Jailbreak

Jack paced back and forth in front of the bars, rattling them every now and then to test for weak spots. He'd been in solitary so long now, he was starting to lose it. Still, he couldn't let the warden see him crack. It was one thing to put a man in a cage for the rest of his natural life, but another matter entirely if that man was innocent. And Jack was as innocent as they came.

He paused his anxious checking after a while and peered through the bars, listening for the warden. He'd gotten to know her schedule pretty well these last eighteen months, so he had a pretty good idea where she was: in her office, catching up on emails. If he wanted to escape, now would be the time to do it. Even a moment of hesitation could ruin the whole plan.

As quickly and quietly as he could, Jack fished his homemade shiv out from under his mattress and set to work on the lock to his cell. It was a bit more complex than he bargained for, maneuvering all those tumblers blind, but he'd seen the warden do it enough to figure it out. Once he got it open, there was just one last obstacle between him and the outside world: the guard patrolling his block.

He was a big smelly fella, strong but not too bright. Jack planned for this, too, however. He'd seen the guard take bribes before, usually in the form of food. Prison food wasn't anything to write home about, but Jack managed to get his hands on a valuable piece of contraband at dinner the night before. As expected, the guard came bounding over the minute he realized Jack was free. When Jack offered him the contraband, however, the guard took it without question and made the smart decision to look the other way. Just long enough for Jack to sneak down to the prison's main floor.

This was it: he was so close to freedom he could taste it. When Jack was feet away from the door, though, everything went to pot. Alarms rang through the prison, signaling his escape despite how carefully he'd planned. Silently, Jack cursed under his breath. Apparently, that guard wasn't as stupid as he looked. As fast as his legs would carry him, Jack sprinted for the door. He had to get out. There was no way he was going back now. He'd rather die than spend another minute in that cage.

All of a sudden, it was over. The minute he reached the exit, the warden had her hands on him. His goose was cooked this time, for sure. Jack's mind reeled with possibilities, trying to predict what punishment he'd receive for his actions.

"Jackie, what're you doing down here?" she cooed, setting him on her hip. "What a naughty baby! Naptime isn't over yet. Let's get you back to your crib, and don't fuss. Mommy has work to do, okay?"