He's Dangerous

Chapter Four

Elliot

As soon as the guard walks past my room I sit up from my bed and pull the makeshift screw driver out from my pillow. I have ten minutes to make it into that room and back here again.

I unscrew the vent quickly this time and place it on my bed. The once grey air ducts are now brown from the dust. I hadn't thought about getting dust on my clothes. Oh well, if anyone is suspicious I'll tell them I was scooting on the floor. Or I just won't say anything at all.

I pull myself up into the vent and use my arms to army crawl through the extremely narrow tunnel.

My heart pounds rapidly in my chest. Don't get caught, don't get caught, don't get caught! The only thing I can think as I squirm through the duct.

I reach the first rooms air duct and see that guy William who plays chess a lot, sitting on his bed. I slow down, I must not make a sound, if he sees me he might alert the guards and I can not have that!

I squiggle over the vent carefully and make it past without him ever even realizing. I continue and make it past the rest of the patient rooms without anyone noticing.

When I reach the utility room it has taken me 4 minutes and 30 seconds to get here.

I pull the screw diver out of the elastic band around my waist and unscrew the vent.

I jump down, looking around the room for the fuse box. Finally I see it. I open it and sure enough, there right at the bottom is the switch for the entire buildings power.

I smile wickedly and look back up at the vent. Fuck! How am I supposed to get back up there?! I forget about the dumbest shit! I look around for something to stand on. Nothing. How am I gonna get back in time! How am I gonna get back at all?

I clear my mind and breathe slowly. There's a chance I could reach the vent if I stand on top of the water heater.

Quickly, I get on top of the water heater and reach for the vent. It's a bit of a stretch but I just barely make it.

I grab on to the vent and let go of the water heater, making me hang in the air.

Pulling myself up, I look at my watch. I only have 3 minutes and 15 seconds to get back!

I maneuver swiftly through the vent, not even bothering to slow down over the other inmates cells.

Don't get caught, don't get caught. I repeat this over and over in my head. I reach the last room before my own and just as I approach the vent my foot hits the top of the air vent sending a loud boom through the entire duct! William looks up at the ceiling. I back up before he can see me and stay put. I only have 30 seconds until they will be back here. Damn it!

I peak around the vent and William has gone back to doing whatever he was doing before.

I army crawl back to my cell and plop down on my bed.

Pulling the screw driver from my pants again, I quickly screw in the vent, I hear their voices coming nearer and nearer and right as I get down they are in front of my cell.

"Hey Anderson, I got a surprise for ya." He says, him and the other guard snickering to each other.

I hear them open up my cell door. Am I going to see Miss Montgomery again? My eyes widen when William walks into my room. Son of a bitch! I'm caught! He saw me in the air vent! God damn it. Well they can't possibly know it was me.