Born to Run

Chapter 23: Calling Forth the Witnesses

The gruff jailor sneered at Esme through the bars as his gaze analyzed every inch of her figure. Disliking the attention, she shut her eyes tight, and pulled her knees closer to her body. Dawn

was breaking, and she so badly wanted the sun to sink back down into the depths of night. Esme doubted she could face the day ahead.

Esme feared that she had no spirit left to resist the temptation of breaking. One slip of the tongue would cause all of their work to result to nothing. Ted and Kenneth would hate her if

she let that happen.

A peek of light entered the cell the rays increasing in volume as the minutes ticked by. Please, sun, delay it a little longer! I am not strong enough yet!

But the pleading was to no avail. The lock on the door clicked, and it was opened to reveal... Ted?

She opened her mouth to question, but her throat was too dry to form any words.

Wordlessly, Ted entered, his eyes widening when he looked at her. Quickly he walked over to the jailor and whispered something in his ear. A bag of coins was exchanged, and the jailor

passed the keys to Ted. Oh, what are you doing, Ted?

"What..." Esme was about to croak, but a look from Ted silenced her.

"Come, prisoner. Your location has been rearranged," he said stiffly, unlocking the cell door. "Play along, just for now," he whispered out of the jailor's hearing.

Esme gave him a look of comprehension and let out a moan. "Yes sir," she croaked, and shuffled after him when he led her out of the prison. It was only after they had climbed into an underground chamber that Esme dared breathe.

Ted and Esme exchanged glances, and he looked down at her wrists. They were still shackled. "Oh," he rushed to free her from the handcuffs. "I am so sorry, Esme. We did not anticipate

this..." he breathed in sharply as he removed the cuffs, which revealed bleeding sores. He looked up and touched her wet cheeks. "You do not deserve this."

She shook her head. "Oh, Ted. But I do. I deserve it," she said softly. "I deserve it all."

Ted held onto her bleeding hands. "No! You do not. This is my fault. Had I not agreed to Ken's ridiculous plan, you would be safe and happy!" Ted's anger burned at Ken. Why had he let this

happen?

"Your fault?" Esme questioned, shocked. "You do not have a murder on your shoulders!"

Julian. Esme still did not know that Julian was alive. Ted cleared his throat. "That is why I have come."

Esme waited patiently for him to explain. Nothing he could do would bring Julian back, but beggars could not be choosers.

"Mr Mansfield wishes to see you," he said slowly, weighing the possible ways he could word what he was about to say according to her reaction.

Esme went pale, paler than before. "Julian wants to see me? Are you mad?"

Sighing, Ted let all the information tumble out. "He is not dead, Esme. The bullet merely lodged in his shoulder. And he wants to see you," Ted said. "He insisted upon it."

She did not know what to feel. Part of her was relieved. He had not died at her hand. Another part was fear. What would he do when he found out? Did he know? "Thank God," she breathed softly. "I did not kill him."

Looking at the trembling figure before him, Ted knew she was lost to Julian. Her heart lay beside that undeserving Prince's, and there was little he could do about it. He sighed, and