I know this is getting odder and odder, but please suspend belief a while longer. This is technically possible. :)
Also, I recently got a review from a person without an account who brought up something I got very angry about. An Artemis Fowl fic does not have to have Artemis Fowl in it! (&(?#) Madam Ko is a character in the Artemis Fowl series, and if you hadn't figured that out... grr. And also, I'm sorry if chapter four was a little much. This stuff seems normal for me(as in definitely exaggerated and dramatized past recognition) because I've seen it. Blood and gore doesn't bother me anymore. (and no, I'm not writing a biography here)
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the things I own. The things I own are the things not owned by Colfer. Colfer owns everything except the things I own. The things Colfer owns are the things I do not own. :) Try that one, all you people who think you're the next Artemis Fowl.
She entered the cell in silence, noting that Zane had not been removed, in the sliver of light the open door allowed for an instant. She had assumed right, then. They had wanted to test her first.
The Tyrant had gotten more than he'd bargained for, no doubt about it. His own imagination would do the rest. Perhaps he thought her alien now. Not human. It didn't matter though. He would complicate things for himself, make a mistake, and show her the way out.
"Are you alright?" There was a hint of worry in Zane's voice. She should be making some noises of pain.
"I'm fine." Valerie pulled her lighter out of her pocket with her left hand, and flicked at it until she got a small flame. "Do you think I could burn this pulp off? It'll get in my way."
"What—" He stopped abruptly, staring at her hand as she crouched down beside him, and held it up in the light.
"The crusher. I found it amusing, really. Torture is such a trivial thing. It's amazing what you humans make out of it." Valerie forced herself not to laugh. Let The Tyrant and his techies think about that!
She let the light went out, and leaned over him. "I've thoroughly spooked him. Play along, will you?"
Zane sighed. "I know. You shouldn't have, though. I suppose it's safe to talk then?"
Valerie thought an instant. What would they think she'd whispered to him? Who knew. Oh well, though. Any number of things could have been said. The unknown fueled fears. "It was necessary. But let us discuss more important things. It doesn't matter if they know what we're saying, anyway."
"You know the way out?"
"Of course. Soon, preferably." Valerie held up the lighter, and began to examine his burns and cuts. "Give me a bit more time. It makes no difference in the long run."
"What is your plan?"
Here, thought Valerie, The Tyrant and his minions would crouch over screens in eager anticipation. "Destroy this place of course. It will be an annoyance later on, you know." Ha! Let them sweat over that! The Tyrant would be hasty about protecting himself, and do it clumsily.
Zane seemed to recognize that she was playing with their captors. He merely smiled, and said nothing.
"Alright." Valerie slipped the lighter into her pocket, and stretched out beside him as she'd done the night before, in case she wanted to confer with him in a bit. "Go to sleep now, Zane. Tomorrow will definitely be busy, and you're extremely tired."
Zane yawned, and settled, quickly falling asleep.
Valerie did not, however. A way out… She must find a way out! There were so many things she could do, and none of them looked as if they would work. They were too complicated! She wanted something so simplistic, that everyone would have forgotten about it.
Her hand ached now. She was losing her grip on her pain. She tried to regain total control, but it did not come. Her body must be rationing the pain. It was running out of the suppressant. Ah well. It wouldn't matter if she couldn't created a plan.
Outside, she heard voices. The guard had been added to. She smiled slightly. If she really was what she had made them believe she was, then a larger guard would be quite unable to stop her. If she wasn't what she said she was, then it didn't matter. It amused her that they bothered. Did they think she would be so stupid as to try to fight her way out of The Fortress? Or that—
Fight her way out! Valerie's mind reeled at the revelation. But of course! Who would be so stupid? It could not have occurred to them, so she must do it! But—
Quickly, she began to come up with solutions to the minor problems. The small pieces filled in the cracks between the bigger ones. The perfect simplicity of her plan!
The Tyrant would want them questioned together, tomorrow, to see how they responded in the other's presence. They couldn't risk another day of torture. They might be too weak. "Zane! Zane! Wake up!" She tugged on his arm furiously. "Wake up, Zane!"
Zane started awake, grasping her shoulders tightly. "What's the matter? What's wrong?"
Valerie leaned over him, pushing her face up against his ear. "I know that way out! I've finally thought of it! It's so simple, Zane! So absurdly simple! We'll be out soon."
She could almost feel his stare, even in the darkness. "You… really mean it?"
"Of course! But promise you'll trust me and do what I say! I haven't got time to explain it all now! I expect they'll be coming any moment! You must copy me!"
For an instant, he was silent. Then, he nodded. "Very well. What should I do first?"
"In a moment, you must get up. Be ready to fight, Zane! Be ready to fight them! We must take their weapons, and fight our way out of here! We'll steal an aircraft!" Valerie was literally shaking with excitement. She would be so incredibly famous!
"Impossible," said Zane flatly. "It is absurd!"
"Which is why it will work." Valerie sat up, all pain forgotten in the thrill of suddenly knowing the answers. "How would you like to die, Zane? Already they are debating over whether or not to send the guards in here. Don't you see? Now stand up!"
Zane hesitated, and then allowed her to help him to his feet, biting back a groan. "What about your hand?"
"I can't feel pain right now, Zane. I'll feel it when I have nothing more important to do. Now be ready!" She pulled him towards the door with marked assurance which worried him. How could anyone put their hope in such an utterly foolish plan? She was right though. Better to die this way and reveal nothing. Much better.
Valerie turned suddenly, talking to the concrete wall behind them. "Oh yes. Be warned then— only one of us knows where your precious Flame of the Gods is. I advise you to be cautious which one of us you eliminate. Be very cautious. We are not dispensable."
The door opened.
Valerie instantly became Madam. She whirled, missing the door smoothly. Her foot came up in a precise arch, almost crushing the head of the nearest man. He hands loosened their grasp on his gun, and Madam wrenched it from him before he could drop it, shooting two others in the head.
Oh yes, her left hand wasn't quite so good, but she'd trained it. In dangerous business, if you injured your enemy's right hand, you could assume yourself safe. Madam would not let this be her weakness. She'd taught herself how to do everything with her left hand alone. Her aim was still deadly. Especially at this close range.
Zane had been slightly slower in responding, but he'd managed to fell two of the men, and grab a few weapons. This was ridiculous, but the element of surprise was definitely strong. This girl was interesting. Very interesting. She bore studying, that was for sure.
The men— they had been completely unprepared. It was an impossible idea— that anyone would try to fight their way out of The Fortress, yet that was what was happening.
Madam snatched up a last gun, a pouch of bullets, a few knives, and a lump of something with a fuse sticking out of the end. It might be useful later. "Here!" She hastily presented Zane with a knife, and tucked everything else into her jacket, which she had picked up off the floor when he'd stood. "Come on! Fast, Zane! Fast!"
Suddenly, Zane caught her rhythm. It might be possible! Escape might be possible! He pounded down the hall after her, not feeling the pain his movements should be inflicting.
Her shots rang out in front of him, steady, and practiced. Then, she began to fall back. "Two more left, Zane. You shoot then, and I'll reload! There're about five hundred men!"
He did not ask how she knew this, or question her figure. He moved up ahead of her, taking over the shooting as her last two shots rang out. For an instant, she paused, catching up three heavy bullet pouches, and adding them to the one she already had. Then, she was loading.
His last shot. Immediately, she started shooting, moving close enough to him so that he could grab one of the bullet pouches. Her right arm and hand she kept folded across her body, out of the way.
Zane began loading his gun, keeping his eyes on the passage ahead. None of them seemed to know what was happening. It must all be very confusing for them, he mussed. Why would any sane person try to escape The Fortress? And two of them! By force!
He scooped up another bullet pouch, and took over the shooting. These stupid old fashion guns! If only there were machine guns! Or submachine gun! It would be so much easier.
The stairs.
They ran up along the inside rail after sealing the door behind them. Anyone on that floor would not be able to get out for a quite a while. People would be too busy to let them out. This, of course, would mean that no one could come up behind them, and cause problems there.
A grim smile on her face caught his attention. Funny. He didn't even know her name. She had a right to smile though, because she was right. If you thought absurd ideas, as a child would, you could win. Who would have guessed they'd try this tactic? It would never have occurred to him! It was ridiculous! And it was working.
If they got out of here alive, she would be the most sought after woman in the criminal circles. Even if they didn't, she'd be the best remembered. Trabar, first of all. Then getting into The Fortress and disrupting its stern discipline with her surprises.
Up, up, up they went, shooting the guards, and sealing the doors off at the landings. No one must be left to open those doors for the people inside, and no one must be allowed to sneak up behind them.
Madam thought about the lump in her pocket with it's fuse. Some kind of explosive. Probably very dangerous. How to handle it now… perhaps if they were cornered—
The lighter. Touch that to the end, and threaten not to put it out unless they had their way through. Perfect. No one would argue with that.
Anyway, the uncertainty of who knew the whereabouts of the diamond guaranteed their lives.
They heard chaos then. Men shouting, and guns going off. What was this? Madam thought a moment. Ah— the cafeteria. The stairs would end here. Where could they go? It would be suicide to try to run through that and the living quarters! All those rooms— on every side they'd have men trying to kill them or catch them.
There was an upper floor, but she couldn't remember where the stairs were. He hadn't drawn it in. Damn! He'd mentioned them— she thought. He'd probably assumed that if she got out, she wouldn't want to trap herself anywhere. Hopefully they were nearby.
"Zane?" she gasped, breathing hard from both running and exhilaration. "We're almost to the cafeteria. One set of stairs up. There'll be too many of them. We have to take the stairs up the next level, and seal ourselves off! I have a plan for after that. Trust me!"
"This is ridiculous!" He slowed an instant to grab another pouch of bullets. "How—"
"Just wait. I have a plan. I got us out of the cell, Zane. I'll get us out of The Fortress. Alive."
Zane shook his head, but she knew he would follow her lead. She could only hope her guesses were right. Things were happening too fast, and she had no time to stop and think. She could only go with what she had thought before, and what seemed most probable.
Valerie fell back behind him as they began their last flight of stairs, and pulled the lump of explosives out of her pocket, unwinding the fuse. Then, the lighter.
I like this book. It's going to long… I've already written close to 100 pages.
You who do not review: Your evils will condemn you on the day of judgment. :)
