Woman of the Past

Chapter 14

Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry for the late update. Work has been picking up and I have eight little puppies that have been occupying much of my time. Thank you so much for reading this. I hope you enjoy.

Sincerely

Meagan

AngelsRayne

Chapter 14

The cacophony of men’s voices in the cafeteria filled Mason’s head until he felt it would explode. Hushed murmurs came from the far corner. Loud snorts of laughter echoed off the walls from the men in the center table. Metal chairs scraped back on the tile floor as the two men on his left broke out in a fight, hurling blows at each other. The guards on duty rushed in to break it up before it turned into a riot. Mason wanted to punch someone, wanted to walk up to one of the guards and spit in his face. He’d been in solitary confinement the last three weeks for breaking Officer Hamlin’s nose last month.

“Don’t even think about it Mason.” Carter warned him in a low voice. “Keep under the radar, remember?”

“You can’t be put back there. We’ll need you.” Mason’s eyes glowered at their new comrade Matthew Keys. He’d arrested Keys the night Peyton was taken from him. He wasn’t a kidnapper from one of their neighboring countries. He was a journalist investigating the Imperium trail he’d traced to the Safe Zones. He’d followed the trail and had formed theories of his own. He thought the military was using the Imperium to control the women in the Safe Zones. He’d tried to break in to prove it.

Mason turned his head to watch the guards haul off the two unconscious brawlers. Both guards were in great shape physically and with their handy tasers, they made a knockout team. He caught the stare of one of the men across the cafeteria and glared, daring him to start something. The other man shook his head no and lowered his eyes. Mason and Keys had proven themselves more than capable fighters in the past few months. Carter had dealt his fare share of damage too but they’d kept him back as much as they could. They didn’t want him to damage his hands. If they got out of this place, they’d be on the run and having a Doctor might give them an edge. A Doctor with busted up hands would have a hard time pulling a bullet from your body.

Dinner ended and they shoved their way back into their cell. There cell was set up with two steel framed bunk beds, one sink, and a toilet. They still had room for one more but were spared the aggravation of a new cellmate. Mason climbed up to his bed, not wanting to talk to anyone. He craved sleep. He could see her there in his dreams, Peyton in all her glory. Sometimes he saw himself coming home to her that night, remembering the time they spent together. His dreams weren’t always kind. They could just as easily turn to nightmares of what might be happening to her in the Safe Zone, but he craved the sight of her.

His head hit something hard through the thin pillow the prison provided. Mason grunted and rubbed the sore spot before sitting up to see what was there. His eyes lit up with determination, “Carter?” He called out to his brother softly, aware that even now they might be monitoring their cell.

His voice came from the bunk below him as Keys occupied the other set, “Yeah Mason?”

“Be ready for lockdown.” Carter must have heard the smile in his voice as he spoke because he didn’t ask him why.

“Will do,” he was all he said before he challenged Keys to a card game.

* * *

Night fell too slowly for Mason’s taste. Still, it gave him plenty of time to plan their escape. Briggton Prison had the latest and greatest security system available... his. It had activated the day after he’d met Peyton. Someone had smuggled him the key to hacking his own security system in the form of a PD. He knew its ins and outs already and if they were trying to challenge him, well Mason had no problem destroying the program he’d spent the last three years producing to free them. Freedom meant Peyton and he would get her back.