Milan leaned over the desk, his eyes scanning the map. There were six floors, some of them dedicated areas for educational programs, dining facilities, medical units and inmate housing. On this floor — the second floor — numbered cells from one hundred to one hundred and thirty-one lined up. Milan and Eli’s cell was the last one on this floor.

On the first floor, the map showed the cafeteria. Further to the left, a small corridor led to a couple of unnumbered rooms. So, they weren’t cells. The last room was positioned under Milan and Eli’s cell.

“These rooms aren’t labeled,” Milan said. “We’ll need to take a look if we want to know what it is.”

“That’s what we planned from the get-go.” Eli stuck her tongue out, sitting amid blankets and sheets, tying the ends together.

Milan trailed his eyes down the map. The exit was on the right side of the cafeteria, through a corridor leading to the yard. They knew that. That was where they were led through when they were allowed ‘outdoor activities’.

Milan tapped his finger against the desk. What was the time? He threw a glance at his wrist. Right. He didn’t have his wristwatch anymore. They had confiscated it. Milan and Eli needed to wait until nighttime to begin their investigation. If they came in now…

Milan’s heart sank. “Hurry up.”

“Chillax.” Eli tied the end of the DIY rope to Milan’s bedframe leg, pulling it. “Is it gonna hold our weight?”

“We’ll go one at a time. When the lights are switched off.”

As if it were a sign, the room submerged in darkness, any source of light vanishing. Milan blinked. He reached for the flashlight on the desk, while Eli removed the floorboards.

“Imma go first,” she said. She dropped the rope of blankets and sheets through the hole and clung onto it, climbing down.

“Hold your breath,” Milan said. “There’s a lot of dust.”

Eli sent a ‘thumbs up’, as she disappeared between the layer of darkness.

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“Send a signal when you’re down.” Milan craned his neck, shining the flashlight above his head, but the dark was too thick. He counted the seconds in his head, pricking up his ears to any sound, but only silence enveloped his senses.

“Eli?” Milan called.

The rope wriggled. One, two, three times. That was it.

Milan held the flashlight between his teeth as he clasped onto the rope and made his way down. The dust flickered around him. Did no one ever clean this room?

“Come on, slowpoke!” Eli gave a flippant remark. “Before it’s mornin’.”

Milan jumped down the last three feet. “It’s not like you were any faster.”

“It’s alright,” Eli said. “I know you’ve got a fear of heights.”

Even in the dark, Milan could sense Eli’s sarcastic smirk. He waved the flashlight around the room. A wooden box rested on the ground. Milan dug a hand inside, and soft fabric touched his skin. Nothing important.

In the corner, a bucket and a broom leaned against the wall. Further in the middle, a rectangular metal box was fixed to the wall. Milan opened it. Inside, circuit breakers lined along, each one of them labeled. Some were tagged with ‘security alarms’, ‘lights’, ‘locks’, ‘A/C’, and so on. They were all switched on.

“A breaker box,” Eli said.

Milan nodded. In other words, this was the electrical room. The room where all power within the building was controlled.

“Do you realize what we could do with this?” Milan asked.

“Take over the whole buildin’.”

“Right. With this, we could-”

“Hey, hey, what does this one do?” Eli reached her finger to one of the switches.

“No!” Milan reacted subconsciously, seizing her arm. “I have a plan to escape, and I swear, you do not want to mess this up.”

“You got a plan already? Go, MW!”

“It depends. What time are you being transferred tomorrow?”

Eli placed a finger on her lower lip. “‘Round one p.m. or somethin’.”

Milan crossed his arms. Talk about cutting it close. Their education ended at twelve forty-five p.m. That only gave them a quarter to put their plan into motion. Eli’s contribution was essential. He couldn’t do it without her.

“Let’s head up for now before we’re discovered,” Milan said. “Tomorrow, we’ll discuss the plan with Chet.”

That night, Milan couldn’t sleep. His heart fluttered in his chest as he went over and over the plan in his head. If it succeeded, they’d be out of here. If and only it succeeded.