Aaron would tell him not to fight it but to let it go. Remko had done his best. He had tried to see himself as more than what life was blatantly telling him. Tried to find the truth of his identity, the one that could help him let go of his fear. The one Aaron promised would free him from failure and pressure. But each time Remko tried to focus on letting go, his logic reminded him that fear was real. Pressure was real. People did fail, and when they failed, other people died. You couldn’t just let go of reality.
Remko tried to keep his mind still as they traveled the length of the tunnels, turning when necessary, the distance feeling longer than it was, the pressure building as they neared their destination. Time stretched, and silence engulfed them except for their heavy breathing and steady footsteps against the steel tunnel floor.
The others slowed ahead of him and Remko knew they had arrived. The tunnel had brought them to an old drainage pipe underneath the prison. The space was too small for most people to fit through, but thankfully they had Kate. The pipe would lead Kate up into a nearby abandoned part of the prison. Once inside, she would make her way to an old boiler room where the larger entrance from the tunnel was located. It was bolted from the other side with a mechanical lock that Remko and his team couldn’t access from inside the tunnel and Wire couldn’t disable remotely with Roxy. Kate would have to pick the lock, something none of them had ever done, but Wire had researched the old technique and given Kate a tutorial.
Kate moved to the small round opening and placed both of her palms inside the opening to hoist herself up. Wire stepped to her left and she paused. Roxy beeped in his hand softly and an annoyed look flashed across Kate’s face.
“Any day, kid,” Kate said.
Wire ignored her dig and pulled up the guards’ rotating schedule. “According to this, you’ll have six minutes to move through the pipe and into the boiler room while the night shift transfers out and the morning shift transfers in.”
“Got it,” Kate said and yanked herself up.
“That is, if we have the correct information,” Wire said.
Kate paused mid-hoist and struggled to regain her strength. Sam moved to help her up and she rolled her eyes at them both for interfering. She shimmied into the tight space and Sam stuck his head in after her.
“Be careful,” he called.
“Yeah, yeah,” her voice echoed back out into the open space. After a couple of long seconds, her shuffling stopped echoing back to them.
“Let’s go,” Remko said. They traveled the extra fifty yards to where they were to meet Kate at the larger entrance. It sat directly above them, only a little bigger than the hole Kate had just disappeared through. Remko saw Sam look at the hole apprehensively and knew it was going to be tight.
They waited.
Wire watched Roxy like a hawk, and Remko tried to keep track of time in his head. It felt like it had been longer than six minutes and Remko recognized the worry in Sam’s face. Remko distracted himself with thoughts of what came next. Getting inside the prison was the easy part. They had timed it so they would be moving during a shift change, which would help but could not guarantee that they wouldn’t meet any unfriendly company.
They weren’t completely sure where Dodson was being held, but if the prison system was similar to how it had been when Remko was a CityWatch soldier, then he’d be on the north side, probably in isolation. He may have betrayed the Authority, but he’d still been an Authority member. That would also serve his rescuers’ purpose. He’d have a larger cell and be kept away from other prisoners. Their Sleeper friend would be trying to switch rotations with one of the guards scheduled to patrol the north side, so if they ran into any guards, they would only need to worry about overpowering one.
Once they navigated to the cell where hopefully Dodson was being kept, the risky part would then be unlocking his cell door. The locks operated on a distinct software system that changed the code for each individual lock every hour. This was a new improvement since the prison overhaul. Wire could crack the unique code, but it took time, and in their situation, time equaled risk. Wire would have to recode the lock without tripping any alerts inside the system before a guard did a pass through that section of the prison. The other problem was that the north-side cell block was a dead end, so the only way back out was the way they’d come in. If they did get caught, they had no exit strategy. All in all, the plan was as crazy as it sounded, but it was the only chance Dodson had.
Remko was about to ask Wire if he’d given Kate the wrong directions when the grate overhead creaked open and her head popped through. Relief flooded all three of them as Kate threw them a wink and Sam hoisted himself up and through the hole. He fit, but barely.
Wire went up next, and Remko followed. His eyes swept the dark room as he pulled his legs through the opening. The space was larger than he’d imagined, the walls crowded with old artifacts that didn’t function any longer, most of which he couldn’t even identify. Metal fencing split the area and hid some of the nonworking machinery. A single steel door with a small glass window stood slightly ajar in the far left wall.
“Any trouble?” Sam asked Kate.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” she replied with a sassy spark. Sam didn’t look amused and she huffed. “I’m fine. I had to reroute once because Wire’s directions weren’t completely accurate.”
Wire glanced down at Roxy’s screen, a puzzled look in his eyes. “I sent you the exact building schematics. There’s no way—”
“Chill,” Kate said. “I found it, didn’t I?”
Wire swallowed and nodded. Remko could sense Wire didn’t like that he had potentially placed Kate in unnecessary trouble.
“Give us a rundown, Wire,” Remko said.
Wire refocused on Roxy’s screen and tapped quickly as her familiar beeps sang to him. Once he’d rechecked the CityWatch rotation schedule, he pulled up the inner workings of the prison layout. The others gathered around as he pointed out the way.
“The shift transition only gives us relief on the way in. Once we find Dodson, getting him back out is where we run into extra eyes,” Wire said.
“We knew that coming in, so we deal with it as we go,” Remko said.
“Right. We have a little less than seven minutes before the full force of daily shifts are running.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Kate asked.
Remko gave Sam a quick nod and he took off to the exit first. He glanced out around the open door and signaled back to the rest that the way was clear. He slipped out with Kate, Wire, and Remko right behind.
The hallway was narrow and dark. Little light was needed since this part of the jail was vacant. After a couple yards, the small hallway bled into the larger stone corridors that were patrolled by guards.
Sam paused and glanced around before stepping out into the main traffic. Again they found the walkway empty, as Wire had predicted, and they moved.
Much like the thin hallway, these walkways were dim; a string of yellowed lights hanging from the ceiling every couple of feet created deep, dark shadows along the path. With quick, synchronized steps they flew down one long passage, taking a left as indicated by Sam, and down another similar stone walkway. This one was well lit, so it was probably usually manned. Remko kept his breathing regulated, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him. He knew at any moment a guard could come around one of these corners and they would have to act fast.
Sam held up his hand for them to pause when they came to the next turn and he flattened himself against the wall, stepping out of the main light. The others followed as they heard a stream of conversation bounce around them.
“I can’t even remember the last time I had a full night’s sleep. Man, these double shifts are killing me,” a male voice said.
“This is my third shift in a row,” another voice replied.
Remko pressed himself deeper into the wall and held his breath as two CityWatch guards strode past the hallway they were tucked into. The guards
didn’t even glance in their direction, both caught up in their conversation and completely oblivious to the imminent threat. Their voices continued to float down the hall and Sam waited until they were gone before risking another glance around the edge to see if the passage was clear. He nodded back to Remko and they moved.
They passed by empty cells and occupied cells. Prisoners glanced at them with puzzled expressions and Remko realized they hadn’t considered what the other prisoners might do. Thankfully there were only a few, and by the time they made the last right turn into the north portion of the prison, none of the captives had given away their position.
The north side was slightly different from the rest of the prison. It was exactly as Remko remembered. This was the older section of the original Old Americas building where the pathways weren’t quite as straight or smooth. The walls were aged stone and the bars etched with rust. The cells were larger too; only a couple on either side of the walkway. All of them were empty as the Seers traveled forward. Cell after cell sat unoccupied and Remko could feel his heart thundering up into his throat. What if they’d been wrong and Dodson wasn’t here? What if he had already been relocated and a string of CityWatch guards was waiting for them around the corner?
Remko was about to suggest that they head back and regroup when Sam signaled for them to stop. He motioned Remko toward the front of the line and pointed to a cell at the end of the left hallway. A person sat inside. The smell of tobacco smoke and body odor floated toward Remko and he almost laughed in relief. He slowly approached the cell and watched as Dodson’s head shot up at the sound of shuffling feet. The hard expression that was seared into Remko’s memory melted from Dodson’s face as he saw Remko’s team approach.
Dodson shook his head. “Stupid kid.”
Remko shrugged and inspected his former boss. His face was dirty and unshaven. He looked as if he hadn’t been eating properly, and his eyes were filled with a strange mixture of sorrow and exhaustion. Anger flared under Remko’s skin and he glanced at Wire. The boy was already moving toward the lock.
“The system on those is different,” Dodson said.
Wire didn’t even glance up. “We know.”
Dodson’s eyes widened and he chuckled. “Brains and attitude—my favorite two things.”
Remko approached the bars and grasped one. “How are you?”
Dodson shrugged and took a draw from the cigarette in his hand. “Can’t really complain. I’ve had a nice, much-needed break from the CityWatch brats, so I could be doing worse.”
“Are we seriously risking our necks for a man who is just going to keel over from lung cancer?” Kate asked under her breath. Quiet enough to sound as if she was trying to hide it but intentionally loud enough that everyone still heard her.
“She’s right,” Dodson said. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“What did you expect me to do?” Remko asked.
“I expected you to take my chip and get as far away from this hellhole as possible. But instead you keep showing back up. Makes me wonder what the point was.”
Remko said nothing. How could he explain that he wasn’t sure himself why he was still around? That leaving was exactly what he thought he and Carrington would be doing but that plans had changed and somehow he’d ended up trapped in a role he felt he was fighting against. How could he explain that he had no idea what he was doing anymore and that each day was just another battle for survival?
Dodson flicked the butt of his cigarette onto the floor and its smoke rose into the air. He stood and walked to meet Remko face-to-face. Closer up, Remko could see the lines of sleepless nights carved into Dodson’s skin.
“Take your friends and get outta here,” Dodson said, “before a gang of guards walks around that corner.”
Remko ignored him. “Wire?”
“Almost there; this configuration is tougher than I thought,” Wire said.
“That’s an order, soldier,” Dodson said.
Remko couldn’t keep the smile from his face. “That doesn’t really work anymore.”
Dodson’s face flushed red and Remko could almost feel the heat drifting off his skin. Clearly time in solitary hadn’t calmed his temper.
“They’ll kill you if you’re caught,” Dodson said. “Don’t be more ignorant than you’ve already been.”
“Your appreciation for what we’re risking here is overwhelming,” Kate said.
“I don’t usually applaud stupidity. Remko, please, I am not worth all your lives.”
“I’m not going to let them kill you because of me,” Remko said. “End of discussion.”
Dodson looked a bit startled, and then his eyes softened. “What I did is on me. It was my call. You are not responsible for me.”
Remko ignored him and stepped toward Wire and glanced over his shoulder. “Come on, Wire.”
“This is a complicated process; I’m working as quickly as possible.”
“He was right,” Dodson said.
Remko glanced back at the man and saw that he was shaking his head.
“Go figure, that crazed hippie would be right,” Dodson said.
“What do you mean?” Remko asked, but he knew exactly whom Dodson was talking about. “You spoke with Aaron?”
Dodson didn’t answer right away, and a long moment of silence engulfed the cell.
“Done,” Wire said, and the lock on Dodson’s prison cell popped open. Remko stepped forward and yanked the gate open with a screech.
“We need to move,” Sam said.
Remko met Dodson’s eyes. The weary man just stood there as if he wasn’t going to come, and then something jarred him to life and he stepped out. They headed back into the maze of the north side, taking the turns quickly. Sam was leading the charge and took them down the long hallway that they had planned to use to circle back to the boiler room.
The group was halfway down the hall when two guards rounded the corner at the opposite end. Everyone froze, and before Remko’s team could react, both guards raised their weapons. Remko didn’t recognize either of them, but he hoped one of them was their Sleeper.
“Hands up,” one of them said, stepping forward, and the group did as they were told.
Before anyone could make another move, a third guard turned the corner and a pit of dread opened up in Remko’s gut. It was Lieutenant Smith. The senior officer’s face grew dark as his eyes landed on Remko and Dodson. He set his jaw like a rock and stepped past the other two guards.
Smith held Remko’s gaze and said nothing. The sound of breathing filled the small space. Remko knew there was no escape behind them; the only way out was through the CityWatch barricade ahead. Remko and Smith had never been mortal enemies, but they had never been friends either. Of all the CityWatch soldiers Remko had interacted with, Smith had been one of the most loyal to the Authority, and now that he was serving as interim acting commander, Remko feared his loyalty had only grown. Looking into his eyes now, Remko knew he’d kill them all where they stood if he needed to.
“Arrest them,” Smith said. The two guards moved to obey, slipping past their commander and taking the hallway slowly as they moved toward Remko and his team. The one on the left caught Remko’s eye and gave an ever-so-slight nod. Remko didn’t dare look at Sam to see if he had caught the same message for fear of alerting Smith.
Smith spoke softly into the chip at his wrist and Remko knew he was calling for backup. They had no more time.
“Keep your hands where we can see them,” the guard on the right said.
Once the two guards were only a couple of feet away, Remko moved. He charged straight for the guard on the right and took him to the ground. Simultaneously the Sleeper on the left fired a bullet that ricocheted off the stone wall. Remko scrambled with the guard on the floor, knocking his weapon away and landing several hard punches across his jaw.
He rolled off and back up onto his feet, leaving the guard he’d attacked still moaning on the ground. The others were gone, back the way they’d come.
He saw the back of Smith’s head disappear around the corner as the guard ran after them. Remko raced to catch up. When he rounded the corner, he saw Sam, Kate, Wire, and Dodson charging forward with Smith screaming on their heels. Then their exit was cut off as another pair of guards emerged ahead of them, and Sam yanked the group down a side hallway as shots rang out. Smith followed them down the hallway and out of sight.
Another shot fired, this one from behind Remko. He ducked to avoid the bullet and saw that the Sleeper guard was positioned with his gun raised. The two new guards’ faces filled with shock over being fired at by one of their own, but it faded quickly as they advanced on Remko and the CityWatch traitor.
Remko grabbed the Sleeper and moved after Sam and the others down the side hallway, the sound of boots heavy behind them. More shouts echoed around them, and Remko feared more men had joined the pursuit. He tried to stay in the shadows as they rushed down the path while shouts from ahead and behind collided, making it hard to follow the voices he recognized.
Kate’s voice bounced near his ear and he knew he was closing the distance between him and his group. He pushed himself to move faster, nearly dragging the Sleeper beside him now. After a couple of long strides, he was back in the thick of the moving chaos. Smith had caught them and was fighting with Sam, the two evenly matched in size and strength, while Kate looked on helplessly. Wire was trying to yank Dodson farther down the hallway, but he was resisting and finally broke free, rushing back into the action. Remko turned to see that at least four more guards were quickly approaching. They needed to get to the boiler room.
Sam cried out and Remko glanced over to see him stumble backward, gripping his arm. He fell, giving Smith the opportunity to reach for his weapon and raise it toward Sam, hate pulsing from his veins.
“Smith,” a voice challenged, and Remko saw Dodson advancing on the lieutenant.
The scene seemed to freeze then, as if the movements couldn’t be stopped but couldn’t be sped up either. Smith turned his aim toward Dodson, and without taking a breath he pulled the trigger. A deafening shot exploded through the dark walkway and the bullet met its target with deadly accuracy. Dodson’s head snapped backward and his body crashed to the floor.
The Calling Page 16