The airship was grim when (Rank) (Name) and the rest of the Flying Squad came back from Florence Samuels' trial. They still couldn't believe that Justin Lawson, now Mayor of Concordia, had sentenced the law clerk who killed Judge Takakura to death, and by beheading no less.

"(Name), five months of Lawson's rule have been a trial for us all, but this latest development has shaken me to the core! What was Lawson thinking, sentencing Judge Takakura's killer to death by beheading? Capital punishment was abolished in Concordia fifty years ago!" Chief Wright said. "Up until now, my priority has been making sure Lawson allows the Flying Squad to remain operational, in order to protect the people of Concordia. But it is now clear that we cannot do that by simply staying on Lawson's good side! We can't let him behead people on a whim!"

"Hear, hear, Chief!" Maddie said. "We must prevent the beheading, but we're going to need help! I, for one, have no idea where to start!"

"Maybe you don't, Maddie." (Name) said. "But I think Diego does. He's gotten into more than his fair share of trouble and managed to get out of it."

"Good idea, (Name)! Diego is an expert in getting out of tricky situations. Let's speak with him at once!"

"(Name), before you go, Katherine also requires a word with you." Evie said. "She's waiting for you in my library. She says it's urgent!"

"Well, what do you want to do first, (Name)?" Maddie asked. "Speak to Diego or see what Katherine wants? Decide quickly!"

"Evie, tell Katherine to wait for us while we prevent tomorrow's execution." (Name) said. "It'll take time for Diego to come up with a plan, so I should speak to him now. Oh, and Evie? See if you can find law books regarding Concordia's abolishment of the death penalty. I want to see if there's a legal way to stop him."

"You got it, (Name)!" Evie said, then headed towards her library while Name and Maddie met Diego at his office.

"Diego, I'm sure you've heard that Lawson has sentenced Takakura's killer to death by beheading," Maddie said. "And we need your help to stop him from going through with it!"

"If you've got any ideas on how to stop this goddamned madness," (Name) said. "Now is the time to tell us!"

"Well, one thing is clear, (Name). Lawson is not the type of person to change his mind, so you can forget any options involving a negotiation!" Diego said. "If we're going to prevent this beheading from taking place, there's only one way to do it: we need to break Takakura's killer out of prison!"

"A prison break?" Maddie asked. "But…we're the ones who put people IN prison! We don't break them out!"

"We do in this case, Maddie." (Name) said. "Unless you want to see Miss Samuels lose her head tomorrow at noon, literally!"

"You're right, (Name), if we leave Miss Samuels in prison, she'll certainly be executed! We don't have any other choice!" Maddie said. "But we're definitely not letting her go free once we've broken her out! We shall have to figure out what to do with her later!"

"Exactly. But if this plan is going to be a success, we shall need to know the layout of that prison like the back of our hands!" Diego said. "I'd wager we might be able to find a map of some kind at the courthouse. I'll accompany you there, (Name)!"

"Very well, but you're coming out of extreme protest." (Name) said. "I don't want you to get caught, Diego." It wasn't a secret where Lawson stood regarding criminals, even reformed ones like Diego, but so far the former forger had been allowed to remain with them. They reached the courthouse hall and (Name) came across a safe.

"If I had any important papers, such as the blueprint of a prison," (Name) said. "I would keep them someplace secure, and this safe looks pretty secure to me."

"Well, I suppose it was too much to hope that the prison blueprint might just be lying around somewhere, (Name)!" Diego said. "Let's open that safe if you think it might be in there!"

"You're the safecracker here." (Name) said. "I'm submitting to your expertise in this matter." Diego grinned and worked on the safe, opening it without flaw.

"Aha! I knew your instincts would pay off, (Name)! The blueprint in that safe is precisely what we need!" Diego said. "I have to say, this is the most fun I've had in ages! It's not often that I get to break a prisoner out of jail!"

"If you're done indulging in nostalgia of your previous life…" (Name) said. Diego had the grace to look a bit sheepish, but they knew he was enjoying himself despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Sorry, (Name), I know this is serious." Diego said. "Leave the prison blueprint with me for a few hours, and I'll have a plan drawn up to break Miss Samuels out before you know it!" (Name) nodded and she headed straight for Evie's library as soon as they returned to the airship. (Name) was surprised to see Katherine Woolf, the reporter, outside the library with Maddie.

"(Name), I've thought long and hard about what I'm about to say. But given that you're not willing to let Lawson go through with his heinous plan, I believe you deserve to know…" Katherine said. "I'm part of a resistance movement working to bring down Justin Lawson!"

"So there really is a resistance movement trying to bring down Lawson!" Maddie cried. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

"Well, Evie knew. But I swore her to secrecy, so please don't blame her for not telling you!" Katherine said. "But what's more important is that Judge Takakura was also in the resistance!"

"So Inspector Jaubert's suspicions were correct!" Maddie cried. "Takakura was working against Lawson!"

"Indeed. And Judge Takakura had a telegraph machine in his possession at the time of his death, containing data which could compromise dozens of people if it fell into the wrong hands!" Katherine said. "If you can recover that telegraph machine from Takakura's house, the resistance will happily cover your costs, (Name)!"

"We'd be happy to help, with or without the money, Katherine! (Name), let us return to Takakura's home!"

"Just a moment, Maddie." (Name) said. "Katherine, I asked Evie to look into the death penalty and Concordia's abolishment of it, has she found anything?"

"Not yet." (Name) only nodded and headed to Takakura's house with Maddie. They investigated his garden, (Name) suspecting the elderly judge hid something among his precious crops.

"And what do we have here, but pumpkins?" (Name) asked as they found a pile of pumpkins, ripe from harvest. "Old Takakura did love his gardening. I'm willing to bet he hid the telegraph machine in his harvest."

"(Name), if it were anyone else, I'd wonder why you think you might find a telegraph machine in that pile of pumpkins. But knowing Takakura, he might very well have hidden it there!" Maddie said. "Well, I'm dubious, but it's the only lead we've got. Let's look through these vegetables!"

"Agreed!" (Name) said as they moved pumpkins aside. If they didn't find the telegraph machine there, they could look at the other crops, dig up the whole damn garden if necessary! (Name) sighed with relief when they found the machine hidden in the pumpkins.

"Well, I'll be darned, (Name)! You did find a telegraph machine among those pumpkins!" Maddie cried. "You believe we should send the machine to Charlie to ensure it really is the one which Katherine was talking about? Well, I shan't pass up a chance to see my beloved!"

"I know you wouldn't." (Name) said as they returned to the airship. It didn't take too long for Charlie to analyze the telegraph machine, which was why (Name) had Maddie sit while they waited in the lab for said analysis.

"Madeline, my darling wife, how are you feeling?" Charlie asked.

"Well, the baby has been kicking nonstop, but I haven't had two minutes to sit down, what with everything going on!" Maddie said. "Speaking of which, is that telegraph machine the one Katherine told us about? The one that belongs to the resistance?"

"Yes, Judge Takakura definitely used this machine to contact Katherine in the past! I can't believe they were both in the resistance without us knowing!"

"I expect they didn't want to get us into trouble. After all, working against Lawson's regime is dangerous business."

"Yes, and it's a wonder they weren't caught! They're still using such vulnerable technology when there's an alternative available!"

"What do you mean, dear?" Maddie asked.

"A secure telephone line! As the owner of the Concordia Telephone Company, I could set up a private telephone exchange for the resistance and nobody would be any the wiser!" Charlie said. "(Name), I'd like to accompany you when you return the telegraph machine to Katherine and suggest this idea!"

"Sounds like a good idea, Charlie," (Name) said. "Maddie, rest for the love of God. That is my future godchild you're carrying!"

"Yours, and Diego's." Maddie muttered as (Name) and Charlie left. The newlyweds had asked (Name) and Diego to be the godparents after the wedding, after they recovered from the shock from Lawson's inauguration as Mayor.

"(Name), pray tell you managed to recover the resistance's telegraph machine before the regime could get their hands on it?" Katherine asked when (Name) and Charlie came to her.

"We did, and I have a proposition which would allow you to communicate more securely in the future!" Charlie said. "You see, I can set up a telephone exchange for the resistance which would be completely private!"

"You mean, no more paper trace of the resistance's activities? That would be wonderful, Charlie!" Katherine cried. "Honestly, I don't know how to repay you and (Name). But I'll think of some way to show my gratitude, you can count on it! In the meantime, in memory of Judge Takakura, I want you take this!" Katherine gave them a good deal of shillings, which (Name) gave back.

"Keep it, Katherine." (Name) said. "You need this more than I do."

"Are you sure?"

"I am."

"Well…okay…there is some information I have that could be useful to you." Katherine said. "During the trial, I watched Buchannan Johnson as he observed the proceedings."

"Buchannan Johnson, the new Assistant Attorney General?" (Name) asked. "What's he doing back in Concordia? I thought he left for the capital to deal with the Rochesters after we arrested Horatio and exposed his plans to take over the city."

"He did. He came back to follow up on the investigation, and when he saw Lawson sentence Florence Samuels to death…he didn't look happy."

"That's something to keep in mind." (Name) said. "You better get out of here before the goons see you." Katherine nodded and left the airship. Charlie looked confused.

"I don't understand, (Name)." Charlie said. "How does Mister Johnson's reaction to the trial help us?"

"He may have a legal way to stop Lawson." (Name) said. "As an Assistant Attorney General, Mister Johnson represents the state, and state law trumps city law. That was why he got involved when we dealt with the Rochesters, especially when it was discovered that Horatio had people committed against their will in Gryphon Sanctuary. Specifically, when it was discovered Horatio arranged for the unwilling commitment of his nephew Malcolm's political opponent on the eve of the Senate election."

"That would be cheating, wouldn't it? I imagine the state would frown on such a thing."

"It's more than cheating, Charlie. Horatio Rochester interfered with a public election so his nephew could become Senator, and the state does frown on that, especially with how he did it. There's been some discussion about what to do with Horatio and Malcolm, since tampering with a public election is a federal offense. The last I heard, the state was holding them and any of their remaining accomplices but will try them for treason on the federal level because of the tampered election, and federal law trumps state law."

"I think I understand. Horatio's lofty ambitions to take over Concordia had consequences beyond the city itself, and he and those who helped him are in more trouble than they can imagine."

"Exactly. Go see to your wife, I have to check if Diego's done with that blueprint." Charlie nodded while (Name) went to Diego's office, where he explained that not only did he finish analyzing the blueprint, but Rose was going to be part of the plan to break out Florence Samuels.

"(Name), I don't wish to brag, but I've come up with a foolproof plan for you and Rose to break Miss Samuels out of prison! You see, you're going to wait until the guards on the perimeter change shift at five minutes past the hour…" Diego said. "Then you'll scale the fire escape located at the rear of the building and enter through the air vents…before descending into corridor A, and taking a left, which should take you to right outside Miss Samuels' cell!"

"Diego, I know I don't say this often, but you're brilliant!" (Name) said. "When do we start?"

"We just need to get the Chief's seal of approval! Let's inform him of the plan!" Diego nodded and they went to Chief Wright.

"Chief, we've devised a plan to break Takakura's killer out of jail." Diego said. "It—"

"Don't tell me the details! I need plausible deniability if Lawson ever asks me about this, but I trust that you have everything under control." Chief Wright said. "I just have one question: what do you intend to do with Miss Samuels once you've rescued her?"

"…I must confess I haven't given it any thought." Diego said. (Name) cursed under their breath, they had no idea what to do with Miss Samuels once they got her out.

"Well, I have, and it is quite clear that, while she must serve a sentence, she will not be safe from Lawson if we keep her here in Concordia…"

"No, she won't." A voice said. All three heads turned to the door of the Chief's office to see Buchannan Johnson standing there, holding a large briefcase.

"Mister Johnson." (Name) said.

"(Rank) (Name), Chief Wright. Mister del Lobo." Johnson said. "So you're planning to break Florence Samuels out of prison even though she killed Judge Takakura."

"We are. We know it's against the law, but what Lawson is doing is wrong. In the five months he's been Mayor, he has turned Concordia—a city of dreams—into a nightmare!" (Name) said. "We're not going to let him kill Florence Samuels, even if she might deserve it and if you disagree with that, then that's your problem!"

"On the contrary, (Rank) (Name), I couldn't be happier to know you're doing this." Johnson said. "And I agree with you. What Jus—what Lawson is doing…this isn't like him. I'm afraid the power to make law rather than just enforce it has gone to his head!"

"You knew him, Mister Johnson." Chief Wright said. "I remember when you two worked together in the District Attorney's office, before you were given the position of Assistant Attorney General, perhaps if you had a word with him—"

"If I thought he would listen to me, Wright, I would be at City Hall rather than here." Johnson said. "I've known Justin Lawson for years—we went to law school together, became prosecutors together and I watched him rise through the ranks from District Attorney to Judge to Deputy Mayor and now Mayor. He won't listen to reason, that his sentencing Florence Samuels to death was wrong. His Justice Corps arrested anyone who pointed out that there is an impediment regarding the sentence he delivered."

"What impediment?" (Name) asked.

"Concordia abolished the death penalty fifty years ago…along with the rest of the state."

"The rest of the state? Then it was the state who abolished the death penalty in the first place!" Diego said. "Which means Lawson is in violation of state law."

"Precisely."

"Well, hellfire." (Name) said. "This changes everything!"

"Not as much as you think, (Rank)." Johnson said. "You still need to get Florence Samuels out of prison, but not to break her out. I will take Miss Samuels into state custody and take her to the capital to appeal her sentence. This does not change her conviction, nor does it make your taking her out of that prison illegal. Consider your next actions an official request of the Assistant Attorney General to investigate the sentence of said trial, due to a concern for the impediment being ignored by the current administration."

"That will work. You're right that it doesn't change much, especially if Lawson is ignoring state law." (Name) said. "But at least we have somewhere to send her. What's in the briefcase?"

"Papers bequeathed to me by Judge Takakura." Johnson said. "I haven't had a chance to look at them yet, but I have a feeling they'll play a part in stopping Justin."

"The Justice Corps would have gone through those papers before letting you have them, Counselor."

"They did, and they found nothing. They don't know what to look for, but then they never clerked for Old Takakura—I have."

"So if we're sending Miss Samuels to the capital, that means you'll have to escort her straight to the docks once you've broken her out, (Name)!" Diego said. "The plan is all coming together!"

"And remember, you need to hurry!" Chief Wright said. "And be as discreet as you can! If you get caught, (Name), it's all our necks on the line!"

"Yes, sir! Now all we need if to find a prison guard uniform so you can blend in, (Name)." Diego said. "Let's grab a snack and head back to the courtroom!"

"If I can borrow your office, Mister del Lobo, to look through the papers Judge Takakura left me, I would appreciate it." Johnson said.

"You are more than welcome to it, sir." Diego and (Name) grabbed their snack and headed to the courthouse, where they found a uniform by the statue.

"Well, that's a uniform alright, but how do we know if it's the right one to get you into the prison where Miss Samuels is being held?" Diego asked.

"We must have the logo in our archives." (Name) said. "We just need to find which logo is for the courthouse jail and compare it to what's on the uniform.

"Right, you can compare the logo to our archives! That'll tell us whether we've got the right uniform or not!" They went back to the airship where Name made the comparison of logos.

"This is it, (Name), this is the uniform for the courthouse jail where Miss Samuels is imprisoned!" Diego cried. "Now that we've got this, we'd better inform the others of our plan. We'll reconvene shortly!" They stopped by Diego's office to find Mister Johnson grinning as he relocked his briefcase.

"I take it your papers hold good news." (Name) said.

"They're very useful." Johnson answered. "Between them and Miss Samuels, I'll have more than enough to take to the state court to initiate an inquiry. I will meet you and Miss Samuels at the docks, (Rank) (Name)." (Name) and Diego went to the bullpen to find the rest of the Flying Squad waiting.

"(Name), thank you for helping Katherine out earlier." Evie said. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about the resistance. I do hope you're not angry at me!"

"No, we've been too busy preparing to break Miss Samuels out of prison so that Lawson can't have her beheaded!" Maddie said. " (Name), I hear you and Diego prepared quite a daring plan! You've got the prison blueprint and the uniform you're going to wear…I just hope it works, because if Lawson's people catch you, it's the end of the Flying Squad as we know it!"

"Don't worry, Maddie. I wouldn't send (Name) in if I wasn't sure of the plan." Diego said. "I wanted to come along myself, but Rose insisted on taking over…" Rose stepped up, wearing the prison guard uniform they acquired.

"You've done your bit, Diego, now let me do mine!" Rose said. "Though I have to say, this guard uniform is a tight fit!"

"We don't have time to let it out, Rose." (Name) said. "Not if we want to get Miss Samuels out of that prison and into Mister Johnson's custody."

"And remember to take the lock-picking set I gave you, Rose!" Diego said. "You'll need it to get into Miss Samuels' cell! Good luck!"

"Yes, enough talk! (Name), suit up and let's go!" Rose said. "We've got a prison to break into!"

"Yes we do." (Name) said. They reached the prison, their uniforms allowing them entry without suspicion. It did help that they came in as the shift was changing.

"According to Diego's plan, we should turn left here…" Rose said as they went down a corridor. "And then we'll cro—" A stomp interrupted them. "(Name), someone's coming! Quick, into the vent!" They crawled into the nearest vent and waited until the guard that walked by passed them.

"Oh thank God." (Name) said as they crossed themself.

"Phew, that was close, (Name), but we made it!" Rose said. "Now, let's hope Diego's lock pick works on the prisoner's door!" Rose picked the lock while (Name) kept their hand on their gun and watching the corridor, ready to fight in case any guards came across them. Rose finished with the lock and opened the door, revealing Florence Samuels now in a prison uniform.

"(Rank) (Name)!" Florence cried. "Are you here to take me for my execution already?"

"Not exactly." Rose said. "We're here to break you out so you can serve your punishment another way!"

"But…Mayor Lawson said I had to die!"

"Oh, for God's sake…" (Name) muttered. "We don't have time for this!"

"Look, do you want to be the first person in Concordia to be beheaded since the death penalty was abolished half a century ago?" Rose asked.

"No…" Florence said. "Of course not!"

"Then enough talking!" Rose said. "We need to get going before someone discovers us!" (Name) all but dragged Florence Samuels out of the prison while Rose followed behind. They managed to reach the docks without any trouble.

"(Rank) (Name), I'm so grateful that you risked your life to save me from being executed!" Florence cried. "Although—"

"I want to make two things clear, Miss Samuels." (Name) said. "I didn't do this for you, and don't think you're getting away with murder, because you're not. Rose, do you see him?"

"Coming right this way, (Rank)." Rose said. (Name) sighed with relief when Mister Johnson made his way towards them. Florence looked confused.

"I don't understand." Florence said.

"Miss Samuels, this is Mister Johnson from the Attorney General's office." (Name) said. "You're to be released into his custody."

"I know that name…Buchannan Johnson. You were part of the Rochester investigation, having them indited on treason against the state! Mayor Lawson considers you a very good friend."

"There's been a complication regarding your sentencing, Miss Samuels." Johnson said. "I need to take you to the capital to address said complication."

"You better hurry if you don't want to get caught, Counselor." Rose said. Johnson nodded and took Florence aboard the ship.

"So…what do we say when we're questioned about Miss Samuels' whereabouts?" (Name) asked.

"We sent her to the Redcliffe penal colony in Australia, to serve a custodial sentence through manual labor." Rose said. "I want to give Mister Johnson time to get her to the capital; better if the Justice Corps believes we sent her halfway across the world."

"Meaning they'll be searching ships heading towards international waters, nothing heading towards a local port like the capital. Brilliant idea, Rose."

"Naturally." (Name) couldn't bring themself to return Rose's grin.

"Jesus Christ, this is a mess. I just pray nothing else happens right now." They returned to the airship, and (Name) made their way to the library, where Evie had a whole stack of law books.

"Oh, (Name), I think I found what you're looking for!" Evie said. "I researched the death penalty in Concordia, and found that the other cities in the state abolished the death penalty at the same time! Do you know what that means?"

"It means the state was the one to abolish the death penalty." (Name) answered. "Mister Johnson was right, Lawson's ignoring state law to push his own agenda. God help us all."

"But Mayor Lawson was a lawyer—was District Attorney! He has to know what he's doing is wrong!"

"He knows, Evie, he just doesn't give a damn. Come on, we better report to the Chief that the plan succeeded."