There Is More Light Than Dark

Chapter Ninety Three

Monday August 22

They crouched under the spiral staircase so as to be out of any line of sight from above and whispered quickly. The muffled shouts coming from outside broke the stillness and gave them some cover.

'OK Lewis, we've got about three minutes tops to do this before they figure out a way to get us out without warning Sampson we're in here. That's the only advantage we've got.'

She nodded, understanding they still had something to play with.

'So, I think we can get him out of there again if I make him....' She thought of the word she would use for herself when she was trying to get him to react. 'Emotional enough.'

'OK. Well, if he hears you again he won't figure I'm here, will he? So how about you be the decoy and when he opens the door I'll be in a spot to nail him.'

Lewis liked it and nodded but had a thought. 'What if he has Lola with him?'

McCoy looked around the circular space as if the answer might have been written on the wall in a moment of clarity by an old keeper. He pursed his lips and creased his forehead.

'You know, Lewis, if he's got her when he comes out I'll just have to make sure my shot is good.'

She stared at him, searching for the same sort of reassurance Roger's eyes would give her when she asked if putting the ointment on a fresh graze was going to hurt.

'McCoy, is your shot that good?' And he nodded but she didn't see what she was looking for.

The door opened a fraction to their side and they knew the CIRT team was coming for them.

'It's going to have to be,' McCoy answered with every part of him willing it to be so as they both crept softly up the stairs with their shoes again left at the bottom.

Neither of them paused as they passed the small window that gave the view of the wild Southern Ocean but they both felt the momentary relief of remembering the world was still going on outside these stiff iron walls. They arrived at the landing Lewis had been on only minutes ago and stayed crouching, taking the safety back off their pistols and cocking them quietly.

McCoy put his face close to hers so as to be able to speak as softly as he dared and could smell the perfume and almost feel the soft wisps of hair that danced near her ears. He wondered who felt more safe.

'OK, I'm going to go over there and wait – be careful when you first start to talk to him again – and when that door opens you make sure you are outta here.' He smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. 'You got this, Lewis.'

And as he glided over to his place just behind where the heavy door would swing, his heel scraped on three rungs of the iron grate that they stood on. He cursed but turned and rested his back against the brick wall which served as the separator between Vincent's room and the landing where they stood. Its coldness broke through even the thick vest he had on and he felt good.

Lewis looked over at him and smiled.

But neither could feel Vincent Sampson close to the door, merely inches away from where McCoy now squatted, holding Lola by the neck and laughing into his elbow.

They still didn't fucking get it.

He was always one step ahead.