64 Escape

64 Escape She reached through the bars and carefully took the pencil from gold-top's beak. How can I ever thank you?' she said. The three birds sang several bars in perfect three-part harmony, nodded in unison and then disappeared into the night. Peanut watched them go with a big smile on her face. Then she climbed down from the bench, walked across her cell and put her ear to the door. Nothing. This was her chance. She had to act fast. Taking the pencil in her left hand, she first drew a keyhole in the door. Then, in the air in front of her, she drew a key. She plucked the key from mid-air, put it in the keyhole, turned it and, as quietly as she could, opened the door.

She poked her head out into the corridor. There was no sign of movement. The RAZER guards must have left their posts to go and look for the pencil. The pencil that she was now holding in her hand. 'Right. Focus, Peanut,' she said to herself. She thought hard about the film that Mr White had shown her of Rockwell, Little-Bit, Doodle and Mr M in their cells. That had been a huge mistake on his part. In fact, she couldn't quite believe he'd done it. The huge black type on the walls that denoted the cell number had been clearly visible in each shot, so it was now just a question of Peanut remembering them. The good news was that they had all started with 'F99', meaning they were on the ninety-ninth floor. Rockwell's was the closest to her cell: C32, only five doors away. She tiptoed down the curving corridor until she was standing in front of Cell 32. Then, as before, she drew a lock and key and opened the door. Rockwell was standing by the bench, legs slightly bent and arms raised as if ready to fight. When he saw it was Peanut, his face lit up and he ran to hug her. 'You did it!' he said. ' Sssshhh,' she whispered. 'We can't afford for anyone to hear us. Rockwell grabbed his rucksack and followed her out of the door.

Next was Doodle in Cell 21. His entire body wagged when he saw Peanut and Rockwell. Little-Bit was further around the circular passageway in Cell 5. Peanut had remembered the number because it matched her younger sister's age. 'Peeeeeaaaaaannnnuuuuuttttttt,' she squeaked as they burst into her cell. 'I knew you'd rescue me.' Now they just had to find Mr M. 'He's in C1,' said Peanut as they tiptoed along the corridor. 'Here it is.' Just as she was putting her drawing of a key into her drawing of a lock, they heard the ding of the elevator a few doors to their right. 'Quick. Inside!' whispered Peanut, before opening the cell door, shoving the others through it, diving inside herself and closing it behind her.