The cold grip of strong metal stung Zack’s wrists as the officer led him into the bowels of the transport. The transport itself wasn’t much bigger than the interior of an RV. A crimson red light bathed the inside of the armored transport. Zack wondered if the red light had some power-sapping properties.

Or maybe the color choice is just really bumming me out.

The officer led Zack to a nearby slab, where he directed Zack to take a seat. Once on the hard slab, Zack watched as the officer clamped an additional set of cold power-dampening cuffs onto his ankles, which he chained to the seat. Throughout the process, Zack was aware he wasn’t the only prisoner in the cab. Two other individuals also sat, already cuffed and ready to go. One was on his right, the other directly across from him.

Zack tried to get a good look at his fellow inmates, but his view was blocked by the officer. When the officer finished, he moved away. Zack saw the other officer surveying his partner’s handiwork as he leaned on the entrance of the cab. The officer nearest Zack joined his partner, leaving the cab without a word.

A thick thud signaled the door was closed, sealing Zack off from the crisp night air.

Zack turned to his right to see Kaine’s face glowering next to him. Zack chuckled to himself. It made sense he’d be here. After all, Zack and Rachel had taken him down mere minutes before everything came crashing down.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Zack said with a smirk.

Kaine cursed under his breath.

“Maybe if we’ll be roomies,” Zack continued. “If so, I call top bunk.”

Kaine didn’t respond. Instead, his eyes gestured to a small blade in his open palm. He gave Zack a broken smile, fully displaying several cracked teeth.

“You’re not gonna make it that far,” Kaine said.

“How’d you smuggle that in?” Zack shrugged, trying his best to appear unworried by the obvious threat.

“I have my ways,” Kaine said.

“Well, good luck using it,” Zack said. “You’re cuffed, if that escaped your notice.”

Zack knew the officers had kept the two of them far outside striking distance. They were cuffed a solid yard or so apart. Kaine could barely swipe the shiv in his direction while cuffed.

“Well, here’s the thing about the power dampening cuffs. They work most of the time,” Kaine said.

Outside, Zack heard several footsteps on gravel as the two officers made their way to the front of the prison transport. The two were moving towards the driver and passengers seat, respectively. A large wall separated them from the prisoners, with a small slot for the passenger officer to keep an eye on them.

Kaine grunted as if holding his breath. For a moment, Kaine appeared as if he might pass out. His visage turned pale and strained. Zack watched with morbid fascination as Kaine’s image started to flicker. He couldn’t teleport, Zack said. These cuffs prevented that, right? Yet Zack couldn’t deny what he was seeing.

Still, Kaine didn’t go anywhere. Even as he exerted himself, even as he flickered in and out of existence, he stayed still.

Kaine gave a powerful exhale before smiling at Zack.

“Much better,” he said, brandishing his right arm, now completely from the cuff.

The bastard did it. He actually did it.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Which doesn’t bode well for me.

“Now, where were we?” Kaine turned a menacing glare to Zack.

Zack’s eyes frantically darted to the top of the cab. The officers were just now entering the top of the cab. He could yell for help, but by the time they noticed, it would probably be too late. It would only take seconds for Kaine to slit his throat.

That meant Zack had to handle this on his own. Kaine moved towards him, shiv in hand. Zack tried to calm his nerves and think about his options.

What would Dirk Saber do?

Dirk would analyze his opponent’s stance. Zack watched as Kaine silently moved towards him, with one hand still free. Zack noted Kaine’s posture was leaning forward, probably trying to maximize his reach while he was still cuffed to the seat. It gave Zack a window barely bigger than a second or two.

One second more or less and Kaine would be on top of him.

“One Mississippi,” Zack said aloud. It was the only way for him to count the second accurately. Then he slammed his forehead into Kaine’s face with all his might.

Kaine rolled back as the prison transport suddenly rolled forward. He slumped back in his seat, down for the count, with the guards in the front none the wiser.

Stars exploded in front of Zack’s eyes from the impact. Even if his maneuver had been successful, it still hurt like hell, giving Zack the mother of all migraines.

“Impressive,” a voice called for the darkness.

Zack suddenly remembered there was a third prisoner across from him. He struggled to concentrate on the voice, his nerves still reeling from putting down Kaine’s latest attempted murder.

A small man sat before him. He didn’t look much older than Zack - maybe two or three years tops. His features were sharp and narrow. He had buzzed dark hair along with the rough beginnings of a six o’clock shadow. He gave Zack a mirthless smile.

“Not that it did you much good in the long run,” the man said.

His voice brought a chill down Zack’s spine. He knew exactly who this was.

Icer.

He was sitting across from Perry’s killer.

“You’re going to pay for what you did,” Zack said. “You son of a bitch.”

Icer’s face remained cold and dispassionate.

“I’m not one who’s going to pay,” Icer said. “You were lying to me from the jump, Kestler. And now, it’s time for you to pay up.”

So that’s why he killed Perry.

He found out my secret, realized he wasn’t getting any closer to my father, and killed Perry out of spite.

Zack couldn’t bring back Perry. He wished against all odds he could.

But he could avenge his death.

“We have unfinished business,” Zack said.

“At least we agree on that,” Icer said.

“So how do you want to do this?” Zack said.

Icer gave him another smile. In the red light, Zack could see something long and jagged emerging from his lips.

An icicle.

“I’m really going to leave a bad Yelp review. The guards really need to do a better job searching people,” Zack said.

Icer ignored him. He began working on his cuffs, directing the icicle locked his mouth onto the lock. Zack scanned his surroundings for a similar pick. His eyes settled on the shiv by his side, dropped by the still-unconscious Kaine.

He grabbed the shiv and began picking the locks on his own cuffs. He was mindful that Icer had a headstart on him, and given his criminal background, probably had an advantage when it came to picking locks.

His first cuff dropped to the ground without much issue. He immediately began using the shiv to work on his ankle cuffs. He looked to the front of the cab. Sooner or later, the guards would notice, and the situation would become ever more complicated.

By Zack’s estimation he had less than three minutes before that happened, or Icer finished freeing himself.

Three minutes to avenge Perry’s death, possibly escape federal custody and leave Kaine to rot in prison.

It seemed doable.

Zack felt the final lock on his ankle cuffs give way. He looked up to see Icer starting to lunge towards him. He launched himself into the air, his hand still clutching Kaine’s makeshift shiv as he prepared for his impact with Icer.

This one’s for you Perry.

The red light of the cab flooded Zack’s vision before everything went black.