17 2.6

I whistled over the wind loudly to get the prisoners' attention. They all looked at me and I held my hand up in the air and made a fist.

I don't know why I did that. Maybe I was making a reference. I didn't understand entirely, but the prisoners must've understood because they all stopped moving.

That warm breeze I felt... There's nothing warm on Level Five. It must had come from Level Four. But for me to had felt the breeze all the way here meant something was heinously wrong.

The door leading between Levels Four and Five was open and the staircase unguarded.

Shit, that's not good.

"We're making a detour and heading torwards the stairs," I tell the lineup.

I wait for protests but I don't hear any. Instead some of the prisoners are smiling while others look smug. I don't know why they would look smug, they have nothing to be smug about. If anything I should be looking smug.

"Stop looking so happy. You're freaking me out," I tell them. Some just of them chuckle.

I don't want to take these guys with me, but I have a gut feeling that right now something is going horrendously wrong. I don't have the time to drop these guys off and I don't think what's happening can wait. My gut isn't usually wrong about a out these kind of things. It's usually very right.

I change their direction until we're now headed towards the staircase. I could get there faster if it was just me moving, but I needed to take these guys with me. Right now, we were like a chain. We were only as fast as our slowest person.

My eyes wandered to our slowest guy. He was walking with am obvious limp. He was a nondescript prisoner, nothing overly exaggerated about him except for the metal plate attached to the left side of his face.

I'm a problem solver, I got this.

I walked quickly until I was right beside the guy. Then I leaned down a little so I was at head height with him. Then I looked to my left so I was looking at his face and spoke.

"Hey buddy."

He jumped, then shot me an irritated glare, "What is it, you snitch?"

"Fun fact. Did you know you are the slowest person here?"

He scoffs, "Well, duh. I have a limp."

I nod, "True. True. Normally you limping would not be my problem. But it is now because we're moving slower because of you. So we have some choices. Which is cool. Choices are fun."

He's running along with everyone else and panting slightly, "What choices?"

I hold up a finger, "Choice One. I kill you and leave your slow self behind dead in the snow so everyone else is moving faster. I can't leave you behind alive. Otherwise you might try to escape."

He adopts an expression of fear, "I thought you were all about good behavior!"

I nod, "Well, yes. We should all strive to be the best prisoners we can be. However, this is an emergency, and let's face it. Unless if you have a scheduled release time, your life is forfeit anyways."

He gulps, "What's option two?"

I hold up another finger, "Choice Two. You run faster to keep up the pace with everyone else."

I hold up a third and final finger, "Choice Three. The other thing."

He holds up two fingers. "Choice Two! Choice Two!" He immediately picks up the pace and the penguins prisoners are now moving much faster.

Boom. Problem solved. Personally I would had picked Choice Three. I wouldn't mind carrying the guy until we got to the stairs. Speaking of stairs, I see them now.

We quickly make it to the entrance to Level Four and the prisoners stop for breath. I examine the door to confirm my suspicion. That gut feeling I had earlier was completely correct.

The door is wide open.

I shift from foot to foot. I'm indecisive on what needs to be done. On one hand, I planned on stopping the riot before it could start. I did so here on Level Five, but this door being opens is indicative of something bad going on.

I need to take these prisoners back to their cells, but I also need to...

I gulp. I need to go up to Level Four to return the keys I have and found out what's going on with the riot situation.

Decisions aren't my strong suit... Oh! I have an idea. Just to prove I have an idea I snap my fingers loudly so everyone can hear it.

"Everyone. I have an idea."

The blank-eyed look they gave me briefly remind me of sheep. I shake the image of me shaving of their hair out of my head and explain.

"So, I need to return you to your cells, but I also need to return these keys and check on what I can do to stop the riot for good behavior. But because the riot is urgent, I don't have time to return you to your cells, and then go to help stop the riot. Do you know what this means?"

They shake their heads and one guy called out, "The only thing I know is that I know nothing!"

There's a few hundred prisoners before me. They all seem to perk up when I tell them what we need to do.

"I'm going to have to take you guys up to Level Four with me to help stop the riot. It's either that or massacre all of you. Can't afford to leave you down here wandering around."

"GOOD BEHAVIOR!" They all shout our simultaneously.

I grin from ear to ear. Not that they can see it behind my mask. "That's what I want to hear! Now, let's go stop a riot!"

I turn around and begin to head up the staircase.