work to create a hole large enough to fit a few people … and to bring them to the other side of the fence.
It’s not too much longer now, only a few more weeks. Maybe months. But we’re getting there. It’s only a matter of time, and I have plenty.
Sweat drips from my forehead as I shovel away while DeLuca is on the lookout. He’s in front to make sure that nobody comes through this narrow gap behind the building. One of the officers has been bribed to keep quiet about our business here. That might be surprising to someone unfamiliar with prison politics, but like anyone else, even guards can be persuaded to turn a blind eye. As long as he doesn’t know what we’re doing and keeps everyone else away, he’ll be paid.
Not by me, of course. Oh no, if I had any money, which is fucking hard in this place, I still wouldn’t give it to some pigs. No, the company I work for pays him each week to keep his mouth shut and help us out. I suppose it’s because they want to ensure their assets are being taken care of. That and the fact I can’t kill for them while I’m in here is incentive enough for them to want me to break out.
I’m perfectly fine with that, of course. I’ll abuse any help I can get. Besides, it’s not like they’d leave DeLuca in this hellhole, so they’ve got two inactive people now … that’s no good for business.
Not that I care. I just want to get the fuck out of this place. I could give two shits about the company. Really, all I care about is the cash they send me after a completed job. I don’t care about any of them, except for maybe DeLuca … or maybe not. Like I give a fuck.
I don’t remember ever giving a fuck.
All I know is using and abusing people to my heart’s content. That’s what I know, that’s what I’m good at, and so I’ll stick to that. Keeps me sane.
When I’m done for the day, we place the rectangular plank on top of the hole and place the new grass on top, making it look like we recently maintained the yard. It’s a good cover for a place nobody looks at; plus, all the other guards think we’re keeping the yard clean and fresh. It couldn’t be further from the truth.
I’m working to get the hell out of this place, so I can finally have my revenge. Nobody tries to outwit me, and if they do, I’ll make sure they are punished for it. That woman, Vanessa Starr … she thinks she can beat me at my own game, but she hasn’t seen me at my best yet. She showed her cards, and now it’s time to show mine. When it comes to power, I come out on top. I’ll make sure to pay her a visit when I get out of this place. It’ll be too late before she ever sees me coming.
CHAPTER 3
VANESSA
Age 9
Running around with the other girls, playing a game of catch, I notice the boy sitting in the grass. He’s in the same spot where he always sits during the break, doing something all by himself. Every time I look at him, I wonder why he doesn’t try to make any friends. Maybe he doesn’t like games. Or maybe he’s afraid. I don’t know.
None of the other kids wants to come near him. They say his parents didn’t want him and that he’s dangerous because the orphanage he lived in kicked him out. I think it’s all lies because everyone else is afraid. But I’m not.
Somehow, that one day, I stop playing catch and decide to go over to him. I wonder if he’s really who they say he is. Maybe I’m just interested to see if there’s more to him than meets the eye. I want to give everyone a chance, even if others don’t.
I go and stand behind him, watching him play with the ants on the ground. He has a magnifying glass in his hand, but instead of just looking at them, he’s trying to burn them.
I kneel down beside him, and then he notices me. He almost falls to the side but manages to catch himself, his eyes widening when he looks at me.
“Hi,” I say, chuckling. “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. It’s just me.”