Happy Utopia Day, Joe McCarthy

Chapter 21

I'm back in shape.

-Senator Joseph McCarthy

A mop of hair falls out of the air vent. I see the upside-down

smile of Wizkid. A small light is strapped to his forehead. He

puts his index finger over his lips. He dangles his arms out of

the opening. A small computer tablet rests in one palm. He

presses his index finger to the screen and a click sounds in the

jail door.

I jump up, push on the bars, and open the door. I walk

into freedom and toward the air vent. In order to turn around

Wizkid hangs face down as far as his arms will let him, flips his

legs out like an acrobat, and then pulls himself headfirst back

into the air vent.

I stand on the desk, reach up, and pull myself into the vent.

The cool metal closes in around me. It smells of dust. Wizkid

begins to crawl. His feet push the computer tablet toward me

as he moves forward.

"Leave it," he whispers.

We crawl to a bend and turn left. I try to be quiet, but the

thin metal reverberates with every movement. Wizkid is more

nimble. After thirty feet we reach a main vertical airshaft. A

rope ladder hangs down from it. Wizkid pushes the headlamp

to me. I point the light on him and watch him climb until he

disappears. I strap the light to my head and follow.

When I reach the top, Wizkid and Derek grab my arms and

pull me through an opening they have cut into the air vent.

"Careful, the sheet metal is sharp," Derek says.

We stand on the roof looking at one another next to a heat-

ing/air conditioning unit the air vent feeds into.

"Nice work," I say.

Derek points to ropes, lights, knives, tranquilizer-dart kit,

and other equipment. "We went shopping."

Wizkid excitedly shakes my hand. "Thank you, dude. That

was awesome."

I feel such relief. "I should be thanking you," I say. "That

was a great rescue."

"No, the party I mean. Jenny showed up after you were