by Arden, Mari
Chapter 23
Kaiden leads us, his lean body like a beacon through a storm. I wonder how long he's been here, and why I haven't noticed him before. Even in the darkness, he doesn't hesitate, strategically walking through corridors and rooms like he's studied their interior for days. There is an antique pitcher of some kind in one room. He pretends to knock it over. We all freeze in absolute terror until he catches it before it can drop and make a sound.
"We don't have time for that!" Nymphora hisses.
Kaiden only grins at us, wiggling his eyebrows humorously.
He takes us through mostly bare and grim spaces that look similar to the cells we've been locked in.
"This building used to be a storage warehouse," he explains.
It makes sense. Each cell is small enough for someone to rent storage space.
"It was bare when the Saguinox bought it, but they didn't really bother doing much with most of it. Just the bathrooms." He gestures around. "Whatever is finished has been done by the prisoners and the Saguinox slaves. Like this room."
He opens a door.
We enter what probably had been a meeting room. I'm instantly reminded of the bath room from earlier in the day. This must be the room for men. Cream colors adorn every inch of space, but the décor isn't feminine. Lush paintings depict Saguinox warriors in tightly fitted metal armor defeating their enemies. A scene shows a Saguionox man standing over a headless corpse, holding the mutilated head of his opponent in one hand, and a small pale sheet in the other. Passing by, I'm offered a closer look and I take it, scrutinizing what sort of sheet he could be holding. When I realize what it is, I feel sick to my stomach.
Skin.
He's holding pieces of skin.
I look away, trying to erase the gruesome sight from my head.
Shower stalls are to the left of us, and instead of a Greek fountain there's a small sitting area with masculine chairs neatly set up side by side. There are a few wash spots where people can clean their hands and feet with scented oils.
"They haul all this stuff in their ships," Kaiden informs us. "They drop it here for the prisoners to set up. The crystal was the last thing to arrive. That's why you're digging for Braxi crystals instead of playing maid."
"All this work for a bathroom?"
"Saguinox culture values cleanliness," Kaiden answers. Chloris and Nympohora don't look interested because they probably already know this information. "Cleanliness before meals, or ceremonies, even before death. They believe in purity of the blood, body, and soul." His hand gestures to encompass the entire room. "As you can see this thought lends itself to their prisons, too."
"So they're basically alien germaphobes," I summarize.
"Bloodthirsty alien germaphobes," Kaiden corrects with a grin.
"Are you sure the cameras are all down?" Chloris breaks in.
"Of course. The cameras aren't here anyway," Kaiden replies, motioning us to keep moving.
I'm stunned. "They're not afraid of us at all," I say.
"No," he agrees. "This place is nothing to them. You're here because they need a couple extra workers. That's why they left you all with the guards. They've got bigger fish to fry."
What are they planning?
I feel sick inside.
"Anyway, what's there to be afraid of?" Nymphora asks. "The Saguinox are physically stronger, and they're all enhanced by the crystal. We're like mice to them." Her eyes go to my scarlet dress. "Red mice."
Kaiden motions us to be quiet because we're coming to a door. It's gray, like the walls beside it, and so ordinary looking I would've missed it had Kaiden not stopped us.
I move to the head of the pack right next to him. "This is the door to the outside?"
He shoots me a lopsided grin, and nods. His eyes are sparkling when he says, "Can't wait to stick it to them."
I agree. "What are you doing?" I ask.
"Shutting down the cameras and overriding their systems." I watch him punch in a few numbers before the door opens. "Like magic," he grins.
"This magic I'm not afraid of. It's the other magic that's frightening," I mutter, stepping out. Already the air feels less stale to me, less confined. With a shaking body, and rapid footsteps, I follow Kaiden's lead. My heart's thundering with adrenaline, and the rancid taste of fear. The night air makes me cold, but the danger of what we're doing makes me colder.
Everything feels strange, and gradually I begin to understand why. There are no animal sounds. Not even the chirping of crickets can be heard. I realize in this place that silence might be the most chilling sound of all.
In the shadows the caves ahead are the darkest part of the night. We head toward the largest cave, and the one we work in everyday. When we're standing inside the entrance, Kaiden pulls out a match from his pocket. He lights it, but it barely penetrates the blackness in front of us.
Disappointed, Kaiden says, "It's not going to be much help."
"No," I agree, sighing. "But it's better than nothing."
He holds the lit match higher as if angling it down might magnify the light.
It doesn't.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go," Nymphora urges.
"No," I object. "It's too dark. We'll be able to move faster with only two. Both of you can stay here and keep watch."
"Be quick." Chloris looks troubled.
Walking close together, Kaiden and I head deeper into the cave. "I hid some sledgehammers here. I dug up a hole and buried them."
He whistles, impressed. "How'd you manage to do that?"
I shrug, but he doesn't see it. "It's this trick I have. People don't really seem to notice me."
"Really? If I was down here, I think I'd notice you."
Remembering how easily Lenora forgot my presence, I replied, "I doubt it."
He doesn't respond. Giving me a friendly smile and a pat on the back, he says, "Lead the way."
It's difficult to see where we're going, and the darkness becomes heavier the deeper we go. I know we don't have much time, and it weighs heavily on my mind even as we agree to run ahead. Eventually, the match becomes a drop of light in an abyss of black. Ordinarily, I'd be petrified, but now I know there are scarier things than darkness.
We go down a small slope, and everything starts to feel familiar again.
I stop.
"Maybe here." I gesture in the blackness.
"Are you sure?"
I shrug. Maybe he feels it because he says, "This spot's as good as any."
We kneel, using our hands to dig. I feel like a dog searching for his bone. Kaiden holds the match over us with one hand, while maneuvering the soil below with the other. The dirt is smooth and smells metallic. I dig faster, but I don't find the hardness I expect to feel. After a few minutes, I grab Kaiden's hand, stopping him.
"It isn't here. I think we need to go further in."
He helps me up. "Just tell me where."
He intertwines his fingers with mine and I sprint ahead, knowing we're running out of time.
"Okay," I stop, breathless. "Let's try this spot." I see faint outlines of a familiar table. "It's got to be--"
The light goes out.
We freeze.
Even though I know Kaiden's here I suddenly feel completely alone. "Kaiden?"
"Yeah."
My shoulders brush against his, and I'm relieved to feel him so near me. "Hand me your light and matchbox."
"It's out."
"Let me try anyway."
His hands leave mine for a few seconds. When they return he slips something small and bulky in my palms. The matchstick is thin and coarse, and my thumb touches the head of it. Holding the matchbox with my other hand, I swipe the stick across it. The motion makes a ruffling sound, but no light appears. I try again, feeling the stick sweep across the box and scrape past my fingers.
Again, no light.
I swipe harder, feeling the head rub harder against my index finger. It creates a strange buzzing sensation, and instinctively I
swipe past the matchbox and onto my skin, pressing deeper. The buzzing grows louder, and my skin feels hotter.
A cackle.
Excited, I sweep across the box one more time. It brushes against my finger--
Fire.
I hand the bright flame to Kaiden. "You just had to put some muscle into it."
He grunts.
Bending down, I feel the cold soil beneath my palm. We break the earth with as much ferocity as we can muster, moving rocks and dirt debris. My arms are tired, but I don't let up, digging with all my strength.
I'm breathing hard when Kaiden finally says, "I think this one's a false alarm."
"No." I'm stubborn. "It's here. I know it!"
I keep digging. He sighs, but continues. I don't know how long we go at it. It's probably minutes, but it feels like an hour.
After some long moments, Kaiden says, "We have to go, Kenna". His voice is gentle as if he knows how precarious I'm feeling. I pretend not to hear. "Kenna! We need to leave when it's still dark."
I stop.
Panic and guilt sprout inside me. Panic, that we've taken too much time, and guilt that we might have to leave the other prisoners after all.
Angry, I stand, stomping on the ground beside the hole we've dug. "Damn it!" I stomp again and again. It can't end this way-it just can't!
Again, my foot lands hard on the ground.
I yelp. "Ow!"
I still.
My eyes are wide when I turn to Kaiden. "It's here!" I exclaim excitedly.
He doesn't look like he believes me. I don't care though. My toes are tingling with pain, and that's proof enough for me. Kneeling for the third time, we make our hands into claws, digging furiously, knowing it's our last chance.
When my fingers finally hit metal, I let out a sigh of relief. I'm careful to move slowly, and eventually we find all four sledgehammers right on top of one another. I feel like a kid who's just found her present from Santa.
"It's amazing that you would even try to hide a weapon, but four? You're extraordinary," Kaiden says, clasping the handle of one hammer.
"Not really. Everyone knows the guards are pretty dumb." But I'm beaming with happiness.
"Let's get out of here."
We run, both of us carrying a sledgehammer in each hand. The trek back is a lot faster and Chloris is the first to see us. "What took you so long?" She sounds scared and relieved.
"I'm sorry, " I apologize, imagining the anxiety they had gone through waiting.
Nymphora's still brooding, but brightens considerably when she sees the sledgehammers. She takes one from me, testing its weight in her hands. She looks at it like it's a treasure. I'm surprised she doesn't kiss it.
"No time to play, " I tell her. "Let's go!"
We're running in the dark. My dress flows behind like a cape. I'm scared someone will see us, but the hard metal in my hands give me courage.
This time I don't need Kaiden to lead because I know where to go. I retrace our steps, going past the elaborate bathroom and through dark, dingy corridors until we reach the cells.
The dead Saguinox guard is still slumped on the floor, his face completely colorless. There's an odor emanating from his body unlike anything I've ever smelled. It's pungent and sour like rotten milk. I bend, searching him for anything valuable that might help us. All I find are cigarettes.
"What's the plan?" Chloris asks.
I look at the empty hallway in front of us, and the cells lined on each side. There are no sounds other than us, and I wonder if the other prisoners have any idea what's about to happen. "Break the locks," I reply.
"Barbaric," she comments.
"That's what they get for not even bothering to install cameras here. We're not big enough fish for them to fry," I say sarcastically, referencing Kaiden's earlier statement.
"They'll be switching guards in about ten minutes so we better hurry," he warns us.
Ten minutes?
Filled with panic, we spread out. Nymphora and Kaiden head for the cells upstairs and Chloris and I stay here. I run to the end of the hallway. I know which rooms are empty so I don't bother to stop by them. There are no handles on the doors because they're all on the inside.
I make an exasperated sound. "Do whatever you can to get it open."
The first sound of hammer hitting wood and plaster is frighteningly loud. Even though I'm prepared for it, I wince. It's the loudest sound I've ever heard here, and I have to take another deep breath to calm my shaking body.
Raising my hand, I use all my strength and bring the sledgehammer down hard on the door. The sound is harsh, but I don't stop. My hands rise up and down. Down and up. The pattern is endless, but desperation makes me resolute. Eventually, I'm able to push the first door open.
The girl inside hears the commotion. She's standing in the middle of the room, completely bewildered. The scarlet dress hangs on her skinny, malnourished body, and her eyes are as big as an owl's.
"Hi," I say, breathing hard. I pull the door all the way back. "Come on!"
I don't have time to explain so I move to the next one, hoping she understands what this means. I'm focused on getting everyone out, and it's the only thing driving me, as I pound through each door. I imagine every crack as a crack in the Saguinox plans, and it makes me push harder, and drive my hammer deeper.
Soon I feel someone next to me.
"I'm Mia," the girl says timidly. She's the prisoner from the first cell I opened.
"Go help the others," I pant.
"I want to help you."
"No--"
She pries the sledgehammer from my fingers, and I'm momentarily stunned by the strength in her little arms. Maybe she isn't so malnourished after all.
Her small body heaves with exertion, but her swings are strong. Other prisoners are walking around dazed, confused or in tears. It's as if I'm in the aftermath of a war zone where everyone is quiet and shocked.
Someone grabs me.
Chloris's eyes are wide when she looks at me. I can see people behind her. Some are running. One's trying to break open a door with a chair, and another has Chloris's hammer, pounding on another door with as much strength as she can muster.
"We have to go."
I start to shake my head.
"We've done all that we can. We have to go!"
She pulls me, and I'm too weak to fight her. Kaiden and Nymphora are waiting for us. I see a second guard lying nearby in a pool of blood.
"We got two minutes before the system turns back on," Kaiden says. "The alarm will ring when we leave. That should create enough of a distraction for the rest of them to get out."
A female prisoner runs by carrying his or Nymphora's sledgehammer. He grabs her. "There's another exit through that hallway!" He shouts. "Take the others and run!" He doesn't wait for her to answer.
For the second time that night we sprint through the prison. It's surreal to run through it again. This time my heart is lighter, knowing more might survive, too.
Someone will get out and tell what happened here. This suffering won't be for nothing.
The exit door is up ahead.
I take a deep breath.
The second we bolt through it the alarm sounds. It's a siren, squealing in our ears. It hurts to listen, and we plunge forward. The air that greets us is harsh and unyielding. Manic shrilling from the bell we triggered surrounds us, alerting everyone to what we've done.
The fence is up ahead, about thirty feet away, but every inch feels like a block.
Kaiden reaches it first, almost sliding to get near it. His skin touches the electricity, but he's unfazed. He fumbles with something from his pockets. A scissor. Or at least it appears to look like one.
Nymphora is talking, but the alarm is deafening. It's the only thing I hear in my head. She looks as desperate as I feel. Kaiden examines the tool, quickly turning it over.
I'm not sure what he's doing, but my heart's bursting out of my chest. Silently, I count to keep from falling to the ground
.
Kaiden's fingers grasp the scissor.
One.
He opens it, ready to cut the wires.
Two.
He positions the blades between the electric cable.
Boom.
Chapter 23
Kaiden leads us, his lean body like a beacon through a storm. I wonder how long he's been here, and why I haven't noticed him before. Even in the darkness, he doesn't hesitate, strategically walking through corridors and rooms like he's studied their interior for days. There is an antique pitcher of some kind in one room. He pretends to knock it over. We all freeze in absolute terror until he catches it before it can drop and make a sound.
"We don't have time for that!" Nymphora hisses.
Kaiden only grins at us, wiggling his eyebrows humorously.
He takes us through mostly bare and grim spaces that look similar to the cells we've been locked in.
"This building used to be a storage warehouse," he explains.
It makes sense. Each cell is small enough for someone to rent storage space.
"It was bare when the Saguinox bought it, but they didn't really bother doing much with most of it. Just the bathrooms." He gestures around. "Whatever is finished has been done by the prisoners and the Saguinox slaves. Like this room."
He opens a door.
We enter what probably had been a meeting room. I'm instantly reminded of the bath room from earlier in the day. This must be the room for men. Cream colors adorn every inch of space, but the décor isn't feminine. Lush paintings depict Saguinox warriors in tightly fitted metal armor defeating their enemies. A scene shows a Saguionox man standing over a headless corpse, holding the mutilated head of his opponent in one hand, and a small pale sheet in the other. Passing by, I'm offered a closer look and I take it, scrutinizing what sort of sheet he could be holding. When I realize what it is, I feel sick to my stomach.
Skin.
He's holding pieces of skin.
I look away, trying to erase the gruesome sight from my head.
Shower stalls are to the left of us, and instead of a Greek fountain there's a small sitting area with masculine chairs neatly set up side by side. There are a few wash spots where people can clean their hands and feet with scented oils.
