Nevada Confidential

The Mask

Brinley was frozen in place. If it weren't for Simon's quick thinking, she would have stood there gazing at the approaching group until they reached her.

Simon had only a minute.

He grabbed two extra bags from where they were stashed in a crate on the floor behind them. The stevedores would still need to remove a few bodies before they found Simon and Brinley, giving them just enough time to pull the bags over their heads and lay on the floor.

Now, Brinley hoped, they would just think that two more of the bags had fallen during the flight. Of course, they would also need to find an explanation for how they were alive, but that was the next step.

Brinley struggled to breathe once the bag was over her head, but finally found a small aperture where she could easily take in oxygen from. She laid completely still, hoping that the nervous shivering that had taken control of her body wouldn't give her away.

This was insane. What were they doing?

It was too late to change her mind now, Brinley realized, as she heard the voices of the people standing over her.

"I thought there were only five," a woman's voice muttered.

"We must have written it down wrong," a man's voice replied, sounding confused. "With all of these shipments coming in, it's impossible to-"

"Quit talking and unload!" snapped another man. His voice reminded Brinley of the grating of forks on glass plates.

Brinley felt two pairs of hands lifting the bag, and she willed herself to be still. Even if she was completely unmoving, Brinley was sure that the unmistakable beating of her heart would give her away.

Luckily, the heavy footfalls of the people carrying her blocked out any noises that she made. Breathing didn't seem to matter anymore; Brinley held her breath even though air was available. She was afraid to open her eyes, afraid to swallow, afraid to do anything.

She wondered about Simon. Was he having this much trouble?

The ride in the bag seemed like an eternity. Brinley felt so stiff after the first few minutes, she might as well have been dead. She was set onto a cart somewhere between the numbing of her arms and her neck, and could hear the rolling noise of wheels indicating that she was being pushed through a hall of some sort. The cart stopped, and Brinley felt relief spread through her. The ride was over... but then again, what was to follow?

She heard a voice, strained to hear what was being said.

"Did you check yet?" asked a monotone woman's voice.

"I was about to," another woman's voice returned. This one was sweeter than the last one, and if she wasn't being mistaken as a dead body that was being wheeled off to who knows where, Brinley may have found the voice comforting.

"Well check now. I want to see you check."

Brinley stiffened as she felt the hands reach for the top of the bag.

They were opening it. Why were they opening it?

Brinley shut her eyes, and forced her mouth to stay closed. She held her breath, clenching her teeth and tightening her hands into fists at her sides.

"Female," the woman said after a moment. She closed the bag over Brinley's head again, and the cart was rolling along once more. Brinley barely had time to feel relieved before she had a horrible thought. It made a whole new round of shivering come on, and she needed to grate her teeth to keep them from chattering.

What if she was going to be experimented on? Why would the government be collecting dead bodies and sending them here, if not for research purposes?

If they realized that she was alive, would they just kill her? This place was confidential enough that no one would ever know. They could do it, if they wanted to, without any consequences. Then they could do as much experimentation as they wanted.