The Iron Skeleton

Chapter 35

Ace brushed dirt off his hands and sprinted inside with a puzzled frown. He'd been hard at work, fastening iron beams into the ground with Aaron and Baird's assistance, and their progress had been considerable for only half an hour's labor. But one scruffy worker in particular had caught Ace's attention. 

The man had been glancing back constantly at the stronghold behind them and peeking at his watch as he did so. Whenever he caught anybody looking back at him, he would pale and redouble his labors with a theatrical air. The cycle had repeated itself continuously. 

Ace presently tailed the scruffy man down a hallway inside from several yards back. With the silencing soles he'd attached to the bottoms of his combat boots, keeping his footsteps inaudible was no difficult task. Even so, the man glanced back sharply and spotted Ace. He gave him a nonchalant nod in return. 

The rugged man hurried his step, passed through a doorway and made a left. Ace smirked to himself and continued walking straight, until he reached a door of his own. He opened it and found himself in the midst of the base's administrative center. 

A crowd of kneeling Kemarians sprawled across the way and made Ace's advance difficult. He rolled his eyes and tiptoed through their midst, careful to avoid stepping on hands, feet, and the colorful tulips laying on the floor before the prostrated people. One man emerged from his prayer and leered at Ace as he passed. He only shrugged in response. 

Finally, he reached another door and flung it open. He raced up a flight of steps and found himself in an enclosed hallway, bounded by glass all around. He glanced down, and sure enough, the scruffy man sprinted down the corridor below him. The two men dashed down the parallel hallways in perfect sync for a while until Ace finally outran the man. 

When Ace came to the end of his passageway, he crouched and stared down, waiting to see if his suspicions would be confirmed. He slipped his pistol from its holster just in case. 

The scruffy man skidded to a halt below and hugged the wall just beyond the doorway of one of the confinement cells. He reached for something behind his back. Ace swallowed and disengaged his gun's safety. With narrowed eyes, he watched the man slowly withdraw an object in the shadows, its black color concealing its shape. 

Ace swiftly slipped a pair of light-enhancing lenses onto his eyes. He frowned. Just as he'd thought, the man had a gun and was currently removing the safety. Ace inhaled and placed his finger on the trigger. 

Just as the rugged man spun around the corner and pointed his weapon into a cell, Ace fired. Glass shattered under his feet, and the shards sliced into the man's face below. While his opponent was stunned, Ace snatched his arm, twisted it back, and disarmed him. Then he threw his head into the wall, rendering him unconscious. 

The dark-skinned man sighed and took a step back before glancing into the cell and meeting Brant's gaze. "You're welcome." 

Brant's stare remained on the limp body on the ground. "I'm assuming that was the Overseer's plan B?" 

Ace shrugged. "Plan A, for all I know. All I know is, that dude was shady from the moment I saw him." 

"So, what's going on out there?" 

"Well..." Ace began, pocketing the lenses, "we're building something Aaron calls an 'iron skeleton'. Basically a dome thing to protect the base." 

"I wish I could help." 

Ace met Brant's gaze and studied him for a few seconds. Finally, he nodded. "Me too. I know how hard it is to be an outsider, trying to get in." 

"I'll bet." Brant said as he examined his hand. "Trust shouldn't be such a fickle thing."