THE OUTCASTS

Chapter 17

Jane promptly finished the task she was given, then checked on Hally's progress and when she had determined that everything was in order, she went straight to Kala's office.

For the last few hours, Jane had been trying to figure out how is an Arville prison guard involved with this group.

Her group.

The doors to Kala's office were closed, but Jane knew that she was in there. With someone else judging from the silent, male voice.

She knocked.

There was no reason to be impolite and waited for a conformation to enter.

Which she was given.

Kala was sitting on her desk, her hair dishelved and curly from being awoken in hurry a few hours before. Her right sleeve had a few specks of blood on it and she looked tired.

The young man she was talking to was Thom, the mysterious and crappy prison guard who watched her for over a year.

She wanted to know what was happening. She deserved that much. And boy was she in a dire need to punch something right now.

Kala and that guard looked at her, the latter with a scowl. They were arguing about something. There was enough tension in the air to poison the entire city block.

"We are busy. Go away." The guard told her dismissing her entirely.

"We are done." Kala said standing up.

The guard looked at her, then at me and then back at Kala again. He was pissed off, but exited the room without even glancing. But Jane stared at him. Until the doors closed and it was only Kala and her in the room.

Kala crossed her arms which was a sign both od tiredness and preparing. It was Kala who broke the silence. "Well, aren't you going to ask me?"

"I was waiting for you to start talking." Jane moved a bit closer to the desk.

Kala sighed and then started. Jane sat down and crossed her legs in waiting.

"Thom was working in Arville long before you were imprisoned. He was in cell block D when your brother and me made a deal. He would offer us information and help in the legal system in exchange for your protection. At first we offered to break you out, but Arville was to heavily guarded and it was safer for you there than out here at the time. Cole made sure that Thom was transferred into your block and slowly made his way to the warden."

"Soo he was there to protect me?"

"Yes, basically. "Kala said "He was also our inside agent. We knew that several girls went missing without a trace in that prison. We wanted to know why."

"Have you found out?" She asked before thinking.

"Still trying to." Kala responded.

"Then why is that guard here? And who was that man with him?"

"You've met him before." She said and then she stood up and opened the door. "Come with me."

And so, Jane followed Kala into the ambulance room where Philips was standing to another man talking.

The man was wearing handcuffs and his dark hair was ruffled. He was listening to Philips without taking his eyes of the window.

That man was Neji Shay.

Then, they both looked towards where Kala and I were standing and Philips gave a small smile while Shay just looked haunted.

Jane then realized two things: the first one was that Shay knew the man and the other one was that he was badly wounded. No one was behind that glass unless they needed extentive treatment.

Kala went over to them and stood beside them as she looked to the glass window and Jane followed her, not exactly sure what she would see.

The unknown man's left shoulder and arm was covered with bandages, his eye was swollen and he was unconscious. There was a tube helping him breath. Doctor Santana was checking his vitals when he looked at Shay and nodded. Shay turned from hopeless to hopeful and perhaps it was just her feeling like a horrible person, but she felt glad for him. At least his friend would survive.

It was then she noticed that he was looking at her. She wondered if it was something on her face. But he didn't smirk like he usually did. He turned his head before she managed to even notice that there was movement behind the glass. The man was waking up.

It was when he opened his eyes that she remembered him. The guard who saved her life all those years ago when she had first arrived at Arville.

She never got his name.

Santana asked him questions but Jane wasn't looking anymore. She remembered being like that. Strapped to a tube to help her breathe properly, her ribs hurting and her finger broken beyond use. She was given meds that healed her broken bones, but she still had bruises for weeks after that.

"Are you okay?" Someone asked her.

Philips. His gentle voice like rough glass.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Philips didn't look convinced but he dropped it.

She was tired from not sleeping for the last few days.

"Call me when he's better. I'm a bit tired."

Jane exited the ambulance, a pair of grey eyes on her.

She could feel them. Like she could feel everything in the room.

When she got to her room, she barely got undressed before slipping under the covers. The winter chill cooling the room from the opened window. Hally calm breathing filled the room silencing her thoughts.