Once again, she laid her hands on the lock, forcing herself to be calm. Was Nico still there, doing whatever it was he did? Yes. The bolt slid back and she slipped through, pausing just long enough for Nico to lock this gate as well.
It was still dark outside, but the eastern sky was warming towards dawn, deep purple with a tinge of orange peeping between the dark branches.
What now? Now she had to leave. Getting past the guard in the gatehouse would be a challenge, but maybe there was some place she could get through the fence—
Her steps slowed. What about Lizzie?
She remembered the way Lizzie had sat in her tiny cell, the weary droop of her head.
Free or kill.
She couldn’t leave without trying. Especially now that she knew what Nico could do.
“You still there, Nico?” But she’d left the decision die in her cell. She’d just have to hope he’d understand.
“Nico, I’m going to try and get somebody else out, okay?” she muttered. “You stay with me, right?”
-oOo-
Two vans parked in front of the prison block offered Gia shelter as she looked around. There were some people about. Two constables were walking in the direction of the main gate. The night patrol trucks would be returning soon. Assuming they’d ever gone out last night. With everything that had happened, who knew whether the usual routines had been followed.
Gia walked quickly but quietly behind the vans. Soon it would be too light to hide even here. Everything would depend on how many people knew she was supposed to be locked up in a cell. Her reflection in a windscreen made her slow her steps. She straightened her clothes and tried to comb her hair with her fingers.
That would have to do.
What next? The main gate to the C block would be locked. If Nico was still with her, that would not be too much of a problem. But once she was inside, what then?
“Morning!”
Gia started, her heart banging. There was a guard at the C Block gate. She stared at him, her mind blank. What now?
“Sorry!” The man smiled at her. “Didn’t mean to startle you. You coming in for an early prep?”
She nodded, still vibrating from the fright.
The constable got up, stretched and moved to open the gate for her. “I’ll be glad when this night is over,” he said. “How about that stuff that went down at the Waterfront, did you hear about that?”
“Yes,” said Gia. “I was there.” Then she wanted to bite her tongue. He’d want to chat now and she didn’t have any time to waste.
“Really?” The guard shoved the outer gate shut and opened the inner one. “Is it true, then? Belle Gente attack and all?”
“Yes,” said Gia. “It was horrible.”
The man pulled a sympathetic face. “I bet. Well, off you go then. Sergeant Kemp is bound to be back soon, I better get to my place.”
“Thanks!”
Down the daylight row Gia went, aware of the eyes watching her from the cages on either side. The outer kitchen door was locked. She placed her hand on it. “Nico?”
To her unutterable relief there was a snick and a squeak and when she tried it again, the door opened. “Stay with me, Nico,” she said. “Not much longer now.”
She found a torch in the rack, trying to ignore the inner voice that told her to hurry, hurry. Why are you doing this? You should just leave. You could still do it. Just turn around and leave.
The outer light lock door proved more of a challenge than the kitchen door had been and she had to stand there, leaning against it for almost a minute before she felt the lock release. The inner door was much easier.
“Lizzie?” she said as she stepped into the twilight row. Yes, there she was. Sitting up, her face a red blur in the torchlight. “Lizzie, it’s me. I’m getting you out.”
The girl was on her feet in an instant, her movement fast and sure. Gia couldn’t help but remember how she’d looked when attempting to break out of the chair. What had Mantjies said? “If she’d felt like it, she could have snapped your neck and none of us could have done a thing to stop her.”
Maybe this was not such a good idea.
“Hi, Gia.” Lizzie wrapped her hands around the bars of the door. “What’s up?”
“I’m getting you out.”
Lizzie’s eyes glinted in the red light as Gia placed her hands on the lock.
Please, please let this one work as well. For a few heartbeats she stood there, bending over the lock, her breath loud in her ears, aware of the scrutiny of the werewolf. Then the lock released and she pulled the door open.
“Thanks, Nico,” she whispered.
“That’s a good trick,” said Lizzie, stepping out. “And what happens now?” Gia couldn’t help flinching back as the girl stretched luxuriantly, rolling her head on her neck. Lizzie must have noticed Gia’s reaction, but she did not comment on it. “Ah, it’s good to be out of that box.”
Don’t let them know you’re scared. That’s what people said about dogs, didn’t they? But they also said they can smell your fear...
“I haven’t figured it out yet,” said Gia, relieved that she was able to keep her voice steady. “I’ve got to get out as fast as I can. They found out— If they catch me, I’m done for.”
“Okay,” said Lizzie calmly. “No room for mistakes, then. Is there a guard out front?”
“Yes.”
“Anyone else?”
“Not that I saw. Or not nearby. But he said that they’d be here soon.”
“Night patrol trucks arrived yet?”
“I didn’t see any. I don’t know whether they went out last night. There’s been all kinds of things happening.”
Lizzie nodded. “Okay then. Now. Listen carefully and I’ll tell you exactly what to do.”
-oOo-
“Hi! I’m sorry, please, can you help me?” Gia did not need to act to achieve that breathless note of panic. “Constable, could you come here to the gate?”
The guard was there in an instant. “What’s wrong? Should I call for help?” He already had his radio out.
“No, no please don’t call anyone.” Gia darted a look over her shoulder. “It’s probably nothing and the sergeant will skin me if she finds out—”
He opened the outer gate. “Nothing in there got loose then? You okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine but I was trying to open one of the hose pipes to clean the cages—”
The guard closed the outer gate and was opening the inner gate now, his concerned attention fixed on her.
“If you could only—”
He stepped into the daylight row. There was a blur behind him and Lizzie was there, an arm around his throat. It was over in an instant. The constable relaxed in her grip and slid to the ground.
“Did— You didn’t kill him, did you?” Gia looked down at the man in fascinated horror.
“No,” said Lizzie. “But he’ll wake up just now with a very sore neck. Help me get his uniform off.”
That was easier said than done, but at last they managed it and Lizzie pulled the jacket and trousers over her clothes. She stepped into the boots, grimacing. “Yuck. Sweaty feet.”
Gia felt a hysterical laugh bubbling inside her. The girl was far taller than the guard, so an undignified amount of wrist and ankle showed and the jacket strained over her broad shoulders. “Well,” Gia said. “As long as nobody looks too close.” She glanced nervously down at the guard, who’d started groaning a little. “What do we do with him?”
“No time to lock him up properly. Let’s just leave him in the kitchen.”
Gia helped, but Lizzie did most of it, dragging the man unceremoniously down the daylight row. The occupants of the cages were all watching, wolf-eyes staring, ears twitching.
“You guys.” Lizzie’s voice strained a little as she manoeuvred the guard through the kitchen door. She looked back at the row of cages. “Better keep quiet and keep this to yourselves, right?” She closed the door. “Can you lock that? Oh, wait, I to
tally forgot.”
She dipped a hand in her pocket and pulled out the keyring, flashing Gia a triumphant grin. “Tadaa!”
Then her expression changed as she looked down at the keys. “You don’t really need these, do you?” She looked up at Gia. “You can do your trick to open the front gates.”
“I think so,” said Gia. “I’m not sure. It’s not really me doing it— I’m not sure how long—”
“Okay. Hang on a sec.”
To Gia’s horror, Lizzie used one of the keys to unlock the kitchen door and went inside, stepping over the guard as she went. “Where are you going?” There was a loud bang. Gia forced herself through the door, sidling past the guard, who had started groaning in earnest. Lizzie, she saw, had broken open the office door and gone inside.
“Why didn’t you just unlock it?”
Lizzie was busy with a cabinet against one wall. “Quicker. Also I don’t know that this ring has all the keys.”
Gia saw that the cabinet contained small, labelled hooks, many of them holding keys. “What are you doing?” She could feel the panic rising now. Even if no other constables came, that guard was fast regaining consciousness.
“Right, right,” Lizzie frowned at the labels and snatched some of the keys off their hooks. “I’ll be right there.”
Then Gia had to dodge back as Lizzie strode past her, heading for the light lock. The werewolf had the outer door open in a moment. Then to Gia’s surprise she grabbed hold of the top of the inner door, hoisting herself up. Gia could see the muscles flex under the rose tattoos. Something twanged.
“Did it.” Lizzie sounded a little breathless, but she was already down and unlocking the inner door. Gia realised that she must have broken the mechanism that prevented both doors from being open at once. By the time she caught up with Lizzie, she was through to the midnight row.
But it was the midnight row no longer. Lizzie had switched on the safe lights and the space was bathed in their red glow.
“Linda?” Lizzie’s voice was loud in the quiet corridor. As Gia watched, she jumped, grabbed hold of one of the ceiling struts and swung the heels of her boots up to kick at a light. The red casing broke and white light flooded through. She dropped easily down onto the concrete again. “Linda?”
“Yes?”
The voice came from a nearby cell. A woman, old, with a scarred face. Only one eye blinked in the unfamiliar light. The other was opaque, silvered over and clearly blind.
Linda. The alpha female. The last time Gia had seen her, she’d been in her full wolf form, accepting a bone from Kemp’s hand.
“No time to explain,” said Lizzie. She took out a handful of keys, shoving them through the bars at Linda. “Got to go. These are all the keys you’ll need.”
Linda looked down at the keys, then up at Lizzie. “Where you going, once you’re out?”
“Don’t know yet.” Lizzie and the older woman stared at one another for a moment. “You watch yourself, Lizzie,” said Linda.
Gia was nearly dancing with nerves by this time. “Yes, okay, don’t pee yourself,” said Lizzie as she strode past, heading for the light lock again. Gia heard the click and clang of a lock behind them. Linda must have let herself out.
The guard in the kitchen was on his knees by the time they got there, but he seemed thoroughly cowed by Lizzie. All she had to do was bare her teeth at him and he lay back down, half crawling under one of the counters.
As they walked back to the gate, Lizzie patted the pockets of the guard’s too-small trousers. “Let’s see what else we’ve got. Ah. What’s this?” A smaller keyring. Lizzie turned it over in her hand, and laughed. “You know, if I’m not mistaken, we may just be able to do this thing.”
It took a moment to find the right keys for the inner and outer gates, but soon they were out of the building.
“Don’t walk too fast,” said the werewolf in an undertone. “Not many people about yet, but there are some. We can’t afford for them to look at us too hard.” Gia wanted to ask where they were going, but Lizzie didn’t give her a chance. Down the front of C Block, round the back, to a smaller parking lot where several vehicles stood.
“Is it, is it,” muttered Lizzie, twirling the keyring as she strode past the cars. “Yes it is, hello baby, come to Mamma.”
It was a motorbike—a huge, black-and-chrome machine, gleaming in the early morning light. Lizzie moved a loving hand across the curved chrome. “Oh, sweetheart, we are in luck. Only one helmet though.”
“You’re going to ride that thing?”
“We are going to ride this beauty. Here.”
Gia caught the helmet.
“Put it on. I’ll get her started.”
In a moment Lizzie was astride the bike, and the engine rumbled to life. Lizzie grinned ferociously. “Oh, you are a honey. A good girl. Get on,” she said to Gia. “And hold on. Lean with me as I turn. And don’t panic, okay? Things may get a little hairy.”
Gia swung a leg over the bike and took a tentative hold of Lizzie’s waist.
“Ready?”
“Ready.”
Then the ground whipped out from under Gia’s feet and they were off. Not too fast, at first. They grumbled down between the parked cars and out through the parking lot entrance. Then they sped down the road to the main gate, faster now, but still civilised. This was nothing like riding on the back of Fatima’s little bike. Gia could feel the pent-up power of the machine, hear it in the muted roar of the engine.
The gate came into view, a guard standing near the boom. What now? Closer and closer, slowing down. The guard stared at them, clearly surprised, but he’d not gone for his weapon or his radio yet. Then an alarm sounded behind them and he looked in the direction they had come.
Gia turned as well and so did Linda. A stream of smoke was rising from the direction of the Wolf Cages.
“Well,” said Lizzie. “Seems Linda’s organised a diversion for us.” She shifted her weight on the bike, changed her grip.
The guard stepped back and held up a hand. “Hey!”
Lizzie leaned, the bike jumped the kerb and was off the road careening on the grassy verge. Straight for the guard. The man threw himself out of danger. They were past and now the engine roared as they sped, sliding into Liesbeek Parkway. Gia cringed, expecting to hear the screeching of brakes, feel the road smashing up against her.
But they made the turn. They were off, accelerating, the world a roaring blur.
Farewell
“What do you call that, cadet?”
Gia peered uncertainly down into the car’s engine. “Um. A— Spark plug?”
Lizzie closed her eyes briefly, as if in pain. “This is a diesel engine.”
“Oh?”
“Diesel engines don’t have spark plugs.”
“Oh.”
Lizzie sighed. “Dude, it’s no good. You are simply going to have to go back to school. You just plain suck at this.”
“But Lizzie, that’s not right. I’ve got to do my bit, earn something—”
“I like working here.” Lizzie closed the truck’s bonnet. “I’m good at my work. And this is a really cool place.”
Gia had to acknowledge that all of that was true. Johnny Clifton’s Motor Spares was the best place they’d found yet. It was a mess, but it was a friendly mess. Especially on a day like today, with the sun cutting through gaps in the cloud, the cats curled up asleep among the scrap metal and the ancient cars gently decomposing amid waist-high weeds. Johnny’s offered not just work for Lizzie and much-needed income, but a place to stay as well.
A safe place.
Nobody at Johnny’s asked where you were from, or cared if you were not quite human. After almost two months of running scared, sleeping sometimes on the street, sometimes in temporary lodgings of temporary friends, Gia knew just how lucky they had it now.
The first week after their escape had been the worst. Lizzie had managed to get rid of the bike quickly enough, although she still regretted its loss. The pro
ceeds had kept them from starving, at least for a while. Cape Town in winter was a miserable place to be out on the street, and it was hard to find anyone who was willing to shelter them.
Gia’s home was out of the question. That would be the first place Special Branch would look for them. Lizzie had hoped to hook up with some of her old friends, but all of those were gone, nobody knew where.
Special Branch had been close on their heels at first, but the loss of the majority of their sniffer search werewolves had hampered their efforts to track the two fugitives. Now, it seemed, the heat was off, at least for the moment. The scandals and the resulting media frenzy seemed to be taking up most of Special Branch’s attention.
First, there had been the revelations by a “secret source”, as the newspapers called it, within Valkenberg. Stories about the Children’s Unit that had sparked a number of investigations and resulted in the resignation of some of the senior officers, Captain Witbooi among them. Shortly afterwards, Doctor Scubbe was in the headlines too, accused of running a campaign of what the newspapers called “dirty tricks”. Apparently the gas used at the Waterfront attack had been matched with a similar substance that had been used at Valkenberg and many people now believed it was Special Branch and not the Belle Gente who was responsible for that attack.
Gia suspected that the White Lady of the Belle Gente might be behind that particular scandal and was far from sure how she felt about it.
The referendum had not gone well, from the Purist party’s point of view. That had been a relief, although, as far as Gia could see it made very little difference to the day-to-day world. Still, it was not surprising that Special Branch had things to worry about besides tracking down an escaped werewolf and the Youth Brigade cadet who’d helped her.
“Look.” Lizzie leaned on the sun-warmed metal of the truck’s bonnet. “If you went back to that art school you wanted to go to, I bet you still have a chance to get in. You could get your portfolio stuff from your dad’s place—”
Wolf Logic Page 32