Wraith

Chapter 05: Subject Nine

Chapter 05: Subject Nine

"Very good," Powel congratulated. "After all the trouble she'd given you, I didn't think you would've been able to capture her so easily. She already killed a number of your troops."

"She's only a threat in daylight," Clayton replied. "Our mistake was in not choosing the proper time for our attack. Is the containment suit ready?"

"Nearly," Powel answered. "We only started working on it when we discovered what she could do. It's been difficult creating a defense against her particular power, but I have no doubt we'll succeed. Until then, keep her sedated."

"Yes sir," Clayton acknowledged. He followed the men carrying subject nine toward the elevator going down to the prison block.

I trailed along after them. If the woman had power enough to destroy entire squads of military trained soldiers, she could prove a useful ally or a most dangerous foe. In either case, I needed to know the prisoner better. I kept a close watch on the group all the way down to her cell.

The metal door squeaked loudly as the long unused door opened on dry hinges. The soldiers placed subject nine on a table of bare steel, securing her wrists and ankles in leather straps similar to those used by mental institutions for controlling violent patients.

A transparent bag of fluid was hung from a hook near the head of the table, and a needle, linked to the bag with a slender tube, was inserted into the back of the woman's right hand. Satisfied she presented no threat, the soldiers left, the metal door clanking loudly as it closed and locked.

I phased through the wall and stood over the woman, examining her current state. The blaze orange jumpsuit she wore, resembling a prisoner's uniform, had sustained multiple cuts. The left pants leg was absent below the knee, and the right sleeve had been roughly torn off at the shoulder. The missing material revealed pale skin over the lean muscles of a well trained athlete. The cuts across her hands and on the uniform showed dried blood, telling of her flight through the tangled jungle of the island.

Even unconscious, I was impressed by her. The woman had determination and a fighting spirit. She'd apparently run when needed, and fought when necessary.

I brushed back the radiant white hair obscuring her face for a better look. The woman's upper lip was thinner than the lower one, and her cheekbones were hardly noticeable, giving her face only the slightest, most graceful, of curves from her eyes down to her chin.

Reaching for the IV needle, I hesitated as I considered the possible dangers of waking her up. Knowing the fight she'd given out rather than being captured, she wanted to get away as much as I did, but there was no way to know if she'd accept my help.

I unfastened her bindings, not wanting her to damage them in another escape attempt before I could speak with her. Any damage done to the restraints or the room would alert the guards of someone having woken her. I needed to keep my foes oblivious to my activities until I decided.

Instead of simply trusting her blindly, I removed the IV and quickly stepped to the wall, ready to make a hasty exit should the situation call for it.

I noticed a strange glow from her skin as she drew closer to consciousness. A soft silvery light came from within her, similar to a fog illuminated by moonlight. By the time she opened her eyes, the room was filled with her soft glow.

"Hello," I said gently, not wanting to startle her.

She jumped up, fists raised in a fighting position. Her green eyes went wide with surprise when she saw me standing in the corner of her cell. Considering she'd probably never seen a living shadow such as myself, she recovered very quickly.