The Rogues

26- Jailbreak

Celeste

The familiar walls of the prison cell grasped my memory as soon as I stepped inside. It felt the same as it did years ago. A chilling breeze blasting through the air vents, the aroma of defeat and sorrow. It looked nearly the same as well. White padded walls, bars sectioning off isles of areas for each prisoner to room. The only difference was that the cells were no longer empty as they once had been. Years ago, the only ones who occupied the area were Dominic and I,but now...now each cell contained a person. They all looked to be kids, maybe twelve to sixteen. Each sat alone in a cell, no one spoke, and barely moved a muscle. It was like they were frozen. It horrified me.

As Dominic and I entered, not a single Immune turned their head to look at us. Not one glance. They thought we were troopers taking one unlucky soul away to another experiment..they feared us. Dominics gaze met mine, he looked as if the air was ripped out of his lungs, his body went cold.

"There's...there's so many." He hesitated before pushing out the words

"Twenty. Maybe thirty. Can we get them all out?"

Dominic turned his head to me, "Yes." He nodded like it was the surest thing he's ever said,

"Im sorry but...someones going to notice thirty kids running down the halls." I shook my head, searching for a logical answer.

"We don't use the hallways."

Don't use the hallways? What could this boy have in his head this time?

"Alright Jones..." I folded my arms over my suited chest, "...Explain." I hated when he didn't get right to the point.

Dominic lifted his chin, pointing to an air vent that hovered over our heads. "On our way in, I spotted a vent on the wall outside, right near the exit. As we were walking the halls, I made sure to follow the vent to see where it led too, knowing wherever it stopped would be our quickest way out. Sure enough It leads here. We crawl through the vent, and it spits us outside near Cassian and Lani.No hallways to pass, no guards to spot us."

"Wow, Mr. Jones, I'm impressed." I smirked, "That brain of yours can be very useful sometimes."

"Sometimes?" He gawked

"Anyways," I turned my head, peering into the cells, "Let's start getting them out."

"I'll open the cells on the left, you get the ones on the right."

"I can pry open the locks." I twisted a knife out of my suit, spinning it around my fingers like it appeared from thin air. "How will you get them open?"

Dominic pulled out a thin silver needle from his pocket in his suit and waved it in my face.

"You can pick locks?"

"There's a lot I can do that you don't know about Cel." He smirked, his wicked dimple peeking through the skin on his cheek. Charming, Dominic.

"Okay Mister Mysterious," I rolled my eyes, mocking him, "Lets go." Dominic nodded and we parted ways. I treaded along the left side of the cell, spotting something that caught my eye. This wasn't here before? At the end of the isle of cells, laid a dome with walls of clear plexiglass, a prisoner snug inside. A special cell? For what? More so..for who.

My curiosity urged me to pass the other cells I was supposed to be unlocking and go straight to the clear vessel. I heard Dominics raspy voice echoing behind me. "Shhh..." he whispered, the clatter of tiny cheers following. The voice of a boy spoke, "So you really are here to free us?"

"Yes." Dominic replied, picking the needle at the lock. He heard a slight click, and the door latched open. like magic, I thought. He pulled the cell door, and the boy ran out, arms wide hulting towards Dominic. He grasped Dominics armor, hugging him tightly, and Dominic stepped back in surprise. The boy buried his face in Dominics armor, holding on like a child to their mother. Dominics face looked like he had just been struck in the chest with a rake...he wasn't a fan of hugs, nor people invading his space. The boy squeezed his arms tighter around Dominic, "Thank you." he said, his tone lifting,tears in his eyes. He was joyus. Hopeful.