Salvage

Fourteen - Part 1

November 19

Finally taking the time to catch up on my reports. It feels wrong to sit calmly writing while god knows what happens to those kids. I'll likely lose my job over this, but I can't bring myself to care until they're back. I know I failed them. I've been going over and over it again in my head, thinking what I could have done differently.

What we know is limited, but we can guess the rest. We had perimeter alarms and electric fences, as well as cameras being monitored by two of my agents. Four patrolling agents were pacing the perimeter fence. We had eight heavily armed agents stationed close to the house, and I was sleeping near the front door. The only way they could have done this is by sending in one rogue to cut the power, disable the alarms and cameras first, then move in with their troops and apply overwhelming force.

We don't know the exact number, but there must have been a large group. The infiltration was too quick, quiet, and well executed to not be a group of professionals, and to be able to manage thirty unwilling kids...

They must have been watching us. Learned our methods, our routines, the exact number and placement of all the kids and agents. This level of preparation has to tell us a few things, at least. This is no dying gasp of a failing organization. This was a well funded and strategic attempt to get assets back into the hands of the owner. It leads me to wonder what exactly we still don't know about this sick organization.

I need to focus on the positives. All of my agents still live. The infiltrators were using a modified version of our own knockout drugs, maybe something they picked up from Josie Lawrence. Additionally, we know they will not kill any of Subject Group W, as they are all valuable assets. The only question mark there is Ms. Miller, who is not a subject. They may not know who she is, and hopefully that uncertainty will keep her alive.

Time passed.

Aurora wasn't sure exactly how much time. She spent the first eternity panicking. Her calm facade broke, and she buried her face in her hands, heaving in deep breaths so fast, her head began to swim. These men would rape her, repeatedly, before killing her. Ros would never know what happened to her, until they found her bones in the desert twenty years later. The subject group would all waste away in these cells being tortured and experimented on until they died. Whoever was organizing all this would win.

Then, she forced herself to pull it together. Allow the weakness, then overcome it. Block out everything but that which had practical application. The second eternity, she paced the perimeter of the cell, inspecting every inch. It was well built, thick concrete on every side except the barred door. The cell door itself was sturdy, but with a fairly simple lock. Aurora might be able to pick it, if she had enough time and found the right tool. She had experience with that kind of thing.

So, she spent the third eternity searching for a lock pick. It might not do much good to break out of the cell, if she was miles underground in a facility full of guards or something. But at the very least she could try to sneak out and get a look around, see what she was dealing with. The cot was set directly on the floor, so no chance of breaking off wires from springs. She tried ripping open the cot, but soon discovered it was just flat, filthy cotton stuffing inside, nothing that would help.

Then her gaze found the small toilet in the corner. It was old, rusty, set directly into the wall, but it was the sturdiest thing in this place. There had to be a flushing mechanism, right? She crossed to it and sat down on the floor, peering around the cracked edges of the caulking. It was mostly peeled away, exposing a little crack between the back of the toilet and the wall. She pushed her fingertips into that space and began tugging gently, testing the connection.