Dodger: Continuation (8)

A few men and women gathered around where Dodger was waiting when the gate was opened and a few inmates were released. She had no trouble spotting Yellow-Eyes as the only Argonian. He locked eyes on her immediately and fairly ran to embrace her.

“Dodger! Are you okay!? I’m so sorry! I never…” he asked.

“Runt, don’t you mean?” she interrupted him, laughing. “I’m fine… dad. They lied to you. I was in my own cell and there were only two others there. Plus, they were kind of nice anyway.”

“Really? You’re fine?” he asked as they headed away from the prison.

“Really.”

“Dodger, I’m really happy you’re all right. I imagined the worst.”

“I think that’s what they wanted. But shouldn’t you be calling me ‘Runt’?” she asked.

“Probably, but I’m not acting anymore. I should never have asked you to come inside with me. But you’re right. Let’s get back to the inn,” he said, then hesitated. “No. Let’s go to a restaurant instead. My treat.”

Dodger looked at the big Argonian. She realized that her time with him made her suspicious of his motivation. Did he really care about her, or was it all an act? She realized she really couldn’t tell. In the long run, she could only trust him or not. He’d never lied to her as far as she knew, so she decided she might as well go on trusting him.

“Sounds good… dad,” she said and held his hand.

The day passed slowly, but he didn’t discuss anything about his plans. He told her he would wait for Veronica that night instead and then he’d tell them both what he’d learned. Instead they spent the day walking around the city with Yellow-Eyes pointing out various places of interest, and not just places of interest to tourists. He showed her where merchants tossed out their stale bread that the ‘urban outdoorsmen’ could eat. He showed her cubbies and untenanted buildings where someone ‘on the lam’ could hole up for a few days. And he told her about all the laws that could get you into trouble if you were from a rural area and didn’t know the rules. By the time they returned to their room, her feet were exhausted but her mind was spinning. She spent the next hours making extensive notes in her notebook, which was quickly getting filled up.

It was early evening when the knocks came.

“Alone,” Veronica’s voice said from behind the door, and he opened the door for her. This time she was dressed very differently, and Dodger admitted that she rather missed the outrageous outfit of the previous night. Now she was dressed in a dark but well tailored outfit, her hair tied back and a sword at her side.

Dodger sat on the bed, but very much alert as the two sat at the small table.

“Veronica, it is impossible. I think I’ve got a way in. It’s dangerous, but it offers a way out again. But there’s no way I can deal with the guards. The best time is around 4am. The night watch is getting tired and the morning watch hasn’t come on yet. I expect your assassin is being held in the Solitary wing, but a guard is stationed at the only way into that wing at all times, and he sits facing outward. He doesn’t sleep either. They’re good guards.”

“But, you found a way in and out? Of the Imperial prison?! Through the sewers I bet. That’s what Johan was thinking.”

“No. The sewers are a maze, and the guards know them perfectly well. Anyone trying to escape through the sewers is bound to get lost or mauled by the rats that live there, and the guards would be on him long before he found his way out. Plus there are traps and wards there. That is a suicide’s escape. No, there’s a better way. But it doesn’t matter because we can’t get past the guards.”

Veronica sat back and looked at Yellow-Eyes a long time before sighing deeply and saying, “I can get rid of some of the guards, if you can tell me which ones.”

“You?! How? You don’t go in the field.” Yellow-Eyes asked, incredulous.

“You tell me which I need to get rid of, and I’ll tell you how,” Veronica said, looking sad.

“Only two really. The one at the entrance to the Solitary ward and there’s also an area near the torture room that needs to be cleared. The guard there paces from the torture room to main cells and back.”

“That’s all? Just those two? That seems impossible.”

“That’s all. It will take about 20 minutes, tops. But I won’t tell you how until you need to know. The less people that know, till we’re ready, the better.”

“I’ll need to get out too,” Veronica said, her eyes closed in thought. “I can’t leave the way I come in. But I can get to the torture chamber.”

“You? Veronica, I only planned for one field op and the target to get out.”

“You can’t do two?”

Yellow-Eyes looked directly at Dodger. “Not without help.”

“Her? What can she do?”

Yellow-Eyes ignored the question. “Dodger, after last night, I have no right at all to ask this of you. But if this plan is going to work, and Veronica has a way to get rid of the guards, I can’t do it without you.”

“So you are going in the field too?” Veronica asked him. “I thought you might have to.”

“It’s the only way I know.”

Dodger spoke up then. “I’ll go.”

Yellow-Eyes spoke in a quiet, serious tone, “I guess I don’t have to tell you how dangerous this is, right? This is death-penalty stuff Dodger.”

Dodger looked at Veronica. She didn’t know what Veronica was going to have to do to get rid of those guards, but it was obviously something serious.

“I’m in too deep to turn back now, Yellow-Eyes. I’ll go.”

Yellow-Eyes turned back to Veronica, who looked like she was about to throw up. “Veronica, how will you get rid of the guards?” Yellow-Eyes demanded.

The face that looked up at him was expressionless. “You know what I used to do, before I met you and Johan.”

Yellow-Eyes blurted out, “No!”

“It’s the only way. I know the Captain of the guard. He… likes me.”

“Johan would never let you do that. He may be an arrogant, ambitious asshole, but he loves you.”

Veronica looked at the big Argonian, her face now stern. “He doesn’t need to know.”

“Even if you took him out, how would that get rid of the other guards?”

“I’ll demand we do it in the torture chamber. He’ll dismiss that guard while we’re… busy. And I’ll tell him I get loud and the guard of Solitary is too close. He’ll have to go too.”

“So what will you do about the Captain himself? You can’t kill the Captain of the guard!”

“I’ve got something from an alchemist. Some sort of elixir. Smells terrible but if you pour some on a cloth and hold it over the nose, it renders them unconscious for a little while. It’s quick too.”

Yellow-Eyes thought about that. “Then you don’t have to actually…”

“I do, Kem. He’s not stupid. He wouldn’t take me in there unless he knew I would do it. I need to start a relationship with him beforehand. A week before preferably but we don’t have that much time.”

“And I need a day to find out something. Are you sure he’s worth it Veronica? Johan?”

“No. Not really. But I have no choice Kem. I’m… pregnant. I need to get out of this business. But there’s something else you need to know Kem. Grey is the assassin.”

“Grey? Wait, WHAT? Grey wouldn’t hurt a mouse, let alone kill someone!”

“You don’t know her as well as you think you do, Kem. She is the assassin. You know how stealthy she is. She snuck up behind the target and put a knife to his throat, as planned.”

“No. I don’t believe it. Why would she do that? Even for you and Johan?”

“Johan blackmailed her I think. He knows something about her. I don’t know what, but she agreed to do it.”

“No wonder she put that fail-safe letter in place in case she was caught.”

Veronica nodded.

“And she would have had plenty of opportunity to find out who you and Johan are in ‘real life’,” Yellow-Eyes continued. “Veronica, when this is over, it’s going to be all I can do to keep from killing Johan myself. Turning Grey into an assassin? He’s a cruel, cruel man.”

“Well, if you’re not going to tell me how you’re getting in yet, I guess I’d better get going. I have to go find the Captain.”

“Sorry Veronica. I met him yesterday. He’s not a nice man.”

“Perfect match. I’m not a nice woman,” Veronica said, standing up and crossing to the door. “Thanks again Kem. And you too Dodger. When this is over… well, I’ll make sure you’re both well compensated anyway.”

Yellow-Eyes unlocked the door and she left quietly. Yellow-Eyes stood at the door a long time, lost in thought before turning back to Dodger. “I’m going to be busy tomorrow, Dodger. You can do whatever you like. I’ll leave you some money before I go. Go have a good time.”

Dodger brightened up. She knew just where she was going tomorrow.

“And Dodger… if this should go wrong, please believe me. I’m sorry.”

“It won’t go wrong. Though I’m awfully curious what your plan is.”

“You won’t like it. Grey and Veronica will really not like it. But I can’t do it without you. And, if I know Johan, he’d try some lame plan through the sewers and get Grey and Veronica killed if we don’t,” Yellow-Eyes said, then looked out the opaque window.

The wan light illuminated his face, though whatever he was seeing, it wasn’t anything outside. “At least now I understand her desperation. Pregnant. That’ll change a woman.”

Dodger: Continuation (7)

Author’s note: There WILL be an image with this one, but it’s going to be a day or two. Now that I’ve got my offspring/artist roped into doing them, I have to wait for her though, esp. when ~~stealing~~ borrowing one of Kazerad’s just doesn’t work. It came down to, ‘should I post it without, or wait for it?’ I went with posting without as it lets me move onto the next post.

The guard that took them inside was the big, silent type. He walked them to an office within the gates where a rotund man in an official uniform sat. The guard and the official spoke for a moment before they turned back and the guard took up a position at the door.

“I am the captain of the guard here in the Imperial prison. I understand you stole some fruit this morning Missy.”

Dodger nodded, seemingly chagrined.

“And you’re her father, right?” he said, turning to Yellow-Eyes.

“I am, much as it pains me to admit it,” he said.

“And I understand you want me to hold your child here for a night, to teach her a lesson. Is that right?”

Dodger looked at her father, her eyes expressing anger. “You told them to keep me here?!”

Yellow-Eyes ignored her. “That’s right. She’s always been a…”

“Sir. Shut up. Do you think we’re some sort of child care service? We are the IMPERIAL PRISON. Do you have any idea what type of people we keep in here?”

Now it was Yellow-Eyes’ turn to be chagrined. “I’d thought maybe we could share a cell or something.”

“We are not running a hotel here! I should keep you in for a week with the general populace. And I would, if I thought you’d survive it. Well, it just so happens we do have a wing for juvenile delinquents. That is where your daughter will spend the night. You, on the other hand, will be given your own private cell, where you can contemplate just what an idiotic idea this was, and think about what you have subjected your child to. With luck, she may not be bruised too badly. Being an Argonian, she might not even leave here pregnant. I only promise that she’ll come out alive.”

“Wait! Sir!” Yellow-Eyes said, his eyes grown large and alarmed. Dodger thought the look might actually be sincere.

“Captain.” he said, looking back to some papers on his desk.

“Captain, I didn’t realize… Don’t do this. She’s not that bad. I just thought…”

The captain spun back around and stood up, fists on the desk, “No, you didn’t think. You didn’t think at all. What you need is a good understanding of just what this prison is. Guard, take this child away. I’m going to show her father just how wrong he was! Send Beric in here. We’re going to have a little tour!”

“But. Wait! Keep me, but let her go. Don’t let my stupidity…”

But the guard was already leading her out of the office. The guard kept her tightly held and spoke briefly to another guard just outside who went into the Captain’s office behind them. Real fear came over her then. She was now truly alone without her trusted friend, misguided though that may be. Her knees buckled and she let out a sincere cry.

“Hush girl. I’m taking you to a private cell, don’t worry. He’s just scaring your dad.”

“Honest?” she said, looking up at the guard with tears in her eyes.

“Honest. It’s not just you who is going to leave here with respect for the Law, but you’ll be fine.” the guard said as he unlocked and opened a heavy door to a hallway. Open, barred cells lined the walls on both sides with locked doors facing the central hall.

He stopped at a cell and opened the door. She stood looking within. It was open to other cells on both sides, save the iron bars between them. Only a chair and a bare bed lay within with a deep bowl at the back that she assumed was the concession to biological needs for the inmates.

“Go on,” the guard said. He actually looked rather sad, she was surprised to see. “I’ll be back in the morning to let you out.”

Then he turned to the two cells to either side. “You two leave her be. If I find out you bothered her in the slightest, you will regret it.”

“Yessir!” someone said.

And then the door closed and she was alone, an inmate of the most secure prison in all of Cyrodiil. She sat on the bed and thought. She had only the word of a guard that she would ever be released. No one knew she was here but Yellow-Eyes, and he was a prisoner here too now. She could die in here and no one would mourn her. Her mother would wonder what happened to her, but no one would come looking. Still, the guard seemed kind of nice actually.

“What did you do?” asked a thin voice from her right.

She looked at the source. It was a human boy, about her age and rather scrawny. His matted mop of black hair nearly covered his eyes. At least he didn’t look dangerous.

“Stole some fruit.”

“Is that why you smell like oranges?” said a feline voice on the other side.

A yellow Khajiit sat there, looking at her and combing the fur around her neck with her paws.

“I sat on them when they caught me,” she admitted with a sheepish grin.

“Sat on ‘em! That’s great.” said the boy. “I’m in for killing a guy myself. Kitty over there is in for stealing some rich guy’s silverware.”

“Khajiit did nothing wrong!” came the raspy voice, in imitation of the stereotypical Khajiit response.

Dodger laughed. “What’s your name?” she asked the boy.

“We don’t give real names here. But you can call me Donny. That’s Kitty. At least, that’s what I call her. She won’t give me a name.”

“I like ‘Kitty’,” the Khajit stated as if in explanation.

“Is anyone else in here?”

“Nope. Just the two of us. Three now. I’m supposed to get out day after tomorrow. We’re not sure about Kitty.”

“Day after tomorrow? For murder?” Quill asked, suddenly puzzled.

“Well, okay. I didn’t really kill anybody. It just sounds cool. I don’t like to talk about it. It’s embarrassing. But hey! I’ve never met an Argonian before. Seen ’em before of course, but I never talked to one. Are you from the Marsh?”

Dodger nodded.

“What’s your name?” the boy asked, laying back down on his own bunk.

“Just call me Runt.”

“Well, welcome to our home, Runt,” the Khajiit said sarcastically. “Let us know if we can get you anything.”

“A little privacy would be nice. I need to get this orange crap off my butt.”

“No such thing as privacy here. But go ahead. You’re going to have to use that bowl eventually anyway. I won’t look.”

Unexpectedly, considering the lack of consequences if he lied, the boy was true to his word. The cat, however, watched her every move but never stopping her combing.

Once she’d gotten all the orange stuff out of her pants and got dressed again, she thanked the boy for not looking.

“Mutual respect, the last girl here called it,” he said. “She didn’t look at me, I didn’t look at her. It’s really not so bad, as long as you don’t get one of the bad ones. Kitty’s not bad though. But she looks.”

“Never said I wouldn’t,” Kitty smiled back with an arched eyebrow.

“How long are you in for?” Dodger asked the Khajiit.

She shrugged, and scratched her chin. “Who knows? They got all the silver back anyway. I’ve been here almost a week now. I’m hoping they’ll let me out tomorrow.”

“I’m supposed to be out tomorrow too. Maybe we’ll get out together?”

“Hope so,” the Khajiit said.

“Aw. Then I’d be all alone!” Donny said.

Dodger giggled, “Solitary confinement. A suitable punishment for a heinous murderer.”

“I ate his liver,” Donny laughed.

“With some fava beans,” Kitty joined in.

All in all, Dodger thought when she finally went to sleep that night, it wasn’t so bad. She kinda liked these two delinquents. When the next day came and the guard unlocked her door, she was happy to see him unlock Kitty’s door too.

“See you later, Runt… Kitty.” Donny called. Dodger thought she might have detected a little sob in his voice.

Kitty stopped for a minute and looked at the guard, who let her go. She went back to Donny’s cell and took his hands. “If you want, I can meet you tomorrow when you get out.”

“You’d do that Kitty? You’d wait for me?”

“I will. You don’t have any parents, do you?”

“No. Not really.”

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

Dodger felt herself feeling bad. Of course, she hadn’t spent as much time together as they had. But still… “Me too Donny. If I can.”

“Well thanks, bitches. I’ll see you tomorrow! My own little harem.” Donny said with mock bravado.

“Watch it buddy. I’m a cat, not a dog! See you later, Donny.” Kitty said, and she returned to the guard and Dodger as they walked out together.

She didn’t see the Captain again, but the guard who walked them out into the morning sunlight told Dodger to wait till noon when they release the adult prisoners.

Kitty gave Dodger a hug, promising she’d be back tomorrow morning if Dodger wanted to come back to see her and Donny. Once again, Dodger promised to try but she couldn’t be sure what she would be doing tomorrow. Then she watched the Khajiit head back into the city.

Through the most unlikely of circumstances, she realized, she may have just made some friends. In prison. It came to her that the camaraderie of the criminal class might be more understandable than she’d first assumed. She returned to retrieve her pack where she had hidden it the day before and began scribbling some notes while she walked back to the prison to await Yellow-Eyes.