The Vengeful Princess

Chapter 12: Prison Break Part 2

Breaking into a high security prison with seven skilled and capable bodies was always going to be the easier half of the plan. But even that was made more complicated by the unexpected arrival of the new guards. Breaking out of a high security prison while it was on high alert with more than twenty weak and frail bodies was near impossible.

I had briefly studied the blueprints of the dungeon's layout a few days prior. The tower itself consisted of five levels above ground with three underground levels. The ground level had two entrances - the front entrance and the back entrance which we had entered in. Running off from that hallway was the long room where I had previously fought with the three guard. This room, which we were currently stuck in, was connected to five giant mass cells where criminals charged with minor crimes, such as theft or debt was kept. Down the hallway led down into the lower levels, which contained the darkest parts of New Cynesige. The first sub level held all the prisoners on death row, many of which were wrongfully sentenced. The second and third sub levels had been deliberately omitted from the blueprints, most likely to hide their existence and the ghastly activities that took place within them.

The tower had been built in a way that the dungeon was only accessible by one route. Our only route out now rumbled with the forthcoming battalion of officers.

"What are we going to do?" A hint of worry crept into Kenji's voice.

I wracked my brain for a solution. These were my people. Their lives were my responsibility. An alarm bell blared in the distance as the heavy foot falls of combat boots grew louder.

Kenji spoke with urgency now, "We should fight our way out. Everyone needs to arm themselves and -"

"Us? Fight against a dozen of trained guards?" Bruce sounded incredulous. "We should run, head in the opposite direction -"

"Deeper down the sub levels? No thank you, old man!" Kenji scoffed. "Rose, what do you think we should do?"

I considered each equally terrible option, my eyes landing on the crowded cells around us. "Nothing. We stay right here."

They exchanged perplexed glances.

"Kenji, do you still have that Guard's keys?" I smirked.

He hesitantly handed them over. I addressed the prisoners inside the cells, coating my words with sincerity, "If you all cooperate with us, I promise that we will free each and every one of you afterwards." I made sure to meet each eye as I spoke, letting them see the sword at my hip to insinuate the consequences if they didn't cooperate.

Warily, I unlocked the cell and held it open. "Get in."

I was met with hesitant glances. "Hurry up, get in!" I demanded a bit more forcefully. It was time to execute my authority a little. One by one, everyone tentatively filed into the cell, camouflaging themselves amongst the rest of the prisoners.

"What exactly is your plan?" Bruce whispered in my ear.

"We wait."

♕

It didn't take long before the guards realised which prisoners were missing, filling the hallways with the heavy footsteps of officers as reinforcements from the palace arrived.

"What are we waiting for? The longer we wait, the more guards are going to arrive and the more men will be out there searching for us." Bruce spoke lowly.

"The more men they have out there, the less they have in here. With the numbers of people we have and in their current condition, it's impossible for us to outrun them. So, we wait until they are well ahead of us and then make our escape right behind their backs." I explained.