Chapter 21

~Riley’s POV~

Kyle’s shouts had died down a while back and all I could hear now were the pounding of his feet on the thick green terrain not far behind me. I darted through the woodland as fast as my feet could take me, not daring to look behind, not daring to slow my feet, not daring to stop. I wouldn’t be caught, I wouldn’t go back to that place. I slipped on mud and righted myself before I fell and continued on my way.

My heart was pounding and my breath was coming in quick gasps. I could even feel a stitch beginning to form in my side and I wasn’t more regretful that I hadn’t spent more time in the gym with the others, than I was in that moment. In the end, it wasn’t the books that would save my life, but the fitness of my body.

I clutched my side as I ran, branches whipping my body as I went. If I could just distance myself from the prison; that was the most significant thought that rushed through my mind.

Distance, that was all I needed and I’d be free. I didn’t allow myself to think on what would come next, or on what to do about Kyle who had been foolish enough to follow me, nor did I allow my thoughts to wander to Nate and what he was now doing back at the prison. I just ran. Freedom was the goal and I would be successful; I had to be.

…………………………………………….

~John’s POV~

The damn fool

Though I was beginning to wonder who the real fool was the longer I chased after the brat. I ducked under another lower hanging branch and by the time I spotted him I was fuming. He was sitting amongst the trees and the roots, trying to catch his breath and as soon as I approached, I grabbed hold of his collar, pulling him to his feet.

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” I demanded, shaking him for what it was worth until he went limp and had to clutch at my biceps to remain standing.

“Johnny?” he questioned with wide disbelieving eyes, then in a flash, he had his arms wrapped around my neck, body pressed against mine.

“Oh my god Johnny, I can’t believe you’re here!” he exclaimed and clutched tighter and for an instant I felt myself hugging him back before I pulled his arms from around me and pushed him away.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done? That’s years added to your sentence you fool!” I exploded.

He had the good sense to look remorseful, any other expression and I would have skinned him alive. “I know, I didn’t think I just had to get Riley and….” He trailed off as if considering something, then with furrowed brows he looked up at me and as I watched in annoyance, his expression gave way to realization and before long a large stupid looking smile spread across his face.

“You came after me!” he practically squealed and once again his arms were around my neck and he was squeezing as if for dear life.

“I knew you cared, I knew it, I’m so glad you’re here Johnny.” He whispered. I felt his hot breath against my neck and a shiver went through my body. I pushed him away again.

“Kyle, look at me.” I commanded and he did, but it was with that same goofy expression and it only served to anger me further. He wasn’t grasping the seriousness of the situation, he was standing before me, face lit with the biggest smile I’d ever seen him manage after he’d just escaped from prison.

“When they’ve taken stock of all the prisoners and they find out that you’re not there…which won’t be very long from now, they’ll hunt you down Kyle, your name, your face will be aired in every media house in the state and when they find you…which they will, you’ll be locked away for years…do you understand what I’m saying?” I spoke slowly if not harshly, trying to make him grasp the importance of my words and by the way the smile fell from his face and his eyes widened, it had clearly finally sunken in.

“Wh-but… I didn’t think...Riley just ran and I couldn’t make him go alone…oh my God...” he blubbered to himself, while I took the time to survey the area. It was quiet here, but in the distance I could hear the ringing of the prison alarm. The signal for a prison break hadn’t gone up yet; which was possibly a good sign.

“…and you actually followed me, you put yourself at risk for me too. God I’m so sorry…” Kyle was saying and I zoned him out again, listening closely to the sounds of the woodland.

The second the alarm went up, the prison would be on complete lockdown. They’d send every team they could get their hands on and they’d start with the forest, aided by the dogs. I shook my head. What the fuck was wrong with the kid.

“…now we’ll both get more time and Riley…” he trailed off with a groan and I turned back to him.

“You need to turn yourself in, there’s a strong possibility you might get a lighter sentence and-“

“No way!”

He cut me off mid-sentence and I stared at him in disbelief.

“I’m not going back until I find Riley, I’m not leaving him out here.” The kid was saying, arms crossed before him and his mouth set in a thin hard line.

I took a breath, then another, trying to calm myself lest I lash out and strike him.

“Listen to me you little shit, you’ve already fucked up everything for yourself and for me, now either you’re walking back with me or I’m putting your skinny ass over my shoulder and taking you back...either way, you’re going.” It was a threat that I had no qualms about keeping.

He glared at me “You take me back and I’ll never forgive you.”

“I can live with that.” I assured him and took a step in his direction. His tough guy act broke then, and I saw real worry etched in his face.

“Please John, I can’t leave Riley out here, what if he got hurt? Just help me find him and we can go back…please.” he pleaded and to my horror, his eyes filled with tears and I found myself staring into his huge sad orbs.

I swallowed, looked around me then took his arm roughly “We’re going back…Riley’s just as much of a fool as you are and if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll turn himself in.” I dragged him back in the direction we’d come, pulling his resisting body along with me as he fought tooth and nail to get free.

My hand tightened on his arm and before long I was practically dragging him along. It was just as I had made up my mind to sling him over my shoulder that I heard the snap of dried twigs not far from where we stood and a second later Nate came tearing through the woodland as if heaven and earth were on his heels.

He managed to slow when he spotted me but still passed by us before coming to a complete stop.

“Where is he?” he questioned, looking around us and I stared at him in shock.

“Nate thank God!” this from Kyle.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” I asked in disbelief.

If it were possible, my day had just gone from downright fucked to fucking shit storm. I hadn’t thought for a second that he’d have followed; our case was already blown to hell and I was pretty sure that when I got back I would no longer have a job; some part of me had thought Nate wouldn’t have been stupid enough to follow suit, to be foolish enough to fuck up his life as I was doing mine.

“Where’s Riley?” he asked again and I shook my head to clear it.

Of course; why else would he have come if not to find the kid he’d practically lost his mind to months ago? We were both a pair of damn fools.

“Jesus Nate, you know the kinda shit we’ll be in when we get back?”

“Focus John, where’s Riley?” he asked seriously. I took in the determination in his stance and the wildness of his eyes and I shook my head.

“I only managed to find this one.” I held up Kyle’s arm and he tried once more to pull out of my grasp

“He went that way, I couldn’t keep up with him.” Kyle said then, pointing with his free arm to the direction Nate had first been running off to.

Nate nodded then looked at me, eyes serious, jaw set. “Take the kid back, I’m gonna go get Riley.” He ordered and without another word he departed, tearing through the forest in a mad dash, searching for a kid who quite possibly did not want to be found.

“I can’t believe he came for him.” Kyle spoke up, his voice softened with awe. I glanced down at him then back into the direction Nate had just gone. I needed to get Kyle back before the alarm sounded but my partner and best friend since childhood was out here in the thick blanket of the woods searching desperately for his cell mate.

A cell mate bent on escape and one who hadn’t cared about the consequences of his actions upon fleeing. I could leave him to it, hoping it all went smoothly and take Kyle back to the prison, or I could go after him and make sure he wasn’t in need of my help. I glanced toward the direction of the prison once more then back towards the path Nate had just taken.

Nate hadn’t had a rational thought since Riley had come into the picture, if I left him to himself in this maze of trees who knew what could happen. With a curse, I released Kyle’s arm and he stared up at me in confusion.

“Come on.” I said and a moment later, I too was darting through the forestry behind Nate; my goal to provide backup for the only real friend I could consider family.

……………………………….

~Riley’s POV~

When running became too much, I slowed to a jog until I had no choice but to stop. I dropped behind the trunk of a massive tree and gulped air. My throat was parched and my hands were shaking. I couldn’t tell how long I’d been running but it felt like hours since the escape. I rested the back of my head against the bark so that I could look to the sky.

The day was cold and the sun nowhere to be found. I pulled my tingling knees to my chest and fought to keep my breathing under control so that I could hear everything going on around me. I hadn’t heard Kyle’s footfalls in a while which meant I’d lost him and I found myself worrying for his wellbeing, hoping he wasn’t hurt somewhere and wishing he hadn’t followed me in the first place.

I hadn’t thought beyond the escape and as I sat trying to regain my strength, I began to worry about what would come next. When I managed to free myself from the forest, where would I go? what would I do to survive? Human contact was out of the picture, but without some semblance of aid, I wouldn’t get very far.

I thought of Jerry and what he would think when he learned of my escape. I wondered if I could call him and if he would help me, or if he would try to convince me to turn myself in. I shook my head. No, I couldn’t contact Jerry, everyone knew that the first place the cops looked was to close family members and friends of an escapee. They would probably be waiting for me to contact him and this entire journey would have been for nothing.

I sighed, I had no money, no idea who I could contact for help, no plan beyond getting out of the forest and no prospects of helping myself when I did. It made me wonder if maybe I’d acted a bit rash by running. If I was captured and taken back then it was as Nate had said; my life would be over.

I quashed the thought as soon as it intruded my mind. My life had been over since the moment I’d been convicted; staying in that prison while there was a possibility of escape would have been as if I was giving up. No, I had made the right decision; it was time I took my fate into my own hands.

I would solve my own case and get my name cleared somehow and if it took months or even years on the run, I would persevere and no matter what I wouldn’t get caught... I wouldn’t go back.

When my legs began to cramp I straightened them, flexing my toes in my boats. My mind wandered to Nate and what he must have thought of my escape. He would be disappointed no doubt. He’d been against anything like that from day one. I wondered if he would be worried, if he was now sitting in our cell gazing at my empty bunk and wondering where I was and if I was safe.

The thought of him made my heart ache and I felt the sting of familiar tears behind my eyes. I shouldn’t be thinking about him…not now when I needed all the strength and courage I could get, so I pushed him from my mind and took a deep breath, steeling myself for the journey ahead.

Later, when I was safe and hidden, far away from this place I could allow myself to get lost in thoughts of him, but for right now, it was time to be strong. I pushed up from the ground and listened; the only sounds in the air were the animals of the forest and the howling of the wind as they passed through the branches of the trees.

I glanced back to the way I had come, my thoughts once again on Kyle, then I looked ahead and set off once more, running and running as I sought to distance myself.

I stumbled three times and fell once, skinning my knee which allowed the blood to flow freely. Despite the never-ending running, I wasn’t sweating half as much as I would on a regular basis; which was probably because of the gradual drop in temperature the more time passed.

I ran.

The next time I stopped it was to the wondrous sight of a river. My parched throat drew me to it and I went without a thought, dropping onto one knee and cupping my hands under the surface. It was frigid but I drank until I throat no longer hurt, then I kneeled there and cried because I couldn’t help it.

I was terrified to be out here, fearful of the consequences; of the future. Then I cried some more for my family and for Kyle and Nate. As I cried, I made promises to whomever cared to hear them.

I promised that if I made it out of this alive, I would be a better person. If I got my life back, I would repair the relationship with my mom, I would go to college and be the best student I could be and I would stop being childish.

Then when my tears dried and I couldn’t cry anymore, I washed my face in the river and pushed up from the ground. It wasn’t deep I could walk across it. It wasn’t even rough enough to make me stumble and so I set off across the waterway.

Five minutes later and I was on the other side where the forest was beginning to thin out and I could weave through the trees much easier. I stopped to rest only once more, but most of the time I was jogging; I’d long ago gotten too tired to run full out, but I couldn’t even allow myself to pause for any length of time.

The next time I stumbled and fell, I got the wind knocked right out of me and I pushed up slowly, taking inventory of my body. I ached, that fall could have caused me to break a limb and then where would I be.

It was that thought that sent a cold chill throughout my body and my mind flashed instantly to Kyle. What if he really was hurt somewhere, hurt and scared and alone? What if he was out there suffering all because he’d been worried enough to follow me in my escape?

I looked around me, biting my lip at the thought. I hadn’t heard his footfalls in hours. Wouldn’t he have caught up by now? I looked at my bruised palms and took a deep breath. Kyle was one of the persons who had kept me sane in that place; he’d wiggled his way into my life and had become a friend, someone who I could count on.

He’d cared enough to chase after me and I’d completely ignored him as he’d called for me. If something happened to him; that would be on me. If something happened to him; I would never be able to forgive myself. I looked back to the way I’d come and took off; I had to go find Kyle; he was worth the risk.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

IT'S NOT EXACTLY WELL WRITTEN BUT I'M WAY TOO TIRED TO FIX IT SO PLEASE FORGIVE THE MESS.

THANKS FOR READING GUYS!

-DoUbLe.A

unedited.