Up From The Deep by Vaughn Jackson (highly recommended books txt) 📕

Greenwood opened her mouth to respond but realized that the man was taking everything she said literally. “Thank you,” she said. “Your input may have saved this mission.”

Gunner put a hand on his hip. “He just said it first,” he griped. Then he grinned and said, “But he’s right. That’s our college grad for you, showing off that big brain.” The group of men fell into another fit of laughter, Bunk included. Greenwood felt a smile creep at the corner of her lips.

“I’ll leave you to your work,” she said.

#

Kurtis had paced the length of his cell at least a hundred times and walked the perimeter just as many. Twenty steps across, eighty in total to complete the square. He was beginning to wonder if turning himself in had been a bad idea. Expecting them to trust him completely was out of the question, but he’d expected a little quid pro quo. Even if he did still plan to betray them. The fluorescent lights were threatening to give him a migraine. He shielded his eyes. The door to the holding area slammed shut, pulling him from his reverie.

“Finally,” Kurtis fumed, “somebody!”

Skylar scowled. “Shut up. You don’t get to be impatient.”

“Oh, it’s you.” Kurtis visibly brightened at her presence and flashed her a winning smile. Skylar fidgeted uncomfortably at the gesture.

“They aren’t going to let you out,” she said.

His face dropped in mock disappointment. “What?”

“The general said that once this is done, you’ll be handed over to be tried for crimes against humanity.” Skylar stared at the floor. “That’s me paraphrasing by the way. Her list went on for a long time.”

“They’re going to put me up for the death penalty.” Kurtis’ face went pale enough to match his hair. He ran his hand through the ashen strands with a nervous laugh. “You know, I never once considered I might get caught.” His eyes drifted to meet Skylar’s. “You have to help me.”

Skylar took a startled step back. “Excuse me?”

“Skylar, they are going to kill me.”

“You’ll get a trial, and whatever they decide on to be your punishment…well that’s that,” she said, crossing her arms. “Justice.”

“I don’t deserve to die. Do you think I deserve to die for what I’ve done?”

“Kurtis, I don’t know what you’ve done,” she shouted. “You ran a fucking crime syndicate.”

Kurtis’ face steeled. “No.”

“No?”

All of the panic had melted away from his face. The calm and in-control persona had returned. “Sorry. I’ve never experienced the fear of death before. It threw me off my game there for a second, but no, I’m not going to die. I’m going to escape.” He stuck his fingers in his mouth, reaching as far back as he could.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Skylar panicked. “Someone,” she shouted, “the prisoner is trying to escape.”

Kurtis flashed her a furious glance as he ripped out a tooth from the back of his mouth. He twirled the loose molar between his fingers. “Do you happen to know what is behind this cell wall?” he asked, spitting blood to the floor.

Skylar didn’t stop shouting for help. She fumbled for her phone, but realized she had no one’s number who could come help. Her arms dropped to her sides.

“No? Pity,” he said. “I would plug my ears if I were you.” He pressed his back against the bulletproof glass panel, looking over his shoulder to be sure that Skylar had heeded his advice and chucked the molar at the cell’s back wall. There was barely enough time for him to cover his own ears, and even through his fingers the deafening sound threatened to blow out his eardrums. He coughed through the debris and brushed the fragmented rubble from his clothing.

“Skylar,” he said, turning back to face her. Where he’d had the panel to keep him upright, Skylar had tumbled onto the floor, and was staring up at him from the ground. “I do love it when you look up at me like that,” he said with a smirk. He blew her a kiss. “Afraid I have to go now. We’ll see each other again.”

By now, soldiers flooded into the holding area. Greenwood stormed in behind them.

“Get that cell open,” she ordered. It was too late however, Kurtis had vanished into the walls of the compound. The soldiers filed in after him. “Don’t worry,” Greenwood said, “they’ll find him.”

“No,” Skylar said, “they won’t.”

Greenwood gave her a curious look. “They’ll sweep the entire compound, and if they can’t bring him back alive…”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Skylar said. “This man ran an organization that nobody knew about until a few months ago. He’ll be long gone.”

“You shouldn’t fall for a man like him,” Greenwood said, putting a hand on Skylar’s shoulder. “He’s just another criminal.”

Skylar brushed her hand off. “I’m not falling for him, damn it, I just…he’s clever and smart. Smarter than us. I respect that.” She clenched her fists. “And I hate it. And I hate him.”

One of the guards came back. “Ma’am, there’s no sign of him in the walls and we’ve received no visual confirmation from the rest of the compound.” His frustration ran through the creases in his face. “He’s gone.”

Greenwood glanced at Skylar who shrugged in response. “If what he said about wanting to see me again is true, we’ll have another opportunity to catch him.”

“The general will be furious,” Greenwood said.

“Isn’t she always?”

“You know what?” Greenwood jammed a finger into Skylar’s chest. “You’re talking about respecting that con man, but you know who you should respect? General Diane fucking MacPherson. She’s kept a level head during an unprecedented catastrophe, managed to evacuate the city of San Francisco in nearly a moment’s notice, and has gone along with you and your friends’ plans despite everything about you two screaming that she shouldn’t.”

Skylar pursed her lips, then exhaled. She counted to ten. “You’re right,” she said finally. “I’m sorry.”

Greenwood relaxed as well. “It’s fine, just think before you criticize the person with the world on their shoulders.”

“Thank you for