Office of the President, Megalodon City, Tundra, Standard Year 404 after founding

  Major Ray Miller sat stiffly in one of the two luxurious armchairs across from the President and recounted the latest events of the day to the best of his ability.

  “And then Hodgins said she was trying to protect him?”

  “Yes, Mr. President.”

  Jim Hawk nodded. The battle had begun and by any objective measure, it was not going well. He was not foolish enough to underestimate an opponent. Lieutenant Alanna Summers had proven herself to be a worthy one. Had she chosen either of the options offered, her worth to his son would have been diminished. It would have been enough. Given the danger she posed, he would have killed her within the hour. But she had looked beyond the limited opportunities he had provided her and chosen something else. Worse, she seemed to have won the loyalty of at least one of the guards. Of course, this was not entirely unexpected. His son’s head would not be easily turned. And in the end, nothing had changed. He was an old man and when he was no longer able to rule, Tundra would need James Hawk. He would not permit a passing fancy to ruin his son’s chances at the presidency. Just as he would not permit this passing fancy to place Tundra’s entire future at risk. Failure, was not an option. “What is your read on the situation, Major?”

  Major Ray Miller froze. This was the moment he had been dreading, the moment he prayed wouldn’t come at all. He had rehearsed his response in his head, frantically attempting a dozen variations. None felt right. There was no good way to be the bearer of this bad news. No good way to pass on the truth that the President of their planet did not want to hear. “The lieutenant – is well protected.” He said instead, fully realizing the inadequacy of his response.

  “I see.” Jim Hawk responded calmly. “Was there anything else?”

  The major opened his mouth, as if about to say more. He closed his mouth. There was nothing to say. There was nothing he had to say that the President would want to hear. “No, Mr. President.” He said quietly. “Nothing else.”

  Jim Hawk continued to sit across from him, letting the silence stretch out. Giving him every opportunity to say more. Major Ray Miller swallowed nervously into the silence.

  “Vey well.” Jim Hawk said politely, as it became clear that no additional input was forthcoming. “Thank you for your time, Major.”

  “Thank you, Mr. President.”

  The major walked out, knowing his career was as good as dead. But then, at least it was only his career. Tonight, he would go home to his wife and children. It was enough.

  ---

  Jim Hawk watched the major’s retreating back, his face a blank mask of politeness, until the door to his office had been closed and securely shut. In the privacy of his own office, he allowed himself the luxury of drumming his fingers on his desk. He knew when a battle plan wasn’t going well. But then, they didn’t, and could not, all go well. Sometimes, there were necessary casualties. James would understand. In time.

  Plan B, to be launched in the eventuality Lieutenant Summers chose to decline the options presented to her, was already in motion. All he had to do was give the final order. And yet he sat, staring out at Megalodon City, covered by a blanket of snow and gleaming a soft lavender in the dim light of the setting sun. Millions of tiny lights from millions of windows gleamed like flames against the approaching darkness. Millions of people lived out their lives behind those windows. He started slightly at the vibration from the communicator on his wrist. “Yes, what is it?” He said curtly.

  “Mr. President, Commander Tony Sicaro is here for you.”

  Once again, Jim Hawk paused.

  “Mr. President?” His secretary repeated, puzzled.

  “Let him in.”

  ---

  Megalodon City Penitentiary, Tundra, Standard Year 404 after founding

  “Urgent prison business?” Alanna hissed, watching Dev make his way back down the hallway. “You’re nuts, you know that? Completely, utterly nuts.”

  “It got the job done.” Dev said shortly.

  “Dev?”

  “It’s been a long day, Alanna. What is it?”

  “Can I have a knife?”

  “No.”

  “Can I have a gun?”

  “What? No!”

  Alanna drummed her fingers against the door of the cell. “Can I have a beer? In a glass bottle?”

  Dev raised an eyebrow. “Sure Alanna, we wouldn’t want you to rough it with canned beer.”

  “No.” Alanna agreed. “We would not. I have standards.”

  Dev rubbed his forehead tiredly. It had not been a good day. “And you’re going to give the bottle back when you’re done with the beer?”

  Alanna walked up to the cell door, leaning as close as she could to the barred window. “Dev, hear me out.” She repeated “I hate beer. And it takes me a really long time to finish a bottle. Sometimes, it takes days and days. Maybe I can keep the beer bottle. Just for a little while?”

  “Fine.” Dev said sourly. “Maybe you can stab someone in the ear with it. That’ll show ‘em.”

  “Simon’s got a big mouth.”

  “And you have no fighting skills to speak of.”

  “I am very good, with a gun.”

  “How’s that working out for you?”

  “I’ll tell you over beer.” Alanna said hopefully.

  A few minutes later, Dev returned with Phil and the puppy in tow, open beers in hand. Phil handed her one of the bottles. “Heard your asylum interview.” He said shortly.

  “I’m feeling some real optimism about my chances.” Alanna nodded, taking a gulp of her beer and wincing at the taste. Absent mindedly, she reached down and fed more cheese to the puppy.

  “Alanna!” Dev snapped in exasperation.

  “Sorry. I’m done, I swear. Is it just me or has this little guy gotten bigger since the last time I saw him?”

  Dev looked down at the puppy as he spun in frantic circles in a desperate attempt to catch his own tail. Finally exhausted, Benji sat still, his uncooperative tail wagging just out of reach of his teeth. “Yeah. He’s a real powerhouse.” Dev drank his beer. “When do you think they’re coming?”

  “Only one way in?”

  “It’s a prison, Alanna.” Dev glanced down the hallway. There was only one way in. And it was through him. “We’re not known for our fire exits.”

  Alanna nodded. “The major said ‘you have to sleep sometime’. Either it’s a feint or they’re not coming tonight. My money’s on tomorrow night.”

  “Good. I’m going to get some sleep.” Dev said shortly. “Phil, the floor is yours.”

  Alanna eyed Phil doubtfully. “Why are you here?”

  “Awaiting your endless gratitude, why else?” Phil took a deep drink of his beer before continuing. “You still want your laptop charged?”

  “Yes, please.” Alanna handed him the computer and watched him walk off towards the breakroom, puppy in tow. She paced the length of her cell a few times before spilling out the rest of the beer and spinning the bottle in her hand. It had some weight to it, and surprisingly good balance. Sometimes it was best not to overthink things. In one smooth motion, she smashed the bottle against a corner of the sink. Not bad, Alanna thought, running her fingers along the jagged edges of the remaining glass. She spun the bottle again, getting accustomed to the new weight and balance of the tool. It would have to do.

  Phil came back a while later and handed the fully charged laptop back to her silently. Alanna thanked him and watched as he walked away. It was his second shift. The man was getting tired. They were all going to get tired, while the enemy had nothing but time. Waiting was hard. Rubbing her eyes, Alanna opened the laptop and returned to her book on Tundran history, continuing to read until the words Chapter 18: The Rise of Jim Hawk came up on the screen. “Oh for…” She slammed her laptop shut and picked up the beer bottle again, spinning it in her hand.

  ---

  The night was quiet. Alanna tossed on the makeshift bed, over and over. For some mad reason the bed felt empty and she couldn’t get James out of her head. Random phrases echoed in her mind. He is James Hawk. The expectations have never been reasonable. James Hawk is not for you… They’re not people… I don’t want Saraya to become a nuclear wasteland… Just stay alive, nothing else, whatever it takes… Eyes wide open, she sat up and leaned her back against the icy concrete wall. She hadn’t bothered to change for sleep, so she sat there in her best asylum interview clothes, jeans and the black sweater Clara selected for her. Alanna stared blankly at the door of her cell. All was quiet. Once again, she opened her laptop and stared at the screen. Pouring herself a mug of water from the sink without a second thought, she sat down to read about the rise of Jim Hawk as the thunder of another Tundran thunderstorm rumbled in the distance.

  Orphaned by the nuclear attack on Dragon City at the age of nine, Jim Hawk rose to prominence based on his military record. Known for creative and unusual tactics, he was often at odds with his commanding officers but his track record of success remained unmatched.

  Idly, Alanna wondered just how ‘at odds’ he must have been for that bit to make its way into the history books.

  The youngest captain in Tundran military history…

  All two hundred years of it, Alanna thought with a snort.

  Jim Hawk passed his unique command style on to his crew, a testing ground of ‘the cheating round’ now incorporated into the Tundran planetwide war games competition.

  Ignoring the trepidation in the pit of her stomach, Alanna continued to read. For better or worse, she had gotten Dev and the rest of the guards into this mess and she would do her best to get them out of it. And that meant learning everything she could about President Hawk. The book on Tundran history had not bothered to soften the edges of their leader. Over and over again, he was portrayed as a brilliant and unapologetically ruthless military commander. Unlike many, he translated his skills of military command to civil service with great effectiveness. The Tundran economy, from food production to the mining and construction industries, thrived under his presidency. And he was credited with bringing Tundra to the very brink of victory, against a far more powerful opponent. Alanna sighed before shutting off the screen. Dev, disgusted as he was, had openly admitted he would be voting for Prsident Hawk in the next election. The Tundrans wanted to win. At any cost. Getting up, she went through her makeshift exercise routine, pleased to see that her strength was continuing to improve. And then she waited.

  ---

  Dev stopped by later the next morning, blearily handing her a cup of coffee before pacing up and down the hallway. He didn’t seem to be in a mood to talk. For lunch, Alanna made herself a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of tea, using up most of the remaining bread and cheese. She offered to make one for Dev as well, but he declined and returned to his pacing. The day dragged on. By the time nighttime approached, the tension in the air was reaching a breaking point. Her stomach churned and Alanna was starting to seriously regret eating at all. Benji was released to prowl the hallway at will and patrolled nervously, letting out piercing yips at the slightest sound as he responded to the overall mood on the cell block.

  The lights dimmed and still everything remained quiet, the only sound the soft thump of boots against the concrete floors. Simon had replaced Dev but Alanna knew Dev would be around. None of them seemed to go home at all. She sighed. A low rumble in the distance made her heart leap into her mouth until she recognized it as another one of Tundra’s thunderstorms. They came more often at night. Alanna stretched, trying to relax as the thick concrete walls closed in around her. It had been days since she’d seen daylight and she had no idea what a Tundran thunderstorm looked like. She could only vaguely recognize the sound. The night dragged on, silent except for the sound of pacing. Inspiring speeches were not her strength and so, like the rest of them, she remained quiet. Waiting.

  At some point, Alanna was shocked to realize the lights began brightening again. Exhausted, she thought about going to sleep but she couldn’t quite make it happen. The tension left her feeling grimy and she splashed water on her face, then quickly took off her clothes and rinsed off before changing. This time, she put on jeans, a thin black shirt and the oversized black sweater James had given her, taking what comfort she could as the thick, heavy weight of the sweater settled over her shoulders.

  A while later, Dev came with the coffee. He looked like hell.

  “It didn’t happen.” Alanna stated the obvious, accepting her cup gratefully.

  “Not yet.”

  “Do you think maybe…”

  “No.” Dev said shortly. “No, I do not. Everyone is going to stay on full alert. For as long as it takes.”

  Alanna nodded. President Hawk was waiting them out, knowing that by the time the attack came, none of them would be at their best. Apparently, he believed he had time. Which meant James wasn’t coming back any time soon. And try as she might, she could think of no way to avoid the inevitable exhaustion, her own and that of her team. They were trapped. She drank her coffee. “We sleep when we can and we do our best.” She said, knowing as she said it that all she did was unhelpfully state the obvious.

  “Yes.” Dev said shortly. He walked off, tension evident in every step. Lunch came and went. Everyone was eating ration bars. They were easier on the stomach and no one had the time or the initiative to cook. They waited. Dev continued to pace, starting to feel hypnotized by the sound of his own footsteps as the haze of exhaustion set in.

  When he heard the elevator doors open he paused in mid step, frozen by surprise. From his position at the far end of the hall, Dev wasn’t able to make out who was stepping off, only that there were two figures approaching. The puppy, noticing visitors, let out an excited yip and made a mad dash down the hall. Dev watched as they walked towards him, his hand automatically resting on his weapon. “Hi there.” He called out, letting his voice carry, making sure others on the floor heard his warning. He was surprised that the dog had not sounded a more thorough alarm, but as the two figures approached and he made them out more clearly, he began to understand.

  “Dev.” The warden of Megalodon City penitentiary nodded slightly in his direction, idly petting Benji on the head as he ran up, tail wagging. “You look like hell.” He noted, studying one of his best guards quizzically. “You can take your hand off that gun Dev, we’re all friends here.”

  “Been a long night, sir.” Dev said noncommittally, his eyes on the second man standing at the warden’s right hand.

  “I know you’ve been pulling some double shifts with Simon getting re-assigned.” The warden responded soothingly. “We all appreciate your efforts. And as it happens, we’ve brought you some help. Some very…” the warden cleared his throat “some very highly qualified help. Dev Hodgins, meet commander Tony Sicaro. He’s home on leave and has generously offered to help us out while we’re shorthanded.”

  “I’m just here to rest up from my last mission.” The man standing next to the warden said easily. “Thought a bit of down time would do me good. Happy to help out, sir.”

  Dev nodded, not quite succeeding in hiding the tension running through him.

  “Everything all right, Dev?” The warden asked, studying him closely.

  “Yes, sir.” He responded shortly, his eyes on the other man.

  “Very well then. If you need anything, feel free to stop by my office. Any time.” The warden nodded at both of them before turning around and heading back towards the elevator.

  Perfectly relaxed, commander Tony Sicaro leaned his back against a nearby wall, giving himself a peripheral view both up and down the hallway. “Pleasure to meet you, Dev.” He said easily. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  The space between Dev’s shoulders was itching as he stood facing the other man, his hand continuing to hover over his holstered gun. Did they really just send in one man? Was this a feint or was this the attack?

  The sound of the elevator doors closing echoed down the hallway. Tony Sicaro moved, drawing his gun in one smooth motion and shooting Dev in the stomach. Dev was fast, but not fast enough. His gun was drawn and pointed in Tony’s general direction as he dropped to the ground. Sensing danger, Tony Sicaro turned lightning fast, his back flattened against the wall to make the smallest possible target, and fired at the second man coming towards him from the other direction. He felt the slight numbness of a stun round going off in his general vicinity. The other guard had gotten close, but not close enough. At the other end of the hall, Simon crumpled to the ground.

  At a more leisurely pace, Tony took the old fashioned keys off Dev’s belt and approached the cell housing lieutenant Alanna Summers. The lieutenant was huddled in the very back of the cell, clutching the blanket over herself as if she thought it would offer some protection, a mask of helpless terror on her face. He winced. Do the job, he reminded himself. Based on her record, she barely passed her hand-to-hand combat courses. He didn’t expect much resistance, but commander Tony Sicaro didn’t get home alive by being arrogant. According to the file, Alanna Summers had also shown herself to be full of surprises. And she was known to be excellent with a gun. Turning around so that his holster was outside of her field of vision, he leaned down and checked Dev’s pulse, noting that it was steady and strong.

  He approached with caution, opening the cell door slowly and walking in with quiet deliberation. As Alanna expected, when he moved, he moved lightning fast. He was on top of her in an instant, one hand drawing the sleeping bag out of the way as his other hand moved to wrap around her neck. She let the force of his lunge propel him towards her as she struck out, jagged bottle aimed directly at his neck. His partial dodge was just in time, preventing her from piercing his jugular and taking the force of her strike on the side of his neck. Blood dripped down on her sleeve as Alanna struggled to breathe against the pressure of his hand around her neck. His other hand slammed her wrist down, leaving it numb, and forcing her to drop her only weapon. She heard the sound of the bottle rolling away from the force of his strike. His hand unwrapped from around her neck and she gasped in relief, only to see a silver gleam of handcuffs over her face in-between the black spots clouding her vision. Timing and strategy were out the window now. She struggled but without a weapon she was nearly helpless. The cold feel of steel wrapped around first one than the other of her wrists. Alanna screamed in real terror as he moved her hands and hooked the cuffs up to one of the metal hoops welded to the floor.

  His hands moved down to remove her clothes. Gulping back the terror and still recovering from oxygen deprivation, Alanna took a breath, steeling herself for what she knew she had to do. She had some experience with being handcuffed and it was possible to slip out of the cuffs. All you had to do was dislocate your own thumb. It would have to be her left hand. She needed, desperately needed, her right hand to function . She needed the gun. If she could only get his gun… there wasn’t much time left.

  A howl echoed down the hall, followed by the sound of claws scrambling over the concrete floor and a low growl as Benji ran up and dug his teeth with full force into Tony’s leg. Taking advantage of the distraction and kicking out with all her strength at the same time, Alanna pulled on her left arm, allowing the cuffs to scrape her skin as she dislocated her own thumb to free her hands. Her right arm was freed as well, with the cuffs still attached. One chance. She reached frantically for his holster. In that moment, Alanna wanted nothing more in life than to feel the grip of a gun under her fingers. It would be awkward but once she felt that metal… her fingers scrambled frantically, only to find leather and empty air. He must have removed the gun before entering her cell.

  Ignoring the panic threatening to suffocate her, Alanna struck out for his eyes with her left hand. He blocked her with his left arm, his right hand once again fastening around her neck. She wouldn’t have long before she passed out. Alanna’s right hand was still free and she reached across the sleeping bag, finally finding one of the forks she had dropped into the folds. This time she remembered her training. She didn’t go for the ear, she went straight of the eyes. The hand wrapped around her neck lifted her up, slamming her head against the concrete behind her. Everything went black.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  ---

  The door of Alanna’s cell stood wide open, the scene inside visible to anyone standing in the hallway. Tony Sicaro’s gun, removed from his holster as a precaution, lay in the hall. With a deep suffering sigh, Phil picked up the gun, confirmed that the setting was on stun, and shot the commander in the back, observing glumly as his body went limp. Prison guards were permitted to enforce order at their discretion. There were no specific rules on rape and a general attitude of looking the other way. It wasn’t the done thing to fire on a guard for raping a prisoner. To fire on a high ranking military officer and war hero like commander Tony Sicaro would be a career ending move, if not worse. However, there were very specific rules on killing prisoners without an order of execution. Phil was fully within his rights to shoot another guard to prevent an unscheduled death. With a wince of disgust, he dragged Tony Sicaro’s inert body, pants still undone, off the girl and activated the communicator on his wrist. With another enthusiastic growl, Benji renewed his efforts and sunk his teeth deeper into the man’s leg. Phil ignored him. “Can we please get a nurse on floor fourteen? I’ll get the gurney.”

  “Prisoner or guard?” A voice asked curtly.

  “Let’s call it a high value prisoner.” Phil said. “With potentially life threatening injuries.”

  “On my way.” A female voice came over the line, making him smile.

  “It’ll be good to have your help here, Lainey.”

  “Let’s see what mayhem you all have caused up there.” Lainey’s voice came back, and Phil rather liked to think he heard a returning smile in her voice.

  A few minutes later, Lainey walked briskly off the elevator, noting Phil at the end of the hall and heading directly for him. Her eyes widened as she went, noting Simon’s inert form lying in the middle of the hallway and Dev’s crumpled body further down. “What in the hell happened here?”

  “It would appear commander Tony Sicaro had a bit of an incident.” Phil said mildly, nodding in the direction of the body lying crumpled to the side of the cell. Benji had finally decided to let go of his chew toy and sat, tail wagging happily at the nurse. His fluffy gray snout was covered with blood.

  Lainey’s nose wrinkled in evident disgust. “He shot Dev and Simon?”

  “He did.”

  Lainey opened her mouth to ask more but lost her train of thought, focusing on the ‘high value’ prisoner. “What’s her name?” She asked.

  “Lieutenant Alanna Summers.”

  “The traitor?”

  “That’s the one.”

  Lainey nodded. She was disgusted but not entirely surprised. The lieutenant’s looks would unavoidably attract attention. When a man returned from the war with a chip on his shoulder, crazy things happened. Not that it justified shooting his fellow guards. That was truly taking it too far. Ignoring the new guard, she knelt beside the crumpled body of the lieutenant.

  “How was she injured?”

  “Well in a number of ways but she passed out after he smashed her head against the wall.” Phil said, trying to ignore the guilt gnawing at his stomach. He wondered if he should have interfered sooner. “It happened fast. I also think she got hit with an overflow from the stun round.”

  “Was she passing out before she got hit with the stunner?”

  “I think so.” Phil nodded.

  Lainey forced an eyelid open, shining a light to test the response of the pupil. “The head injury is serious.” She said quietly. “Let’s get her down to the infirmary. Does she need to be cuffed, do you think?”

  Phil hesitated. “If there are going to be guns or sharp objects anywhere in the room then yeah, she needs to be cuffed. But Lainey, I’m telling you, we need to fix this girl. That’s the top priority. You get me?”

  “I get you.” Lainey nodded. “And I’ll do my best. We need to get her on the gurney while keeping her head as steady as we can. I’ll help you. Let’s go.”

  Very carefully, they lifted Alanna’s inert body onto the gurney. Lainey elevated her head slightly but there wasn’t much more she could do without additional medical equipment.

  “And the rest of them?” Phil asked.

  Lainey shrugged. “Three healthy men hit with stun rounds? I say leave ‘em to sort it out when they wake up.”

  “Sure, Sure. You go on ahead. I’ll be right there.” Phil waived her on before going back into the cell. Taking out a pair of his own cuffs, he rolled Tony Sicaro onto his stomach and pulled his arms behind his back, cuffing him none too gently. Leaving the pants as they were, he got up and followed Lainey down the hall.

  ---

  Varen Hodgins, warden of Megalodon City Penitentiary, stretched tiredly before stepping away from his computer and turning to look out the window of his office. The fading light of the dim Tundran sun glinted in the distance, sending a shower of silver and lavender sparks across the pristine snow. It was time to go home. And yet… He thought about the odd tension he had sensed from his distant nephew, Dev. It wouldn’t hurt to check up on things one last time, before heading out. Pulling out his pass, he headed towards the elevator, on his way up to the fourteenth floor that housed Sarayan POWs.

  The warden saw Simon’s crumpled form as soon as he walked off the elevator. Taking out his weapon, he moved cautiously further down the hall, noting Dev’s crumpled form further down. A single cell door stood swinging open. Slowly, his steps silent on the concrete floors, the warden approached the open door, gun out. And found himself staring down at the inert form of commander Tony Sicaro, renown war hero and one of the top officers in the Tundran special forces. With a deep sigh, the warden leaned down and pulled the pants back up. Dev and Simon were both out of commission but Sicaro was in far worse shape. Blood dripped down his leg and the side of his neck and an odd scratch appeared alongside his temple. Activating his communicator, he reached out to Phil, getting straight to the point. “Phil, is there anything you need to tell me?”

  There was a long pause. “Uh, there was an altercation, sir.” Phil said awkwardly.

  “Where’s the prisoner?”

  “In the infirmary.”

  “Is she stable?”

  Phil paused again. “Mostly stable, sir.”

  “Is she secured?”

  “Yessir.”

  “Is everything else under control?”

  “Yes sir. Absolutely, sir.” Phil responded emphatically, and closed his eyes to send a heartfelt prayer that the warden would believe him.

  The warden sighed again. This was what happened when you hired over-qualified personnel. There was always a reason. But then, with Tony Sicaro’s recommendations, there really was no way to decline the ‘generous offer’ of assistance.

  “Are you and Lainey capable of getting the rest of these gentlemen to the infirmary and providing them with first aid as they recover?”

  “Yes sir. Absolutely, sir.” Phil repeated, trying to inject just the right note of confidence into his tone.

  “Starting with our new hire, Phil. Whatever happened here, the man is a war hero and should be treated accordingly. Are we clear?”

  “Yes sir. Absolutely, sir.”

  I live fifteen minutes away, Phil. If anything happens that requires my attention, you will contact me. Immediately. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir.” Phil paused. “Absolutely crystal clear, sir.”

  “Very good.” The warden took one last look around the floor. The new dog was finally coming to say hello. He noted, without surprise, the blood covering his muzzle. They were going to have to rethink the dog. He activated his communicator and sent an additional guard to the fourteenth floor before turning around and walking out.

  ---

  Alanna woke up to the worst headache of her life. The pain was excruciating and with every beat of her heart the intensity increased sharply, over and over. Biting her lip until she drew blood, she tried desperately not to make any noise. She was on her back with her head elevated and her right hand cuffed to the bed. She heard an odd rustling sound as something that felt like paper shifted under her head and noted vaguely that her left hand was still free. Someone had splinted and reset her thumb. She wasn’t wearing any pants but felt no noticeable discomfort below her waist. The oversized sweater she had fortunately chosen to wear that morning covered her up to her knees.

  “She’s awake.” She heard an unfamiliar voice say. The sound came with lightning flashes of additional pain. Giving up, Alanna allowed herself to whimper. Her throat hurt, too. Everything hurt.

  “Alanna.”

  Another unfamiliar voice spoke right next to her ear, startling her. The involuntary twitch she made in response to that voice sent waves of agony across her skull.

  “I’m going to give you a pain killer. It will be one quick shot. I need you to cooperate, all right?”

  “Mhmm.” Alanna said, very softly. At this point, she was perfectly willing to cooperate. It could hardly get much worse. In her current condition, worse meant dead.

  “Alanna.” She heard Dev’s familiar voice. “She really is going to give you a pain killer. For god’s sake, lay still.”

  “Mhmm.” Alanna repeated. She felt intense relief at the sound of Dev’s voice but it did not in any way diminish the excruciating pain in her head.

  “Do I get a pain killer?” The unfamiliar voice spoke again.

  No response appeared to be forthcoming. Alanna felt a small prick in her right arm and lay perfectly still, hoping the painkiller was fast acting. Fortunately, everyone remained silent as the pain slowly receded. With some reluctance, she forced herself to open her eyes. Stifling another moan, she considered straightening up.

  “Don’t move.” A multitude of voices in the room said at once.

  “Owwwww.” Alanna said, her voice hoarse. The muscles she had tensed in preparation for raising herself up relaxed. She hadn’t gotten very far. At least the pain continued to recede as the pain killer took full effect.

  “You have a concussion and internal bleeding, most likely an epidural hematoma.” The voice of the unknown woman spoke next to her ear, softly. “I drilled a small hole in your skull to relieve the pressure.”

  Alanna prudently did not nod. That explained the odd, paper textured fabric she felt under her skull. She was laying on a bandage intended to capture the blood as she bled out of her skull. “The day gets worse and worse. Is everyone all right?” She asked, hating the raw, raspy sound of her voice. Her throat felt on fire.

  “Well one of us is bleeding out of her head.” Dev said, continuing to keep his voice low. “So in the aggregate, we’ve been better.”

  “Everyone else?” Alanna rasped.

  “Simon and I got hit with stun rounds. We’re all fine.”

  “And the puppy?” Alanna asked, trying to stop herself from frowning with worry. She just knew any movement in the vicinity of her head was going to be a huge mistake.

  Dev stifled a short laugh. “He’s fine.”

  Eyes now wide open, Alanna tried to take in the room from her reclining position. Her head was propped on pillows and she was covered up to her waist with what felt like some sort of standard issue hospital blanket. Her bed was a narrow gurney positioned in a corner of the room, with the woman who was probably a nurse sitting in a chair by her side. On her other side were two more gurneys, with Dev sitting up on the first and Simon on the second. Beyond Simon was a window, a real window overlooking the city in the distance. Thousands of tiny lights twinkled in the night. Phil sat up in a chair directly underneath the window. And across from her, at a distance from everyone else in the room and closest to the door, was the owner of the unknown voice, his flat dark eyes looking straight into hers. Alanna noted that like her, he was also handcuffed to his gurney. Unlike her, he was wearing two sets of cuffs, one around each wrist. She swallowed, which as it turned out was also quite painful. “President Hawk sends his regards, I presume.” She said softly, staring at the man across from her.

  “I would like to be uncuffed.” He said, ignoring her.

  The nurse raised an eyebrow from her chair. “I believe you’re unwell, commander. It happens to people sometimes, when they get back from the war. We’re all here to help. But it might be good for you to take a break, just for a little while. Until you’re feeling more… yourself.”

  Tony raised an eyebrow at the room in general. “Is that what you all told the nice nurse?”

  “Would you like to provide an alternative explanation?” Dev asked mildly. “We’re all ears.”

  Tony hesitated. “Fine.” He said finally. “I am now feeling better. Please uncuff me.”

  “These episodes can last a surprisingly long time.” Phil spoke up from his seat in the corner, his gun cradled gently in his hand and pointed, without much subtlety, directly at Tony. “Having seen you earlier commander, and with the greatest respect, I would suggest you take some time.”

  Tony’s hands tightened, straining against the metal cuffs as they dug into his wrists. Someone had been very enthusiastic in tightening the restraints. He looked around the room. No friendly faces here. “Tough crowd.” He said easily, letting his voice relax and leaning back against the pillows propping him up. He would need to find his opportunity but clearly, this was not the time.

  “I know you.” Dev said suddenly, into the silence. “Tony Sicaro, special forces commander.”

  “One and only.” Tony nodded agreeably. He left it at that. Based on the intel he was provided, Dev Hodgins was not going to be on his side, no matter how stellar his war record. The Sarayan prisoner apparently succeeded in wrapping him around her little finger, which didn’t speak well for this particular Hodgins. But there was no point in denying his own identity.

  “You’re James Hawk’s friend.” Dev continued. “You served together.”

  Tony blinked, surprised at the unexpected change of subject. “So?”

  “Ah.” Dev nodded with a grin. “Well, well, well.” Loyal citizen of Tundra though he was, just for a few seconds, Dev sat back and savored the moment. So far, his day had been filled with pain, humiliation and failure. But things were looking up. Because he, Dev Hodgins, was about to blow President Jim Hawk’s brilliant plan sky high. “You just got back from the front, didn’t you commander? Barely had a chance to catch your breath before you got sent out on this new mission. That about right?”

  Tony frowned. “What’s this all got to do with James?”

  “Funny you should ask…” Dev’s smile broadened. “Want in on the joke, commander? Try looking up Alanna Summers, Sarayan traitor.”

  “Seriously?” Alanna rasped from the other corner of the room. “Those are my search terms? Sarayan traitor? If I had parents they would be so proud…”

  “Shut up, Alanna.” Dev said sharply. “We all want the commander here to connect the dots sooner rather than later.” In the spirit of good faith cooperation, Dev got up and personally uncuffed Tony Sicaro before sitting back down, a smug grin still on his face.

  Eyes narrowed, Tony typed in the recommended search term and waited. The video came up first. He pressed play and the tense voice of the girl in the other corner of the room began speaking “I, Lieutenant Alanna Summers...”

  “Turn that off or my brain really will explode.” Alanna said sharply, not bothering to lower her voice and accepting the cost of piercing pain lancing through her head. “Turn it off.” She repeated.

  He ignored her, continuing on to the end of the video.

  “So?” He asked the room at large. “I can just hear the sincerity, both then and now.”

  “Keep reading.” Dev said patiently.

  “She surrendered to the Black Hawk.” Phil noted. “Voluntary surrender.”

  Tony kept reading. “I see. And Henry Hodgins brought her in. Maybe he’s got a thing for her too. So?” He repeated.

  “Henry’s married.” Dev said sharply.

  “And when has that stopped anyone?”

  “Sure Tony, the three of us here are putting our necks on the line to cover up for my philandering uncle.”

  Simon stirred on his cot. “Stop messing with the commander.” He said softly. “’s got nothing to do with Henry, commander.” He turned to Tony, his voice respectful. “James Hawk has been stopping by to see her. Every night. All night. That’s what all it has to do with James Hawk.”

  Tony frowned. It wasn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility, he supposed. The girl wasn’t bad looking. She surrendered to the Black Hawk. “Lives were saved” he said out loud “when she surrendered to the Black Hawk.”

  “I’m still right here.” Alanna noted. “Not dead yet.”

  “Fine.” Tony nodded in her direction. “Lives were saved when you surrendered to the Black Hawk. James, being James, was thoroughly charmed, I’m sure. And I ask again, so?”

  “You see.” Alanna said to the room at large. “That’s what I said. But does anyone listen? No, they do not. Certain people” she gritted her teeth against the pain “Did. Not. Listen.” Her words were drowned out entirely as everyone else responded at once. Alanna sighed and with some effort raised her free left hand, trying to be heard over the others. “Let me try.” She rasped, her voice coming out hoarse from the damage to her throat. She waited until everyone grew quiet before speaking. “So here’s the question, Tony: why did President Hawk send you to rape me? And what were the rest of your orders? I hadn’t considered brain damage… that’s a good one.” Alanna blinked, trying to get her mind to refocus. “Why is it, friend Tony, that President Hawk bothered to give you these orders at all?” Exhausted, she stopped speaking, leaving the room in silence.

  “Well shit.” Tony said quietly. “Every night?” He asked again, looking back at Simon.

  “Yes.” Simon nodded.

  “And he stayed the night?”

  “Yes.”

  Tony frowned. “There’s no shower.” He pointed out.

  “He washed in the sink.” Alanna offered into the silence.

  “In the sink?” Tony said incredulously.

  “I thought it was a Tundran thing.”

  “How is that a Tundran thing? It’s bloody freezing and there’s no shower.”

  “I don’t know!” Alanna said in exasperation, accepting the pain that came with her raised voice. “You’re all nuts anyway, I can’t tell what’s normal here.”

  “We got it now, Alanna.” Dev said firmly. “No more talking for you.”

  “Sit up and turn around.” Tony said suddenly.

  “No.” Everyone else in the room chorused.

  “Do not move!” Lainey said emphatically. “And what the hell is wrong with you?” She turned to Tony. “Are you still trying to kill her?”

  “No I…” Tony blinked. His orders suddenly seemed very distant. “Is she in that bad of shape?”

  “How hard did you hit her? Was it with full force?” Lainey asked sharply.

  Tony raised an eyebrow. “I went up against a decorated officer from an opposing military force. If I had been a fraction of a second slower, she would have sliced my jugular with that bottle. She nearly took out my eye with the fork. No, I did not hold back.”

  “I very nearly won that.” Alanna said into the silence. She was starting to feel just a little bit lightheaded. “Very close.”

  “So you hit her with full force.” Lainey repeated.

  “The angle was awkward but yes, I hit her with full force.”

  “Were those your orders?” Dev asked quietly. “To cause brain damage?”

  “No. Those were not my orders.” Tony responded curtly.

  “Sarayans have fragile bones.” Lainey said into the silence. “It’s the lower gravity. More fragile skulls, too.”

  Tony frowned, studying Alanna across the room. “Is she at serious risk of brain injury or death?”

  Lainey looked at Alanna out of the corner of her eye before responding. “Yes.”

  “I have to make a call.” Tony said to the room. “I need you not to stop me.”

  “Feeling the need to report in?” Dev snorted.

  “No.” He nodded at Lainey. “You’re a nurse, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “She needs a doctor. She’s still bleeding. Look, I haven’t decided what I’m going to do about this but I swear to you my orders weren’t to kill her or cause brain damage. Either take her to a hospital now or let me help.”

  “No.” Alanna said firmly.

  “I agree.” Dev said. “No hospitals. We can’t take the risk. She stays here.”

  Lainey frowned, real concern on her face. “Dev, the commander is correct. If he slammed her head against a concrete wall with full force, this damage is likely beyond my expertise. She needs a doctor.”

  “I can get a doctor here.” Tony said. “Can any of you?”

  “I don’t trust…” Dev began.

  “Why did you want me to sit up and turn around?” Alanna interrupted, struggling to get her voice heard over the chorus of voices in the room.

  “I need to see what’s on the sleeve of your sweater.” Tony responded, his flat dark eyes turning back on her.

  “Other than your blood?” Alanna asked.

  “Lainey, can you tell me what’s on her sleeve?” Tony asked.

  “Other than your blood?” Lainey echoed somewhat drily. She leaned over to study the sleeve of Alanna’s sweater. Her eyes widened suddenly and she sat back, her gaze meeting Tony’s. “Let him make the call.” She said.

  “What’s on the sleeve?” Dev asked, puzzled.

  “A Black Hawk.”

  Alanna blinked. The room was growing fuzzy around the edges and beginning to tilt slightly. “There’s just blood.” She said happily.

  Lainey shook her head. “Dev it’s in the knitting pattern of the sweater. There’s a black hawk.”

  “Samantha Hawk made him that sweater.” Tony said shortly. “Dev, let me make the call.”

  “Do it.” Dev nodded.

  ---

  Less than thirty minutes later, Doctor Fiona Wolton walked into the room, accompanied by Phil. She was carrying a large, rectangular antigrav trunk that looked like it weighed several times more than she did. Her eyes narrowed as she observed Alanna laying against the pillows on the gurney, a pool of blood around her head.

  “Prisoner?” She asked shortly, noting the handcuffs on Alanna’s right wrist.

  “Yes.” Tony nodded. “A high value prisoner.”

  “Will she cooperate?”

  “Yes.” Dev said.

  Fiona raised an eyebrow. “Can I get that from the patient?”

  “Yes.” Alanna repeated. “I will cooperate.”

  Fiona nodded. “I assume the head injury is the top cause for concern. How did the injury occur?”

  “I hit her.” Tony said.

  Fiona looked over at him. “Can you show me exactly how?” She asked without missing a beat.

  Tony gritted his teeth. Him and President Hawk were going to have a real fun conversation in the near future. “The prisoner was under me. I grabbed her by the throat and raised her up. Her head tilted forward and the wall hit the back of her skull, just above the neck.”

  “With all your strength?” Fiona asked.

  “Yes.” Tony said shortly.

  Fiona nodded in the direction of his face. “She went for your eye?”

  “Yes.”

  “She’s Sarayan.” Lainey the nurse spoke up.

  Fiona failed to entirely mask the concern that crossed her face. “I see. Thank you for mentioning this. So the injury was somewhere along the back of her head, above the neck. And it was a concrete wall?”

  “Yes.” Tony repeated.

  Fiona nodded and walked over to Alanna, removing a handheld medical scanner from her bag. She moved the machine carefully around Alanna’s head. “Tony, I need you to move the patient for me.”

  Alanna flinched, trying to pull back against the pillows. “No.”

  “No.” Dev echoed. “We can’t allow that. Doctor, is there someone else who could assist you?”

  “Tony has medical training and steady hands. We’ve worked together before. If you want the best treatment for this patient, I suggest you use him.” Dr. Fiona Wolton looked around the room, waiting for a response. “And I wouldn’t wait too long to decide.” She added pointedly.

  “Alanna, it’s up to you.” Dev said.

  Trying to swallow her terror, Alanna looked into the flat dark eyes of the man coming towards her.

  “Alanna, James is a friend. We served together.” He spread his hands. “He made his wishes clear. I would not have done it if I had known.”

  Alanna turned her eyes towards the doctor, trying hard to keep her head still. “He really has medical training?”

  “He does.” Dev spoke up. “It’s part of his military record.” He shrugged. “Tony Sicaro is a war hero. We all know his record.”

  Alanna closed her eyes. “Do it.” She said shortly.

  “Even with the pain killers, this is going to hurt.” Fiona said. “Tony, I need you to remove the pillows and hold up the patient by supporting her back. I need unobstructed access to the back of her head. Alanna, I need you to hold your head up on your own. We don’t have the right equipment here to do anything else.”

  Alanna tried to blink her eyes to signal agreement. This was going to hurt. But that was all right. She was feeling so lightheaded by then, she wasn’t sure she would notice. She thought about striking out at his dark flat eyes again but they seemed to be moving around, which made it harder to aim. The pillows supporting her back were removed and it did indeed hurt.

  In the end, Alanna wasn’t able to support her own head. Tony caught her just in time, avoiding any sudden movements. He held her head up with three fingers supporting the base of her neck and stepped back as far as he could, giving Fiona space to operate the scanner. Fiona nodded. “This will have to do.” She said, looking down at the images on her screen. “The cranium is heavily bruised but intact. The patient has a severe epidural hematoma. The nurse” she nodded in Lainey’s direction “created a drain which has, without a doubt, saved the patient’s life. However, she’s bleeding faster than the blood is draining and the pressure is continuing to build. We need to drain the blood now.” She went back to her bag and took out a needle.

  By then, Alanna was too disoriented to see the size of the needle, but Dev paled noticeably.

  The thick needle came with a large reservoir. Everyone in the room watched as the reservoir filled with blood.

  “Again.” Fiona said shortly. Lainey had stepped in without being asked, handing her a new syringe. “Again.” Fiona repeated a few minutes later. This time it took longer as the pressure decreased but a third nearly full vial was removed. “All right.” Fiona said finally. “Let’s bring back the pillows.”

  Lainey moved the pillows back into place and Alanna was placed back down.

  “Lieutenant, what year is it?” Fiona asked.

  “Four hundred and three…” Alanna paused. “Wait no, James said happy new year.”

  “Say something Alanna Summers would say.” Dev said, stifling a yawn.

  “I want a gun.” Alanna said immediately.

  “Yeah, that’s her.” Dev confirmed. Everyone around the room nodded.

  “Good.” Fiona nodded. “Without additional equipment, that’s all I can do. Hopefully, it’s enough.”

  “What do we now?” Dev asked out loud, not sure anyone would answer.

  “We wait.” Tony said.

  “We stall.” Alanna said, her voice unexpectedly clear.

  “There, you see? Brain damaged girl agrees with me.” Tony Sicaro said with a sigh.

  “Are you on our side?” Dev pressed.

  “Unlike others in the room, I try to stop short of mutiny but yes, as far as I’m able, I’m on your side.”

  “When will he expect a report?” Dev asked.

  Tony shifted in his chair. If he lied to President Hawk and called the mission complete, they could stall longer. But he wasn’t quite ready to cross that line just yet. “Good chance it will wait until morning.” He said noncommittally.

  “When can I get some sleep?” Alanna asked. “Maybe this is a good time for us all to get some sleep.”

  Fiona got up and ran another scan, once again relying on Tony to hold up the patient’s head and provide her with access. “The bleeding has either slowed down significantly or stopped entirely.” She said with relief, reviewing the images from her scans. “Lieutenant, when was the last time you slept?”

  Alanna blinked. “I can’t… I don’t remember. I haven’t been sleeping much.”

  Fiona nodded, returning to her bag and looking through her supplies. “Under the circumstances, I’m going to give her our state of the art treatments. Alanna, these next several shots are intended to give your body energy and nutrients to heal. Fortunately, these nutrients are not harmful to brain tissue. Fiona selected a much slimmer needle than the previous ones she had used and got to work. “I’m going to get the neck as well.” She said. “Almost there. Now Lainey, a fresh bandage please. The bleeding should be minimal, but we can still expect some as the blood continues to drain. Let’s keep her head elevated. Good.” Fiona sat back, not even bothering to hide her sigh of relief. “The patient is stable. I’m going to continue to monitor but I believe at this time, sleep will benefit her more than remaining under full observation. That stands for the rest of you, as well. I’ll take first watch and wake you if needed. Get some rest.”