Empire of Light

There were certain parallels here with the Uchidan settlements, of course; underground tu

When he felt ready, Ty activated the suite's comms system, but soon found it had been crippled: getting a message of any kind out was impossible. He tried to access local news services, but all were blocked except for one dedicated to the ongoing war with the Uchidan Territories.

He got dressed and again went out into the corridor, finding Hibbert back in his seat by the elevator.

'My comms unit doesn't work,' Ty explained. 'I can't send any messages. How the hell am I supposed to call anyone while I'm stuck in here?'

'It's a security issue, sir, and it might take a couple of weeks to clear up. I'm afraid you're going to have to-'

'A couple of weeks?' Ty yelled, stepping up close to the other man. 'Weil said a couple of days.'

Hibbert stood, towering over him. 'Please, Mr Driscoll. You're going to have to return to your r-'

Ty stepped past Hibbert and towards the elevator. Hibbert swiftly pressed something against his side, and the next thing Ty knew he was lying curled up on the floor, spasms of pain racking his entire body. He was distantly aware of Hibbert grabbing him by both feet and dragging him back into the suite. Weil delivered Ty's breakfast the next morning, and also his lunch and di

The next day passed in much the same way, and the day after also. Ty found that, if he leaned against the window and peered straight down, he could see part of the ramp leading into the basement garage, almost directly beneath. He watched as unma

Slouching in the armchair, he had been drinking his morning coffee, the window half-opaqued. It was his fifth day in captivity, and the remains of his breakfast lay on the table, waiting to be picked up by Hibbert.

He stared unbelievingly at the comms unit. A message? Did Lamoureaux and Willis know he was here? Were they trying to get him out?

The door opened suddenly and he jumped up, suddenly full of nervous energy. Hibbert gave him a wary look before approaching the table. He had clearly not noticed the glowing message icon floating above the comms unit's imaging plate.

Ty moved quickly to one side, so that Hibbert's view of the comms unit would remain blocked as he reached down to pick up the tray.

Hibbert instantly froze and stared at Ty with eyes full of the threat of incipient violence.

'Nice morning,' Ty blurted.

Hibbert's gaze turned contemptuous. 'Sir,' he merely replied, then picked up the tray and left the room.

Ty sagged slightly as Hibbert closed the door behind him, then he turned to the comms unit and opened the message.

It was, he found, a list of instructions encoded in simple text. The message itself read like something out of some hoary old spy 'viro. This message will delete itself within 300 seconds of being opened. When you are ready to leave the Senate residency, stand at the window of your suite, facing outwards, and wave your left hand. The response will come within no more than a half hour of your performing this action. Please be prepared to move quickly. Ty stared back out over the city, aware he was standing in plain view of an entire metropolis. Anyone could be watching from any one of thousands of windows. He thought about waving his hand immediately, but something made him hesitate.

Surely, he thought, if Lamoureaux or Willis were behind the message, they would have identified themselves in some way? How could he be sure the message wasn't some kind of trap – that if he did stand there and wave his hand, some assassin armed with a rifle, and in league with Weil, would not endeavour to take him out with a long-range shot?

He felt trapped by his own indecision.

When he finally turned back to the message, hovering like a mirage within the dark shallow bowl of the unit's viewing area, it was just in time to see it vanish of its own accord. Later that night, Ty opened his eyes to find the keen edge of a blade held close to his throat. A moment later a hand clamped over his mouth.

'Not a fucking sound,' said Weil, leaning over him. 'Do you hear me? So much as a squeak, and I'll skin you alive before I cut your throat.'

Ty nodded, dizzyingly aware of the blade pressed against his flesh. He hadn't even been sleeping, just resting with his eyes closed on the bed. Weil had entered the room and pushed the knife against his throat without making a sound.

'I know who you are,' Weil hissed. 'I knew the second I set eyes on you. I was part of the detail sent to receive you from the Territories, but you got away before we could pick you up.'

Ty panted, his breath whistling sporadically through his nostrils. His bladder felt on the verge of unleashing a tide of urine.

'I lost a brother because of what you did, you and the rest of those Uchidan god-fuckers. He wasn't even a soldier, just a teacher – a whole school bombed out of existence. We never even had a body to bury. Because of you.'

Ty could feel the moist warmth of the man's breath on his face. 'I don't know how long they're going to keep you here,' Weil continued, 'but it makes me sick to have to wait on you. Part of me wants to kill you right now,' he added, the knife moving infinitesimally closer to Ty's jugular, the pressure of its blade like a line of fire against his skin. 'Do you understand what I'm saying?'

Ty realized the other man was waiting for an answer, and he nodded under the palm of Weil's hand.

'I warned my superiors. I told them who you were, but they refused to let me execute you. All because of something on that frigate.' Weil leaned in a little closer. 'Fuck that. The instant I think you're going to walk out of here, I'll be back. Me and my friend here,' he added, twitching the knife a little. 'Are you scared? Because you'd better be fucking scared, Whitecloud. I'm not finished with you yet.'

Suddenly the pressure was gone and Ty sat up abruptly, hyperventilating, grabbing at his throat even as Weil lurched out of the door and slammed it shut.

Ty stumbled off the bed and over to the armchair, pulling himself into a tight ball and moaning with terror.

Gradually his eyes fixed on the darkened city beyond the window. He had been a fool to hesitate for so long; anything was better than staying here a second longer than necessary.

He leaned against the glass with his right hand, and peered down, just able to see the ramp directly below him. Even if he could break through the glass, even if he had a breather mask handy, he would be dead as soon as he hit the ground.

Instead he lifted his left hand straight up, sweeping it in an arc several times from left to right.

Would they be watching even now, in the middle of the night? Perhaps not.

But if they were, there was only one way to be sure. A short while later – he estimated no more than twenty minutes had passed – Ty watched a set of headlights approaching the residency up a long street before driving down the airlock ramp. On closer inspection, it proved to be nothing more than a standard unma