Page 141 of Savage Roses
“Accepting death is focusing on what we have to do—I told you we will make it out of this cell. We will choose the moment and then we will make our escape.”
He’s been so sure. He has a planned escape route figured out. One he’s held onto for months, biding his time, waiting for the right moment. Why he’s chosen to include me on his breakout plan isn’t clear beyond the fact that we share a common enemy in Lucius. He’s claimed the door we’ll need to escape through is too heavy for one man.
Though I’ve agreed to go through with it, I don’t trust him. I don’t know if what he’s told me is true or if he’s even who he’s said he is. For all I know, this is another trap set up by Lucius and his four-dimensional, chess-minded brain.
There’s no other choice but to go along with his plan. Other than do nothing and stay a prisoner.
At least I stand a chance with the breakout attempt. If Volchok tries to betray me, I’ll handle him… and everybody else who stands in my way.
In between our tedious sessions of counting minutes, I’ve been resting. I’ve been eating every last crumb of the gruel they feed me and licking every last drop of the water they provide me to drink. My body’s still battered and my energy levels are lower than what they should be in order to function, but I’m in as good of shape as I’m going to be.
It’s now or never.
“The next change over,” I say, my voice low. “They’ve averaged over six, but we’ll aim to keep it under that. You sure the door across the hall is going to be unlocked?”
“Yes.”
“How so?”
“It is the door leading to the boiler room down below. It must stay unlocked. American building code—exits to such rooms remain unlocked at all times.”
My teeth grind. “You’re relying on Lucius to obey building codes?”
“It has always remained unlocked.”
“You said you knew for certain.”
“I have been in that room many times. I have suffered many times in there. Now,shhh!”
I tense up. My hard gaze snaps straight ahead to the cell door.
No sign of the guards picking up on our conversation, though Volchok’s right to shush me. I had raised my voice even slightly, which poses a risk.
We want them unsuspecting; we want them thinking their shift tonight’s like any other.
Teeth still clenched, I speak slowly and carefully. “You better be correct. Or else your prediction will be true. One of us will die. You. Bymyhand.”
Volchok grunts as if caught by laughter he then disguises into a cough.
The guard outside his cell bangs his cattle prod against the steel door. “Hey, shut up in there! Ain’t nobody told you to cough!”
My good fist curls up. These low-level flunkies think they’re hot shit. Just wait ’til I’m able to show them they’re shit alright—the same as fucking dog feces on somebody’s shoe. They need to be put in their place.
Soon. Assuming everything goes right.
Another couple hours pass. We lull them back into their false sense of security. They allow it the more their shifts wind down and they see the finish line.
I tap the cement wall. Subtly in the two-time pattern we agreed was our signal.
“You there?”
“Always.”
“Next shift change. We’ll do it.”
“Yes. Okay.”
We fall silent again. I divert my attention to the steel door, straining my ears to pick up any of the sounds going on in the hall outside. My insides fill up with a rarity for me—a pool of twitchy nerves as I build resolve and muster up energy.