Stuck in The Middle (Ep. 10) "A Friend in High Places."
06 Oct 2021Isabella Levine
Previous Ep. 9 "Wanted"
"Almost there. Almost there."
Isabella said quietly to herself as she could see the elevator in front of her. It wasn't far now and everything was going smoothly...so far.
Contrary to her calm movements, her breath was wild and heavy as her breath fogged up the bottom half of her visor. She could feel her heart in her chest beat like a cannon firing mid siege. Seeing the elevators only a few feet from where they were in the corridor made her want to run the rest of the way. If she did that then all of this would be over in minutes and who knew what they'd do with Violet. Thinking of her, Isabella looked at Violet as she led the way. She seemed more calm and relaxed than anything. It was weird.
The duo finally made it to the elevator and Violet pressed the button. Seconds later, the doors opened and they stepped inside being brought up a level.
"So far so good...I think."
Said Violet nonchalantly. She seemed way too calm for Isabella's liking. A teen girl leading the way walking past camera after camera like it's a stroll through the park? How was she this relaxed?
"What? What do you mean, you think? And how the hell are you not crapping your pants right now?"
Isabella caught her slightly smiling without turning away from the elevator door.
"Don't worry. If they caught on to us they'd be here pointing guns at us right now. Plus this isn't my first rodeo. Just don't think too much about it and follow me."
Don't think too much about it? Did she really just say that?
"Listen, miss little rebel. You're not wanted for apparent mass murder and you also don't have an entire system of very on edge people looking out for you. So I'm thinking, alright. I'm thinking about a lot of things."
The doors opened to the Habitat wing and before them was an open foyer with little to no people. Violet stepped out first and Isabella followed. At the other end of the foyer were cabin numbers in accordance to the level they were on attached to the wall that pointed towards two sets of long corridors going either way.
"C-37. Left."
Violet said as she rounded the corner and directly into a security guard.
"Goddammit! Watch where the hell you're going, girl!"
Isabella froze as if she stood still enough the guard wouldn't notice her. Violet scoffed but sheepishly waved a sorry to the guard. She motioned for Isabella to move but the guard grabbed her just as she tried to pass him.
"Hey. What's with the helmet? We're pressurized properly down here."
"She's got a nasty nasty bug, sir. Couldn't get a mask so a helmet should suffice. Very contagious."
Violet said, jumping in quickly with a retort. Isabella began fake coughing and doubled over to give dramatic flare.
"Aww. Mom, we're almost there. Come on."
Violet grabbed her hand and pulled her along as she continued to heave.
"Isolate your mother and yourself! We don't need a goddamn outbreak here."
Violet gave a thumbs up and continued down the corridor before motioning with her hands for Isabella to stop. She was going a little over the top now.
"Enough, enough. Let's just go. It's right there. His room's there."
They finally made it to cabin room C-37 and Violet pressed the doors comms pad to await an answer. Nothing.
"Come on. Come on."
She hit the comms panel again but held it and continued to hold it until a tired annoyed voice answered.
"Can you piss off with the incessant buzzing!? I heard you the first bloody time! What do you want?"
"Inside. We need to talk and it's extremely urgent. Like...really urgent. Please."
There was a momentary pause before the electronic-like voice came through again.
"Who are you?"
Violet rolled her eyes and responded with slight irritability in her voice.
"We're people who have evidence on an atrocity that Jayden Sterling is involved in. Could ruin her political career and remove her from sitting admin. Again...very urgent open the door."
Again a long pause ensued before the heavy doors to the cabin opened and there stood a man half-dressed in a tank top and boxer briefs. Isabella smirked at seeing his scrawny legs as she entered and quickly ripping off her helmet. The door closed behind them and she took a sigh of relief that they actually made it this far.
"I'm sorry. If I knew I had guests at this ungodly hour I'd have been more presentable. My apologies."
Isabella waved a dismissive hand but held a smirk on her face.
"You look great, sir. Nothing to worry about."
"Huh. You find what I wear to be amusing? Grow up."
He said flatly before turning and walking towards one of his lockers by his small room. As he opened it to put on a pair of pants and a simple shirt, Isabella took notice of his slight Imperial accent now nailing it.
"You're Imperial?"
She said as he jumped into a pair of pants and buttoned them up before looking at her.
"And you are from the bar, earlier. The woman I ran into by mistake. You are all over the news as well. A wanted criminal inside my personal cabin. Flattering."
"I'm not a criminal I never killed those people. It was framed that way."
He held a look of caution studying Isabella closely. Judging eyes locked to her face.
"Hmm, I notice you're not wearing the same lipstick as what your wanted photo shows. Perhaps you're telling the truth."
Isabella glanced over at Violet and smirked. The color of lipstick was important.
"But regardless, something tells me you're not here to hand yourself in. No. You said you have evidence. So...introductions."
He stuck his hand out and Isabella carefully took it to shake.
"My names Adam Darlington. Pleasure. I was once an Imperial but no longer am I a citizen as I don't believe in their...political ways we'll just say. It takes one to know one. Where are you from? Not Achenar, no. The accent is far too light. Backwater, perhaps?"
"Ekono. Pretty much a backwater. A system loyal and controlled by the...blue-haired lady."
He released his hand and a smile lit upon his face.
"Oh yes. The young and lovely Princess. Aisling Duval. She is truly wonderful."
Isabella refrained from rolling her eyes out of respect but she knew why most people liked her. Partly her shake-up of traditional Imperial politics but mainly her looks with her youth. Isabella knew what that was like so it wasn't hard to miss why people liked her.
"Yup! Her. Everyone loves the blue-haired lady. But that's not why we're here. We're here about what Violet said. We have evidence that proves Jayden Sterling is a murdering sociopathic bitch."
Adam grimaced Isabella's way.
"Language. Those words aren't very tasteful. Now please, show me this evidence."
Isabella motioned a hand towards Violet who brought forth her tablet. She quickly brought up the file and like with Isabella before, reluctantly handed the device to Adam. Before he tapped the screen to play the recording, Isabella grabbed his arm and took him farther into his cabin where his bed was.
"She doesn't need to hear this for a second time. Just watch it quickly and tell me if we can do something with this."
She said quietly. He gave a nod and began playing the recording watching the events unfold as they did. While he did this, Isabella stepped out and approached Violet who now sat on the couch that faced the living room's television. She stared blankly at the T.V that wasn't powered on, lost in thought no doubt. She plopped herself down next to Violet and broke her trance.
"Hey, kiddo. You holding up okay?"
She shook her head. No. She wasn't. What a dumb question to ask.
"I'm not a 'kiddo' by the way. I'm sixteen, almost seventeen years old. That's no kid."
Isabella chuckled at that. She did look a little younger than 16 but she believed her.
"I'm sorry to break it to you. But you're still a kid to me. But...I can start treating you like an adult."
Violet looked at her with curious eyes.
"Oh yeah? Like how?"
"Teaching you how to use a gun for starters. Safely of course and doesn't mean you're getting a gun."
Her eyes brightened up. It was adorable but frightening at the same time considering her attitude towards those who wronged her. If there was one thing Isabella wanted it was to make sure Violet could defend herself but not kill taking her innocence away. A double-edged sword perhaps. But maybe it was impossible in this galaxy to not have to kill. It was a sad realization. She pushed the thoughts aside and continued.
"Buuut first you need to learn how to fight without a gun. That means basic physical exercise and training. Lots of training."
The joy and excitement in her eyes drained out of her like a deflating balloon. Her posture turned to a depressed slouch.
"Really, Isabella?"
She smiled and rubbed her gloved hands together menacingly. This would be fun.
"Ohhh, absolutely. Training day. You need to be able to move fast and hit hard. I'll teach you weak spots and how to bring a grown man to his knees. That's how my father taught me when I was thirteen. Rigorous training before I touched guns."
Violet's eyes widened to that.
"Thirteen! That's young! You could beat up bullies in school, couldn't you?"
Isabella shrugged.
"I...well I wasn't ever in a public school. I was mainly schooled or 'indoctrinated' at home by our...Imperial slave. My father wasn't around a lot. That's why we had a uhh...yeah...caretaker we'll say. She loved me and her job but-"
She shook her head and stopped her ramblings. All that wasn't necessary and Violet probably didn't care that much about her whole life story.
"Forget it. Never had to use what I learned against bullies, thankfully. Not at that age. My dad sorta forced me to learn defensive fighting out of paranoia I think."
"When did you learn to shoot a gun?"
Violet asked, still intrigued to Isabella's surprise.
"I uhh...well I was fifteen when I started. Sixteen when I was exceptional at it."
Again, raised eyebrows showed Violet's shock to what was just said.
"My goodness. Your father made you a child soldier? I mean, shouldn't you be learning mathematics or going out with your girlfriends to parties."
Isabella slowly nodded. The sixteen-year-old understood how a teen girl should be brought up. Relatively speaking.
"Technically, yeah. But I was beyond that point. I'm trying not to sound narcissistic but I...had quite the advanced upbringing to average kids. It didn't get me far. Look at me now with my face everywhere as a wanted criminal. My dad wanted me to be something of a Senator I think. Like my mother was years ago. Something very high class and very Imperial."
Before Violet could say something else, Adam had come back in holding the tablet in his hands and handed it over to Violet.
"I've reviewed your video several times and made several copies of it as well. I also contacted Styx Media and handed them a copy explaining what hideous acts they were seeing. By tomorrow you should see this all over the news. I'll plan to make a speech later that day about this as well. Thank you, ladies, for bringing this to me."
Isabella felt overwhelming joy and excitement wash over her. Like a kid the day before Christmas. If this got out then that was it. It was over for Sterling and her goons. People would know the truth.
"No, thank you. You just saved us by helping get the truth out. You have no idea how much this means to me. To us."
Isabella turned to Violet and smiled gleefully but it slowly faded when she noticed Violet wasn't as excited as she was.
"What's wrong? This is it. The justice we're looking for. If we can get the Federal Intelligence Agency to pick this up we'll have Sterling locked away. Including Tyrese Waters. This is huge, Violet!"
She simply shrugged her shoulders in response. Isabella could tell she wanted more than just for them, especially Tyrese Waters, to be locked away. Her pure drive to seek revenge on him was truly starting to concern her.
"Nothing's wrong. It's great news. Hope people don't hurt each other when they find out the truth. This is going to cause a lot of civil unrest across the system."
She was right. It would but the scale of unrest couldn't be in their control. She placed a hand on Violet's shoulder to reassure her but Adam stepped in and waved a hand grabbing both women's attention.
"I don't mean to interrupt but I was going to make some food now that I'm up. You two hungry? I know the hours incredibly late but-"
"YES!"
The two said simultaneously. Isabella was willing to eat anything as long as it wasn't that nutrition concentrate or whatever paste they fed her in the cell. A true meal would top off this long, long day.
"Alright. What would you like?"
"Anything. Literally whatever you can make that's not processed or paste. Please."
He nodded with a slight smile and stepped away as the two girls waited on the couch. Isabella looked over to Violet who, again, began staring off into space so to kill the awkward silence, she stood up and turned the T.V on. Immediately, some television show popped up and the two blankly watched the screen. After roughly 15 minutes, the smell of something cooking was noticeable, and just like at the bar, her stomach growled angrily at her once the smell hit her nose. She was starving.
Several more minutes passed and out came Adam with two plates of food. Small meat chunks mixed with some greens. She didn't know what it was and surely didn't ask once the plate was handed to her. Once they finished, Adam returned, taking the plates from them. Whatever was on her plate was the best thing she's had in days as everything that was once there was now completely gone. Adam only confirmed the obviousness of the empty plates with a snarky remark about their satiated appetite.
Relaxed, Isabella leaned back into the couch and let the comfort of it take her. It took only minutes until her eyes became heavy and her thoughts hard to focus. She fought it off a few times checking on Violet but she was out before her. Everything seemed fine now, she could take this small reprieve and let herself go. Darkness was quick to swallow her vision and before she realized it, she was asleep.
