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Magnus and Carter stepped briskly, yet cautiously, along the corridor, hoping not to come into contact with other patrols or off duty staff. They didn’t want any confrontations. Carter wore his helmet with the visor partway up. Once Carter had the other guard’s uniform, they’d be less suspicious wandering through the corridors. However, that didn’t make Magnus any more confident of going unseen.
According to Sylvia there were cameras in the corridors, but he had not discovered them. Carter kept his head looking downward as though he was avoiding the chance of an overhead camera capturing an image of his face.
Carter’s breathing was rapid. He lowered the visor all the way. His hands trembled so badly that Magnus wondered if the doctor would hyperventilate or pass out before he could get the suit. He looked more frightened than a cat dropped inside a cage full of angry dogs.
“How far is your room?” Carter whispered.
“A ways yet.”
“The suit will be a good way to be out in the open unseen.”
“If you mean that no one suspects you of harboring a prisoner and planning to escape from Mars, you’re probably right.”
“Should we take the guards’ guns?”
Magnus glanced at Carter. “Do you know how to use a gun?”
“No.”
“There’s your answer then. If you carry a gun, you’d best be prepared to use it. Without one, we won’t be considered as hostile.”
“Okay. I’m nervous. I’ve never done anything like this.”
Magnus chuckled. “And you think that I have?”
“Well, you are a prisoner.”
“So?”
“Why were you in prison?”
Magnus shook his head and kept walking. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you at another time when we’re not looking over our shoulders every few minutes.”
Carter nodded. “Okay.”
Magnus stepped to a smaller tunnel to the right. “Come on, let’s go this way. It’s quicker.”
Carter followed without question. This narrow tunnel was darker, which comforted Magnus a bit more but seemed to set Carter on edge even more. His paranoia was getting the best of him. He brushed away invisible cobwebs, ducked when there weren’t any obstructions, and gasped when he thought something had flown toward him.
“Keep moving,” Magnus whispered.
“I am. You’re certain this path is safe?”
“Safer to keep us hidden from cameras and guards, but there’s nothing here that should alarm us. Other than all the humans that have travelled here, there aren’t other living creatures here.”
“You never know.”
“So you believe there might be life on Mars?”
“As a doctor and a scientist, I would never rule it out,” Carter said.
The short path circled around and led to the open mining pit. Magnus stopped at the edge of the door. His eyes widened with surprise.
“What is it?” Carter asked, in a near whisper.
“This is where I mined. I never knew there was another shift that worked after ours ended.”
Carter edged to the side of Magnus where he could see the pit.
Rows of miners swung picks while adjacent rows used shovels to scoop up the loose volcanic soil. The sifter machines rattled and hummed. Large front loaders scooped up the outer edges of the mine where drillers were carving out new passages.
Carter shook his head. “Damn.”
“Yep. It’s worse than my words can describe. But you’re a medical doctor. I know it’s hard to discern from this distance, but notice how none of these men ever slow their pace. They don’t interact. Hell, even the guards looked bored.”
The patrols around the perimeter had their laser rifles slung over their shoulders. Most stood in pairs and talked in causal conversations, smoking. None were on high alert. And if any noticed Magnus and Carter, they never reacted to their presence.
“Come on,” Magnus said. “We’re almost there.”
Magnus turned down a wider corridor where he had walked daily and stopped outside his room. “Well, here we are. My palace.”
After they stepped inside the cell, the doors shut.
Magnus walked to the shower and looked in the stall. The shorter man frowned with evident fury and hatred. His face was flushed red from trying to yell for help while struggling with the cuffs. The other guard was still unconscious and not moving.
Magnus shook his head and looked at Carter. “Perhaps I hit him a bit harder than I intended. Is he breathing?”
Carter knelt and felt for a pulse. “Yeah, he’s breathing. His pulse is strong.”
Magnus sighed. “Good.”
Magnus found the keys to the handcuffs. He leaned down to the conscious guard. “I’m going to take the sock from your mouth. Unless you want to sleep a while like your friend there, I suggest you be quiet. Understood?”
Matt’s jaw clenched tightly and his eyes narrowed even more.
“Do you understand?”
Matt nodded.
“Good.” Magnus took the sock out.
Matt said, “You’re going to pay severely for this.”
“Uh-uh!” Magnus said, pointing his huge thick finger. “Think about what I said, and look at Cain. I don’t want to hit you again, but you best believe I will if you force me to. Don’t make me feel worse than I already do that Cain hasn’t roused yet.”
“You know you two are going to die for this, right?” Matt hissed. Spittle sprayed from his mouth.
Magnus formed a massive fist and reared back. Matt cowered and closed his eyes.
“That’s better,” Magnus said. “I’m unlocking your cuffs. One wrong move on your part, and I’ll drop you worse than I did before.”
“All right. Fine. What do you want?”
“I want you to strip of your uniform and hand it to my friend there. That’s it, and nothing more.”
“Hell no!”
Magnus gave an even grin and his eyes narrowed. “Voluntarily or involuntarily, you will give up that uniform.”
Matt rose to his feet, glanced down at Cain, and turned his cuffed wrists toward Magnus. His eyes lost their hostility when Magnus neared and towered over him. A sense of renewed respect and fear reflected in the guard’s eyes.
Magnus unlocked the cuffs and took a step back. He halfway expected Matt to attempt to fight or charge, but he didn’t. He unzipped the uniform, slipped out of it, and placed his hands out to be re-cuffed.
“No, behind your back,” Magnus said.
Matt obeyed.
Magnus clamped the cuffs tightly behind Matt’s back, seated him against Cain, and then he interlocked Cain’s cuffs around Matt’s.
“Thanks for your cooperation,” Magnus said with a smile.
Matt opened his mouth to reply, and Magnus stuffed the sock back into Matt’s mouth. He patted Matt’s cheek. “Wow, and I didn’t even have to ask.”
The look of contempt returned to Matt’s gaze.
Magnus tossed the uniform to Carter. “Pull that over your clothes. We need to hurry before these men are reported missing. Once they come looking for them and find them in my cell, they’ll begin searching for me.”
Carter hurried and pulled on the uniform. Magnus handed the helmet to Carter. “Put this one on and lose your pilot helmet. Hurry up and let’s go.”