He unshackled the remaining prisoners. The young woman and the middle-aged man shared a look. “Try it and I’ll leave you down here,” Ian said mildly.
They lunged for the lift.
Ian sighed and almost casually hit each of them with the stunstick. They went down with matching screams. The third person, a young man, stood frozen.
Ferdinand moved like someone in pain. He favored his left leg, but he didn’t ask for help, he just hobbled to the lift. Ian gestured the remaining young man in with us. It was a tight fit, but the four of us made it to the top of the pit. After we exited the cage, Ian hesitated for a second, then sent the lift back down.
“Do you think they’ll bring up the unconscious person?” I asked.
“It’s on their conscience if they don’t,” he said. He turned to the unnamed young man with us. “Wait five minutes, then follow us. We’ll make enough chaos that you might be able to slip out.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want out. There’s nothing for me out there. I just want to go back to my usual work group. They never get in me trouble.” He cast a bitter glance at Ferdinand.
I opened my mouth to argue, but then closed it without saying anything. If the kid came with us, he’d likely end up dead. Perhaps he was making the smarter choice.
“Five minutes,” Ian reiterated. “Faster if the others come up before then, but I don’t think they will.”
“Wait,” I said. “How do they get the ore out? They can’t take it up the way we came down. Is there another way out?”
The young man shook his head. “Not unless you want to be liquefied first. They process it down here then pump it up in pipes. I don’t know of any other exits.”
Damn. It looked like we were going back up the way we’d come down.
Ian led us to the square room. The two guards were dead at the table, slumped over in their chairs. I couldn’t see any blaster wounds, but their heads were at odd angles on their necks. I made myself look at the carnage, to acknowledge that these deaths were on my conscience.
I helped Ian search the cabinets on the far wall. We came up with three more blast pistols, a pair of stunsticks, and a few smaller light sticks. Ferdinand and I each got a blaster and a stunstick. I would’ve liked a long gun with a shotgun setting, but the universe didn’t feel compelled to comply.
“Strip,” Ian said to me. “The woman’s clothes will be too big, but it’s better than what you have now.” He peeled off his outer shirt. Apparently we were both getting a wardrobe change.
I tried not to think too hard about what I was doing as I stripped a dead woman of her clothes and equipment. Revulsion welled, but I forced it down. I’d said I would do anything for my brother and it was still true. I didn’t have to like it, I just had to do it.
I tucked the too long pants into my boots and cinched the belt tight around my waist, thanks to a new hole courtesy of the dead woman’s knife. Deciding now was no time to be squeamish, I carefully removed her hair tie and pulled my own hair into a high ponytail. I dropped my air filtration mask next to her body. Gone was any trace of the MineCorp corporate drone who had come through earlier.
Ian looked the part in his Rockhurst uniform. The shirt was a little tight across his shoulders, but it was convincing enough from a distance. He’d also ditched his mask. With Ferdinand still in his mining clothes, Ian and I were just two soldiers escorting an injured mine worker, a common enough sight.
After we were properly clothed and equipped, Ian wrapped Ferdinand’s arm over his shoulder and started into the complicated, twisting maze of tunnels between us and freedom.
Chapter 25
Ferdinand leaned heavily against Ian’s side and grunted with every step. We had to take the elevators or Ferdinand was done. He couldn’t climb three kilometers of stairs.
Ian stopped just before the main tunnel.
The wireless signals had been surprisingly quiet. Either that, or we’d been out of range. I had no idea what was going on ahead of us. Had they already created a blockade?
“Do you have a plan to get us through the checkpoints?” I asked Ian. Identity chips only worked if the person with the chip was alive, so we couldn’t kill a soldier and chop off an arm. I didn’t know how many explosives Ian had brought, but certainly it wasn’t enough for the vast number of checkpoints we had to go through on the way back up.
“I’ve got a codebreaker,” he said. “The bigger problems are the number of soldiers between us and the elevator and the lack of cover.”
“I’ve got my shielding cuff. It’s good for around eight deflections if they’re using pistols. If they’re using long guns, then the protection drops fast.”
“I also have a von Hasenberg prototype shield. Ideally, we’d save them until we reach the surface,” Ian said. “Until then we’ll have to rely on speed and shock.”
I glanced at Ferdinand. He was barely standing. He was a few centimeters shorter than Ian, but he was solidly built. I might be able to carry him for a short distance if Ian helped me get him over my shoulders.
Ian caught the direction of my gaze. “I’ll carry him,” he said. Ferdinand made an indignant noise, but Ian overrode him. “You can barely walk and you expect me to believe you can run for several kilometers?” Ian asked. “Your sister’s life is on the line. Swallow your pride and deal with it.”
Ferdinand bowed his head and nodded.
“We run for the first checkpoint, shouting about a medical emergency,” Ian said. “If they open the gate, we get through before we start shooting. If not, you apply the codebreaker while I shoot.” He handed me the com-sized device he’d pulled from his belly pack. “After that, keep moving and keep shooting. I’m going to seal the gates behind us.”
As far as plans went, it was pretty thin, but we were on a short time line and trapped in the ground with a military base above us. It would have to do.
Ian and Ferdinand tried various carry positions until Ian decided that a fireman’s carry with Ferdinand over his shoulders gave him the best balance and mobility. It was less comfortable for Ferdinand, but he just clenched his jaw and held on.
As we neared the main tunnel, the wireless signals picked up. Apparently the tunnel to the pit hadn’t been deemed a high enough priority for repeaters for the whole length.
I pulled Ian to a stop as I listened in. Pain spiked down my spine, but there were few enough signals that I could endure it. A four-person fire team was on the way down to retrieve us. They were still on the first level. Our level was on lockdown. The soldiers supervising miners were told to stay in place and report any unusual movement.
“They’re on lockdown,” I said. “They won’t believe a medical emergency.”
Ian’s mouth firmed into a grim line. “I’ll activate my shield. We’ll go in shooting.” He pulled out a small silver disc about three centimeters tall and eight centimeters across. He clicked the button in the middle, then clipped it to his belt. “I’ll provide cover and a distraction while you use the codebreaker. Can you stop their transmissions?”
“No.” But right now, I wished I could.
“Then speed remains our first priority. Ready?”