"She's got spunk," agreed Ringer.
Nova smiled and saluted them with her spoon. From there the conversation turned away from the great escape and to more mundane things. Like how Kirt was coping after his first night nailed to the ground. Apparently a few of the prisoners had taken the liberty of pissing on him during the night. He was starting to smell.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Two and a quarter months until guard change.
Nova woke up early, tucked her knife into her belt, and strode into the courtyard, stomach rumbling.
Sunlight poured onto her shoulders as she stepped out of the shadowed doorway. A shuffling noise made her turn to face the only other people in the courtyard. Kirt and Scrim.
Kirt lay nailed to the ground where he'd been for the last three days. Blisters covered his skin, rising in red welts that dribbled clear liquid down his cheeks. Peeling skin created white flakes that dotted his clothes amongst the blood stains. Rubbish and worse lay on and around him, tossed by other prisoners. His glazed eyes stared up at the sky, not blinking. If it wasn't for the erratic rise and fall of his chest, he could have been dead.
Nova's gaze fell to Scrim. His shoulders hunched up around his ears and he stood over Kirt, rubbing his hands together. He licked his lips.
Nova's mouth twisted and hunger fled her stomach. She turned away and grabbed a bowl of gruel anyway, sitting as far away from Kirt's body as she could get. She scooped a spoonful onto her tongue and had to pinch her lips together to stop herself throwing it back up again.
Despite her best efforts, her eyes kept sliding to Scrim. His bloody fingers twisted together and he eyed Kirt like a piece of meat. His leg twitched.
Scrim fell to his knees and bent over Kirt's body, moving so fast Nova barely saw it.
She slammed her crude spoon down and jumped up, running towards Kirt.
Scrim bent over Kirt's feet and wrapped his mouth over Kirt's big toe, sucking. The wet noise filled the cold morning air like a cut-rate porno. Scrim closed his eyes as he suckled and moaned. His fingers massaged Kirt's leg.
Nova stumbled to a stop, stomach heaving. She bent over and threw up at the edge of the compound, unable to tear her eyes away. Her feet seemed glued in place even as more bile rose up her throat. A dry choking echoed from the back of her throat.
Scrim's eyes snapped open and he glared at Nova down the length of Kirt's body. He lifted his mouth from Kirt's toe, a trail of spittle still connecting them.
A layer of filth covered the other nine toes, whilst the one beneath Scrim had been sucked clean and gleamed in the morning sun.
Scrim lifted his head and smiled. His pointy teeth glinted and his eyes had a predatory look. He pushed himself to his feet, facing Nova. His fingers clenched at his sides.
Nova's neck tingled and her shoulders tensed. Out of the corners of her eyes she scanned the courtyard but it remained empty.
Scrim sprang at her.
She side-stepped, but too slow.
He slammed into her side and sent them both toppling to the ground. Grinning, he twisted around and straddled her, pinning her arms to the ground. Cold blue eyes peered down at her.
His to
ngue flicked out and ran along his teeth. A line of spittle fell from the corner of his mouth and landed on Nova's cheek.
She twisted her face away, straining to get free, but he kept her trapped. The spittle left a cold trail down the side of her face that made her stomach churn. She ached to wipe it away, her mind teetering on the edge of panic with a need almost as strong as the one to breathe. She would have done anything to free her arms and get rid of the repulsive trail, but she couldn't.
"Get off!" she roared.
Scrim chuckled. "You look delicious."
Blood drained from Nova's face and cold fear crept up her neck, encasing her skull. "Leave me alone."
"Oh I don't think so. You interrupted my meal."
Nova glanced at Kirt out of the corner of her eye. He was unconscious, or at least unaware of what was happening.
With a deep breath, Nova bucked and ripped her arm free. She grabbed Scrim's neck and shoved him sideways.
He scrambled, drew back, and slammed his fist into her face.
Something crunched and pain erupted through Nova's nose. Stars flashed over her vision as she blinked, tears stinging her eyes. Her head rung, stopping any coherent thought. Hot blood poured down her face, coating her chin.
"Don't move!" Scrim screeched. "I'll let that go because you look much tastier than that brute. He was far too... gamey. I bet you taste like adventure, you'll have tang, maybe even a lemon zest!"
Nova blinked and her vision cleared, focusing on Scrim's twisted face. He'd pinned her arms back at her sides and her spinning head prevented her fighting back.
"I'll start with the entrée and then move on," Scrim whispered, mostly to himself.
He bent his face towards Nova, hot breath wafting over her. It smelled of rotting meat and blood.
She twisted in a vain attempt to get away, panting with the effort. Sweat sprung out on her forehead.
"Shh, there's no point struggling."
Scrim nestled down beside her neck and buried his face in her hair. He started sucking.
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