Chapter Twenty-one: Prison Life

There was a knock on the door of the Glasshouse.

‘Come in Captain’ Celeste said, without looking.

‘You knew I was coming?’ Miles asked, stepping.

‘I’ve been expecting you for days. You weren’t exactly…subtle… about how you feel’ Celeste replied.

‘I wasn’t exactly obvious though’ Miles told her.

‘Obvious enough,’ Celeste said, standing to face him. ‘Well go on, spit it out then’ she added.

‘It’s been more than two weeks. No one has seen hair nor hide of Jason. So it’s-’

‘Time to consider a new chain of command?’ Celeste finished. A slight grin appeared on Miles’ face as the sun appeared from behind a cloud

‘Change isn’t always a bad thing. Jason could be dead for all we know’ Miles said.

‘Or he could still be inside, trying to find out a way out’ Celeste replied.

‘Then why hasn’t he made contact? Sent at least some sort of signal?’ Miles asked.

‘Maybe he can’t. Maybe the Tallentiri are blocking the signal’ Celeste replied, sounding slightly vicious.

‘The point is, it’s time to consider a new chain of command. You did what Jason asked you to; lead us to safety. It’s time for you to make the decisions you need to make, or step aside for someone-’

‘Someone like you?’ Celeste asked. Miles opened his mouth and then closed it again.

‘Don’t think I don’t know what this is about? You want command. The fact remains the Jason placed me in command. Therefore, a new chain of command is ultimately my decision. Case closed’ Celeste told him.

‘Celeste,’ Miles said, looking her in the eye  ‘listen to reason’. But Celeste wasn’t listening. Stabbing pains were shooting across her stomach.

‘Are you alright?’ Miles asked. Celeste guessed the pain was showing on her face.

‘Yeah I’m fine. It’s passing’ Celeste replied.

‘Will you listen to what I’m saying to you?’ Miles asked again.

‘No, but I suspect you’re going to tell me anyway’ Celeste answered.

‘You’re not trained to do this. Make the command decisions. The life and death decisions’ Miles told her, dangerously.

‘You tried this with Jason didn’t you? He refused to step aside so what? Did you kill him?’ Celeste asked.

‘No’ Miles replied without flinching. After she spent a minute watching him she finally spoke.

‘Ok, I believe you. But you should go. I have work to do’ Celeste said.

‘I’m not leaving without an answer’ Miles replied.

‘I’ll think about it, ok? Is that good enough for you?’ Celeste asked.

‘That’s all I ask’ Miles answered.

‘Good. Then out’ Celeste said, staring at the stack of reports on a table.

‘Just don’t think about it too long’ Miles said as he left the Glasshouse.

There was no day in the prison. There was no night either. Just eternal light. The dreams, the nightmares were still present, but Jason was just thankful that he hadn’t a repeat dream to do with Claire, and he hoped it stayed that way. A single, brown talon pushed his food out to him as he entered the mess hall. Jason wasn’t really sure you could call it food though, it was a deep blue paste but so far no one had died of it. Jason took the metal container and sat down with Emilia and Razim.

‘Where’s Claire?’ Jason asked.

‘She hasn’t shown yet, we thought she was still sleeping’ Razim replied. Jason shook his head.

‘She was gone when I woke up’

‘She’ll turn up. Did you hear the news that’s circulating this morning?’ Emilia said.

‘Not again’ Razim said.

‘Six people. Less than yesterday, but still not good’ Emilia replied sadly, prodding her food.

‘Suicides?’ Jason asked. Emilia nodded. Suicides occurred almost daily.

‘I’m surprised the number isn’t higher, I mean for a place like this… you’d expect mass suicides wouldn’t you?’ Razim asked.

‘I think it comes down to how much want to fight and how long they can hold onto hope. The longer they hold on, the longer they live’ Jason said.

‘Yes, well they aren’t happy about it either. They want us alive and apparently one of the six was one of Heath’s lackey’s’ Emilia said. Heath Bell was the most feared person in here. He’d been here almost since the day it was built. He and his followers were hated by everyone, they had a reputation for being ruthless and violent.

‘Which means he’s going to be worse than usual’ Razim replied. Jason ate a spoonful of the blue liquid. It didn’t have a taste or a temperature, it was simply there.

‘Was Claire one of the six?’ Jason asked.

‘Claire wonders off a lot and turns up hours later’ Emilia said.

‘That doesn’t answer the question’ Jason replied.

‘No, she wasn’t one of the six. They were all males today. Happy?’ Emilia answered.

‘Not particularly’ Jason said finishing the liquid. ‘Where does she go?’

‘We don’t know,’ Razim replied.  ‘She disappears then she returns and carves things into the wall’

With that Jason got up and walked away, taking the bowl with him.

‘Where are you going?’ Emilia asked.

‘For a wander’ Jason replied as he left, pushing the bowl into a hatch in the wall.

Jason had barely walked ten seconds when he heard the dull thud of a body hitting metal from up ahead.

‘Tell me what you were doing’ growled a voice that Jason recognised as Heath’s. As he approached the corner cautiously he could a girl’s voice.

‘It’s none of your business what I’m doing Heath. I want to go for a walk I will’ she said defiantly. As Jason peered around the corner he saw the girl was Claire. Heath’s face was in Claire’s, his brown hair covering his eyes. His right arm was covered entirely in tattoos. Heath slammed his hand against the steel wall next to Claire’s head.

‘How do I know I didn’t kill him’ Heath growled. Jason spotted three of Heath’s lackey’s approach the other end of the corridor. If he was going to do something, he had to do it now. Jason ran down the corridor, jumped and slammed his foot into Heath’s side. Heath stumbled sideways and Claire stepped away from the wall.

‘Jason!’ she said. Heath’s lackey’s ran up the corridor but Heath held up a fist. Jason concluded that Heath must’ve had some military training to know that symbol: stand down.

‘As you can see I’m rather busy to deal with you at the moment, so I’m going to give the chance to walk away with four, unbroken, limbs’ Heath told Jason as he pushed his hair out of his eyes.

‘Not going to happen Heath’ Jason said. Heath’s fist came flying at him. Jason used his left arm to push the punch out of the way as he nearly broke his right fist on Heath’s abs. Jason felt a foot collide with his stomach and push him back and then a fist collide with the side of his head. Jason spun on the spot before falling to the floor.

‘Right. Now where was I?’ Heath said. ‘That’s right. How do I know you didn’t kill him?’

‘He jumped from the top of a watch tower, you really think I’d be stupid enough to climb it just to push someone off?’ Claire replied.

‘Hey,’ Jason said getting to his feet. ‘We’re not done’

‘Are you looking to get your ass kicked? Because I hand will you your ass on a silver platter’ Heath said turning around.

‘Then do it. Because I’m not going anywhere’ Jason challenged.  A crowd was beginning to form around them.

‘You’ve been given a reprieve’ Heath said, pushing Claire into the crowd. Jason spun and flung out his leg, expecting it to collide with Heath’s body. Heath effortlessly pushed Jason leg, spinning him around again before letting Jason collide with his leg on the other side. Jason was hunched over as he felt an elbow hit his back, forcing him down to the floor, out of breath. Jason then felt himself get pulled up. He looked Heath in the face for a moment before their heads collided and Jason found himself on his back, on the floor again.

‘Are we done now?’ Heath asked him. Jason stood up leaning against a wall, there was a stabbing pain in his chest, he suspected at least one rib was broken.

‘No, we’re not’ Jason groaned. Heath shook his head.

‘Do you not know when to stay down?’ Heath asked. Jason saw Heath’s foot come at his stomach but this time Jason was ready. He moved quickly out of the way and heard the full force of Heath’s leg hit the wall. Jason lowered his centre of gravity and swept Heath’s other leg. When Heath hit the floor Jason’s hands closed around Heath’s throat, choking him.

‘Tap out and you can make this stop’ Jason said. He could feel Heath struggling to breathe, he could pass out any second. Suddenly a second person had entered the fight. Another punch to the side of the head and Jason was, again, on the floor. Jason suspected the second person was one of Heath’s lackey’s. Jason was picked up and thrown against the wall, where he was left to collapse on the floor. Jason saw Heath leave through the crowd before Claire, Emilia and Razim surrounded him.