Marcus Graves's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Marcus crouched behind a supply crate at the airfield's edge, watching guards change positions near the hangar entrance. The donkey stood quiet beside him, its breath making small clouds in the frozen air. He'd need a reason to approach—something that wouldn't draw suspicion. His hand moved to the forged work order in his pocket, the one that claimed he was delivering medical supplies to the facility. It was thin cover, but it would get him close enough. He tied off the donkey and started forward, keeping his steps steady and his head down like a man just trying to finish his shift. A guard near the gate waved him through without checking the paperwork. Marcus kept walking, scanning the airfield as he moved. A tanker aircraft sat on the tarmac near the main hangar, its metallic surface catching the security lights. Fuel lines snaked across the ground toward smaller craft lined up for departure. He noted the positions—two pilots doing pre-flight checks, one mechanic working under a wing. The hangar itself loomed ahead, exactly where the photos showed it. Third cell from the east entrance. That's where she was. He adjusted his grip on the supply pack and moved closer to the building's edge. The radar station rose behind the hangar, its dish rotating in slow circles against the dark sky. Marcus used it to orient himself, counting steps to the east wall. Forty feet. Then thirty. A side door stood between him and the guard checkpoint at the main entrance. He pulled out the work order and approached a worker hauling equipment toward the smaller entrance. The man barely glanced at the paper before jerking his thumb toward the door. Marcus slipped inside and let his eyes adjust to the dim interior lighting. The hallway stretched ahead with cell doors on both sides. Marcus counted them as he walked. One. Two. His hand moved to the knife strapped under his jacket. At the third door, he stopped and listened. Movement inside—someone shifting weight, metal scraping against concrete. He checked both ends of the corridor. Empty. This was it. First step done. He'd made it inside without raising alarms. Now came the hard part—getting her out and keeping them both alive long enough to reach the aircraft outside.