"You’re chaining me to the head?"

  "Sorry," CP says. "This is our most secure building. So. Nothing I can do." At least the tether is long. He spies me looking at it. "I gave you enough room to move around and–"

  "And what?"

  "Well, you know. You look like shit."

  "Gee, thanks for the compliment." He shrugs and closes the door and I’m alone again.

  I’m afraid to look in the mirror, so I use the facilities to prolong the agony, but that doesn’t make the sight of my reflection any less shocking.

  "Oh, my sweet Jeremiah!"

  That face cannot belong to me. I have a giant gash that runs from my scalp and down to my right ear that has leaked blood all over one side of my hair, plastering it into a half helmet-like configuration.

  Since I’m a prisoner locked in a bathroom I take advantage of what I have and fill the entire reserve water tank with the hand pump and gulp down long drinks of water. Then I stick my head into the basin and rinse as much of the blood out as I can.

  When I’m done I look around and soak it all up, one square inch at a time.

  And I smile.

  The handle of the latrine isn’t locked and opens when I push it down. I expect CP, but I get another guy. Bigger. Meaner. He’s looking out a small window in the door and speaks before turning around. "Who’s sweet Jeremiah?" he asks.

  "What?"

  "You called his name, in there. A while back." He turns, waiting for my answer.

  "It’s no one. It’s how RR people who prefer not to swear say holy shit or something to that effect. Hey, uh," I begin, trying out a smile on him, "I’d like to change into one of these clean jumpsuits hanging in here. Will you please remove the tether so I can slip my arm through the sleeve?" He shrugs and walks over towards me.

  I ease back into the bathroom and grab the jumpsuit as he follows me in.

  "Just so you know, I can’t leave you in here untethered. So you’re gonna have to change in front of me."

  "Whatever." I slip out of my thermals then step into the jumpsuit and pull it up to my waist. "I’m pretty sure you’ve seen everything I’ve got. If you want to gape at me, go right ahead."

  To my surprise he turns his head away.

  "Honey, I’m damn sure I’ve never seen a naked avian before."

  He says it like it’s nothing. I stare at him hard, then shake my head. "You care to elaborate on that statement?"

  He stares back. "Which part? The part about what kind of girls I’ve seen naked? Or the part where I break the news that you’re a freak?"

  "Is that a joke?"

  "Do I look like I’m joking?"

  He doesn’t.

  He’s a big guy, not just in height, but also in muscle and weight. Easily a hundred and thirty pounds heavier than me. I play my card and strip off my dress, letting it hang off the tether, and stand there naked in front of him.

  "There you go, take a good look." I even lift my hands up in the air and twirl around so he can see my back. "Not a wing in sight. Satisfied?"

  He looks, long and hard even, but I can tell his only interest is in my nonexistent wings. "Put your damn clothes on, Junco."

  "Oh, have we met before–?"

  He grunts. "Cole."

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  "Cole. I don’t recall your face. Are you an RR deserter as well?"

  "You gonna change or what?"

  "I’m ready to go. Just waiting on you." I shake the dress that’s hanging off my tethered arm and smile. I’m not really the seductive type, so whether or not this even interests him is over my head. But I only need him to underestimate me, not be interested. This would never work on RR soldiers. They all know me and an RR guard would never even get this close to me, let alone fall for this bullshit I’m trying to pull right now.

  But this guy? He looks a little dumb and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about being small, it’s that big guys like this don’t even want to think about the possibility that I might kick their ass.

  I watch as he bends down and my world slows down. In between these fractions my eyes dart around looking–

  His thumb moves closer and closer to the release pad.

  – for the long plumber’s wrench propped up against water reservoir. I track his thumb and the second he releases the tether I grab the wrench and swing.

  I laugh a little as he goes down, then reach over and use his thumb to release the other bracelet, slip my clothes back on, and slide the jumpsuit over them. I roll up the pants and poke my head through the bathroom door to see if anyone is outside.

  Clear.

  I twirl my hair up on top of my head and grab his cap, then rush over to the motor pool door. The window he was looking through wasn’t built for short girls so I just open the door and walk through.

  Into utter chaos.

  I slide into the fray and walk like I’ve got somewhere to go as people rush around shouting orders, receiving orders, and generally doing everything soldiers do when something’s up. I pick up a stray gas can as I walk and weigh my possibilities. I’m typically a quick decision maker but my pant legs are coming uncuffed, fucking up my concentration.

  A thick bank of shrubs provides cover as I slip out my knife and begin hacking away at the length of extra fabric draping down my leg. I’m just about done when I spy CP walking with an RR officer.

  That little traitor. Aren wasn’t lying. They are here under RR orders. I briefly consider how uncomfortable I’d be if I had a joint mission with the army I walked out on and shiver a little.

  CP turns to respond to something and I see that the RR officer has a gun to his head. He pushes CP forward and yells so loud I can pick out the words. "You tell your boss that he doesn’t get the prize, and there better not be a damn thing wrong with her, soldier, or I’ll have your brains splashed across this whole goddamn hillside."

  Huh.

  Nice to know at least someone cares.

  I wait until they enter the motor pool and walk back out in the activity. I’ve got about ten seconds before they find Cole and sound an alarm so I dash into the trees and book it towards the river.

  My ten seconds are absolutely up when it hits me. There is no ravine, no small trickle of a stream, and no Goat. I am on the wrong side of the road.

  Shit.

  There are only two choices, keep going out in the Stag alone with just my boot knife, or go back for the gun and make a run for it from there.

  Off in the distance I hear the howling and make up my mind. I’d rather be caught and crucified than running in the tallgrass at night with no gun.

  I walk down the hill until the activity breaks off, then make my way across the road, over to the stream, and begin the walk back up.

  The little bit of chrome that’s left on the bumper of my Goat twinkles at me like a Christmas star and I feel a sense of relief.

  Until the screaming starts.

  The first scream isn’t even remotely human but I know exactly what’s making it. The ones that follow are, and I can hear the savage pain he is inflicting on them. My stomach clenches for a moment and I almost pee my pants. I stand there for a little longer, indecisive, my eyes searching the trees and the black sky, then climb in the Goat and reach for the rifle.

  My hand slips in under the back seat and comes back empty.

  I just stare at my open palm, a little dumbfounded.

  "Looking for this?" says the snarling voice in the darkness on the other side of the open front door. I push myself up and peer out. Cole has a look of death on his face as he holds up my rifle. Another blood-curdling scream erupts just off to the left of where we are and a plasma bolt lights up the air a fraction before the crackle of discharge catches up with it. The flash dances across Cole’s face and his expression says he’s not fucking around.

  "Cole, look, I’m sor–"

  He lunges into the back seat and I scramble away towards the passenger door. He forces his body over the middle console and begins to pull me back by my legs. I kick and scream. "Stop it!" One foot lands squarely on his head and he is still for a moment. I reach over and open the door and tumble out on the ground head-first. He flings himself after me through the cab faster than I could ever imagine a guy that size moving, landing on top of me.

  "You bitch! I will fucking kill you!" Cole’s fist is raised high, ready to plunge down onto my face, when the talons appear out of nowhere.

  I scream as the head is snatched from the body. He falls forward and the hot sticky blood shoots out from his decapitated neck and drenches everything around me. I scramble backwards, push him off, get to my feet, and turn to run when the avian appears.

  "Get away from me, goddammit!" I run the other direction but he takes flight. I look back at the bear-sized claws reaching down to grab me when a plasma bolt hits him in the chest. He screams so loud I have to stop and hold my ears to dampen down the pain, and then I hear the distant beat of wings as he retreats.

  "Come on, Junco, we gotta get the hell out of here! That won’t stop him for long." Aren grabs me by my arm and throws me in the passenger side of a buggy face-first. I scramble to upright myself for a few seconds, then watch him shout orders to CP as he jumps in. We speed off up the ditch, out onto the road, and then head down deeper into the Stag.

  Alone.

  In an open-topped buggy.

  And the nightdogs howl a hungry welcome up to the sky.