Inside Out

by Maria V. Snyder

  My pulse reacted to the threat out of habit, but I remained in my reclined position.

  “She had help,” Karla said. “She couldn’t have found the space around the levels, hidden Domotor, stolen from my office and stitched the knife wound on her hip by herself. She’s not that smart.”

  “You underestimated me. Don’t feel too bad—it’s a common mistake.” I waved my hand in a dismissive gesture.

  Vinco crouched down to my eye level. “You will tell us where Domotor is and who helped you.”

  I couldn’t believe they’d failed to find Domotor. The game might be over for me, but there were a few others still able to do damage. I repeated my vow to keep my mouth shut.

  Vinco straightened. “Key?”

  No keypads here. Bored inmates could find the code by trial and error.

  He grabbed the ring of keys from Karla. The light jingle sent a vibration of dread up my spine. The snap of the cell door’s lock increased the terror. By the time he stood next to me, my body shook.

  A beeping sound emanated from Karla’s belt. She cursed and toggled on her communicator. “What?”

  Vinco paused and I hoped she would talk for a long time. But she flipped it shut and flashed me an annoyed frown. “I’m wanted elsewhere. Do you need me?” she asked him.

  Yes, I thought. Need her.

  “No. I’ll show her what I can do first. Then we’ll come back and ask questions.”

  “Fine.” She turned on her heel and left.

  The slam of the door echoed in the room. No blankets or pillows or anything soft to absorb the sound. I pushed up to a sitting position, thinking to fight or maybe even escape around him. Maximum damage.

  But Vinco’s reactions were as sharp as his knife. He grabbed my arms and pushed me back on the bunk. Using his weight to keep me down, he pulled my hands behind my head and through the bars.

  The click slide of handcuffs snapped around my wrists, trapping my hands. Feeling completely vulnerable, I twisted. Fear pulsed through my veins, and I clamped down on a plea. I would not give him the satisfaction of begging for mercy. I would not whimper or utter a word.

  He smiled in anticipation and proceeded to demonstrate with the tip of his knife just how much pain he could cause—a considerable amount.

  True to his promise, he never asked me a question. Instead he remained quiet, taking pleasure in my screams. Screaming and yelling weren’t weeping or pleading—a difference I clung to with a tiny bit of pride.

  I lost track of time. Moments of burning pain mixed with excruciating pain and gaps of dull throbbing pain. Karla came and went. Vinco’s knife danced on my skin.

  They asked questions and I refused to answer, and we all settled into a routine. I disconnected from the fear and terror. Growing a metal barrier in my mind, I kept my emotions walled off. The visits tapered and my screaming sessions were further apart. Something was happening to keep the Pop Cops busy. Karla’s insistence on knowing who I worked with grew more frantic.

  The clang of a door roused me from a mindless stupor. I glanced around, but no Vinco. Confused, I raised my head and peered into the other cells.

  The Pop Cops had locked up another person.

  Riley stared at me with horror-filled eyes. I groaned.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “What do you think?” I couldn’t suppress my sarcastic remark.

  “I think you look like something Chomper has chewed on and spat back out.”

  “Such sweet sentiment, lying to me to avoid hurting my feelings.”

  “At least you still have your sense of humor.”

  I let my head drop back onto the bunk. “How many have been caught?”

  The silence pressed on me, but I didn’t have the energy to look and decipher Riley’s expression.

  “Do you mean from the scrubs’ revolt? They’ve been confined to the barracks and are only allowed to leave in small groups supervised by well-armed Pop Cops. No one’s been arrested yet. I believe Logan and Anne-Jade are hiding with Domotor. Cog is missing.”

  I avoided the inevitable conversation about Cog. The rest was nice to hear, but not what I wanted. “I mean of the uppers. You, obviously, have been caught, but what about Doctor Lamont and the others?”

  “Oh! I’m here for talking back to a commanding officer. Ten hours extra duty and ten hours in the brig.”

  Relief flowed through my skin, helping to calm the angry welts.

  He continued, “No upper has been implicated. Karla’s people have been so busy in the lower levels it took me three smart remarks to three different officers to get punished.”

  Shame Vinco wasn’t needed below. But then his comment sunk in. “You wanted to get arrested?”

  “Since I don’t fit through the vents, it’s the only way to talk to you. Logan and Anne-Jade have been busy.” He huffed with amusement. “Anne-Jade’s been wearing the Pop Cop uniform and delivering these devices—little anti-stunners shaped like belt buckles. It deflects the energy from the stunner somehow.”

  I smiled at his awe-tinged voice, but couldn’t share his enthusiasm. Time to burst his bubble. “Riley, we opened Gateway. Outside is nothing. A great big black place of nothing. Cog is gone. He’s out in the nothing. No reason to resist the Pop Cops. No escape from Inside.”

  Silence and more silence. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so blunt.

  “Sorry to hear about Cog,” Riley said. “I wish I could have met him. He sounded like a great guy.”

  “He was. The scrubs revolted because of him. Now they don’t have him or Gateway.”

  “But they have you.”

  I tried to laugh, but it turned into a coughing fit. “So do Karla and Vinco. Don’t think I can do anything for the scrubs, but keep my mouth shut and hope Vinco’s knife slips.” Slips into my neck and ends my time here. During our last session, I’d lost my grip on my metal barrier and almost told Vinco everything.

  “You are the reason I’m here,” Riley said. “If you remember, I didn’t get involved to find Gateway. But to find a way to improve living conditions in the lower levels. I talked to Doctor Lamont and there is a way to even things out between uppers and lowers. The Force of Sheep is worried about being caught, but they’re also motivated.”

  “Why?” I figured they would do what they had done before and lay low.

  “Because of you.”

  “Me? You’ve got to be joking.”

  “You’re right. I am. It’s really because of Sheepy. How he risked his life for them, and how he showed them that scrubs are real human beings who care and want the same things in life. Opened their eyes to the fact the Travas are our mutual enemy.”

  “Sheepy’s a great guy…er…sheep.”

  “He is. But he’s going to be mutton chops soon if he doesn’t fight back.”

  Energized I raised my head and glared at Riley. “Hard to fight back when I’m cuffed to the bars.”

  “Your legs don’t work?”

  “Vinco’s built like a tank. Have you tried to resist him?” I demanded.

  “Yes. If you remember, extra duty is being Vinco’s sparring partner. Except he has a weapon and you don’t.” He rubbed his left forearm.

  I remembered Riley’s bloody sleeve. “Then you know how hard it is.”

  “I never said it would be easy. Giving up is easy.”

  I grumbled.

  “Vinco isn’t very smart. If you do decide to try resisting, there is a package for you in the heating duct right near the vent.”

  “Who—?”

  “Logan rigged Zippy to deliver it to you.”

  “Hard to get it out with solid iron bars acting as a vent cover.”

  “Think about it,” Riley said.

  I grudgingly realized Logan would know about the bars and had probably packed the gift so I could pull it through. I wiggled my fingers. My hands felt swollen, and my wrists felt as if the metal cuffs had ripped off my skin.

  “All you need to do is free yourself fr
om those cuffs,” he said as if commenting on the food in the cafeteria.

  “The Force of Sheep don’t really need me. You have Logan for the computer stuff and Anne-Jade building anti-stunners. In fact, by staying here I’m keeping Vinco and Karla busy for you.”

  “That’s mighty nice of you. But don’t you think you’ve suffered enough? Or do you still feel guilty for Cog’s loss?”

  I sputtered, fuming. “You act like I can just saunter out of here. I didn’t ask to be tortured. If it were up to me, I’d have been Chomper’s dinner hours ago.”

  He sighed. “It’s going to be hard to tell Sheepy that Trella has given up. To tell him that fierce, spunky scrub I first met is gone.”

  I refused to comment.

  “Poor Sheepy will be sad. He’ll miss his best friend.”

  “He’s a toy, Riley. He’ll get over it.”

  He remained quiet for a moment. “You’re right. He will recover. But you’ve gotten a lot of other things wrong.”

  Now it was my turn to sigh. Here we go again. “I don’t have the energy to argue anymore. My throat hurts.” Every word burned and my dry tongue kept sticking to the roof of my mouth. I rested my head on the bunk and closed my eyes.

  “Then just listen to me. I’ll tell you all the things you’re mistaken about. First, you’re not going to be able to resist Vinco much longer. Cog eventually broke. He’s the one who named you and told Karla that Domotor was still alive.” He paused, probably to let the news sink in.

  No wonder Cog had been so frantic when I had visited him the second time. But I couldn’t blame Cog for anything. He suffered enough for me.

  “Second, you’re wrong about no one needing you. The Force of Sheep has been working to infiltrate the security systems, but they need motivation only you can provide. Doctor Lamont needs her intern back, and I need…”

  I waited, but when he didn’t continue, I looked up. He sat on the bunk in his cell with his face in his hands. We both startled when the heavy clang of metal sounded as the main doors to the holding cells were unlocked. For me, it meant Vinco returning for another dreaded session.

  Riley jumped to his feet and stared at me through the bars. “Whatever I say to the commander about the scrubs and you is all a lie. Understand?”

  A wedge of bright light grew between the doors.

  “Yes.” Before he could turn away, I asked, “What do you need?”

  “I need you. I need to give you a proper kiss. I need you to be my mate.” His words were a harsh whisper, but tenderness shone in his eyes. Nothing like the shock that must be in my own.

  The door swung wide, slamming into the wall. Vinco eyed Riley with disgust. “What’re you in for, boy?”

  “Telling Lieutenant Arno to go screw himself, sir.”

  Vinco laughed. “That takes balls, boy.”

  “Well, I didn’t know there was a scrub in the cells, sir. Otherwise I would have been nicer. Don’t you think being so near one of them is cruel?”

  I bit my lip, remembering Riley’s words about lying.

  “Worse than extra duty with me?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The commander chuckled again. “Okay, boy. You can work off the rest of your brig time. Ensign Hollis,” he called, “release Mr. Ashon.”

  Another man entered and unlocked Riley’s cell. Glad to see him free, I watched him leave, but all pleasant thoughts disappeared when the door shut and I was alone with Vinco.

  He entered my cell and began his work. Jabbing me with the tip of his knife, I recoiled. With my pain-addled mind, I was surprised when a plan to escape formed. Not a great one, but better than being Vinco’s playmate.

  During a particularly intense bout, I shouted, “Enough. I’ll talk.” I tried to ignore the satisfied smirk as he drew back.

  “I’m listening,” he said.

  “I’ll show you where Domotor is hiding on level two. It’s all I know, honest.”

  A doubtful, but interested expression creased his ugly face. “Tell me.”

  “Can’t. The entrance is hidden. It’s easier if I show you. You’ll need to bring bolt cutters.”

  He considered and I tried to appear pathetic and weak. Not hard to do, considering I was pathetic and weak.

  “Okay.” Vinco unlocked my cuffs.

  Burning pain shot through my arms as I moved them, sitting up turned into an effort of will. I rubbed my hands together, avoiding my blood-soaked sleeves.

  “Come on.” He jerked me to my feet.

  I swayed and stumbled against him. He shoved me away in disgust. As I fell I grabbed his stunner from his weapon belt. Aimed for his chest. Pulled the trigger. A grunt of surprise and he collapsed on the floor with a wonderful thud.

  The effort left me winded. After a few huffs of air, I stepped over Vinco’s unconscious form and knelt by the heating vent. Nothing visible through the bars, I slid my hand inside. My fingers brushed cloth and I pulled a narrow bag from the duct. Tied with string, the sack contained a number of useful items—a sparkly metal cutter, Logan’s decoder, bandages, a bladder of water and a handful of protein nuggets.

  I ate the nuggets and downed the water. My stomach rebelled for a moment, but I kept the food down by pure force of will. I would need the energy.

  Pulling off my mangled uniform, I wrapped the bandages around my arms, legs and torso. I stole Vinco’s shirt. It fell to my knees. I also snatched his knife and stunner, leaving the kill-zapper on his belt.

  Coated with diamond dust, the metal cutter sawed through the bars. I worked as fast as I could, but it still felt as if hours had passed. Every sound caused me to jump. Finally I finished the last bar and slid into the vent. Making sure I didn’t leave a bloody trail, I hurried to…where?

  Only one place to go—Doctor Lamont’s. The warm air inside the shaft sucked at my energy. I used our storeroom on level four to switch to the air shafts and then to the Gap. The space between levels felt as it always did, hollow and unoccupied. I thought the Travas would have it filled with Pop Cops by now.

  I dropped into Doctor Lamont’s office, thumping hard on the ground. She showed little surprise when she came to investigate.

  She bent over me. “Can you walk to the treatment table?”

  Now that I had arrived, all my cuts throbbed and burned for attention. I nodded and she helped me stand, keeping a hand on my elbow as I wobbled to the table and collapsed on top of it.

  Starting with my legs, the doctor unwound the bandages. She clucked and tsked and cleaned the cuts. I, in turn, cringed and winced and hissed in pain.

  “Four need stitches, and that’s just your legs.” She crossed to her supply table and filled a metal tray with various instruments, including a needle and thread. “This first.” Handing me a glass of water and a small white pill, she gestured for me to swallow it.

  “What’s it for?” I asked.

  “Sleep. Unless you want to be awake when I stitch your injuries?”

  I popped the pill into my mouth, wasting no time. After all the hours spent with Vinco’s knife, I had no desire to feel metal sliding through my skin ever again.

  It didn’t take long for the room to soften and for shadows to gather in the corners of my vision. Soon a blanket of black settled over me as I slipped into a dreamless heavy sleep.

  LC Karla’s voice woke me. I nearly groaned aloud. My escape had just been a dream! But through slits in my eyelids, I discovered I still lay on the exam table. However, I had been wheeled into surgery. A sheet covered my body up to my neck. Blood stained the cover in the area around my midsection, and a mask rested over my nose and mouth. Some kind of soft cap held my hair.

  Doctor Lamont argued with the LC beyond the double doors. “You cannot go in there,” she said. “You are not sterile and could cause a horrible infection.”

  “We have a dangerous scrub on the loose and you’re worried about an infection?” Karla asked in amazement.

  “I haven’t seen this scrub. I told you no one is here but me
and my patients. And Ella, of course.”

  “Why is she in surgery?” Karla demanded.

  “Appendicitis. In fact, if I don’t finish the surgery soon, she could die.”

  “Then you should want to cooperate fully with our search.” The surgery doors banged open and Karla’s voice sounded right next to me. “I’ll be quick, Doctor, so you can return to your patient.”

  22

  I LAY STILL AND KEPT MY EYES CLOSED. KARLA’S HEAVY footsteps sounded all around me followed by the clang of metal hitting metal.

  Doctor Lamont pressed her fingers into my neck as if checking my pulse. “Do you want to search the incision, Karla?”

  The sheet near my hips bunched as if she gripped it. I held my breath, terrified Karla would call Lamont’s bluff, but at the same time impressed by the doctor’s courage.

  “I’m not amused. You should be offering your assistance to find this scrub. Remember your history, Doctor. Cooperation saves lives.”

  “Why should I cooperate? I don’t have a child for you to hold over me anymore. You’ve seen to that.”

  Interesting. It explained why Lamont hated the LC so much.

  “I’m sure I can find another you care for. Your intern perhaps? How long can she survive with a burst appendix?”

  “Get out.” Lamont’s icy voice sliced as sharp as a scalpel.

  “I’ve hit a nerve. Kiana, you’re way too caring of others. No one will miss a few of them. We have plenty more below.”

  I wasn’t sure of Lamont’s reply because my thoughts reeled over Karla calling the doctor Kiana. But I was sure there had to be more than one person named Kiana in the upper levels. The lower levels had a number of scrubs with the same name. Plus the coincidence would be too great.

  Of course the clues all added up. The doctor’s queasy expression when I named the spy during the first Force of Sheep meeting. Her pointed glance with Riley’s father. The fact she was a friend of Jacob’s from their training days. But the odds I would be the one climbing around the pipes and getting involved in the search for Gateway and that I would find Riley were huge. Unless…