"You see, she's terrified. Absolutely terrified for her life. So don't expect us to sacrifice ourselves for you just because we have some stupid ambition to save your stupid world that'll never be saved! We're in this, people, and nobody even cares about you. What else is true? Should you be risking your precious life for them?"
Castor's voice echoed through the cell, his words sharp and biting. He paused, taking a deep breath.
"The society is already corrupt. All you have to do is blend in, do what you like, and then wait for your own time to die or to leave. No matter how long it takes, the truth is, we're all going to die. Nobody lives forever! So get that into your head because I'm not ready to die for every man, and I'm not even ready to die for myself, let alone for you!"
Daniel's face hardened. "So, now that you've ruined our plan, what exactly is your own plan? That we all die instead of me getting out alive? Is that the best you can do? You're just a greedy person, trying to justify your selfishness."
Castor smiled, a chilling, predatory smile. He didn't say anything, but his actions spoke volumes. He dragged the corpse of the dead policeman closer, then searched the body, pulling out a key. Everyone watched in stunned silence, wondering how he knew the policeman was hiding a key.
"Yeah, you're all surprised, but trust me, I've spent years in here. I know this place inside and out. I've tried to escape countless times, and I've been caught. But this time, I can help us all get out alive. Maybe I'm not the selfish person you think I am," Castor said, his gaze locking onto Daniel's.
Daniel, speechless, could only stare back. Castor, without waiting for a response, unlocked the cell door and stepped out. He had found the key, but he also had a plan. He unlocked the other cells, one by one, and shared his plan with the other prisoners. They listened, their hope flickering back to life. They were going to escape.
Daniel was consumed by a desperate need to get everyone out of this place alive. He wanted to prove to Castor that people could overcome their circumstances. It was always the circumstances that forced people to do terrible things, things that made their ears bleed and their hearts grow numb.
He was, after all, just a hired killer, a shadow in the darkness, responsible for taking countless lives. Yet, here he was, struggling to save others, to escape death. He knew he wasn't a hero, not really. He was selfish, the one who wanted to be the only survivor, to step out of this prison while everyone else perished. He was driven by ambition, a selfish ambition, but it was an ambition that would benefit the community. People would remember him for it. But he didn't have to sacrifice his life to achieve it, unlike Castor.
Daniel couldn't bring himself to blame himself anymore. It was the right thing to do. After all, he was never going to leave the cell without them. Even if he couldn't save everyone, he would come back for them. He would orchestrate a prison break, a daring and deadly escape. But now, with his clever plan, he wouldn't have to return. They would all be free.
He knew, however, that their freedom was not guaranteed. They weren't out of the prison yet. The police might discover their escape attempt and resort to deadly force, eliminating them all before they could get away. But the other prisoners were smart, resourceful. Most of them would probably make it. Some might not, a few might fall during the escape, but he hoped that wouldn't be the case. He hoped they would all survive.
Moments after their daring breakout, they took a shortcut, a path not leading directly to the police quarters. It was a route Castor had directed them towards, a path he claimed to know intimately. He'd promised them all they'd escape, and he'd told them before that he'd been here, knew the prison like the back of his hand. He seemed confident he could guide them to freedom even before the police realized they were gone.
As they crept along, they encountered two policemen guarding a particular spot. They were there to prevent any intruders, and the group knew they had to slip past them unnoticed. Any noise, any sign of their presence, and the police would raise the alarm, trapping them before they could escape.
"Shhh," Castor hissed, his voice low and urgent. "Everyone stay here. We need to figure out how to get past them."
"Come on, what exactly are you thinking? we have no other option than to find a way to go close to them and then kill them so we could all run, there is no simple other way we could pass them right?" Daniel suggested as it appeared that was the truth but that is not the same way Castor is seeing it, like it was said he has been here before and he always knows the perfect plan for all of the circumstances they are going to meet here.
"Trust me, man" Castor whispered, his voice a low rasp in the darkness. "You don't enjoy killing like I do. I love it, but that doesn't mean it's the best choice right now. We need to get out of this mess before the police catch on. If they find us here, we're done for."
Daniel swallowed, his heart pounding against his ribs. "So what do we do?"
"Wait here," Castor said, his voice barely audible. He began crawling across the floor, disappearing into the shadows of the passage.
The others watched, their faces etched with worry. Daniel wanted to follow Castor, but Tina grabbed his arm, her grip tight.
"No, you stay here," she insisted. "I think Castor can handle this. It's too risky for you to go after him."
"But if we stay here, we're all at risk!" Daniel argued. "We could all die!"
"I know," Tina said, her voice strained. "But you have to stay with us. We can't lose both of you. If Castor goes down, we need you to protect us. We can't afford to lose any more people. This isn't about showing off or proving our strength. It's about being smart. One mistake, and we're all gone."
Daniel took a deep breath, the weight of Tina's words settling heavily on his shoulders. He knew she was right. He stayed where he was, his eyes fixed on the dark opening where Castor had vanished, his heart a drumbeat of fear and hope.
Castor, ever the strategist, quickly switched off the light at the far end of the passage. It was a small, almost insignificant detail, but it was enough to throw the police off. The light, illuminating the other side of the passage, which led to a different prisoners' ward, was their bait.
The moment the light went out, the police, assuming the prisoners in that ward were the ones causing trouble, immediately ran towards the darkened cell. They rushed through the passage, their boots pounding on the stone floor, their eyes searching for the source of the commotion.
Then everyone passed through as the officers are being distracted, abd as the officers couldn't find the source of the problem they switched the light back.
Castor, the last one to pass through the passage, was caught in the act. One of the officers, his eyes sharp despite the dimness, spotted Castor crawling away.
"Hey! You, stop right there!" the officer yelled, his voice echoing through the passage.
"Run!" Castor shouted, his voice hoarse with urgency. "Everyone run!" And each other them moved on with speed.
And immediately the warning bell rang, a shrill clang that sent shivers down their spines, shattered the silence. It was the signal: prisoners escaping. The police, alerted to the full extent of the situation, they scattered around and started hunting them.