recognised Greaves straight away from the smell. Cortez unlocked the pen and helped him to his feet.
'Good work,' Greaves said. 'Now we need to get Anna.'
'Do you know where she is?'
'They didn't lock her up with us. They took her somewhere else. She's far too valuable to them. They'll want to study her for a while then dissect her most probably.'
Cortez unlocked the food hatches on the other pen doors and peered in.
'What are you doing?' said Greaves.
'They have a lot of armed men. We may need to fight our way out and it won't hurt to have a bit of back up.'
'Is that a good idea? How do we know we can trust any of them?'
'We have a common enemy. That comes before any other loyalties. They need to get out of here as much as we do.'
On the right hand side of the corridor were five Native American prisoners. On the other side were four dressed in Neo-Clergy uniforms. They all looked groggy as though they were just coming round. Cortez unlocked the pens on the right hand wall and helped the prisoners to their feet.
'Who are you?' said the tallest Native American. 'Where are you taking us?'
'It's alright, we're prisoners too. We've just escaped.' Greaves pointed to the dead orderly in Cortez's pen as proof of this. 'My name is Greaves and this is Cortez.'
'We need to find our friend and get out of here,' said Cortez. 'Will you work with us?'
The tall Native American said: 'I am Hiamovi, Great Chief of the UTN. I have an army waiting outside. If you can get us out of here, when I take the complex I will guarantee your friend's safe return.'
'There isn't time for that,' said Greaves. 'She's too important and she's in grave danger.'
Hiamovi and his comrades bristled at the way Greaves spoke to them. Cortez recognised the response. It was the way all powerful men react when not addressed with enough respect.
'Our friend is the key to getting us all out,' said Cortez. 'That is why we need to locate her. My friend meant no disrespect.'
'We need weapons to fight our way out,' said a shorter, stockier Native American, who appeared to be second in command. 'Do you know where we can get some?'
'Well now,' said a deep, Mid-Western voice from one of the pens. 'I believe I can help you there.'
Colt had his face pressed up against the hatch. Two men he'd never seen before had let the redskins loose. They were talking about escape and he wanted in.
'See while they put you fellers under they had to distract us,' said Colt. 'They was so cocksure they actually gave us a tour of the place. I know exactly where we can get all the weapons we need.'
'We?' said Hiamovi, looking at Colt. 'There is no 'we' here Mr Colt. Why would I release my greatest enemy?'
'Way I see it,' said Colt. 'You ain't got no choice. The seven of you aren't gonna fight your way outta here with your dicks in your hand. You're gonna need fire-power and you're gonna need more muscle. I can supply you with both.'
'Tom?' Fitch called out from a pen next to Colt's. 'Hey is that you Tom. C'mon Tom, for old time's sake let us loose.'
'You know these men?' said Hiamovi to the brave next to him.
'My name is Ahiga. Be sure and use it.'
'Sure To… I mean Ahiga,' said Fitch. 'Anything you say. Just get us out of these cages. We can help each other, right?'
'Great Chief,' said Ahiga to Hiamovi. 'This is one of the men I spoke to you about. The ones I used to run with.'
'These are your contacts in the Neo-Clergy, the ones you colluded with?'
'These men have been of some service to you. I'm not saying I can vouch for them, but I have worked with them. Maybe they can be of some use.'
The sneaky Injun was planning something, Colt could tell.
So could Hiamovi. 'We are about to go to war with these people. They have already murdered and enslaved hundreds of our brothers and sisters. Why would I want to set him free to lead his army against ours when I have him safely locked away?'
'Because we've been in this together since day one,' said Colt. 'We've been working with each other every step of the way. You've needed a bogeyman to scare your people into submission and so have I. We've played that part to perfection for each other. We've been playing the same tune and dancing the same steps, right down the line. You wouldn't have come to power without the threat I pose your people. And hey, I'm a big enough man to admit you've helped put me where I am. Like it or not, we need each other. We're perfect together.'
Colt was finally putting his newfound compassion to good use. It wasn't choking him, it was helping get what he wanted, allowing him to feel and think like his enemy, so he could use it to his own benefit. 'Now I want to get back to my troops as much as you do. I want to make sure they're safe and ready to fight just like you. The best way for us to do that is to help each other, just like we been doing from the start. Doesn't mean I want to get all lovey-dovey and start burying the hatchet. But we've got a common enemy and that means we've got a common goal. Like they say, 'you keep your friends close but you keep your enemies closer.' Are you sure you want to leave me all the way down here where you've got no idea what I'm up to?'
The big wetback called Cortez pulled the keys out of his pocket. 'This is the situation,' he said. 'I need to free my friend. She holds the key to controlling the Doomsday Virus. She's the only person that does. That's why our common enemy, the scientists, have her. My friend with the glasses here has memorised the blue prints to every floor in the complex…'
'There are nine,' said Greaves. 'Ten if you count the generator's sub basement.'
'Thank you,' said Cortez. 'There's nearly forty armed men in the place…'
'Forty-two to be exact.'
Cortez placed a hand on Greaves shoulder to stop him interrupting again. 'If we're going to have to shoot our way out we're going to need as many men as we can get.' Cortez turned to Colt. He was a powerful looking man, Colt would give him that. 'I need to know that if I freed you and your men you'd fight alongside us, not go off on your own or try and attack us while we're in here.'
'I'm not going to let you free these men,' said Hiamovi. 'I thought I already made that clear.'
'With respect Great Chief,' said Cortez. 'I may not control an army but we're holding the keys to the cells, no-one else here knows how to get around the place and we're the only people who know how to get the Doomsday Virus out of here. We're the ones who set the terms of this escape.'
'How do I know you're not planning to double cross us once you get the virus?' said Hiamovi.
'Of course we're planning to double cross you,' said Greaves. 'Just as you're already thinking of ways to double cross both Colt and us, and Colt here is dreaming up ways to get one over the rest of us. That doesn't matter. What's important is that none of those plans will come to anything unless we all agree to work together right now to get out of here.'
'He's got a point Hiamovi,' said Colt. 'I don't like him anymore than you do, but you can't argue with the little runt.'
Cortez looked Hiamovi in the eye. 'Agreed?'
Hiamovi nodded.
Cortez met Colt's gaze.
'I got no argument,' said Colt. 'I want to get out of here and get some payback.'
His anger had fused with his compassion turning it into a fierce protectiveness. He felt protective of the men in his command and of his faith. He was ready to kill to see they came to no harm.
Cortez unlocked Colt's pen and offered Colt his hand to help him up. The two sized each other up as Colt got to his feet. Be careful of this man, Colt thought. Better to have him on your side when it counted.
As Cortez freed Colt's men they squared off against Hiamovi and his braves. Neither side took their eye off the other for a second. Hiamovi and Colt had been bitter enemies since each began their rise to power. This was the first time they'd met face to face. Not as opponents, but allies in a desperate bid for freedom. Fighting side by side to escape and go back to their war.
