Free The Minus Faction, Episode One: Breakout by Rick Wayne

unused pair of legs for a run, but he'd taken it too far. He'd been intoxicated. Saving the corporal from his addiction wouldn't mean much if John simply succumbed to his own. "It's not right."
    Dr. Zabora put a hand in her coat pocket. She fiddled with something inside. She paced. "No . . . But then neither is government-sponsored kidnapping." She looked at the ceiling, then at the floor, then at her patient. "Where will they take you?"
    "A black site. Probably overseas." Avoid the Constitution and the media.
    "And when--" Amarta wanted to say when they find out there's nothing to find out , but she remembered they might be listening. "And when they get what they want? What then?"
    John faced the floor but his eyes were looking up at the doctor.
    Amarta closed hers. They'd execute him. "Jesus."
    Regent looked away. "One time we got orders to leave a door unlocked so we could 'legally' shoot someone while escaping."
    "Capta--"
    "I knew this was the endgame the moment I went AWOL. I had my reasons. That's all anyone's going to know."
    Dr. Zabora felt a deep and rumbling anger gurgle from her bowels. She bit down hard. She didn't know why he abandoned his unit, but she knew her patient, and she was certain he was protecting someone.
    Absolutely certain.
    Then she realized, maybe that last story was significant. That would be like him. "What happened to that man? The one who escaped."
    Regent smirked. The doc was good. " Her . And she disappeared. They never found her."
    Amarta tapped her foot in silence.
    John looked amused. "Man, it sure took a lot longer to get to this point than I thought. I never expected to make it this far. It was one helluva run. Just promise me you'll take care of Gab--"
    "Stop!" Dr. Zabora put her hand to her face. She sat. She started talking faster. "I did a lot of thinking last night, Captain. A lot . I doubt I got more than a couple hours sleep, which has been just awesome with everything that's happened today. I kept telling myself, I'm a scientist. There's no way I can accept what you told me. I can't. I was dreading the morning. I knew I had to come in today and sign the order to keep you here, just like they wanted."
    John had expected it. "So why didn't you?"
    "Something . . . a gut feeling. Morals, maybe. I don't know. Something wasn't right. It didn't make sense. I kept going around and around. But then I figured it out." Amarta turned her head to the door. "Lieutenant!" She called.
    Down the hall, the lieutenant turned.
    Dr. Zabora yelled again. "Can you join us for a moment?"
    John scowled.
    Amarta turned back to him. "I kept telling myself, I'm a scientist. I can't believe it. I'm a scientist. And then I realized, that was the answer. I didn't have the data. It's easier to give up, Captain. It will always be easier to give up. I wanted to so many times these last couple years. But someone reminded me this week— today , actually—of why we keep fighting. And what the hell we're fighting for."
    The big lieutenant poked his head though the door. "Ma'am, we really need you to--"
    "Can you come in here for a second?"
    "Ma'am--"
    "Please, it will just take a moment. Then I'll join your little tea party."
    The lieutenant looked down the hall, probably to hide his reaction to the jibe, then stepped into the room.
    "Please close the door."
    The lieutenant looked at the captain, who shrugged. The young man turned and Amarta pulled a snub syringe from her pocket and pressed it into his side. He was unconscious before he could see what poked him. His body slumped to the floor. His head bounced against the wall and left a mark on the plaster. Amarta stepped over his legs and looked up and down the hall. No one had noticed. She pushed his feet out of the way, then closed and locked the door.
    "Shit." John sat up.
    Amarta lowered her voice. "So here's my experiment. It's not pretty. But it looks like we're out of both time. And options. So this is how it's going to be. I'm doing something for you, and