Free Blood Cell by Shaun Tennant Page A

cell.” As he talked, Josh leaned in—it was partly to give the image of friendly conversation, and partly to test the C.O.’s boundaries. He needed a guard with a small personal bubble.
    “What cell were you in?”
    “How would I know? I was only in there for half a day.”
    Williams sighed and looked up Josh on his clipboard. “Your old cellie will be going for a shower in fifteen minutes. Wait until then.”
    Josh did as he was told, and a few minutes later he was relatively alone with Williams inside Leo’s cell, and happy in the knowledge that he could get within an arm’s reach of the C.O. without any trouble.
    As Josh packed up his clothes, he took his time, hoping Williams would start talking. It worked.
    “I asked why they moved you on your first night. They said you got out after lockup.”
    “I wasn’t going to escape again. I was just looking to get away from the maniac they had me housing with.”
    “Escape again? You can just come and go from this cell as you please?” Williams sounded incredulous, but he was jovial enough.
    “Look me up,” said Josh, “I can get out of anything. This cell, those handcuffs... probably get out of Pittman once I get to know the building.”
    Josh placed his wrists together and extended them toward the handcuffs on Williams’ belt. “Here, cuff me.”
    “No thanks,” said Williams. “I’ll take your word for it. Grab your clothes.”
    Josh nodded and gave Williams a polite you’re the boss smile. He picked up his clothes and was escorted back to Kim’s cell. Williams walked off to patrol somewhere else, and didn’t even notice that Josh had removed the swipe card from his belt.
    Two hours later, Santos slid his dinner tray onto his usual table, only this time Josh Farewell was already waiting in the seat next to him.
    “You get my swipe card?”
    Josh nodded. “From Williams.”
    Santos followed Josh’s nod to see Williams making chit-chat with the inmates in the chow line.
    “He didn’t notice?”
    “I just took it this afternoon, but you better use it soon before he notices and gets it deactivated.”
    “Don’t worry about it,” Santos told him, “Just five hours to lights out.”
    “Bit of an issue,” said Josh.
    “What?”
    “I had to get myself out of that cell. Leo’s housing alone. Might make it harder to send someone else to plant the gun on him.”
    “You still on the second floor?”
    “Yeah. I’m in with some coke addict named Kim,” Josh said it in the tone you might use to say “and there were no hot towels in first class.”
    Santos took a bite of his ham. “You should eat something. It looks suspicious enough when a man sits next to me.” Josh lifted his slice of meat with his fork and smelled it. Josh seemed to Santos like a real ‘outside man’, the sort of guy who can’t stand all the things you have to put up with a prison. No wonder he escaped.
    “After dinner, go back to your cell with Kim. We’ll have to go past that cell to get to Leo. We’ll haul him out and start wailing on him. That’ll get the guard moving. Once he goes past your cell, you go get us a gun, alright? Carlos will be there to take the gun out of your hands, you won’t have to touch it for more than a few seconds.” Santos spoke in hushed tones, not wanting to be overheard. “You have to move quick—once the violence starts another three or four guards are gonna come running.”
    “I got it.” Josh looked like he was sick. He wasn’t cut out for this. Santos didn't really care. He could use Josh, so that’s what he was going to do.
    “Good. Now eat your--” before he could finish, their entire plan fell apart.
    Across the room, Terminal Thomas, the unpredictable giant, was holding Leo Jimenez over his head, which put him about ten feet from the floor. Terminal was screaming with rage. Even through his dark complexion, Santos could see that the blood was rushing to Thomas’ face. Terminal held Leo with one hand on his back, and one