Megalodon City Penitentiary, Tundra, Standard Year 404 after founding

  About ten minutes later, Alanna flinched at the sound of footsteps walking down the hall. With some reluctance, she walked up to the barred window and breathed a deep sigh of relief as she saw Dev Hodgins walking towards her down the hallway, carrying two cups of coffee.

  “Here.” He reached through the bars and handed her both cups. “Take this.”

  Alanna accepted the gift and stepped aside as he unlocked the cell door. Dev sat across from her, picking up his cup and leaving the door open.

  “Thank you for the coffee.” Alanna said, trying to stifle a small sniffle. “Dev, you are my best friend on this whole damn planet.”

  “Yes, yes I am.” Dev said shortly.

  “I mean, the president? Really? And no one bothered to tell me.”

  “We need to talk.”

  “About the fact that I am completely, royally screwed?”

  “Do you understand what happened?”

  “You were listening?”

  “Yes.”

  “The whole time?”

  “Just about.” Dev took a gulp of his coffee. “You were right. The timing was off.”

  “They waited for James to leave.”

  “Yes.” Dev paused. “What were your orders?”

  “Stay alive.”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it. I think he foresaw something.” Alanna said. “I’m not sure it was specifically this. I certainly didn’t receive any instructions that seem relevant to this.” She took a drink of the coffee, letting the paper mug warm her hands. “There was quite a bit about good faith cooperation and making an effort.”

  “I bet there was.”

  “I’m not quite sure how that would apply here.”

  “Frankly, neither am I.”

  “Dev, about your earlier question. I don’t, actually. I don’t understand what happened at all.”

  “You seemed to do all the right.”

  Alanna shrugged. “When you’re going up against an overwhelmingly stronger opponent, you can find a way to even the odds, run, or stall.” She paused. “I think there’s also something about becoming allies but that doesn’t seem at all relevant here. Anyway, I’m in a prison cell, so I stalled.”

  “Do you think it’ll work?”

  “No.” Alanna said shortly. “That is to say, I think it may buy us somewhere between a few hours and a few days but I doubt it will be a permanent solution.”

  “What didn’t you understand?”

  “He’s the son of the president.”

  “Yes.”

  “You knew?”

  Dev laughed. “Yes Alanna, of course I knew.”

  “That’s why you had Thea’s photo on your phone. Everyone knows. James is famous.”

  “Yes.”

  “I guess that kind of makes sense. But I still don’t understand why. Why does your president care that James and I spent a few nights together?”

  “He’s your president, too.” Dev pointed out mildly.

  “Well, if I ever get to vote, I’m not voting for him.”

  “You probably are.”

  “No, I’m sure as hell not.” Alanna crossed her arms.

  “Ok then.”

  “Are you?”

  “Yes.”

  Alanna studied Dev, finally hearing what he was saying. “He’s that good?”

  “Jim Hawk is the reason we have a snowball’s chance in hell against Saraya. He’s the reason Tundra exists. And yes, he is that good.”

  “All right. I’m listening. Why is he doing this to me?”

  “James Hawk is his son. His only son. Only child.”

  “That’s unusual, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. The average family on Tundra has four kids, two and two raised in proper little baby pods and hatched at nine months. I had a twin brother and two sisters.”

  “Why does the president only have one kid?”

  “Because Samantha Hawk could only have one child. But let’s not get distracted. Here’s what you need to know: James Hawk is the president’s only son. There is an informal expectation that he will take over once his father retires.”

  Alanna’s eyes widened. The fun today just kept on coming. “I see.” She said quietly. “And what makes it informal?”

  “It’s still a democracy, right? Even President Hawk needs to be re-elected every six standard years. He can recommend his son but in the end, James still needs to win the election.”

  “And spending a few nights with me in prison might harm his chances? Really?”

  “No. There is no universe in which spending a few nights in prison with you will harm his chances.” Dev responded flatly.

  “Then why?”

  Dev sighed. “This is happening because our president thinks James might be interested in more than a few nights.”

  “But that’s crazy, right? The president is wrong.”

  “Don’t think so.”

  Alanna’s eyes narrowed. “Dev, he is wrong.”

  “I don’t believe he is. And lying is not going to be a winning strategy for you.”

  They looked at each other in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “This is not good.” Alanna said finally.

  “No.”

  “Do you think the president will unblock my asylum if I do what he asked?”

  Dev frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. “Does that matter?”

  “I think – I think I need to seriously consider option one. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you about your president. I’m sorry you were ever put in this position.”

  “I don’t know if the president will grant you asylum just for saying all the right things. You’re looking at option one as just one more stall, aren’t you? Your orders were to stay alive. So, you tell the president what he wants to hear. You’re known to do that.”

  Alanna flinched. “You’re saying he won’t believe me?”

  “Should he?”

  “Was the video…”

  “You mean the one that starts out ‘I, Lieutenant Alanna Summers’? Was it believable? Hell no. But then that was never the point. That was a good faith effort, check the box exercise. This isn’t. If you’re going to tell President Hawk and the world you’re done with James, you better mean it.”

  Alanna looked down at what remained of the coffee in her cup. This was not going to be a good day. “On Saraya, we have a machine that can scan your brain and…”

  “And detect lies? We have that too.”

  “Right. And do you think it’s likely that…”

  “Do I think it’s likely that Jim Hawk, the President of our planet, has access to such a machine?” Dev asked with a grim smile. “Could be.”

  “You’re hilarious.” Alanna looked back down at the dregs of coffee in her cup. “There’s option two.”

  “Don’t look at me. Not a snowball’s chance in hell. No one here will touch you. They’re gonna have to ship someone in.”

  “Right.” Alanna nodded glumly. Of course they would. The sex was incidental. No one was volunteering to go on video for the sole purpose of pissing off James Hawk, son of the president and possible future president. Maybe they could get one of the Sarayan prisoners to do it.

  “What do you think I should do, Dev?”

  Dev leaned back, trying his best to think through the situation from all sides. Unlike the rest of them, he was no military commander and had no special training. He was stuck working as a prison guard because his twin brother was dead and he was supposed to have a nice, ‘safe’ job. And they were going up against Jim Hawk. They were, as Alanna had succinctly put it, completely, royally screwed. “If you take option one, I think President Hawk finds out you’re lying and you’re basically dead. If you take option two, maybe you live but it’s not likely.”

  “But maybe?”

  Dev shrugged. “Hard to say. President wants to make sure it’s over, right? But even if you sleep with someone else, how will he know for sure it’s over? Might be safer to kill you anyway. Once you’re dead, it’s definitely over.”

  “Why not just kill me now?”

  Dev rubbed the back of his neck. It was a fair question. Why not? “Thing is, he kills you now, and James is really pissed, right? And he is their only child.”

  “You’re saying the only reason I’m alive today is that killing me might make the Hawk family dinners a tad tense around the holidays?”

  “Yeah, I’d say that’s about it.”

  “You know what happens if I say no to everything?”

  “Hard to say.”

  Alanna nodded. “I could venture a guess.”

  Dev winced. “Must you?”

  “Let’s say I’m President Hawk. My mission objective? Devalue Alanna Summers until James loses interest. Is rape enough? Maybe. Might need to be more. Rape and… mutilation?”

  Dev shook his head in disgust. “I’m not saying you’re wrong. I’m just saying… which of these is the most likely to cause tension at those family dinners? He needs you to devalue yourself.”

  Alanna shrugged, ignoring Dev’s obviously relevant question. “Or he can just kill me and be done with it. That’s the reality, Dev. He’s not leaving me here to read books and drink coffee until James returns. If President Hawk is as good as you say, he will have a plan for when I say no to everything.” She frowned. “And if the president orders my execution, all nice and proper, there’s nothing you can do. If he sends someone in the middle of the night, unofficially, and you try to interfere… Dev, me doing nothing puts you in the most danger.”

  “I don’t think you understand how this works. I’m guarding you. You are supposed to follow orders. Make the choice most likely to keep you alive.”

  “Where’s the puppy?” She asked suddenly.

  “You’re changing the subject.”

  “Yes. But really, where’s the puppy?”

  “Phil has him.”

  “Phil’s shift is over, isn’t it?”

  “I asked him to stay. He’s also the second witness to your asylum interview. Alanna” Dev hesitated “Simon’s back too. He’s been reassigned but not yet deployed. He’s come back to help.”

  “Don’t you have some weekend time coming up? You’ve been here every day.”

  “Not relevant.” Dev repeated through clenched teeth. “Follow. Your. Orders.”

  “I need to think about this.”

  “You don’t. That’s the thing about orders. You just follow them. Without thinking.”

  “Dev, I need to think about it.”

  “Fine.” Dev got up and walked out of the cell, slamming the door behind him.

  “Make sure the major doesn’t know anything about Simon!” Alanna called after him.

  “No shit.” Dev called back.

  ---

  Alanna sat in her cell, legs crossed, staring at the door. Waiting. She wanted to believe her stall would work. She wanted to believe she bought them all one more day. James Hawk’s father. The President. She stared at the door. It didn’t take long.

  The footsteps were more rapid than usual. Within moments, Major Ray Miller’s face looked down at her through the barred window of her cell. The more sedate steps of Dev’s standard issue uniform boots followed. Alanna and the major stared at each other.

  “You don’t appear surprised to see me, lieutenant.”

  Alanna just looked at him. She wasn’t feeling particularly talkative.

  “We may as well get started.” The major spoke softly but clearly enough for her to hear every word. “I will not bother to wait for privacy. Under the circumstances.” He glanced briefly in Dev’s direction. “The President has declined your counteroffer. You are being offered one final opportunity to reconsider. What is your decision?”

  Alanna studied the major through the bars. He was too polished to give anything away with his face. It wouldn’t do. She needed to see every twitch, the tiniest movement.

  “Come in, Major.” Alanna said politely as Dev walked up.

  Taking her cue, Dev opened the door and let Major Ray Miller into her cell. He didn’t bother stepping away this time, preferring to remain standing openly, just outside the cell.

  “You’re going to have to sleep sometime, Hodgins.” The major said softly.

  The mask was indeed coming off now, Alanna noted. Major Ray Miller had not bothered to sit down. He was standing stiffly in front of the door, his head partially blocking Dev’s view. It was a somewhat unfortunate position. Standing up, the major’s face was nearly directly underneath the dim light of the cell. The shadows cast by the single light accentuated his every move. Very good, Alanna thought.

  “Your decision, lieutenant. If you don’t provide an answer now, I will assume you are choosing to decline. Our patience is running out.”

  “I want guaranteed asylum in return for option one.” Alanna said flatly, trying to ignore the audible grunt of disgust coming from Dev on the other side of the door.

  “That is a reasonable request, lieutenant. I have brought the recording device, if you are prepared now.”

  And there it was. The slightest twitch of his fingers, the slightest tightening of the muscles around his eyes. Liar, Alanna thought. You are a liar, Major Ray Miller.

  She opened her mouth to respond.

  “Alanna.” Dev’s voice came through the door. “I would like to speak with you. Now. We have… urgent prison business.”

  “Did you just lock the major in the cell?” Alanna hissed as Dev grabbed her arm and dragged her down the hallway.

  “Momentarily.”

  “Are you crazy?”

  “He’s going to kill you. You know he will. I’m going to get the order of execution in my inbox first thing tomorrow. You know this. Don’t do this.”

  “I should have been dead anyway, Dev. It was an unexpectedly fun couple of days, all right? It’s over.”

  “Don’t do this.”

  “I…”

  “Captain Hawk gave you your orders. Do you really think ignoring those orders is the right choice? He’ll have to live with it too. He’s done nothing but protect you.”

  Alanna flinched. James would blame himself. James always blamed himself.

  “Do you get it now?”

  “Yes.” She said quietly. “Yes, I get it.”

  “Go.” Dev spun her around and pushed her back towards her cell. “That’s as much as I’m going to get through to you. Go.”

  Alanna walked back into the cell and sat down across from Major Miller, noting that he had decided to sit and make himself comfortable.

  “No.” She said.

  “No?”

  “No.”

  “That is your final answer?”

  “It is.”

  “May I ask why?”

  Alanna sighed. “I survive by the value I bring to James Hawk. I… I have my orders.”

  “From who?”

  “From James Hawk.”

  “Very well, lieutenant. I will pass on your response.” The major got up and walked out.

  Dev shut the cell door quietly and followed him out.

  “You found it necessary to interfere.” The major noted, his voice deceptively mild.

  “I did.”

  “Was that wise, do you think?”

  “I don’t plan on taking any nuggets of wisdom from you, Ray.”

  “I am acting on orders of the President.”

  “And I’m not disobeying them.”

  “You locked a senior officer in a cell, Hodgins.”

  “You’re not in my chain of command. I’m a civilian.”

  “Captain Hawk is not in your chain of command, either.”

  “That’s a matter of opinion, Major.”

  “I find your enthusiasm in the line of duty… unexpected.”

  “Do you?” Dev asked sharply, scanning his pass and stepping aside for the major to precede him back into the elevator. “Do you know why she was going to agree to option one?”

  “Because she wanted asylum. She thought spreading her legs for James Hawk would get her there, until a better offer came along. Again I say, you surprise me, Hodgins. Even if she’s spreading her legs for you as well, there are other prisoners on the cell block.”

  Dev winced in disgust. “You really can’t think of any other reason, can you Ray?” He stood silently, listening to the whir of machinery as the elevator continued its inexorable trip down.

  The silence stretched on. “What is this mysterious reason, Hodgins?” Major Miller asked finally.

  Dev sighed, unlocking the elevator doors and letting Major Ray Miller out of his prison and out of his life, hopefully forever. “She was trying to protect me, Major. She was trying to protect me.”