The Cage (Book 2)

Pound the Alarm

Pound the Alarm

I heard what sounded like a demon bounding after me, his footfalls on the metallic catwalk echoing across the prison block.

"Oh, shit! It's Schneider! He's going after the new fish!"

"He's got you now, white boy! There ain't no running away from the King!"

I ran, doing my best to ignore the screams and cheers. Wind whistled past my ears as I hurtled through the cells and nearly fell off the catwalk to the ground when I rounded a particularly sharp corner.

Behind me, my pursuer was gaining.

"Hey, what's with all this commotion?" A guard appeared from behind a door, baton in hand and a furious expression on his face.

He spotted me immediately and his eyes narrowed, "You-!" And then his eyes widened when he looked past me and he visibly paled.

Don't look back! I commanded myself. I honestly didn't dare look over my shoulder and see what had made the guard pale so.

I awkwardly shoved the guard to the side as I went through the door he'd just come through, sending him flying over the catwalk's rails and plummeting to the ground.

The inmates cheered, their screams and shouting reverberating in the enclosed cell block until I thought I'd gone deaf.

I would have attempted to slam the door in my pursuer's face, but he was practically on top of me now and I didn't dare risk being caught. Besides, it was a challenge just running with both my wrists cuffed.

My legs burned from the sudden exercise; I'd spent the last two weeks in jail waiting for the trial that would determine my fate. Still, I pressed on, forcing my legs to go the distance.

Don't fail me now!

But go where? Where was I headed? It wasn't like I expected to get out of this prison which was built on an island! There were guards at every corner waiting to pounce on me and avenge their fallen comrade.

This is crazy. I've got nowhere to go!

Somehow, I wound up on the ground floor running back the direction I came from, the catwalks high above me.

My pursuer was not behind me.

My heart stilled and my blood ran cold when I realized where he was.

He was above me on the catwalks. His location was unmistakable; the echoes of his footsteps on the catwalk filled the cellblock, a giant's footfalls of doom. Something about him being right on top of me terrified me more than anything ever could.

Not even the guards were doing such a dedicated job of chasing me.

And then Schneider leapt across the rail like a lithe jaguar pouncing on its prey and landed right in front of me with a ground-breaking thump. Electric blue eyes flashed, dangerous and brighter than I'd ever seen them before. The hard and darkened expression on his face chilled me to the bone. Like thunder and lightning.

The sound of bells tolling echoed in my head.

So, this was it. Escape had indeed been futile. Emotions welled within me, lumping my throat. Fear gripped me by the spine and throat, crippling in its intensity. Terror had even frozen my eyeducts; otherwise I'd be balling my eyes out right now, mourning the misery that was my life.

Involuntarily, I took a step back the moment he straightened to his full height, towering over me.

"There he is!"

The horde of guards finally caught up to me, surrounding the both of us in a circle of fire.

The inmates clung to the bars and gawked at the scene with wide eyes, eager to see my death unfold. No one cared that I was about to be killed, no one was going to utter a word of protest on my behalf; most of them were hardened, heartless criminals after all. For all I knew, this was a daily spectacle in the Prison from Hell.

It would indeed be a spectacle.

"Stay where you are!" One guard barked at me through murderous eyes, spittle flying out of his mouth. He had a black taser pointed right at me, and only at me.

Why would they point it at their accomplice?

It was now a matter of who would get to me first. My eyes flew to Schneider. Something told me it would be him.

There was an unmistakable, unmissable element of peril about him that overpowered the rest of the guards. It was like staring into the eyes of a man-eating beast, knowing full well that him pouncing meant my certain death.

I glanced down at his hand where I'd bashed him with the cuffs. It looked terribly pink and swollen, and it seemed that I'd broken skin. It might even be broken.

Fuck.

Not only was Schneider going to kill me, but he was going to make it hurt, that was for sure. He was undoubtedly the type of man who'd break every bone in my body just for putting a scratch on his. Vengeful and vindictive. A true criminal.

"Get your hands behind your head!" The guard with the taser growled, waving the taser at me warningly.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I started to do as he'd asked.

"That's enough." Schneider said, his voice frighteningly low. He didn't sound angry at all. He sounded like he was rejecting extra pickles at a burger truck.

While my breathing sounded like I was wearing a Darth Vader mask, Schneider didn't look the least bit tired. Not a single hair on his perfect head was out of place.

"Are you sure, boss?" The guard asked skeptically, looking at Schneider.

Boss.

Did I hear that right? Or had the excitement gone to my head and I was now hearing things?

I looked between the guard and Schneider, perplexed. It was like watching a pet wait on his master's every word.

"Lower the taser." Schneider commanded, and the guard did. And it wasn't just the one guard. It was all of them.

"What the hell," I whispered, startled.

Why the hell were the guards listening to Schneider, an inmate?!

And then it dawned on me. I shivered as the thought -and its repercussions- fully sank in. So, the rumors were true.

Schneider had the guards in his back pocket.

Our eyes clashed and I said, "Just who the hell are you?" 

*~~~~~~~~~~~*

I accidentally posted the wrong chapter, so I'm reposting again. 

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