A sudden surge of yearning for the man in front of him to be a friend hit him. “How did you end up in this place?”
Regret was all over Makar’s face as he answered. “I needed a job. Afion wanted something from my father. Here I am.” Sorrow wrinkled his forehead, slotted his eyes. “I’ll never get it back. My life. This place is going to take it.”
“Makar, there’s only one way to save your soul. God loves you, just like He loves me. All He wants is for you to choose Him. To say no to everything that is wrong in this world and yes to what is good and right. I know He exists. That He is real. If you choose to believe, He will show you who He is, I promise you. Just believe.”
Alric wasn’t sure he had ever tried so hard to make anyone understand anything. Makar spoke the probable truth. They would both probably die within Xis. Salvation was their only hope.
Tears clung to the corners of Makar’s eyes, wetting his lashes. His Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “I do believe. I felt Him when I looked at that little girl locked away in that room. Every time I take her blood, I feel… God.”
His lips curved, a tear slipped over a bottom eyelid, and he expelled a soft breath.
Alric watched, awed, as the revelation of love that God held out to them all erupted in Makar’s soul.
The blood didn’t matter. Xis didn’t matter. Afion didn’t matter.
Only salvation mattered.
Chapter Twenty
Alric opened his eyes. His heart was scrambling, his body tense beneath the covers. The room was dim, so it wasn’t yet morning. He had learned that the lights were on a timer and the wattage increased an hour before Makar would arrive to take his blood.
He thought maybe he had been dreaming and that was what had awakened him, but he could recall nothing of any images that may have set his body on alert.
He listened. There was nothing to hear. No sound ever penetrated from beyond the walls.
Perusing the room, he searched for anything that seemed out of place, but there was nothing. The thick white panel walls looked as they always did, and he was alone as he always was.
Alric prayed, thinking of Makar. It had been a risk to play the game they had. Arousing suspicion at Xis didn’t earn a trial, only a death sentence.
By the time the lights brightened and flushed out the darkness, he was restless, but at peace. Seated on the edge of the bed, Alric waited patiently for Makar to arrive.
It was not Makar that entered.
Pressing his hands into the soft warmth of the blanket, he kept his greeting of the new tech mild, concentrated on keeping his movements fluid and relaxed as his blood and vitals were taken.
The new tech finished and methodically cleaned up the supplies he had used. Nodding at the bed, he spoke. “If you could lie on your stomach, please.”
“Why do you need me to do that?” Alric asked.
“Just a simple procedure. Please do as you’re told.”
Alric glanced toward the one-way window of glass wondering if someone stood there and watched, waiting for whatever was about to happen. He couldn’t very well disobey. It would do him no good. “What procedure?”
“I’m going to do a bone marrow aspiration. It won’t take long.”
Something had happened to Makar. They should have been more careful. More mindful of the cameras. This was an abrupt swing from the daily routine that had been going on. Had their lips been read somehow? Their actions viewed and judged?
What had they done that would spur this effect? Alric had to remind himself to breathe from his diaphragm and not his chest as he settled face down on the mattress, his head in his hands, trying to keep fear from taking hold. He didn’t want them taking anything from the bones on his back.
Had they done this to A? He hadn’t finished reading through all of the blog yet. Had this been done to Eve?
The tech could be lying. This could be the end for him. He wouldn’t even know it was coming. The tech would insert the syringe, empty whatever poison was in it, and he would never wake up.
He felt the fabric over his back being lifted, then a damp wetness sliding over the central bone on his back. Trying to stay relaxed, Alric shifted his arms beneath his face to create better airflow. If it was really a bone marrow aspiration, tensing up would not make it any easier.
“Stay still,” the tech ordered. There was a quick sting from what Alric assumed was an incision, and then a sharp biting pain. Hissing, he fisted his hands, digging his nails into his palms to try and draw his attention away from the pain.
The tech gave him no further instruction and Alric was glad he had basic knowledge of aspirations so he knew what was happening next. Fluid from his bone would be extracted for testing.
The pain increased sharply for a few seconds.
A hand was placed on his back. “Stay still. I’m going to take a bone marrow biopsy.”
Alric wanted to fight against it. He didn’t want even the smallest piece of his bone taken. Was this what A felt like? Or did he believe as his parents did, that his bones were reasons for fear? That having them on his body would lead to some horrible outcome he needed freedom from?
The pain started small, but built into intense pressure that snapped straight into a pressing stab that he thought would never end.
Relief flooded through him as the pain rushed out, leaving just a dull throb as the tech finished collecting the bone marrow tissue. He felt the pulling of the needle, the pressure of a fabric against the wound.
“Stay on your stomach for awhile,” the tech directed as he taped the swab in place.
Alric grunted an answer, scowling into the mattress while he listened to the crunch of wrappings and then the sounds of the man leaving.
“Sure you can have some of my bone,” he muttered. “Hope you cleaned my back well, so I don’t get an infection. Great bedside manner, by the way.” Alric was tired of being at the mercy of these men, a human tool to be figured out and used at their will.
He hoped they intended to let him test his own bone marrow too. At least by being their eyes he had some knowledge of what was going on in his own body and had some inkling of what they knew.
Worry over Makar crept in. It was possible that Makar was not trained to do bone procedures and that was why he hadn’t been the one to administer the technique. That had to be it. It was a viable explanation, one that allowed some of his anxiety to dispel.
But not enough that his earlier restlessness stayed away. The sensation that something lurked and he needed to be ready for it rose again.
He grew tired of lying on his stomach and carefully rose, shifting his arms and shoulders to test for pain. He was sore, but not enough to keep him prone.
Alric was alone for hours until the same tech came back to check the incision site and change the wrapping. Other than his initial explanation for why he was there, he said nothing and departed as quickly as he had arrived.
For the next few days, the same tech came in the morning to take his blood and check the incision site. The lab was not offered as an option. He tried to ask a few questions about Makar, about Eve, but he was given no response.
So he waited. He prayed. His restlessness did not depart and eventually he decided it wasn’t restlessness at all, but anticipation.
He was helpless within the walls of his cell, but his God was not confined at all. Alric had no choice but to trust that something was happening.
Chapter Twenty-One
On the seventh day of his mostly solitary confinement, Alric was lying down when the soft sound that alerted the opening of the door had him sitting up to see who entered. Morning had long since come and gone. No one came through the opening.
Curious, Alric rose and moved to the frame, peering out into the viewing area. It also was empty. The door that led out into the hallway also stood open.
A frisson warmed the bones on his back and Alric knew immediately that the anticipation of his last days had been leading to this.
Cautiously, mindful of where he was, he crept to the doorway ahead of him and leaned out to look both ways. His was the only door that appeared open. Looking left, knowing that it wasn’t a good idea to hesitate, he thought of Eve.
Urgency skittered through him. Head sinking forward, shoulders slumping, Alric moved into the hallway and quickly moved to her door. His attempts to open it failed.
He headed toward the desk that sat empty at the head of the hallway, the doors leading to it open as well. He wondered if cameras were capturing his escape or if those had been disabled like his door. He rounded the desk, searching for a way to open Eve’s door.
He glanced up at the metal circles that curved around eyes that he did not want to see him. The pale green light that signaled being watched in the lab gleamed in the harsh overhead lights.
Frantic, he cast his eyes over the bank of keyboards and screens. Each screen was labeled. Dashing to screen eight, Alric felt defeat when he saw only the room number was labeled. Nothing on the keyboard told him where to begin to release the door lock.
Shaking his head, he rounded the desk and out of habit went to the laboratory door before remembering he was attempting to leave the complex, not enter the lab.
He glanced inside as he shifted his body away, stopping when he saw the familiar darkness of Makar’s hair and square jawline.
Alric entered the lab, calling out Makar’s name. Makar was his friend, had been since he had reached out with his soul at stake.
Makar spun around in his chair, eyes going wide as he lurched to his feet, alarm parting his lips. “Alric!”
There were dark circles under Makar’s eyes and a large bruise over one cheek and temple. A vicious cut squiggled through the rough stubble on his jaw and snaked down his neck.
“Makar! Where have you been? What have they done to you?”
Shaking his head, Makar grabbed Alric’s arm. “No time! We have to go now!” He pulled Alric back toward the lab door, coming to an abrupt halt that had Alric slamming into his back.
A man stood just outside the door of the lab, the curiosity on his face quickly morphing into confusion. “What is he doing out of his room?”
Makar rushed at the man, shouting, “Run Alric, and don’t stop! This is the only chance you will have!”
Alric’s heart beat hard in his chest, and he heard what he imagined was swishing of a thousand angel wings at his back, impelling him forward.
The two men fought as Alric pushed past them. Ahead of him, a guard stepped through the door that led into the underground level. The second their eyes met time slowed, a long beat that stretched into two, then three. The guard’s hand moved toward the gun at his side.
Run, Alric told himself. Don’t stop. Run.
The gun lifted, light flashing off the metal, and a spear of death aimed straight for him.
Alric jerked his body to the left, dropping low as the unnatural movement shifted him out of the way of the gun’s aim. He heard the shot as he stumbled, catching himself with a jarring pulse up his arm as his palm hit the floor.
Refusing to let the sharp pain stop him, Alric regained his footing and ran his body straight into the man who still held his weapon with intent.
A second shot sounded. The man’s bones crunched as the impact hurtled his body against the doorframe behind him. The gun hitting the floor was like a thick twig snapping. His assailant slumped lifelessly on the floor, his eyes open but sightless.
Grasping the frame of the door, his breath coming hard, Alric turned to call for Makar, denial welling up inside of him as he stared at an image he had already seen. A vision that had been prophecy.
The first man that had attempted to stop him lay on his back in a pool of blood and Makar was slumped against the lab door, a bullet hole through his forehead.
Grief threatened strong enough to make him turn back. He took one step toward the man he had just begun to consider a friend. Heat burned along the bones on his back, reminding him of his mission. Run. Find freedom.
“I’m sorry, Makar,” he whispered as he turned away and exited The Peep Hall.
Alric had no idea where he was going once he left the observation desk area. He knew a little from Makar, that The Hellows Hall was to the right, and leading to the elevators were rooms that held a large storage freezer where they kept bodies and a furnace room where they burned them.
A wide door frame stood open at the end of the hall and Alric assumed that it was the elevator out. He was almost there when he saw a green light appear above the square opening. He ran toward the nearest door, his breath coming out in a huff of relief when it opened without a struggle.
He was trapped. The moment they saw the dead guard they would know that something was wrong and would search for him. The room was lit by dim overhead lights that ran the length of the room and highlighted two large data screens and an archive bank.
Frantic, Alric grabbed at a chair and quickly wheeled it toward the door before he realized there was no handle to use to bar it. He hissed through his teeth when he saw a metal slide lock and shoved it into place, buying himself a little more time.
He was searching the room for something he could use as a weapon when he heard a shout from the hallway and the clop clop of running feet.
Alric crouched by the door to listen, prepared to fight if anyone tried to force through the door. Minutes ticked by. Perspiration slid down his temples.
He needed to formulate a plan. If he could gain access to the elevator, he knew the second floor was the first that offered access to the outside world.
The first floor held the Upper Tier offices. He knew from gossip among the scientists that they were basically safe rooms designed to withstand physical, chemical and military attacks.
Alric hadn’t given much thought to them before, but now he felt bypassing the first floor could be a problem. The elevator itself was a safe room and it was likely that once the news of his escape went out that the elevator would be sealed, essentially trapping him on the lower level.
The sound of shoes on tile came back in his direction. Alric held his breath, waiting for whoever it was to try the door.
“We’ve got three down and a prisoner out,” he heard the voice say. The steps shuffled a bit and stopped.
“Room seven. Two techs have been shot and a guard is dead.” A few steps, then more shuffling. Alric couldn’t figure out what the man was doing, but his one way conversation was clear.
“I have no idea! The door to the room is wide open and I saw no sign of a struggle inside of the room. Everyone dead is outside of the lab.”
The steps came closer, and stopped just outside the door. Alric tensed, shifting his weight in preparation to fight.
“He can’t be far. All the hall doors are still locked. There’s no way he could have accessed them.”
Closing his eyes and relaxing, Alric touched his fingers to the floor, steadying himself. The man’s voice got quieter as he moved away, directing the person on the other end of his line to send down enough guards to form a search party.
Eventually, if they couldn’t find him, he predicted they would search the locked rooms. He could not assume time was in his favor. The slippers provided for him muffled his movements well, and Alric resumed his search for a weapon, pausing when he noticed that one of the data screens was on. He was sure that it had not been before.
For a moment fear climbed into his throat that the screens had cameras and they were watching him now, his hiding place uncovered. He swallowed hard when his name appeared on the screen.
He fought the urge to swear, desperation gripping his chest. The words changed.
‘It’s Eron. Type SEE.’
Crumpling, knees shaking, Alric gripped the edge of the desk, taking a few seconds to correct his breathing and calm the panic. They hadn’t found him.
Mindful of the man searching for him, he quietly moved a chair in front of the screen and sat, quickly tapping out the word ‘SEE.’ A green light blinked to li
fe in the top frame of the large data screen.
More words immediately began to appear. ‘They will seal the elevator. Hellow’s Hall is the only way to escape. Room six. Body chute will be unsealed. Bodies will be picked up in three hours. Bury yourself beneath them and play dead.
‘Clock on wall. Grunt will come in at 9pm. Drawer beneath mirror has smell strips. Take them. Apply one beneath nose to help. Will last one hour.’
Alric read the words as fast as they appeared, reading them over again. The Hellows. What would he see there? Would he be able to handle it?
He half thought he was having a vision, that Makar was not dead, and he was not attempting escape.
Pray, his spirit urged. Silently, as more words scrolled, he prayed, the same plea over and over. Help me get through this, God.
‘Check drawers for hand data screen. Is there one? Type YES or NO.’
Careful to keep his movements swift and silent, Alric began to search, his fingers splaying with excitement in the air when he found one. He tapped out YES to answer Eron.
‘Power it on. Give me a minute to find it.’
Alric did as he was directed and waited. The large data screen went black and moments later words appeared on the handheld data screen. ‘They will search archive room. In wall behind left data screen is hidden trap door. Small indent in wall. Thumb pad. Hide there.’
Wasting no time, Alric made sure the archive room looked like he hadn’t been in it then slid under the desk to search the wall. He ran his hand over the wall and found the indentation Eron had referred to and pressed his thumb into it. A panel slid open.
The area was not large. Big enough for him to sit upright and stretch his legs out and that was all. But he was safe. Grateful. He had no idea how Eron had managed to do what he was doing, but he hoped that someday he would be able to repay the man.
‘Water and rations in back right corner. Wait for my signal to come out. You can access archives safely on data screen if you get bored. Do you understand all instructions? Type YES or REPEAT.’
Seal One Page 10