*CLANK*
I let go, and when I opened my eyes, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My wrist was bloodied from the torquing of the metal, but I was loose. I raised my hand to my face, amazed I had a free hand.
“Yay! We did it!” Angel jumped and clapped loudly.
“Shh!” I put a hand to her mouth to shut her up. I had no idea if this was a trap or something. I didn’t want her to be too loud, and we get caught. “Come on, let’s do the other side.”
We did the same thing on my other hand, and just like before, the metal restraint broke in two pieces, and I was free. I stood, and Angel jumped into my arms and cried happy tears into my neck as she wrapped her legs around my stomach. She was so thin.
“Okay, it’s not over yet, Angel. We still have to get out of here. You do exactly what I say and stay super close to me. Try not to make any noise at all.”
“Okay, Inkpop.” She got down and held my hand as she moved close behind me.
I walked over to the stairs leading up, and as silently as I could, I opened the small door and emerged. The smell of seawater and my home smacked me in the face, but I didn’t have time to bask in it. I searched the area before I let Angel follow behind me. I slunk along the walls of the ship seeking a way off, but it didn’t seem like there was anyone else on the ship.
Roth had been telling us the truth.
We made it to the plank leading off the ship, and I let out a steady breath as I saw one guard toward the end of the pier. He must be there to keep watch over the supplies on board, but there was only one of him, and there was no way I was going to let him get in the way of our freedom. Not when it was so close.
I picked up Angel and put her on my back, and I quickly but silently made my way onto the pier without him hearing us. I put Angel down and bent down to whisper in her ear. “You don’t move from here, okay, but I want you to turn around. Don’t watch. I’ll come back for you.” I looked into her eyes, and she simply nodded and turned her back to me. There was no way I’d be able to leave this man alive, and I didn’t want Angel to see the monster I had become while I was locked up.
I trod silently over toward the man. I had nothing to use as a weapon, and I was almost sure he was carrying. I looked along the side of the dock and could see one of the mooring lines. It was a thick metal cable tying the ship to the dock. I unraveled it slowly, still not making any noise. It was as thick as half of my forearm and very heavy. It usually took two men per line to unravel it, but I was on a mission. Once the heavy cable was in my hand, I lunged for the man and wrapped it twice around his neck tightly. He scratched at my arms and tried to reach for his weapon, not wanting to risk him alerting anyone I kicked him off the pier and watched as he hung off the side of the ship, clawing at the thick metal rope. Once his body went completely limp, and his head fell toward his chest, I knew it was over. We had escaped. I ran back to Angel and picked her up, making sure to keep her head against my chest until we passed the hanging man.
A quick look around the area, and I recognized some of the businesses and some I didn’t. Straight ahead were a few small warehouses and the main road, and on the other side was a wooded area. Located on the other side of the woods would be the west side of the town and civilization.
“Okay Angel, I need you to try and keep up with me, we’re going to move really fast, okay?”
She nodded, and a look of determination crossed her face. I started at a jog, and we went straight for the trees. I crashed through the low hanging tree limbs and stomped through the puddles of mud until we made it about three-quarters of the way into the wooded area, I could hear dogs barking in the distance.
Angel stopped when I stopped, her face bright red from exertion.
“Angel, I want you to take your shoes off now.”
She looked up at me strangely, but she bent down and took her old worn shoes off. I did the same with mine.
“Now, this is going to seem strange, but now I want you to walk in a straight line right behind me, okay. We are going back that way.” I pointed in the direction we’d just come from.
“What why? Shouldn’t we go that way? I thought I saw some lights.”
“No baby, I want them to think we went that way, so when they come looking for us, they won’t be able to find us so quick. Do you understand?”
“They’re going to take us back?” She asked the fear back in her voice.
“Over my dead body Angel, we just need some time.”
I turned from her, and as carefully as I could, I walked at an angle in the opposite direction we’d just come from. I tried to tread lightly so our footprints wouldn’t leave much of a trail. It took a long time, but we ended up on the other side of the sound, I could see the shops, but we would have to swim to get over there.
“Angel, can you swim?”
“No. I never learned.” She looked over the
