So Sacrifice Yourself

Rook stumbled forward willing himself to push on through the hallway to his final destination. The surroundings were all too familiar to him. For several months before the prisoner riots he had patrolled these halls nightly to make sure all was in order. The cells he had been placed in were minimum security. They were easier to access, and most of the non dangerous prisoners had been place in here. On the opposite side of the compound the hi risk prisoners were held several stories underground and the ways in and out were more harder to break out of.

Somehow one of the high risk prisoners had broken free and was able to release many of the more dangerous prisoners. No one truthfully knew how the riot started. Rook’s best guess was that someone or a group of people were in league with the prisoners. To make matters worse, an electrical failure occurred the same night as the riot broke out. The main generator and the backup generator had somehow been hit simultaneously. The situation reeked of foul-play. Without camera any number of people could have walked right into the facility and the warden and the guards would never have known the difference. It did not help that all the eyewitness to the riot were unaccounted for and probably dead.

To make matters worse, the enemy had hunkered down inside the maximum security wing of the prison. Lieutenant Smetana originally attempted a full on assault of the prison wing. Unfortunately the prisoners had many of the guard’s weapons and they were starting to use the abilities that had manifested as a result of being sent to this prison.

Rook caught himself as he stumbled to the ground from exhaustion. He attempted to push himself up from the kneeling position but was not nearly quick enough for the guard escorting him to whoever the master was. The man’s boot caught him square in the ribs and sent him skidding several feet away. Lying on the ground he got a good look at the guard. Chuck Rainer was an extremely large white man his neck and arms were covered in all sorts of tattoos. Chuck had originally been a very large man, but it was said that during his time on death row he decided to take the time to exercise every spare minute he had to pass the time. This had continued on ever after he had been “executed”.

“Get up off the floor, and walk,” said Chuck as he grabbed hold of Rook’s arm and lifted to him to his feet. “The master does not have any time to waste.”

“Yes sir, mister prisoner sir,” Rook shot off and then realized that probably had not been the best thing to say.

Chuck’s fist slammed down on his shoulder and sent him back to the ground in a heap. His fist felt like a solid hammer. “Not exactly the situation to be mouthing off in funny man. Open that bloody mouth of your one more time and you might be crawling into the master’s chambers.”

Rook rose to his feet without a word but caught Chuck’s eyes and starred him down. Right before he turned to move on, he hacked a loogie directly in Chuck’s face. This turned out to be a bad idea once again. Chuck moved fast and landed a punch directly in Rook’s stomach.

“Is that all you got, redneck?” Rook said.

Chucks eyes told Rook all he needed to know. The man’s anger was at the breaking point. He was already getting under the man’s skin. Of course he paid dearly for that comment. Chuck’s foot once again landed across his ribs and sent him flying to the ground. This time Chuck ran over to him and grabbed him by the front of his uniform. Rook smiled one more time as he spat blood directly in the man’s eyes.

Well at least I will not go down without a fight. Keep smiling through the pain and he will be livid.

Chuck wiped the blood from his eyes with his right sleeve. Then stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a pair of brass knuckles. He placed them on his fingers and pulled his arm back for his strike. This…is going to hurt. Chuck’s fist landed square in Rook’s face causing him to black out.

***

Rook woke up lying face down in a pool of his own blood. His ears rang as if he had taken the concussion of a motor round directly in his face. His eyes watered and he could not clearly. The room spun around him as he pushed himself up to his knees. He ran his hands over his face to see what kind of damage he had suffered. His nose was broken and blood was spilling out of it. Other than that the rest of his face was intact.

Rook heard Chuck arguing with a man in the distance. It seemed like “the master” did not like the condition Chuck had brought him in. He shifted his head about trying to get an idea of where he was. A large room with white walls is about the only thing he could recognize. That meant he was in the maximum security lunch room. It was the only room in this wing that of this size.

“Shut your stupid pie hole and give the man a break,” Rook yelled as loud as he could. “I would have done the exact same thing had I had to put up with a lousy punk prisoner.”

“Well well, it looks like you do have a bit of a smart mouth to you,” replied the voice.

“Yah think,” replied Rook. “I think I have bad timing. Come over here and I will spit in your face too.” The man’s voice sounded familiar, but he could not quite put a name to the voice. Hopefully his eyesight would clear up a little so he could know who he was dealing with.

“I would not press your luck,” replied the voice. “I am a reasonable man most of the time.”

“Ok, let’s talk like reasonable men. I assume you reasonably let Rendell to an inch of his life, and reasonably lead the charge that killed a good many of the guards working the maximum security wing of this prison?”

“It is a tragedy I will give you that, but it was of utmost importance. A few casualties are always the cost when a new power must take over. As for your friend, well I put him out of his misery. He will not have to suffer anymore.”

The man hit a soft spot in Rook with his words. A mixed emotion of sorrow and joy washed over him. It was never easy when your men died, but at least he was not in pain. Compose yourself Rook. Show no emotion. This is not the time to be weak. That can wait for later. “So you must be an ‘end justifies the means’ type of guy.”

“It is one of the ways to live, although I also believe in an eye for an eye. One of my men was able to put a knife in the back of Gerald Dain. It seems that your lieutenant just so happened to enter the room at the same time. He was able to subdue my man raise an alarm. My other eyes and ears told me the following interrogations was one of the most brutal he had ever seen. It only seemed right to return the favor with Rendell. I would assume Smetana is just now receiving the CD detailing Rendell’s experience.

Rook shook his head. That is the reason his teams force-fields had faltered. Dain had been the man protecting them. It also gave proof to his theory that several of those helping them were not true friends. Would this man really give up one of his spies so a CD of Rendell’s beating could be delivered back to Smetana?

“Of course now that I have my two of my eyes and ears in your camp I will have to scout some other way. It is a shame, but I figure it is for the best. Smetana’s will need to be broken. He is the only one holding together the resistance. As soon as he is out of the way my plan can move forward.”

Rook laughed a bit too loud. “I have been with Smetana for the last three years. I can recount many stories are unit has been through. I wish you the very best in your endeavors. I only wish I could see the day when Smetana breaks your neck with his foot.”

“Oh no that is where you are mistaken. You see I have read his files. All commanders have a weakness. I plan to exploit his and use it to my advantage. “
Rooks eyes began to focus. He had guessed right about the lunch room as being their location. The tables around the east side of the room had been shifted back to give a makeshift stage. The man in-front of him sat in a comfortable office chair that had been rolled in to the room. The man was wearing one of the guard’s uniforms, and he held in his hand a samurai sword. This guy is trying to make himself look like a king. Rook used all his strength to focus on the man’s face.

The man had black hair and an elongated face. The uniform he was wearing made him look even smaller than he really was. “Richard Spence, how in the world did a runt like you become the leader of this operation? Seriously, you are no bigger than me, and as we all know Chuck here can give me a royal beating. “

“It is not my size that matters, but the people you know and the tools you hold. I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. Several years of planning were required to get me here to the place I am not. I have a long time friend who made all of this happen, it was a shame he wanted to run the operation, but a deal is a deal. Brilliant man, but now I have put him in his place; he is no longer half as brilliant as he once was. Roger will still make a valuable secretary.”

Roger Kirkland? He was one of the men responsible for this facility and one of the minds behind the technology used to “execute” death row prisoners and bring them here. I had shared lunch with the man on many different occasions. He could have fooled me, but also seems like he fooled everybody. “I would assume why you have control of the sword you are holding. My guess is it is the one referred to as the obliterator, correct?” said Rook.

“Well it looks like someone has been engaging in a bit of studying,” replied Richard. “I knew I wasn’t wasting my time talking to you. It looks as if you might be useful to me after all.”

“Sure thing Richie, but you are going to have to step in line, cause I am sort of busy right now in my cell.”  Again probably not the best course of action to take, but at least I got a laugh out of Chuck.

​“Sergeant Daniel Kilbourne, mock me as much as you want.  But know this, I have the power to reward you heavily and I also have the ability to make you die a slow and painful death.”

“Terribly sorry Richie, I didn’t realize you were heartless. All this time I thought you were a reasonable man.”

“I am a reasonable man. I will show you my reason now. I am willing to release you for a small price from Smetana. I need the remaining swords that are used in the ceremonial executions. If I get a hold of these then I will release you and all of your friends and allow them to leave my island.”

“You want the remaining ceremonial swords? Well then it looks like you are reasonable, heartless and a complete idiot. Chuck, tell Richie that I am done talking with him.”

“You misunderstood my words for kindness, I…”

“Nope, I fully understand. By the way Chuck, instead of kicking people in the chest when they are down, you should try taking their feet from under them while their still standing. You are a big guy but I have seen your speed and it pretty much good for a man your size.”

Rook look at Richard from the corner of his eye. The man was still calm. He would have to really find a nerve. According to the file he had read, Richard was extremely arrogant. All his life he had wanted to be the center of attention. It all seemed to becoming together. The years of planning must have been to get him here with a good amount of power behind him. Rook seemed to recall that Richard had started killing about a year before this project started. That would put it about the same time the ceremonial swords had become fully operational. It also explained why Richard had turned himself in to the Police with all the evidence of the murders. The man had even had plead guilty and asked for the death sentence. Maybe not acknowledging his presence would drive him mad. It was worth a shot, especially since Smetana had already destroyed the seven remaining ceremonial swords.

“I would let you demonstrate on me but unfortunately I have not the ability to stand,” said Rook. “So instead let me just ask you what kind of ability you happened to pick up when the sent you here?”

Chuck looked as about as confused as a man could be. He look at Richard and then back at him. He opened his mouth as if he were going to speak and then closed it up again. It looked like he was making sure that he would not incur the wrath of Richard. His expression showed Rook that Richard had done something to inspire a state of fear into his men.

“Seriously, because whatever your ability is, it is probably ten times cooler that little man's over here. “Plus you are a really big guy; you could probably take that silly little sword away from Mr. Inept with your bear hands. Look at the man he is a scrawny little twig of a man,” said Rook

“Silence Daniel, we have had enough of your lip. I told you once before, I do not anger easily,” replied Richard.

“I would have to disagree. Chuck, from the way you hold yourself it looks like Richie has a very bad temper. You would not want to say the wrong word and find yourself sitting here in my position would you? Or maybe you would find yourself in Roger’s position. Being forced to scurry around with you head down like an inferior man. No Chuck, you are a man of honor being used as a tool by this scared little man. I read your file, it seems like you were wrongfully accused of killing a cop. Those sentences are hard because the judges just will not see reason.

“If I were a beating man I would have to say that you got the short end of the stick. The jury was handed a fraction of the evidence required to make an honest decision. Don’t you find if funny that the video tape somehow was never retrieved? “

Rook could tell his plan of action was working. Richard was starting to come unraveled. Sure he was trying to play it off as if it was nothing, but the man had started nervously moving his sword around in his hands. It would only be a matter of time before Richard snapped. In all likelihood he was already a dead man. If in his final moment he could create a riff between Richard and some of his men maybe it would give Smetana a fighting chance to be able to quell this rebellion.

“Besides, you don’t look like the type of person that would actually be able to kill a person. I saw the way you beat down Rendell, but you were holding back. A big man like you could have done a lot more damage to a man like Rendell then you did. Which leads me to believe you were afraid not to do as you were told,” continued Rook.

“It is not true, I can kill. The tape was missing because I was able to destroy it first. I try not to…”

Enough of your blabbering Chuck,” yelled Richard. “This man is only trying to sweet talk you. You know full well that you are in the same boat as the rest of us…”

“Pipe down Richie,” said Rook. “You know full well he is trying to give you the run around. You are not all in the same situation, just look at Dain. He was in the same boat as you. Killed a man and was sent to the axe for it. But now he is working with Smetana to try to bring an end to this man’s parade. It only is a matter of time…”

“I am beginning to find you as the smart mouthed fool. You carry on here as if you are the bloody man in charge. You do realize I have the power to make your life a living hell. Tame your tongue before I rip it out of your head.”

“Wow, calm tempered Richie, looks like I hit a soft spot. Your reasonable composure is headed for the door. Besides how could you even think to barter me for some of the ceremonial swords if I am no good to Smetana? He might take it as a slight if I return unable to talk or function properly. Then you will have hell to pay. Of course it is a little too late for that one in the first place.”

“Resilient to the end,” said Richard. “My men will have so much fun men breaking you. But I might just have to break you myself and deprive them of that pleasure.”

Rook suddenly found an invisible arm around his throat. The force lifted him off the ground and held him so his feet dangle freely. He grabbed at his throat with both hands trying to avoid passing out. The light was fading slowly, there was only so much longer that he would last before he passed on. That is why Chuck was so afraid of Richard. Telepathic powers could through a kink in anyone’s attempts to over through Richard. The invisible hand released causing Rook to crash to the floor. He flew up into the air and landed hard on the ground. He had a little time to compose himself before Richard tossed him up in the air again.

“Chuck, do I have to pay Richie you for allowing me to come to his personal amusement park?” said Rook. “How much of my monthly allowance will it be?”

One more word and Richard would go ballistic. Rook could see his eyes widen and his nostrils flare. One more jab and maybe it would be all over for him. Oblivion was a decent name for the sword, but it was made by the same people who made the other twelve swords. In his conversations with the scientists, he had gleaned the truth about this particular sword. It was produced just like the other, but for some reason there was a glitch in the programming. The scientists had not been exactly sure what happened when struck by this sword. The only thing they did know was that it still worked the exact same way the other did. They had several assumptions, but the most popular one was instead of teleporting the person to the Retrieval Zone it transported them to another undisclosed location.

“One final thing Chuck, tell your crazy clown of a leader that Smetana would never trade little old me for anyone of those swords.  Anyway, it seems like Smetana has already made up his mind about his next move.  You might as well forget about getting your grubby little fingers on the remainder of the ceremonial swords, Smetana will never trade me for them.  Your self-righteous and insane plans of grasping for supreme power make me sick.  By the way, Smetana had the remaining ceremonial swords destroyed the moment the rebellion broke out.  You pathetic attempts will all fail and then you can return to being the trash everyone knows you are,” said Rook while he took one final spit in the direction of Richard.

He had broken the camel’s back. Richard lunged at him as he fell to the ground. A swift left to right stroke from Oblivion cut through his body. A feeling of numbness spread through his body in the exact location where the sword dematerialized while traveling through his flesh. The centralized numbness spread through his entire body radiating outward from the slash. Rook fell backwards as his arms went numb. The feeling climbed up his neck and slowly radiated into his head. His vision went black and his body disappeared from before Richard, Chuck and those in the rear of the room.