Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
She no sooner ended her sentence than light returned to our cell.
“See? Told you it was—?”
The lights went out again.
“Now what?” Mars cried.
“I bet you can answer that. Did you forget to put gas in the generator even though I reminded you? Twice.”
“Uhh, yeah. Sorry about that. I’ll run out and get some.” A chair scraped back, then boots shuffled across the floor. “We’ve got extra flashlights and batteries with the hurricane supplies. I won’t be long.”
We listened to him walk out, then the faint hum of an engine started and faded down the street.
“Mars,” Davidson called. “Peters. Get these lights back on.”
“Mars is taking care of it, sir. He went out for gas.” I tracked her faint outline as she passed us, heading for the spare flashlights.
Door hinges squeaked, drawing my attention to the entrance. Two— No, three figures crossed the threshold.
“Hello? Wait at the front desk,” Peters said. “I’ll be with you in a minute.”
One of them broke off and sprinted, streaking past me.
“Hey—!”
There was a smack of flesh on flesh. Running to the other side, I strained to see past the limits of my cell. Who is that? What’s going on?”
Electricity sparked the air. The flash from the stun gun illuminated their faces for a blink, letting me see Peters red-faced and panicking with a hand clamped on her mouth, and her attacker’s beady eyes glaring through the holes in the ski mask.
The stunner went off again, and a body hit the floor.
“You’re welcome,” said a dry voice I didn’t recognize.
“You.” Seems Roan did. “Why are you here?”
“You and your boyfriend need to talk more. Especially since you’re paying handsomely for this jailbreak.”
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“No names until we’re out of the police station, yeah?” Amusement laced his voice. “I was told three. Where’s the last one?”
“In his office. Through the door you passed,” Roan said. “If he heard Peters go down, he’s ducked behind his desk with a gun pointed at the door.”
“No less than we figured. Nathan,” he called.
A scream ripped through the dark, stiffening me to attention.
“Peters?! What’s going on out there? Did those little shits get out of their cell?” His door banged open. “If they try to run, shoot them— Ugh.”
Thud!
“He’s down, A.”
“Hmm. That was easier than I thought,” said our new friend. “I almost feel bad taking your money now. We didn’t break a sweat.”
“Want to continue the self-celebration after you get us out of here?” I remarked.
He chuckled. The guy went to the closet Peters was shuffling through, snagged a flashlight, and got the key off her belt. We filed out and Roan claimed the keys. He went through to the interrogation rooms.
“Go,” I stated. “We’ve got it from here.”
“Not even a thank-you.” A faint tsk reached my ear. “Not very nice, but at least I’ve got a couple thousand to ease the sting. I’ll be calling you about that favor, Bedlam Boys.”
Favor? My eyes narrowed to slits. What favor?
“Real soon.”
They left as easily as they came, leaving us with two unconscious bodies and an unsuspecting cop on the way back.
“We need to get out of here before Mars comes back,” Jacques said. But he wasn’t moving either.
The three of us, then five as Roan and Legend returned, made a still and watchful circle around Davidson.
“He’d know where my father is.” Cairo spoke in a thin, low hiss.
“It’s six-fifteen,” Legend said. “He’ll tell us, but not quickly. And not before Mars sends out a statewide alert for a missing acting sheriff.”
“Won’t know until we try.” Cairo knelt and secured the man in his own handcuffs. “I don’t know about you, but I’m highly motivated to make this a quick conversation. Forty-five minutes is plenty of time.”
“You... think so?” Davidson’s laugh ground my teeth. “Let’s find out, shall we?”
“Get him up.”
We lifted him, dragging his dead weight out the door. Davidson’s head lolled to my side. “This will be fun.
He smiled. “For me too.”
DANTE
We watched through the window as the Bedlam Boys strolled out of the station, and loaded Davidson into the trunk of his own car.
“Shouldn’t we do something? Stop them?”
I shook my head. “We came here to pick Davidson up and teach him the error of his ways. Whatever they’re going to do to him, he’s got coming for messing up the plan. The Bedlam Boys are supposed to end up on trial for murder, but not for Scott’s. Stupid, short-sighted fuck set us back so far, I’m wondering if he’s double-dealing for Cavendish.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” my companion replied. “Scott always said he wasn’t really one of us. He was just too useful to get rid of.”
“While Sheriff Sharpe is not.” I started the car. “The Bedlam Boys can have him, but they don’t get Jack Sharpe. I promised to kill him if Steven Ellis lived to stand up before the crowd and make his speech. Unlike everyone else in this town, I keep my word.”