Title: Shattered Soul
Author: Cindy Ryan

Sam Ellis tossed an empty beer bottle into the small waste basket across the room. It clattered loudly before the weight of the bottle caused the basket to tip sideways.
He opened another as he drunkenly counted the cash spread out on the bed in front of him. Not enough. After the first couple robberies he and Kari had stashed a little bit away in case things went wrong.
But what he had here wasn't nearly enough to start a new life.

Sam took a swig of beer before leaning back against the pillow. Good thing he had the Fed.
Now he just had to figure out how much cash to ask for

Sam smiled darkly as he took another drink. Kari would rot away the rest of her life in prison and he'd be living in paradise.
And she thought she was smart.

Matt took a long deep breath as he paced in front of the warden's desk. He couldn't believe what he was hearing and he needed clarification.

"Okay."Matt began as he turned and leaned against the back of one of the chairs. "Let me make sure I have this right. You're telling me that your officers are so corrupt that Ellis was able to pay off both the guards on day shift and night shift so they would not only aide in his escape but cover it for a day?!"

"Yes."Warden Dallas Ellison replied quietly. "There's an extreme shortage of correctional officers. We had finally gotten a new group trained four months ago."

"Obviously they missed the class on ethics."Matt snapped as he ran a hand through his hair. It was getting harder and harder to keep his thoughts straight. All he could see was Emily in that photo. Did Ellis have her strip or did he do it himself?

Either way he was a dead man when Matt found him.

"As you requested."Ellison, a wiry brown haired man in his fifties continued, "I have Ellis's cellmates waiting. I have already fired the guards in question but I have them available for questioning also."

"Thank you."Matt replied as he turned and left the office with Frank and Duff close on his heels. He had just over three hours left before he was officially taken off the search.

Something good had to happen between then and now, it just had too.