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Steeling myself, I resumed scouring every centimeter for anything overlooked.
Then I noticed the ventilation shaft.
Unlike in the pantry, this duct was located high on one wall, its opening covered by a rusty grill. It was small, but with some effort I might be able to fit inside. Hope flickered back to life, fueling my determination.
A shaft like that led me to Conii’s office before. Surely it would lead me somewhere now.
And anywhere was better than here.
Grunting with effort, I dragged the cot directly beneath the duct. Climbing cautiously atop the rickety frame brought me just close enough to dislodge the cover and shove it to the side. A breath of fresher air from within tantalized me, but I would have to stretch and scramble to pull myself up into the claustrophobic passageway.
Taking a deep breath, I gathered my energy and leapt upward, managing to grab the edge of the opening on my tiptoes. I scrambled for purchase against the smooth sides, gradually hauling myself up as the cot creaked and wobbled below me.
Hell.
I wasn’t going to be able to get out this way.
Could I at least get a message out?
Conii’s compound was shielded from unauthorized communications, I knew. But this was someplace I’d never seen before.
Maybe from inside the vent, I’d get a signal, just enough for Taz to find me.
But just as I got my torso wedged into the vent, my sweaty hand lost its grip. I cried out as I felt myself slipping, my legs kicking wildly in midair. At the last second before tumbling off, I caught a glimpse of my percomm slipping loose from my pocket.
My desperate grab came too late. I could only watch helplessly as the percomm plummeted down into the shadows below the duct, out of my reach.
I heard the thumps and rattles as it ricocheted along the metal, getting farther and farther away.
A faint crack echoed up a few seconds later. My only means of communicating with the outside world was destroyed.
Forcing down the lump in my throat, I lowered myself shakily back to the cot then the floor. The brief hope of escape through the air duct was gone.
Pacing back and forth across the cell, I racked my brain for a new plan. There had to be some other way out of this nightmare, some detail I overlooked. I just needed to stay calm and focus. But visions of Conii kept intruding, taunting me.
How much did she know? Had one of her spies just reported that I was seen with Tazhr?
Was this just about my hanging out with the enemy?
Or did she know about my invasion of her office, the copying of her files?
I worked for her for too long to have any sort of optimism as to what she’d do to me in either case.
For a moment, all-consuming panic threatened to overwhelm me. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see a way out of this terrifying trap closing around me. Conii had eyes and ears everywhere on this station.
And who knew what cruel torments she devised to inflict on me even now? Alone and defenseless, I was utterly at her mercy. She could make my death as gruesome and prolonged as her sadistic mind desired. I curled into a ball on the cot, shuddering uncontrollably at imagined horrors.
Then Tazhr’s face flashed into my memory, stern and strong, those mesmerizing golden eyes blazing. Somehow, I had to survive this ordeal long enough for Tazhr to find me. He would tear the whole station apart bolt by bolt if that was what it took. I believed that with unwavering certainty.
Gradually, my trembling stilled. A new sense of calm settled through me, the calm of resolution. I would not collapse or beg mercy from the likes of Conii. She wanted to see me broken? Well then, my defiance would deny her that petty satisfaction for as long as possible.
I envisioned Tazhr’s approving rumble at my show of stubborn resolve. Let Conii posture and threaten all she wanted. She was vain enough that she would want me lucid to appreciate the full terror of my predicament.
That meant time—time for Tazhr to unravel this mystery and follow our bond to wherever I was hidden. Time for me to watch for any opening to aid our chances. I would be ready.
With newfound energy, I inspected every square centimeter once more, seeking weaknesses that might eventually prove useful. The walls were seamless, the door impregnable, but there had to be something I could exploit when the moment was right. I would bide my time and trust in Tazhr. His fierce spirit would guide me through this darkness.
Lost in my meticulous search, I didn’t hear the heavy footsteps approaching until the door suddenly clanked open. I whirled around, pulse racing. Two hulking masked guards strode in, wordlessly grabbing me by the arms. My struggles were useless against their immense strength as they hauled me out into the stark corridor beyond.
