Chapter 6

After the door closed Gaitha blew a breath of relief and knew she needed to come up with a plan. She went to the bed and emptied her pockets and pulled out some items she had hidden in her bra from the safe and took inventory. She lined the items up on the bed to decide which ones she wanted to use without notice from either the rat or the Sargorn. There was a cyanide and mini-oxygen capsule, a wristwatch with several functions. One was a wire garrote that could be removed, a tracking device she could enable for her parents to pinpoint her current location, and a laser beam. There was a locket with a camera she could activate and a bracelet that was also a dart gun. She went back to the safe to retrieve one item she had left in the safe which was a perfume bottle that was actually a flame-flower. She didn't know if she would be able to use this particular item but she put it on the dresser anyway just in case. She returned to the bed and took the locket and put it on along with the bracelet and watch, switching it with the one she already had on. She pulled her long sleeves down over them and hoped that they wouldn't notice the locket but she felt sure that they weren't likely to have remembered if she was wearing one or not. She knew that unless she had need of her jacket, the mini-mauler couldn't help her as it would be easily seen.

She felt a little more secure now that she was armed with items that she could use in her defense. She took the two capsules and put them in her mouth securing them between her gum and cheek, one on each side, so she would not accidentally bite down on one of them before she was ready. It would be easy enough to maneuver them in place when she needed them. She also knew that if she used the cyanide capsule she would have to hold her breath after the exhale and spit the capsule out quickly before biting the mini-air supply capsule. She knew the capsule would also have a cell-blocker that would neutralize any traces of cyanide in her mouth.

Now that she had armed herself she once again looked around the room. She wondered if there was something else here she was missing that might be useful. She needed every advantage she could get. Her eyes stopped at the vent in the wall above the bed. She climbed on the bed and put her hand up near the vent. It was just as she thought, she didn't feel any air. She looked around the bottom of the walls and could only feel the air coming in; there were no vents visible but the one above the bed. She didn't know how much time she had before the rat and his lizard came back. She scrambled back onto the bed and felt around the vent for a catch that would open it like a door. Her fingers found it inside the frame and she pushed it. The vent swung open and she lifted herself in. Her fitness routine was definitely coming in handy. Once inside, she had just enough room to turn around. She closed the vent which was backed with black matte vinyl to give the impression of it being a real vent. It would take them a minute or two to figure it out. She didn't think the rat or the lizard were likely to be bright, although rats were know to be able to run a maze but that was usually for a treat at the end. This rat would not smell anything to lead him to the vent. She knew it would have been treated to give off a mist that would erase her scent from it.

Gaitha knew she was going to have to make a mental map in her head if she were to be able to navigate around the jumper because she had no doubt that the shaft she was in would lead to every room in the ship, including the com-room where she would at least be able to hear what the rat and lizard were talking about. She tried to remember her way to the com-room from her bedroom and this was confirmed when she hear the gravelly voice of the lizard. She gently pulled the vinyl backing away just enough to see the rat and lizard several feet in front of her but with their backs turned towards her. She mentally thanked her aunt and whoever had followed her instructions on the building of this marvel.

"So what is the plan Master Knight?"

"I believe sufficient time has passed that the girl's parents are now worried as to her whereabouts especially since the tracking beacon has been disabled."

Gaitha had figured as much but didn't want to turn on the one on her watch until she was away from her current position. It felt too close for comfort and she was afraid she would give herself away with sudden movement or noise. She knew the shaft would have been insulated for this but she still didn't want to take the chance.

The rat, which Gaitha felt was a twitchy little bastard spoke again. "I think we should wait just a little while longer before we make contact. We need to put a little more distance between us and them."

"We could portal," the gravelly voice again.

"I would rather do that after we make contact just in case they have somehow managed to pinpoint our location now. When we do portal they won't be expecting it."

"What about the girl?"

"I am sure her parents will want proof of life and we will give it to them."

"And after?"

"She can't be left alive. We will leave her body on this ship when we transport to our own after getting the ransom."

"Caine will never give you the ransom without the girl alive."

"I have a plan for that."

Gaitha did not wait around to hear more. When they made contact with her aunt and parents they would certainly come and get her to give that 'proof' of life. She needed to find the panic room if she could before they came for her and she couldn't waste any more time listening. She eased herself around and made her way back the way she had come, speeding up when she felt they would no longer be able to hear her.

She stopped long enough to turn the tracking device in the watch on and then the camera on the locket.

"Hello, can anybody hear me?" she whispered as she again started to move.