Sky Fighters

CHAPTER 23

       Michael and I stood on the transport ship with the Japanese armada closing in. Behind us, Riptide and Deathbringer hovered, abandoned. My mind was in another place. I watched as crews boarded the ships, grabbed us, took us. What felt like a second later, I was in front of a man outside the P.O.W. camp.

       "You speak English?" He asked.

       "Yes. I see you do too." I replied.

       "Where is pilot? The killer?" He said angrily.

       I was glad she had stayed behind. They might have killed her right there.

       "She and her plane are the two chosen not to be taken by you." I responded.

       He looked at us and started laughing. "You. You let a plane stay? Much less a girl."

       "Well, what's gonna happen to us?" Michael yelled.

       "Oh, you'll be prisoners until your usefulness is gone. Your ships, however, will be made part of our fleet. Riptide and Deathbringer will no longer be names admired by the Allies. No. They will be feared monsters of the enemy. And when they're done with their purpose, well, they will go out honorably."

       "No!" I shouted.

       "And you two will work in a factory with the other prisoners. Now. To your cells!"

       We were escorted to our cell. We were allowed to share it together. There were four wood sheets, two held above the other two with metal poles. There were blankets on them, dark green.

       "Work tomorrow!" Said the man, and slammed the door behind him.

       I walked over to the bars over the window. I grabbed each one and pulled. None moved. I walked over to the door and tried to move it. Nothing.

       "Don't worry. I'll find a way out." I said.

       I looked at the ceiling. No vents. I looked at the ground. It was tightly packed dirt. I tried digging, but a tool was necessary to get out. But if we got out, where then? We couldn't dig blindly. We needed a map. I looked around the bare room for something to dig with. Nothing. Maybe a spoon from dinner, but they would be smart enough to count them after every meal. Maybe something from where we would work. We just had to wait and see.