The Price of Power - Matthew Martin & Deana Van Nice

8

Aella moved back and forth between the pair before collapsing on her mattress at lights out. It was dark and quiet.

A blessing and a curse.

"John," she said quietly, but loud enough to be heard. "Do you really think we are going to get out of here ever?"

They are talking. It is quite but I can't pull it because the lack of any sound would be a red flag. I need the ambient noise. Damn it.

Not much luck for me. I'm just sitting there.

Grayson would reply with a snarky little smirk before making his way back over to his cot, stretching out and folding his hands behind his head. He wished they'd double him up on meals. Or triple. The sandwiches sucked. But he was starving from splitting back in the hotel. Even with him eating noodles in Japan, the second burger in the hotel room, and sending the newest perspective down to raid the buffet. And he knew Canada was miserable too. Maybe he would get lucky and during testing tomorrow they would let him use the trick he'd figured out to re-balance things a bit.

Meanwhile, John had curled up in his makeshift bed by the wall, unhappy about the lights going out now that they finally had a new source of information. Or at least someone else to talk to. But there wasn't anything to do about it. It wasn't in their control.

At Aella's words then he would frown. "Hell yes we are. Either they'll let us out eventually, or you'll pull the place down if they keep trying to forcibly hold us prisoner. Its as simple as that.?

Give me a minute. Let them chat a bit. If they don't shut up, I will pretend they're keeping me us so its not too suspicious.

"That's right," Aella replied quietly. "If I do bring this place down, you and I and Grayson and anyone else they are keeping here is coming with us. We... We can't leave people here like this."

She curled up towards the wall, as if it would somehow let her get a little closer.

"I don't think they will let us out. Not until they get what they want..."

I hear you. It is just sooner the better here. I don't know if they are going to institute increased security measures now that you are here and I want to strike the proverbial iron...

I don't disagree. Just give it a few. Don't want to draw more attention then we need to making a scene.

John smiled slighted with where his head was pressed up against the cracked and re-plastered walls. "Maybe. But it doesn't sound like they know what they want. So who knows. We'll figure it out. And if necessary, we'll stage a breakout and bring the new guy and anyone else we have to with us.... Then we just have to figure out how to explain all this to our folks."

As an idea, it was becoming increasingly appealing. If he wasn't terrified of what might happen to Aella if he tried anything himself, he'd be in on it too. But he was mostly keeping those thoughts far from the forefront of his head for a multitude of reasons at the moment.

"Yeah," Aella replied quietly, pressed her forehead against the plaster for a long moment. "We will just have to see what happens tomorrow."

She sighed quietly, then offered the same quiet affirmation she had been whispering ever night before going to sleep.

"Remember, you are not alone."

Aella closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come.

This is it. They stopped and are laying still. Don't move and give me fifteen minutes. I will let you know when we are looped.

"That's all we can do, no matter how irritating it is." He would offer back with a little humor, growing quieter now as they usually did after lights out. And just as she was, he offered back the words with a the sane assurance "And neither are you."