The Rookie

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

Chapter 24 (The Escape)

Jade paced the bathroom floor of the prison with impatience, she'd been waiting for the perfect moment for what seemed an eternity and hadn't spotted an opening yet. Now she'd managed to convince Trina that she was having a bad flow, which wasn't entirely wrong as she was on her period; but she needed to figure out how to take advantage of the situation.

As of this moment, the guards still hadn't returned from their weekly meeting just yet and were taking longer than usual. For all she knew, they could be back at any minute. "No, I have to do this." Clasping her hands together and shaking them, she looked to the sky with a groan. "If you exist at all, give me a sign. Open a window, do something."

Hearing Tori's voice, she jerked her head to the door and reached for the knob only to hesitate for just a moment. "What do you want?" Katrina asked gruffly. Listening close, she thought for a moment she heard footsteps growing faint, so she carefully opened the door just an inch to see Trina standing a few feet from the door looking to Tori's door.

Tori's response was slow, her voice mousey. "I heard the guards talking. You're going to….Trina, please, why can't you forgive me? Why not let Robbie and Jade go?" Jade looked away at the objects in the room, narrowing her eyes.

"How many times will you ask? I have no interest in having this conversation with you, Victoria."

"Please, just hear me out. I know deep down you're still my sister."

Slowly closing the door, Jade fixated her eyes on a towel rid just beside the toilet, it looked to be bent at a slight angle that she'd not noticed before. Realizing a bent towel rod might suggest a loose screw, she smirked in intrigue and flew to the rod for inspection.

Running her fingers along the chrome bar, she shifted the towel a bit to the right. Her gaze fell to one of the side pieces holding the rod, and was soon delighted by her find.

The side piece had two holes for which to be screwed into the wall, only one hole had a screw, and that screw was starting to come out. Perhaps this could be fixed soon, but for her sake, this may just be the opportunity she needed.

Jade narrowed her eyes and slowly curled her fingers around the rod, her tongue slicked across her lower lip and she began to tense. "No," she thought, "I make a commotion, Trina will just come looking." Deciding against ripping the beam out of the wall, she moved her fingernails to the screw, tucking them behind the screw and turning it.

Each turn was slow, meticulous. Her heartbeat seemed as though it would echo off the walls as every second that passed, she feared Trina might grow impatient and come running in.

Holding her breath, she focused on that screw as though it were the only object in the world. The beam itself also felt surprisingly solid, meaning she was almost certain she could utilize it.

Finally, after what felt like hours on end, Jade pulled the screw from the wall. She turned the side piece just enough to tilt the beam out of the hole, when she looked at the now free bar, she was delighted by the confirmation that it was a solid bar.

What her mind anticipated was a risk, one that might rely on sheer luck and stupidity. She'd never depended on luck and never had been one to take risks in her entire life; but she felt if she was going to go out, she would go out fighting.

Grasping the bar firmly in her hand, she placed her back against the wall and inhaled sharp. She didn't hear Trina or Tori at this point, so certainly the woman was staring at the bathroom door. She needed a plan.

Sweat trickled down the side of her face and she clenched her eyes shut, whispering to remind herself to breathe. All of a sudden, Trina's voice alerted her back to reality and she held her breath once more, feeling the lump swelling in her throat.

"Sam? What do you mean you have one call?" Jade heard footsteps once more, she carefully opened the door just a hair to peer through the narrow slit. To her amazement, Trina was once again with her back to the door.

The woman had her left hand at her waist and her phone in her right, to her ear. "So that's what you mean." Trina seemed to utter a curse under her breath. "You're ending the terms of the contract, huh?" There was alarm in Trina's voice, followed by a growl. "Yeah, so why'd you waste your one phone call on me, just wanted to gloat? Don't forget I can still find a way to get to you, it doesn't matter if you're all in jail. No, you won't convince me to turn myself in. No. I want to do it my way, that's the only way I can guarantee justice for me, for Jason, for Rachel. Thanks for trying."

Jade shut her eyes, her entire body was wracked with fear and panic. Her knuckles grew white around the bar in her hands and she gritted her teeth to hold back a whimper.

It was now or never. If what she'd just heard was right, Sam and her group were in prison. Her mind drifted to Beck and she wondered what he might be doing right now. She thought about possible freedom, and what it might look like. She thought on Robbie and Tori, trapped in their cells.

"Tori," she thought with difficult emotion. Did she forgive the girl yet? It had been this long and the anger was still there, but she didn't hate her. It was hard to know just what to do.

Realizing she had just one shot at this, one shot for freedom and likely not a lot of time before Trina might react, she began to move. Steeling herself, gently pushing the door open further with her foot.

Trina remained with her back turned, still focusing on the phone. Her voice was filled with anger and bitterness as she spoke to Sam.

Jade's heart raced as she lifted the bar, trying her best not to make a sound. She needed every ounce of that strength she built up.

Thinking about her years in captivity, she pictured innocent Cat in her final moments, wailing until she died. Jade thought about Andre, as he tried to fight and help them, and she thought about the moment she heard the news of Jason's death and how shattered she felt realizing she'd been used by Tori to send him the text that drove him over that edge.

Her eyes flew open and she let the bar fall, fast and hard, screaming at the top of her lungs as tears streamed down her cheeks. Trina jerked her head, but wasn't fast enough as the beam sliced onto her temple and sent her crashing to the ground.

Adrenaline rushing through her, Jade swung the bar down again with another scream, striking the woman hard in the left shoulder. "I never wanted to hurt you," Jade cried as she dropped down to her knees, weeping as the bar rolled a few feet from you. "I was just a stupid, angry, bitter teenager hating the fucking world. I'm sorry I was such a bad person, but if I knew what Tori was planning to do, I would never have even bothered stealing your phone. Blame me for me, don't blame me for your sister's crime, don't blame me for Jason's death!"

She grabbed the bar once more, raising it high in the air. "Jade, no!" Tori's voice rang out, sapping the rage from her in an instant. "Please, that's my sister."

"What?" Robbie asked with alarm. "After all this, now you stick up for your sister."

"I-I just want a chance."

Realizing what she was doing, Jade looked down at Trina and began to tremble. This wasn't the way, and she knew it. As much as every fiber in her being was calling for her to strike Trina even more, she simply couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry," Jade whispered. Her voice trembled and she fell forward, hovering over Trina and planting her palms on the ground. Weeping, she shut her eyes and shook her head. "I'm so sorry."

The woman started to groan and Jade lurched upright with a gasp. "Shit, there's no time." Seeing the police gun at Trina's waist, Jade grabbed it from the holster and leapt to her feet. "I…Tori, Robbie, I'm sorry, there's no time."

She heard her friends cry out before making her way to the exit. Throwing the door open, she looked over her shoulders. "I'm going to get help. I promise, I am not abandoning you. I'm going for help. She's waking up."

Without thought, she hurried through the next room, not bothering to take in the surroundings. Her calves and chest were already starting to burn as she shoved the final door open.

Stepping outside, her eyes were stabbed by the flash of daylight and she found herself hissing as if she were a vampire. Holding her arm up over her face, she looked over her shoulder at the wooden door she'd just come from. It was bolted to a cave of some sort. "A cave? Maybe a mine?" Turning away from it, she blinked multiple time, trying to force her eyes to adjust and scan the area despite the searing pain.

If she had time, she could fall and kiss the ground; but freedom hadn't yet been earned. Surely, if Trina was starting to stir, she had to keep moving. No matter the pain, no matter how difficult it was, she couldn't turn back or stop now.

Clenching her fists, she took off again. Her chest heaved with every breath as she turned to glance occasionally over her shoulders. She knew if Sam or the guards had been present, they'd be gunning her down much like a recent nightmare she'd been having that curtailed some of her fevered attempts.

Tears mingled with her lips, their salty taste dripping to her tongue and hair which clung to it. Fallen leaves crumpled at her feet, now coated with a layer of dirt and sand.

In the distance she heard her name, the shout echoing amongst the trees. Swallowing the lump, Jade dared not to look back. She dared not to think how close or far her captor might be.

A familiar smell drifted to her nostrils, enticing her. It was the smell of the ocean, salt crisp in the air. Her heart pounded as she rushed towards it, screaming at the incredible pain shooting through her body.

Sirens filled the air, but she was no fool. The last thing she wanted to do until she was far enough away from that cave was go towards the sound, because there was always a chance it belonged to Trina.

Breaking from the trees and thistle, her feet sore from the snapped twigs and various debris, Jade found herself on a beach. Hunched over, she grabbed her knees and struggled to catch her breath. Her gaze drifted to the ocean in front of her and she choked out a sob, holding her hand to her chest. She wanted to run to the ocean, to swim and play with the fish; but in her mind there was no time to admire the view.

"Help," she croaked, "Someone." Catching her breath, she continued along the shoreline. Sweat ran down the back of her neck as she studied the area. How far had she run? The cave itself had been hidden away, but being close to a beach made her wonder how many times a would-be explorer had been guided away by those guarding the cave.

She eventually came upon a metal fence with barbed wire at the top, there was a chain around the door, but it wasn't locked. Rather, jostling the chains and lock, she found the lock itself was hooked through the chains in a way to appear locked, a sign that someone anticipated going through it recently. It was fortunate for her as she tore off the lock and pushed the door open.

Once outside, she rechained the door and made sure to lock it in place, with the lock hanging on the outside.

She continued on her way, hugging herself as her stomach growled. Eventually, she saw what appeared to be a tower. Taking a raspy breath of air, she approached it, to find it had a chair at the top. Gasping at the person sitting in the chair, she met the man's wide-eyed gaze. "Get help." She dropped to her knees, exhausted from the run; but felt she didn't need to run any longer as this man was leaping from his roost.

Tears sprouted from her eyes as the man reached to help her to her feet. She coughed out her name, trying to tell him to call the police. She wasn't sure if that would help, should Trina receive that call. Still, it was all she could manage to say before blacking out from the heat and exhaustion.

At this point, as the lifeguard rushed her towards the small medic hut nearby, Jade was free.

Thoughts?