Prisoner No More

Jade had no way of knowing how many days had passed since she had been locked inside this concrete box; she thought it was two, possibly three.  Aahil had brought in a cot the first night and hadn't returned since.  Her food was now delivered by lackeys, definitely lower on the pecking order from Jade's estimation.  The election was going to be held any day now, and she wasn't getting any closer to being rescued.  She had gotten over her initial fear and replaced it with cold steel anger.  She had worked too hard for too long to let whatever milksop, namby-pamby, imitation of a man responsible for her kidnapping, derail her from getting to Kansas City and shining in her golden moment.  The only solace she could find in these nightmarish circumstances was knowing her father was putting his unlimited resources into finding her.  Although, they disagreed on their political views, she was still "daddy's little girl", but would he be too late?
    Sitting around as the damsel in distress was no longer an option she was willing to live with.  In Jade's mind that was the behavior of a coward, not someone who was prepared to lead the country she loved.  Her grandfather had always told her she could do anything she put her heart and mind to, and if there was ever a time she needed to heed his advice it was now.  Jade rose from her cot and began formulating her next move .  She dug deep within herself, past her anger and frustration, and summoned the courage and clarity of thought she would need to make it out of there alive.  The next man that entered into this lioness's den would find out exactly  how dangerous it was to cage a wild animal.  Then she would have her freedom.  
    Moving back to her cot, she carefully arranged the pillows under the blanket to give the guard that brought her food the impression she was sleeping.  She spent the good part of the next half hour fluffing and molding; stepping back to the door to check her work. It reminded her of the summer she spent playing with modeling clay.  She repeated this process several times until she was satisfied that her efforts to deceive them were convincing.  Now all she had to do was crouch down at the wall next to the big iron door and wait for her next meal.  That's when she would make her move.   
    Jade was so anxious and filled with adrenaline at the thought of escaping she ignored the aching pain that radiated in her knees and thighs from being crouched by the door for so long.  Time felt like it had stopped moving entirely.  "Hurry up and bring the darn food," she whispered impatiently when she finally heard a set of footsteps approaching from what she thought was a hallway just outside of her cell.  Her head had been placed inside a black sack of some sort and only removed once she was inside of her cell.  She assumed this had been done to ensure she couldn't tell where she was being kept.  She was growing more impatient and anxious by the minute, and now even the adrenaline wasn't enough to ignore the pain in her legs.  She hoped they didn't fall asleep in case she had to run.  Jade's heart started pounding as the footsteps grew louder and louder until they stopped in front of her door.  The familiar sound of the metal key clanking into its keyhole was her signal to get ready.  She took a deep breath, which filled her lungs and felt like it went all the way up to her neck, choking her with nervous fear.  Biting her bottom lip, she slowly rose to a standing position as the door was opened hiding her behind it.  
    "Ms. Stone your dinner is ready," The guard announced from the open doorway.  To Jade's relief and amazement she smiled when she recognized it was a woman's voice calling her to get her food.  
    "Just a few more seconds,"  Jade told herself  
    "Ms. Stone, I have your dinner for you,"  The guard said again and then started moving into the room towards her cot.  When she was far enough inside the room for the door to close, Jade quickly jumped in behind her.  Moving faster than she ever had, she grabbed the woman's mouth with one hand and placed her other hand on the side of her head, ripping away her arms, she snapped the guards neck like a twig. Luckily the tray of food fell onto the cot instead of the floor. Jade looked apologetically at the slumped figure that was now leaning against the cot.  The poor girl never had a chance.  Without pausing Jade took the bread and piece of chicken that had been on the tray, and placed it under the blanket along with the pillows.  She then undressed herself and the guard.  She had never undressed faster, even in the heat of passion.  She quickly put on the guard's clothes and hat, and placed her own shirt and pants onto the dead woman's body.  She had to fight against the limpness of her arms and legs to get them on.  When she had finally placed the body on the cot, and pulled the blanket up to the guards broken neck she went back to the iron door and casually walked out into the hall.  
    The hallway just outside of the cell was dimly lit, and Jade understood why she had no window in her cell.  There were no windows anywhere that she could see.  The same gray concrete walls were everywhere like an unfinished basement.  That's it she thought, I must be in a basement.  She continued down the hallway for thirty feet or so until she came to an intersecting lobby.  Luckily she hadn't seen any other guards yet.  A few feet on the left side of the hallway was a service elevator.  She smiled at how smoothly her plan was going.  When the elevator doors opened she held her head down, hiding her face, in case someone on the elevator recognized her.  But when the door opened no one else was there.  Jade quickly stepped inside and pressed the button to close the doors.   The buttons indicating each level were lit up in a soft red glow.  Unsure of which button would take her to her freedom, she scanned the options carefully before finally choosing the one she thought would take her to the first floor.  Jade was somewhat pleased with herself when she noticed she had been right about the basement.  She pushed the button "1" and the elevator started to move.