******
Kaylee sat in her room, a few minutes before noon, lounging on the soft, cushiony bed, thinking about the potential the next few days would bring. She tried to keep her mind off of it, but she always ended up thinking about her impending capture.
It fortunately did not stop her from enjoying the luxury of her accommodations. She had spent the entire previous day relaxing and reading various magazines published between two and ten years ago.
She did nothing; it was amazing: no fears, no concerns. Simply the joys of not having to do anything at all. She got up, went into the bathroom, and appraised herself in the mirror. The cuts on her head and face had scabbed over, and the angry welt from being pistol-whipped had faded somewhat. The bumps on her head still felt tender, but otherwise she was rested and renewed. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be long-lived.
There was a knock on the door. Kaylee grimaced. She exited the bathroom and slowly crossed the room. Sighing reluctantly, she opened it.
Someone she didn't know stood in the hallway. He said, "Elijah wants to see you," before walking away.
A few minutes later, she arrived at the heavy door, the outside guard already absent. Before she could even knock, the panel on the door slid open, revealing those familiar bright blue eyes. The man most folks knew as Elijah, but Kaylee had recently discovered was Victor, spoke.
"It's time." He tilted his head towards the empty chair. "Those are your supplies. You are to pose as an unaffiliated wanderer. Do you know about your destination?"
Kaylee said, "I know where it is," she stopped, thinking, "but really only as a place I was supposed to avoid."
"Good; simply move about in that region, and you will eventually be found. His forces will likely take you directly to the club and to him for appraisal. Offer resistance when you meet him, and there's a good chance it will buy you some time." He blinked. "From what we know about his behavior, Miguel enjoys the pursuit of his female companions." Kaylee frowned. "The Citizenship should send their retaliation force to the location before anything unpleasant occurs."
"What if they don't come?"
Victor paused. "Then do your best to escape."
Kaylee grimaced. Not helpful, she thought, but she didn't press the issue. "All right." She took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's do this." She turned back. "Anything else I should know?"
"Be careful. If you must fight him directly, avoid his face or sensitive regions. He holds extreme pride in both and has severely tortured and killed people for such things."
Kaylee shuddered and walked down the hallway. As she turned the corner, towards the backstage area of the theatre, she heard, "Good luck!" in the voice she recognized as belonging to the real Elijah.
"Thanks," she muttered, passing through the Highland stage area, this time too wrapped up in her thoughts to look around or absorb the grand, empty space. She reached the box office, and Rick caught up to her.
"I'll find you when it's done," he said. "I promise."
She smiled at him. "Thanks, Rick."
"I'm not going to let you get hurt." He winced slightly. "If I can help it, that is."
She laughed. "Great confidence. I don't know what I could have ever been worried about."
Rick gave a sheepish grin. "I do what I can." His smile faded, and he regarded her with a serious eye. "Just be careful, okay?"
She nodded. "I will." She moved out of the building and walked down the street.
Uprising Page 19