Chapter 6: Prison Escape

I glanced up as the commander stepped into the room and everyone quieted. He looked at me, “Morpheus, take Swift, Taylor, Samson, Adams and Michaels. They had a prison escape on Devlin.”

I nodded and stood, “How many?”

He shook his head, “Nine.”

I grabbed my bag and started towards the lifts. The other marshals followed me as I dropped to dispersing. We had a four hour wait in the starport before boarding a shuttle up to the cargo transport that was headed to Devlin. There were only a few people on the transport so we mostly spent our time with the ship’s crew.

When we walked out of the starport on Devlin and started for the walk to the marshals vehicle park I turned to look at the others, “Taylor and Samson partner up. Adams and Michaels, you are together. We take three vehicles.”

I handed Taylor and then Adams a list of three names, “Each group has three names to track down. The DNA scanner has been on in the starport so our men are still here. If you get all your men you can assist those that have not. Do not take chances, I checked and all the men are killers and will not hesitate to kill you.”

I turned and started towards the vehicle Amanda had already chosen. I slipped in beside her, ignoring Dragon curled up in her lap, “The prison first.”

She nodded and lifted before turning and accelerating. When we landed in front of the prison everything was quiet. As we approached the front doors a guard turned to speak into his radio. I used my badge on the door scanner and it slid open. The guard looked surprised and put his hand on his weapon as a second guard joined him. I smiled slightly, “I would like to see the warden.”

They looked at each other and Amanda shook her head, “Let me guess, you are new.”

She held up her badge, “We are imperial marshals and need to speak with the warden.”

They stiffened and one turned to the console to make a call. The other guard licked his lips, “We did not know you were coming.”

I shook my head, “You had a prison escape, that means it is our business.”

He swallowed and looked around before leaning closer, “I think a guard helped them.”

Amanda snorted, “Of course a guard helped them. All the guards financials are being looked at by the auditors.”

His eyes went wide, “But...”

The other guard hit his shoulder, “Quiet.”

I looked at the other guard, “You have a problem with him speaking?”

He smiled, “Yeah.”

I nodded and stepped closer to the desk to reach over and place my badge on the prison data access scanner, “I am sergeant Morpheus of the imperial marshals. Duty officer Trent is suspended pending internal investigation of his financials and conduct. Notify the planetary constables office and have a constable sent to pick him up for a truth scan and interrogation.”

The guard’s face went white and I smiled as I calmly reached over and took his weapon. I handed it to the other guard while still looking at him, “We are marshals, if you want to play hard we know every trick.”

I glanced at the civilian getting out of the lift before looking at the first guard, “Make sure he does not go anywhere until a constable takes him into custody.”

The guard looked a little red faced but nodded. I turned as the warden stopped, “I just relieved this guard and ordered him truth scanned.”

The warden stiffened, “You can not!”

I smiled, “Every prison guard and official signs a waiver before they are accepted. The constables will scan him and anyone else we tell them to. Now, we need a list of guards that were on duty during the prison break. We also want a list of any that called in sick or were off.”

The warden nodded before looking at the guard I had relieved. He moved around him and behind the desk to access the data. The two lists he pulled up were transferred to a small data stick which he handed me. I slipped it into my comp and saw that the guard Trent had been on duty when the prison break happened. I glanced at him as Dragon leaped and spread her wing before dropping onto his shoulder.

He jerked and started to hit her and both Amanda and I cleared our throats. He froze and I smiled, “Dragon has two types of drugs she can inject. Poison which will kill you in about thirty minutes and a stasis drug.”

I glanced at Amanda, “Officer Trent here was on duty when the prisoners escaped.”

She smiled, “Care to tell us now officer?”

He licked his lips nervously, “I will wait for my union lawyer.”

Amanda snorted, “You really are dumb. You will get the lawyer after you are scanned and we get everything. And because you signed the waiver it will be used to hang you during your trial.”

The warden opened his mouth as I turned to him, “Would you like to explain why it took you thirty minutes to notify the constables?”

His face reddened but nothing came out and I shook my head, “Would you like to explain it under scan?”

He looked away and the other guard cleared his throat, “He was with one of the female inmates.”

Amanda shook her head and I sighed, “Put in your resignation.”

I glanced at the guard, “Call the deputy warden.”

He grinned, “He is out working with the constables.”

I nodded, “Call him.”

I looked at the warden, “You will have a guard escort you back to your office to pack up your personal things.”

I looked at Trent as a slim constable walked through the front doors and absently touched his badge to the door scanner. I gestured to Trent, “Take this man into custody and have your techs truth scan him.”

The constable nodded before moving to secure his hands. Trent looked desperate, “Wait!”

We looked at him and he licked his lips, “Okay, they paid me to look the other way and unlock their cells.”

I nodded to the constable, “Have him scanned and get the account information that was used. Use the marshals comm freq to let us know who it belongs to.”

He nodded and roughly jerked Trent towards the door. Dragon leaped and caught Amanda’s arm as she held it out. I looked at the other guard, “The deputy warden? And call another guard to escort the warden.”

He nodded and I turned to leave. Amanda followed and chuckled when she slipped into her seat in the vehicle, “I had forgotten all about the standard waiver they sign.”

I smiled and opened my comp, “Okay, now we start hunting. Morris Jacobs convicted of three contract killings. He used to be with the pilgrims group. We will try there first, Sage Island.”

Amanda nodded and lifted before accelerating away. Sage Island looked a lot like old earth farmlands when we finally reached it. We stopped in front of the island store, the only island store. By then we had information on the account used to bribe the guard. I sent it on to marshal Adams since it was from one of their escaped prisoners.

Dragon slipped onto my shoulder as I got out and stretched. I smiled and scratched her chin as my eyes glanced around and took in our surroundings. I led the way into the store and as soon as I did I saw Jacobs. He turned with a smile as he was talking to a young girl and froze. Dragon leaped into the air and his eyes shifted to her as I stepped to the side and drew.

Amanda was barely a second behind me, “Do not move!”

The room had several people in it and an older man moved as if to step between us. Dragon flew straight into his face and he screamed as he flailed around. Jacobs spun to run and I fired through his right thigh as Amanda hit his left. I moved forward as Dragon left the man she had distracted, “The next person to interfere will be shot.”

Jacobs was on the floor yelling and holding his legs as I put restraints on and searched him and then checked the wounds. All the people had moved together and started murmuring. I yanked Jacobs up and looked at everyone, “This is an escaped prisoner. He kills people for money. Is that what you want living with you?”

They looked at each other before looking down. I pushed Jacobs towards Amanda as Dragon dropped onto his shoulder. I sat him down outside and pulled out the trauma kit from our vehicle. Amanda shook her head and pushed me back, “I will do it.”

I smiled and stood up, “Why?”

She grinned as she pulled out scissors to cut open his pants, “Because you do not use pain blocks.”

Jacobs looked at me and smiled, “One day I will come for you marshal.”

I bent and looked him in the eye, “Have you heard of a school called Hades?”

He kept smiling as he nodded and I straightened, “I am one of the only survivors and you have no idea how inept you are.”

Amanda snorted as he paled, “Even on a bad day you would not stand a chance.”

She finally put everything away and stood, “Time to go.”

I lifted Jacobs and Dragon jumped to me as I put him in the back of our vehicle and turned on the pressor field. I walked around and got in as Amanda took her seat and leaned back. Dragon jumped and crawled into her lap to curl up. I lifted and turned before accelerating away. I set the course and flipped on the auto pilot and relaxed back in the seat, “One down, two to go.”

Amanda snorted and closed her eyes, “Our next lucky winner is Charles Smith. Drug dealer and killer, he likes to beat his victims to death.”

I nodded and let my mind sift through his record. When I carried Jacobs into the prison lobby two different guards were on duty. Marshals Taylor and Samson were talking to another man by the desk. I smiled as one guard called the prison doctor and dumped Jacobs on the floor, “Two down?”

Taylor grinned, “Three, Michaels and Adams just left.”

Amanda laughed as she looked over the other man. Samson nodded to him, “This is deputy warden Metal. He said you fired the warden?”

I nodded as I looked at the deputy warden, “The reason he waited to sound the alarm was because he was with a female inmate.”

We all looked at deputy warden Metal as he reddened, “If I had known I would have pressed charges.”

I looked at the doctor when he came out and headed towards Jacobs on the floor. Amanda held out her comp screen, “Sign for him doc.”

The doctor looked up at her, “Did you have to shoot him?”

I smiled, “Well we could have killed him.”

The doctor glared but the deputy warden grinned. I sighed, “Sleep and then our next man.”