Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The games continued that evening with a series of in-arena competitions. These were not elimination events, but rather a carefully staged opportunity for gamblers to further observe the competitors and see what they were capable of. Where the initial race had been herd-thinning in its intention, tossing everyone into the mix without warning or preparation, this was different, and the teams operated at a much lower level of engagement, performing their tasks but also saving their energy for the "real" events to come.

The turn-out was always massive, with all the remaining teams showing their abilities in feats of speed, strength, and agility without the pressures of an all-at-once scenario. These were spread out across the arena with several taking place at the same time, almost like a track-and-field meet back on Earth.

The five families were there as well, presiding over the whole event, putting on a feast for themselves, as well as entertainment for the commoners. This was the place to be, and just about everyone in the city found their way into the festivities, which was saying a lot, seeing how many had traveled from far and wide for the games. It was a massive party, and the revelers were having the times of their lives.

Everyone, but one, that is.

Zepharos had spent the afternoon studying the lay of the land, observing guard shifts and rotations, as well as the security protocols at various entry and exit points around the competitors' housing and training areas. He scoped out the teams at a distance from the observation platforms, watching the human called Ziana and her partner. The man called Dorrin was a familiar face. Zepharos had bet on him in the past. A strong man with a sharp mind, as well as a fierce competitor.

Zepharos had been to many games over the years, ever since he was a youngster, and he knew that a talented partner could elevate even the most average competitor's game. He just hoped that would be the case in this instance.

"She's in good hands," he muttered to himself when he finally took his leave of the observation area. "As good as she can hope for. And she's still in the mix. But the other one…"

Zepharos walked with complete ease, smiling and greeting people with the endless cheer he was known for back home as he made his way through the crowds, casually moving closer to the restricted areas. The places he was not supposed to go, not that any such restrictions had ever stopped him in the past. But those instances were of another nature entirely. This time he had something quite different in mind.

He'd found it was pretty much the same wherever he visited when he left the sleepy little village he called home. Act as though you belong, even if you don't, treat people kindly, and in a manner that did not make it look like you were trying to hide something, and if you managed to do those simple things you could pretty much go anywhere. At least, within reason. And for those places that required a little more finesse? Well, he was quite skilled at gaining access to those as well.

Accessing the losers' cell area was actually easier than he anticipated. With the festivities going on, as well as it being just the first day of the games, they were pretty much empty, and designating a lot of guards to keep an eye on just a single prisoner was decided to be of a waste of resources. That, and everyone wanted to go to the celebration. Once there were more people being held they would need to take things seriously. For now? A little slack was fine. After all, what could possibly happen?

Zepharos was about to show them.

He descended the staircase to the level the holding area was located on. The facility was underneath a food preparation building, and a lot of supplies were stored beneath it in other warehouse spaces. While prisoners were restricted access, those foodstuffs were quite simple to reach. And once there, making his way to the cells was child's play.

If he was already in the area, he had to have permission to be there, after all. At least, that was the assumption any guards would make, not realizing he'd bypassed their more robust entry barriers in favor of the weak point they'd overlooked. No one had ever tried to break into the cells. Why would they? The whole idea was utterly preposterous, so there wasn't even an inkling of worry about such a thing. And he was going to take full advantage of that.

With the guards reduced to a bare-bones staff, Zepharos made his way into the actual cell area easily. Halls might be patrolled, but the cells were locked and required no such measures.

"Hey," he said quietly as he approached the human in her cage. " Hey ."

"Go away," Maria groaned from her bunk, not even rolling over to see who had spoken.

Her reaction was that of a defeated woman. Someone who had faced untold horrors on her way to this latest indignity. Raxxians he knew about, but what else had she been forced to endure? Thinking to the other human women he knew, Zepharos felt a twinge of pained empathy for her plight. It was no longer an abstract with some stranger, but rather something far more personal.

I guess I'm really doing this.

He looked around one more time, making sure there were no camera or alarm systems he'd missed. So far as he could tell it was all clear, the cocky bastards. But there was only one way to find out. He walked right up to her cell door.

"I'm here to get you out of there."

"Sure, buddy. Go on, pull the other one."

"Ah, the leg joke. Yes, I've heard it. But, as your kind say, ‘I shit you not.' I'm here to rescue you, but you'll have to come with me right now. This is the best chance we've got."

Maria actually reacted, he was delighted to note, rolling over and sitting up, eyeing the pale-green-skinned man with a cautious look. "What do you mean, my kind ?"

"You are from a place called Earth. Taken by Raxxians and held as livestock before their transport ship crashed on this world. That would have been quite some time ago, of course, and it does make me wonder what sort of adventure landed you so far from that site."

Maria's eyes widened. That she was a human from Earth was common knowledge now, but she hadn't spoken about her time with the Raxxians. Not since she'd been unceremoniously tossed in the transport container so many weeks ago. Somehow, this man knew things. And he said he was there to help. Maybe he really was, but she still had doubts.

"You're a stranger. Why should I trust you?" she finally asked, rising to her feet but not approaching the bars.

"Because I know others from your world. Earth women who arrived here much as you did, though they are quite free, unlike you. A problem I would rectify at once, if you will accept my assistance."

He stopped, standing silently as he waited for her reply. No matter his sense of urgency, this was not the time to press. Maria would have to make the decision in her own time and of her own accord and there was simply no other way about it. He could, however, look for the release mechanism while she thought it over.

His people were not known for their use of technology. In fact, on this world, they were one of the few rural tribes that more or less eschewed it. But that didn't mean they didn't know how to use it, and Zepharos was quite the anomaly among his people, traveling far and often, visiting other cities and races with great delight for weeks or months at a time before returning home.

As a result, he was actually quite comfortable with many varieties of technology, and the locking system utilized in this holding area was very similar to those he had experience with. He should be able to open the cell door with no problem. This wasn't a high-security prison, after all. It was just a holding area for all intents and purposes.

He tested his theory on the cell adjacent to Maria's the door clicking and swinging open silently as he keyed in the command.

"Well, nice to see that works," he commented to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Just an observation," he replied, then said nothing more.

Maria seemed a little discombobulated by his unexpected silence. "That's it?"

"That's what?"

"You're not going to try to talk me into coming with you?"

"I see no point in it. And I do understand your hesitance. You do not know me, true, and you have clearly been through a lot. It is no easy decision to make, and ultimately it is precisely that. Your decision. Either you wish to take your chances with me and flee this place, knowing we will be pursued without a doubt. Or you remain here to serve out your best years as a glorified house slave. But while I will not pressure you, I would remind you that time is limited. If you are to join me, we will need to leave sooner than later. The festivities provide a nice distraction, but it will only last for so long."

Maria paced back and forth, eyeing the oddly calm man standing outside her cell. He was proposing flight, becoming a fugitive, and yet he was unworried about the ramifications. It was odd. Odd, but for some strange reason she felt she could trust him. Something in his bright amber eyes that showed a depth of character hidden beneath his casually smiling fa?ade.

"Okay," she finally said. "But they'll notice I'm gone."

"Already on it," he replied, keying open her cell then opening a storage cabinet and removing another few blankets and a pillow. He stepped into her cell and quickly began tucking them under her blanket into the shape of a sleeping person. It wasn't perfect by a long shot, but unless they came in to check on her, it could very well work.

"You think that'll actually work?"

"Not for long, but we'll be far from here by the time they notice you haven't moved or eaten anything. I'd estimate we have until mid-morning if not afternoon before they come after us. But we'll have to run, and hard at that. Are you up to it?"

"Wait, you don't have a ship?"

He chuckled. "The one time I might regret my people's avoidance of technology. But even if that wasn't the case, any craft leaving between now and then will become part of a tracking protocol. One that actually helps us."

"How is being on foot going to help us?"

"Because it is something they would absolutely not expect. And while they are chasing down every last ship that you might have absconded on, we will be putting a lot of distance between us and this place. They all rely on technology so much that the very idea of escaping on foot won't cross their minds for days. And by then, if we are lucky, we'll be able to secure a ride from a location far from here. One that will not fall under their scrutiny. But, as I said, we will have to run."

"Oh, I can run. But what about Ziana?"

"Ah, the other human."

"My friend ."

He caught the urgency of her tone and understood, but circumstances were not on their side. Not for that.

"She is unreachable for now," he said, shaking his head apologetically. "And even if we could get to her, removing the cuffs binding her and her partner are beyond my skills."

"But we can't just leave her here."

"I've seen her teammate compete before, and believe me when I say he is quite formidable. Your friend is in the best hands she could hope for. We can work on getting her freedom later. But none of that will matter if you do not first make your escape. Are you ready to do this?"

Maria rolled her shoulders and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the exertion she was about to begin. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Good," he said, offering her his hand. "Then come with me if you want to live free."