“If we get her apartment location and time to destination, we might be able to get a general area,” Ty said thoughtfully.
“If you look at the last page, I noted down what I know about travel time.I’ve been trying to remember the timings to each shift in both directions,” Rita said.“When I first went in, it was kind of a mental game for me, to help pass the time and not get too disoriented.”
“They did it on purpose,” Jack murmured.
“Right.”Con frowned down at the notebook.“You’d need a sort of homing beacon.”
“They scan us for devices,” Rita said.“Several times.”
“What about using a lie detector?”Ty asked.“I know they aren’t perfect but if she didn’t like it, that would mean something, wouldn’t it?”
“We should try while she is feeling talkative,” Mel agreed.Would Rita agree to a lie detector?It was possible for someone to be trained to beat it, but by this point Mel was pretty sure Rita was being used as a Trojan horse.
Did she know enough to help them?
“You’ll want to compare her list with ours,” Alice said, still not taking her eyes off the device she was delicately probing.
“Right.Good idea,” Mel said.
Jack rose from the chair he’d been sprawled in and nodded.“You keep an eye on Alice,” he told Ty.He held a hand out to Mel.Out in the hall, he added, “We’ve scanned her four ways for Sunday.So far nothing.”
“Let’s bring her inside.We can blindfold her,” Mel said, though doubtfully.
“She’s bound to guess she’s underground.”Ty said.
“It’s all a risk, Mel,” Jack said,
“So it is,” Mel agreed.
There was a knock at the outside door of the little room and both of them turned.Rita rose and opened the door.It was Mel.
Should he be worried or relieved, Con wondered.They’d have had eyes on this room, so they knew as much as he did.
When Mel stepped in, the room got crowded.Mel met Con’s glance briefly, then she smiled at Rita.
“You look more rested,” Mel said.
“I am,” Rita said.“The bed is very comfortable.”
“Better than it looked?”Mel grinned and Rita chuckled, though Con noted her eyes were anxious.
Mel’s grin faded, though her tone stayed friendly.“We’d like to ask you some questions.Would you object to us using a lie detector?”
Con stiffened, but so did Rita.Her eyes got wide and it seemed like she paled, but she nodded.
“Of course.”
Were they taking Rita down into the silo?It seemed they were.And without even a blindfold.
Mel led them along the track toward the access hatch.
“This is where we hide out,” Mel said, stopping next to the small “cage” the surrounded the hatch.
It was open.The larger hatch where they’d brought in the missiles was locked down tight and covered with a layer of dirt and plants.To all intents and purposes, this was the only way in.
Jack liked a choke point, even knowing it could be turned against them.There was, of course, a secondary escape route, also well-hidden.
“Jack’s waiting for you at the bottom of the ladder,” Mel said.
