A tremendous crash roused Scarlett awake. She jumped alert, wrench in hand. Heart racing, Scarlett searched her surroundings. Everything was as she left it other than a small plate of food atop the desk. The sound had been the door slamming behind the now familiar guard.
"Still no scotch?" Scarlett called after him. He never responded but he was also the only companionship she had over the past weeks. The loneliness was going to drive her bonkers. Scarlett hated being alone with her thoughts.
Running her fingers through her filthy hair, Scarlett sighed. For the first week of captivity she'd continued her work enough to hide the fact that she was searching for where Scott was being held. The first thing MedCo did after sending her back to her cell was send guards in to search and take anything that could aid in her escape. She'd hid her phone in her underthings and claimed she hadn't brought it that day.
Thankfully they hadn't called her bluff. In secret, she'd obtained the security footage of Scott from the computer they limited her work on. She'd been caught breaking into their networks a multitude of times and on the third occasion, one where she had nearly taken down their entire security system so she could call for help, she'd been punished.
The food on the plate was barely enough to keep her going. And it would be all the food she got for the entire day. She'd lost weight and muscle mass in the past weeks.
Worse than the lack of food was the lack of proper sleep. She wasn't permitted more than a handful of hours at a time. When she'd argued against how asinine this was, she'd been mocked. They thought she would be less dangerous if starved and exhausted.
They were wrong.
All they'd done was make her angry and more determined.
The food on the plate was literal gruel. Scarlett tried to make light of it- she had no idea such depressing food existed outside of literature. She'd resisted the food at first, worried it would be laced with something to make her more pliable. But eventually she'd been desperate and had no other choice but to hope there was nothing toxic mixed in.
If she didn't eat and rest then she wouldn't have the strength to escape. And she would escape. No attempt to break her spirit would be successful.
Guilt made her stomach turn and combined with the miserable slop they fed her. It was a bad time all around.
Sure that she was doing so out of range of the security camera, she examined the footage of Scott on her phone. It was blurry but the quality was good enough that she could at least take a closer look. It was hard to tell if he was even alive. She couldn't see him breathing or squirming. It could have been faked. For all she knew, Scott was already dead.
Even if he was alive she wasn't sure it was worth it to try and save him. Sure, he was her boyfriend. They had a complicated relationship but it didn't mean she didn't care about him. He'd stuck by her when no one else would. He'd loved her when she was unworthy of love. But was the life of one man worth the destruction her designs would bring? MedCo was forcing her to design weapons. Powerful robotic weapons.
Her morality was screaming the answer.
No.
Scott's life was not worth the death and destruction these weapons would bring. No one's life was. Not hers or his.
"This is one way to make it into the history books, I guess." She muttered. That was not what she wanted her legacy to be- creating weapons of mass destruction. There had to be something in the video. A clue to his location or well, anything. The door clattered open behind her a second time and she quickly turned off the phone and hid it.
The guard she'd become familiar with returned with an unexpected surprise.
Tonight would be the first good night Scarlett had in a very long time.
The man set down a half empty bottle of vodka and two plastic shot glasses next to her plate. Scarlett stared at the guard who stared at her in return behind dark glasses. After a moment of awkward silence, he poured them each a shot of the pungent liquor. He held up his glass as if to offer a toast.
Scarlett lifted the second shot glass.
"It's not Balvenie, but it'll do." She caught a flicker of a smile on the guard's lips. It was the first time he'd shown any proper emotion since she'd been brought to what was now her prison.
"Vodka better. Not fancy but does job." His accent was Russian. Moscow, she recognized.
"To each their own. Cheers." Scarlett tapped the small shot glass against the guard's and without looking away swallowed the shot whole. Inwardly she grimaced at the overpowering taste of cheap vodka but did not outwardly flinch. Scarlett placed the shot glass next to the bottle and the guard did the same. Another awkward moment followed. "Thank you."
"What for?" The guard left her the bottle of liquor and the shot glasses then walked out the door and closed it behind him. He did not lock it like he usually did. Two acts of trust and kindness in ten minutes. Interesting. Was this a trick? It felt like a trick. Even if it wasn't, she decided not to touch the door. The guard trusted her and was kind to her. If that was discovered, he'd be punished. Scarlett mentally cursed her moral compass. Ten years ago she would have said fuck it and knocked that door down and him in the process. She just wasn't that person anymore.
"Interesting." Taking her seat on the stool in front of her desk, she tapped her fingers on the glass of the vodka bottle. It would come in handy in more ways than the guard could have possibly known. She hid the bottle and saved the remains for a later plan.
That night she would break out of her prison but not through the unlocked door. Scarlett had no aspirations of escape yet. She had a far grander scheme in mind and for that she needed a better lay of the land. Scarlett knew the overall layout of the building but she had to find Scott, if he was there at all. The vents in Scott's prison were near the floor indicating he was on the main level of wherever he was being held. The vents in the basement where Scarlett worked were near the ceiling.
Checking her phone covertly again, she examined the pictures. One of those vents was a large intake vent. Scarlett couldn't climb through the vents on the main floor. They were too small. But the style of the vents made her feel confident that Scott was somewhere in the building and not somewhere offsite.
The vents in her room, however, were large, large enough to crawl through. They did little but allow in fresh air. They'd never once turned on the air conditioning for her. If it were Scarlett holding someone captive, she would guess it was near the loading dock. Particularly with the way that Scott's floors weren't finished. It was the only place she could think of. During her introductory tour she'd been told they'd received the finest supplies once a month on those very docks.
More bullshit from MedCo.
More intel would only aid her in her ultimate plan. When she did escape, she'd have a leg up. Medco had messed with the wrong engineer.
Scarlett brushed her finger over the image of Scott and sighed. "I wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you." She then turned off her phone and returned it to her hiding place beneath her desk.
The bottle of vodka called her name. Drinking would only get her drunk which would make her feel better but wouldn't help her get out. For now, it would remain hidden at the bottom of a crate of supplies she'd been given to help her work.
Screwdriver in hand, Scarlett dragged her chair to the far end of the room and beneath the large intake vent. Before putting her phone away, she'd tampered with the security footage. If they checked the cameras they would see looped footage of her hard at work. After a bit of work, she removed the vent cover and gingerly placed it on the floor. Scarlett braced herself and climbed into the vent, pulling herself inside on her stomach.
She left the vent open on purpose. When she was discovered, they would know that was her method of escape and not the door that the guard left unlocked out of trust. The vent was just large enough for her to wriggle through. She could only hope that it was connected to the vent of another room before returning to the machine that powered it. If she had to, she'd tear through the side of the vent with the screwdriver but that would be loud and not ideal.
After minutes of awkward shuffling, she finally managed to creep onward without causing an insane clattering. "I can't fucking believe this. Another basement, another elevator? How can the same shit happen to the same gal twice?" John McClane would be proud.
Joking around calmed her nerves in the confined space. At the end of the line she spotted another large intake vent. Relief flooded through her. There'd been several branches she'd ignored in favor of going straight. Peeking through the vent, Scarlett found the room beyond it empty and dark, a large door cracked open at the opposite end. It offered just enough light to outline the contents of the room.
Boxes and shelving. Probably the storage room she used to frequent for supplies. She didn't hear anyone walking nearby so she turned, laid on her back, and kicked at the vent. It buckled enough to make a dent. She stopped and listened and then kicked a second time. The top corner of the vent lifted far enough away from the wall that she could snake her hand through to free the other screw at the top. It scraped up her hand but was well worth the effort.
She pulled the vent cover down carefully and then slipped out of the vent. She gently replaced the grate and then searched her surroundings. It was, in fact, the familiar storage closet. Crouching between shelves, Scarlett listened for any sign she'd been heard. She didn't believe in luck. She believed in caution and careful planning. Luck was for people who fell into situations. Scarlett had gotten herself into this mess.
Plan for the worst, hope for the best.
Scarlett waited and listened and heard curious footsteps approaching. Someone heard her. She searched and grasped a large wooden plank that laid in a stack amongst others and then hid near the door. The guard patrolling the corridor pushed the door open and looked inside, flashlight in hand.
"Hello?" He said with a thick Russian accent. He barely caught sight of her when Scarlett swung the board at his head. He stumbled and reached for something on his hip and she struck again. He retrieved a gun from his holster and Scarlett grabbed his hand, twisted the gun free, realized it was a stun gun and pulled the trigger.
Barbs attached to thin wires pierced the guard's skin and he convulsed while Scarlett held the trigger. Letting go, she turned the gun in her hand and smashed it hard into the side of the guard's head. He fell limp and she grasped his body and set him down on the floor behind the boxes. She then used his handcuffs to cuff him to the shelf. She silenced his radio and then peeked out the door and listened.
No other guards. He'd been patrolling the hall. If they hadn't changed the way the guard shifts worked, then no one else would be on their way to find him. She pulled the barbs of the stun gun from the guard's skin and then searched the machine. A newer model where the cartridge ejected and reloaded itself.
Neat. Most stun guns took time to reload. This was better. Though it only appeared to have two charges. Scarlett would save this second for later. She searched the guard and found a second handgun stashed in a holster beneath his jacket. She took the gun and its holster, putting it on underneath her own jacket. She had no intention of firing the weapon but it was handy to have just in case.
Then she took a pocket knife from the guard's front pocket and made sure it was secure before hiding it in her boot. Uncomfortable but handy if she could keep it hidden. That was if she wasn't shot on sight when spotted outside of her prison.
"They wouldn't kill me outright. I'm too valuable." She muttered beneath her breath. Double checking that the coast was clear, Scarlett saw and heard no one so she snuck out of the room and down the hallway to the stairwell. Exits were something she always kept in mind, even when she wasn't working. Nothing and no one in the stairwell so she made her way up a floor. This would be the most dangerous place to be skulking around but it was exactly where she needed to be.
Peeking beyond the glass of the door she spotted employees and guards, each hurrying in one direction or another. She waited patiently for her moment. The one guard returned time and again. He was patrolling. But he would also be her only obstacle if she could time her movements right.
She counted in her head. The guards wouldn't be changing shift and the lunch hour was in full force. Many would already be in the building's cafeteria. It wasn't like there were any shops in the middle of the desert for them to frequent.
The guard stood lazily facing away from the stairwell, reading a magazine. Scarlett opened the door to the stairwell silently and tapped the guard on the shoulder. Disguising her voice to sound more feminine, she put her plan into action.
"I'm lost, could you tell me where the restroom is?" He turned and Scarlett punched him square in the nose. He stumbled and she swung the handgun against his head, rattling his jaw. She then ducked and with a kick swept his feet from beneath him. He fell onto his back and Scarlett crawled atop him, holding one hand over his mouth and nose and the other pressed against his neck.
The guard struggled very briefly then fell unconscious. Then she dragged his body into the stairwell and closed the door quietly. She patted him down and found him unarmed. She took his hat and shoved her long hair through the hole in the back. It would offer her at least a little bit of anonymity. Then she took his jacket and put it on over her own. It was too big, but it would do. Scarlett pulled the radio from his belt and turned it off before dropping it in his lap.
Returning to the hall, she picked up the magazine. Ah, yes, a nudie mag. Classy. She rolled it up under her arm and brought it with her. Never knew what could come in handy.
Rounding the corner away from the elevators, she made her way toward the loading dock. It was at the far end of the south side of the building. Then she made her way casually through halls. Confidence made her look like she belonged and no one questioned her presence. Scarlett couldn't begin to list the places she'd broken into just by pretending she belonged there.
The building was a labyrinth. Scarlett had thought it peculiar during her initial tour but now that she knew the truth it all made sense. Escape would be a terrible task and so would infiltration. But Scarlett had been doing this nonsense for years. She knew her way. She'd made a point to.
A heavy door was labeled with her destination and she entered as quietly as she could. The space was like a massive garage, with open bays where trucks would back in on the right wall. The ground surrounding those bays was raised so that it would line up to the back of those trucks. There were two trucks in bays three and five of eight and about six employees unloading one truck, while six more loaded another truck from a separate entrance to the loading dock.
Stark Industries crates lined the floor near the truck being loaded and she internally scowled. Tony Stark. What a joke! More so than she thought. His reputation of being a womanizing, arrogant asshole was one thing but she'd seen the truth of his wealth. His money was drenched by the blood of the very people he pretended to protect with his so-called super hero persona.
The floors were concrete. The floors where she'd come from were linoleum. Cheap linoleum but linoleum nonetheless. There were several doors that branched off of the loading dock but they all led back into familiar corridors as far as she knew. She doubted there would be a door labeled Hostages but the thought was funny.
No, there had to be a hidden passage she was unaware of and this was the perfect place for it. What was out of place here? Scarlett walked through the vast loading dock, unnoticed by the workers going about their business. There was a small office through one of the doors. After a short but thorough search she found no secret entrances or clues. Then she walked the rest of the loading dock and leaned her back against the door to a maintenance room.
The knob was locked. She searched the doors she'd passed at the other end of the room. Interesting. Near the doorway where she entered there were several shelves filled with the kinds of supplies that would be kept within a maintenance room. They had the kind of dust that told her they'd been there for a long time. That was reason enough.
Doing her best to look like she belonged, she worked at the knob and with a thin piece of wire she carried with her from her prison, she picked the lock. It clicked open and she stepped inside the room quickly and quietly. She locked the door behind her.
The floor was concrete in the video and after a quick sweep of the dark room, she knew she was on the right track. Boxes, but they were easily moved and covered with dust. Except for against the back wall. No, there was no dust on the ground there. She let her fingers trace over the wall and she stopped only when she heard something behind it. She leaned against it and listened.
A click in the wall made her pull back but the wall slid to the side, revealing a secret door too quickly for her to take cover and hide. Two armed guards were on the other side and stared at her in surprise. Scarlett inhaled sharply. Her plan was meant to fail eventually. At least she'd discovered the secret entrance.
"I don't suppose you'll just overlook this." There was no excuse that would have saved her. They looked upon her with recognition then exchanged glances and reached for their guns. "Yeah, didn't think so." Scarlett pulled the hat from her head and tossed it in the face of the guard on the right then stopped the man on the left from reaching his holster. She swung him into his companion but he was too fast and stepped out of the way, letting the guard she swung crash into the opposite wall instead.
She was shoved back into the dark maintenance room, knocking her into the empty boxes. An avalanche of them crashed. She rolled to the side and pushed the boxes off of her. Then she dodged as the guard tried to grab her ankle. The second guard called for backup and Scarlett knew the jig was up.
Scarlett lifted the nearest box and tossed it at the man trying to grab her. Packing peanuts exploded in brilliant pinks and blues. The static stuck them to the guard in a comical fashion. Scarlett blocked as the box was thrown back. She rolled to the side, avoiding the stomp of his boot.
The second guard rushed in and leapt at her and she kicked him aside, but he twisted and grabbed her foot and dragged her into the well-lit hidden hallway. She grasped at the floor but it was too smooth to grip onto. Instead she bent her knees and waited for the soldier to try and pin her and extended her legs, pulling herself closer to him in a way he didn't expect. She knocked him in the knee and his leg fell from under him.
Then she leapt onto her feet and swung the jacket she stole from the guard and tossed it into the face of the guard on the floor, twisting it around and zipping it up so he'd be temporarily trapped.
The second guard tackled her from behind and she sidestepped to be pressed into the wall rather than to the ground. She braced herself and the guard tugged her by her hair. The man was larger than her by quite a few inches and had sixty pounds on her. That and she'd barely slept and had lost weight since her captivity. He had a distinct advantage over her. But it didn't matter. This wasn't a fight Scarlett intended to win.
She just wanted it to look like she expected to. Pushing her weight against the guard behind her, she leaned her back flat against his chest and urged both feet to the wall. Then with a shove, she pushed the man backwards. He fell to the ground and she crashed atop him. He let go and she leapt back to her feet.
The other guard had gotten the jacket free around his face, and it hung around his neck like the dumbest scarf. He had a weapon aimed at her and Scarlett dropped to the floor onto her knees, covering her face. It was a stun gun and the barbs, much to her delight, struck into the guard behind her. He twitched with the electrical current.
Scarlett leapt at the guard holding the stun gun who was standing in awe of what he'd done. They both fell to the ground and the guard let go of his stun gun and yelped in surprise. She grabbed her own stun gun, rolled to the side and shot at the guard she'd tackled.
She dropped the gun and hurried to her feet. Then she went to retrieve the one that had fallen next to the second guard who fell unconscious from friendly fire. But something struck her in the back like a ton of bricks. Then electricity coursed through her body and she gritted her teeth to fight it. She dropped to one knee, refusing to fall over. Her hands were numb and she rested them on the floor.
The current stopped and Scarlett felt her limbs twitching, fingers tingling and awkward. She then rolled to the side and reached for the gun she'd stolen. She grasped the barrel and swung it behind her, hitting the approaching guard in the face. He cursed but grabbed the gun and pried it from her fingers before handing it off to another guard. Scarlett turned and found four more guards had joined the party. They surrounded her, looking furious to find their fellows wounded.
Scarlett turned and kicked at the nearest soldier, hitting him hard in the junk. Desperate times called for desperate measures. He crouched over, whining in pain. Grabbing at the leg of the next soldier, she tugged hard and twisted his knee out of place and he fell off of his feet. The third guard pulled her up by her arms and tried to pin her against the wall. Struggling, she managed to free a wrist and punched him square in the nose. He let her go and she kept up her fight.
She was outnumbered. They'd capture her. But she needed them to think she was desperate. Dodging another punch, she waited for the first blow to meet. They would hurt her. She was ready for it. Another guard shoved her face first against the smooth wall. Elbowing behind her, she managed to anger the guard by hitting him in the throat.
He grabbed her roughly and turned her around to face him. She pulled her arms free and threw a punch to his gut but he swung too. She barely moved out of the way but his fist still struck the side of her face. She hissed and then shoved away from the wall with one foot and forced the guard to the ground. Then she swung and returned the blow to his face that he'd dealt to her except she didn't miss.
She made to launch herself at him again to knock him out but was grabbed by both of her arms from behind. Two guards were holding her on either side. The guard she'd been tackling got up from the ground, grunting in annoyance.
He then pulled a cloth from his pocket, dabbed something on it and pressed it hard to her nose and mouth. She held her breath and fought to get away. But the soldier punched her hard in the gut and she was forced to gasp, breathing in a deep inhale of whatever was on the cloth.
Darkness crept in her vision and wooziness overwhelmed her. After only a moment longer of struggle, Scarlett fell limp in the arms of those who held her, unconscious.