Free Judgment Day (Templar Chronicles Book 5) by Joseph Nassise Page A

be sure you take it when you do.”
    Cade could tell Riley was pissed at him. That was okay; he was pissed at Riley in return.
    “That was my wife on that bridge.”
    Riley turned as if to say something, but the elevator reached its destination at the same moment, the doors swooshing open, and whatever it was, he didn’t say it. There were two sergeants standing outside the car, waiting to board, so Riley simply grabbed Cade by the arm and led him down the hall without another word.
    Guards were stationed outside the six interrogation rooms at the end of the hall. They snapped to attention when they saw Riley approaching with Cade in tow.
    “I need an interview room,” Riley told them.
    “Of course.” The guard casted a curious glance in Cade’s direction, but said nothing as he led the pair over to one of the interview rooms and unlocked the door.
    Riley stuck his head inside, nodded to himself, and then led Cade through the door.
    The already small room was made smaller by the large metal table that sat in its center, bolted to the floor. Two metal folding chairs were on either side of the table, likewise secured. A metal ring was welded into the table-top in front of one of the chairs, with one side of a pair of handcuffs secured to it. A mirror stretched along the wall opposite the table.
    Cade smiled when he saw the mirror.
    Riley brought him over to the chair and had him sit down, then secured the handcuffs he was already wearing to the free end of the pair attached to the ring on the tabletop. He tugged on them twice, just to be certain that they were secure, before turning back and heading for the door.
    “Let him stew for a bit,” Riley told the guard. ”I’m going to get some coffee and will be back in awhile.”
    “Roger that,” the guard said, with a disdainful look in Cade’s direction. ”Stew it is.”
    The guard pulled the door shut with a bang and Cade was left alone with only his thoughts for company.
    Thoughts of escape, that is.
    He had to hand it to Riley; it was actually a very clever move. Riley had left him both the means to get out of his chains as well as the means to get out of the room, all while protecting himself from any recrimination. The guard had watched Riley secure Cade to the table and then they had both left him locked up alone in the room.
    Rumors already followed him like the plague so Cade saw no reason not to use his Talent to get himself out from under Templar control. Let them wonder how I did it , he thought. One more mystery for them to solve.
    He waited a few minutes, giving time enough for the guards to grow bored of watching him through the one-way glass, and then faked a coughing fit, covering his mouth with one hand and spitting the handcuff key into his palm in the process. He waited again after doing so, just in case the noise had convinced the guards to look in on him through the mirror, and he then grabbed the key with one hand and went to work with it on the locks to the handcuffs.
    He was out of them in seconds and had his waist chain and leg irons off moments after that. He kept waiting for the door to slam open and the guards to taser him into immobility, but the hall outside remained quiet and the door firmly closed.
    That was perfectly fine with Cade.
    He had no intention of using the door anyway.
    As he climbed up onto the table in front of him, Cade could hear the sound of running feet coming from the corridor outside the door. He knelt down enough so that he could see through the small window set at eye level in the door.
    From outside a guard looked in at him, shocked at finding him free of his restraints.
    Cade winked at him.
    As the guard began fumbling with his keys and shouting for help, Cade crouched at the edge of the table, took a deep breath, and then dove head first at the mirror on the wall in front of him.

CHAPTER EIGHT

    There was an instant of bone-jarring cold combined with the unpleasant sensation of forcing his way through a tangled