“As far as taking out the cameras, that’s the easy part. I got the sequence down and ran a couple of dry runs to check my timing. It’ll take me two minutes and fifty seconds to knock out the eyes in the sky. I have an air-compressed pistol that shoots a pellet strong enough to crack the lenses. Don’t worry. I’m a crack shot, remember? It’ll be bit tricky; I’ll have to know the exact time to start plinking, and then be ready to pick you up in the parking lot. I’ll be in a silver, three-passenger electric, Suzuki tri-sled, probably the only one in the parking lot. I haven’t seen more than a dozen vehicles in the parking lot at any time. So it looks like it will be an easy scoop.
I guess that’s it. I don’t see any problems or have any questions. It will help me to know if you’re planning on disguises. I might need to know what you look like.
That’s about it for now.
Double love and kisses back.
Buddy”
Tilly and Fia exchanged looks. “This is going to work,” said Fia. “He’s really got the plan down. If there’s any foul ups, it’ll probably be on our end. Have you decided on any disguises yet?”
“Yep. Tennis outfits. They keep the courts open at night.” She explained about seeing the tennis players in the special booth. “I’ve seen white pleated skirts and latex sports tops in wardrobe. They’re so lightweight; I can fit them in my hygiene bag. I’ll slide the wigs down inside my suit.”
“Tennis shoes?”
“We can use these. I’ve got some pancake makeup that’ll cover the blue. They can pass, as long as nobody stares at them.”
Fia hunched her shoulders. “I can’t think of anything else, other than you getting your picture taken and then me finishing the IDs. Too bad we didn’t have some insurance.”
“What do you mean insurance?”
“Like a distraction or something. Maybe an incident that could pull the guards away from the north wing.”
Tilly chewed her lip. “Maybe I can take care of that for us. Consider it done.” Her expression turned grave. “Fia, we’re going to have to work fast. I saw some workers stripping down the machines in the room. They might go live in that area in two or three days. We don’t need a lot of eyes on us near that blue door.”
“Okay. First thing tomorrow get your picture and bring it to me here. I’ll need to get these ready pronto.”
“Jesus. We might have to make our target date tomorrow night.”
“Kind of looks that way doesn’t it? Curfew is 12 midnight for wards. We’re going to have to do this after our shift and before midnight. That’ll give us a good length of time before they know we’re gone.”
“That leaves us an hour to get ready and get everything in place.”
Fia grasped Tilly’s shoulders, looking at her straight in the eyes. “We can do this!”
They gave each other the victory slap.
Chapter 18
After gulping down a cup of hot coffee in the commissary, Tilly headed straight for the small tourist photo shop next to Nemo’s Lounge. The line stretched for a dozen yards, but she waited patiently. She paid the 20-imperials and stepped behind the cutout. She gave it her best smile. Snap. Photo in hand, she hurried back to her room where she found Fia hunched over the dinette table, putting the finishing touches on her ID card. Tilly handed her the postcard.
Fia brought the card up to her face, then made a side by side comparison with the Arizona ID. “Good one,” she said. “It’ll fit right in there.” She handed Tilly her own finished ID card. “Tell me what you think. I heated up some shrink-wrap I borrowed from the commissary. Kind of a half-assed lamination.”
Tilly admired the work. “It’s perfection, considering what you had to work with. We’re still going to be out of place with no Omnicomps.”
“Yeah, I thought about that. Just the chance we’ll have to take. We’ll think of some excuse if we’re stopped or asked about it.”
“Yeah, like we took them to the repair shop or something. What’s our exit time?”
“Tonight, at 11:45 PM. That’s when we hit the exit door. You’ll have about 20 minutes to gather our outfits after your shift. We’ll change out and paint the shoes in the bathroom. No matter what, we have to meet up together in the bathroom at 11:30. No later. That means nothing can stop us, or it’s a bust.” Fia went to work on the Tilly’s ID. She used a razor edge to begin the cut on the photo. “Don’t stand there. Draft up the letter to Buddy.”
Tilly nodded, blew an excited breath. She gave it a lot thought, choosing her words. She did not want to come off as panic-stricken, but knew this would be the last communication with Buddy. When she finished, she read it aloud.
“Dear Buddy,
By the time you read this, things will be set in motion. We plan on working our shifts tonight then making the big break. We will be out the magic doorway at exactly 11:45. You say you will need about three minutes to poke the eyes out. That would make it 11:42 to start the ball rolling, or the pellets flying, in your case. Look for us to come through the garden path and into the parking lot. We’ll be wearing white tennis outfits. Both of us have dark wigs—Fia’s will be longer than mine. I think that’s all you need to know. Oh, a change of clothes would be nice if you can find them. Maybe some workout sweats or cotton jumpsuits. Something comfortable and easy to put on.
We have hard-copy ID, but no Omnicomps. It wouldn’t do us any good without our DNA cubes and bio-history wafers anyhow. I suppose you have some place to take us. Damn it, we never had a chance to discuss it in the notes. It’s too late for that; it will have to come later. It has to be tonight. I hope to see you before the stroke of midnight.
Waiting for hugs and kisses.
Love,
Tilly”
Fia gave her the thumbs up. “Why don’t you get some rest, sweetie. It’s going to be a long night. As soon as I’m finished up here, I’m hitting nap time.”
Tilly didn’t argue with the suggestion. She walked to her bed and curled up, holding the air pillow against her chest. It took her awhile to settle down and relax. When she finally felt drowsy, she lapsed into a semi-dreamlike state. She saw an image flash in her thoughts. She, Fia, and Buddy were on the run. She couldn’t tell if they were being chased. She could see the lazy wave of palm trees in a warm, sultry breeze that smelled of flowers and salt air. The place looked like freedom.
It made no sense to keep her hygiene items in her bag, so Tilly transferred them to Fia’s larger satchel. It would give her more room for the tennis outfits, and possibly one of the wigs. Their ID cards were finished and stowed in their gear. Their room wall clock read 6:30. Tilly took a last look at the room, especially the balcony, and stepped outside with Fia. They had decided to keep the key cards to the room just in case. Although if they were caught in the act of escaping, it was likely they would be trading in a casino room for a prison cell.
Once inside the elevator and on the way down to the first floor, Tilly’s curiosity got the better of her. She gave Fia a playful finger thump on the shoulder and said, “You never did tell me how you’re going pass these chips through a sensor. Give.”
Fia patted her satchel. “I’ve got the remedy right here. I guarantee it’ll work. I heard it from a very high authority…a very drunk authority, but a professional nevertheless. And don’t look at me like that.”
Once out of the elevator, they entered the main casino floor. Tilly squeezed Fia’s hand and said, “Good luck.”
“Same to you, kiddo.”
They parted company when their aisles led in different directions—one to the Davy Jones Lounge and the other to Nemo’s. Tilly checked the casino clock, timing her steps. She didn’t know why, but she expected something to go wrong when she reached the palm trees. Nerves. But Buddy was waiting and caught sight of her. He made his casual stroll toward her. She almost dropped the note when they passed each other. Buddy’s quick reflexes saved it with a quick catch. She turned her head, giving him a grateful smile, unable to calm the shakiness in
her legs and the lightheaded feeling.
The rehearsal hall bustled with activity when she entered. There seemed to be a lot more people running around than usual. She almost expected something to be out of place, something not quite right. Then she realized that she was imagining things, conjuring up negative vibes. For God’s sake get a hold of yourself. Calm down. You’re looking suspicious and rattled. There’s nothing wrong here. She took a few deep breaths and stretched, did a few high kicks. Anything to relieve the tension. Sue Lin was absent, so Tilly had another dancer help her with the feather applications. She was almost late hitting the curtain.
It was a welcome shock finding Buddy in the audience. Something inside of her kicked back into gear, just knowing he was there for her. Her confidence came back. She felt invincible. Nothing could go wrong, and nothing went wrong with her first show. After her bow, she blew Buddy kisses and then hurried back to the rehearsal room. She checked on the wigs and the tennis outfits. They remained untouched. She figured to pack them up just before her second show.
Sue Lin was still absent from the rehearsal hall. Tilly began to remove the feather applications herself, finding it difficult to break the adhesive bond. The ones on the back of her arms posed the most difficulty.
“Let me help you with that,” said a nearby voice.
Tilly turned to see Candy pull up a chair next to her and grab some alcohol swabs from the counter. The redhead took over the work on Tilly’s arms, expertly softening up the stubborn adhesive.
“You’re not getting ready for your act?” asked Tilly.
“Not tonight. I only have one show—the last one from eleven to twelve. Seems they wanted to try the new girl out in my spot. I’m surprised you didn’t notice the ballet act just before you.”
“I’ve uh, had a lot on my mind lately. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Can’t say that I blame you, what with that little stud cake in the front row. Boyfriend?”
“I’m kind of leaning that way. Actually, more like falling that way. His name is Buddy. He makes me feel like I own the world.”
“Heh, lucky you. Finding love in this place is as hard as cooling down a twattle filled with Dragon Balm.” Candy laughed, pulling a feather piece free.
“Gosh, you know…” Tilly frowned. “I’m really sorry about that. It was pretty juvenile, and I’m sorry it ever happened.”
“Shit. I started it. It was my fault. You really might have broken your leg, and I feel awful about smearing up the floor with oil. I knew what I was doing.” She started on the other arm. “Nice show tonight. It’s the first time I’ve watched you all the way through your routine. You’re smooth, with some real nice moves. You can get brutally sexy when you want to. Great transition from one to the other.”
“Well, I’ve watched you too.” Tilly confessed. “You’re hotter than fusion, with a totally awesome body. I’ve never seen so many men taking off their wedding rings while you danced.”
“Hah! Now that’s a new one. Actually, this body is not all me. I think I’ve sent more than a few plastic surgeons’ kids through college. Which reminds me…I don’t think I’ll need a specialist anytime soon. I think you straightened my nose out.”
Tilly laughed so hard it came out a yelp. Curious eyes turned on them. Some shook their heads, others whispered. Candy’s small group remained distant, glowering.
“I just hope I don’t have to straighten anything else out,” said Tilly.
“Nah. I meant what I said about making it up somehow. It’s the least I could do.”
Tilly raised a brow. “Do you really mean that?”
“Why not; it would cement the friendship part of it.”
Tilly didn’t have to think hard about the offer. “There is something you could do for me. It’s a bit unusual.”
“Try me.”
“Do you think you could cause a distraction during your show tonight? Say at 11:40 exactly? I want to play a prank on somebody.”
“A distraction? I cause those all the time.”
“I mean a colossal one—a real beaut.”
Candy gave her sly smile. “Honey, all I have to do is drop my duds and give ‘em an eyeful.”
“They wouldn’t slip you for that?”
Candy bent down to work on the leg feathers. “Shit. You can’t buy that kind of press. I can make it look like an accident. You know how good I am at that.”
“Eleven-forty.”
“On the dot. No problem.”
They shook on it. Candy helped her finish up with the costume removal, and then stepped back and said, “It’s been a nice talk. We’ll have to do it again. Tell your coach not to use so much glue next time.”
“I will, thanks.” There would not be another sometime. With an air of sadness, Tilly watched Candy walk off and merge into the crowd, where she took up with her admiring minions. After the last show there would not be any more visits to the rehearsal hall, no makeup or Sue Lin. The casino would be a fleeting memory—memories that were more nightmare recollections than anything else. More importantly, FTALC would be minus two of their wards. Freedom was just hours away.
Even though she had rested the previous day, Tilly napped on a cot at the far end of the rehearsal hall. She’d managed to block out the cacophony of noises coming from the actors and dancers. When she awoke, she heard that Sue Lin was looking for her. She met up with her coach at the makeup table.
“Sorry I missed you,” said Sue Lin. “I had an emergency with one of the entertainers. How’d you do?”
“It went terrific. Candy helped me out of my costume. We made up and had a nice talk.”
Sue Lin looked dubious. “I don’t know about that skunt bucket. Bad association, if you ask me.” She looked at the makeup counter, pulled a drawer open. “Where are my god damned balloons!” she roared. “I swear…gone for an hour and the whole place unravels.” She went off in search of the props and returned a few minutes later with them. This will be the last time for these silly contraptions, too, thought Tilly.
Her second and last show had all of the energy of her previous performances and more. Even though Buddy did not attend, she knew the reason why and went all out, dazzling the crowd. She’d remembered what Sue Lin had told her: Go out with a bang and not a whimper. She danced for herself, besting her moves, smiling unabashedly and showing the audience was she was made of. By the time the lights dimmed, nearly the entire crowd rose to their feet and applauded. She made her final bow and walked back with a proud strut to the rehearsal hall. She hoped it would be the last time she ever stepped foot on that stage. Candy passed her, giving her a victory slap and a smile.
“Eleven-forty,” said Tilly.
“On the dot.”
Tilly didn’t wait for Sue Lin to help her clean up, since her coach was gone again. She removed the balloon pieces from her body and wiped herself down. After donning her suit, she picked up her bag and headed for the wig rack. She pulled both wigs from their stands and walked over to the apparel rack. Using the rack as a shield, she un-clipped both skirts and tops, then stuffed them, and one wig, into her bag. The other wig went down her suit top. She checked the time; ten minutes burned. What did I forget? Settle down and think. Something’s missing. Then she remembered and hurried to the makeup counter. She found a small tin of pancake makeup, looked around and then slipped it in her other breast cup. She saw her coach approaching in the reflection of the mirror. For God’s sake, not now.
“If it ain’t one damn thing it’s another,” Sue Lin cursed. “Now the synthesizer is on the fritz. Some asshole spilled their coffee in the control panel.” She stomped up to the makeup counter and slapped the top. “How can anybody be so careless around high-tech equipment?”
Tilly didn’t know what to say other than, “Gads, I’m sorry to hear that. Will that affect the next—”
“Probably not. We have a backup sound system. It should be kicking in right about now.”
Tilly stood up, checked the wall clock.
“Well, I hope it works out. I’ve got a splitting headache, and I’ve just got to lie down.”
“What? Oh! I’ve got some painkillers in the main office. Hang on for about ten minutes and I’ll fetch them for you.”
“Thanks for that, but I’ve got to get—”
“I said hang on and I’ll—
“I’m not feeling good, Sue Lin!” Tilly yelled. She hated to come across like that but the clock was ticking, taking away precious minutes.
“Fine, fine.” Sue Lin turned on her heel and headed off. She looked back once, wearing a confused expression.
Tilly wasted no time leaving the rehearsal hall and heading for her destination. The trip through the main casino hall went without incident. She made certain not to step outside the boundary of the ward aisle, keeping her eye open for security. The shock came when she reached the north wing and entered the Pearl Chest casino room. It was not empty. Technicians and laborers scurried about, stripping plastic, connecting wire looms and bolting chairs to the floor. A few employees glanced in her direction. One of them stared hard at her and then smiled. The ad sign stood untouched. She risked being seen entering the blue door with so many people in the area. A glance overhead showed that the surveillance cameras remained in their plastic cocoons.
She edged her away around the sign and ducked. Once through the door, she ran down the hall, turned and entered the bathroom. No Fia. She checked the stalls. Empty. She pulled her suit off and laid it on the floor. She wiggled into one of the skirts, pulled the top down over her and retrieved the short wig. After donning the wig, she checked herself in the mirror and adjusted it. It took a few pins to anchor it in place. Anxious, she rushed to the door and opened it, almost colliding with Fia.
“Sorry,” said Fia, out of breath, “I got hung up trying to get through the blue door—the place is crawling. She looked at Tilly’s wig. “Damn, that looks good.” She opened her satchel, tossing items on the counter. Tilly grabbed the pancake makeup and started on the shoes.
The Girl They Sold to the Moon Page 18