by Jacqui Rose
Alice’s head spun, her voice breathless. ‘Bobby?’
Bobby laughed, sounding very much like his brother Nico. ‘Yes.’
‘Bobby, Bobby Russo?’
‘That’s right. Who are you?’
‘I’m Alice, Alice Rose, and I understand you’ve been looking for me.’
53
‘Where’s Alice?’ Alfie asked Lola as she walked back into the warehouse carrying a bunch of keys.
‘I thought she was with you?’
Panicking, Alfie shook his head. ‘She was, well, she was a few minutes ago, but she went outside to take a call.’
‘I didn’t see her when I came in, she wasn’t there.’
‘She must’ve been there, she just went outside.’
Lola hurried to the warehouse entrance and looked around. Her face drained of colour as she turned back to Alfie. ‘She’s gone, Alfie. She’s gone.’
Alice Rose ran as quickly as she could along the gravel path, up the hillside to the trees at the top, listening to Isaiah on the phone as she ran.
‘Alice, I’ve got some bad news, I’m sorry but—’
She cut in, speaking quickly, her words rolling on top of each other. ‘I know about Franny already, I’ve just spoken to Bobby. He’s given me an hour but that’s all. We’ve got to come up with something by then, otherwise it’s all over. He obviously doesn’t know what’s happened back at the farm and that’s good. I haven’t told Alfie, though, because he’s hurt, and anyway, he’d try to go in all guns blazing and Bobby will kill Franny then for sure. She won’t stand a chance, that’s why I need to speak to Nico. I have to talk to him, I’m the only one who can try to sort this out.’
‘What? What are you talking about? Alice, you’re not making sense. What’s happened? What’s Franny got to do with this? And what do you mean, the farm?’
With the sun beating down on her face, Alice slowed down to a walk. Puzzled, she frowned. ‘I … I thought that was why you were calling, to tell me about Bobby having Franny.’
In his bedroom, Isaiah sat down on his chair, his voice full of anguish. ‘Oh my gosh, Alice, I didn’t know.’
‘So, if that’s not why you were calling, what are you talking about?’
‘It’s about Nico; he’s being transferred on Wednesday. I just saw an email from his attorney, so the plan with Abel can’t go ahead.’
Thinking for a moment, Alice quickly said, ‘Then bring it forward.’
‘What?’
‘Just listen to me. Get Abel on standby, but he needs to be ready in the next fifteen minutes.’
Isaiah shook his head. ‘Alice, you’re asking the impossible. You’re crazy!’
‘Just make it happen, Isaiah, and don’t do anything until I call you back, but make sure he’s ready.’
Alice clicked off the phone and immediately dialled another number.
‘Hello?’
‘Nico, it’s me. It’s Alice.’
Nico purred down the phone. ‘You took your time, Alice Rose. When Bobby told me he’d spoken to you, I expected your call straightaway. After all, I thought we were friends.’
‘Well, I’m here now, and just for your information, Nico, I thought we were friends too, but even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. However, I do want to talk about a deal I’ve got for you.’
In his room, Isaiah Thomas felt butterflies in his stomach as he read Alice’s text:
Do it. But you’ve only got half an hour. Call me when it’s done.
Reaching across to his phone, Isaiah, feeling like one of Pastor Michaels’ prayers would come in useful right now, called Abel. ‘Okay, it’s on, are you ready?’
Abel, dressed in a janitor’s uniform, sat in the hire car he’d picked up from the airport, the windows open and the dead heat of the Colorado day coming in through the window. He could feel the sweat dripping down his back and the sense of anticipation running through his veins.
He spoke quietly. ‘Believe me, Isaiah, I’ve been ready for this moment for a long time.’
Abel closed his eyes, letting the emotions run over him as he listened to Isaiah talk, as he expertly – from his small bedroom in Mississippi – began tapping various data and numbers into his computers.
The monitors lit up and a series of binary programming codes flashed green, whirling down the screens as Isaiah took a deep breath, readying himself as he glanced at his notes.
‘Abel, you need to drive down to the visitors’ car park, which is on your right. Then wait for the prison alarms. I’m going to set them off in –’ Isaiah paused, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement as he glanced up at the clock and at one of the processor screens in front of him ‘– in four minutes thirty-six seconds … And remember, there are three main sections within the prison: two of them are for general prisoners, the other for high-security ones.
‘There are four electronic security rings around the prison and one at the main gate. The perimeter one and the gate, I’ll deactivate first, then close it behind you. The last thing anyone needs is a bunch of prisoners running out, so you’ve got to be quick getting in. But you do understand, Mr Gray, once you’re in, you won’t be able to get out for another sixteen minutes and then you’ve only got a one-minute window.’
‘What about all the guards when I go in?’
Knowledgeably, Isaiah said, ‘There are two towers. Tower one is where the systems are and in tower two, that’s where the armed guards are based, but they’ll be too worried about people trying to get out than in. As we discussed, I’ll hack into the communication system, so the guards won’t be able to speak to one another around the prison, which will make it harder for them to seize back control. And anyway, Mr Gray, you’re dressed in a janitor’s uniform and going in towards the centre of the prison rather than out, so you won’t be their main target; in fact, I’m certain they’ll ignore you altogether.’
Abel rubbed his head, swatting away a fly. ‘How do you know this is even going to work?’
‘I don’t.’
‘What?’
Isaiah shrugged as he sat back in his chair. ‘The only thing I do know is since I came up with the plan, I’ve timed myself getting into the prison computer system. I’ve got it down to a good time. It’s not guaranteed, but if it’s any consolation, I shouldn’t be detected as I’m going in on a zero-day attack.’
Driving up to the visitors’ car park, Abel frowned. ‘You’ve lost me.’
‘What I’ll be doing is using a previously unknown vulnerability to get into their system. I’ll be the first one to exploit it, well, at this prison anyway. Look, that’s just technical stuff, you don’t have to worry about that. The point is, Mr Gray, it will be very difficult for them to try to identify the problem, so I’ll gain administrator control to their system while simultaneously camouflaging the takeover. They’ll think there’s just a blip in the system rather than someone hacking into it.’
‘And getting out?’
Isaiah blew a large bubble from the gum he was chewing. ‘Well, that’s easy, all you need to do is run.’
Glancing again at the clock, aware there wasn’t much time, Isaiah began to talk quickly. ‘You’ve got the physical fence, the detection ring, the inner ring and around a thousand cameras as well as thermal sensors installed throughout the penitentiary. I have to shut them down section by section, otherwise I might be bounced out of the system. It’ll be like the lights going out at Christmas.’
‘And once you’ve done that?’
‘Basically, the inmates will be able to come out of their cells and it’ll be dangerous in there. They’ll be running riot, apart from the prisoners in wing 10, that’s where you need to be. I’ll keep that wing shut, but after eight minutes I’ll open the door to the wing. I won’t be able to keep it closed for any longer, so keep an eye on your watch.’
‘Okay, I got it.’
‘Don’t forget, Mr Gray, that an emergency military unit will be deployed to come to the prison as backup,
and once they’ve been contacted, it’ll take just twenty-two minutes for them to get there. So, you’ll have to be in and out before that time. It’s tight but doable.’
Isaiah Thomas took a large sip of lemonade as he sat with the air con on, tapping into his computer again. He spoke again, cracking his knuckles, slipping on his Mission Impossible baseball cap.
‘Mr Gray, in one minute’s time you’ll hear the prison alarms; that will be your cue to run towards the main doors, which will then open. After that you’re on your own. But don’t worry, I was born to do this, you’ll be fine … You’ve got the screenshot I sent you?’
Having parked up, Abel checked his phone. ‘Yeah, I’ve got it.’
‘Good, but make sure everything else is shut down on your phone. Just follow the route as if it’s a map. It’ll be like Call of Duty, Mr Gray, and you’re my player.’
With the sound of the prison alarm screaming out, Abel Gray quickly darted through the main gates, feeling the sweat running down his back as he charged along the side wall, watching the prison officers and staff running around bewildered.
Rushing to the left of them, Abel, full of adrenalin, ran towards the main block of the prison. Spotting all the doors beginning to open, he instantly sprinted down the corridors as the sounds of the prisoners began to get louder, with the shouts and cries of the officers echoing around the long stone corridors.
Chaos descended and surrounded Abel, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he sped along, aware he had to keep on schedule.
Cell door after cell door came open and the inmates charged out like a herd of stampeding buffalos. All around him there were shouts and screams and bangs, clanging metal upon metal, but Abel, undeterred and without fear, continued to run as the prisoners pushed and shoved, barging him out of the way as they rushed for freedom.
With his top wet with sweat, Abel ran against the tide of men, charging along with steely determination down the dark corridors. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw three prisoners attack a warden as they threw their things out of their cells. More fights and screams and fires broke out around him, the acrid smell of burning mattress lying heavy in the air.
Hurriedly checking his phone, Abel followed the map Isaiah had sent him, which took him past the gymnasium and up a flight of metal stairs, where a group of Mexican inmates threw a screaming fellow prisoner over the balcony.
The sounds of the prison were deafening: clanking, clattering noises filled the air. At the top end of the corridor, Abel glanced at his watch and began to slow down as he headed for a door that read ‘Wing 10’.
He pulled on the large metal handle of the security entrance but it was locked. Suddenly remembering what Isaiah had said, he looked at his watch: After eight minutes precisely, I’ll open the door to the wing.
Keeping his eye on his watch, Abel began to count down. ‘Five, four, three, two, one.’ He smiled to himself as the door sprang open and, talking to himself, he walked into the small corridor of wing 10.
‘Nice one, Isaiah, nice one, mate.’
It was surprisingly quiet, a stark contrast to the rest of the prison as Abel ran along, peeping in through each of the cells’ tiny windows, pressure beginning to mount as the minutes ticked down.
Suddenly he stopped, standing motionless before he stepped back a few paces to the cell he’d just looked in. A wave of nausea rushed through him as he closed his eyes to ready himself. A moment later, Abel Gray opened the door of cell number five.
‘Hello, Nico. It’s been a while. Remember me?’
Nico Russo spun round, his face a mass of confusion and incomprehension. He blinked several times, almost as if what was in front of him wasn’t quite real. Then he narrowed his eyes as he stared at Abel, a pulsating vein twitching at his temple as his voice gave away only a trace of alarm.
‘Abel. It’s good to see you.’
Ignoring Nico, Abel stalked into the small cell, hearing the shouts and cries outside in the corridor becoming louder. He stopped to stare at the wall, looking at the photo of Alice before ripping it off.
Holding Alice’s picture in his hand, Abel studied it for a moment before glancing back up at Nico who stood in the corner of the cell.
‘You couldn’t break her, could you? You underestimated this one, didn’t you, Nico?’
Nico smirked to himself. ‘Nothing’s over until it’s over … How is Natalia, by the way?’
Abel Gray, with the strength and fervour of a lion, lunged at Nico, slammed and smashed him against the wall, gripped his hair and banged his head against the window bars.
Panting, Abel stared at Nico then closed his eyes as he continued to push and grind him hard against the wall. Images of that day rushed through his head. Screams of Natalia begging him to make the Russos stop echoed in his mind.
Breathing heavily, Abel tried to regain his composure, his reality, his sanity. Refusing to give Nico the satisfaction of learning what had really happened to Natalia, he whispered the words he so wished were true. ‘She’s fine … Natalia’s just fine.’
Nico grinned. ‘That’s good. Natalia, from what I remember, was certainly special.’
With a vice-like grip, Abel squeezed Nico’s face in his hand. He hissed through his teeth, the sound of his short, shallow breaths filling the cell.
‘I had so much to say to you, Nico. For years I’d planned it, every day I thought about you, you were all I could think about. You haunted my dreams, my waking hours. I couldn’t feel myself, Nico, but I could feel you, smell you. You lived within me like my heartbeat, but now I see there really isn’t anything to say. I once told you, I once promised you, avrò la mia vendetta. I will have my revenge. However long it took, whatever it took, I knew that somehow, some time, I’d have my day of reckoning – and that time has finally come. And now, Nico, you shall burn in the fires of hell … This is for Natalia and for Alice.’
From under his jumper Abel pulled out a large jagged knife and swiftly dragged it across Nico’s throat, pushing down hard, cutting through his windpipe.
Wide-eyed, Nico held his neck, the blood pouring and spurting as he gurgled and gulped, gasping desperately to catch his breath. And as Abel stepped back and watched, Nico dropped lifeless to the ground, a pool of blood spreading quickly over the cold concrete floor. Then Abel Gray checked the time and turned to run.
In Mississippi, Isaiah paced around his room, checking and occasionally inputting numbers into his computer as he watched the screens blink and update, refreshing constantly. He glanced up at the clock.
‘Come on, Abel, come on. You can do this, I know you can do this.’
He closed his eyes as his phone buzzed, too nervous to look at it. Then, taking a deep breath, with beads of sweat trickling down his back, Isaiah ran to read the text and almost immediately he punched the air in delight and spun his baseball cap across the room.
‘Mission completed!’
‘Isaiah, what’s all that shouting for? Don’t forget, Bible class starts soon.’
Biting into a Hershey bar, glowing with pride and relief, Isaiah rolled his eyes. ‘Whatever, Mom, whatever.’
54
From behind the tree on the hilltop, Alice was able to see Bobby. Next to him, only a few feet away, was Franny, standing by the Russos’ car, her hands tied together behind her back. Alice saw Bobby look at his watch. Feeling sick, she took a deep breath as she paced, the stress and pressure building up inside her.
Muttering to herself, trying to find comfort, sick with nerves, she waited to hear from Isaiah.
‘Please give me strength, somehow give me strength. Please somehow make this okay.’
She closed her eyes, putting her hands together, feeling her body shaking, trembling as the minutes ticked by. Then, suddenly, after what seemed like years, Alice felt her phone buzz through a text in her pocket. Pulling it out quickly, she read:
It’s done. Abel did it! Mission accomplished.
Alice smiled and, overwhelmed, her e
yes filling with tears, she bent forward, catching her breath, feeling the relief flow. But almost immediately she began to tense again, a cold fear creeping all over her body.
She stood up straight and walked across to the brow of the hill again, where she stared down to the bottom of the steep grassy slope. With her hand shaking and only a slight hesitation, Alice Rose pressed call.
‘Bobby, Bobby, it’s me.’
‘Hello, Alice, just on time. Another minute and it would’ve all been over.’
Knowing that Bobby had yet to find out about Nico, Alice, her voice edgy and overwrought, asked, ‘You know what the deal is?’
Bobby grinned as he looked up at Alice standing by the tree at the top of the hill. Chuckling, he spoke into the phone. ‘I do, and I think you’ve all got a bargain. I think Nico was very generous.’
‘So let her go … now!’
Without saying a word to Franny, Bobby placed his phone on the bonnet of the car and untied Franny’s hands. She looked at him, puzzled, as he nodded his head and said, ‘Go on, you’re free to go.’
Rubbing her wrists, her face swollen from bruises, Franny stared with hatred at Bobby.
‘What? Why?’
Bobby Russo stepped forward, pushing the gun hard into Franny’s stomach. ‘I said go. Otherwise we might change our minds.’
‘What about Bree? What about …’
‘Go!’
Franny began to run as Bobby picked up the phone again to Alice, who was still on the other end of the line. ‘Don’t do anything stupid, don’t try any games, Alice, I still can kill her from here.’
‘I won’t.’
‘Well then?’
Alice took a deep breath and then, her voice shaking, said, ‘I’m ready.’
Trance-like, she dropped her phone and began walking down the hill as Franny ran up. Halfway to the top, Franny slowed down and stopped. Perplexed, she stared at Alice, not understanding why she was walking towards her.
She turned to glance at Bobby then back at Alice before running over to her and grabbing her by the arm. ‘What are you doing, Alice? What the hell are you doing?’