I jog across the cracked yard, cutting through the knots of nervous men, ignoring the stares. Nico finds me at the fence, his jaw tight, his gaze fixed on the admin building.
“What the fuck’s going on?” I mutter.
He shakes his head, arms crossed. “No clue.”
I shove through the doors into the hallway, ignoring the barked orders from the guards. One of them, the asshole with the gut and the attitude, blocks my path.
“What the hell’s going on?” I demand.
He just sneers. “Don’t worry about it, Calhoun. None of your business.”
A sick feeling hits my gut. Levi went to the library right before the alarm. I push past the guard, who grabs my arm.
“Hey! I said it’s handled.”
“I was just trying to find out what happened,” I reply calmly.
“Get your ass back, Calhoun, unless you want solitary.”
My fists clench at my sides. “Anyone hurt?”
He just laughs. “If you’re lucky, it’s only a rat.”
I have to force myself not to punch him. I spot Nico across the tier, his face twisted with the same worry I’m feeling. I move over to him, keeping my head down so the guards don’t get any ideas.
“You see Levi?” I mutter.
Nico shakes his head, jaw tight. “He said he had to check something out in the library. That was before the alarms.”
“You think he got caught up in it?” I keep my voice low, but the panic is rising, sharp and cold. “They lock that place down over nothing.”
Nico runs a hand through his hair. “He’s got sense, man. He’ll keep his head down.” He steps closer. “We keep our mouths shut, all right? We don’t know anything. If Levi gets questioned, he’ll handle it.”
I nod, but the nerves won’t let go. “Yeah. I just don’t like not knowing. Not with the way these bastards act when the alarms go.”
Nico’s jaw works.
The sirens keep blaring. We can’t do a damn thing but wait, tension knotted tight between us. My hands clench into fists.
Nico nudges me. “We’ll handle it. Whatever happens, we look out for each other. Like always.”
The alarm is still wailing as the guards start shouting, hustling everyone into formation. I feel the hands of one of them pushing between my shoulder blades, herding us toward our block.
“Move it! Get your asses in line!”
I keep my eyes peeled for Levi, heart pounding. Finally, I spot him coming down the hall, hands in his pockets, looking way too calm for the chaos around us. In fact, he looks…pleased. Bastard.
I step into the main ward—a long, echoing room lined with rows of metal bunks, harsh light buzzing overhead. The other bunk beds get filled up quickly as more of the prisoners’ shuffle in. There’s no rhyme or reason why we’re stuck here with them. From what I’ve heard, this detention center is already at max capacity, so the nonviolent crimes are bunched up together while the violent ones are kept separately in different cells. I don’t care about the arrangements, or the fact that we have to sleep, breathe, and eat with at least twenty other people. At least this way we’re together.
Though right now, I have a sudden urge to jolt the shit out of Levi. He just leans back against the wall, arms crossed, a small, private smile tugging at his mouth.
“What happened?” I hiss. “Why’d the alarm go off?”
Before Levi can answer, his bunkmate—Skinny Pete, all nerves and twitchy eyes—pipes up from his bunk. “Some dumbass tried to make a run for it in the laundry hall.”
“And?” I press, barely breathing.
Pete shrugs. “Didn’t even make it past the first gate. Guards tackled him, cracked his head on the floor. Show’s over.”
