"This is Naomi," Dunningham answered. "The one we've been looking for."
The woman nodded and glared at me. "Is she going in the women's holding cell?"
Dunningham shook his head. "Solitary confinement. She may partake in meals with the rest of the population, but other than that, she is to be in her cell alone, where she may think about her unfortunate actions. She's a Forager, but don't worry. She won't be here long enough to cause any trouble. Just three days."
The woman nodded. "Sure, Mr. Dunningham. I can take it from here."
Finally, Doyle released his tight grip on my arm and the two of them left.
"This way," Kora ordered.
I followed her behind the counter and to a little room off to the side. Another guard stood still by a back wall, like a mannequin. The room was small and unpainted, just gray cement bricks, a large metal cabinet and a bench attached to the wall. "Sit," she said, pointing to the bench, so I sat. Kora opened the top drawer and pawed through it. She stopped and looked at me. "Hmmm, I've never had a female as young as you, so we're going to have to make due. Your gown might be a little too big." She tossed me a black garment. "You'll take a shower with the detergent we've provided. Make sure you wash and then put that on. You got ten minutes."
I took the garment and went into the tiny bathroom. Removing my necklace with the scythe charm, I hoped they wouldn't take it away from me. I stripped and then stepped into the shower.
At first I was thankful for a shower, but then I realized the water was ice cold. I bathed quickly, using the funny-smelling soap as I had been instructed. I lathered my hair with it and then rinsed it out. The water soaked through my bandage that needed to be changed anyway, but I doubted that anyone would do that for me.
I turned the water off and then stepped out onto the cold gray tile. A shot of coolness soared through my body. I longed for the warmth of my comforter. I grabbed a dingy-looking towel from the pile that sat in a corner, unfolded. I wondered if they had been used before and if so, if they had been washed. Probably not.
I dried off, rubbed the towel on my hair, and then grabbed the garment Kora had given me. She had a lot of nerve calling it a gown. It was more like a huge T-shirt. It was rough and itchy like sackcloth. I put my necklace back on, tucking it into the "gown" so as not to draw attention to it.
Gathering my own clothes, I exited the bathroom. Kora stood there with a garbage bag. A guard stood behind her. She opened the bag and I put my clothes inside. She handed the bag to the guard, who left the room.
"Where is he taking it?" I asked.
"To burn it," Kora answered curtly.
I thought about my nice leather boots he was about to destroy. "What about shoes?" I asked, looking down at my bare feet.
"Prisoners in Gattica don't wear shoes, princess."
"Underwear?"
Kora frowned. "Well, weren't you wearing underwear when you came?"
"Yeah but—" Who takes a shower and then puts back on their dirty underwear?
Kora sighed and went back to the large metal cabinet. She dug through a drawer and then handed me a pair of shorts. "That's the best I can do."
I put the shorts on underneath my gown. They were a little too big, and I hoped they wouldn't fall around my ankles as I walked. I would be constantly holding them up, but it was better than going bare-bottomed.
"You're all set. Razi will take you to your cell."
Razi was huge. He motioned for me to follow him. He didn't bother to grab me, probably figuring there was no way I could escape even if I tried.
We went to an elevator. Razi touched a button and we waited for the rusted metal doors to part. I took a good look at Razi. He was 6’8” easy, with tan skin, a bald head, and a neck thick like a tree stump. The elevator doors opened. I stepped inside first and Razi stepped in behind me. There were ten floors to Gattica. The button for the sixth floor was lit. It was a slow, silent ride up.
Once the doors parted, reality set in. We stepped into a hallway filled with rows and rows of cells. Most of them, I knew, were occupied by my people—Foragers.
We walked by cells filled with men. As we passed the cells, men yelled things and made animal noises at me. I ignored them, wondering where I was going. We stopped at the very end of the hallway. There was a metal door with a small window. I wouldn't have an open cell like the others. I was going to be kept in a closed-in room.
Razi took a large ring filled with keys from his pocket. He groaned as he flipped through them to find the one for that particular door. Finally he unlocked the door and it swung open inward. Inside was pitch black. Razi reached in and turned on the light switch at the side of the door. A light bulb in the center of the ceiling flickered on and off, as if trying to make up its mind. Finally it stayed on, casting dimness and shadows over the tiny room. There was nothing in the room except for an uncomfortable-looking cot and a toilet. Razi closed the door behind me. I jumped at the finality of the clank—the key locking the door. I turned around and looked at my cell. Before I knew it, tears were running down my cheeks. Then I reminded myself that this would only be for three days, but that made me cry even harder.
Dinnertime had been long over when I arrived, so I would have to wait for breakfast to eat. I was tired of being hungry. I felt for the Foragers and the people of Litropolis, who'd dealt with hunger their entire lives.
Guards walked through the halls yelling, "Lights out!" I turned my light off and curled up on the cot. It hurt my body, and there wasn't even a pillow to rest my head on nor a blanket to cover myself with. I thought about my comfortable bed at home and how I would never sleep there again. I prepared myself for a restless night.
Forcing myself to close my eyes. I heard the murmur of snoring coming from the outside cells. I envied their ability to fall asleep. I wasn't sure what time it was. If I had to guess, I would say it was about two or three o'clock in the morning when I heard a knock on the door of my cell. I rose from my cot and went to the door. No one was there. I figured it had just been a guard passing by so I turned back toward my cot.
"Naomi," called a gravelly voice.
I turned. I knew that voice. "Dunstan? You got your cloak back." I remembered the last time I'd seen it; it had been in the hands of Doyle. I wondered how he had gotten it to Dunstan without Dunningham noticing.
"Are you okay?"
"For now. They're going to kill me in three days."
"Don't worry, my dear. Everything is going according to plan. Your execution will be the perfect distraction."
Naomi Grim (Part 3) (The Silver Scythe Chronicles) Page 8