Note: Apologies, apologies. Have recently been tied down with an avalanche
of tests and assignments. The festive period didn't help either. Here's a
short chapter to tide things over until Wednesday. Thanks for the wonderful
comments!
Roxton came running back not long after, forehead slick with sweat.
'Managed to get it from him,' he panted, holding up the key.
'ONE key?' Marguerite said incredulously.
'I think it's the master key to all the cells. Didn't find any other keys on him.'
'Well, we might as well have a go at it. You think it'll work after you blasted it?'
Roxton gave her a sheepish look. 'It should. If I couldn't open it after it was shot, I don't think the mechanisms are busted.'
Marguerite sighed tiredly. She hoped he was right.
Roxton fiddled with the key, jingling it in the lock. His efforts were fruitless. Finally, Marguerite took the key from him.
'Let me try,' she said, her hand deftly working the lock. They swallowed surprised gasps when the click was heard and the door swung open.
They stepped in cautiously, blinking in the darkness.
'Malone?' Roxton maneuvered around the door. 'Ned? You in here?'
Marguerite stepped on a rope of some sort. She bent down and picked it up.
'John,' her voice was low with revulsion. He turned and saw what she was holding.
'Whip?' There was a tremor in his voice. She nodded, inhaling deeply, trying to bury the feelings that were rising to engulf her. She flung it aside, and stepped nearer to him.
'Is he here?'
'I don't know. Malone!' he shouted, his voice reverberating around the room, nearly scaring Marguerite.
'Roxton, that's not the way,' she hissed.
'He may not be here Marguerite,' he said, ignoring her reprimand.
Suddenly, there came a whimper from the far side of the cell.
'Ned?' Roxton motioned Marguerite to get the torch from the corridor. He tentatively moved toward the source of the sound.
'Ned?' The only answer was a scuffling sound to his right.
The flame from the torch cast a diminished yellow glow around. It flickered, and the shadows jumped erratically as if they too were scared of the cell.
'Move toward the right and walk forward Marguerite.'
She obeyed without a question or a comment.
'John,' she gasped when she finally reached the corner.
'Malone!'
Roxton came running back not long after, forehead slick with sweat.
'Managed to get it from him,' he panted, holding up the key.
'ONE key?' Marguerite said incredulously.
'I think it's the master key to all the cells. Didn't find any other keys on him.'
'Well, we might as well have a go at it. You think it'll work after you blasted it?'
Roxton gave her a sheepish look. 'It should. If I couldn't open it after it was shot, I don't think the mechanisms are busted.'
Marguerite sighed tiredly. She hoped he was right.
Roxton fiddled with the key, jingling it in the lock. His efforts were fruitless. Finally, Marguerite took the key from him.
'Let me try,' she said, her hand deftly working the lock. They swallowed surprised gasps when the click was heard and the door swung open.
They stepped in cautiously, blinking in the darkness.
'Malone?' Roxton maneuvered around the door. 'Ned? You in here?'
Marguerite stepped on a rope of some sort. She bent down and picked it up.
'John,' her voice was low with revulsion. He turned and saw what she was holding.
'Whip?' There was a tremor in his voice. She nodded, inhaling deeply, trying to bury the feelings that were rising to engulf her. She flung it aside, and stepped nearer to him.
'Is he here?'
'I don't know. Malone!' he shouted, his voice reverberating around the room, nearly scaring Marguerite.
'Roxton, that's not the way,' she hissed.
'He may not be here Marguerite,' he said, ignoring her reprimand.
Suddenly, there came a whimper from the far side of the cell.
'Ned?' Roxton motioned Marguerite to get the torch from the corridor. He tentatively moved toward the source of the sound.
'Ned?' The only answer was a scuffling sound to his right.
The flame from the torch cast a diminished yellow glow around. It flickered, and the shadows jumped erratically as if they too were scared of the cell.
'Move toward the right and walk forward Marguerite.'
She obeyed without a question or a comment.
'John,' she gasped when she finally reached the corner.
'Malone!'