Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
I cry out, losing my footing, my nails digging into his arm as I try to get him to release me. He doesn’t, instead he presses something sharp to my throat. “You don’t think I’m stupid, do you? I know those men will fire without thought. I’m not going to have that happen. Do as I say, you won’t die. Not yet, at least.”
Swallowing, I nod, praying he’ll stick to his word.
We open the exit door and step into a large loading bay where trucks come to bring the supplies in. As expected, there is a huge truck waiting, the engine on, and inside I can see Jackson and Spike, both of them waiting, both dressed like delivery drivers.
I don’t know how they managed get this truck and get through security but I’m guessing there are some people right now who are either injured, threatened, or worse. Maybe they bribed someone to let them through, I don’t know. Either way it’s a hell of a set up, and I can’t believe they managed to pull it off.
The moment they see us step out, they are out of that truck, holding their guns up.
“I wouldn’t,” Hound murmurs, flashing his makeshift knife at them. “One swipe and she’ll bleed to death. You don’t want that now, do you, Jackson?”
Jackson’s eyes flash, and the two of them stare at each other for a long moment, as if they have something unspoken between them. Finally, Jackson’s eyes meet mine, I shake my head. I know he can see I’m already covered in blood, but I need him to just trust me. “It’s okay, just let him go. We’re running out of time.”
Both men hesitate, but slowly they lower their weapons. We don’t have time for an all-out war right now, and in minutes the power will come back on and we won’t get out of here. Hound doesn’t move the object from my neck, instead he orders them to let him in the truck to get him out of the prison walls.
They have no choice but to agree.
“Let her go,” Jackson growls.
“I don’t think so,” Hound snaps from behind me. “I’ll let her go when I’m outside of these walls. Try anything, I’ll slit her throat.”
“Let’s just go,” I beg.
Hound shoves me toward the back of the truck, and as I pass Jackson, I plead with my eyes for him not to do anything stupid. I just want us to get out of here alive. Spike angrily opens the back of the truck, and once Hound and I are inside, he closes it.
Moments later, we’re leaving the prison grounds.
I hold my breath the entire time, waiting for gunshots and police sirens.
But they never come.
We’re free.
6 – Serenity
The moment we’re outside the prison walls and have driven a bit, the truck stops and everything moves quickly. We get out of the back and Hound forces Jackson and Spike to put their guns down and step away. Once they have, he releases me, but not before he whispers into my ear, “I’m letting you live now, but I’ll be back, and I promise your last breath will be at my hands.”
Then, with one more odd smirk toward Jackson, he’s gone.
The moment he is, I turn, and my legs are moving before my mind even kicks into gear. My body launches onto Jackson’s, and when his arms wrap around me, I feel the world come to a standstill. Tears burst forth and roll down my cheeks as he presses his face into my neck, murmuring something I don’t understand.
Pulling back, our lips meet, and everything about this moment is perfect. The way he tastes, the way he smells, everything.
“Hate to break this up,” Spike mutters, “but we gotta move. Right fuckin’ now.”
Sirens in the distance alert us to the fact that they have obviously figured out something is wrong and prisoners have escaped. We have minutes if we’re lucky. Dropping the keys to the truck on the front seat, Spike and Jackson jerk me into a run and we move down a side street to where there is a different truck waiting.
It’s not one of theirs, but I don’t bother asking questions.
We get inside, and Jackson orders me to put my head down as we drive.
For a few minutes, it sounds like we have gotten away with it but then I hear Jackson’s grunt and curse, before the sounds of sirens fill my ears once more, only this time, they’re close.
They’ve found us.
“Fuck,” Spike barks. “Do not stop the truck. We gotta lose them.”
“They’re surrounding us,” Jackson barks, putting his foot down as he speeds up.
I lift my head, just enough to see the cop cars flying behind us, trying to overtake the truck so they can swerve in front of us, forcing us to stop. My heart races and my fingernails dig into my palms as I realize we’re about to get caught, and if we do, I’m going to prison for the rest of my life.