Chapter Fifteen
Lex felt her heart breaking as she watched Lucas leave the room to have his shower and prepare the Ward Room for their guest.
Grabbing a pen and paper, she quickly wrote three words followed by two names and an address. Leaving the paper on Lucas' desk, she slipped out of the room.
No-one paid her any notice as she walked through the hallways. Near the docking bay, she bumped into an officer as she rounded a corner.
"Oh! I'm sorry," she said with a smile.
"No problem," he replied pleasantly, nodding to her as he went on his way.
Lex watched him until he'd rounded another corner, leaving her alone in the hallway. Then she pulled his security card from her pocket, swiped it in the door lock and slipped inside the cargo bay.
The cargo area had a minimal staff, all busy with loading empty containers into several launches. Lex crept into the shadows and carefully examined one of the boxes. It was easy enough to jimmy the locks so they could be opened from the inside. After all, no-one expected canned goods to make a run for it.
Casting a cautious eye around the room one last time, Lex climbed into the box she'd jammed, pulling the lid closed over her. It was a little cramped and pitch black, but much more preferable to what waited for her in the Ward Room.
Within minutes Lex felt her box being loaded onto a launch, and then the jerk and lurch as the seal was released and the launch began to slide through the water.
"What do you mean, she's gone?!" Bridger asked in astonishment.
"It's my fault, Captain. I told her about today. If I had kept my mouth shut, she wouldn't have bolted."
"Where could she have gone?" Oliver asked anxiously. "You're on a submarine. How far could she go?"
Ford and Bridger looked at each other. "The cargo launches!"
Bridger ran to the remote on the table. "Mr. O'Neill? I want those launches stopped and all containers checked immediately! They're looking for a stow away."
Oliver leaned his hands on the table, his head down and tension pouring off of him in waves. Sparing him a pitying glance, Bridger walked over to Lucas, picking up the slip of paper from the table. He frowned. "What are these names?"
"Nate Bronson is the 'Nate' from the security video, and my guess it that Luther Winslow is her boss." Lucas couldn't hide the pain in his voice.
Bridger sighed and pressed the paper into Lucas' hand. "This is yours. Find anything you can on those two names."
Lucas nodded miserably before leaving the room. Crocker patted him on the shoulder as he walked past.
"I'm going to order a sweep of the boat, just in case, Cap," Crocker said quietly.
"Good idea," Bridger replied.
All they could do now was wait.
Lex winced as the container was dropped. Pressing her ear to the side, she listened intently. Once assured that she was alone, she popped the lid and opened it a crack to look around. The UEO men had been called away and were gathering near a radio. Taking advantage of their distraction, Lex climbed quietly from the box and slipped away.
Having been in the pitch black container for nearly half an hour, the bright sun almost blinded her, but she kept on walking. No looking back was a rule she had lived by for most of her life.
One that, up until this moment, she'd never been tempted to break.
"Report, Mr. O'Neill?" Bridger asked, his thumb pressed on the intercom button.
"All the launches have been halted and searched, sir. Only one cargo container was found that had been tampered with."
"Where?" Bridger asked, Oliver straightening with hope.
"On the only launch that got to shore." Tim was silent a moment. "She's gone, sir."
"Thank you, Mr. O'Neill." Bridger turned to Oliver. "I'm sorry."
Oliver waved away his apology. "It's not your fault, or the boy's."
Bridger smiled grimly. "Try and convince him of that."
"Nathan," Victor sighed, squaring his broad shoulders, "could I see the video? At least, that way, I could see her."
"Of course," Bridger replied kindly, motioning for everyone to take a seat at the table.
All eyes turned to Oliver as the screen came to life, hearts heavy as they saw the glimmer of tears when Lex came into view.
Lex felt her heart breaking as she watched Lucas leave the room to have his shower and prepare the Ward Room for their guest.
Grabbing a pen and paper, she quickly wrote three words followed by two names and an address. Leaving the paper on Lucas' desk, she slipped out of the room.
No-one paid her any notice as she walked through the hallways. Near the docking bay, she bumped into an officer as she rounded a corner.
"Oh! I'm sorry," she said with a smile.
"No problem," he replied pleasantly, nodding to her as he went on his way.
Lex watched him until he'd rounded another corner, leaving her alone in the hallway. Then she pulled his security card from her pocket, swiped it in the door lock and slipped inside the cargo bay.
The cargo area had a minimal staff, all busy with loading empty containers into several launches. Lex crept into the shadows and carefully examined one of the boxes. It was easy enough to jimmy the locks so they could be opened from the inside. After all, no-one expected canned goods to make a run for it.
Casting a cautious eye around the room one last time, Lex climbed into the box she'd jammed, pulling the lid closed over her. It was a little cramped and pitch black, but much more preferable to what waited for her in the Ward Room.
Within minutes Lex felt her box being loaded onto a launch, and then the jerk and lurch as the seal was released and the launch began to slide through the water.
"What do you mean, she's gone?!" Bridger asked in astonishment.
"It's my fault, Captain. I told her about today. If I had kept my mouth shut, she wouldn't have bolted."
"Where could she have gone?" Oliver asked anxiously. "You're on a submarine. How far could she go?"
Ford and Bridger looked at each other. "The cargo launches!"
Bridger ran to the remote on the table. "Mr. O'Neill? I want those launches stopped and all containers checked immediately! They're looking for a stow away."
Oliver leaned his hands on the table, his head down and tension pouring off of him in waves. Sparing him a pitying glance, Bridger walked over to Lucas, picking up the slip of paper from the table. He frowned. "What are these names?"
"Nate Bronson is the 'Nate' from the security video, and my guess it that Luther Winslow is her boss." Lucas couldn't hide the pain in his voice.
Bridger sighed and pressed the paper into Lucas' hand. "This is yours. Find anything you can on those two names."
Lucas nodded miserably before leaving the room. Crocker patted him on the shoulder as he walked past.
"I'm going to order a sweep of the boat, just in case, Cap," Crocker said quietly.
"Good idea," Bridger replied.
All they could do now was wait.
Lex winced as the container was dropped. Pressing her ear to the side, she listened intently. Once assured that she was alone, she popped the lid and opened it a crack to look around. The UEO men had been called away and were gathering near a radio. Taking advantage of their distraction, Lex climbed quietly from the box and slipped away.
Having been in the pitch black container for nearly half an hour, the bright sun almost blinded her, but she kept on walking. No looking back was a rule she had lived by for most of her life.
One that, up until this moment, she'd never been tempted to break.
"Report, Mr. O'Neill?" Bridger asked, his thumb pressed on the intercom button.
"All the launches have been halted and searched, sir. Only one cargo container was found that had been tampered with."
"Where?" Bridger asked, Oliver straightening with hope.
"On the only launch that got to shore." Tim was silent a moment. "She's gone, sir."
"Thank you, Mr. O'Neill." Bridger turned to Oliver. "I'm sorry."
Oliver waved away his apology. "It's not your fault, or the boy's."
Bridger smiled grimly. "Try and convince him of that."
"Nathan," Victor sighed, squaring his broad shoulders, "could I see the video? At least, that way, I could see her."
"Of course," Bridger replied kindly, motioning for everyone to take a seat at the table.
All eyes turned to Oliver as the screen came to life, hearts heavy as they saw the glimmer of tears when Lex came into view.