would you break out??Curtis asked. Houte got to get out of a locked cell for starters.?
Ro offence,?James said, But the only people who?? ever know that are the ones going out with me.?
Curtis seemed to understand the need for secrecy and they were nearly at the metal door of the education unit anyway. A hack padded the boys down, before they passed through another metal detector. It was two flights of stairs up, then past three small classrooms to a door with Education Officer written on it.
Hou mind if I go in quickly first??Curtis asked. i want to ask Mr Haines if my books have arrived.?
Curtis knocked on the door and got hailed in by a voice James recognised as Scott Warren.
isnt Haines here??Curtis asked, looking surprised as he pushed the door open.
Scott, who was sitting at a desk, shook his head. it covering for him today.?
James spotted John Jones standing behind the desk.
Curtis pointed at James. i came to show him the way and see if my books were in.?
Heah ?Umm, sorry,?Scott stuttered. Lhate your name, son??
Curtis Oxford.?
Curtis ?Ite probably best if you wait until the education officer is back ?Tomorrow. It not familiar with the procedure for handing out books.?
Curtis backed out of the office, looking at James. Co you know the way back on your own??
James nodded. i?? see you out there.?
He stepped into the office and shut the door behind Curtis. John and Scott were both in a state of shock. They stared at a black and white CCTV monitor, until it showed Curtis reaching the end of the corridor and starting down the stairs.
Theesh!?Scott said, putting both hands over his heart. That gave me a fright ?I never expected our target to come wandering into the room with you.?
Hou might have guessed what was going on,?John said tersely.
Hou only said we might have to meet in the visitors?room,?
James snapped back.
Lell, whatever e John huffed.
James felt his temper rise up as he ran his hand through his sweaty hair. Hou know what??he said angrily. it boiling hot, Ite not slept or had a decent shower, Ite eaten nothing but crap food, Ite seen people get beaten up, pepper-sprayed and have their skin burned off ?Ite even had some psycho come at me with a knife and try to kill me. If you dont like the job It doing here, you can take this mission and shove it right up your arse.?
John looked startled by the outburst.
Le appreciate that youte working under a lot of stress,?Scott said gently, trying to calm James down.
Lames,?John said, sounding extra sincere. i apologise. I didnt mean to have a go at you. It was just a shock when Curtis came in here and saw all of us together ?We called this emergency meeting because theree a serious situation with Dave.?
Lhy dont you sit down??Scott said, as he reached over to a water dispenser. Now about a cold drink??
James sat down, as Scott filled a paper cup from the water cooler.
They pulled Dave out of the hole for a doctore examination earlier this morning,?John explained. The baton round fractured three of his ribs. One of them broke badly. A bone fragment has snapped off and punctured the surrounding tissue, causing internal bleeding.?
Now serious is that??James asked.
if Dave had been x-rayed and treated immediately, it wouldnt have been bad,?John said. But by the time they dragged him out of the hole this morning, a blood clot had formed on his chest wall. Hee having difficulty breathing and he?? be hospitalised for at least two weeks. After that, he?? be on medication to break up the clot. He wont be back to full fitness for a couple of months, at least.?
To thate it,?James sighed. Houte gonna pull me out of here??
Is soon as practicable,?John nodded. Lete as sorry as you are that this didnt work out, James. Ite been in the intelligence game for twenty years and It afraid complicated plans like this have a habit of going awry.?
James drained his paper cup and nodded when Scott offered a refill. Part of James was relieved at the prospect of getting back to campus unscathed, but a much bigger part was bitter at having gone through so much stress for nothing.
is there no way I could carry on without Dave??James asked.
i cant see how,?John said. Hou need protection.?
Rot any more I dont. You saw me come in with Curtis, and Elwood spent half the morning telling me his life story. Nobodye gonna give me hassle