Brennan was dozing at eleven that day, August 3 , when Gonzalez stopped by his cell and said, "I have news for you, Worthington. The DA has approved the evidence and you're officially charged with murder, rape, attempted murder, illegal possession of weapons and the list is endless. You're looking at the rest of your life behind bars if you don't get the death penalty. I strongly suspect you'll get the death sentence, but it'll probably be years before you get the needle and you'll mooch off of the tax payers until then. Pondscum like you always do. I'll definitely be there when they inject you. The boys in San Quentin are going to love a pretty boy like you!"
"You can't be fucking serious!" Brennan hissed, eyes flashing. "The DA fucking believes a mutant turtle, who won't fucking show himself on camera! That's crazy. Still, the jury will disregard it."
"I wouldn't bank on that. He's agreed to testify in person and is credible. It doesn't matter that he's a mutant. He's still a living, breathing being, whom you tortured! And he's only a kid with a young family. The jury will pity and believe him. You're going down, Worthington! You'll be arraigned tomorrow and then taken to San Quentin to await trial."
"I wouldn't be so confident about that," Brennan said and cracked his knuckles.
"What are you going to do? Break out of here? No chance. Not with guards and police dogs swarming around. I hope you have fun in jail and get all you deserve."
"We'll see about that. Do send my warmest regards to Raphael and his family," Brennan said and turned his back on Gonzalez.
"One last thing. I have good friends in San Quentin and I'm going to ask them to ensure you get a suitable cell mate for a sleeze bucket like you," Gonzalez said with a grin. "You're going to wish you'd never been born. What a shame I can't take photos or hear your screams. Ciao."
So are you, Brennan thought. I'll kill you and your family when I escape. That'll be my first port of call. Then I'll kill Raphael and his family.
"So there's no chance of us getting out of here, Brennan?" Tadgh asked.
"Of course there is," Brennan said and whispered an idea he had.
Tadgh beamed.
It would go down after lunch and Brennan had every confidence it would succeed.
XXX
Seated in the dining hall at lunch time, a little after noon, Brennan whispered to the barrel-chested, tattooed and tall Latino next to him, "I'm Brennan and that's my friend, Tadgh."
"Hi," Tadgh said.
"Pleasure meeting you," Hector said. "What are you in for?"
"Murder, rape and so on," Brennan said. "You?"
"Murder. My ex's new boyfriend. Sentenced to twenty years, but I won't be here that long," Hector said smugly. Lowering his tone, he added, "Getting out today. Want to be in on it?"
"Of course," Brennan and Tadgh said in unison.
After glancing around and ensuring he wasn't being watched by the guards, Hector fished a key out of his pocket, showed it to Brennan and Tadgh and placed it back in his pocket. "See this? I made it from memory. It'll open every prison door. We got gym in twenty minutes and we can just run out of there to the fence and climb the ladder I left there when I was doing yard work yesterday. Piece of cake. One of my friends, who's getting out on Friday, agreed to distract the guards by having an epileptic fit. He takes pills for it, but he didn't this morning."
"You're a genius," Brennan said. "I'm impressed."
"Was nothing. The things you do for love, hey? I miss my ex so much and we'll be reunited when I get out. Us and our four kids. I'll show her I've changed and how much I love her. I did, you know. I never meant to hurt her. I didn't know any better, having had a violent upbringing. But I found God when I came to prison a few months ago. I've changed and am a kinder man and less temperamental. I pray and I don't drink, smoke or do drugs anymore. I want to go straight and live my life with my kids' mom and just live a normal and quiet life. No more gangs either. My friends have fake ID's and I'm going to take my family to the Marshall Islands. It doesn't have an extradition treaty with the US and my ex always wanted to go there. I'll hook you up with my pal to get you ID's too if you like."
"Thanks so much," Brennan said.
"Appreciated," Tadgh said.
"Got family?" Hector asked.
"A husband," Tadgh said. "Miss him so much. Bastard hasn't visited me since I got locked up. I wasn't even guilty, you know. I was framed and he split. I can't wait to see him again and tell him I miss him and woo him back. We were really good together."
"Got an uncle," Brennan said. "My favorite uncle. I want to see him. It's been ages and we need to reconnect. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see me."
"Here's to family reunions," Hector said with a smile. "I hope yours goes smoothly.
It sure will, Brennan thought and grinned. Raphael, you'd better say your prayers. I'm coming.
xxxx
The inmates filed into the gym twenty minutes later and true to his word, Hector's friend complained that he was feeling sick fifteen minutes into the session. Moaning that his vison was blurry, his eyes rolled back in his head as his seizure began. His body convulsed as he stood frozen to the spot and he tried not to bite his tongue. Then he collapsed on the ground, his mouth frothing, as he continued convulsing, almost biting his tongue.
"Someone, help!" an inmate shouted.
The guards came running and immediately bent over the prone epileptic inmate, yelling into their walkie- talkies for help.
The guards distracted, Hector nodded at his pals and began to unlock the gym door.
The door swung open seconds later and Hector, Brennan and ten other inmates all made a beeline for the ladder. They swiftly climbed it and landed safely on the other side.
"Follow me," Hector said. "To Harlem. I have some mates, who'll give you what you need. Then we'll go our separate ways."
"Thanks, pal," Brennan said gratefully.
XXXX
They arrived in Harlem and Brennan and Tadgh were introduced to Hector's friends. "How long will the ID's take?" Brennan asked.
"Couple of days," a dark haired, eyed and muscular thug named Cruz said. "You can hang here with us until it's ready. Nobody will look for you. The cops don't really come out into this neck of the woods. They don't give a shit about us poor folks. All they care about are the white and rich folk. My aunt was murdered last year. I'm still waiting for the cops to come and investigate! So what if she was a drug dealer's wife. She was still a human being with a family. Four kids are motherless now and those boys in blue didn't give a damn. I hate the fucking cops. Only reason Hector got nabbed was because he shot his ex's boyfriend, who was a white dude and a lawyer and who worked in Manhattan! They cared about him. And my girlfriend was murdered. I'm raising my four-month-old on my own! The cops didn't come here either. Nobody cares. We're just filth and low life trash to them!"
"Ever thought about revenge?" Brennan asked.
"Sure, but if I do anything, I'd lose my daughter and she's everything to me. I can't lose her too. Anyway, make yourselves at home. I'll be in the back making a head start on the ID's. Hector, you going to stick around?"
"Nope. Looking for Maria. Know where she is?"
"Cometary in Manhattan. She was mowed down in a drive by last month. I'm sorry, pal."
"The kids?" Hector asked sadly. "They're okay, right?"
"Maria's parents. I don't know where. Maria moved back here after her boyfriend died and her parents split when after her funeral. I think they were given witness protection or something. I'm going in the back. I'm so sorry, Hec."
"Fuck!" Hector yelled, his face darkening. "I'll never see them again. Her parents never liked me!"
"Don't be so sure," Brennan said. "I can hack the police server and find their new identities. But I ask one thing in return."
"Name it."
"I want your help getting rid of Tadgh's husband and family. They all ruined my life and Tadgh's."
"I thought you loved him," Hector said, looking at Tadgh.
"Sure, but he lied and said I was abusive and am a murderer and I'm not. He ruined my life and Brennan's, so he has to pay."
"You'll have my help," Hector said. "But first find Maria's parents. I want my kids."
"You got it," Brennan said, sitting down and booting up the laptop. He was a tech whiz and he'd soon bypass the security on the police server.
"Bingo," he announced a few minutes later. "I'm in."
Raphael, I can't wait to finish what I started with you," Brennan thought. "And neither can Tadgh. Enjoy your final moments.
A/N I read about escape methods and the key method actually occurred. Bizarre, but true.
Brennan's loose. Will that spell Raphael's end?