Sir.”
Chapter 13
“You’re so quiet today,” Seamus said. “Something on your mind?”
Hank absently pushed the whipped yellow protein paste the cafeteria tried to pass off as scrambled eggs around his plate with a fork. “Just trying to remember the last time I saw a real egg. It’s got to be close to ten years.”
Seamus put down his mug of coffee. His stomach was a little off from the night before so he was sticking to a liquid only breakfast. “Don’t give me that crap. I can tell something is hanging over your head, so you gonna let me know what it is or keep talking about eggs?”
Hank put down his fork and leaned forward over the table. “Do you think there’s a way out of here?”
Seamus laughed. “Shit, you serious?”
Hank nodded. “I need to find a way out of here. Peg is due to retire soon and I have to stop it.”
Seamus glanced around the room. “What the hell are you going on about? You know there’s no way outta here.”
“No easy way, but escape can’t be impossible.”
“And then what? You’re just gonna go home and don’t answer the door when the cops come calling? Listen to yourself, man. You’re stuck in here. Any thoughts of escaping, you better squash ‘em. Right now.”
“I know it sounds crazy,” Hank continued. “But I can’t let Peg end up in one of those pods. How can I just stand by after everything I’ve seen?”
“How? ‘Cuz you in here and she’s out there and there ain’t a damn thing you can do about it, that’s how. Even if you could escape, you wouldn’t last one day on the outside. Every lawman in the world would know your face.”
Hank glanced at a nearby table and lowered his voice more. “Something happened last night when I had to make that swap without you.”
“What?”
“Let’s just say as long as I’m in here, my family is in danger. I saw something last night that could incriminate somebody. Somebody that has influence on the outside and is capable of hurting my wife and daughter.”
Seamus sighed and crossed his arms. “I don’t even wanna know.”
“Good. The less you know the better off it is for you, I guess. If you’re not going to help me I’ll figure it out myself.” Hank started to rise but Seamus grabbed his wrist.
“Let me get this straight. You’re gonna be the first guy ever to bust outta here. You’re gonna go home, give your wife a heart attack when you walk your dead ass through the front door, nab your daughter, and then what? Move to the South Pole? Shit, we could be at the South Pole already.”
Hank rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Okay. I get it. I didn’t say I had it all figured out.”
“You damn right you don’t have it figured out. You, my friend, are a dead man. The sooner you get that through your head the better off you’ll be. Your wife and daughter? There ain’t a goddamned thing you can do for them now.”
Hank clenched his jaw and shook his head.
“This place ain’t paradise, but it’s a hell of a lot better than what I had on the outside,” Seamus said. “When my sixtieth came ‘round I was sharing a bed with three other motherfuckers in a boarding house without a penny to my name. Had to wait in line for hours to maybe get something to eat once a day. So forgive me if I don’t have an overwhelming urge to help your dumb ass escape.”
“I just don’t know if I can let it go.”
Seamus’s frown faded. “Look, Hank. You’re a good friend and I’ve seen way too many guys lose it in here. I don’t want to see it happen to you. You better get your head right and dig in for the long haul or you’re no better off than those sorry fools in them pods. You have a second chance.”
Hank pushed his plate away and finally looked his friend in the eye. “You’re right. I’m driving myself crazy worrying about Peg and Sara but there isn’t a thing in the world I can do to help them, is there?”
“Sorry. I mean it, too. Trust me, you’ll get past this and
Chapter 13
“You’re so quiet today,” Seamus said. “Something on your mind?”
Hank absently pushed the whipped yellow protein paste the cafeteria tried to pass off as scrambled eggs around his plate with a fork. “Just trying to remember the last time I saw a real egg. It’s got to be close to ten years.”
Seamus put down his mug of coffee. His stomach was a little off from the night before so he was sticking to a liquid only breakfast. “Don’t give me that crap. I can tell something is hanging over your head, so you gonna let me know what it is or keep talking about eggs?”
Hank put down his fork and leaned forward over the table. “Do you think there’s a way out of here?”
Seamus laughed. “Shit, you serious?”
Hank nodded. “I need to find a way out of here. Peg is due to retire soon and I have to stop it.”
Seamus glanced around the room. “What the hell are you going on about? You know there’s no way outta here.”
“No easy way, but escape can’t be impossible.”
“And then what? You’re just gonna go home and don’t answer the door when the cops come calling? Listen to yourself, man. You’re stuck in here. Any thoughts of escaping, you better squash ‘em. Right now.”
“I know it sounds crazy,” Hank continued. “But I can’t let Peg end up in one of those pods. How can I just stand by after everything I’ve seen?”
“How? ‘Cuz you in here and she’s out there and there ain’t a damn thing you can do about it, that’s how. Even if you could escape, you wouldn’t last one day on the outside. Every lawman in the world would know your face.”
Hank glanced at a nearby table and lowered his voice more. “Something happened last night when I had to make that swap without you.”
“What?”
“Let’s just say as long as I’m in here, my family is in danger. I saw something last night that could incriminate somebody. Somebody that has influence on the outside and is capable of hurting my wife and daughter.”
Seamus sighed and crossed his arms. “I don’t even wanna know.”
“Good. The less you know the better off it is for you, I guess. If you’re not going to help me I’ll figure it out myself.” Hank started to rise but Seamus grabbed his wrist.
“Let me get this straight. You’re gonna be the first guy ever to bust outta here. You’re gonna go home, give your wife a heart attack when you walk your dead ass through the front door, nab your daughter, and then what? Move to the South Pole? Shit, we could be at the South Pole already.”
Hank rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Okay. I get it. I didn’t say I had it all figured out.”
“You damn right you don’t have it figured out. You, my friend, are a dead man. The sooner you get that through your head the better off you’ll be. Your wife and daughter? There ain’t a goddamned thing you can do for them now.”
Hank clenched his jaw and shook his head.
“This place ain’t paradise, but it’s a hell of a lot better than what I had on the outside,” Seamus said. “When my sixtieth came ‘round I was sharing a bed with three other motherfuckers in a boarding house without a penny to my name. Had to wait in line for hours to maybe get something to eat once a day. So forgive me if I don’t have an overwhelming urge to help your dumb ass escape.”
“I just don’t know if I can let it go.”
Seamus’s frown faded. “Look, Hank. You’re a good friend and I’ve seen way too many guys lose it in here. I don’t want to see it happen to you. You better get your head right and dig in for the long haul or you’re no better off than those sorry fools in them pods. You have a second chance.”
Hank pushed his plate away and finally looked his friend in the eye. “You’re right. I’m driving myself crazy worrying about Peg and Sara but there isn’t a thing in the world I can do to help them, is there?”
“Sorry. I mean it, too. Trust me, you’ll get past this and
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