Chapter Fourteen

Time

Richard and Ace speak often at night when they can. They start to formulate a plan that will help them eventually escape this horrid place. They decide that everyone will be on board once they get the plan figured out. Eli will be able to use his Gift to knock out the lights and cameras in this place, ensuring that no one will be able to see them. Peter's Gift will be used to make the guards fall asleep. That way the inmates can move around freely without having to worry about the guards stopping them. The only problem is that they have to get a person out of a cell to get everyone out once the lights are off.

"I think I have it," Richard says and sits up a little straighter on the bathroom floor.

"And what would that be?" Ace asks.

"We need a diversion. If we create some racket, the guards will have to open the cell to break us apart. Once that happens, I can slip out of the cell unnoticed and get everything ready for the big break."

"How will you be able to stay undetected?"

"My Gift," he answers. "I can blend in with my surroundings and be completely invisible to anyone around me."

"And once you're out, we can start the plan. Eli and Peter will both use their Gifts at the same time. Once the lights are out and the guards are asleep, you can start letting everyone out."

"Exactly." Richard licks his lips. It's all too simple. It's brilliant. "Once everyone is out, we take the subs and pilot them out of here. All we have to do is find a change of normal clothes and we'll be on dry land in no time."

"Perfect," says Ace. "Now all we have to do is figure out when we should to this."

"We need more time yet," Richard says. "We have to figure out the guards a little more. We also need more practice time with our gifts. I'm not sure if any of us can handle something like this. Eli has to figure out if he can turn off all the lights in this place, and Peter needs to figure out if he can make everyone go to sleep. I also need to figure out how to blend in with everything."

"Yeah, I can see your first problem already," Ace says and points at the top of Richard's head.

"What is it?" he asks and runs a hand through his hair.

"Your hair," the other boy answers. "You need to get rid of it. If you blend in with your surroundings, your hair will give you away. You'll have to shave it."

"I don't want to go bald!" he protests.

"Do you want to escape or not?"

Richard sighs. "Fine. I'll shave it when we're close to the time, but not now."

"Fine by me, as long as you get it shaved. We can't have your hair messing up our plans."

Richard smiles a little. "Nothing is going to mess up our plans. We're going to make sure everything is perfect for the day we break out."

"Yeah, perfect."

On the weekend, Richard and Ace decide to let their cellmates in on their little plan. They speak in hushed tones and change subjects whenever a guard walks by. Eli and Peter are in. All they have to do now is practice using their Gifts. They have to learn how to master them in a few months. Richard wants to leave Seablite by the time he's eighteen. That leaves them three months to prepare.

After one practice session, Eli figures he'll be good for the big breakout. One day he tested his gift by touching the light bulb socket in the bathroom. He managed to shut off the power in the prison for at least half an hour. Step one is complete.

Peter takes a little bit longer to master his Gift. His surgery rattled him up a bit. He still doesn't say much to anyone and is afraid to use his Gift. Richard continuously tells him that it's the only way to get out of Seablite forever. Cautiously, Peter practices on one boy at a time. Eli is the usual test subject until Peter grows confident enough that he can try to hypnotize all three of them. It takes some time but soon he is able to hypnotize all three of them.

Another batch of inmates arrives one weekend. Richard assumes it will be the final batch to arrive since they're breaking out of here in a few months. The final inmate arrives at their table. He's a nice boy, from what Richard can tell. Very well-mannered and respectful. His name is Kyle and is around the same age as Henry, fourteen.

"Don't get too comfortable, kid," Richard says in a very quiet tone. "We're busting out of here in a few months."

Kyle looks over at him. "Really?" he asks. "Why?"

"The guards do things to us," Eli answers. "Why one of our cellmates was taken away just two days ago."

Indeed there is an empty spot at the table. Ace was taken away not long ago. Richard has been to see him in the infirmary. The dark haired boy is doing well. He just lost a little bit of his spunk when he was cut open. It will take him long to heal since the surgery was so intensive. The plan needs Ace, though. With his ink spewing abilities, he will be able to get the attention of a guard pretty fast. They may have to postpone things for a bit but they will get out of here. Richard will do everything he can to get out of here.

"What do the guards do to you?" Kyle whispers.

"Cut you open," Peter answers. "The water pressure messes with you brain and soon you'll develop a gift, a Dark Gift is what they are called. Once you have one, they cut you open."

"Now, now, Peter," Richard says and pushes around the remaining bits of his food on his tray, "we don't need to scare the kid on his first day."

"I'm just telling him the truth, Richard," Peter retorts. "The kid has to know what's going to happen to him."

"Don't worry, Kyle," Eli assures him. "We'll get you out of here before Doc gets to you." Richard knows it's an empty promise. Doc always gets to the inmates first. But they can always hope, maybe.

Time ever so slowly ticks by. Richard is counting down the days until they escape. Ace gains strength every day. Soon he'll be strong enough so they can initiate the plan. One thing they have to account for is that some of the inmates will be in the infirmary when they escape. They will have to wait for a day when no one is the infirmary. It will make travelling much easier.

"And how will we know when the infirmary is empty?" Ace asks and settles down onto his bed with a wince and a groan. Richard helps his friend to get into a more comfortable position. Ace nods in thanks and lightly rubs his chest where his scar lays.

"Let me worry about that," he says to his friend. "All you should worry about is making sure your stitches don't rip. Otherwise you'll be back in the infirmary."

Ace nods again. "Just don't forget about your hair too. We can't have that messing us up."

Richard rolls his eyes. "Don't worry. I haven't forgotten. I'll get it done."

"Get it done soon," he reminds him. "We can't have you forget this."

"I know already. Just get some rest and stop worrying about me. I'm supposed to be the one who's worrying right now."

Ace smiles a little and drifts off into a light sleep. Richard sighs and lies down on the hard floor of his cell. Peter and Eli both look down at him from their bunks.

"You guys really are serious about this whole plan aren't you?" Eli asks.

"Ace and I are almost eighteen. We won't be able to wait until we're twenty-one to get out of here," he answers. "You guys are sixteen. Don't you want to get out of here?"

They both nod. "But what if things go wrong?" Peter asks. "I don't want to stay here any longer than you do, Richard."

"Nothing will go wrong," he insists. "We have run through this plan several times now. Everything is going to work out fine."

"And if it doesn't?" Eli asks. "What happens then?"

Richard is silent for a moment. "I don't know," he says. "I don't know what'll happen." He stands up and moves towards his bed. "We are going to get out of here."