CHAPTER 66
Gregory marched Laney to a dig site about a hundred yards from the entrance. She tried to stay an arm’s length away from him, but he wouldn’t let her. She cringed every time her arm touched his.
“You address all guards as ‘sir’. You never make eye contact with a guard. There is no talking between inmates. Basically, anything we tell you to do, you do. If you don’t, it will not be pleasant for you.”
At that statement, Gregory glanced down at Laney. His voice was quiet, his tone deadly. “The Senator said we can’t harm you, but there are ways that don’t leave marks. Keep that in mind.”
When they reached their destination, Gregory handed her off to another guard. “Put her to work. But don’t let her get hurt. There’s some special plan in place for her.”
The guard glanced down at her. “Oh yeah, I’ll be real nice to her.”
Gregory snorted. “No marks. Just put her to work.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Got it.” The guard grabbed her roughly by the arm and pushed her towards a ramp leading down into the trench.
About ten structures had been partially uncovered. Two-man teams were carefully shoveling and brushing dirt away from each of the towering megaliths. Another two men circled the site with a wheelbarrow, filling it with displaced dirt. Laney had seen a few men sifting the dirt at various locations up above before other men took the sifted dirt to a giant pile outside the enclosure.
She was led over to one of the two-man teams. The men, kneeling down to brush the bottom of the structure, focused their gazes down as she and the guard approached.
The guard kicked one of the men in the back, causing him to fall onto his hands. “You. Explain to her what needs to be done.”
The man pushed himself back up and reached for his brush again.
“Hey. I gave you an order.”
“I’ll do it, sir,” the man beside him said in a rush. “He’s gone a little deaf. He can’t hear you.”
“Whatever,” the guard mumbled. “Make sure she knows what to do.”
“Yes, sir,” the man replied.
The guard turned around and headed back up the ramp. The man who’d spoken helped the other man find his brush and then gave him a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. He gestured for Laney to kneel down next to him. He reached behind him to grab another brush and shovel.
“You’ll need these,” he said, looking her in the face for the first time.
“Tom,” she gasped.