Chapter 13

                                    

                                          
I rested my back on the wall and sighed deeply. What was I thinking.. Honestly, that was the highest level of stupidity I've ever pulled. Now that I looked back at it, I acted way too reckless and there were so many loopholes in my so called plan that I was starting to doubt my own IQ right then.
                          
I turned my attention to Ryder, wanting to distract myself. He was leaning on the wall with one knee raised, an arm resting on it. I scrutinized his wounds and assessed it. It looked like it might be infected and-
                          
"Why are you here, Luce? You just practically sentenced yourself to death," He whispered into thin air. I wanted to feel angry at him but it wasn't fair to him either. I was the one who had pushed him away. 
                          
I was just so frustrated. Everything was so complicated and I felt like I couldn't think straight anymore.
                          
I sighed, "My brother and Craig knew each other. They studied on the same campus and my brother trusted him. A few days ago, after you left my house, Drake told me that he got into serious trouble and he wanted me to be cautious. Then, after we found him unconscious on the kitchen floor and you called the ambulance, I found a note on the counter from Craig."
                          
I stopped to catch my breath and evened out my breathing as I told him everything. "You didn't have to do that," he muttered, looking the other way. I turned to him with a perplexed expression. 
                          
"What do you mean?" I questioned.
                          
"You didn't have to stay and tried to save me. You endangered yourself because you pushed me away instead of letting me help you. I could've helped and you wouldn't even have to be here right now. I could've been your hitman and you could have stayed at the hospital with Drake, safe and sound." He said.
                          
I looked at him like he was a deranged squirrel by the time he finished what he had to say. 
                          
"Are you crazy? Do you think I see you as a tool? You're more than that to me, you red-assed monkey." I paused, looking at him as if he was insane before turning serious in a blink of an eye.
                          
"I wouldn't risk your life, not for anything. Even if it means endangering my own." I told him sincerely.
                          
Ryder looked at me, stunned into silence. When he seemed to snap out of it, he started leaning in, slowly closing the distance between us. Now here was the part where my heart started beating like crazy. 
                          
Not because how his lips were starting to come closer and closer or how his eyes kept on flickering to my lips and back to meet my eyes again, but because of the sudden clang of the cell door opening and a familiar voice hissing at us to break it off.
                          
I looked at Tia, shocked out of my mind before I finally realized that I was still in kissing proximity with Ryder and in that moment, Ryder's lips met my cheek. I swear I probably looked like an over-ripe tomato. 
                          
I scrambled up and rushed to my best friend. "Tia! How did you get in here?! How did you even know we were here?"
                          
She scoffed, and although it was dark, I could see her roll her eyes. "Tracking device, duh." She waved her phone around and I was stunned, frozen as I stared at it. 
                          
The only thing that I could process in my head was.. "Wait, you planted a chip in me?!" I shrieked, forgetting to be quiet. I was a catholic and my dad as strict as hell on stuff like that. I felt myself get fear-stricken as my breaths turned into gasps.
                          
Ryder helped me, coaching me to breathe right whilst Tia looked panic, her head whipping right and left as she shushed me. 
                          
"No, you dumbass. I planted it on your phone last year. Tatiana Phyone - Paranoid Bastard. Nice to meet you," she hissed sarcastically as she began working with the lock on our door with something that looked like a T-key.
                          
"Come on, quick. They have some serious security shit in here. They'll probably find out about me soon." I could feel my brain ticking, going back to work. 
                          
"Approximately a minute and 26 seconds from now. They have an alarm for every cell door." I spoke up, quickly helping Ryder stand and ushering all of us out through the exit.
                          
We staggered through a route that Ryder directed us, going through tunnels, following the town's underground pipes. Not a second later, a warning bell sounded and a man rushed by and I almost shrieked when they saw us. 
                          
No, scratch that almost, I jumped out of my skin and swear I broke my friends' eardrums.
                          
Ryder was in no shape to do any physical damage and knew it, anyone with working vision would know the second they saw the state he was in. He could barely even stand and was leaning onto me for support. I could see him visibly gulp as his adam apple bob up and down.
                          
I felt Tia go rigid, looking between Ryder and the guard blocking our way and groaned loudly as she stomped up to the guard and stared at him intensely, as if her glare alone could dissolve him into nothing.
                          
I guess the guard started feeling threatened by that glare because he started swinging his fist at Tia after looking her up and down for a second. But this time, I kept quiet because I knew Tia got the upper hand. The girl knew what she was doing. I had faith in that crazy bitch.
                          
She ducked just in the nick of time and did a small crouch, balancing her weight on one foot and swung the other one, effectively sweeping the guards feet from under him, making him crumble to the ground. Without wasting a second, she ran back to Ryder's other side and helped me with his weight and together, we helped him haul ass.
                          
The tunnel ends and the only thing blocking us now was a door. You might ask, 'what's the big deal about a door? Just push it open!' But unfortunately, the big deal was that it was locked. Not with a key, but a wired system.
                          
Tia cursed loudly and Ryder sighed. I stayed quiet as I examined the problem intently. It was familiar, somehow. I knew I watched a documentary once on how to operate and disarm one of these. Don't ask me why I watched it, I just did. I find these things interesting. 
                          
I knew I didn't have much time so I let Ryder shift his weight and leaned solely on Tia as I rushed to open the box that should show me the entanglement of wires.
                          
I could hear men's footsteps as they got closer to us. I guess they found the knocked out guy. My heart thudded in my chest and it felt like horses were trampling on it, forcing the breath out of me as a sheen of sweat covered my forehead as my fingers messed with the wiring. I willed my hands to stay steady as I untangled each wire, trying to figure out which one to unplug to disarm the thing. 
                          
When I finally felt like I did it right, I pulled my hand back and I closed the box. I backed away from it as the sound of boots hitting the floor gets louder.
                          
My heart seemed to have picked up a particular upbeat rhythm it liked and decided to play the drums with my ribs. I tensed, anytime now would be a good time..
                          
My head started to feel light and I suspected that I might faint any second now. 
                          
Did I do something wrong? 
                          
We're gonna get caught.
                          
The footsteps got louder as we stood there, standing in front of the door, waiting for it to open up and let us out but it didn't seem like it was going to crack open anytime soon and I started hyperventilating.
                          
Please God, if there's a time I need you most, that'd be right now. 
                          
Please..