Game of Dice and Dominos (Domino Series #1)

They would escape tonight. The thought rang inside Timo's head like a clock ticking backward. Did he make the right decision? Did he do the right thing? His guilt was gnawing on him as if he were a chew toy given to a rabid pack animal. But what would he be guilty of? He did the right thing. He knows he did. 

Turning them in was the best choice to make in the situation. He knew they were lying and couldn't be trusted. Clearly they had a secret agenda when they agreed to be turned in only to escape that night. But Timo promised to help them. He made a deal with them.

No. He had no moral obligation to them.

Deception was allowed to get the upper hand against criminals. And that's all they are: criminals. Criminals lie to get their way so, why should Timo believe even a word they say?

It was now nine o'clock in the evening and signs of their escaping will start to show any minute now. The exit of the detention facility is now more guarded, as per the order of the chief. Timo decided not to file his second report but instead went to the chief directly. 

It was a bold choice but he liked to pretend he was brave sometimes. Now, Timo and a few other guards are positioned near the cells where Zee and Darcy – the girl and boy Timo had taken in – are. Timo didn't know how they would escape exactly. All he supposedly agreed on was that he would cover for them and help them develop a route for their escape.

But he decided that he wasn't going to do that.

Timo was in the surveillance booth with two of his colleagues: Marcus Vanderfield and a middle-aged woman whom he has never seen before. He was scanning every monitor suspiciously, waiting for them to appear in any of them in any second.

"Hey loosen up," said Marcus. Timo jumped when he suddenly spoke, maybe he was a little too focused. "Besides, even if they do break out of their cells they won't get far."

Marcus flashes Timo with his signature debonair smile. With that, he disappears into the pantry room to grab a cup of coffee. Ignoring Marcus's cocky remark, Timo decided to continue eyeing every monitor over and over again. 

A few minutes later, Timo dozed off. He widens his eyes to force himself to stay awake. It was now eleven o'clock and so far, the anticipated jail escape is showing no signs of happening. Timo scans the screens for a few more times. Most of the rooms are empty, there are a few people in the lounge, there are some people browsing in the study. Timo sees a couple of people loitering in the hallways and then Timo sees something he could not believe. He leans closer to the screen just to get a better visual and there she is.

A girl who looks just like the one Timo apprehended, but in a standard NEPD detectives' uniform, looks up into the surveillance camera, smirks, and winks. She seems to be talking to a few other police officers but Timo is almost certain that is her.

No. That's definitely her.

Timo scrambles to his feet. He blows the pantry door open to find Marcus. But he wasn't there. Weird. He didn't hear the door. He abandons the empty pantry room and dashes outside the surveillance booth. The hallway was empty. Most of the officers have gone home already. Son of a—

A door hinge squeaks. 

Timo furiously spins around to where it came from. He shakily reaches for the radio in his belt with one hand and reaches for his baton with the other.

"This is Officer Carter calling for back-up. I'm at the third floor, north hallway. The Arsons are out. I repeat the Arsons are—"

He hears the lights shut off. He spins around and the hallway behind him is barely recognizable in the dark. Timo warily walks into the shadows, keeping one step in front of the other in a slow and cautious pace. He raises his baton, ready to strike. He reaches for the flashlight in his utility belt but as soon as he gets it—

Swoop! Something snatches it from his hand.

There was a shadow directly behind him. He could feel the hairs on his nape rise as sweat trickles down all over his body. He could not feel his limbs. As soon as he regained control of his senses, inch by inch, he turned around. He was face to face with the shadow. He squints in hopes to see its face better in the dark.

Click! It was the girl with his flashlight.

"Boo!"

Timo jumped. Her smirk faded in the shadows as soon as she closed the flashlight.

Instinctively, Timo swung his bat towards her. But she caught it and twisted his arm. He let out a yelp. But no one came for him, it only echoed in the empty hallways.

"Missed me." The girl's voice taunted him. He swivels around and blindly swings his bat again.

"Missed me again!" Her haughty laugh was now resounding in his ears. Timo spins around and aimlessly swings again.

"Man, you're a bit too slow aren't you?" Another round of laughter echoed in the room. He squints, hoping to see better in the dark. He spots the light switch near the door and stumbles toward it. When he flicks the switch, the lights are back.

But she was gone. 

Timo hears footsteps thudding in the hallway. He rushes to the door and gyrates the knob.

Locked.

The girl had locked him in one of the interrogation rooms, where the locks were placed outside the room instead of inside. He eyes the hallway, raising his bat. He braces himself for whatever might pop out of the hallway. The heavy footsteps are getting louder, thundering through the walls. It's getting closer, closer, closer. Then—

"I got here as fast as I could," Marcus heaves through his panting. "What happened? How'd you get in there?" Timo's stance became less tense.

"I – uh – the girl trapped me here," Timo said as he tucked the bat back on his belt.

"Girl? What, wha..." Marcus pants. "Man I'm not as young as I used to be! You know I came from all across the other end of the building."

"The girl, one of the Arsons." Timo explains, "I think they're still somewhere in the facility, trying to evade security surveillance. If you let me out, I bet I can track 'em."

"Oh right," Marcus says as he unlocks the door from the outside.

"Thanks."

"No problem pal."

With that, Timo runs toward the nearest staircase and Marcus follows his lead.

"Ah shit, not more running." He hears Marcus complain under his breath. He ignored it. The metal staircase clangs as they stomp down. The elevators were down so they had to take the stairs.

"So how do you know where to find them?" Marcus asks and as if on cue, a siren blares in the walls near the emergency lights with a robotic voice calling the same announcement over and over.

"All available personnel please attend to the breach in the south gate..."

"Well," Marcus shrugs, "Good job kid!" Then he is off running downstairs.

Timo opens his mind to say something but when he realizes that Marcus is already too far gone, he decides to follow his lead instead.

When they arrive at the courtyard leading to the south gate, Timo sees a few members of the police force, including the guards, already stationed with guns at the ready. There were only about five other people, besides Timo and Marcus, since most of the people already went home and those that were here are the ones on the night shift.

"Hands in the air! You're outnumbered!" A sergeant, Timo could tell by his uniform, barks at the escaping arsons.

Indecipherable muttering left the girl's lips then both of them raised their hands and turned to face the group of officers surrounding them. The girl then bobs her head from side to side, maybe popping some bones. She smirks then speaks.

"That's what she said." Timo blinked.

Then they were gone.

All of them were caring for their head around trying to spot where they went. They couldn't have gone far, much less through the gate. The alarms would have been triggered. But there was nothing but eerie silence. Timo always hated the calm before the storm. He still does. It was both annoying and unnerving at the same time.

Hefeels something gripping at his neck. A cold metal disc was poking his temple.When the apprehender spoke, he knew exactly what it was.

He felt the girl gripping hard on Timo's neck, barely leaving his throat nay room to breathe. The cold muzzle of the gun was starting to burn on his skin. It felt as if it was drilling on his temple and his veins might pop any second.

"Be still and obey little bear cub," the arson girl whispered softly in his ear, the hairs at that part of his neck stand as her warm breath touched his skin. But the next words that come out of her mouth grow darker and the playfulness in her tone is long gone.

"Or die."

Slow, ragged breaths escape his throat. His blood is boiling for this girl and white spots almost form at the corners of his vision.

"I will never answer to you!" He growled at her through clenched teeth.

"I do believe you just did." She derides. The playfulness in her voice is back, but with a slightly darker tone, and it made Timo's blood curdle even more. Their faces were so close to each other that he could feel a smirk forming at the girl's cheek.

"Nobody move!" The girl yelled. This time, her voice was directed at all of Timo's colleagues. "Or we'll shoot." The darkness in her voice was back. It crept on his spine like a cold slicing wind.

When the girl spun around to face them, Timo was dragged along with her. He saw that the police officers who were with them were now raising their guns and targeting them but none of them moved.

"Let go of me—"

"Quiet!"

Timo rolled his eyes to the far left of his head to see where the voices had come from. He saw Marcus being dragged as a hostage by the arson boy. The girl and the boy were slowly dragging them backward, toward the gate.

"Open the gate!" This time, it was the boy who barked the order.

Timo heard the metal clanking and the gears of the gate churning. The guards who were stationed at the gate must have complied.

The ones who had a gun at their hand followed them with their guns pointed at them. But they didn't shoot. Timo figured that they were probably keener on a kidnapping than a murder. It did make sense to him. Another thing that comforted him was that he was with Marcus.

One way or another, they were going to find a way to escape. 

~**~

[Word Count: 1885]

Heya dear reader!! Thanks for making it this far! I really appreciate it!!

This is a relatively short chapter, compared to my other ones, but hey, at least it's something.

I believe I am an underwriter, meaning there are some stuff about scenes which I don't elaborate much on. I'm not good at describing the setting, I tend to use narration for exposition but I'm trying to not do that so in turn I cut some important stuff entirely. 

I would gladly appreciate it if you guys would help me out by commenting on parts that you think I can improve on. 

If you like the story so far (minus the grammar, wording etc..) don't forget to leave a vote!!

Thanks again for making it this far in my book, hope to see you in the next update!!

-axeli ❤️