lurching at the sound of a guard's loud laughter just beyond the wall as I reached the dispenser.
"What's wrong?" Hastings asked, concern filling his tone.
"My head hurts."
"Bad?" he asked, reaching out to touch her forehead. "I can heal you."
I jammed my finger on the button to the dispenser, thrusting my other hand under the shoot just as a mechanical noise sounded within the device. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Hastings turned to look and suddenly Rosa gasped and dropped to the floor at his feet, as limp as a fucking doll.
"Holy shit," he cursed, kneeling down and three other guards darted into sight to help her.
The antidote syringe landed in my hand and I jammed my finger on the button another few times to make sure we had plenty. Two more syringes fell from the shoot then a whirring noise sounded as a message flashed up on the screen with a ding that Rosa tried to cover with a dramatic wail.
“Sto morendo, sto morendo e siete tutti così fottutamente stupidi!”
I read the message on the screen, cursing in my head. Refill needed.
This was going to have to be enough.
I started jogging away, my heart in my throat as I made it back to the office with three syringes stuffed in my pocket, my hand landing on the handle.
"Hey!"
I turned my head at the voice, fear crashing through me. If I was caught, we'd never get this chance again. Plunger wouldn't be able to shift and dig us a tunnel. We'd never get out.
Cain stepped out of the elevator at the far end of the hall, his eyes pinned on Rosa on the floor. "What the fuck's going on here?"
He shot toward her and I swallowed a manic laugh as I pushed back into the room, dove over the table to my seat and dropped into it.
I wanted to whoop and cheer, but I just patted my pocket where the syringes lay hidden and took slow breaths to get my heart back to a normal rate.
"She needs to see the medic," Hastings said frantically. "I healed her and she's still not waking."
I snorted a laugh as I heard Cain's growl all the way from here. "Fine. I'll take her."
I chuckled as I finished up my survey. Rosa had told me about how suspicious Cain was of her, but she wasn't the one he needed to be frisking right now. And I had no doubt she'd be getting a pat down from him. But the contraband wasn't with Rosa. It was right in my pocket. And he didn't even know I was here.
By the time I finished my survey half an hour later and Hastings had taken me back to my cell block, it was almost impossible to wipe the grin from my face.
I ran up to my cell and Rosa leapt at me the second I stepped inside.
"Did you get it?" she asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.
I wound my arms around her, nodding as I finally let myself celebrate, laughing and hugging her.
"Fuck yes," she gasped in my ear as I crushed her against me.
"We're getting out of here, baby," I growled, not sure where that word had come from, but screw it.
She beamed, her smile so fucking beautiful that it drew all of my attention. "I can taste the sea air already, Roar."
***
While my Shades fetched my breakfast in the Mess Hall the next day, I pressed my back to the wall and took in the mass of inmates before me. I couldn't wait to pull off this fucking job and get out of here. It was bringing the old me back to life and that was one hell of a tempting feeling to fall into. If I did this, really did this, maybe it would be a start towards rebuilding my dignity as a Night.
Officer Lyle nodded to me as he approached and he moved to stand beside me, looking out at the inmates too. "Morning, Roary. Got any more funnies for me? I told my partner your last one and he almost busted a lung laughing."
I smirked, shrugging and he nudged me with his elbow.
"Go on, I'll throw in a few commissary tokens for you if you make it a good one."
I grinned at that. "Alright. But it's not as filthy as the last one."
Lyle laughed. "They're always good."
"So...a Werewolf knocks on the door of his old school bully's house, noticing the place is small and run-down, in need of a lot of repairs. On the rickety porch, the bully's