by A. M. White
They marched into the room and circled Timothy’s bed. I stood behind them.
He jumped to his feet, ready for a fight.
“Timothy, you didn’t think you would get off so easily, did you?” I smiled.
“What do you want?” He backed himself into a corner.
“Oh, I thought we talked about this. You are my lab rat. I intend to use you as such. Advance!” I clutched my clipboard tightly. The guards took a step closer with their guns aimed at Timothy. “You will hold your fire, unless I command.”
I saw the muscles in his arms flex.
“You are such a silly boy! Do I have to remind you, that Cara, Alex, and Jason all depend on you to comply?” That got his attention. Fear replaced the determination in his eyes. I continued to drive home the point. “I’d hate to pluck those pretty eyes of Jason’s out. They just got there.”
He put his fists at his sides. I had conquered him.
“Restrain him and bring him to me!” I turned on my heel and left.
Timothy
I had no choice. I allowed them to tether my wrists and ankles with chains.
I scanned the guards for anyone I recognized. They were all too you to know me. In the tunnel, I tried my luck with the guards anyway. “Please, you know you can’t keep living like this. It’s not right to enslave people or kill them for research.”
I received a swift blow to the back of the head. My knees crumpled and I hit the ground hard.
“Get up!” One of the guards yelled. Hands grabbed the back of my shirt and lifted me to my feet. I was still I a daze from the strike. The walls swayed.
I shuffled into a medical room. It reminded me of the room I was in during the early healing process.
Lori waited for me. She was dressed in a lab coat and medical mask.
Two young healers flanked a metal table in the middle of the room.
“Strap him down.” Lori instructed the guards.
I was pushed onto the table. Leather straps replaced the cuffs on my wrists and ankles. My heart pounded and it was difficult to breathe.
Lori appeared over me with a syringe in her hand. “This is going to push you to your limits. We will finally see how much your mind can take. It is a new concoction; mine of course. You will experience very vivid realities. You will experience your darkest fears. I will see all of them.” She gestured to a small box next to her with a glass face. “That way, I can make them happen, if you ever lay a hand on me again.”
She nodded to the healers and they shoved a dome-shaped apparatus onto the top of my head. Tiny prongs were pushed into my scalp. Blood trickled from the punctures.
My eyes never left her cold stare. I grit my teeth to resist the urge to scream. I wouldn’t let her hear me cry out in pain.
Lori tapped my arm in search of a vein. When she found it, the needle was inserted. I felt the liquid pour into my body. It warmed me from the inside out. Then it collected in my chest and began to burn. The heat built until it was a fire in my heart. I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my teeth.
Fleeting horrors passed through my brain. Vines wrapped around my limbs, thorns dug into my flesh. The more I struggled the further they ripped.
Then, I was in the ocean, too far from shore to see the beach. My head bobbed under the surface. I inhaled water. The water weighed me down and I sank, into the darkness. I could see the light above. I kicked and kicked, but kept sucking in more water.
I was on fire. My skin peeled from the muscle. I rolled on the dirt. I could taste the flames in my mouth. My lungs boiled with scorching pain.
Unexpectedly, bits of the past visited me. I was in Max’s house. I heard Alex downstairs. Another gunshot rang out. I half slid down the stairs to find Alex. She covered her mouth with both hands. I ran to her. I pried her hands from her mouth and spiders fell from her lips. I fell back, unable to help her as the spiders continued to pour out of her.
I was in a boat rowing. I saw Cara, Alex and Max. Max slipped over the side. Cara stood and jumped in after him. Bullets pierced the water. A few seconds later, two dark red clouds rose to the surface.
Finally, I was back on the metal table in the medical room. I was alone. A dark mass floated to my side. It was the first person I ever killed. I knew him when the shadows cleared. He was a human. His face was worn and ugly. He tried to take Cara from me. He smiled and said, “Hello Timothy, remember me?” His chest imploded just like the first time I shot him. He dissolved.
The second person I killed stood in his place. “Hello Timothy, remember me?”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I struggled to be free. I pulled myself up and saw a line that stretched as far as I could see of dark shadows that waited to address me. I screamed. I screamed so loud that the darkness in front of me turned into particles of sand. All the souls that waited piled on the floor.
Then there was darkness.
Lori
He screamed the most visceral, satisfying scream I could have ever wanted. His hallucinations on the screen, pleased me. I pulled the plug. I had the information I needed. Besides, his vitals were showing major concerns for his survival. My lab rat needed to live another day.
“Take him back to his room.” I waved to a guard on the other side of the room.
They pulled his limp body from the table and carried him away.
I reveled in the fact that I broke him.
Cara
I waited forever. At least, it felt that way. Lori told me that when Jason’s surgery was complete I would be taken to him.
The door slid open. I jumped to my feet. A guard walked in and stood at attention.
“Here to transport you to the critical unit.” Immediately, I knew it was Caleb.
My spine tingled with joy that he was back. I was glad that he hadn’t suffered for the situation in the ward earlier. There was something else I felt though. I didn’t want to admit it.
“Thank you.” I managed.
He cuffed me. I passed him through the door.
Once outside, I saw that we were alone.
“I promise to behave myself this time.” I whispered over my shoulder.
“You better, because I can’t protect you again.” He warned.
I smirked. “You going to shoot me?” I teased.
“No, but I will be rough if I have to.” He replied darkly.
My stomach clenched. He had no idea how rough I could be if I had to be. The smirk lingered on my lips.
At the ward, the medics suited me up with all the mandatory equipment. I stood patiently until they were done.
“Remember, you will be the first voice he hears.” The doctor I threatened announced.
Caleb took my elbow and pulled me to Jason’s entrance. He squeezed my arm before he opened it. I smiled a little.
I walked into the same red room. Jason was in the same position. I made my way around the table and to his side.
Jason’s eyes were already open. The white eyes still startled me. They made his face look different.
“Jason, I’m here.” I put my hand on his chest. His eyes widened. “You can hear me?”
Tears flowed down his cheeks. He blinked, “Yes.”
I couldn’t help myself; I cried too.
“I’m sorry. You know me. I don’t cry. Funny thing is, you keep making me today.” I wiped the tears from his face. “Lori asked me to be the first person you heard.”
He closed his eyes.
The lead supervisor came in and stood beside me. “He is healing much faster than we expected. We will be able to conduct the spinal reattachment tomorrow, if no complications arise.”
“That is good news Jason!” I hugged his upper body.
“Cara, thank you for coming. We should let him rest. Tomorrow will be a big day for Jason. The spinal will be a bit more intrusive than the other surgeries.” The doctor explained.
“Will I be able to see him after?” I asked.
“Briefly.” He took a step back, in case I reacted badly
to the news.
I cleared my throat. “Um, okay.” I held myself together. “Jason, you do good. I will see you as soon as I can.” I patted his cheek.
The supervisor led me from the room. I bit my tongue the whole way.
Caleb cuffed me outside.
The doctor addressed me further. “We will have another busy day tomorrow. Jason will undergo his surgery in the morning. Lori wants you to see him after, but only briefly.”
“How is Alex?” I pried.
“If everything goes as planned, we hope to have a donor for the transplant to take place in a couple of days.”
I noticed that Caleb momentarily stiffened for some reason.
“Thank you.” I dared not to say anymore. I didn’t want to say the wrong thing.
After the medics retrieved their wires we left without incident.
“We are going to the same room to talk.” Caleb sounded urgent. I picked up my pace. We slipped out of the corridor unnoticed.
“What’s going on?” I asked impatiently.
He took off his helmet. “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” His face was solemn.
I moved back from him. “Bad.”
“We escape in two days.” He sighed.
The reason that was bad clicked. “What about Alex?” A cold shiver ran through me.
“You have to make a decision; leave her and she will get her arm or take her and she won’t.” He reached for me.
“Don’t. I can’t.” I moved further away.
He slapped his hands at his sides.
“What’s the good?” I had to know.
“We escape in two days?” He tried. He felt terrible. His brow creased and he looked tired. “I also have help. A guard named Bryce is going to make the plans and assist with the rescue.”
“Bryce? Is he our age?” The name was familiar.
“Yes. He knew your brother.” Caleb confirmed.
I nodded. I remembered him from the time before we surfaced. I did feel a little better about that.
I rubbed my face. The cuffs clanked. “I suppose I have to make a decision now?”
“I know this is hard, but yes. Bryce and I need to know how many people to plan for. I will meet him after my shift.” He sat on a crate and put his hands on his knees.
“I can’t leave her. That might be the selfish thing to do. However, if we leave her, who knows if they will punish her, or use her as bait later?” I concluded. I hoped I made the right call and that Alex would understand.
“Okay. That makes sense.” He stood. “Let’s get out of here.” He put his helmet on.
A worker walked in with a box in his arms. We froze. “What are you doing?” He dropped the box to the floor.
“She uh-,” Caleb started.
“I had a girl problem.” I shrugged.
The man eyed me curiously.
“Trust me, you don’t want to know.” I brushed past him into the hall.
“You know how they are.” Caleb added. He followed me with his gun drawn for good measure.
We returned to my room briskly. Caleb took the cuffs off. His fingers lingered on my wrists for a moment too long. I peered into the shadows of his visor.
He pulled back. I cocked my head to the side and watched him leave.
There was too much of everything for me to comprehend. He would have to wait. There was a list a mile long ahead of him of things I needed to work out.
Bryce
I expected Caleb at any moment. I paced the room. I was uneasy. After I thought about it, I realized that I should have suggested another place to meet. If anyone had their eyes on him, it would certainly raise questions.
I was always careful, but I knew that not everyone conducted themselves the way I did. I played the situation between Timothy and Lori well. She even commended me after Timothy attacked her. I had been firm, but kept a cool head. If I had killed Timothy, the chain of events that implied was not favorable to her. She had no idea that I would’ve let him strangle her before I used my gun on him. Thankfully, it hadn’t come to that.
I sat on the edge of my bed and put my head in my hands. I was past the point of no return. I was good at living and I had no intention of dying. The only way to do that now was to rescue the prisoners and make a life above.
There was a soft knock on the plywood door.
“Come in.” My voice sounded coarse.
The door cracked slightly. Caleb peeked inside.
“I’m alone.” I waved at him to enter.
He slipped into the room. He looked haggard from lack of sleep and stress. I was sure I appeared the same. I hadn’t been able to sleep since the meeting.
“Hey.” Caleb stuck out his hand.
I stood and shook it.
“Nice to know you fancy soldiers don’t get better accommodations than us lowly guards.” He cracked a joke.
“Good to know you lowly guards don’t get better either.” I shot back. “Please have a seat.” I motioned to the one chair in the corner.
He groaned as he sat down. “I just came from taking Cara to see Jason. They fixed his hearing today.”
“That’s good. Please tell me that he will be mobile for the rescue.” I wrung my hands.
“Yeah, they have him scheduled for surgery tomorrow. That won’t leave much time for healing though. We will need to swipe salves tomorrow during our shifts in medical.” He proposed.
“I can handle that.” I offered, because I trusted myself to be more inconspicuous than him.
“Thanks man.” He seemed relieved. “I have some bad news. Alex won’t have her new arm before we leave. She isn’t supposed to have a donor until the day we leave.”
I rubbed my chin. The stubble was rough, since I hadn’t shaved. “Really? We have to take her, don’t we?”
“I left it up to Cara. She decided that Alex would go with us.” He shrugged. “I can’t come up with a better idea.”
“Well, we can’t leave her, I suppose. There is no guarantee they would perform the operation after we escape.” A chill came over me. I picked up a sweater and pulled it over my head.
Caleb nodded. “That’s what Cara said.”
I grinned. “Sounds like Cara.”
That startled him. He leaned forward in the chair. “You know Cara?”
“I knew her from my work with Timothy. That one is a spit fire.” I confirmed.
There was a twinkle in his eye. “She is something, isn’t she?”
I nodded. I decided not to address the obvious.
“Are you staffed for the day of the escape?” I changed the subject.
“Yes. It will make things easier. You?” He asked.
“Yes; in medical, also. I agree.” That was a step in the right direction. “I think we should split up the rescue. That way if one of us is caught at least some may still make it.”
“That is smart. One of us should take critical and the other the holding rooms.” Caleb continued. “I’ll take the holding rooms if you don’t mind?”
“Sure.” It made since, because I was the more veteran in combat. The security there was more intense.
“How about extra weapons? I thought about knives for everyone. I don’t want to fire a gun. It would alert others.” Caleb had his head in this. I began to realize that I had a suitable partner.
“One for each of them, plus us. Can you get enough for Timothy and Cara?” I questioned.
“I think so. My roommate doesn’t use his. He won’t know it’s gone. I can make due with two, if I have to.” He replied.
“Have you thought about how you are going to do it?”
Caleb went on to describe the plan he devised.
I gave him some pointers. Both of us relied on timing to be our best asset.
I hoped to create a diversion to distract the medics in the lobby.
By the time he left, I felt reassured that we could pull the rescue off. One way or another, in a very short time, our lives would be completely different.
I nonchalantly read the scrap of paper Caleb gave me in the dimly lit hall. “This is insane. I like it.” I thought to myself. I popped the paper into my mouth and swallowed it; no evidence.
We were on our way to see Jason. He was awake from surgery.
Lori materialized in the corridor and walked toward us. She carried her standard clipboard under her arm.
I was frightened that she may have seen the note.
“There you are.” She greeted me.
“Good morning.” I forced a smile. Caleb’s footsteps halted behind me.
“Or night, or whatever it is.; so hard to tell down here.” She pushed my hair behind my ears. Her closeness made me uncomfortable. “You know, someone reported that there was a young prisoner and a male guard in one of the supply rooms yesterday.” She paused and searched my eyes.
“I uh,” I started.
She put her index finger on my lips and shook her head. “I know the ways of the heart my dear. I get that your confinement can get lonely. However, a girl should know when she has it good. You do know that you have it good? I think your brother wishes he had it good.” She crinkled her nose.
I quietly nodded. My cuffed hands balled until my finger nails hurt my palms. What I wanted to do, was strangle her until she told me what she meant about my brother.
She patted my cheek. “Good girl. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen again, shall we? I would hate to make things uncomfortable for you.”
“Yes Ma’am.” I mustered.
She flicked a smile at me and passed. “That goes for you, too.” I didn’t turn around, but heard her slap Caleb on the back.
Her shoes crunched away from us in the dirt.
We stood frozen. I hated to admit it to myself, but that woman terrified me more than a dozen armed soldiers. A vision teased the corners of my mind. Maybe we would run into her tomorrow. Maybe I would be forced to put her in her place.
I released my fists. The tiny crescent moon indentations my fingernails left were deep. I cursed her in my head.