"You're bluffing," she said. "You can't access the blasting clay. You can't break into those lockers."
"Am I?' Logan asked. "Try me."
The two glared at each other for long seconds. Jess kept one arm wrapped around her waist, simultaneously supporting her weight and squeezing her to reinforce Logan’s words. Then she gave in.
"I'll do it," she said. "But I want your word—every man's word—that you'll do this as peacefully as you can."
All the men nodded.
"And I want you to promise no women will be raped."
Jess froze, wishing she hadn’t asked that of him.
"We can't promise that," he said softly. "We can try to control the men, and we plan to isolate the female prisoners. But mistakes happen."
Logan nodded, his face serious.
“Nobody gets raped by mistake ,” she hissed. “It’s always deliberate.”
"Preventing something like that from happening is why it's so important we do this in an orderly way,"
Logan said in a harsh, urgent voice. "I can control these men here. I can't speak for all the men still down at the mine. This will have to be good enough."
She nodded, and a single tear rolled down her face. Jess' gut clenched.
"Let's get on with this," he said, his voice gritty. "We're wasting time."
"You weren't so worried about wasting time before," Bethany muttered. Logan gave Jess a long look, then started toward the tunnel entrance.
"Let's go," he said.
* * * * *
Bethany shivered as she walked slowly up the tunnel between the two men. They were both about the same height, and both had black hair. Logan had the same midnight blue eyes as Jess, too. Perhaps they were brothers? How long had they been planning this? Was Jess’ attraction to her just one more part of the plan?
She knew almost nothing about this man she’d had sex with…
She’d done it because she though she would die. With sudden insight, she realized that this revolt they planned could save her. She could blame her father's death on the slaves. Relief swept over her, only to be followed by self-disgust. How could she consider betraying her people just to save her own pathetic life? Granted, she didn't feel much kinship with most of the people on the station. But the women were nice, at least some of them. Moriah, for one. And the children. They were innocent of any wrong-doing.
Her gut twisted as she realized that Moriah and her baby could very well end up dead before this was over.
She had to do something to stop that from happening. She had to get away and warn the others. She had to find a way to save Moriah…
They reached the end of the tunnel and she took a deep breath.
"Don't make a mistake," Jess said, his tone deadly. She nodded her head quickly, not needing to feign fear. Jess hardly seemed like the same man who had been so tender with her earlier.
She raised one trembling hand and knocked on the door.
"Guards, I need you," she said, her voice quavering. There was no answer at first.
Jess and Logan looked at her with questions in their eyes. She shrugged.
"Sometimes they don't stay by the door," she whispered. "I think they get bored."
"Try again," Jess said, his tone harsh. "Louder this time."
She did as she was told, calling out the same message. This time one of the men replied.
"What do you need?"
It was her moment, and at that second she knew what she had to do.
“Get help! The-" She was abruptly cut off by Jess’ hand coming down across her mouth so hard she bit her lips. Instantly she could taste salty fluid that had to be her own blood. Logan looked at her with hatred in his eyes.
“Bitch,” he hissed.
“What was that?” the guard called. “I couldn’t hear you. Just a minute.”
There was some muttering, and then they could hear the bolt sliding through on the other side. Logan poised to move while Jess pushed her roughly behind his body. She drew breath to scream, but it was too late.
The door swung inward. In a flash, Jess slammed it back, hitting the guard in the head. The man dropped like a stone. Logan jumped through the doorway looking for his companion. There was no one there. Jess followed him quickly, ready to move.
"Where the hell is the other guy?" Jess whispered harshly. Bethany stepped through the door hesitantly, following Jess. He and Logan were looking up and down the corridor, but neither of them seemed to notice the small alcove that held the table where the guards usually sat. There was a bottle of bakrah , and some kind of board game set up. And a blaster.
Moving quickly and silently, she crept toward the table, hoping desperately she could stop this revolt here and now. Someone tackled her from behind; she went down, hard. A man's heavy body hit her, and suddenly she couldn't breathe.
"Stop pulling crap like this or I won’t be able to guarantee your safety," Jess whispered in her ear. "I don’t want you to get hurt, but I’m the only one who feels that way right now. Shut up and do as I say if you want to live."
She gasped, trying to catch her breath. He couldn't guarantee her safety no matter what, she though darkly. He couldn't guarantee anyone's safety.
"I've got the blaster," Logan said quietly. "We need to get her out of the way, and get rid of that guard, too. His friend could come back at any minute."
"You get the guard," Jess said grimly, his voice a rumble against her back. She had to get away from him, she thought desperately. She forced herself to go limp, not fighting as he pulled her to her feet. She raised one hand to her head, wobbling. He'd fooled her about his physical condition for ten cycles. Time for him to learn what it felt like to be the fool.
Watching out of the corner of her eye, she waited until Logan was dragging the guard's body through the door to strike. She raised her knee with all the force in her body, slamming it into Jess' crotch. He dropped to the floor and she was off. She was around the corner before either man realized what happened. They'd come after her, of course, but they had a serious disadvantage. She knew her way around the station, had played in these corridors as a child. There were a thousand hiding places. No way they'd be able to catch her now.
Behind her she heard a startled cry; the other guard must have returned. There was the sound of blaster fire and the smell of burning plastic. Everything was suddenly far more real than it had been just seconds earlier. If she didn't warn them, every woman on the station could end up raped, even dead. She didn't even like thinking what might happen to the children.