Rise of the Elgen (29 page)

“Being here is risky,” Taylor said.

“Maybe we don’t have to jump them,” I said. “Ostin, ask Raúl if he knows if the guards have a uniform locker around here.”

Ostin translated. Raúl’s answer was surprisingly long, and Ostin looked very interested in what he had to say. When Raúl finished speaking, Ostin said, “He says they have a guard room over there by the door, but the ranchers are not allowed near it. But he knows where there are some Elgen guard uniforms no one will miss.”

I couldn’t believe our good fortune. “Really?”

“He said that when they built the compound they put in emergency drainage pipes. The pipes are always empty and large enough for a man to crawl through. They run underground below the compound and fence and empty about a hundred yards out into the jungle.

“The guards aren’t allowed into town alone, but some of them have Peruvian girlfriends, so they uncapped one of the pipes, and every night a few of them sneak out. They secretly call it the Weekend Express. The guards don’t wear their uniforms in town because the other guards might report them and the townspeople sometimes attack them if they’re alone, so they change their clothes and leave their uniforms inside. A few of the guards have left and never come back, so their uniforms are still there.”

“How many?”

“He remembers seeing three.”

“Where are these pipes?”

“In a mechanical room behind the butchery and refrigeration.”

“Can he take us to them?”

Raúl understood the question and said,
“Sí. Más adelante.”

“Later,” Ostin said.

Raúl led us to the southeast corner of the room, stopping again near the cage lift, which had lowered back down without the bull. Raúl put on a show, giving us a demonstration of how the lift worked, while mega-mustache watched us from his corner. Afterward, Raúl led us to the butchery and the refrigeration room, where large slabs of meat hung from overhead hooks. It was so cold we could see our breath.

Ostin said, “Raúl says on really hot days the guards hang out in here.”

Jack began pummeling a hanging beef like a punching bag. “Look, I’m Rocky.”

Taylor shook her head.

At the back of the refrigeration room were green metal doors. Raúl said something to Ostin.

“He says it’s best that we don’t all go back to the mechanical room. There are three uniforms there, so we should decide who is changing into them.”

“I need to decide who’s coming with me to find my mother,” I said. I turned to Ian. “I’m going to need you.”

“I’m there,” he said.

“Who else wants to come with me?”

Jack, Zeus, and Taylor raised their hands.

“You know they’ll spot you a mile away,” I said to Taylor.

“I know. I just want to help.”

“You can help back here.” I looked at Jack and Zeus. “Jack, you come.”

Zeus started to protest, but I cut him off. “Look, if things turn bad, we’re going to need you to get everyone out. Besides, I don’t
want you anywhere near Hatch. I think you’re the only one Hatch hates more than me.”

He nodded. “You’re right.” He looked at Jack, and I braced myself for another argument. Instead Zeus raised his hand. “Bring them back.”

Jack hit it. “I’ll do my best.”

I breathed out in relief. “Let’s go.”

Jack, Ostin, Ian, and I followed Raúl into the mechanical room. The room was dim enough that my and Ian’s glow could be seen.

Raúl looked at us in wonder.
“Ustedes extraterrestres?”

Ostin grinned. “He wants to know if you and Ian are aliens.”

“Tell him yes,” I said.

Near the back of the room were four massive conduits that rose from the ground up to the ceiling. Raúl pointed to a pipe with a horizontal plug. It was capped with a metal lid and a locking latch.

“Is that the one?” I asked.

Raúl nodded, then gestured to another door just past the pipes. He opened the door to reveal piles of civilian clothing.

“How many guys are sneaking out of this place?” Jack asked.

“Muchos,”
Raúl said.

We found four uniforms in the closet instead of the expected three.

Raúl looked concerned and pulled one of the uniforms to him.
“Sudor,”
he said.

Ostin touched the uniform. “It’s sweaty. The guy is still out there.”

“Not for long,” Ian said, pointing to the ground. “He’s coming back up.” Suddenly we heard the sound of someone in the pipe.

“I guess our guard’s coming home,” I said.

“We could lock him out,” Jack said. “Or knock him out. Either works for me.”

“No,” I said. “Let’s see if he knows anything about my mother.”

The lid suddenly opened, pushed up with one hand, and a machete fell out to the concrete floor. Then a head appeared. The man was starting to climb out when he saw us and froze. I could tell he was considering fleeing back into the pipe.

Ian waved his hand, “No worries, bro. We’re doing the same thing you are. Weekend Express. Our man Raúl here is hooking us up with his cousins.”

The man’s expression relaxed. “Oh, right.”

Jack pulled the lid back for the guard, and he climbed out. He was a big man, at least an inch taller than Jack, and he picked up his machete, then walked past us to the closet, where he stripped off his street clothing. “You guys look young. What are they doing, recruiting at high schools now?”

“Better early than late,” Ostin said. “We’re part of the Elgen Empowering Youth program.”

The man shook his head. “Never heard of it.” He pulled up his pants and fastened his utility belt. “You done the tunnel before?”

“No,” I said. “First time.”

“Watch for snakes. Condensation forms on the pipe and the snakes like it. They hang out near the mouth. Last night I killed an eyelash pit viper on the way out.”

“Bothriechis schlegelii,”
Ostin said. “About eighteen inches long?”

He held up his stained machete. “Not anymore.”

“Thanks for the warning,” I said.

He sat down on a crate to pull on his boots. “No problem. But I’ve gotta hurry, my shift is in ten.”

“Where are you stationed?” I asked.

He laced up his boots. “At the gate until a week ago. That’s where I met my darlin’ milkmaid,” he said with a grin. “She was bringing in
leche
for the troops. Now they got me over at the Re-Ed.”

“Re-Ed,” Ostin said. He looked at me. “Reeducation. The
prison
.”

“Yeah,” he said, standing. “Not bad duty. At least it’s air-conditioned.” He pulled off his shirt and donned a black Elgen one.

I took a step toward the guard. “I hear there’s an American woman in there.”

He looked up as he buttoned his shirt, his mouth wide in a dark grin. “Yeah, and she’s all that you’ve heard.”

“Is she?” I asked. I could feel my face turning red.

Ostin shook his head at me in warning.

“Oh yeah. But we’re not allowed to go near her. She’s Hatch’s pet. But I keep my eye on her if you know what I mean. I’ve had some fun with her.” He laughed. “A couple days ago I made her do a belly dance for a glass of water.”

I looked at him dully, steeling my anger behind my eyes. “Sharon,” I said.

“Yeah. That’s her name. How’d you know that?”

I put my hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. “She’s my mother.”

His scream never made it past his lips. I had never shocked anyone that hard before, and I could feel his skin blister beneath my fingers. I didn’t stop, even after he dropped to the ground and I had crouched down next to him. I was so electric that sparks were shooting at him from my knees and thighs.

“Michael,” Jack said. “Bro!”

Ostin shouted, “Michael, stop it! You’ll kill him!”

I stepped back, blue-white sparks still zigzagging between my fingers.

Raúl was looking at me in terror. Everyone was silent.

Ostin cautiously stepped toward me. “You okay?”

I was panting heavily. “Get his key. We just found our way in.”

Ian took his key. Jack and Ian pulled off his uniform and carried him back to the pipe, dropped him in, then locked it. We dressed in the uniforms and helmets, choosing the ones that were closest to our sizes. I took a knife and cut four inches off my pants’ length. Raúl took a grenade and baton from the fourth uniform.

“What’s he doing?” I asked.

Ostin spoke to him. “He says he’s helping us.”

“He doesn’t want to get mixed up in this,” I said.

“He already is,” Ostin said.

I looked at him, then nodded.
“Gracias.”

He nodded back.

Ostin took the fourth uniform and rolled it up.

“What’s that for?” I asked.

“How else are you going to get your mother out of a prison surrounded by two thousand guards?” Ostin said.

“You are a genius, my friend.”

Ostin smiled. “Tell me something I don’t know. Oh, wait, you can’t.”

I put my arm on his shoulder. “All right. Let’s get my mother.”

W
hen we walked back out to the freezer, the rest of our group was huddled together, their arms wrapped around themselves against the cold. They stepped back when they saw us.

I raised my visor. “It’s us.”

Taylor held a hand to her chest. “Oh, you scared us. We thought you were real.”

“Good,” I said. “That’s the idea.”

“It’s about time you got back,” Wade said, annoyed. “We’re freezing.”

“Enjoy it while you can,” Jack said. “Everything is about to heat up.”

“We found out where my mother is,” I said. “She’s over in the Re-Ed.”

“And we’ve got the key,” Ian said, holding up a card.

“What’s the plan?” Taylor asked.

“First, I want to see who’s in that cell Ian saw. Then Ian, Jack, and I will go to the Re-Ed to find my mother. While we’re gone, the rest of you need to see if you can find a way to shut down the power plant. But don’t take any dumb chances. We’re going to find my mom and get out of here as fast as we can.” I took the GPS iPod out of my pocket and gave it to Taylor. “If things go bad, get to the jungle as fast as you can. We’ll catch up to you.”

“But you won’t know where the pickup is,” Taylor said.

“She’s right,” Ostin said. “How will we find you?”

“This is only in case things go bad,” I said. “But if we get separated we’ll make our way back to Cuzco and hide out in a hotel under Jack’s name. The voice can call the hotels and find us. But don’t wait for us. Promise me.”

Taylor looked upset but relented. “Okay. I promise.”

“Do you remember how to use the GPS?”

“Yes. Colby Cross.”

We walked from the refrigeration room back out through the butchery. The three of us in guard uniforms walked out first. I could see what Raúl had meant about the ranchers hating the guards. They avoided even looking at us. Taylor and the others followed a few yards behind us. Raúl led us through a set of double doors at the side of the room that opened to a long, tiled corridor.

“The cells are there,” Ian said, pointing toward a magnetic keypad next to a thick, metal door. “There’s a guard inside.”

“Maybe he’ll let us in,” I said. “Ostin, ask Raúl what the guards’ names are.”

Raúl did his best to pronounce the names. “Ste-ven, Kork, Sco-tt.”

“Steven, Kirk, and Scott,” I repeated. I hit the button on the keypad.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Kirk,” I said.

“What do you need?”

“We’re bringing an American group through on a tour.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“Dr. Hatch’s instructions. They are about to open a new
Starxource facility in New Mexico, and he wants them to see every inch of this place.”

“You know the rules. This is a controlled access. No one comes in here without direct EGG written clearance.”

“And you know that Hatch changes the rules whenever he pleases.”

“And you know what he does when you break a rule. No form, no entry.”

I looked at Taylor. “Try it,” I whispered.

She concentrated.

“Now open the door,” I said. “We’re on a tight schedule.”

“I don’t care if you’re on a tightrope,” he said angrily.

Ostin stepped forward. “I have the form,” he said into the intercom.

“Why didn’t you just tell me,” I said, playing along.

“Because I assumed we wouldn’t need it,” Ostin said.

“He’s got it,” I said. “Open up.” I turned to Zeus, and he nodded.

The doorknob turned and opened. The guard, who was tall and muscular, blocked the door with his body and reached out his hand. “Let me see the—”

Zeus blasted the man so hard it knocked him back against the opposite wall. We hurried inside, shutting the door behind us. Jack grabbed the keys from the unconscious guard and opened the second cell, and he and Wade dragged the guard inside, tying him to the bed with leather restraints. They locked the door behind him.

“Which room is the Glow in?” I asked.

“Fourth one,” Ian said, pointing to a cell door. Jack threw me the keys, and I unlocked the door, then slowly pushed it open. The cell was small—about half the size of my bedroom at home—and was dark and musty. There was a figure huddled under a blanket on a mat in the corner of the room. I pulled the wire out of the RESAT machine and the figure groaned a little.