Once Lisa had told me what she had in mind, I started getting myself mentally prepared for it. A stun gun would fucking certainly work out—if I had to use it and make a run for it.

  Lisa told me one last thing: “If you happen to get caught or seen, you have to fight to the death to get out, Misty. We will have to destroy this place in order to stay alive, or else you will be dead and this torture and experimenting will go on for more years to come.”

  Lisa didn’t say much more to me after that. It was just understood that I knew what the hell I had to do. We heard noises of the COs coming on duty and both of us were really nervous, but we hid our nervousness well. Then I saw the guy with the laundry cart pushing through really quick. He exchanged a look with Lisa. Then she pulled the sheets and blankets over my head.

  “She’s ready to go?” the man pushing the car whispered.

  Lisa nodded and she remained silent.

  “Let’s do this, quick,” the man said. “She’s going to have to wrap up in the sheet—no jumpsuit, no hospital gown—just the sheet. If anything looks off, we will be caught.”

  I peeked and gave Lisa a look that told her I was ready to do this. Before I knew it, I had stripped, wrapped myself in a bunch of sheets, and folded myself into the oversized industrial laundry cart like I was a ball of dirty laundry. Lisa looked down really quick and I peeked up at her one last time. Nobody needed to know that Lisa and I had a plan in our heads. That smile and our eyes meeting was our little signal that shit was about to happen.

  Thank you, I silently mouthed to her. I was about to make sure that I pulled out all of the stops to save myself and all of those girls in the prison that were suffering at the hands of the sick staff.

  I knew I was evolving, thanks to the horrible experience I’d endured. The old selfish Misty would’ve just promised to help the other girls, but once I got what I wanted, I wouldn’t have looked back. It would’ve been all about self for me, and I probably would’ve turned my back on everyone and just saved myself.

  Something inside me had changed. I silently told myself that as soon as I was far enough away from the danger of getting caught, I would definitely notify the police and bring down these bastards. I also told myself that if I made it out of this in once piece, I would expose the entire scheme they had going on with using poor helpless inmates as lab rats and sex slaves. I definitely wanted Dr. Clemons to suffer for what he had done to me.

  The only thing I had to do now was make it through the maze of buildings in the prison and fight my way to freedom.

  17

  THE ESCAPE PLAN

  I was utterly shocked and surprised at how small I was able to fold my body into the prison’s rolling laundry cart, where I was lying on its bottom. I can’t lie, though. As bad as I wanted to get out of there, I was still disgusted that I had to hide under loads and loads of disgusting, dirty jail sheets, towels, and dirty rags that inmates had used on their nasty bodies. The heap of dirty linens stank to high heaven. I gagged at least a thousand times at the stench coming from the filthy laundry.

  The facilities guy had told me that I was not, absolutely not, to come up out of the huge rolling laundry cart until he gave me the signal. Even if I thought it was quiet and wanted to see what was going on, I wouldn’t dare move. Whatever it took to get out of that prison, I was going to do it, step-by-step. It seemed to be taking forever, though. I had cramps in my back and legs, and my neck ached like crazy. It didn’t matter; I had no choice but to agree when this idea was hatched.

  From what I understood; it was Anderson who had made it happen. He told me he had already collected half of the money he had asked for from my mother. I knew that I owed him the other half, but I had to get to it first. Most important, I had to get to my mother. I could only fantasize about our reunion and how happy she was going to be that she didn’t have to be out in the world alone anymore. The thought excited me to the point where I wanted to scream, but, of course, I didn’t. I knew better than that.

  As the cart moved, I felt a big thump and then I could tell that it had stopped moving. Anticipation was creeping in and I wanted so badly to peek my head out. The long pause was causing me to grow increasingly curious, but, more so, suspicious. They hadn’t said we would stop at all. It was supposed to just be smooth sailing through the prison and to the doors, where someone would be waiting for me. I was going to get the rest of the instructions when I got there.

  I’m still inside. I know it. I’m not fucking out of this place, I thought.

  My stomach fluttered with fear. Then, after what seemed like forever, I heard metal clanging and muffled voices. Sweat beads ran a race down my body. I was covered. My own perspiration and the stench of the dirty laundry were really doing a number on my senses. I held my breath in one-minute intervals, hoping that would help. It was all I could do to keep myself from vomiting.

  “I am transporting laundry. So, why are you stopping me?” I heard the raspy-voiced facilities guy say. “You don’t need to search shit. I been working here twenty years and I ain’t never been stopped or suspected for shit,” he said more frantically.

  “Move the fuck out of the way, old man. If you ain’t got shit to hide, then why are you arguing?!” a male voice barked. It was a CO, and I recognized his voice as one of those that worked with Dr. Clemons.

  Shit! My eyes popped open in horror.

  My heart sank. I couldn’t believe my ears. We were being stopped, and that was not a good sign. I was dripping with even more sweat. I swallowed hard and let out a long, exasperated breath. I grabbed onto the stun gun and gripped it tightly. I finally remembered I had it.

  “I ain’t letting you search me or my cart,” the facilities guy continued to argue.

  “Nigga, I ain’t asking, I’m telling you. I’m about to search it, and you’d be lucky if I don’t strip-search your ass,” the CO barked.

  This was not going to end well; I could tell that already. I heard a physical scuffle happening.

  “Get off of me! You can’t do this to me!” the facilities guy hollered. I could hear the CO’s fist connecting with the guy’s body. I could actually hear cracks and crunches. I knew then that I had no wins. I was going to be found and I needed to mentally prepare myself to fight.

  I closed my eyes and prayed. I listened intently to see if I could tell what was going on. It just sounded like chaos. I had already been in the cart for what seemed like hours. I knew it hadn’t been that long, but, damn, if it wasn’t too damn long. Now with the fight going on, I didn’t know how much longer I would have to wait or if I would be busted.

  Once I was found, the entire facility would be notified. Lisa had warned me that this would be my one and only chance to get out of there. I immediately put myself in a going-to-war mind-set. I waited, but I knew the time would come shortly.

  “Shut the fuck up and move,” the CO barked. I heard the facilities guy whimper, which meant he had lost his fight to protect his laundry cart from being searched. That also meant I was about to be found out.

  “Now I’m real curious, you fucking asshole,” the CO growled, then he chuckled and I could feel his presence hovering over the laundry cart. I squeezed my eyes shut. I was immediately thrust back to the last time I had to hide for my life.

  Fear and anxiety had consumed my body all at once that day. Confused and scared to death, I had run into Mrs. Mabel’s walk-in closet and closed the door. Boom! The sound of the bedroom door after it slammed the wall behind it had terrified me.

  I had jumped then, and I jumped now when the laundry cart was jostled roughly. That quickly brought me back to reality. I realized I was in the same exact position again. Hiding out and about to get busted.

  “So you say there ain’t nothing in here I should be worried about, huh?” the CO asked as he jostled the laundry cart again.

  I hugged myself tight and held my breath. I thought if I let out even a small puff of air that CO would find me.

  “I’m telling you, man, ain’t no reason for you to search,” the facilities guy continued to plead. I couldn’t front—he was really putting himself on the line to save my ass. I recognized that he didn’t have to do that for me. Whether or not he was getting paid didn’t make a difference. Once they thought they were caught, a lot of guys would start snitching right away.

  “Then why the fuck you going so hard? All you had to do was let me take a look inside. You’re being really suspicious, and I don’t like it. I know all too well how a sneaky motherfucker looks when they are up to no good around here,” the CO said.

  “C’mon, man. You already beat me up for no reason. Just let me go so I can get my job done,” the facilities guy said pleadingly.

  “I will . . . after I look inside this cart and make you take out every piece of linen inside it and shake it out in front of me,” the CO said flatly.

  I gagged like he had gut-punched me. Sweat rolled down the crease between my breasts and ass crack. I was about to be found. My time was up.

  “What? You really going to do all of that right now? I have a laundry truck to meet, man,” the facilities guy said.

  “You heard me. You will shake out every piece of laundry, and if you have nothing to hide, we will be all good here. But if there is something you’re smuggling, you’re going to be booked on more charges and housed in a cell under the jail. I know what my gut is telling me, and it’s telling me that you’re lying and you’re hiding something, and I’m not budging. We can do this all alone, or I can call for a mass of backup that will take your ass down so fast, you won’t know what hit you,” the CO said in an unmoving tone.

  How could the facilities guy argue anymore? If the CO decided to call more people onto the scene, I would be assed-out for sure. At least I felt like with the way it was now, it would be two against one—the facilities guy and me against the CO. If he called more COs, we wouldn’t stand a chance.

  I closed my eyes and took small, quiet breaths in an attempt to calm myself down. I wanted to jump up and shove that stun gun up that CO’s ass so badly. But that would be counterproductive, I thought. If I surprise him with my presence and then use my weapon, I might stand a chance. That was how I convinced myself to remain calm.

  “Suit yourself, but all you’re going to find is shitty laundry,” the facilities guy said one last time.

  “Then show me. Maybe I like shitty laundry,” the CO replied, being a smart-ass.

  Suddenly I felt the sheets and towels and things being moved off of me slowly. My stomach swirled with nausea. Fuck! This is a definite setback. I didn’t want to get caught lying down, so there was only one thing I could do. I had to get my ass out of there and fight.

  I painfully unfolded my body and stood up. I felt like I didn’t have any legs because my circulation had stopped flowing from my contortions, which had made my legs numb. The facilities guy and the CO both looked like they’d seen a ghost when I popped up out of the cart. I kind of turned my body sideways. My secret weapon was right there, just like Lisa had instructed. I wrapped my hands around the stun gun. I knew this was my last chance. My heart was racing like crazy.

  “What the fu—” the CO started, and his eyes went as round as dinner plates.

  I quickly pressed that fucking stun gun up against the CO’s neck and pressed the surge button.

  “Ah!” He let out a pained sound and his eyes popped open. His body started bucking and, all of a sudden, he went limp. Before he could reach for his radio or anything, I hit him with another jolt from the stun gun.

  “Ah, you bitch,” he said weakly before he buckled to the floor in a heap. When he fell, he grabbed the side of the cart, causing it to spill over and causing me to tumble down with it.

  “Shit,” I cried as my body crashed to the floor. I was all the way out of the cart and my legs were back in working condition, but that didn’t make me feel better. I looked over and he was still moving.

  “Come here, you little bitch,” the CO snarled, scrambling on the floor to get to me.

  “Get the fuck away from her,” the facilities guy said, rushing over. He gave me a look that said to run. The CO had gotten to his knees. He reached for the little, skinny facilities guy and pulled him down to the floor. The guy hit his head real hard and I heard a cracking noise.

  “You’re not getting away with shit. I got something for your ass, you little bitch. Wait until I turn you over to the doctor,” he growled, moving toward me, but still holding his neck.

  “Stay away from me. I’m warning you! I will light your ass up. I am not even kidding,” I said, holding the stun gun out in front of me as I backed up.

  “You can’t do shit. Look at you, stupid ass. You’re coming with me,” he hissed, trying to struggle to his feet.

  I exhaled and looked down at myself. I forgot that I was butt-ass naked because I had to be wrapped in the dirty linens to make sure I wasn’t seen. “I’m not going, and I don’t want to hurt you again, but I will. I swear to God, I will,” I warned. The stun gun crackled as I hit the Surge button as a warning.

  The CO didn’t take too lightly to the warning. He lunged toward me and I jumped aside. His cumbersome body stumbled sideways and he fell. I took full advantage of the moment and hit him with a longer and more powerful jolt from the stun gun. His body jerked and he made a sickening grunting noise and then blacked out. That’s the result I needed.

  “Help me move him,” I said frantically to the facilities guy who was still partially dazed from being punched.

  “If we leave this area, we take a chance on being seen by cameras,” he warned me. “Why don’t we just run, since he’s out of it. We can just get out of here.”

  “No. We have to take care of him or he’s going to wake up in a few seconds, and even if we are gone, he will warn the others and we won’t make it very far. I can’t take that chance. Besides, you don’t understand the types of shit this guy was party to and participated in,” I stressed, panting.

  “Put this on,” the facilities guy said, handing me an extra shirt he was holding in his hand. I quickly slipped into it.

  “I know you don’t understand what this is about, but for me, it’s a need. I need to take care of this one. He’s one of the perverted orderlies and one of Dr. Clemons’s flunkies. He did some unspeakable things to me and some of the other girls, but nothing was worse than the day I saw him piss on one of the female inmates who was too helpless to fight back,” I said. “That shit sickened me.”

  The facilities guy scrunched up his face. I could still remember seeing this bastard CO’s hot, acidy urine splashing onto that girl’s face and soaking her hair. After that day, I had prayed daily that I would have the opportunity to get each and every one of the bastards that did shit like that to helpless inmates. I guess my prayers were answered. Not exactly how I wanted them to be answered, but this would work.

  Now, as I stood over the bastard in a position of power, I was feeling a mixture of emotions. I knew it wouldn’t be long before this CO would be missing from his shift and someone would start looking for him. I touched the stun gun and thought about hitting him again with another jolt, but something inside me said I wanted him to be looking into my eyes when he got what was coming to him.

  “I know where we can take him, but we have to be fast. There’s a staff utility room off the hallway. We don’t have much time. I’m telling you, they’re going to start looking for him and you and me, and all the alarms are going to be ringing,” the facilities guy mentioned.

  “Then let’s do it. Help me drag his ass,” I said.

  We worked together to move the CO, but he was starting to come back into consciousness. He was moaning and groaning. Finally, after what seemed like forever, we got him to the room.

  “Now what?” the facilities guy asked nervously. “I didn’t sign up for all of this. They said transportation out of the building in the cart, and after I load you into the laundry truck, I have to drive for ten miles to a spot where there would be a black SUV waiting for you. They said you would know the person inside and you’d know what to do. They didn’t say shit about all of this,” he said, his voice shaking.

  Shut up, weak ass! I thought.

  “You didn’t ask for it, but we are here now, and for both of our sakes, we have to take care of him or we will both be fucked. Not only will they take me back to the torture chambers, but they will have your ass locked up and they’ll throw away the key,” I snapped. I needed to make sure he saw this for what it was. We had no fucking choice in the matter.

  Once we were tucked away in the utility room, I stopped for a few seconds and took three deep, cleansing breaths. I was once again in the tight situation where I was going to have to hurt someone for my own self-preservation.

  “You can do this by yourself, Misty. You have to do this,” I spoke quietly to myself. The stupid facilities guy was looking at me like I was crazy.

  “What tools are in here? Is there any tape? I need to secure his mouth, hands, and feet,” I said. I was all business now. Fuck the pain racking through my body and the consequences I might be facing. I needed to get out of there. I needed to put in the effort to get free. There would be no more lying down and taking abuse at this point. I had done that for too long.

  The facilities guy went about finding stuff for me to use. I was silently praying that he hurried up before we got caught. I felt sweat running a race down my back. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. Suddenly my bladder felt like it was going to bust. My nerves were on edge. I’d felt this unstable feeling so much over the past two years that it was becoming normal to me now. That wasn’t good.

  After a few minutes, he returned with the stuff that I needed. The hairs on my neck and arms stood up. Yes!