16% of readers voted for Option A: Grab the Cobbler's keys and get as far away as possible as quickly as possible. If the Governor is a guest there, then the place is sure to be swarming with soldiers.
75% of readers voted for Option B: Try to find his old crew members, the McMurchy Brothers and help them escape. Never leave a Pocket-change crew member behind!
8% of readers voted for Option C: Grab the unconscious Cobbler and try and escape with him over Luke's shoulder. If the Cobbler had a meeting with Jack Holley recently, he will be able to tell him where to find him.
***
A loud bang at the cell door startled Andreas McMurchy from sleep.
"If that's the Cobbler coming back to finish his session with us," said Andreas' brother, Julian, from the bunk below, "tell him we'll have to reschedule."
Andreas hopped down from the top bunk and landed with a grunt. The were indeed blessed with only half a visit from the Cobbler earlier that night, but it was still long enough to leave Andreas tender and bruised. In the four months he and his brother had been locked away at Charrock Prison, the Cobbler had never cut one of his "sessions" short. Hobbling to the steel door, Andreas prayed this late-night disturbance was anything other than him.
Andreas flinched at the second loud bang at the door. Julian was sitting up in his bunk now, head in hands. Andreas frowned. The Cobbler was really starting to get to him.
Andreas crouched down and peeked through the little slot where their guard, Julio, delivered their trays of food every night. The second last thing Andreas ever expected to see was Julio's crumpled body leaning against the wall outside their cell. His head was bleeding and for a second Andreas thought he must have lost his mind and rammed his head against the cell door. The last thing Andreas ever expected to see, however, was Luke Haggert's face appearing on the other side of the food slot.
Andreas fell backward on winced as he landed on his elbow. The Cobbler had paid particular attention to this elbow that night. "What is it?" Julian asked, moving toward his brother. Before Andreas could answer though, the cell door swung open and there stood Luke Haggert, spinning Julio's key ring on a finger. He could have looked magnanimous if it wasn't for the fact that his face was a swollen and bloody mess.
The McMurchy Brothers were at a loss for words. The whole scenario made no sense. The last they had heard their old boss, Luke, was locked away in Kingsbridge Penitentiary, way on the other side of Port Murkish. The thought that he could break out of Kingsbridge and then break into Charrock to break two of his old crew mates out was unfathomable.
"Hey boss," Julian finally managed to say. "Nice of you to knock."
Luke smiled as he looked over his shoulder at Julio. "It would have seemed rude not to. You fellas ready to go?"
With that, Andreas and Julian followed Luke out of the cell and began racing down the hall. There were no guards patrolling thankfully, and Andreas knew why. When the Cobbler had come by that night Julio was complaining to him about how he was stuck on duty while the rest of the guards were in the prison rec room watching the big football game. He just hoped they stayed there long enough for Luke to get them out of there.
It didn't take long, however, for Andreas to figure out that Luke had no idea where he was going. After running past the Warden's quarters for the third time, Andreas grabbed Luke by the arm and drew him to a halt.
"You don't know where you're going, do you?"
"Don't be stupid, Andy, of course I know where I'm going." Andreas was not convinced.
"Follow us," Andreas said, ignoring Luke's protests. Andreas was happy to see Luke who had always been good to them while they were part of the Pocket-change Gang, but there was no way in hell he was going to risk not escaping just because Luke Haggert had too much pride.
"We gotta hurry," Julian said. "If we're lucky their team will win and they'll spend the rest of the night in the rec room drinking their faces off. But if they lose, these halls are going to be flooded with guards real soon."
Andreas hurried as fast as he could. The fact that the Cobbler had clobbered his toes with a hammer earlier that night didn't help to speed things along.
Chapter of Chance
Luke Haggert has gotten the McMurchy Brothers out of their cell but now it's up to Andreas and Julian to get them out of the prison itself. Whether they can do this depends on how long they have before the guards return to their posts.
Sunday, November 25, is the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup match between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The guards at Charrock Prison are fans of the Roughriders.
Possibility A: If the Saskatchewan Roughriders win the Grey Cup, then the guards will be celebrating until the wee hours of the morning, giving Luke and the McMurchy Brothers the chance they need to escape undetected.
Possibility B: If the Winnipeg Blue Bombers win the Grey Cup on Sunday, then the guards will not be celebrating and will return to their posts before Luke and the McMurchy Brothers have a chance to escape.
To receive notifications whenever a new chapter is posted, subscribe for free at http://www.plotparty.com/.
No comments:
Post a Comment