Suspects' Holding Cell

[etcircenses]

The vans drive for what seems like an hour before they come to a stop, and Peacekeepers blindfold and forcefully drag even the most cooperative suspects into a building.

The suspects are all held in one cell, a large, metal room with a thick door and a single ledge that serves as a bench. Bright fluorescent lights beam from overhead. There are no windows and no clocks, no sign of where they might be.

The Peacekeepers take off the blindfolds, though without much care for whether they come off all the way or chafe or stay slung around the suspects' necks. The suspects' hands are left cuffed behind their backs, and even the most ingenious of them won't be able to pick the lock on their restraints, but they're otherwise left to roam freely through the space.

Suspects are removed, one at a time, at unpredictable intervals, by Peacekeepers armed with tasers. Some take three hours to return, while others are back within only a minute. Each of them comes back having been clearly roughed up and pressed for information that they may or may not hold; some are bleeding or sporting the beginnings of black eyes.

They'll be sleeping here tonight.

Comments

[youbarium]

"It's possible," says Carlos, "but I don't think it's very likely. And anyway, there's nothing we can do about it except wait. You should probably stop coming up with worst case scenarios, unless it makes you feel better." He means this completely seriously. If it helps, she can go right ahead.

[dividedgirlofmine]

"It doesn't," she says and sighs. "Do you know why they picked you up?" Please let it not be because their rebellion has been found out.

[youbarium]

"...yeah," Carlos says, looking a little uncomfortable. "They thought I had a motive because Hsiang Jiao Avoxed Cecil. I guess the Capitol wasn't convinced that we weren't close." He'd tried very hard to do that, but Carlos by nature wasn't a liar. It hadn't come easily, and he apparently hadn't been convincing enough. His tone is carefully casual.

[dividedgirlofmine]

"With me it was Eddie," she says. "They have this-- well, I'd have thought I'd be brought in because after he was snatched up, they'd think I'd want revenge, but that's not it at all. Their idea was that I did it on his request, that he'd asked me to before he made that announcement of his."

[youbarium]

"That's crazy." He stares at her, brows furrowed in disbelief. "First of all, I can't believe the Capitol's security system is so unreliable that they can't tell who's innocent and who isn't. Second, if they had any sense, they'd realize that anyone who cared about you wouldn't send you on a mission that would end up with you in here." So much about the Peacekeepers' claims is so illogical.

[dividedgirlofmine]

She shrugs, a gesture that's hampered by her handcuffed wrists. She lowers her voice and says, very quietly, "Well, most of their questions were about his plans--and asking who I was supposed to meet with to leave the Capitol--so I'm not sure what they're really thinking. All I know is the man they think Eddie might be isn't the man I know."

[youbarium]

"I'm sorry about what happened," Carlos says quietly. "What he did was very brave." He means that: Carlos has nothing but respect for the people who spoke out about District 3, and now that he's in prison, he has nothing to lose by saying so.

[dividedgirlofmine]

"It was," Susannah replies. "I'm very proud of him. Angry, a bit, that he left me alone and that he's now the reason I'm in here, but... still proud."

[youbarium]

"Those are both completely reasonable emotions to feel." His tone is sympathetic, as understanding as he can be. Their situations aren't exactly the same, but he can relate.

[dividedgirlofmine]

She nods and thinks that if Carlos wasn't... well, whatever kind of scientist he actually was, he'd make a fairly decent psychologist. "I hope you're proud of Cecil too.

[youbarium]

"I am," he says, but then he looks away, and his expression turns sad. "...I'm less proud of myself."

[dividedgirlofmine]

"Because you disavowed him?" Susannah shrugs. "That... wasn't a nice thing to do, but I think I understand why." It had been for the Rebellion, hadn't it?

[youbarium]

"I said a lot of really terrible things." It helps that he knows she understands why, but it's still something Carlos feels terrible about. "And none of them were true. The Capitol turned me into a liar, Susannah. And a liar is the worst thing for a scientist to be."

[dividedgirlofmine]

She wishes she could move her arms. She wants to pat his hand, give him some sort of reassuring friendly gesture like that. "I'm sorry," she says anyway, although they both know it's not her that actually needs to apologize.

[youbarium]

"Me, too," he says. "If they do put us into the Arena on schedule, I'm finding Cecil and I'm telling him the truth."

[dividedgirlofmine]

"I'll look for him too," she says, "if you'd like. Though, I don't know if you'd want me to pass the message on or just let him know you have one."

[youbarium]

"Thanks, Susannah," Carlos says, breaking into a small but genuine smile. "If you can, I'd like you to tell him I want to talk to him. I'd rather...well, I'd rather say it myself."

[dividedgirlofmine]

The corners of her mouth twitch up despite everything. "I will, then. If we make it there."

[youbarium]

"If we make it there." A nod. He acknowledges that it's very possible they will be executed or just quietly killed before they make it to the arena, but he also knows that there's nothing they can do about it.

"The arena starts in two and a half weeks. That's fifteen days -- three hundred and sixty hours, give or take twelve since arenas usually start in the morning and we were taken at night. But there's sixteen of us, and they take us out of the cell one at a time, so that leaves us with about twenty-two hours each of interrogation, spread over the time between now and the arena. That's less than a full day of actual torture, with an average of fifteen hours in between sessions. That's not so bad, right?"

It sounds a little hollow, even to him, so Carlos shrugs.

"I don't know if that helps, but running figures has always made me feel better. Especially when the situation whose details I'm calculating is completely beyond my control."

[dividedgirlofmine]

Her face shifts, a little, while he's listing off his figures and she doesn't answer right away. "I'll keep those numbers in mind if I need them," she says finally. "And I do appreciate the thought. I got through so much already. I'll just have to get through a little more."

[youbarium]

He smiles at her sadly.

"I'm sure you can," Carlos says. It's a vote of confidence. "But if you like, I'll let you rest."

[dividedgirlofmine]

"Thank you, sugar," she says quietly. "I'd appreciate it."

[youbarium]

And he'll stand, and walk away, and let her be.