How to Catch a Fish (ManxMan)

Original Chapter Twenty-Two: I Won't Fail This Time

~Chapter Twenty-Two: I Won't Fail This Time~

"You must be joking," Nero utters softly, the dinky little cot he is lying on creaks loudly as he rolls over to look at me.

It is not the pit of a jail I was expecting, but it is still irritating enough down here that I want to burn the building to the ground. I did not expect much from an underground holding cell in a police station near the ocean, but they could have at least done something about the humidity. It is like they locked us in a sauna, and I have to wonder if it is part of their ploy to make us talk.

At least they gave Nero and Private Drest clothes to wear, as they were likely naked when they arrived...

From what Nero has told me, both he and Private Drest have refused to talk, which frustrated the interrogators. And since neither of them have any human identification, the humans were unable to actually do anything except wait until one of them decides to talk. When they arrested me, they tried to gain the information by claiming that my 'friends' told them everything, but that was one of the first tricks we were taught in interrogation classes at the fire demon academy. I am also not an idiot.

I am not sure what frustrated them more – Nero and Drest not cracking under pressure despite how long they have been down here, or me laughing in their faces at their terrible interrogation techniques. They kept me in a questioning room for all of ten minutes before sending me down here, and most of that time involved me giving them the most sarcastic answers I could think of or just flat-out insulting them. I figured that the sooner I ticked them off, the sooner they would send me to wherever Nero is. I was right.

And now that I have found them, I have no intention of staying. We may be in different cells, but this is hardly the first time I have broken out of a prison – a shiver goes down my spine as my mind wanders to the witch prison – even if the last one did not have bars and locks. My job is made easier by the fact that they put Drest and Nero in the same cell, which means one less lock to break. The only reason we are still here is because Nero had questions that I had no choice but to answer.

He was absolutely livid – even if he did not show it beyond a few changes in his otherwise neutral expression – when I was escorted into the room. The second they left, he shot me a look that promised many things I will not enjoy when we get home. Thankfully, he did not start to lecture me and never even asked how I got here, liking having already figured that part out. Instead, he just made me tell him what I intend to do now and how I got caught – which is the reason for his groaning. Apparently, he knows the old alien joke.

"It was the first thing to come to my mind," I defend, but only get an eye roll in response. There is a moment of silence as Drest tries to fight off a smile of his own, though I don't know why. He eventually just gives me his back to hide the smile when he can no longer contain it, so I turn my attention to Nero.

"Whatever your plan is, can it wait until after I talk to the Taiji authorities?" Nero asks. When I give him a questioning look, he explains by saying, "I want to give them one final warning."

"Sure," I reply, though it makes me a little uneasy to wait around. Still, I take a few steps backwards until the backs of my knees hit the edge of my cot and I sit down to wait.

- - - - - - -

They do not keep us waiting long. I am a little surprised they gave us any time to talk at all, as it seems pretty counterproductive to me. For all they know, we could have been coming up with a story to tell them. However, it is possible that they do not care what we tell them, so long as we talk to the interrogators in the end. It is not like we can get in more trouble than we already are.