I slapped a hand over JD’s mouth and he jerked awake, then relaxed when he saw who it was. I lifted my hand and motioned for him to stay still, then pointed to the ankle bracelet. JD nodded and lay back on his bunk.

Then Erin stepped out of the shadows and JD sat bolt upright. There was terror in his eyes, but as he looked at me it turned to anger. He’d trusted me to look after her. Why?! his eyes demanded.

I lifted my chin and stared right back at him, unrepentant. Because I wasn’t going to let you die.

JD’s glare faltered, faded…and he reluctantly lay back down.

Erin went to work. She had the bracelet’s casing off in seconds. She teased out the bird’s nest of wires and tiny circuit boards and I shone my flashlight at the shining tangle so she could see what she was doing.

Bradan showed me his watch. We had two minutes left. I nodded curtly, feeling icy sweat trickling down my spine. If they caught us, we’d go to jail for the rest of our lives. That thought was bad enough but the thought of Erin huddled in some cell was much, much worse.

She was deep into it, now, completely absorbed. I could see her face moving in the gloom and realized she was silently talking to herself.

Bradan showed me his watch again. One minute left. I scowled at him: not helping! I imagined the guard strolling along the cells. Maybe he’s getting tired. Maybe he’ll walk a bit slower. C’mon, just a little bit? Please? And then I didn’t have to imagine because I could hear his footsteps. We had maybe ten seconds. Eight. Five.

The bracelet sprang open. The whole team moved like a well-oiled machine: Erin slipped the bracelet off JD’s ankle, I grabbed Erin’s tools, JD jumped up off the bed, Gabriel put JD’s pillow on the bunk, and Bradan and Colton laid the blanket over the pillow. Soundlessly, the six of us crept out of the cell and round the corner into the next hallway, making it out of sight just in time. The guard glanced into the cell, saw the mound under the blanket and continued on his patrol.

Everyone slumped in relief. I wanted to hug Erin and tell her what a great job she’d done, but I had to settle for squeezing her hand in the darkness. “Let’s get you the hell out of here,” I whispered to JD.

It was easier, on the way out, because we were retracing our steps. I could see JD glancing at Erin: I could tell there was so much he wanted to say but he couldn’t, yet.