all god's orphans

Wallace sat alone in his cell staring at his breakfast tray trying to figure a way out of this. Strong morning light was filtering in through the few windows and time was growing short. He considered calling one of the guards back and telling them that he was a US Military pilot and to release him. He doubted that would work. And if he tried the same line on them about being able to open the doors to Cheyenne Mountain, they would probably take him straight to it and shoot him on the spot when they discovered he was lying.

The silence in the jail was unnerving. In such a large, open space, sounds should have been bouncing off the walls, carrying throughout the entire facility, but it was deathly quiet. He strained his ears and tried to find Kite and Millie in the silence, but there was no hint of any other humans in the building. Not even the hum of the ventilation system could be heard.

He wanted to apologize to Millie. To tell her that he was sorry that Brian was going to die. That they might die now, too. He had no idea whey they were being held and he didn’t much care. It couldn’t be good news. “We didn’t want you guys to miss the pizza party so we put you in jail to make sure!” Nope. That probably wasn’t it. Suddenly, the buzz of the main door split the air in two. As it opened, Wallace saw a deputy escort Grey through and towards his cell. Wallace sprang to his feet, hoping this worked.

“Grey!” He exclaimed, waving his arms excitedly. “Man, am I glad to see you!” His enthusiasm stopped the deputy in his tracks, a puzzled look on his face that quickly morphed to worry. “Get in here, you son of a bitch! We got a lot to talk about.” He smiled widely at the deputy who paused before switching hands and showing Grey to the prison cell directly across from Wallace, the one with the phone. Wallace sighed in relief as the Grey’s door slammed shut and the guard left.

“What happened?” Wallace asked him.

“I tried to follow you to find where they took you, but I got caught and when I couldn’t answer their questions, they brought me here.” His conscience seemed to be heavy in his skull. “I messed up, didn’t I?” He asked.

“Hardly.” Wallace told him. “Now I need you to listen very carefully.”

Wallace stood at the bars, his head resting against the cold iron. He was trying to calm himself, but it was so hard. He felt like chewing his way through his metal cage.

“Let’s try it again.” He said to Grey who was standing before the phone, concentrating as hard as he could on the numbers before him. “The first one is 1. Got it?”

“Yeah.” Said Grey.

“The next one…” Began Wallace, but Grey’s finger moved straight down to the four. “No!” Wallace caught himself. He had to stay calm. If he freaked Grey out now, the rest of the plan would be impossible. “Go across. Not down.” He said and Grey did as he was told. “That’s two.”

“Right.” Grey said. Wallace was worried that he had already forgotten the numbers that Millie had given him, or the guy’s name he was supposed to drop. He didn’t exactly have faith that Grey could convince anyone of anything, but there was no time to consider the myriad ways this plan sucked.

“Let’s try this.” Wallace said after taking a breath. “Put your finger on the 1. Now go down two and across one.” Grey couldn’t read numbers, but he could follow instructions, at least, and his finger wound up on the 8. It felt like the longest five minutes of his life, but using this method, Wallace eventually guided Grey’s finger and they heard the phone ring in the front of the station, the shrill clang of the old school phone ringing out in the stillness of the jail. “Just relax.” Wallace told him. “Remember what I told you. Just tell them to let us out of here.” Grey inhaled and waited. The phone range again. Nothing. Once more. Nothing. Finally, they heard the sound of a toilet flushing and someone hurrying across the floor.

“Central Corrections, this is Lydia.” Said the voice when she finally reached the phone. Grey froze. He suddenly realized the fact that Kite and Millie were counting on him. Wallace’s face was a caricature of expectation, his eyebrows raised so high that they were practically floating above his face. Grey cleared his throat.

“Lydia,” He began. “This is Bill.” Wallace shook his head violently and tried to remind Grey that he wasn’t Bill, but rather relaying instructions from Bill. “How are you this fine evening?”

“Good.” Answered Lydia. “Tired.”

“I hear you.” Chuckled Grey. “No rest for the wicked, eh?” Lydia forced a chuckle. “Listen, I hear you’ve got some of my people in your jail and I’m gonna need you to let them out now.” Wallace held his breath, but as he watch Grey operate, he became aware of a natural easiness that seemed to fill his being. This was Grey’s element. Bending someone to his will. He seemed to be preternaturally gifted at manipulation. It was almost scary to behold.

“I think you must be mistaken.” Said Lydia. “We’ve picked up some strays, but we’re not holding any of your people.”

“Is one of them a deaf girl?” Grey asked and he could almost hear Lydia’s throat close.

“Yes.” She said weakly.

“That girl is the genius that is going to open up that blasted door into the mountain.” Small droplets of sweat formed at Lydia’s hairline. “Now I’m going to need you to let them out.”

“Yes, sir.” She sputtered. “Very sorry sir, but we didn’t know. They didn’t tell us!” She was almost shrieking.

“Of course you didn’t know.” Grey said, calming her down. “Their mission is top secret. Which is also why they haven’t told you who they really are.” Wallace couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but as Grey leaned into the phone, Wallace followed suit without thinking. Goddamn, he thought to himself, Grey is good at this. “Now listen, Lydia.” Grey’s voice got quieter and darker. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Of course, sir.” She sputtered. “Anything.”

“I need you to let them out and don’t tell anyone.”

“But what about Mr. Henry? He’s supposed to approve…”

“You let me worry about Mr. Henry.” Grey cut her off. “My people are still on a secret mission and no one can know about it before they have a chance to succeed. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Lydia relaxed.

“Good. Also, find a couple of guys to get a van and take them to the mountain. My people are on a tight schedule and I’m afraid you have delayed their arrival.”

“Of course.”

“Thank you, Lydia.” Grey said and hung up the phone. Wallace was stunned.

“Get away from the phone!” He hissed and Grey took several steps away from it, as though it were radioactive. “Act natural.”

“What?” Grey asked as the door buzzed and the male deputy hurried in. Fumbling with his key ring, he eventually found the right one and opened Wallace’s door first and then Grey’s.

“Follow me, please, gentlemen.” He led them outside to the parking lot where a white passenger van arrived to meet them. Several soldiers hopped out and the deputy turned back in with two of them falling in behind him. One of the others opened the door and Grey followed Wallace into the seat.

“Nice job.” Wallace said under his breath. A short time later, the deputy returned with Kite and a very worried looking Millie. Wallace quickly opened the door and motioned her in.

“Get in.” He told her, adding under his breath. “And be cool.” Millie’s confusion was only compounded when she saw Grey sitting behind Wallace in the van. Kite caught his eye and he subtly shook his head. She felt the danger around them and stifled her joy at seeing him.