Chapter 16
After I concocted a list of creative ways to pay Sloan back, I squirmed into a more comfortable position. Sloan had my arms pinned too tight for me to bring my hands forward.
Should I try to escape? From my brief glance of the parts and supplies on the shelves, I figured I could find something sharp enough to cut through the tape. If this were indeed a real abduction, then I would try my best to get free.
Getting up on my feet was harder to do than I expected.
Once stable, I hopped over to the light switch.
Or rather to where I thought the switch was located.
I bumped into the door, then rubbed my cheek on the cold metal wall to find the light.
It was too high for my hands to reach, but I managed to flick the tab up with my shoulder.
I inspected the shelves and discovered one positive aspect of my imprisonment.
Sloan had taped my wrists so that my palms touched.
If I found a sharp object, I could grab it with my fingers and saw through.
If he had turned my wrists the opposite way, I wouldn’t be able to manipulate an item as well.
I also searched for sharp edges jutting from the shelves that I could use to rub the tape against. The metal bins on the left side contained nuts, bolts, rivets, and washers.
Tubes, electrical connectors, and rolls of wire filled the bins along the back wall.
Finally on the right wall, I found a pile of nails. Long pointy nails.
Turning around, I tried to pick up a couple, but the bin was just high enough that even up on my unsteady tip toes, I could touch it but not get to the nails. Instead, I grabbed the bin and yanked.
I fell forward, landing on my knees. Nails rained down on my legs and bare feet.
Sloan would regret his little payback, I promised.
At least I had plenty of nails to use. And after a few awkward tries, I succeeded in keeping the nail in my hands long enough to poke it into the tape.
When I added in being lightheaded from lack of food and water, I realized a quick escape wouldn’t be in my future.
Time ceased to have any meaning and by the time the door knob twisted, and the keypad beeped, I’d only ripped a little bit of the tape. I sagged to the floor in exhaustion.
The door flew open, and Bubba Boom was next to me in a heartbeat. “Are you all right?”
I nodded. He pulled out his penknife and cut through the tape on my wrists and ankles. I winced as he peeled it away from my skin.
He touched the one on my mouth. “Do you want to do it or should I?”
I pointed to him.
“On three?”
Again, I nodded.
“One. Two.” He ripped it off.
I yelped. My lips burned and tears stung my eyes. “No three?”
“Sorry, I thought that would be better.”
A sticky residue from the tape coated my cheeks, wrists, and ankles. “That’s okay.” I touched his arm. “Thanks.”
He gave me a shy smile. “You certainly keep a guy hopping.” Bubba Boom freed a few strands of my hair that had stuck to my cheek and tucked them behind my ear. “Doctor Lamont’s on the way.”
“I’m fine. Just starving.”
He took my right hand in his. Turning my wrist, he traced the tiny scar on my forearm. “We would have found you sooner if you hadn’t taken the tracer out.”
“We?”
“Hank and the others. And Doctor Lamont. We’ve all been searching for you.”
“Did she rat me out about the tracer?”
“No, but we figured it out pretty quick.” He grew serious. “Who locked you in here?”
“Sloan.”
He nodded as if expecting that answer. “Who were the two guys who took you from the infirmary?”
“Jacy’s goons. I don’t know their names.”
“Do you know why they grabbed you?”
“I think Jacy found out about my tracer. He wanted to know what I had been doing, and I wouldn’t tell him. It’s obvious he’s up to something and he thought I’d figure it out and cause trouble.”
“So he made a preemptive strike,” Bubba Boom said.
“Sounds like—”
“Trella!” Lamont rushed into the room. She dropped her medical bag and wrapped me in a tight hug. Her muscles trembled.
Stunned, I didn’t move.
“I’ve been so worried!” She pulled away to look at me. “Are you alright? If they’ve hurt you, I’ll dismember them without antiseptic and feed them to Chopper one tiny bit at a time.”
Impressive. All I wished to do was slap Sloan a few times.
“Can you walk? I want to do a full scan right away.” Lamont checked my pulse.
“I’m fine. Just really thirsty and hungry.” I appealed to Bubba Boom. “Can you come with me to the cafeteria?”
But Lamont wouldn’t take the hint. “I’ll come along. You haven’t eaten in at least twenty-six hours. You’ll need to be careful about what you put into your stomach.”
“Twenty-six hours? Are you sure?” That seemed too long. I wondered if Logan had been successful and what was going on with the Outsiders.
“Oh yes. I suffered through every one of them.” Lamont thumped her chest. “You were stunned and, since you’re small, it probably knocked you out for ten to twelve hours.”
Funny I didn’t remember being unconscious. I’d been stunned before and hadn’t blacked out.
Bubba Boom helped me stand. The room spun for a moment, and my knees considered buckling. He put his arm around my shoulders, steadying me before we headed to the cafeteria.
Our ragtag group caused quite the stir in the dining room.
At this point, I didn’t care. Lamont fetched me a tray of food.
Then everything blurred together as if a part of me had already fallen asleep.
Gulping water, eating, returning to the infirmary, and being tucked into bed by Bubba Boom combined into one long dream.
Before leaving, he kissed my forehead. I slid my hand into my pocket and clutched my pendant as I slipped into a deeper sleep.
When I woke, I took a long scalding hot shower. Lamont descended on me as soon as I finished, ordering me to eat a large bowl of her special soup. I needed to visit Logan, but she wouldn't let me leave until I agreed to a full physical.
I stifled the desire to argue and remind her of her promise not to mother me.
Her medical request bordered on over protectiveness.
However, it had been nice to know people had been upset by my abduction and had been looking for me.
Before I had gotten involved in the search for Gateway, I could have died in the pipes and only Cogon would have cared.
“Aside from some bruising, a couple strained muscles, and slight dehydration, you're in good health,” Lamont said.
I jumped down from the examination table glad to be done.
“Do you really need to leave so soon?” she asked. “You should rest and rehydrate.”
“There's too much going on right now. I'll rest later,” I said.
I debated if I should climb into the shafts or not. Almost everyone in Inside knew about the tracer. Deciding not risk being seen in the wrong place by the wrong people, I returned to my room.
Lamont trailed after me. “Trella, wait.”
I turned. She hovered in the doorway, uncertain, and vulnerable. Not Doctor Lamont, but Kiana Garrard. Interesting how she morphed from one to the other. At least I had some warning that this wasn't medical.
“You understood my clues, right? You knew there were two armed men waiting to ambush you.”
“Yes. That's why I dropped in from the ceiling and tried to stun them.” I still needed to get my gun back from Jacy.
“Why did you come? You could have saved yourself twenty-six hours of suffering. You had to know they wouldn't hurt me, and yet you came anyway and ended up turning yourself over to them.”
Ah. A good question. Did I have a good answer? Was it because she was my mother? Or because she was an excellent doctor? Or because I was the reason she had been targeted in the first place? How about all of the above?
Riley's comment from the maintenance closet replayed in my mind.
“It's what I do. I guess you could say it's my role or job.
Rushing to the rescue and doing what I can so others don't suffer.” I spread my hands, trying to find the right words.
“I don't really think about it, I just react and hope for the best.” I shrugged. “Worked so far.”
“You shouldn't have risked yourself for me, Trella.”
“A moment of weakness.” I smiled. “A mistake even. Everyone is entitled to make a few mistakes.”
Logan slept on the couch. His arm covered his eyes and one foot dangled off the edge. I dropped down. The light thud woke him. Before I could say a word, he hopped up and embraced me.
“Trella! You're here,” he said with glee.
“Even though I'm not as smart as you, I do know where I am.”
“I feared the worst. No one could find you. Anne-Jade had all her ISF officers searching.”
“I wasn't in any real danger. And I’m sorry to have kept you in suspense, but no one had time to stop by here.” I explained about Jacy and Riley's plans to build a separate network. “Riley’s stringing wires as we speak.”
“Ooh. I like! Why didn't I think of that?” He bounced on his toes as his gaze turned inward.
“Because it's been me, you, and Anne-Jade, while Jacy has recruited a bunch of people.”
“True.”
“What about your idea?”
He stopped bouncing. “When you said I should climb the Expanse, you didn't explain there wasn't a ladder.”
“The ladder starts about seventy-five meters up, but there are lots of things to hold onto.”
“That's assuming I have the strength to hang on and pull my body up the Wall. I don't know how you did it, but I didn't make it past twenty meters before my legs and arms turned to mush.”
“What about Anne-Jade?”
“She was too busy, and I thought it would be less suspicious for one person to be up there. Besides, I doubt she would have climbed much further.” He plopped back onto the couch. “Is there another way up there?”
I considered. “I could rig a pulley to the end of the ladder and hoist you up.”