Scarlet Rogue (Book One)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Escape Plan 2.0

Kaelynn

"The guards pick a girl on the last Sunday of the month," Imelda says.

"What for?" I ask, unsure of whether I want to know.

She looks away for a moment, a frown burrowing on her face as if the words can't escape her mouth. Her expressions are enough to convince me that I don't need to hear anymore. Although why Imelda brings up the subject troubles me, she is not one for small talk.

"What's the matter?" I ask hoping to break her silence but my hopes are in vain as she opens and closes her mouth just as fast. It's only when I look down and see little Mavis sleeping that it dawns on me.

"Mavis and Hannah-"

"That's not it," Imelda stops me going any further finally deciding to explain herself. "If they pick you, it could be our chance to escape but it's dangerous. One wrong move and we'll all be dead, or worse."

It's not death that scares me here, it's the 'worse.' These guards are vindictive, their eyes as cold and empty as the prisoner who led us here. I'll never be able to trust anyone with those eyes again, not after everything I've witnessed here.

This could be the last chance to rescue Kurt, not to mention my young cellmates will make it for two more nights tops before they'll be nothing more than corpses. I don't see any other option and it looks like neither does Imelda if she is considering this.

"I'll do it," I say making the final decision.

"If we are going to do this there can be no slip-ups," Imelda says looking serious as ever.

The last thing I intend to do is make any mistakes. With Sunday being tomorrow, the timing couldn't be better. With only one of my pills left, it will be enough for Kurt to hopefully recover enough to make it back to the pack. Something tells me Ayden never made it this far, past the lines of defences, he would not have stood for a torture chamber like this existing.

"That one," Imelda points towards a guard whose just started his shift. "You're his type, he will pick you if he sees you."

His demeanour suggests he is new here, still learning the ropes of the place and easiest to take advantage of. Studying his build, he can't be much taller than me but he makes up for it in muscle, still beating an Alpha one-on-one would be beyond him even in my weakened state.

"Once he takes you away to his room, the other guards will be distracted in their own rooms. That's the perfect opportunity to confine him and steal his keys to break us out," Imelda explains the plan.

It sounds simple enough but something is bound to go wrong anywhere between the guard picking me to rescuing Kurt to finally reaching the Grey Moon pack terrain. It will all be worth the struggle if, and only if, we manage it over the line.

Imelda shuffles over next to me, digging up the last buried pill out of sight from the guards. Fiddling with it, she seems deep in thought most likely over the events of tomorrow. Seven years in here and finally freedom could be on the cards. Either freedom or death, but either is a damn sight better than being in here.

"You should take it," Imelda says, now making her thoughts clear.

"I can't. We don't even know what state Kurt is in, he'll need it."

"The plan is dangerous, you need the strength and Kurt is likely to be a goner by now," she says softening her voice for the end.

Kurt not surviving has crossed my mind more times than I can count but the thought of him losing his life because of me is too much to bear. I can only hope his quick wit stands him in good stead until tomorrow.