Caged, Chapter 9: Recruiting

-Shi-

"And how do you propose we do that?" I arched a skeptical brow. Even though this place looks ill prepared to deal with hundreds of psychotic teens, it was airtight. There was no way we were getting out.

"I don't know," Sasuke admitted. "but we're going to have to recruit some people to help us if we have any shot in hell of making it out."

"But then they'll want us to break them out, too," I countered. "How are we supposed to get them to help us without getting something in return?"

He pursed his lips for a fragment of a second as if there was only one answer. "Then it looks like we'll be leading a revolt," he sighed. For a second, I could've sworn I saw a twinkle of excitement in his eyes. "You recruit girls whenever you can. I'll get the man power."

"But Sasuke-" I protested, but he was already out the door. I sighed despondently, a sense of hopelessness filling the pit of my stomach. Our plan would never work; we were only sixteen and had absolutely no idea how to lead any kind of revolt, especially one on this scale. How could we even think this could work?

"Alright, recreation hour is over!" a counselor announced. We all separated and gathered into two groups on opposite sides of the room. "Girls, come with me."

We followed our counselor down the corridor like a flock of sheep, silent and confused and willing to follow anyone who took charge. Then, it hit me. I could manipulate these girls to help Sasuke and I fairly easily, I just had to take charge and demand their attention and loyalty. I glanced at the girl next to me and edged closer.

"Hey," I whispered under my breath. "What would you give to get out of this hell hole?"

She looked at me with her cold, gray eyes, seemingly searching for any hint of dishonesty. After a minute or two, her face softened and an unidentifiable emotion that looked like a cross between sadness and regret seeped into her irises. "Anything," she murmured so quietly, I had to strain to hear.

"Well, I need your help," I leaned in closer so only she could hear. "because I'm breaking out of here."

Her head snapped up instantly and her gray eyes ignited into a blaze of determination. "I'm listening."

…

"Lights out!" the hall monitor called, his voice echoing down the already empty hall.

I flicked my light off and crawled into bed, the surprisingly lush comforter making the sharp mattress springs less noticeable as they stabbed into my back. I smiled up into the darkness, satisfied with my day's recruiting effort. Sasuke never said how many people we'd need, so I stuck to three in hopes that that'd be enough. Just as I was ready to attempt sleep, the crinkling of paper caught my attention. I turned to face the door and immediately spotted a slip of paper on the floor a few inches from the small crack between the bottom of the door and the linoleum. I padded silently across the room and unfolded the note.

Got a couple guys to help us. Meet me by the solitary confinement rooms in ten. Come alone.

-S

-Sasuke-

I pressed my back as flat as I could against the wall. The heavy footsteps of the night guard thundered down the hallway, echoing in my skull like a bullhorn. I held my breath and shrunk back into the shadows as he rounded the corner. The dim glow of his flashlight panned the corridor and barely missed my paralyzed figure. He paused for a moment and continued on his rounds. I slipped around the corner and made it down the hall as fast as my legs could carry me until I reached the door to the emergency stairwell. Once safely behind the thick door, I finally allowed myself to take a fresh breath, my lungs burning from lack of oxygen and my throat dry and raw.

"What am I doing here?" I asked myself, leaning back against the wall. I took a few soothing breaths and attempted to sort through my thought process. I had absolutely no desire to help Shi, but I had to if I ever wanted to get out of here. I often find myself wondering if all of this is worth it; this place isn't so horrible. Then, I think of the infuriatingly happy staff and my mind is instantly made up.

I kicked off the wall and took the stairs two at a time toward the basement where they kept the solitary confinement rooms. I snuck out into the dark hall, the only light coming from a couple of very dim fluorescent lights overhead. The tall compartments were constructed entirely of metal with a small window in the door to let in a square of light and a thin opening near the bottom of the door for meals to be slid through. Pained groans emitted from the rooms and traveled down the narrow hall; it seemed as though people were being tortured down here. I headed to the end of the hall and stood just under the last fluorescent light, waiting for my accomplice. Exactly ten minutes after I dropped the note off, Shi ambled down the hall, apprehensively glancing up at the metal enclosures that surrounded us.

"Alright, how many people did you get?" I asked once she reached the end of the corridor.

"Three," she replied, counting them off on her fingers. "Lucy, Reina, and Gwen. Who did you get?"

"Zack, Shawn, and Jesse," I mimicked her, coaxing out an eye roll and a small smirk. I couldn't help but return it. "So, eight of us should be enough. We can each break into groups of four and into teams of two if we have to. Now, it's time to set our plan into motion."

"What plan?" Shi laughed dryly. "When did we formulate a plan?"

"We didn't," I corrected her. "I did, now are you going to listen or not?"

She rolled her eyes again and pursed her lips. I never realized how blue her eyes were until that moment or how she chewed on her bottom lip when she was thinking. It was somehow endearing. "Fine. What's first?"

"We need to find out where they keep the sedatives," I explained, peeling my eyes away from hers.

"What do we need sedatives for?"

"So we'll be somewhat armed," I clarified. "These guys won't know what hit them."