Sun nodded. “It isn’t as bad as it looks. I’ll be back on my feet in no time. I just need to find out what they did with my things. I’m naked under here.”
Jerry laughed and then looked around. “Hey, I think some of your things are here,” he said, stretching. He picked some items off a table beside the bed and held them up so that she could see them. “Here’s your purse and that blue button thing they gave you to access the systems.”
Sun smiled. “Thanks, Jerry, but that still doesn’t really solve the naked thing.”
Jerry blushed. “No, you’re right. I’ll go find out what they did with your clothes. You two probably want your privacy.”
“I’ll come find you and Nessie later,” said Andy. “Thanks, Jerry.”
Jerry left the room.
Andy turned back to Sun. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”
“No, I think they gave me painkillers. Not morphine, or I would be out of it. They must have given me codeine or something.”
“Do you need anything else?”
Sun put her hand on Andy’s. “Sweetheart, I’m fine. You should get back to work. I need to sleep. The surgery has left me feeling sick and tired. I don’t want to get a fever.”
“I can’t leave you.”
Sun squeezed his hand. “Andy, go and do some work. I won’t have you sitting by my bedside. I’m not a child. I’ll be fine. Soon as I’m rested I’ll come join you.” Andy went to speak, but Sun cut him off. “Sweetheart, I almost got my head taken off putting your plan into action. You got the batling in with Lucas, so go see what happens. No point setting up fireworks and not watching them go off.”
“I think I’ve had enough of fireworks,” Andy said. “Enough to last a lifetime.”
Sun laughed. Her eyes were drooping and she was beginning to fall into slumber. “A few more won’t hurt.”
Andy grimaced. “Only takes one to take an eye out.”
Jerry found a nurse in the operating room cleaning up. He asked for Sun’s clothes.
“We’ve piled them up over there,” one of the ladies said, nodding towards a pile of clothes on a side table. “I’m about to go attend to Mrs Dennison, would she like me to bring them in for her?”
Jerry nodded. “If you wouldn’t mind.”
He exited the room back into the corridor then headed for the conference room. From there he could make it into the dormitory wing and back to his suite. He was knackered after studying in the library for so long.
The small blue disk in Jerry’s pocket was burning a hole. He touched its rubbery surface and felt his stomach churn. What would happen when Sun realised he had stolen it from her bedside table. And why had he even stolen it in the first place?
Because I don’t want to be a prisoner like the things they have in the cells. I want to leave, to get a million miles away from this place. People are dying.
I’ll happily give myself up to the police back home than stay in this place until they decide to ‘dispose’ of me.
But there’s no way they will let me go home.
Jerry passed through the heated atmosphere of the conference room, the space filled with the sound of computer exhausts humming out hot air.
Jerry stepped towards the door that led to the living quarters, but took pause.
If I’m going to get the hell out of here. I should do it now, while everyone is distracted with what just happened. I could make it to the lift and take it to the top. Sun’s fob should let me access the controls.
Jerry changed direction and headed out into the cellblock. The first cell now contained both the batling and Lucas, separated by a mesh of steel.
The batling was stooped over on the floor, its wings wrapped around itself. It was obviously healing after being fired upon. The Irishman stared down at the creature silently, but glanced upwards when he noticed Jerry.
“You off then, are you, lad?”
Jerry stopped outside the cell and looked in. “What?”
Lucas smiled, although it lacked his usual cheeriness. “You’re leaving, I take it?”
“I…”
“It’s okay, lad. Get going while you can. Things aren’t going to get any better around here.”
Jerry frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean the death of that poor security guard will only be the first of many. This place is a madhouse and the inmates want blood.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Not I,” said Lucas. “This ugly little blighter on the floor. He’s just getting started.”
“How do you know that?”
“Let’s just say I know his type. All ‘humanity will fall’ this and ‘mankind will burn in hell’ that type of nonsense. Nothing original, but serious all the same.”
Jerry looked down at the wounded creature and wondered how it could possibly be a threat to mankind. It was no bigger than a koala bear.
“Who the hell are you?” Jerry asked Lucas.
“Just an interested third-party. I have a vested interested in the outcome of this damnable pit, hence my presence in this festering hole.”
Jerry shook his head, rolled his eyes. “Dude, why you got to be all ‘riddle me this?’ Stop talking bollocks.”
Lucas grinned. “You’ve become quite the man, since I saw you last Jerry-lad. I see your heart. It swells with a courage once absent.”
“You don’t know me.”
“I know you well, from a time forgotten by all but the most perceptive, but it’s of no importance in this place and time, lad. What’s important is that the angry little monster currently sleeping on the ground between us will soon be well again, and when he is it would be better to be rid of this place. My advice to you would be to hurry up and get in that lift. Go home and face your punishment. Life may still hold promise for you.”
“How do you know about me? How do you know the things that I have done?”
Lucas ran his fingertips across the mesh of the fence. He blinked slowly. “When faced with a man, I have little difficulty in reading the verses of his soul. Your past, your present—they are etched into your mind and body. And when read together, they hold glimmers of your future. Which is why I am telling you one more time to flee this place. I fear you will not live if you do not, lad. No one would blame you for running.”
Jerry frowned. He had planned on leaving anyway; that was why he was in the cellblock after all: heading for the elevator. Lucas’s warning only added to the argument for trying to escape.
“Don’t worry, I’m going. You take care, weird Irish guy.” Jerry turned and walked away. He fingered the rubber fob in his pocket, making sure it was still there. Then he headed down the corridor.
Just running away as usual. But what bleeding choice do I have?
Further on down there was a bloodstain. It covered the floor in a congealed pool. Jerry stepped around it squeamishly. There were also several patches of chipped concrete where bullets had doubtlessly struck.
The elevator was just up ahead, past the cell with the horrible-looking vampire. It snarled and hissed at him as he past, beat at the glass with its twisted hands.
Gonna be really glad to get away from that nasty sod. He looks like wants to rip me to pieces.
Wake up, dude, that’s exactly why the thing is locked up in a hole in the ground. It’s not because it cheated the house at Vegas. It’s a freaking monster.
Something caught Jerry’s attention.
Wolfie sat up against the glass of his cell, wagging his tail and panting. When he saw Jerry pass by, he began to wiggle excitedly.
“Hey, Wolfie. How you doing?”
Wolfie yipped.
“I still can’t believe they have you locked up down here with a monster like that thing next door. You’re not a monster like him, you’re just an animal.”
Jerry thought about Lucas’s words and wondered if Wolfie would be alright once things turned bad. Was something bad really going to happen, or was the Irish guy just messing with him?
Can I really walk away and leave everyone here to die?
Run away, dude. You’re not walking, you’re running.
Wolfie jumped up on his hind legs and pawed at the glass with his front ones. His long pink tongue slurped across the glass.
Jerry smiled. “I wish I could take you out of here with me, buddy. I bet you’d love it in the woods up there on the surface.
Jerry’s smile faded and a sigh escaped his lips. He placed his hand against the glass and Wolfie licked at it from the other side.
I’ll probably be dead before I get within a mile away from this place.
Is there even any point trying to escape?
Wolfie never managed it and he’s been here for years. Poor guy. Wonder when’s the last time he even got out of that cell, or even had anyone to play with.
Jerry reached into his pocket and pulled out the blue rubber fob. He moved over to the LED screen for Wolfie’s cell and placed the fob against it.
I must be crazy.
The screen flashed green and beeped. Menus came up on screen and Jerry started to jab at them, trying to navigate towards what he was looking for. Then he found the command he wanted.
CELL ENTRY.
He prodded the screen.
OPEN CELL. YES? NO?
He paused, finger hovering.
Then he pressed
YES
.
There was a shrill ringing, emanating from above the cell. The glass barrier began to slide. Once it opened up to a gap of about four feet it stopped sliding. The ringing halted.
Jerry stared into the cell.
Wolfie stared right back, his ears pricked up like the tips of spears.
• • •
Kane’s computer blinked. His eyes narrowed. He glanced up at Rimmer and Gorman and then leapt out of his seat.
“What is it?” Rimmer asked, his hand instinctively moving over his holstered .44.
Kane shoved past the two of them, heading for the door. “Someone’s opened up cell number 5. I did not authorise that.”
“Who?” asked Rimmer.
“Sun Dennison.”
“But she’s in the infirmary. She couldn’t be up on her feet yet.”
Race looked back at them as he flung open his office door. “Exactly.”
• • •
Jerry stepped forwards into the gap between the glass barrier and the wall. Wolfie padded backwards, looking both curious and nervous—almost cowering. Up close, Jerry realised he had underestimated the size of the beast. Wolfie was closer to the size of a pony than a dog. It was clear by the animal’s body language that he was unused to someone being inside his cell. His fur had spiked up and his shoulders narrowed.
It’s his territory.
Jerry considered backing out of the cell and closing it again, if only because of the smell. The stench inside the cell was primal, beastly. It made his eyes water. Jerry looked down at a bundle of blankets that formed Wolfie’s bed and saw insects and lice. He also saw something else.
“Is that…”
Jerry reached down towards the blankets.
Wolfie let out a low, rising snarl.
Jerry slowed his movement, held out a hand. “It’s okay, boy. I’m not going to hurt you. Easy does it.”
Wolfie’s snarling lowered but did not stop completely.
Jerry grabbed the rubber ball amongst the rumbled sheets and straightened up with it in his hands.
Wolfie hopped backwards, lowered on his haunches, his rear in the air. If not for the wagging tail, Jerry might have thought the animal was about to pounce.
Wolfie yipped excitedly.
“You like that, don’t you, boy? You like to play with your ball.”
Wolfie wagged his tail faster.
Jerry threw the ball. It sailed down towards the back of the cell and hit the rear wall, bouncing back the way it had come.
Wolfie raced after the ball and leapt in the air as it almost sailed over his head. He spun around with the newly-captured prize in his mouth and flopped down on his belly, loosing the ball so that it rolled back to Jerry’s feet.
Jerry bent down and picked up the ball, held it in the air.
“You wanna go again?”
Wolfie reared up ecstatically and waited for the ball to be thrown again.
“You’re just a dog, aren’t you? Is the reason you’re down on subbasemnt 10 just because you took a chunk out of that asshole, Kane? I bet you were up on subbasement 1 before he came along.”
Wolfie wagged his tail, barked at Jerry.
Jerry threw the ball. This time he threw it harder and added spin, trying to add a bit of variety for Wolfie to enjoy. The ball bounced off the rear wall and this time it flew far over Wolfie’s head and back towards the front of the cell.
Jerry giggled at the sight of the huge beast sliding on its paws before spinning around excitedly and giving chase in the opposite direction. Wolfie threw himself across the cell like a bat out of hell, almost taking Jerry off his feet.
“Hey, Wolfie, stop. Slow down.”
The ball continued racing through the air and flew out of the gap between the barrier and the wall. Wolfie immediately followed, wagging his tail dementedly. Seeing that he had just inadvertently let the animal loose, Jerry sprinted out after him, urgently calling his name.
“Wolfie! Wolfie, back in your cell, before they-”
There was the sound of gunfire.
Wolfie flew sideways across the concrete floor. Jerry put his hands up and saw that Rimmer and Kane were standing in the corridor. Kane had a mean looking revolver pointed out in front of him.
Jerry looked left and saw Wolfie’s large form panting on the ground and bleeding. His pained whimpers filled the cramped corridor.
“Wolfie!” Jerry attempted to rush to the animal’s side but Kane shouted him to a halt.
“You stay right where you are, you son of a bitch. One move and I’ll put you down too.”
Jerry turned to face the General. There were tears in his eyes.
Kane glared at him but kept his gun trained on Wolfie. He marched forwards, approaching the fallen animal he had just shot. “I’ve been waiting for an excuse to put this mongrel down.”
“No,” Jerry shouted. Ignoring Kane’s threats, he ran over and stood in front of the General, trying to stop him. “It was my fault,” Jerry cried. “We were just playing ball and I threw it too hard. Please, just leave him alone. He might still be okay.”