Fatal Attractions

XXXII

"I'll cut his throat!" The gruff prisoner yelled, gripping the trembling prison guard tighter.

I watched from behind a support beam as the other guards kept their guns raised, steadily aiming for the man's head. It was no use, they wouldn't fire anyway, and if they did their comrade would be dead.

"Move on." I muttered silently to myself, trying to convince myself that this wasn't worth it and there were murderers and rapists running out of this prison as we speak, that I shouldn't be hung up on one prison guard.

One prison guard with a family.

I pulled out the stun gun Logan had bought me for Christmas and aimed for the back of the convict's head before pulling the trigger.

Cables shot out from the muzzle and he released the guard, convulsing uncontrollably on the ground.

The other prison guards looked over at the beam I was hiding behind and slowly started inching towards me.

Once the first man was close enough, I stuck my foot out and tripped him before darting down the opposite hallway, bullets spraying the walls behind me. One nicked my ear and I whimpered in pain, not letting it slow my pace.

I got to the door at the end of the hall and wrenched it open, running down four more corridors of prisoner filled cells before I realized that I was hopelessly lost.

I pressed my hand to my forehead, trying to think about the floor plans of this place, but the alarm buzzing through the whole prison kept distracting me. If prisoners could escape from this place twice, so could I.

I was about to take off again when one of the prisoners started speaking. "Lost, sugarbear?"

I glanced over at the heavy set man who grinned at me with pink gums. "Take off your mask and maybe I'll tell how my friends got out."

"Oi!" Another yelled. "We'd get a big reward if we knew who Voltage was!"

"It's not such a bad deal," The man with no teeth said again. "you're not getting out otherwise. They've got SWAT teams outside by now, so you should take up my offer before it's too late."

As true as his words are, I don't give the prisoners a second glance before darting down the hall again, opening the doors to another one.

Sure enough, I saw SWAT teams running down the corridor ahead of me, blocked only by a door. I skid to a stop and turn around, darting the other way. I had stalled the initial exodus of prisoners enough and saved three men's lives, SWAT could take over from here.

I spot a vent in the corner and kick it open, crawling inside I fixed the dented piece of metal that was supposed to be the cover over the opening and yanked on it, hoping it would stay. Just as I did, the sound of heavy boots on the floor passed through the hallway.

I took a sigh of relief and started crawling through the wide ventilation shaft. No wonder prisoners made it out of here, this kind of ventilation system was really not necessary.

It started out about three feet wide and about a foot tall and I was sure it would be an easy crawl with the room I had. Then it started getting more compact and my arms were pressed tightly to the warm metal sides, my claustrophobia threatening to kick in.

I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath, assuring myself I'd be ok.

Guns, knives, criminals, you name it, I'll face it. Tight spaces, I'll pass.

I mustered enough courage to make it to the end to a vent leading outside of the building.

I kicked the tiny shaft cover and crawled out onto the cool night grass, lying on my back and taking a sigh of relief, happy to be out of there.