Consciousness returned to me some time later, along with a headache like no living person has ever had. It took a moment to register what had happened and where I was now, but as I looked out from behind the bars, I managed to figure it out. This was another cell in the maximum security area. I was shackled to the wall by the ankles, and my hands were chained together. The Hammer uniform was gone, even the boots. All I had left was the bruises to show for my efforts. My new living quarters consisted of a cell of about 4 feet by 8 feet, just long enough to keep me from reaching the door while I was chained to the wall. I could hear the crying and moans from other prisoners, and if this headache didn't stop pounding I was thinking of joining them. I guess that second guard got had all the suspicion he needed, and cracked me with one of those huge hammers they like to play with. It was probably the smartest thing he'd done since becoming a soldier.

So now it was to be an escape instead of a jailbreak. I had a backup plan in case this happened. Unfortunately the plan did not include how I was going to get out of here once I got the shackles off. Checking my leg for my emergency backup lock picks, I found they hadn't been that thorough in their search of my person. I peeled back the glue patch on my leg which hid the picks. That skin colored glue really comes in handy for some things. If done right, it looks just like a nasty scar. After a couple minutes of fooling around the last of the shackles dropped off. Now I just had to find a way to get the door open, to get out and get something done. I slid the picks back under the glue patch and stuck it back as best as I could. Hopefully they wouldn't notice it, just in case I got caught again. Crawling forward I peeked out the door; a few other cells in the room, a door, probably locked, to the right and a guard watching from above. "Only one guard?" I couldn't be in the security zone, unless there is something worse outside that door.

"Guaaarrdd!" A plan had formed as I sat there. I was going to get out and take as many of these scumbags as I could with me. Revenge on the inquisitor could wait. No answer, but it wouldn't stop me from trying. "I killed that other guard and I'm going to kill you too! But you need to let me out first!" I thought maybe if I got him mad enough he'd come down to beat on me a little. I draped the wrist shackles back over my hands and sat back by the wall. Strangely enough, the door to my cell slid open, but I didn't dare step out. He probably had a crossbow waiting to shoot me if I was loose. Footsteps approached the cell, and a deep voice finally spoke as the guard came into view and stopped just outside of my room

"Thou hast killed my brother, but thee will never kill again, heathen!" He looked as if he wanted to step in and beat me senseless right then, but a good guard would never step into danger like that. I stood up and rattled my chains a bit to let him think I was still secure and taunted him a bit more.

"Why don't you come on in here and show me how tough you big badassed guards are without those hammers?" This guy was well trained; he didn't look too upset but I don't think he liked me for killing another guard. He didn't seem any brighter though since he did open the door for me.

"If it's a fight thee wants, then thou shalt have to come out and face me, craven!" He was taunting me back! The look of surprise on his face when I launched myself at him was almost priceless. He didn't expect me to be loose, and he surely didn't expect the punch to the groin which sent him to the ground moaning like most of the other people in this area. He wouldn't stay down from that for long, but the shackles wrapped around his neck fixed that. Some other prisoners had noticed what was happening and started shouting for freedom. They quieted down some when I told them they would be out soon. His keys and uniform would prove as useful as the others I had borrowed, and the armor would help a little too. After shackling the body into my cell I went upstairs to check the log book.

The door slid open to reveal a panel of levers and a desk. The log book listed Lytha as being in cell 4, but the levers weren't numbered. I flipped each of the levers and the doors slid open one by one. The prisoners started making noise again as I went down to cell 4 first, as they each wanted to be first to escape. She was conscious but just barely. It seemed like she was in a state of shock. Occasionally she muttered something, and her eyes twitched about. Weird. She was in no condition to move by her own power. Even though she was beaten badly, in terrible shape, bleeding all over, and in this weird trance, she still seemed to have a bit of charm about her. I unchained her and let he lie there for a minute while I released the others, who could walk, and explained what I needed them all to do. The need to move fast was imperative, since I didn't know what time of day it was or if someone was about to walk in. The plan was simple. Assuming I was in the same place I had originally been heading to, we could mob the guards and equip anyone who could fight for the big escape. I would have to carry the girl out. I wanted out fast, and we had no time to bring her to her senses.

One of the prisoners was a tall man, probably a guard for someone else at some point. Although he was somewhat thin and beaten he had a fire in his eyes that I noticed. He wanted out of here worse than I did so I let him lead the break. I handed him the armor and hammer I had taken from the guard and made some suggestions. When I was done unchaining the rest of the prisoners, I picked Lytha up and slung her over my shoulder. Carrying her like that, it meant I wasn't climbing out the way I came in, unless we ran into a case full of healing potions or were hit with a miracle.

I unlocked the block door and signaled the small group of prisoners to move. The object was to get to Cell Blocks 3 and 4, and release those prisoners as well. That would make enough of a distraction for us to escape, I hoped. It seemed there was only one or two guards at any given station, so getting to the other prisoners wouldn't be too hard. The hallway past the door split off into several others, but for some reason the Hammers insisted on putting signs everywhere. We were about to make a break for the stairs when a door opened to the left and a guard wandered out. I don't think he even knew what hit him when the prisoners took him down. He was quickly disarmed and I pushed the crowd to keep moving and not make a lot of noise. We made our way to the steps, and sure enough there were two new guards at the bottom. They were an enthusiastic bunch, looking for freedom and revenge on their captors. The gang leader took one guard down fast by throwing his borrowed hammer and hitting the guard squarely in the chest, but I saw a couple prisoners fall before the other guard's weapon before he was overwhelmed. By some stroke of luck the alarm hadn't been sounded yet but that wouldn't last long. I warned the group about the checkpoint up ahead. This crowd's first job was take out those guards and then move on to block 4 to free more prisoners, while I took Lytha back to the room where I stashed my pack.

The event went pretty much as I expected; as soon as the guards saw the mob heading towards them the alarm was sounded, and the carnage started. I didn't even stop to watch. Running down the hallway with a body in your arms tends to make you watch your surroundings less. The mob got to the guards, and with only a few left standing the fight was over as I headed to the lift. With instructions to take the lift to the lowest floor after they released more prisoners they headed off to Block 4. As I got to the lift I heard it coming down. There was no one on it but it didn't stop, so I took a chance and jumped on anyway. It was headed for the ground floor, to load up with guards to stop the riot, no doubt. I jumped off at the next floor without stopping the lift and Lytha and I both tumbled to the ground. Quickly grabbing her and almost dragging her down the hall, I could almost hear the shouts from the guards waiting impatiently for the lift. I didn't want to be standing here when it went by even though I still had on a Hammer uniform. The safety of the room was close, and if I could make it there I would be very happy.

Kicking in the door to find someone home wasn't a good thing. I did the only thing I could think to do. I screamed at the man getting dressed as I set Lytha down on the floor. "Come on Brother! They are all escaping! We need every man out there! GO GO GO!" With the alarm ringing in his ears he almost tripped over himself as he ran out the door with his hammer in hand. "They sure don't grow these boys very bright now do they?" I had to laugh as I pulled Lytha's limp body into the room and pulled the pack from the vent. This is going to work. At least that's what I kept telling myself over and over. By now a good portion of the guards should be upstairs and the front door should be open except for a few guards, and those I had plans for. The footsteps clomping down the hall prompted me to shut the door and wait another minute, but that gave me time to count my supplies. There wasn't much to work with. Two gas mines , four flash bombs and a dagger. Maybe next time someone offers me a lot of money to do something like this I should think about saying no and walking out.

"Well, it's time Lytha, are you ready? Of course you are, or you would say no!" To tell the truth, I wasn't ready. I was hurting all over, but she was in much worse shape. She was bleeding on me and she hadn't even been hit by anything but the floor that I knew of. All she did was moan in pain as I picked her up and opened the door again. I could hear the shouting and clanging of weapons as a battle went on one floor above. I guess they got to the other prisoners because the ones who were left couldn't make all that noise on their own. With a press of the button the lift started on it's way down and stopped in front of us. On the way down I pulled out a flasher just in case there were more guards waiting, but it sounded like most were upstairs already. The hallways winded a but, but as usual on every floor the signs pointed the way to the main entrance and soon the hall opened up into a large chamber. At the other end was the exit. The room was empty except for a big fire pit and some benches, but I could see a couple guards lingering around outside of the doorway. Laying Lytha down on one of the benches, I decided this is one of those times I just had to fight my way out.

I activated the two gas mines and slid them toward the door. In my most nasal Hammer voice I screamed, "Brother,s the heathens are upon us!" Naturally the fanatical group of about six runs into battle without thinking and discovers the trap laid for them

Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Most of the group didn't even get out a curse on my family before hitting the floor. I gathered the big guy in front wasn't amused as he raised his hammer and charged me! I stood my ground calmly until he got within about ten feet. Then I let him have the backup plan. Two flashbombs went off at my feet. Blind and dazed, he still tried to swing his hammer at my head, but being unencumbered by armor and a heavy weapon, I ducked and spun to slash my dagger across the back of his knee, severing whatever it is there that keeps you from falling down. Bleeding and screaming from the ground, he threatened me with the wrath of the Builder. My death will be inevitable he says.

"I don't like being imprisoned and threatened, sir. For that you must pay and go to see The Builder. You will be the example!" My blood boils as I plunge my knife into his chest repeatedly. "You are merely the first, many others will join you." With that said, I picked up his body, my dagger still embedded in his chest, and throw him onto the smoldering fire.

My work done I collected Lytha and tried to put as much distance between myself and this place as possible. I don't think any of the other prisoners will make it out but at least they will die trying, instead of rotting away in a cell. We camp outside of town until it gets dark, so there are more shadows to hide in on the way home. Both of us need rest and I'm not climbing the stairs to Nightfall's place with Lytha on my back; I don't care how much he pays. It's time to go home, rest up, and find a way to get some well deserved revenge on the Hammers.

***

I awoke. The place had changed. And I was unchained. There was a window. It was dark outside. A man sat in a chair, staring into a fireplace. I had seen this face before. Somehow, he must have been in the prison. I could not make sense out off it.

"Don't you remember?! He was one of the Guards!"

This was a new voice in the permanent shouting inside my head. It sounded childish, filled with fear. But it lied, I was sure it did. I tried to force it back. The voices faded away, but they were always ready to come back. I had heard them permanently in the last day. Or days, I did not remember.

"Where -" I tried to ask, but it ended in a moan. My lips felt still numb.

He looked up.

"Where... am I?" I croaked.

"It's not important."

"Who - "

"Nightfall sent me to get you out."

I was highly irritated. Nightfall? I had never seen him. Never spoken to him. Never met him. Why could he have sent someone to get me out off there? "But why - "

"Don't know, didn't ask. Apparently he needed a woman to bleed on his carpet and I was more than willing to give him the one I just picked up." He turned away. "I'm taking you to him as soon as you can walk. Maybe he can help with your injuries too." With that he left the room.

***

Third Entry on the same day,

It was growing late, and my mind moved to other matters. I hoped that Els had managed to save Jyre, or at least that Jyre was safe. Properly equipped, and informed, the Forbidden Zone was really not that difficult to master. Still any number of things could happen, and I worried none the less. Then there was Lytha and Ghost. Had I done the right thing? Lytha, by her own word, was old, so how much of the Hammerite torture could she really withstand? There was a good chance that by the time Ghost got to her, she would already be dead. And Ghost. What about him? Just because he could tomb raid, didn't necessarily mean that he could break into a complex that fortified! As always, I feared the worst, and hoped for the best.

Night was falling. My favorite time of day. Hehehe. Because there was only one machine, they decided to push it all night. They had enough men to work in shifts now, so it was actually less work then before. Only so many men can work on something like that before they start just getting in eachother's way. Thurm had decided he was needed more back with the repair crew, so he went back to them, leaving me in charge. I told the task force to just carry on as planned. The good news was that now I had control over the current situation. That's never bad. The downside was that I couldn't really leave for home this night, I'd have to stay and maintain my role as head of the operation. I didn't mind. After what I saw earlier, I doubt I could have slept anyway.

A few strange things happened as the midnight hour approached. For one, several of the Hammerites who were taking their break shift reported that their hammers were missing! Of course, they expected me to hurt them or something for negligence, (they were VERY upset!) but I didn't. I just told them that they should make news ones as soon as the operation was over. We had spare hammers anyway. Why I don't know. Oh well. I truly wonder what happened to those hammers. It's not like a soldier to just loose his weapon like that. Foul play was at work. Dark foul play. I hope James got me that full report soon. Very soon. Hopefully it will--

He turned over and fell asleep. I didn't.