She returned to the fence carrying the clothes. Crossing the clearing at a run, she jumped the fence and bounded into the shadows of a building, then changed back to human and dressed quickly. As she did so, sirens began to wail and lights flooded the area.
Looking around, she saw men approaching both ways along the fence. She ran between two buildings, pausing at the other side. More men were coming towards her across the compound. I must have tripped an alarm when I crossed the fence, she thought. She crouched in the shadows, waiting for them to pass.
One of the men shone a flashlight into the shadows between the buildings. The beam swept across her, then swung back.
”You, there! Come out with your hands up,” the man barked. She obeyed, hands in the air. Three more men gathered around, rifles ready. “Hands against the wall, feet spread,” he ordered. She obeyed. One of the men frisked her, lingering with greedy interest on her breasts and buttocks. Then her hands were jerked behind her back and bound before being taken to a small building near the main gate.
”We found her near the site of the alarm, Sergeant,” her captor said.
The sergeant looked up from the bank of alarms. The monitor above them showed a layout of the base, with a pulsing red light along one side. “Very good. Continue searching. She may not have been alone,” the sergeant said as he stood. He turned to her as the four men left. “Who are you and why did you break in?”
She looked at him wordlessly.
He frowned. “You’re in a lot of trouble, you know. Trespassing on private property. You might as well make it easy on yourself by answering me. Now who are you and why are you here?”
He scowled at her continued silence. “What is your name!” he shouted, shaking her by the shoulders. She staggered in his grip, but didn’t answer. He flung her onto a bench. “Go get Lieutenant Greene,” he snarled at one of the other men in the room.
A few minutes later, an officer came into the room. “Now, Sergeant, what’s all this about?” he asked.
”We picked her up inside the compound, Lieutenant. She crossed the fence somehow, but triggered one of the sensors. She won’t tell me who she is, or say anything.”
The lieutenant, a tall, youngish man, looked at her, shaking his head. “It’s no use being stubborn. We will find out who you are sooner or later, so you might as well make it easy on yourself. Now tell me, what is your name?”
She looked at him, silent. Without warning, he slapped her with his open palm. He seized her by the front of her blouse and dragged her to her feet. “What’s your name?” he demanded. She shook her head, dazed. He pushed her roughly back to the bench. She slammed hard against the wall, sliding down onto the hard wood, gasping for air. He grabbed the front of her blouse again and jerked her up. “Your name!” he shouted, slapping her twice again, hard. Her knees buckled and she sagged in his grip. The thin fabric of the blouse ripped up the back and she fell to the floor, unconscious. He scowled down at her and threw the ruined blouse aside.
”I don’t like this. Something is going on. You,” he snapped, pointing at one of the men. “Go wake the captain and get one of the General’s men out here.”
The man saluted and ran out. The lieutenant stalked angrily to the silent row of perimeter alarms, then over to the radar screen. “Anything?” he demanded.
”No, sir. Nothing on the screen,” said the operator.
He scowled again, then turned and pressed a button. A yellow light began flashing. His second platoon poured out of the ready room, heading for the perimeter cannons.
When the captain arrived, he made a brief report. When he’d finished, the captain nodded. “Go get a bucket of water,” he ordered one of the men. A few moments later the soldier returned with a bucket full of water. The captain threw the water into Antoinette’s face and handed it back to the soldier, who carried it outside for refilling. She began to sputter as the cold water dragged her back into consciousness.
”Your name,” the captain asked, standing over her. “Tell me your name.” She shook her head.
“This is getting nowhere,” came a voice from the door. One of the General’s officers entered the room. “You mercenaries are being too soft on her. Bring her over to my office and I’ll take care of her. You just make sure no one else gets through your guard.
