He gave a wink and stretched a hand through the bars. A big red apple materialized in his palm and he looked so proud you’d think he made a peperoni pizza.
“Kirk! You’re not done yet? Come on, man,” one of the guards called out from down the hall. “The Sky cricket match is about to start in the barracks.”
The old guard glanced back at his colleagues and waved them goodbye. “You guys go on ahead. I’ve got a pretty little lady here to keep me company.”
Keep him company? Oh God. He’s not going to stay here all night, is he?
“Well are you gonna take it, or what?” he said somewhat impatiently while he rotated the apple in his palm.
“I’m still full from dinner,” I said plainly, hoping he would take the hint and buzz off. Then, to make my point, I turned my head away from him to face the wall.
The sooner he goes, the sooner I can sneak out and get to gold block so I didn’t see any point in entertaining the geezer.
“Why, you little bitch! You think you're better than me or something?” he barked throwing the apple right at my head. It hit the side of my face hard, like a rock, then rolled to the floor.
That coward! How dare he attack me and through a closed bar? He was cruising for a bruising, big time. I sprang to my feet and faced him. I outstretched an accusing finger in his face and he looked affronted by it.
“Listen, you geezer. No, I don’t want your damn apple and I sure as shit don’t want your shriveled old cock. I tried to be nice, but nobody throws shit at me, you got that?”
There was just something about having food thrown at me that really got me in ways few other things did. My parents made sport out of that. Throwing me their table scraps to eat. It was never the nice stuff either. It was only the things they didn’t want like the fish heads, bread ends and, yes, even the apple cores. Nobody was ever going to get away with treating me like that again.
I balled my fist, staring him down. His jaw fell open in shock, as if he couldn’t believe an inmate would dare speak to him in such a manner.
I didn’t have time for this man, I’d finally gotten the key I needed, and I wasn’t going to let this fucking perv get in the way of that.
“Now why don’t you just do us both a favor and jog the fuck on.” I jerked a finger up the hall to where the barracks entrance was.
He reached for the key card at his waist, swiped it over the lock and wrenched the door open viciously, his eyes were mad with rage.
“I don’t know who you think you are, sixty-six, but I think you might just have had it a bit too easy in here so far. Maybe you’ve been spoiled too much by whichever other guard you’ve been sucking off. It’s about time somebody taught you some manners.”
He reached for the thunder baton at his waist and stretched it out in my direction. He flipped a switch mid-way down the rod and it roared like an explosion before the tip lit up like a bolt of lightning. I didn’t move an inch, holding my ground as he inched closer with the baton.
The air stalled in my lungs as I eyed the baton. Just one look at it told me it would hurt like hell. Not right now. Any time but now. I just want to go and see Michael. I don’t need this shit right now.
“Hey, Jerry, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A voice called out from the cell next door.
Jamie?
The guard jerked his head to face the wall of Jamie’s cell with a scowl on his face. “What? Who are you to use my first name, sixty-five? Quiet down over there or the fae won’t be the only one visiting Nurse Colligan tonight.”
“That’s fine with me, Jerry. I’m mighty fond of Colligan. My only concern is for you.”
Jerry slightly lowered his wand, his baggy old eyes still hard on me. Still ready to attack.
“What the hell are you talking about, sixty-five? You gone nuts again?”
“Why don’t you tell me? Right after I tell Blackwater you’ve been sexually harassing inmates again. How long did she suspend you for it the last time? Two, three months? Wonder how long it’ll be this time.”
Jerry stilled, fear rising in his eyes. A bead of sweat slid down his face as he seemed to think it through. Then without another word he switched the baton off, spun around, and rushed out of my cell. The cell door shut behind him and the lock tumbled closed. I let out a long sigh.
These old men, can’t they go find a woman their own age?
“Thank you, Jamie!” I sang.
“Was nothing.”
One miracle after the next, Jamie was a real hero.
The block went silent and all the lights in the hall went out. All that remained was the dim overhead lights in each cell that lined the block.
The guards were long gone, back to their barracks and it was now or never. It was better to get going before the soul eaters entered the prison. If I was going to have to stun one of them with the shiso, I’d prefer to do it when returning to my cell rather than leaving. At least then all the prisoners would have gone to bed and wouldn’t see the commotion.
I pulled the universal key card out from inside my pocket and opened the door. I stuck my head out into the hallway glancing left and right. Not a soul in sight. Perfect. I then quietly snuck out into the dark hallway and drew my cell door closed.
Jamie stood pressed up against the bars of his cell, his fingers wrapped around two of the bars as if he were waiting for me to leave my cell. He then shot me a curious look.
“Need a little extra muscle for the next phase of your brilliant escape plan?”
“You sound almost like you doubt it’s going to work. I will get into gold block and I will find him tonight, Jamie”
“Oh, Christ no. Nobody in heaven or hell could ever get between the great Jessy Gilchrest and her dreams.” He gave an admiring smile.
“And don’t you ever forget it,” I said turning away to start down the dark hallway.
“Hey wait, Jess. Aren’t you forgetting someone?”
He was serious. He really wanted to go. I swung back around to see Jamie full on doing the puppy dog pout. My shoulders fell.
“Sorry, Jamie. There’s no telling what’s down there. I don’t know what I would do if you got hurt. I have to go in alone. Don’t worry though. When Michael and I do make our escape, you will be there with us.”
“I’m not worried about you leaving, Jessy. I want you out of this shithole. What I am worried about is the danger. You said it yourself. There’s no telling what might be down there,” he pleaded, his face looking worn with worry. “Listen, Jess. You can’t always defeat all the boogy men on your own. Sometimes you need help. Please. Let me keep you safe.”
The plea in his eyes hit hard. He looked genuinely worried, maybe even terrified of what might happen if I went in all alone. As if I were a delicate little baby, his baby. Only hours ago, we bonded in a way few people ever did in life. He was now a part of me and I a part of him. No wonder he wanted to protect me.
“Sorry, Jamie. This time I’ll be the one to protect you.”
“Jessy, no. Please!” he whispered angrily and shook the bars to his cell as if he hoped he could break them, but it was no use.
I hated seeming him sad like this but there was no choice. Still, I wanted to give him some hope, something to be happy about it.
I strode up to the bars of his cell and patted my hand over his cheek reassuringly. “Pack your bags, Jamie. Before you know it, we’ll be blowing this popsicle stand!”
He gave a weary nod, still not satisfied but it was good enough.
I stepped back from his cell and spun around. Then I took off jogging my way down the dark hallway and into the unknown. The elevator to gold block wasn’t that far away. Soon I would be there and soon I would be with Michael.
***
The corridor that Jamie took me to on the first day came into view. The walls were white and bare with staircases tucked here and there along the way. I was no longer on a cell block so there were no cells to be seen.
It was so quiet you could hear a p
in drop and it was unnervingly cold in here. So much so the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I followed the path all the way down clinging tightly to the shiso in one hand and the keycard in the other.
There was no telling if there would be a few soul eaters lurking about in the dark. I needed to be ready should they attack.
The elevator to gold block stood before me up ahead, its big double doors looked ominous in the dark. I rested my hand on the door and it was frigid, almost stingingly cold against my flesh.
Hmm, strange. Something shook within me then. This frigidity. It made me feel uneasy, as if whatever was down there was locked away for a reason.
The door’s iciness reminded me that I was a stranger to gold block, uninvited and unwanted. And something in the pit of my stomach told me that where I was going, they didn’t take too kindly to uninvited guests.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the naughty little fae. Got out of bed for a snack in the kitchen I presume?” My heart thudded in my chest and I spun on my heels to see a tall, brawny and annoyingly arrogant dragon shifter behind me.
“Drake? What the hell are you doing here?” I flew a hand back in rebuke.
“Don’t you mean dragon boy? And shouldn’t I be asking you the same?” He folded his arms leaning his head down. “You know, I swear it’s like everything I say to you goes in one ear and slips out the other. What part of keep your head down and stay out of fucking trouble don’t you understand? Gold block? Are you kidding me?”
“This is none of your business, dragon,” I spat out, trying to hide the key card in my hand. “Besides, how the hell did you even get out of your cell?”
He raised his head seeming proud of his little break out trick.
“You’re not the only one with tricks, little fae. That sweet little guard Daniella was more than happy to leave my door open for me when I asked her.”
“Really now, and I wonder how long you had to go down on her for that little perk?”
His brows rose in surprise and he grinned the most satisfied grin. I wished I could just rip that grin off his face.
“First of all, all she asked for was a kiss. Second of all, are you jealous or something?” He seemed tinkled pink at the idea.
“Oh, you’d like that wouldn’t you? Well sorry, last time I checked the underworld hasn’t frozen over yet. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m busy at the moment.”
I jerked a finger back down the way we came, gesturing for him to go.
“Goodbye and good night. Get back to your cell,” I said but he just stood there as if his feet were glued to the ground.
“And miss all the fun?” he said playfully, as if he was truly enjoying keeping me away from my goal. “Tell you what, you tell me what you’re planning and how it involves gold block. Then I’ll leave you alone.”
“You know what, dragon? Wait…” I rose a silencing hand to Drake as my eyes skimmed the dark. “Do you hear that?” The faint swishing sound of ghostly figures ripping through the air permeated the corridor. It couldn’t be. But by the chill in my bones I knew it was true. The soul eaters had found us and it sounded like a whole damn lot of them.
“Looks like you were talking a little too loud, little fae. Great, now what are we going to do about the soul eaters?” he said in an arrogant tone as if implying this was somehow my fault.
“Oh no! You’re not blaming this one on me. If you hadn’t followed me like some psycho stalker none of this would have happened!”
A ghostly growl and the sound of talon-like claws scraping against the walls echoed down the passage. Five massive spirit-like figures sped for us, baring their sharkish teeth.
My God they moved fast! I only had a few shiso leaves with me and I needed to save as many of them as possible for when I made my big escape.
The last thing I wanted was uninvited company, least of all this overbearing psycho beside me. But right now, it was either I get in this elevator or the next thing I’d be seeing was the flame pits of hell. And the last place I wanted to be was anywhere that lunatic Hades had any power over me.
“Fuck!” Drake cursed, eyeing the soul eaters.
I outstretched the keycard and pressed it on the censor to the left of the elevator door. The light went from red to green and the elevator doors slid open. I leapt inside and Drake dove head first in after me.
Backs against the elevator wall, our horror stricken eyes met the soul eaters barreling towards the open doors. They gave out an air splitting scream, outstretching their knife-like talons in our direction.
My every muscle tensed and my legs turned to jelly under me. My eyes scanned the elevator but there wasn’t a button in sight. How the hell did you close these fucking doors?
“Close the goddamn doors!” Drake bellowed.
“Don’t you think I’d love to do that?!” I turned to leer at him and just then the elevator doors began to slowly roll closed. The soul eaters sped up, desperate to arrive before the doors connected.
Anxiety churned in my stomach and the air became almost too thick to breath. They were mere inches away and I squeezed the shiso between my fingers, readying to use it if I had to. Even if it meant not having enough left for an easy escape.
They were inches from the door with murder beaming in their soulless eyes. Their claws were about to pass through the opening when the elevator doors finally closed.
Bang. Bang. Bang. The sound of soul eaters crashing into the closed door echoed through the elevator shaft. They’d almost made it, but luck was on our side.
Now that we were alone Drake charged over to face me, his face red wit rage. “Mind explaining to me how you got that key? Or how you're magically able to hold onto it?”
I didn’t answer him. He didn’t need to know my plans. From the moment I’d met him he’d only been trying to get in my way.
I looked away from him and he snorted. The tumble of gears turning sounded in the elevator. We were descending.
The entire ride down Drake and I didn’t say a word to each other. He just kept glowering at me. In his eyes was one question he knew I had no intention of answering, ‘what the fuck were we doing here?’
We must have gone down thirty or even fifty floors until the elevator finally came to a stop. After the ding, the doors rolled open and the stink of what smelled like rotting flesh wafted into the elevator. I’d never smelt anything so disgusting in my life and I hoped never to smell it again. Outside the elevator was a tiny dimly lit room with a door at the end of it. With my finger pinched hard over my nose I stepped out of the elevator and slowly approached the door.
Gold block was on the other side and so was Michael. I didn’t know what that terrible smell was, but no stench no matter how terrible could make me turn back now. Michael here I come.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Jessy
“Holy fuck! What is that smell?” Drake stepped out of the elevator cupping his mouth and nose with his palm. His eyes darted around the room wildly, as if he were trying to find a place to vomit.
“Listen, I don’t know why we’re here, but we need to stay out of sight till those soul eaters go, then we need to get back to our cells.”
“Speak for yourself, pal. I’m not leaving till I’ve gotten what I came here for.” I waived a dismissing hand at him and his arms hung loosely at his sides.
But where was here? My eyes trailed the tiny room we found ourselves in. It was no larger than your average bathroom with the elevator door behind us and a big white door in front of us. The lights were dimly lit in here and the door had a strange looking square door knob made of caste iron. The knob almost seemed fortified to keep whatever was on the other side of that door inside.
The doors in the rest of the prison were much more sophisticated than this, they had magictronic scanners and access keys. So, what was this mess? Something deep in the pit of my belly told me that I wasn’t about to find another cell block on the other side of that door. I didn’t know what I’d find back there and i
t didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I found Michael and that he was in one piece. I approached the door outstretching my palm.
“What are you doing? Did you not hear me?! Don’t you smell this shit?” Drake boomed his nostrils flairing as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Don’t you open that door!”
Ignoring him, I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob and turned it. Surprisingly the door was unlocked and swung open with ease.
I pinched my nose so fast my nails dug into my own face. Oh my God! What was in there? A dumpster? I could barely breath from the unholy reek that now spilled from the other side of the door.
“Holy Mother!” Drake cursed, stumbling back in pure shock from the horrendous smell. “What are you doing? Close the door.” Drake waived frantically but I couldn’t obey. Michael was through that door and so that’s where I needed to be, stink or not.
Ignoring Drake's cursing I stepped past the threshold and entered a larger and equally dim lit room.
The air was cold and heavy. Scuffling noises abounded as if there were people inside. Maybe there were other prisoners?
“Hello? Is someone there? I’m looking for a man named Michael…” Before I could finish the words got stuck in my throat. I felt like screaming but somehow I managed not to.
My body trembled from head to toe, my thoughts racing a mile a minute. My eyes scanned the room and I covered my mouth in terror. I then stumbled back, my back hitting Drake’s chest like a boulder.
Zombies filled the room from one end to the other. There must have been a hundred of them crammed in here like sardines. Their clothes were worn, their flesh grey and covered in sores. The crack of bones cracking against each other filled the room as every zombie snapped their heads in our direction.
The moment they caught sight of us, their jaws fell open to bare their teeth. I knew that gesture anywhere. They were hungry and ready to feed on any living being they could find. Too bad for us, that meant Drake and I. Feeding was the only thing a zombie ever wanted to do, and just one bite from their undead teeth and you would be one of them for all time.
Escape of the Fae Page 24
