Hellhole Inferno by Brian Herbert Page A

sanitarium just outside of town.”
    In ensuing days, Laderna had tracked down four sanitariums on Sandusky. One of them, the Cove Institute, specialized in the discreet institutionalization of members from the wealthiest families, keeping them out of the public eye so they could cause no further embarrassment. The managers of the sanitarium ran the facility like a high-security bank, refusing to reveal who their clients were. Laderna made a visit of her own, by now with a fully developed story.
    The Cove Institute was an elegant old structure built of rare green marble that reminded Laderna of the facets of an unusual jewel. The building was six stories tall and expansive, with four wings extending from a central core. The entrance featured immense white columns and the statues of famous Sanduskan scientists in heroic poses.
    In the echoing entrance hall, Laderna gave her false name and offered the story that she and her fiancé were considering a move to Sandusky. Then she lowered her voice and added that his wealthy family was concerned about the well-being of a troublesome, mentally ill uncle. At the mention of wealth, the clerk sent for what she called an “adviser” to consult with Laderna.
    Minutes later, a pink-cheeked man in a spotless white lab coat identified himself as Johan Zenn. Assuming he was a member of the planet’s ruling family, she was taken aback. Yes, perhaps she had found the place hiding Haveeda.
    She reached out to shake his hand. “Very nice to meet you.”
    His grip was limp, his blue eyes dull. “I’ll show you some of our facility. I could recommend the best form of commitment for a troubled family member.”
    â€œMy fiancé’s uncle has been increasingly unstable, blaming his family for all of his failures in life. He’s unable to work and has made many disturbing and irrational comments. We are all quite worried about him.” She looked around. “Perhaps he would feel at home in a place like this. Cost is no object.”
    He nodded. “I understand completely. Let me show you around.”
    â€œI assume you have different levels of security for the various patients,” Laderna said. “For someone of his stature, we want the greatest discretion and confidence.”
    The facility was as clean and spotless as Zenn’s lab coat. The sanitarium, down every corridor in every wing, was of an old classic design, but the materials looked surprisingly new, with no patina of age. Several of the sections had viewing glass, so she could look inside and see patients in communal surroundings, or lab workers doing biological research on the leading causes of mental illness.
    In the east wing, they passed a section devoid of viewing windows, and Laderna saw a very young woman in a lab coat enter through a metal door after pressing her hand against a scanner plate. The door closed before Laderna could see inside.
    â€œI find your facility most interesting, Mr. Zenn,” she said.
    *   *   *
    Three nights later, after following one of the maintenance women home, she presented the woman with an enormous bribe—more than she was likely to see in the rest of her working life. Laderna found it extremely ironic that the funds she was using to corrupt this employee came directly from Diadem Michella’s largesse to Ishop.
    From her tour and other surreptitious investigations, Laderna had the general layout of the Cove Institute, as well as a sense of their security measures. Fortunately, the sanitarium’s security was primarily designed to control the patients and prevent them from breaking out . Slipping in should be much less of a challenge.
    The maintenance woman was adept, hardworking, and reliable. When Laderna met her in the small, rented hotel room, the woman was furtive and nervous. She brought images of the full floor plan of the institute, blueprints of ventilation systems, electrical grids, even a time