Witch and Wizard - James Patterson [53]
It was unlocked, and I slowly pulled it open, allowing my eyes to adjust to the bright fluorescent light beyond. It appeared to be a service corridor. Everything seemed quiet, so I cautiously stuck my head out into the hall.
I didn’t do it cautiously enough, though. The six prison guards who had just turned the corner saw me right away.
Chapter 85
Wisty
I DIDN’T EVEN HAVE a split second to suck in a rejuvenating breath of non-stench-filled air before I had to take off running blindly like my life depended on it.
Which it did.
“Escapee!” one of the guards yelled as another slammed a red button on the wall, setting off earsplitting sirens and eye-shattering strobe lights.
As long as I didn’t have control over my magic and was stuck in my enemy-friendly, easy-to-catch-and-destroy human form, I had about a 1 percent chance of survival. But I hung on to that 1 percent. Like crazy. It fueled me like a cheap sugar high. I wasn’t going to do my parents any good if I got caught and killed.
I reached a stairwell and sprinted up two, three steps at a time. Made me wonder if I’d accidentally come back with longer legs in my mouse-to-Wisty morph. One flight, two flights, three flights, the boot steps behind me getting closer with every passing second. But I was still ahead.
Adrenaline rocks.
When I got to the last landing and the door to the roof, I heaved against the exit bar—and then I was out on top of the gravel-covered building. I bolted in the only direction that wasn’t blocked by concertina wire.
“Stop right there! There’s no escape!” I heard a meat-head guard shout as he burst through the door behind me.
I skidded to a painful stop at the edge of a precipice that overlooked the central cell block’s courtyard, a concrete parade area five stories below.
The guards knew they had me trapped. My only chance was to cross the courtyard gap on a two-foot-wide conduit—a metal round-backed pipe that stretched across the massive opening in the roof.
Anyone would be insane to try it. But me? Aside from the heights thing, balance and I don’t have a good history. I’m serious. Ask Whit sometime about my one attempt at snowboarding.
Without turning to look at my pursuers, I carefully stepped out on the pipe and, arms pinwheeling, started across the pit.
“Stop and come back. You’ll kill yourself!” yelled one of the guards, his tone not exactly overflowing with concern.
But I was already a quarter of the way across. I was making it!
It seemed like as long as I continued to move quickly, my momentum kind of kept me steady. And it probably helped that I was barefoot and the pipe was pitted with rust and not very slippery. I just kept my eyes focused on the far side of the pipe and made sure not to look down.
Which ended up being sort of a mistake, because a rope was fastened around the pipe at the halfway point. I failed to notice it.
I stubbed my toe, lost my balance, and fell into space.
Chapter 86
Whit
“THAT TRAIN IS COMING!” Emmet howled, swiveling nervously in his seat. “Straight for us! Fast, really fast!
“Get out of here, kids!” he shouted, grabbing for the door. “Leave the van! Immediately! Now, now, now!”
“No!” Margo yelled. “Drive, Whit! Stay put, everybody! Nobody moves! We have to outrun it. There’s nowhere else for us to go!”
The van was actually starting to vibrate with the train’s approach. I cranked the key and got a dull sputtering sound.
Attention, passengers: the train bound for Instantaneous Death is now approaching the platform on track one.
“I want to go back to prison!” I heard one of the kids cry out from the din of screaming and sobbing.
I cranked the engine again. Nothing happened.
Cold sweat broke out on my forehead—small, very distinct worry beads. The train’s whistle swelled to a wail as the ground trembled. I tried to block out the screams.
I touched my hand to the key again.
Concentrate, I thought. I have life in my hands. This energy must pass through me…. This van