𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫 - 𝐌. 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞

I walk into my office and Michael is standing there waiting for me.

"Adelyn, I was thinking about something-"

I cut him off, "Enough, Michael. Enough with the lies, and the coincidences, and the stories, all of it."

"It's not what you think."

"I know what you did. The question is are you man enough to admit it?"

"The keys." he finally tells the truth.

"Congratulations. Is that the first time you've been honest with me?" he lowers his head as I go on.

"It's not."

"The second?" I snap.

"What are you after, Michael? Is it drugs? Is it needles?"

"Neither." he looks to me.

"Then what?"

he lowers his head again, "Please understand that I never meant..I never wanted to involve you in this."

"Well, you've done a pretty poor job of that."

"I came here to tell you something. I'm getting my brother out of here. Tonight. And I need your help."

Now he wants my actual help for his escape. Great.

"Michael, uh, honestly for your own good, don't say anything else."

"You know he's innocent."

"You do what you're talking about and he won't be."

"But he'll still be alive."

"You understand that I'm required to report everything you're telling me? Right?" I ask him.

"Yes." he answers.

"Then why would you?"

"Because you're the only one that can help, because I know you want to be part of the solution."

"Yeah, aiding and abetting a break out is not part of the solution." I go to leave.

"Neither is doing nothing knowing what you know about his case."

I stop and turn around, "How dare you put this on me. I did what I could. I went to my father."

"The people who are framing Lincoln..let's just say they have a higher security clearance."

I sigh, "So now it's a conspiracy?"

"I didn't come here for a debate."

"You're asking me to break the law." I go to leave again.

He raises his voice, "I'm asking you to make a mistake. Not hurt anyone, not steal anything. Just forget to lock up. Leave the door unlocked when you leave tonight. That's it. Please.."

I look around the room, "This is where you're breaking out of? This room?"

"There are alarm contacts on the glass surrounding the door. Otherwise, I wouldn't need you to.."

"I was part of your plan. Was it all an act?" I ask him, not making any eye contact.

"At first, yes. I needed to be here. But then I wanted to be here, with you."

"Right." I don't believe him.

"And it's killing me to know that you'll never believe that. Whatever you may think of me, this is about Lincoln." He steps closer to me, "Don't make him pay for my mistakes."

I leave, I need to think.

...

After he leaves I come back in and stare out the window lost in thought. He says it was an act at first but then he began wanting to come see me. Should I believe that? Is he lying to me? All he cares about is his brother, he could just be lying.

I don't realize that Katie had walked in until she says, "Adelyn?"

"Yeah? Sorry." I say as I make my way over to my desk.

"The paperwork from the county." she informs me.

"Right, I got it." I tell her.

"Um, actually, could you do me a favor and take care of that for me, please? I got to get out of here." I tell her as I grab my purse and coat.

"Wait, where are you going?" she asks.

"Out." I say as I leave.

I make my way to my car and drive to the nearest bar. Inside, I'm debating on drinking away my thoughts and feelings when I hear that the vice president is considering my father in her race for presidency. They mention that her inclusion of him could be because he refused to grant clemency to Lincoln.

I think back to what Michael said about people with high clearance framing Lincoln. Was my father a part of that with the vice president? Knowing him, he probably was.

I leave the bar and take a walk to truly think through if I should help Michael and Lincoln. Maybe I should.

I drive back to the prison. And am on my way to my office when I see Lincoln step out of the elevator. I walk past him as he heads into a room in the infirmary and into my office.

I eye the morphine in cabinet.

"It's helped me with my problems more than once." I think to myself as I grab it and put it in my purse and exit the office.

As I close the door, unlocked, Katie walks up to me.

"Oh Adelyn, it was a false alarm at the Psych Ward that's what all that racket was about."

"Good, thank you. Goodnight." I tell her as I walk past her and leave.

I head to my car and just lose myself in thoughts. I start crying thinking about how I will lose my job over this, I'm a criminal now, and my coworkers that I've betrayed. I drive and buy tons of alcohol from the nearest liquor store and buy the strongest I can find. I head home with it all.

Once at home, I sit down on my couch and inject the morphine in myself. I then drink until I pass out.