Everyone Is A Criminal

American Measurments and Sewer Conversations

DANIEL

We stayed out for a few more days while we configured a plan. Jud- no, Skylar figured out Brookies cell number, and the sewerage layout.

The prison has a large bilge tank where all the prisoners waste is passed through. All we need to do is pass the bilge tank and find Brookies cell, signal to her that we are here, and get back.

This is honestly a fairly low-risk plan. But it means getting Brookie, so I'm all in.

Also. We stole a car. Not a very big one, but I thought I should mention that. The police haven't connected us to it- we've been keeping track of our case on AllAmericanNews.com. They've made a whole file for it.

Me and Dylan are going in through a manhole in an alleyway not too far from Brookies prision, being the smallest. Skylar is doing her hacker thing, and Mikayla and Finn are sitting this one out.

Mikayla gives us the earpods again, as well as flashlights and huge gumboots.

''Alright. Since there are only four earpods, you both will have one, Skylar will have one, and as the getaway driver, Finn will have one. Remember-'' She tells us.

''-that once Brookie is with us, we need to get away as quickly as possible. Before we get in plain sight, take our gumboots off so we can run quicker. Don't leave the sewers without knowing where the car is. Got it. Lets go crew!''. I interrupt her before she can list off a whole list of things like a mother reminding her child to shower before they go off to summer camp.

Although she looks annoyed with me, Mikayla nods. I open the car door, and me and Dylan step outside, headed to the manhole. I open the manhole, and climb in. The street is mostly empty, so no one notices.

Dylan closes the manhole, and I wait for him to climb down. I turn my torch on as the sunlight is blocked off''

''Okay, we're in'' I say into the earpod.

''Alright. Turn left and keep going for about one hundred meters'' Skylar voice comes in, a little staticy. Probably because we're technically underground.

''Meters?'' Dylan asks jokingly. Skylar sighs. 'I'm Aussie, alright? Grew up in Australia. It should be about.... three hundred feetsies''

I laugh at that too, then realise that I'm staring at a fork so it's time to be on track. I can basically hear Mikayla asking Skylar why we are debating about feetsies and meters, and not sewerage systems and directions.

''Yeah, no crap. The U.S measuring system is messed up, I'm Aussie as well. Lived there until I was sixteen. Anyway, we've reached a fork. Left or right?'' I say.

There was a pause. ''Uhm, left''

We turn down there, and the stench I had been trying to ignore significantly worsens and I end up plugging my nose.

''Okay. How far?''

''You sound funny. Anyway, the bilge tank is up ahead. Maybe two hundred meters left? Not sure how many Subway sandwiches it would take'' Skylar informs us.

Dylan laughs next to me. ''Bro has his nose plugged. And when did Subway enter the conversation?''

Skylar laughs, along with Finn, who had been oddly silent. I imagine Mikayla is yelling at Finn about us.

''Well, you get a footlong sub, don't you?''

''Uhm so anyway. We've reached a right turn. Is that mapped?''

Skylar pauses. ''No''

I internally panic. Is this how I die? Stuck in a sewer, trying to rescue my jailed best friend. What would I die of? Maybe inhaling too much poop?

''Oh wait. Sorry, I zoomed out. Yeah, that's the entrance to the bilge tank. You just have to look for the one with Brooks clothes dangling from it''

I'm here Brookie! I internally shout. I don't look up too much, lest I see something I shouldn't, but I find the one with the clothes dangling from it.

''So....we've found it. How do we signal to her?'' I ask. Dylan sighs, looking across at me. ''One of us climbs it. Duh''.

I look at the makeshift rope. It's about twenty meters (sorry Dylan, about sixty five subway sandwiches) long, and incredibly hard to climb.

''It looks like there's underwear there. I'm not touching that'' Dylan states. I sigh, and begin to climb, swaying precariously across the sewer.

I would like to say I aced it. No. I did not. I fell about ten times while Dylan laughed at me

I could hear Finn yelling at Mikayla. ''Skylar, could you tell us what's happening at the car?'' I asked. Skylar sighs. ''Mikayla is insisting she should have the earpod because none of us can keep on track. Finn says he was assigned to the earpod and should also have the earpod because he is older.''

Suddenly, Mikayla yells at me to hurry up. I think Finn gave in and let her have the earpod. I'd have to have a talk with him later about why that is considered traitorous behavior.

One I finally reached the top, feeling somewhat nauseous, I stuck my head inside the bowl, holding on to all my upperbody strength. The clothes rope had been duct-taped to the toilet and still managed to hold somehow. All I could hear was silence, so I assumed I was good.

I was not good.

Turns out, Skylar forgot to get the prison schedule. Because Brookie was sitting in the room, yes, but a cleaner seemed to just be leaving the room. And it wasn't just the cleaner.

There was a huge, tall, and muscular guard standing right in front of me.

He yelled something, and spoke into his walkie talkie. I could hear alarms blaring in the distance already.

''Brookie, we need to make this fast'' I told her. Brookie nodded, and seemed to come out of her state of shock. I let go of the rope and managed to grab back on just before I would have hit the floor.

Having been fed minimum food for more than a week, Brookie had lost weight, alike to me. She was easily able to get through and came down just after me. The guard wasn't able to get through, luckily enough.

''Guys, we have Brookie but there was a guard when I surfaced. We need to get out as quickly as possible. Finn, drive the car to the manhole. Skylar, is there any way we can get out of here faster?''

Mikaylas voice sounded.

'''We are headed to the manhole. Take off your gumboots. I know that it isn't ideal, but you can wash whatever it is off. You'll be faster without them''

''I am not stepping in whatever this is!'' Dylan complains as I stop to abandon the gumboots. ''Well I am, Dylan! And if you don't, we will be caught within the hour'' Brookie yelled.

Grumbling and mumbling, Dylan took his boots off.

Skylar informed us there was no alternative route, so we took off quickly. We arrived at the ladder.

''We are at the ladder. Are you guys there?''

''Yes we are. Hurry. Up. Now''

Mikayla can be annoying sometimes.

Right now is sometimes.

I climb up the ladder and open up the manhole, not bothering to look at anything but the open door of the small white Mitsubishi.

Brookie comes in behind me, and then Dylan. The dude doesn't even bother to close the manhole.