The Glade and Its Glitch: Book 4 Escape

Chapter 16

 Carrie got to work picking the lock. She bent the paperclip into the position she wanted and sat down by the door. Her view of the lock was blocked, but she could hear the necessary clicks just fine. All she had to do was trigger the pins and once they were all set the door could open.

"You sure you can do it blind?" Lloyd asked as he kept lookout. He watched the hallway where Devin and Cassandra had disappeared. The last thing he and Carrie needed was to get caught. Especially when they finally had the chance to escape.

"I got this Lloyd." She chuckled, "I never thought my dad teaching me this would come in handy."

"I sure am glad he taught you."

"Me too. I'll have to thank him when we get out."

"I might just kiss him."

Carrie smiled, she couldn't wait to see her family again. "That would be a sight. You gonna kiss my brother too?"

"Ehh, maybe I'll just settle for kissing you," Lloyd smirked and sneaked a glance down at her before resuming his watch.

Carrie raised an eyebrow in response. "I'm lookin' forward to it."

Lloyd smiled as he watched the hallway. Carrie didn't have a thick accent, but she did have a particular way of speaking. She tended to drop the letter g on some words. From beginning to beginnin', from doing to doin', and from starting to startin'. She also smirked with one side of her mouth when she said "you know". Although she said it more like "ya know". Lloyd loved it when she smirked. Her playful attitude showed through and he was always surprised to see it. If he was told he'd be in a torturous prison with someone, he wouldn't have expected them to be happy. But once Carrie warmed up to him, and started to hate him less, she became playful and happy. She was still her sarcastic, stubborn self, but she was less defensive.

The lock clicked one final time, and Carrie stood up. "Done."

Lloyd opened the door and stuck his head out getting a good look at both ends of the hallway. He motioned for Carrie to follow with his hand, and the two started walking toward the left. She slowly pulled the door shut so that anyone who walked by or looked down the hallway, wouldn't immediately notice two prisoners had escaped.

They headed down the hall. Carrie could practically hear her heart beating and if she listened closely she could hear Lloyd's shaky breaths. They were both nervous, maybe even terrified. What would happen if Devin caught them? Would he kill them? Would he let Cassandra torture them?

As they headed down the hall they neared a corner. Loud footsteps echoed down the hallway and Lloyd and Carrie stopped dead in their tracks.

"No," Carrie's voice was breathless and fearful as her thoughts of escape slipped through her fingers.

Lloyd wrapped a hand around her waist and yanked her towards him. He threw a door open and shoved her inside. Slamming the door shut, Lloyd looked down. He'd pushed himself and Carrie into a closet. There wasn't much room, Lloyd's chest was pressed to Carrie's. His hand was still wrapped around her waist and her hands were resting on his chest.

Carrie tried to slow her breathing so that no one would hear her. She focused on Lloyd's heartbeat. She could almost hear it as it pounded, and because he wasn't wearing a shirt under his gi she could feel its beat beneath her fingers.

The footsteps got louder as the guard, or whoever it was, got nearer.

Lloyd held his breath and prayed to the First Spinjitzu Master that they'd just walk by. Either his grandfather heard his prayer, or he and Carrie got seriously lucky. The guard walked right past and didn't stop for a second.