The brunette took one last look around her room. She had Jerome's bag in her hand. Inside were the weapons she had retrieved from his apartment, along with a change of clothes and the photograph of her mother. She didn't need to take anything else, materialistic items were replaceable. After the last look had satisfied her, she entered her lab for what she hoped to be the last time.
Jerome had already taken the grate off of the air vent. He pushed her chair underneath it and turned to her with a smile. "Fancy seeing you here. Got everything you need?"
She nodded and joined him in front of the chair. She looked up at the vent and let out an audible sigh.
"Y'know, I'm gonna miss this place," he said, folding his arms and looking around the room.
"You're on your own there." She looked him up and down. "You sure you're able to run? You still look a bit unsteady," she noted.
Jerome turned to face her. "Doll, I've made more daring and complex escapes whilst under fire from a GCPD unit with a bullet wound and a broken arm. I think I'm gonna be fine. But," he added, "if I am killed, I will look forward to receiving more of your treatment," he winked. "You have an excellent bedside manner."
"Wouldn't count on that."
"Why not?".
"If we get caught we will both be killed."
"Ah, good point. Oh well, we can share a drip, then."
She shook her head. "Let's just get this over and done..." Albany turned herself around when she heard the door open. Her heart stopped when she saw Oliver.
Oliver looked at her, then to the transport table. His eyes finally met Jerome's face. Oliver opened his mouth and let out a small gasp. "Albany..." he looked back at her. "What...what the hell is going on?"
Albany's heart began beating again, it was racing faster than it ever had before. Her chest became tight, her mouth was dry. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She felt Jerome pressed against her back.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pointed the gun at Oliver.
"No!" Albany pulled the gun out of his hands. "You can't kill him, people will know!"
"Albany, if we keep him alive, they will know!"
Albany stared at Oliver with pleading eyes. "Oliver please, please don't tell anyone!"
The man was still looking at Jerome. "He is alive?" he asked.
"Yes Oliver but please don't tell!"
Oliver took a step away from Albany. "How long...how long has he...been awake?"
"Oliver that doesn't matter! Just promise me-"
"You're helping him escape?" he had raised his voice to a level Albany wasn't comfortable with.
Jerome grabbed Albany's hand. "C'mon doll, he's not gonna listen to ya'."
Oliver lunged for Jerome and ripped his hand from Albany's. "Get off of her you monster!"
"Oliver!" Albany shouted and tried to pull him back.
Jerome felt Oliver's fist hit the side of his face.
Oliver stopped when he felt something cold on the back of his neck. He let go of Jerome and froze.
"Oliver," Albany began, her voice quiet. "Please...don't make me do this."
"I can't just let you walk out of here."
Jerome spat some blood onto the floor next to him and wiped his mouth. "We're not. We are gonna crawl," he said.
Oliver looked down at the smile on his face and his hands balled into fists again.
"Oliver, just walk away. Please."
"You know I can't do that," he replied, his eyes still on the ginger.
"Yes, you can. You can walk out of that door and forget everything you've seen."
Oliver shook his head and turned to face her. "No Albany. You don't know what he is like, what he is capable of. You want to put your trust in a man who killed his-"
"His mother, I know."
"You...you know?"
"You told me to do my research. I did. I know everything."
He shook his head again. "No, no you don't! You only know what's on the paper! You don't know his mind!"
"Oh trust me, she does," Jerome clambered to his feet laughing.
Oliver gritted his teeth. "I wasn't talking to you!"
"No, but you were talking about me." Jerome walked around the man and stopped next to Albany. "So I figured I'm aloud an opinion on the conversation." he looked at his doctor and held his hand out for the gun. "We gotta go." he reached for the gun.
"No!" Albany pulled the gun away from his reach. "No..." she took a deep breath and tried to hold back her tears. "Oliver...please...I'm going to ask you one last time. Please, just walk away and stay quiet...please...for me..."
Oliver looked at her, then to Jerome, then back to her. "I can't Albany,. I'm sorry."
"It's okay...I...understand." Albany cocked the gun and placed her finger on the trigger. She closed her eyes as the tears began to fall. "I'm...sorry."
"Alba-"
Bang.
Albany lowered the gun, her eyes still closed.
Jerome grabbed her and pulled her into his chest.
She dropped the gun and threw her arms around him as she sobbed.
He moved his mouth to her ear. "We gotta move, someone would have heard that." he felt her nod. He picked up the gun and shoved it back in the bag.
She took it from his hands and turned to look at Oliver.
Jerome grabbed her face and turned it to him. "No, don't look. You're not ready for that."
Albany swore she saw something flicker across his eyes. She looked down at his split lip. She wiped a drop of blood away.
He took her hand from his lips. "We can play doctors and nurses later," he winked. He brought her back over to the vent.
Jerome had slowed his crawling to a minimum pace. He peered through a metallic grate, he saw a single guard sitting on a chair watching the screens. The room was small and lacked windows, only a single door. He reached his hand back.
Albany dug into the bag, pulled out Jerome's knife and handed it to him without a word.
He took the knife and placed it in front of him. Placing his hands on the grate he wiggled it free. He grabbed the knife and crawled out of the air vent and behind the guard who was sat on the chair.
Albany crawled out and brushed herself down. She looked away when Jerome slide the knife across the guard's neck. She had seen enough blood for one day. She moved over to the control panel she recognised from her dreams. Her eyes searched for the right button. She knew they were puffy from her crying earlier, no doubt her make-up looked an absolute mess. But her make-up situation wasn't at the top of her priority list. She finally found the button and pressed it. She looked over to the screens as watched them flicker until they had returned to a steady picture.
Jerome slid his hand into the guard's pocket and retrieved a key. He walked over to the single door and locked it. His hand shot to his face.
"What?"
Jerome grunted and rubbed his cheek. "Nothing."
"What is it?" she asked again. She examined his face and rubbed his cheek.
"I felt a shooting pain. I'm fine, he just hit me harder than I thought."
"Sure?" she asked.
He grabbed his doctor's hand. "We don't have long now." he tried to pull her to the vent but she stayed put. He sighed and looked at her. "I know you're upset about what happened to whatshisname. But-"
"It's not killing him that upset me."
Jerome turned his body to face her, somewhat curious.
"It's the fact he wouldn't keep quiet for me. We have been friends for years, did so much together, I thought he was my best friend. But he couldn't...he wouldn't..."
Jerome wiped her tears with his thumbs and held her face in his hands. "Now you understand why I work alone."
She looked up at his eyes.
"I mean, you're an exception," he winked. "You gave me my life back. This is the least I could do."
"And after we get out?" she worried about what his answer was going to be.
"I have a deal to follow through with." he placed his hand on his chest. "I'm a man of my word, you of all people should know that."
"Hmm." she nodded.
"Good girl. Come on, we aren't out yet." he slipped back into the vent.
Albany followed him and placed the metal grate back in place.
Jerome stopped. "Bingo!" He took the vent off and climb out.
Albany took his hand and clambered out of the air vent. She stood up and brushed herself down.
He stretched his arms above his head. "Ohhh, that feels good!"
Albany already had the bolt cutters out of the bag. She thrust them towards the ginger. "These better work!"
Jerome took them with a smile. "Stop doubting me gorgeous, I'm Jerome Valeska," he winked.
"You may be, but you're not immortal."
"Did I miss that part of the treatment? Damn!" He shuffled over to the barred window and placed the cutters around one of them.
Clang.
Clunk.
Jerome turned to Albany with a bar from the window in his hand, a smug smile on his face.
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, you were right."
"Course I was gorgeous," he smirked. He turned back and worked on the rest of the bars. "Grab one of the bars will you?"
She did as her patient asked and reached down to pick one up.
"Now, hold it like this," he changed his grip on the object, "then stand there." Jerome took the end of her bar and placed it on the window. "Hold it there. After three, smash it into the glass as hard as you can. I will do the same and it should break. Ready?"
"Ready."
"One...two...three!"
Thud.
Thud.
Smash.
Cold air flooded the room.
Jerome took a deep breath, it felt like a lifetime since he had received a lungful of city air. He didn't realise how much he had missed it. He coughed as he exhaled.
Albany put her hand on his chest. "Savour it later, your lungs aren't used to it yet."
"Ladies first." He bowed.
Albany climbed out of the window and landed on the wet grass. She stood up and looked out at the city, not quite believing her situation. She felt Jerome slip his hand into hers.
He smiled. "Time to go home." Jerome grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the building.
They reached a fence and looked up at it.
"It's too tall to climb.," Albany commented.
Jerome opened the bag on Albany's back and brought out the bolt cutters. He began working on the fence.
A blaring alarm sounded behind them and lights began to dart about.
"Shit!" Albany gasped. She looked behind her and saw figures searching.
Jerome dropped the bolt cutters and ripped the hole he had made open as much as he could. He winced as the sharp metal cut into his palms. Once it was wide enough, he crawled through. He turned back to Albany.
She was already on the floor crawling through the hole. A light landed on her, followed by incoherent shouts.
"C'mon keep going!" Jerome ordered.
Albany continued through the hole. She let out a scream when she heard a gunshot and felt something fly by her legs.
Jerome took hold of her arms and pulled her through. He turns her around and grabbed the gun from the bag. "Run!" he began shooting at the figure running towards the fence.
"Jer-"
"Run!" he ordered. He let out another shot.
Albany turned her back and began to run away from the facility. She heard a cry, it was Jerome. She heard gunshots and the shouting stopped. She stood still and looked at the fence. "J-Jerome?" she called. She saw something roll down the hill and land at the bottom. She ran after it as soon as she saw the ginger hair. She reached the bottom of the hill.
Jerome was still.
"Jerome?"
She put her hand on his shoulder and turned him over. She saw him clutching his chest, his hand covered in blood. "Oh shit..."
Jerome groaned.
"Oh god! Jerome! Are you okay?"
He smirked. "Nothing I can't handle sweetheart."
Albany glanced up to the fence, then back down at Jerome. She took his hand and helped him up. "Can you run still?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good."
She picked up the empty gun and shoved it into the bag. She grabbed Jerome's hand and lead him away as fast as she could. Leaving the blaring sirens and the facility far behind them.