Chapter 51

For a long moment, Saw amused himself with the vain attempts of Amnon and the strange woman to find a way out of the chamber.

“It’s like watching bugs get out of a jar,” he chuckled to himself.

The head of security standing next to him cleared his throat. “So, all is well then?”

Saw turned to the guard as if he’d forgotten he wasn’t alone.  “Hm?”

“The alarm is off.  What should I tell my men?”

“Tell them whatever you like.  The trap has been sprung, our enemies are falling left and right.  By this time tomorrow, the princess will be dead, and all will be right with the realm.”

The head of security furrowed his brow, still unclear what the night’s events were all about.  “Yes, sir,” he bowed as he turned to leave the monitor room.  His body was almost out of hearing range when he heard Saw’s voice ask.  “Remind me which one of these is Lillian’s cell.”  The guard turned back around and pointed at the wall of screens.  “Yes, sir.  The princess is in cell 2187.”  He scanned the wall and reached the unfortunate vision moments before Saw Yatha.

“Where is she?” Saw asked as if he’d been punched in the gut.  The monitor labeled 2187 was empty.  More than empty, it was tidy, as if no one had ever been in it.  No trace of anything.  Saw placed his hand on the glowing screen.  Then he leaned in very close to see if maybe she’d transformed back into her pearl shape.  Seeing nothing, he turned to the guard and asked again with more malice, “Where is she?”

The bug-eyed guard had no answer.  “I don’t know.  I was with you.  We were trying to…”

Saw cut him off.  “Go back.  Find the record.  Show me when she vanished.”

“Yes, sir,” the guard bowed, sweating.

“NOW!”

The head of security bolted from the room.  An instant later, he returned with a confused underling.  

“What do you want?” the underling asked.

“Show the record of cell 2187,” the guard barked.

The underling manipulated the controls for a few seconds. At first, the screen showed nothing but an empty cell. Then, there was a brief flurry of activity, and Lillian reclining on her bench.

“Stop!” Saw held up his hand.  “Play it forward,”

For a few moments, Lillian was seen biding her time.  Her attention was suddenly drawn upward and all eyes scanned where she looked.  Then a hatch door became visible, followed by dangling legs, and a man landing in the cell on his feet.

“Who is that?” the head of security asked.

The underlying reflexively enlarged the picture.  Then it happened; the stranger turned so that his face was in full view.  I saw Yatha bring his fist down on the control desk.

“Wo is that?” the head of security repeated.

“How did he get here?  There’s no way.  She must have done something.  She must have…” Saw trailed off as his gaze drifted back to the torture chamber.  The woman.  Who was that woman?  “I want to see this woman’s face.” Saw ordered the underling.  Soon, the view of the monitor brought Katherine Gold’s face into focus.

“I knew she looked familiar.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” the head of security dared, “what is going on?”

Then, with a series of jabbing gestures at the screen, Saw made an explanation of his new reality.  “She is married to him.  They are from another dimension.  There is no way they made it here without the Princess’ help.  Lillian must have gotten into Amnon’s head, and he figured out how to get them here.”  Saw stopped gesturing.  “But why?  Why would Lillian want Evan Gold to be involved in this?”

Saw turned his attention back to Lillian’s monitor just as she and Evan made their way up through the hatch door, leaving the cell as tidy as it had been on the first day.

“How long ago was this?” Saw demanded.

“Just before the alarms started.”

Saw glared at the head of security.  “Sound the alarms.  The Princess is escaping.  Check all of the ducts.  Check all of the exits.  If she misses her execution, you will take her place.”

“Yes, sir,” the head of security snapped to attention and left.  Moments later, a new alarm sequence started, accompanied by instructions: “This is not a drill.  A prisoner has escaped.  Repeat.  This is not a drill.  A prisoner has escaped.  Princess Lillian of Coellum has escaped.  She has an accomplice.  You should assume they are very dangerous.  Find anyone who looks suspicious and bring them directly to the head of security.  We cannot rest until this prisoner is found.”

Everything Saw had achieved over the past several days was starting to come apart.  If he didn’t locate Lillian and execute her, all eyes would start searching for Zungher Dol.  Dol would be discovered dead with the assistant, and Saw would have to be more than clever to stay ahead of the public backlash.  His life was over unless the execution happened as planned.

But what were Evan Gold and his wife doing here?  He admired the earthing’s pluck, but what would a pair of weak and ignorant people like them do to help whatever plan Lillian had in the works?  She must have a trick up her sleeve.  But even with all he knew about the princess, this part was hidden from him.

Now, Saw found himself alone in the monitor room.  His eyes scanned the other monitors to see if all the other cells were missing people.  As far has he knew, all looked fine.  Saw jumped his attention to the torture chamber.

Amnon Saxe.  Saw seethed.  All this time, Amnon Saxe had been undercutting Saw’s plans.  The animosity he had nurtured toward his unjust replacement bloomed into rage.  Saw would make Amon’s last moments alive excruciating.  And, Saw formed a wicked grin, if Gold’s wife died in the process, all the better.

Scanning the control panel below the chamber’s monitor, Saw found the dial to increase the simulation’s speed.  The desert heat would drive them out of their minds.  The heat would force them to turn on each other.  The heat would turn them into ravenous predators.  

But if they lasted long enough, the simulation would bring on the desert night with all the sounds of hungry animals and plummeting temperatures. In the dark, the simulation would become more realistic.  Soon, they would give up their search to find pressure points and give in to the illusion. Soon, they would give up hope of living and die in despair.  

He only wished he could stick around to watch, but there would be the record.  He could watch that to comfort himself once events around him calmed down, as they inevitably would.  It would just be a matter of time.  He would have to satisfy himself with that.  Until then, he had his hands full managing the manhunt and keeping attention off the burning office complex.

Saw exited the control room.  He wanted to be in three places at once.  All of this had happened because he had not the power to force people to see the world as he did.  Merlain was in serious trouble, and the fools he had to work with would need every ounce of his attention.  He stormed out of the monitor room and found the head of security.

“I want constant updates,” he said.

“Where are you going?” the guard asked, his voice pinched with adrenaline.

“To lead the charge.  To save Merlain.  To do what only I can do.”  Saw stormed out of the center and sped off in his transport, starting his own search for the wayward Princess and her accomplice.  Somewhere in his gut, he guessed Lillian and Evan were out in the wilderness.  He was going to find them.  Saw would force the people of Merlain to recognize him as the next and better Chieftan.