The assailant wore a black balaclava and a tinted eye visor. Jyra thrashed against her mattress, wondering who had her pinned and how much longer she could withstand the fingers crushing her throat. The assailant leaned close enough for her to hear ragged breathing; it sounded like a man behind the mask.
Beyond her struggle, Jyra heard scuffling and shouts from the corridor. A dry wheeze almost sounded like words. Jyra couldn’t tell if the noise came from her mouth or another. The assailant adjusted his grip. One of his fingers pressed against the chain of the locket around Jyra’s neck. Watering eyes blinded her vision, but Jyra heard two quick footsteps and the assailant released her, a grotesque, sputtering howl piercing through the balaclava.
Jyra rolled over, barely conscious, as her attacker fell to his knees, his arms scrabbling in vain for the knife lodged just out of reach below his shoulder blades.
A kick to the chin knocked the assailant onto his back, and he moved no more, like an insect stuck to a board in a display case. Someone knelt before Jyra and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Are you all right?”
Jyra shook her head, unable to speak.
“Not to worry,” a man’s voice said. “We got the squad that came after you–” he glanced at the body on the floor–“barely.”
“I know you,” Jyra wheezed.
“Call me Tony,” he said. “You got to meet me before I got to meet you.”
Shiny burn marks covered Tony’s hands and his face bore several scars, but Jyra also saw the similarity to Dania in his coarse hair and thin mouth.
“All clear?” someone asked from the corridor. Jyra knew that voice too, except it sounded more strained than usual.
“Clear,” Tony said. “She’s hurt. Nearly choked out.”
Jyra knew it was him before Kip stepped into view and Tony pushed back from the mattress.
“I’ll be fine,” she whispered. “I just need a moment.”
Kip’s forehead glistened with sweat above his wide eyes. He clutched a short rifle across his chest, but one of his hands distracted Jyra immediately.
“Blood,” she murmured, pointing at her friend’s red-stained fingers.
“Not mine,” he said gently. He took a deep breath and turned his attention to a rustling on the floor. Jyra looked too as Tony pulled the balaclava and visor off the assailant’s face.
Jyra tried to sit up, but Kip motioned her back to her pillow.
“What is it?” he asked.
“That man,” Jyra whispered. “He’s a donor named Dovens.”
“You’re certain?” Kip asked sharply.
“He challenged me in a donor meeting,” Jyra said.
“Further confirmation of who we’re up against,” Tony said.
“What is happening?” Jyra said.
“The donors betrayed the resistance,” Kip said. “We’ve been too lenient for too long. Masked squads are ransacking the base, sabotaging equipment and killing officers.”
He glanced from Dovens to Jyra.
“Nearly claimed another.”
Jyra suddenly coupled the blood on Kip’s hand with grunt she heard in the hallway.
“Is Commander Hayes all right?”
The answer hung in the silence. Kip swallowed hard and Jyra felt as though she might sink infinitely into her mattress.
“It looks as though the entire squad attacked her at once,” Kip said. “We were seconds behind them. She killed one in the struggle, but the rest overpowered her.”
“Squads are still marauding?” Jyra asked.
Tony nodded.
“They must be stopped,” Jyra said.
“We need to keep you safe,” Kip implored. “Rest until you’re ready to move. Dania’s got ships lined up. We’ll stop as many donors on the way out as we can.”
Jyra placed her hands on the mattress and pushed herself into a sitting position.
“You can’t be ready yet,” Tony protested.
“You have black bruises on your neck,” Kip added. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Do not question me, gentlemen,” Jyra said, pushing her hair aside as she leaned down to pull her boots on. She felt the presence of something besides blood circulating beneath her skin.
“The donors do not wait for rest and I will not rest during their betrayal,” she continued. She slid off the bed and tugged her duffel out from beneath it.
“Excuse me for a moment and take the corpse with you.” The men left without another word, dragging Dovens behind them.
Jyra exchanged her issued uniform for a button up shirt and a pair of lightweight trousers. She also pulled her brother’s dagger from her duffel. It still smelled of the smoke that coiled though Dario’s room as flames consumed the walls. She pushed it into a deep pocket just above her knee and made sure the duffel contained all the necessary contents before she zipped it shut.
Jyra shouldered her bag and felt the strap cut into her shoulder. She waited for the pain, the unbearable strain against skin and muscle, but it never came.
Five paces took her to the corridor, but Jyra wasn’t prepared for the scene. Kip’s team had piled the defeated squadron of donor bodies on the far wall, but Hayes remained where she fell in the middle of the passage. Upon seeing her still form, Jyra dropped her duffel and went back into her room. She seized her discarded uniform and pulled her medal free of the lapel. The journey from her quarters to Hayes’ side never seemed to end. When Jyra finally reached the commander’s body, grief pushed her to her knees. As she wept and felt the bulk of Hayes beneath her hand, Jyra thought of her brother, her parents, and Macnelia, the loss of them seeming to have occurred in a different life.
Jyra released Hayes’ sleeve the moment her tears yielded to anger. Even in death, Hayes retained her dignity and stoicism. Her half scowl remained on her face. Jyra realized everyone was watching her, awaiting instruction.
“How many squadrons are between us and our ships?” Jyra asked. It took Kip a moment to realize she addressed him.
“By the latest estimates, twenty or thirty,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant, but his wide eyes and sweaty brow betrayed him.
“Then that’s how many we kill,” Jyra said. “But we have other work to do first.”
*
Ten minutes later, Jyra and Kip descended toward the holding cells, arguing in hushed voices. Both of them clutched their weapons as they peered ahead into the darkness.
“She knows where to go,” Jyra said. “She can navigate the facility better than any of us.”
“She says she knows,” Kip said. “This is a risk we don’t have time for.”
“We’re nearly there and this will be done quicker than the major mission you just organized. It’s not even who they should be trying to save.”
“I keep telling you, Serana is safe,” Kip said. “The ward is sealed and I have two guards posted. We fabricated several orders detailing Serana’s relocation. They won’t find her. Jarrow, however, is much more vulnerable. The donors know where he lives.”
“Will you support this mission if I support yours?” Jyra asked, adjusting the duffel strap on her shoulder. It didn’t feel as heavy as it used to.
“I don’t understand why we’re doing this,” Kip said flatly.
“I told Hayes that Meriax would be part of the mission to track down the donor database,” Jyra said.
“She’s gone.”
“So you see why I need to bring Meriax,” Jyra said.
Kip didn’t reply as they shuffled onward. Jyra couldn’t help wondering if they made a wrong turn, though the passage only led to the holding cells. Up ahead, the dim glow from the overhead lights ceased and it took several more paces before the gate appeared, shrouded in shadow.
“These lights are usually on,” Jyra said in a reflexive whisper. Muffled cracks sounded beneath their cautious footsteps.
“The glass from the lamps,” Kip said, keeping his voice low, too. He directed his rifle straight ahead. They inched their way toward the gate. Jyra wanted to take great gulps of air, but she fought to keep her breaths inaudible.
By the time they reached the gate, their eyes had adjusted to the near total darkness. A faint light glowed further down the passage. Jyra noticed a shape against the wall beyond the gate as she swung the duffel off her shoulder. It took her a moment to recognize the outstretched arm upon the dirt. The gatekeeper lay still where he landed facedown.
Jyra forced herself to cast a sideways glance at Kip, who had disappeared. She spun around and then felt him move below her. He stood from his crouch before the gate.
“Don’t do that,” Jyra hissed. “This is stressful enough. Didn’t you notice someone murdered the gatekeeper?”
Kip peered though the bars and drew back with a low breath.
“Either on purpose or when they shot out the lights,” he said.
“Does it matter?” Jyra said. Kip only shook his head stiffly in reply and stared straight down the corridor beyond the gate. Jyra looked from the gatekeeper’s wrinkled hand spread on the dirt and then back to Kip’s resolute focus away from the body.
“I’m sorry,” she said. Shame pushed fear aside as she recalled her meeting with Kip near the scrap line.
“Someone started cutting the lock,” he said, his jaw set along with his gaze.
Jyra leaned down squinting and saw the shiny groove carved into the shank.
“They’re trying to get Meriax,” Jyra said, standing up and glancing behind her.
“And what do you think they’ll do then?” Kip asked. The exasperation in his tone vanished. Fear replaced impatience.
“Doesn’t matter. If they want her, it’s even more important that we take her,” Jyra said, tightening her grip on her brother’s dagger.
“I don’t have a grinder or saw,” Kip said, nodding at the lock.
“Whoever comes back will have the necessary tools,” Jyra said.
Kip produced a watch and shook his head.
“We can’t wait here indefinitely,” he said.
“Good, I don’t think we should do that either.”
“Who knows when they’ll come back?”
“We’ll find out,” Jyra said, putting her back against the gate and staring up the passage toward the dim light.
“Jyra, we are on a time limit here,” Kip said.
At the sound of her name, Jyra thought of Serana, the previous resistance, and her family. She stared at the ground, trying to identify the variety of footprints in the soft earth. She wondered if a pair of narrow pointed prints might have belonged to Charis when she confronted the gatekeeper. It was impossible to tell how many people had just been at the gate and how many might be returning.
“Try your rifle.”
“What?” Kip said.
Jyra stepped to the side of the passage.
“Shoot the lock,” she said.
“So the shrapnel can kill us instead of whoever’s coming back?”
“Step away first,” Jyra said, taking his arm.
Kip followed her lead and turned back toward the lock after several paces.
“Why don’t you just shatter the lock with your fist?” Kip grumbled before aiming into the gloom. Jyra pressed her fingers into her ears. Kip fired four shots. Both of them glanced up the passage as the last echoes of the gunfire faded.
Jyra made for the gate, paused, and pushed it open. The lock shank lay on the dirt in two pieces. Jyra beckoned to Kip who trotted forward, examining his rifle, apparently taken aback that he managed to breach the gate.
Jyra knelt next to the gatekeeper, but she confirmed his death the moment she placed a hand on his back. His blood was cold, but still wet. Jyra raised her hand and she looked to Kip who nodded and raised his own stained fingers.
“The cowards shoot people in the back,” he said.
“We have to hurry,” Jyra said, burying her grief.
They found the gatekeeper’s keys in the dirt nearby and moved toward the dim light. They reached the door of Meriax’s cell.
“You didn’t know you could shoot out a lock?” Meriax asked, an incredulous eyebrow elevated. “The people before didn’t have a gun large enough to do the job.”
“Not a problem now,” Jyra said, raising the keys.
“So you’re going to free me?” Meriax said, feigned surprise glowing in her eyes. “It’s what I’ve always wanted.“
Jyra pushed the key into the lock, turned it, and opened the door to Meriax’s cell. As she took a step forward, Jyra leaned in and punched the prisoner squarely in the chin.
Meriax fell straight onto her back and, for the first time, Jyra saw an expression of genuine shock.
“I didn’t know I was going to do that,” Jyra said, flexing her knuckles. “We’ve risked a lot to get you so keep your voice in your head and move out. You say a word and this goes in your back.” She brandished her dagger as Meriax got up, massaging her chin. Nothing but indifference showed on her face and Jyra immediately remembered how uncomfortable she felt witnessing Serana’s cruel exchange with Meriax. At least Serana hadn’t physically harmed the prisoner.
Thoughts for another time, Jyra told herself.
They set off. Jyra wished they could do something to honor the gatekeeper, or at least move his body to the side of the passage, but any delay only increased their chance of meeting the same end. Kip walked directly behind Meriax and Jyra hoisted her duffel onto her shoulder before beginning the long climb.
Jyra kept her weapon ready in one hand. Twice, it sounded like voices were traveling toward them, but no one ever appeared. The trio made it back to the main corridor without difficulty. Jyra looked at the narrow opening from which she had just emerged. It had been cut into the main corridor wall meticulously and the entrance sat in shadow. Jyra thought of Serana again, recalling when she helped her move to her new quarters via the old passages.
“Keep an eye on her would you?” Kip said, interrupting Jyra’s thoughts. “I need to check on progress with Jarrow.” He pulled a small device from inside his tactical vest.
“How does that work?” Jyra asked. “I thought the mist disrupts the signal.”
“Extremely low frequency,” Kip said. “Takes a long time to send messages but it gets the job done.”
He sensed Jyra’s indignation before she could say a word.
“Tony and a couple other folks designed them,” Kip said. “They finished calibrating two hours ago. Believe me, if we’d had these transmitters a week ago, you’d already have one.”
“Any chance we can get back to my quarters?” Jyra said.
“It’s risky,” Kip said. “Did you forget something important?”
“There’s an entrance to the old passages near it,” Jyra said. “No one uses them anymore. We could reach an exit that way without encountering enemies.”
“I thought you wanted to kill as many squads as possible?”
“Save our ammunition,” Jyra said. “We’ll need plenty when we storm the compound.”
“As you wish,” Kip said. “I’ll tell the others to meet there.”
He composed a message as they set off. Jyra made Meriax walk in front of her. She kept her dagger ready in case the prisoner tried to run. Anxiety swelled as they approached every twist in the corridor. Jyra couldn’t believe how fearful she felt in this place she once regarded as a safe haven. Meriax glanced over her shoulder, her vivid eyes shining against her grubby skin and hair. She curled her bare toes against the compacted dirt with ever step. Jyra found herself listening to the prisoner’s gentle footfalls. Perhaps that was why she noticed the sudden silence behind her.
Kip stared at his transmitter and his boots dragged over the ground before he leaned against the wall.
“He’s dead,” Kip said. “Jarrow is dead. They got to him first.” Jyra raised her dagger toward Meriax, reminding herself that she had to remain strong. Meriax need witness only a hint of weakness and she would flee. Nevertheless, Jarrow filled Jyra’s mind. For all he’d been through, he maintained both his humor and cunning nature. Questions lit up like flares as Jyra wondered how the donors managed to break into his room. Kip mentioned he hadn’t been receiving visitors due to security concerns.
Thoughts of Jarrow yielded quickly as Jyra thought of Serana. They couldn’t leave her behind now.
“If they can get to Jarrow, they can get to Serana,” Jyra said, trying to keep the quiver from her voice. She let the duffel fall to her side.
“We planted misleading information,” Kip said.
“Claiming her relocation?” Jyra said, shaking her head. “Where to? That’s exactly what the donors will ask. One way or another, they’ll find out where she’s at. We can’t leave without her. Can you send a message to the guards?”
“I have to speak to them in person,” Kip said. “They won’t stand down until I give the word.”
“We’d better hurry then,” Jyra said.
“I don’t–” Kip began but Meriax cut him off.
“Someone’s coming,” she whispered urgently, sliding back against the wall. Jyra did the same and kept her dagger pointed at the prisoner.
“Sure you’re quick enough with that?” Meriax asked, nodding at the blade.
“Shut up or we’ll find out,” Jyra hissed.
Kip crept to her side, the rifle already aimed at the bend in the corridor. The approaching footsteps grew louder and shadows appeared on the floor, racing to the other side of the passage and climbing the wall.
They rounded the corner and Kip fired. Jyra jerked in shock as the rifle roared. One round dropped two of the bodies. Kip pivoted to fire on the third and last figure who drew a handgun. Kip shot again but his aim went wide. Jyra felt the pull as the dagger left her fingers. She saw Meriax’s arm outstretched and watched the handgun drop along with its owner. It took Jyra a moment to connect Meriax’s throwing arm with the dagger that lodged in the man’s chest. Jyra couldn’t understand why she froze. She slumped to the floor, keeping her back against the wall. Not only had she done nothing to defend herself, Meriax stole a weapon out of her hand. As if to compound her shame, Kip offered his hand to pull her up and nodded at the dagger.
“Nice shot,” he said with a smile.
“Wasn’t me,” Jyra said.
Kip jerked his rifle upward so the barrel nearly struck Meriax in the neck.
“What?” Meriax shrugged, reacting as if Kip pointed nothing more than an accusing finger at her. “The blade is over there.”
Meriax made an exaggerated gesture to the dagger in the fallen foe.
“You tell me right now what you’re after,” Kip said, his lips curved into a snarl. “What are you? A spy? An enemy? What? Fail to answer and I pull the trigger.”
Jyra snapped to her senses and retrieved her weapon. She joined Kip at his side and saw Meriax gazing at the ground.
“I just want to live,” Meriax said. “That’s what I’m after.”
“Keep talking,” Kip said.
“Have you ever considered the idea that more than one type of spy exists?”
Kip rotated the bolt on the rifle but Jyra held up a hand to stop him.
“What do you mean?” Jyra asked.
“The donors are spies and I’m a spy,” Meriax said. “Why then were they trying to kill me?”
“You’re both hired by the Allied Hospitals,” Kip said.
“Correct,” Meriax said. “The hospitals own nearly everything on this planet, including spies. There’s at least one from every planet in the galaxy.”
“How many of your fellow spies are in the base?” Jyra asked.
“Depends how many you’ve killed.”
“Let’s say none have died,” Jyra said. “It’s day one when you infiltrated the base. How many of you where there?”
“Maybe fifteen,” Meriax said.
“This is fascinating,” Kip interjected. “But we need to move now if we’re going to have a shot at rescuing Serana.”
“Agreed,” Jyra said. She hoisted her duffel onto her shoulder again. The trio set off with refreshed purpose.
“If you aren’t affiliated with the donors, why would you know about a database with all of their information?” Jyra asked as they ascended a staircase.
“The place where I trained is also a major data center for the hospitals,” Meriax explained. “But if I found myself in a compromised situation like this, one of the things they taught me was don’t give up information that keeps you alive.”
“You don’t have to talk, but moving faster would be best,” Kip said, taking steps two at a time behind the women. “We’ve already wasted enough time freeing you.”
Jyra no longer kept her dagger drawn. The knowledge that Meriax wasn’t aligned with the donors brought significant relief. Jyra couldn’t help but wonder how Jarrow didn’t see the connection between the donors and spies in the base. Now, he couldn’t answer any questions.
They left the stairs and proceeded down another long passage. Jyra recognized the lighter shade of the surrounding soil. The medical ward entrance finally came into view. Two guards stood on either side of the door. Each one dropped a hand to their hips, but once Kip stepped in front of the two women, the guards froze.
“Why are you still here?” one of them called.
“Plans changed,” Kip replied. “We’re taking her now.”
“She’s still in the ward,” the second guard said once the three gathered before them. The guards each wore armored black vests that matched their dark trousers and heavy shirts. Their helmets looked more like upended soup bowls on their heads than anything else. The first guard had droopy eyelids and shoulders to match. The second guard’s perpetually knitted eyebrows made him appear constantly concerned.
“I certainly hope she’s still in there,” Kip said. “This is Jyra and our prisoner Meriax,” he added, before pointing to the first guard. “This is Barlen and this is Yoke.”
“Are we coming with you, too?” Barlen asked.
“Wouldn’t bother introducing you if you weren’t,” Kip said. “Let us pass.”
Barlen and Yoke shifted and unsealed the door. While Kip filled the guards in about the new plan, Jyra proceeded down the brightly-lit corridor. She paused to take a deep breath before glancing into the window of her friend’s room.
Serana looked much the same since the last time Jyra saw her. Carefully, Jyra opened the door and crept to the edge of the bed, setting her duffel on the ground. The color in Serana’s skin had improved and her vital signs were strong as best as Jyra could tell from the monitors. She bit her lip as she surveyed the multiple medical apparatuses surrounding the bed. The moment she suggested taking Serana, she knew they would have to wheel her out in her bed. Now that she faced everything in the room, Jyra wasn’t sure what, if anything, could be left behind.
The door opened and Kip appeared with Meriax and the two guards.
“What do we take?” Jyra whispered, trying to minimize the desperation in her voice.
Kip kept his gun on Meriax and Yoke stepped forward. He crossed behind Jyra, knelt next to the bed, and began pulling cords loose. Screens flickered and went blank.
“He’s a medic assistant,” Kip said quietly. “I thought someone with knowledge of care should protect her.”
Jyra managed exchange a smile with Kip to show her appreciation, but her worries weren’t far behind.
“How difficult will it be to move her?” she whispered.
Yoke got to his feet and brushed his hands off on his vest.
“Difficult,” he said, before walking to the other side of the bed. He disappeared behind the mattress and more screens went dark. Several control pads mounted to the bed also lost power. Serana’s eyelids fluttered.
Yoke crowded additional IV bags suspended on the wall onto the bed-mounted pole. Serana rolled her head against her pillow.
“What’s she doing?” Jyra asked.
Yoke glanced at Serana and finished securing the IVs.
“Beginning to wake up,” he said gruffly. “Long way to go yet. That’s it,” he added. “Check the cabinets for her belongings and any additional medical supplies.”
Kip kept Meriax in check while the others quickly scoured the room. Jyra found the outfit Serana had been wearing hanging in the narrow closet. It appeared to be one of her flight suits, though the upper half looked as though someone carved it into strips and set it on fire.
“Time to go,” Kip said. “We’ll try the old passages.”
Barlen joined Yoke at the head of the bed and pushed it away from the wall. The wheels cut into the dirt. Jyra slung the duffel strap around the end of the bedrail and tugged. By the time they got the bed out into the corridor, the three of them were sweating. Kip ordered Meriax to assist at gunpoint.
Jyra nearly giving Kip a disapproving stare. She’s the enemy, Jyra reminded herself. Meriax seized the same bedrail and pulled. The bed lurched forward and Jyra had to leap out of the way to keep the bed from striking her. Barlen and Yoke nearly cracked their chins on the headboard as they fell to the packed floor of the corridor.
“Take it easy,” Yoke said. “The slower she wakes, the better. No need to accelerate the process.”
Would this be easier if Serana were asleep or awake? Jyra wondered, but then she thought of Jarrow. They moved the bed again, with greater ease due to Meriax’s assistance. They rolled it halfway down the corridor, but Jyra focused on Serana’s face, lost in her features. Both her and Serana knew what it was like to lose a mother. She thought her father was gone, Jyra thought. Now he is for real. By pushing the thought back, she had to acknowledge it, but she didn’t want to think of it: how would Serana react to the awful news? How Serana managed to do her job under so much pressure, how the spies were allowed into the base–none of it mattered. Sleep now, but wake up soon, Jyra thought fiercely as the bed slid out of the ward.
“They’re diverting,” Kip said.
“What do you mean?” Jyra asked.
They had one more level to go, tugging the bed toward the entrance to the old passages.
“Squads are cutting them off as they try to reach us,” Kip reported. “At least twelve different enemy clusters.”
“That’s close to half the squads from your highest estimate,” Jyra said.
“You think we go for a direct exit?” Kip said.
“Where’s the nearest one from here?” Jyra asked.
“I suggest we head for the old passages,” Meriax said.
“When we want to hear from you, we’ll request it,” Kip snarled.
“What makes you say that?” Jyra asked the prisoner.
“There’s an exit you probably don’t know about,” Meriax said.
“And by exit you mean an enemy squad,” Barlen said.
“Wouldn’t you like to see where the spies got into your base?” Meriax said, her vibrant eyes fixed on Jyra’s.
“It will put us farther from the ships, won’t it?” she asked.
“Yes, but from there the trip is downhill–” Meriax gave the incline beneath her toes a significant glance–“and no squads will stand in our way.”
“The rest of our team is already heading for the old passage entrance, right?” Jyra asked Kip.
“They are, but it’s proving difficult,” Kip said. “That said, if we all scattered and moved ships to new locations, we could rendezvous later.”
“Any communication from ships could be intercepted by the enemy too easily,” Jyra said. “I hate to even consider the choice, but either the rest of the teams make it to the old passage or we go without them.”
Kip stared at the ground then looked from Meriax to Jyra.
“Lead on,” he said with a half-hearted gesture to proceed.
“Kip, these are your people,” Jyra said. “This is your decision.”
“My trust is with you,” Kip said. “I can’t absolve you of the responsibility. That’s the way it is. Serana is out for now and as far as I’m concerned, you’re second in command. I await your decision.”
What Jyra first took to be a glare she recognized as a solemn expression of loyalty. It was the only permission she needed.
“We stick to the plan,” she said. “We make for the old passages, wait for the rest of the team, and move out together.”
They took a longer route to avoid the staircase. The bed creaked and shook, swaying on the uneven ground. Fortunately, gravity handled most of the load on inclines. Jyra turned into a familiar corridor and found nothing but silence.
The memorial torches still burned by Hayes’ body in the middle of the corridor. They distracted Jyra and she nearly walked right by the entrance to the old passages. She wished they could put Hayes’ body on the bed as well, but the loose soil in the original tunnels would slow them down even more. The wheels cut so far into the main corridors, the axles shredded the dirt as well. And the wheels weren’t the only problem.
It took only a moment to notice once they lined the bed up with the entrance to the old passages that it was too wide.
“Get the sheets loose,” Yoke said. “We’ll have to carry her. There’s no other option.”
“Reroute the team?” Barlen suggested, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Kip shook his head.
“The time it takes to transmit isn’t worth it,” he said. “We’ve established a plan and changed it too many times already. They’re still a few minutes out if all has gone well. Serana has to travel without her bed. Get her ready for the journey.”
Yoke pulled the IV bags off the pole and Jyra retrieved her duffel from the foot of the bed.
“She’ll be all right?” Jyra asked Yoke, hoping she didn’t sound too nervous.
“As long as a waiting ship has adequate medical capability, yes,” Yoke said. “Escaping from here without further injury would also be useful.”
Jyra gave a grim smile and loosened the sheets from the mattress. As gently as they could, she, Yoke, and Barlen swung Serana free of her bed. With the IV bags lashed to the strap of his vest, Yoke led the way into the passages.
Jyra heard Meriax start to speak and Kip cut her off.
“Wait here,” Jyra said as they set Serana on the soft earth.
Jyra dropped her duffel and headed for the main corridor where she saw Kip forcing Meraix at gunpoint into the old passages.
“One more word,” he warned.
“What’s happening?” Jyra asked as she saw the plea in Meriax’s eyes.
“Blathering about noises,” Kip said, but Meriax overrode him.
“The others are coming and they’re in trouble,” she gasped.
Kip prepared to jab her in the back with his rifle but Jyra stopped him.
“She’s trying to help,” Jyra said.
“How?” Kip asked. “She’s trying to throw us off more like.”
“She wants to survive just like the rest of us,” Jyra said.
“Our people,” Kip said, fixing Meriax with a derisive stare. “Where are they?”
“The next corridor beyond this one,” she replied. “You’ll hear them soon.”
Jyra leaned back from Meriax, surveying her like an exhibit in a museum.
“They did you too,” she heard herself say.
Meriax directed her attention to the floor. Jyra thought of how Meriax heard her conversation with the gatekeeper. Now, she heard enemies approaching around the corner before Jyra or Kip.
“What is it?” Kip asked, adjusting the grip on his rifle.
“The hospitals experimented on her, too,” Jyra said. “Just like me. Just like you.”
Kip lowered his weapon and he kept his jaw set. He opened his mouth but no words emerged.
“We can swap stories about what happened to us later,” Meriax said. “Your teams are about to appear with plenty of opposition right behind them.”
Kip and Jyra exchanged glances, confirming neither one heard approaching footsteps.
“We need to fortify our position,” Meriax said.
Jyra took three strides to the edge of the bed abandoned in the main corridor and, with minimal effort, threw it onto its side.
“Besides the passage, this is the only cover we get,” Jyra said.
Several quick shots blasted in succession. Kip, Jyra, and Meriax instinctively crouched behind the bed. Hushed voices, the clatter of steel against armor, and the scuffing of boots on the floor heralded the arrival of the teams. They wore similar uniforms to Yoke and Barlen, the latter of whom took his post just inside the passage, preparing to open fire. Several members of the team limped onward assisted by comrades. Kip stood and beckoned toward the old passage entrance.
“Stay low, stay low, he whispered. “The walls won’t stop enemy fire.”
“That’s how I got hit,” a man hissed as he limped past, keeping one knee locked. The more people appeared, the faster they moved. Gunfire roared from around the corner and everyone in sight broke into a run. Jyra pulled Kip down as the oncoming horde vaulted over the bed, keen for the most direct route to safety.
Almost the moment it began, the stampede subsided as the last few members of the team sought position to return fire.
“All teams, fall back!” Kip bellowed, peering over the mattress. Another round from unseen guns and one of the figures dressed in black keeled forward.
The remaining few ran for it. Jyra saw shadows moving around the distant corner.
“To the center!” Kip ordered. The runners shifted into single file. Barlen hefted a shotgun around the corner. Kip aimed his rifle past the edge of the bed.
A masked donor leapt into view and took a wild shot that blew a cloud of dust and dirt from the floor. Barlen double-checked to ensure the runners were out of range before he fired a reply. By that time, at least twenty more people swarmed the corridor. Their weapons sang as the runners dived behind the bed, which shuddered as bullets tore into the automation machinery of the lower frame.
Jyra helped get the others into the passage. Barlen and Kip fired another round before retreating. No one said a word as they fell back. When they reached the small alcove where Jyra left Yoke with Serana, the scene had changed dramatically. A group of about thirty individuals, all wearing black armor, plugged the passage. Yoke beckoned to Jyra and she made her way through the crowd.
He managed to keep everyone back from Serana’s body, partially wrapped in the bed sheet. He had also pulled Jyra’s duffel to his side.
“What’s the plan?” he asked over the hiss of whispered conversations. Jyra looked back the way she had come, searching for Kip. The moment she saw him, Barlen grabbed him by the shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Kip’s eyes grew wide in the dim light.
“Everyone,” he announced. His voice felt cold against Jyra’s ears. “We need to move now. Keep it orderly and we won’t lose any more comrades than we have already. Jyra and Meriax, move to the head of the line and lead us out.”
Jyra shouldered her duffel and glanced around for Meriax and she appeared nearby, her pale hair and eyes shining in the gloom. The old passages and the corridor to the holding cells possessed a similar aesthetic.
“Maybe he’s beginning to trust you,” Jyra said.
“I doubt it,” Meriax said. “Whatever the hospital tested on him, it seems like it made him paranoid.”
“Isn’t it nice to share something so miserable?” Jyra said, realizing she had accidentally exposed information about Kip that didn’t need to be shared.
Shots echoed from the main corridor.
“You heard him,” Jyra said to Meriax. “Show me that exit you know so much about.”
They pushed through the throng and set off. Jyra recalled walking the opposite direction with Serana through this exact passage on her way to her new quarters. Once they began moving at the head of the line, Jyra dropped back, confident that Meriax wouldn’t have any escape routes available for some time. She glanced at the faces around her and finally located Kip.
“What did Barlen tell you?” she asked. Kip stared straight ahead, but the crinkles above his brow revealed his anxiety.
“One of the donors has grenades,” Kip said, hardly above a whisper. “Barlen is certain he saw a man with a full bandolier of them. We should pick up the pace,” he added. “I don’t want to be in this tunnel when an explosive goes off.”
Jyra negotiated her way to the front of the all but silent crowd. She moved ahead of Meriax, trying to increase the pace, but the prisoner held her speed. Jyra didn’t know how long she tried to accelerate the departure, but she stopped before she nearly strode into a wall.
“Good save,” Meriax said.
Jyra glanced at the wall before her and the two possible pathways. In that moment, Jyra remembered Serana pausing at this very intersection. Jyra had asked Serana about why her father called her Twenty-Six. Jyra surveyed the ground and saw the tracks in the dirt she had made with Serana on the way to her new room. The third passage she hadn’t entered summoned her attention.
“Is this the way out?” Jyra asked.
“Or the way in,” Meriax said with a smile. “Depends who you are.”
More gunfire sounded behind them. Kip appeared at Jyra’s side, bellowing orders.
“They’re closing too fast!” he shouted. “Keep the wounded moving out. Everyone else form up.”
Kip pressed a handgun into Jyra’s hands and clutched her arm before he set off toward the enemy. Several injured comrades continued down the passage while the others all pressed against the wall. Jyra followed Kip, her heart slamming against her chest with each step.
She found him, back to the wall like the others. Jyra leaned out of range of the firearms behind her. She held the weapon, feeling sweat gather between her finger and the trigger.
Nothing moved in the gloom beyond and silence replaced gunfire. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the passage. Jyra swallowed hard just as something glinted in the low light around the distant bend in the passage.
A flash of light and the shot roared. Dirt exploded from the wall above Jyra. Kip fired in return and more enemy guns appeared. The comrades unloaded several rounds at once. Dust and smoke filled the passage, obscuring the attackers. The coughs of several donors waded through the thick cloud.
Jyra stared at the ceiling as smoke coiled around the last light fixture that allowed her to see. At that moment, something sailed in front of the lamp. Jyra dropped the gun and pushed off the wall. She leapt into the dust and felt her hand close around the grenade. As she landed on the floor of the passage she threw the explosive as hard as she could.
“Retreat!” Kip shouted.
Jyra heard activity and the clatter of colliding armor. A hand closed on her shoulder and pulled her upright. She ran for the exit, taking only a few steps before the force of an explosion slammed her into the wall and she slid to the floor.
Stay tuned for Part XXXIII