“All right, all right,” the guard mumbled. “Now fix it quickly.”
“I would need an extra wire,” the Scavenger said, looking at the guard pointedly. “As well as a large amount of circuitry along with few advanced mechanical devices.”
“Aren’t these the things you should have brought along with you?” the guard said.
“Well, I had, but the guards at the gate took them away, saying it was for security purposes.” The Scavenger raised his hand. “But don’t worry. I knew this would happen, that’s why I brought with me a spare Jammer.” He pulled out the fake Jammer and put it on top of the circular hole. It fit perfectly. There was a flicker on the screen, but no one noticed it.
The Scavenger turned and said, “My job is done. The Jammer is working fine now.”
The lead guard motioned with his head towards the door. “Just get out of here.”
The Scavenger saluted him and then walked casually out of the door. He cast another glance at his watch and saw that he had exactly thirty minutes to execute the final phase of the plan and get out of the Brentinute.
To rescue Aronicle, the Scavenger had to get into the prison centre, for which the fingerprints of an authorized person were required.
He already had discussed a separate plan with Lynx to enter the prison centre. Apart from authorized persons, only some workers who offered water, etc., to guards and scientists were allowed into the prison centre. The Scavenger saw two workers standing together in the vicinity, holding plastic water bottles and trays with glasses.
“Do you need anything?” one of the workers asked.
The Scavenger walked silently towards the workers. With a sudden move, he hit both the workers on the neck with his fingers. He snatched the tray from one of them before both the workers fell unconscious. The Scavenger dragged and hid them in a nearby alley. He wore one of the worker’s clothes and also took the other worker’s clothes. Then, he picked up the bottles of water from the ground and started walking towards the prison centre. While approaching the prison centre, he took out sleeping pills from his pocket and poured them in the bottles placed on the tray.
“Easy, Leo,” someone said. “I am thirstier. I am getting it first.”
“No way, Andrew, I am too thirsty to allow you to drink first,” Leo said.
“Oh, please,” someone else said. “I have been standing here for hours! I need water.”
“No, you don’t, Mel,” Leo shot back. “I was the one to call the worker. I make the first move to drink the water.”
“Easy there, folks,” the Scavenger interrupted. “There’s water for everyone.” He handed a bottle to Andrew first.
Andrew gulped, and Leo glared at him. “You useless piece of garbage!”
The Scavenger passed the other bottle to Leo, who instantly grabbed it. .
Mel picked up a bottle from the Scavenger’s tray and emptied it in one glug.
“So... are your duties too hectic?” the Scavenger asked.
Mel glared at him. “Why do you want to know that?”
“Oh, it’s just that I’m a new guy and I’m on trial. I see you guys standing for long hours in duties. Impressive,” the Scavenger chirped.
Mel bloated with the unexpected compliment. He was oblivious of the fact that the Scavenger was just waiting for the pill to do its job.
“When did you join... um, I mean... um, guys... I don’t feel good.”
A second later, Mel’s eyes closed and he fell on the ground. He was followed by the others almost immediately.
The Scavenger smiled, but his happiness was short-lived. On checking his watch, he discovered that he was in a race against time. He needed to get Aronicle out of the Brentinute somehow within the next twenty minutes.
The Scavenger dragged Mel to the door and placed his index finger on the fingerprint scanner at the entrance door of the prison centre. There was a beep from the door, and the door swung open.
The Scavenger threw Mel away and quickly slipped inside the door, closing it from behind. He was in a massive hall. There was a single man inside it, chained to a chair, his head facing the ground.
The Scavenger held his breath and ran towards the man. He reached him and shouted. “Aronicle?”
Aronicle lifted his head, and the Scavenger sighed, happy to observe that he was alive. Aronicle’s face lit up. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Probably, his emotions had overwhelmed him.
“Thank you,” Aronicle managed to croak out.
“You can thank me a ton when I get you out of this,” the Scavenger said. He took out a curved knife and cut the chains.
“Come quick. We need to get out of here before the guards gain consciousness,” the Scavenger said. “Time is running out. Dress in this.” The Scavenger handed him the spare set of worker’s clothes.
Aronicle wore the clothes over his prison uniform, and both of them barged out.
“First floor,” the Scavenger told Aronicle. “Exit the lab; then go outside. Then into the truck. Fast.”
They walked one floor above and entered into the bustle of the lab. Both of them acted as if they belonged there. The Scavenger stopped from time to time, pausing to examine equipment, and Aronicle followed his example. Even though his brain told him not to waste time, the Scavenger knew that he couldn’t appear suspicious. He had come so far. He couldn’t mess up now.
A glance at his watch told him he had less than ten minutes to accomplish his plan. He forced himself not to quicken his pace.
Suddenly, he noticed a wad of blue paper on a table beside a large tank. The Scavenger knew they were blueprints and thought that they could be useful. He snatched the blueprints and continued on his way.
The Scavenger and Aronicle reached the door and stepped outside, into the warm air. The Scavenger ducked into the dark shadows under the wall and removed the white coat. The driver’s clothes were lying there, where he had thrown them before. He quickly got
