Red Smoke Rising. Rick Psy.D. Anthony

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СКАЧАТЬ me clothe that one, at least let me heal this one. He’s worse off than the professor.”

      After a few seconds the screech of metal on metal replaced the arguing. Kale clenched his fists. He didn’t know what to expect as the door swung open. The light from the torches in the hall broke through the darkness. A woman entered the cell with two Myrmidons trailing behind her. Her robe draped the floor as she bent over him.

      Her voice was soothing. “I’m going to fix your eye, your face and apparently…your ribs too.” There was kindness in her tone. She reached toward his head; her palms hovered inches from his face.

      Kale winced and took a deep breath. After a moment, an audible “pop” sounded throughout the cell as his bones snapped back into place. He flinched as his cheek-bone reset itself, grunted as the skin stretched back over it. His cuts healed, leaving no trace of the injury. The process took only a few minutes but the pain was unbearable. He let out a small cry as the last of his ribs slid back into place.

      Her work completed, the woman touched him briefly on the shoulder and nodded before she stood and left the cell. As she touched him, her slender fingers tucked something between his back and the wall. The gaggle of Myrmidons followed her when she left. The metal screech faded after the door slammed shut. Kale could only hear their footsteps for a few seconds before there was silence once again.

      He waited a while. When he was positive they were gone, he put his hand behind his back and leaned forward. A small object fell into his waiting fingers. He fumbled for a moment, almost dropping the tiny thing, eventually managing to secure his grip on the vial.

      With his thumb and forefinger, he carefully examined the contents sloshing about inside. He knew what it was. There were a few doses left. He could only formulate one thought.

      Why?

      He pondered, probing the brow around his newly healed eye. He blinked deliberately as he looked into the vial. Although he wasn’t particularly skilled at his craft he had managed a few minor manipulations in his time at the school. Those he did master were mundane things. He could give bricks a sheen like metal or make them harder or softer—useless skills at the time he learned them.

      He rose to his feet. He removed the stopper, pulled out the pipette and brought it up to his lips. He closed his eyes as he ran the thin glass tube down the middle of his tongue. Tiny droplets of the drug stained his waiting taste buds. His eyes closed.

      It burned like fire. The sensation rushed over his tongue and made its way through his mouth, spreading into his sinuses, seeping down his throat and into his belly. His whole mouth burned as the vicious red liquid dissipated. It was more potent than any he had used before. His brain tingled and his thoughts clouded as the drug worked its way into his system. He opened wild eyes and blinked a few times. It took a moment to check his equilibrium before he rose and walked toward one of the cell’s interior walls.

      He reached for the wall. The process would take a while. For the first time in his life, Kale wished he had studied harder.

      JAILBREAK

      Mia paced around the cramped jail cell, trying in vain to keep herself warm. She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was tired, cold and miserable. Her stomach rumbled again. She was starting to lose hope.

      Her breath was all she had to warm her hands. They were so cold that pain wracked her knuckles when she flexed her fingers. Her toes were numb. The damp chilled her through to her bones. With no clothing or blanket she worried she might die of exposure.

      The Myrmidons couldn’t have known about the wristband, she thought to herself. If they had, they would have left me with the rest of my clothes. It meant that the Myrmidons still didn’t understand what she was or what she could do.

      She paced around her cell again. Once again she ran numb fingers along the wall as she walked. Her mind churned for an answer. Could she escape? Was there any hope at all?

      Since her arrival she heard a few further whispers through the cell door. From what she heard, there was some debate as to what to do with her. She prompted a modicum of fear in the ranks. The thought made her smile a little. She and her mother spent their lives fearing the Myrmidons and the idea that they were actually afraid of her gave Mia some satisfaction.

      She was proud of herself, a little anyway. She had studied for years to master the technique that made her strong enough to defeat a Myrmidon. She was pleased it had worked. Her years of living under Empire rule caused her to lose any compassion for them; Myrmidon cruelty was both widespread and well known.

      Even after the drug left her system she felt no shame or guilt. Deep down she knew that given the chance, the ones she had slain would have done the same to her. She had never killed a man before, but she did what she had to do without hesitation. Perhaps she was capable of more than she thought.

      The night was silent. The only light came in through a small hole in the door. When the silence broke, Mia jumped. Panic set in. She spun to investigate the noise.

      To her surprise the sound hadn’t come from the door but rather the wall of her cell. She turned to see one brick, then two, crumble and dissolve to dust. Bits of bricks rolled to a stop at her feet. Another brick followed, then another. One by one they crumbled and fell to the ground, leaving nothing more than dust, gravel and a knee-high hole into the next cell.

      She backed against the far wall; her heart pounded. Was she hallucinating? The young woman took a step forward, bent down and peered into the dark hole. She rubbed her wrist nervously as she looked through to the other side.

      Mia jumped when a man’s face peered back at her. He crawled awkwardly into her cell. As he squeezed through the hole and righted himself, Mia’s eyes widened.

      “Kale?”

      Kale dusted himself off. He looked up at Mia. His face blanched and his jaw dropped. Whatever he expected to find on the other side of the wall it obviously wasn’t Mia in the nude. The two stood for a moment in mutually stunned silence before he spoke.

      “I’m glad to see you’re safe.” Kale removed his bloody jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. They shared a brief moment of relief and embraced.

      “How did you do this? You smuggled in the drug?” Mia asked.

      “We don’t have time; I have to get you out of here.”

      Kale turned to the opposite wall, crouched down and put his arms out. His hands were open, palms toward the wall as they slowly moved in circles.

      “How many of us are there?” he asked, waving his hands at the base of the wall.

      “I don’t know for sure, but Lio is here.”

      “Lio?” Kale stopped the motion and turned to look at Mia.

      “Yes, and we need his help.”

      “You sure?” he asked, unconvinced.

      “Yes! So please hurry,” Mia urged.

      “We need him?”

      “Yes. Grere requested it,” Mia assured him.

      Kale shook his head. “All right,” he said, scowling.

      Without СКАЧАТЬ