“Are your guys still searching the area?”
The Assistant Chief nodded confidently, “Of course. They are currently scanning the whole area. Checking out hotels, restaurants, vacant buildings or anywhere the usual ones go.”
“With all due respect, we aren’t dealing with a usual here.”
“I agree Warden and we are doing everything we can to find him. Is there anything else we need to know about this guy? Is he dangerous? Do I need to put out a special alert to the citizens?”
Dever slowly stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles in his suit jacket. “No I think you know everything we do. Stewart was some kind of computer specialist who ended up killing someone for money.”
The Assistant Chief fingered a stack of papers, “I don’t know of too many computer specialists who can pull off what he’s been doing.”
Dever nodded and shook his hand. Five minutes later, he was back in the car heading to Fairfax. He figured Jackson was long gone and there was no point in trying to search for him himself even though he knew he would do better than the police, but maybe they would get lucky he thought. He would love to get a call that they had him and he could drive him back to the Conduit. He would make sure it was just the two of them. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to picture the scene of him placing Jackson in the back of the car. The press would be everywhere which would seal the fate of anyone else who was thinking of escaping. He thought about what the chief had said about a computer specialist pulling off what Jackson had done, but Dever still felt he was just smart and lucky. He knew soon luck would end and he would win. It always happened that way. Thirty minutes later, they pulled in front of a pleasant looking two-story colonial in a middle class neighborhood. Dever could see the police car in the driveway parked next to a small late model Ford sedan. He wasn’t sure of the exact model. He quickly exited the vehicle and walked down the sidewalk. As he approached the house, he could see some work was needed on the siding and the landscaping was a little overgrown, but nothing you would notice from the road. He knocked on the door and was quickly let in by a tall young policeman. They made their introductions and a moment later an attractive petite woman with medium length chestnut brown hair came into the foyer. Behind her, was a little girl with the same chestnut hair and smile as her mom. He introduced himself as the Warden. They reluctantly acknowledged him. He followed them into the kitchen. It was a well-used room with a large butcher block table on one end that was obviously used for more than eating due to the faded crayon marks scattered throughout the surface that he noticed. Dever almost wanted to smile thinking of his own children when they were young. The rest of the room was filled with light colored cabinets and your usual kitchen utensils making it a pleasant and comfortable room. He sat down opposite Michelle who immediately told the little girl to go play.
“Well first off Ms. Stewart I’m sorry all this happened. Your husband was a model prisoner. Never bothered anyone and did as was told.” He watched her nod. She was leaning her chin into her hands in front of her.
“How did he get out?” Dever spent the next five minutes explaining what had happened and where they were now. “You think he is going to come here?”
“Where else would he go? Does he have any other family? Like I told you on the phone you’re the only one who ever came to visit him.” He watched as she looked at the ceiling.
“He has a sister in Florida but they were never close. I don’t think he would go there.”
“We’re going to keep an officer here, so when he comes we can bring him back to prison where he belongs.”
She shook her head. “He’s a good man Warden. I don’t think he belongs in prison.”
“You may be right ma’am, but a judge and eleven members of a jury believe differently and have instructed me to hold him for twenty years and I need to do my job. I hope you understand. I’m just trying to protect him.” He looked around. He couldn’t help but notice the pictures of Jackson on the walls.
“I understand. I just don’t want anything to happen to him.”
“We don’t either and that’s why as soon as you hear from him and you will, you need to let us know.” He paused and waited until her eyes focused on his. I can keep him safe down there but out on the streets with the police and everyone looking for him, I have no guarantee what can happen to him.” He watched her nod. He wasn’t convinced she would turn him in, but he had to try and make sure she understood why. “I don’t want to take up any more of your time.” He handed her a card with his cell on it. “I’ll be staying up here in a hotel until we get him back into custody so please call me as soon as you hear from him.” He slowly stood up and pushed the chair back into place.
“Will he get extra time on his sentence now?”
Dever quickly looked down. “That’s not up to me to decide but I can put in a good word if he comes in cooperatively.” He watched her nod. Thank you for your time. I can show myself out.” He quickly walked back down the hall trying not to look at all the family pictures on the wall.
Chapter 19
Jackson felt a surge of relief when the train pulled into Metro Center, for the first time since he had escaped, he actually felt safe. He wasn’t exactly sure how or why, but he had made it this far. He could see a metro officer walking the platform, but he knew they routinely patrolled the stations. He quickly exited the train noticing the officer didn’t even look his way. He found the giant escalator and rode up into the early evening. He felt safe as the darkness enveloped him as he walked down the street. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he knew he had to get to some money. He had no identification so it was going to be difficult. He had grabbed several of Hoover’s credit cards and his ATM card, but he had no idea what the code was. He passed several men living on the streets. He didn’t want to join them but with only fifteen dollars to his name, he may not have much choice. He got an idea when he saw the Bank of America sign up ahead. He confidently strolled into the bank and waited for an open teller. A minute later, he handed her one of the credit cards. He asked for a cash advance and ten minutes later he walked out of the bank with three thousand dollars. He had just committed another crime. He tried not to think about it as he sat down in the Subway restaurant and ate a foot-long ham and cheese across the street from the bank. Twenty minutes later, just as he suspected a DC Metro police car rolled up to the bank and two bulky officers got out and entered the bank. A few moments later they, exited and walked up and down the sidewalk looking around till an unmarked dark vehicle appeared and Jackson almost choked on what was left of his sandwich seeing Warden Dever. He watched as he quickly entered the bank followed by the two cops, and another man dressed in a suit. He took this opportunity to quickly scurry out of the Subway and head down the street in the opposite direction. He couldn’t believe how far the Warden was going to capture him. He knew the guy was going to be tough, but this was beyond anything he could imagine. He found another restaurant down the street with two floors. He asked for a second-story table near the window where he could still observe the bank. Both cars were still parked directly in front of the bank. He tried to imagine the Warden questioning the poor teller and going through the surveillance videos. He just hoped he wasn’t in the mood for an expensive dinner. Jackson ordered a salad and an iced tea as he kept an eye on the bank. A few moments later, three more police cars pulled in front of the bank and Warden Dever came out of the bank looking frazzled. Jackson watched him direct the officers towards the sidewalks. A minute later, he saw them split up and Dever headed straight for the Subway he had just been in. He motioned for the waitress and asked for his bill. A little while later she brought it over. He paid and left a substantial tip. He waited till the sidewalks were clear and headed back out walking away from the bank. He could still see the police cars and Dever’s unmarked cruiser. He continued walking without looking back. A few minutes later, he was in the back of a cab heading back towards Virginia.
Dever felt himself getting
agitated with the Subway workers. They were trying to explain to him that the man he was looking for had been sitting right there eating a sandwich. They pointed at a table near the window. Dever sat at the table and looked out the window at the bank and begin to curse thinking about Jackson sitting here watching him. He slammed his fist on the table so hard all three workers stepped back away from the counter. He quickly got up and headed back out the doors and walked down the sidewalk. He looked up and found a restaurant that overlooked the bank and felt his blood pressure rising to dangerous levels when the waitress showed him where Jackson had been sitting again. There was no hope he was long gone now. He ordered a meal and a single-malt scotch. He couldn’t believe it. Tracking the enemy in the desert had been so much easier. He felt like he was always one step behind since Jackson had broken out yesterday. He relaxed a bit as the scotch went down his throat and dialed The Conduit. He asked if there had been any updates on the computers but the Captain explained to him that they hadn’t heard anything. He hung up without saying good-bye. A minute later, he dialed his wife and told her he would be checking in at a Sheraton in Virginia near the Stewart’s home. She didn’t seem to mind. She wished him good luck. Maybe he should’ve retired when he had the chance. He started to question why ever even chose the prison job, but after his second scotch, he started to feel better. He answered his phone a little while later and told Timmons to book a couple of hotel rooms and come pick him up in an hour. He felt defeated, something he wasn’t used to. He never lost and after his third scotch, he vowed he wasn’t giving up now either. He stormed out of the restaurant and stepped into the car demanding Timmons to take him directly to his hotel. A little while later, he had a map of Northern Virginia spread out on his bed with a red sharpie in his hand.
Chapter 20
Jackson took the cab all the way to Annandale; the next town over from Michelle and Stephanie. He could almost feel their presence being only a few minutes away. He stepped out of the cab and checked into a small motel he knew had been here forever. The clerk didn’t ask for ID, just cash. He found his room, not surprised that it wasn’t equipped with the latest amenities, but it had a TV and a decent-sized bed, so he was happy. After settling in, he walked across the street and headed into a CVS and bought some hair dye and a pair of reading glasses. An hour or so later, his hair was four shades lighter and he was wearing glasses. He chose the ones with the least amount of magnification. It would still take some getting used to. He called for another cab and waited out front of the motel till it showed up. It was an old yellow sedan with a glowing taxi sign on the roof. Five minutes later, he told the driver to drop him off in front of a large Victorian on the adjacent street to his house. He immediately felt his nerves tighten up. He used to jog these streets. He couldn’t believe he was back. After five long years his dream had finally come true. He thought back to all those sleepless night lying awake in the cell waiting for this moment. He slowly began to walk towards his street. It was about fifty feet to the top of his. His house was maybe a quarter mile down. He could see all the street lights flickering as he stepped onto Sunflower Drive. There was no turning back now. He was going to do it. He had waited too long and been through too much not to go through with it. He felt his feet lead the way. He tried to stay in the shadows of the yards on the opposite side of his house but it was hard because his excitement. Most of the homes had been built forty to fifty years ago when large yards and long driveways were the norm. He used those to his advantage and slowly made his way down the street passing by neighbor’s houses both he and Michelle had been friendly with. He wondered if Michelle still spoke to them after all that had happened. He figured she had probably taken to isolating Stephanie as much as she could. That was just the way she would do things. He so missed them so much. He suddenly stopped when he was two houses down from his. He was across the street. There were several cars in the driveway he wasn’t familiar with. Two were police type of vehicles, and one was a small Ford. He remembered Michelle telling him she had purchased it a few years ago. He could see lights burning inside. It was just as he remembered. It was a modest two-story colonial home. Probably the smallest on the street, but it had served their needs appropriately. He thought back to painting and setting up Stephanie’s room in the weeks before she was born, but within two weeks she was sleeping next to them in their bed. His heart felt so warm being this close. He slowly crept across the street and into the yard next door. There was a small row of shrubbery separating the yards. He knelt down and kept his head obscured by the bushes and stared into his driveway and yard. He could taste it. He was here. He almost felt euphoric. It felt like the steel bars and grimy inmates were far away like in another long-forgotten world. He jumped when he saw the policeman step outside his front door. He was carrying a small flashlight in his hand. He watched as he carefully walked around the yard checking behind bushes and trees and then disappeared into the back. Jackson felt like making a run towards the front door, but he restrained himself knowing there was most likely another officer inside. He wasn’t comfortable having all these officers in such close proximity to his daughter, but he had brought it on himself by escaping. He held his ground and his breath as he watched the officer make his way back around the side of the house. He could see the flashlight beam cutting through the darkness and revealing anything that shouldn’t be there. He crouched down as low as he could as the beam passed directly at him, the officer didn’t see him. He kept going and a minute later he went back in the front door. Jackson took a long deep breath and slid through the bushes into his own yard. He was home. He was back on his own property. He slowly stood up and jogged towards the same side of the house the officer just left from. He leaned against the house. He wanted to hug it, but he just stood there taking it in. He was going to take his time. He had waited too long. A few minutes later, he made his way around back near the screened-in deck staying in the shadows. There was a sliding glass door he had helped install with a local contractor, suddenly his heart and breathing came to a halt. There through the glass, he could see Stephanie. She was seated on the couch watching TV. Her back was too him. She looked like an angel, her short brown hair sparkling from the table side lamp next to her. She was drinking a glass of milk and eating a cookie. He couldn’t believe it. She was less than ten feet away. He almost couldn’t contain himself. He had to force himself to breath slowly till his heart went back to a more normal rate. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was no longer a toddler like she had been the last time he had seen her. She was a beautiful little girl, his little girl. He remained in place for at least five minutes just watching till he jumped when he saw the same police officer who was outside walk over and sit next to her. He felt himself lunge towards the sliding glass door to get him away from her, but at the last minute he stopped himself when he saw Michelle come and sit on the other side, his Michelle. Oh how he loved and longed for her. He watched Stephane climb into Michelle’s lap. Her face turned towards him and was full of tears. All of a sudden, he found himself crying uncontrollably. Five years of tears were rolling down his face like and overflowing river, but he didn’t even notice. He couldn’t take his eyes of his family. Michelle looked the same just a little thinner and more stressed, but it was still her, the love of his life. His heart was breaking so loudly he almost didn’t even hear the branch break behind him or the footsteps that followed. He hoped it wasn’t too late.
Dever threw the map down and dialed Timmon’s extension. He was staying three rooms down the hall. He instructed him to have the car ready in five minutes. He had an idea. He quickly made his way down the elevator and through the vacant lobby and waited outside. A minute later, the unmarked pulled up out front. He hopped inside and instructed him to take him to Jackson’s house. The cruiser lurched forward and pulled into the driveway fifteen minutes later. They parked next to one of the police cars and the warden quickly jumped out. He was dressed in a white polo, jeans and sneakers. He arrived at the front door bef
ore Timmons was even able to close the ignition. A surprised young officer answered the door and let him in.
“I need to speak with Mrs. Stewart.”
“She’s in the back with her daughter.” Dever pushed by the officer and headed straight into the living room.
“Warden…what happened? Is Jackson okay?”
Dever shook his head. “Relax Mrs. Stewart. We have no updates. I just wanted to speak with you about something else.” He sat in a light blue upholstered chair across from the couch.
“Go ahead Stephanie…go upstairs and pick out what pajamas you want to wear tonight. I’ll be right up. This won’t take too long will it Warden?”
Dever shook his head and watched the little girl bound up the stairs and disappear. “Great kid.”
“She is and I want her to stay that way. We have been through so much.”
“Good. Then you should want to hear what I’m about to say.” Dever looked at the two officers then towards the kitchen and wondered for a second why Timmons hadn’t come in. “I think we both want him back where he belongs as soon as possible so he is safe and doesn’t disrupt any more lives.” He looked down at the beige carpet then back at Jackson’s wife. She was pretty, but her eyes were filled with sadness and fear. He had seen that so many times during his time in the Marine Corp. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Look, I hate to ask you this, but I think you need to get a message out to him that it’s safe to meet you somewhere and then we’ll get him and take him back home.”
“You want me to set up my husband Warden. I don’t think so.”
“Mrs. Stewart. I’m sure you have seen the news.” He looked at the two officers who both nodded. “You know the police want him for two murders near Richmond. You and I both know he probably had nothing to do with them but they don’t. If they see him they are probably going to shoot first and ask questions later if you know what I mean.” Dever hoped she understood he wasn’t trying to set him up. He just wanted his prisoner back safe and sound. He would deal with the murders later after he was back in his cell. He didn’t care if he committed them or not, though he doubted Jackson did, but it was possible, because he was in the area and he was an escaped prisoner. He forced himself not to think about that for now. He focused on Jackson’s wife. She was staring at a blue and white comforter tossed on her lap. She picked it up between her hands and squeezed it together. He felt for her. He wanted to place his arm around her, but he remained motionless.
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