With infinite care, Moran rolled onto her side. A wave of nausea hit, and she vomited up the contents of her stomach. Luckily, it wasn’t much—just a small puddle of water and slime.
“I’d be careful if I was you,” a deep voice rumbled from nearby. “You got hit pretty hard.”
“Who’s there?” she asked, blinking into the gloom.
“It’s me, Bear,” he replied.
“Bear? You’re still alive?” A wave of gratitude washed over Moran as she levered herself upright.
Bear laughed. “It’ll take a lot more than a few scrawny guards to kill me.”
Moran found herself grinning in return. “No kidding. Where are you?”
“Over here,” Bear said, and she heard the rattle of chains.
She turned to find him in the cell next to her. “They chained you up?”
“Yup. I guess they thought it’d be safer.”
“Is there anybody else in here?” Moran asked, gingerly getting to her feet.
“Bruce is here,” Bear said.
“What? Where?” Moran cried, searching the dark cells for signs of Bruce.
“He’s across the hall, but he hasn’t moved since the guards dumped him in there,” Bear said. “He’s either unconscious or dead.”
Moran flung herself at the bars of her cell and stared at the one opposite. She could just make out the shape of a body lying prone on the floor. “Bruce? Bruce, wake up. Speak to me.”
Utter silence was the only answer she got, and tears pricked her eyelids. “Oh, Bruce. I’m so sorry.”
“He’s hurt bad, isn’t he?” Bear asked.
“He got hit by a bolt,” Moran answered, her heart aching with unspent grief. “He tried to save me.”
“Of course, he did. It’s what he’d do,” Bear rumbled. “The man loves you to bits.”
Moran sighed, leaning against the bars. “I wish I’d realized it before.”
“If wishes were fishes…” Bear said, trailing off.
“What about the others? Is it just us?” Moran asked.
“As far as I know,” Bear said. “I’m pretty sure they’re all dead.”
“And Patti?” Moran asked, thinking about Patti’s back-up team.
“I never saw her anywhere. I don’t think they got her.”
“Thank God for small mercies,” Moran said, but her heart was heavy when she thought about the dead. Nineteen rebels. All gone. If only I’d listened to my gut. I knew something was wrong. Patti tried to warn me. Stupid, stupid!
“So, what now?” Bear asked.
“I don’t know,” Moran whispered.
“Look, I know this is bad, but you’re still my leader. Say the word, and I’ll do it,” Bear said.
“You still feel like that after everything?” Moran asked.
“Bad stuff happens. That’s the way of it. Doesn’t mean we get to give up.”
Moran blinked back her tears. Bear was right. Now was not the time for crying. Now was the time for doing. “Is there any way out of here?”
“If there is, I haven’t found it yet,” Bear said.
“Are you okay? Moran asked. “Did you get injured?”
“Nothing serious. I’m still fighting fit,” Bear said.
“Good. I have a feeling we’re going to need everything we’ve got to make it out of here,” Moran said.
“Have you got a plan?” Bear asked.
“Not yet, but you’ll be the first to know when I do,” Moran said, picking up a steel jug from her cell floor. It contained a little water. After a cautious sniff, she downed the contents. The water fortified her, and the pain in her head receded a little.
Yelling at the top of her lungs, she bashed the jug against the bars. It created an awful racket, precisely what she needed.
“What are you doing?” Bear asked.
“Getting some help for Bruce,” she replied before resuming her efforts.
Seconds later, a disgruntled guard stormed into the cells. “Stop that right now, or I swear—”
“Or what? You’ll kill us? My friend’s already dying. He needs medical care,” Moran said.
The guard snorted, staring at Bear’s hulking shape. “Doesn’t look like he’s dying to me. It took five of us to get him in there.”
“Not him, you idiot. That one,” Moran said, pointing at Bruce.
“So what if he dies?” the guard asked with a shrug. “Nobody cares about one stinking rebel.”
“Are you sure about that? General Sikes wants to question him, personally,” Moran said. “And he’ll be pretty pissed if he can’t.”
The guard’s eyes narrowed. “General Sikes want to talk to him? What for? He’s a nobody. You’re the leader, they say.”
“And he was my right-hand man. He knows everything I do, if not more,” Moran said.
“Nobody said anything about this to me,” the guard protested.
“Maybe not, but if you let him die, I’m pretty sure you’ll be blamed for it. We wouldn’t want that, right?” Moran said in her most persuasive tone of voice.
“What do you want from me, lady?” the guard protested. “I’m no doctor, and I sure as shit didn’t sign up for any of this.”
“Well, it’s your responsibility now, whether you like it or not,” Moran said. “I know you’re not a doctor, so find someone who is. Pronto.”
The guard backed away, muttering beneath his breath. “I’ll see what I can do, but I make no promises.”
“Please try,” Moran pleaded, watching the man leave. Her gaze flashed to Bruce’s unmoving form. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the gloom, she could see the bolt sticking out of his back. Was he even still alive? “Bruce? Can you hear me? Talk to me, please.”
Silence.
A sob exploded from her lips, one she quickly swallowed. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. You tried your best,” Bear said.
“Did I?” Moran said, sliding to the floor until she sat on the cold floor.
“You did, and that’s all anyone can do,” Bear said, before lapsing into silence.
With her head resting on her knees, Moran prepared to wait. There was nothing else she could do. Nothing but pray that the guard came through in time to save Bruce.
***
A slow hour passed before Moran heard the sound of footsteps. She jumped to her feet, hope filling her heart. It dropped to the floor when two guards entered, dragging a man
