by Alexis Angel
My suspicions are correct. The black and white square piece of paper that I'm looking at—the one with a grainy image that resembles the shape of an oversized gummy bear—it's an ultrasound photo. There's no doubt about it, and with this realization my heart catches in my throat and my stomach just about crashes to the floor. My head is like a car racing around a track a hundred miles an hour, and just when I think I'm going to get dizzy from it all and maybe pass out right here and crash on the linoleum—right in front of Kerri—it hits me.
I now know what I need to do.
Kerri
"You probably know why I've summoned you both in here," the Warden says, tapping his pen against his desk and looking at Lucien and I. He raises it for a moment, using it to scratch at the stubble on his pudgy face. I feel like I'm suddenly under a microscope.
"No, I don't," I respond, shaking my head. There's no way I'm falling for that. That's the oldest trick in the book—getting coerced into admitting something that hasn't even been defined. I look over at Lucien. He's sitting to my right and won't lift his gaze from the floor. He's refusing to look at the Warden, or me, and I find it suspicious. There are red flags all over this meeting and I'm struggling with the internal dread that's starting to blanket my insides.
"I don't have time for games, Warden. If you'll excuse me, I have a lot of appointments today and I'd like to get back to work."
"I'm afraid that's not possible," the Warden says, this time pointing his square-tipped finger in my direction. It feels like a hostile gesture. "We are terminating your employment."
"I don't understand," I say, even though the picture is starting to form in my mind. "Lucien, what's he talking about?" I turn to Lucien—my eyes pleading with him—begging him to tell me that this is all a dream—that he isn't a part of this conspiracy. Except that's not what happens at all. Instead, he lifts his head and says, "It's for the best." His eyes are vacant and devoid of emotion.
"What's that suppose to mean?" I ask.
The Warden cuts us off. "Kerri, I have head management on the phone—it's on speaker." As he says this, I look at the black headset on his desk. He continues, "We have reason to believe that you've been having sexual relations with this inmate, Lucien Stone. That is in direct violation of this facility's code of ethics and conduct, and we have no choice but to remove you from the premises and terminate your employment."
"You have no proof—you can't do this—"
"Actually, we can. Mr. Stone has told us everything."
Hearing this, I look at Lucien. When he refuses to make eye contact with me, I know it's true. I haven't felt this level of betrayal since the afternoon I found Jonathan fucking another woman in our bed. Everything I've worked for over these last six months—my independence, career, stability—suddenly feels like it's slipping through my fingers. What am I supposed to do? I'm now jobless and pregnant with this man's baby—a man who has betrayed me and is serving a life sentence behind bars. Would things be different if he knew I was pregnant? If I were able to tell him, would we be sitting here? I'm not sure if it can get much worse at this point, and honestly, I'm scared shitless. Why do I continually put myself in bad situations?
Two security guards enter the Warden's office, and they approach me, one on each side. "We're here to escort you out, Ms. Curtis."
I'm numb and trying to hold in hot tears that are threatening to spill down my face. Keep it together, I tell myself. You're stronger than this. Remember that.
I stand up. I suddenly don't want to be in this place a minute longer. I have the urge to get out of this office—this building.
Security escorts me out through Cell-Block D. Inmates are whistling and heckling me as I leave. "Was his dick worth it?" one inmate yells. "You could've had mine for free. I wouldn't have ratted you out." I can hear him laughing but I don't respond. I keep my gaze straight ahead and I can feel my cheeks grow flush. I can't get out of here fast enough.
It isn't until I reach my car, lock the doors, and strap the seatbelt across my chest that I lose it—and I mean 'release-the-flood-gates' lose it. I'm gripping the steering wheel and I'm crying in heavy sobs. I no longer care if anyone can see me. My eyes are growing red and swollen and my pain starts to morph into anger, and I can't help but to hit the steering wheel with the palm of my hand, and then I hit the seat next to me. How could he? I wonder. And then it hits me. This isn't Lucien. He wouldn't just turn me in to get me fired. He's far from perfect—and he's certainly no saint, but he isn't evil and vindictive. There must be something I'm not seeing—a hidden piece to this puzzle.
Just then I hear my phone buzz with an incoming text message. I see it's from Brie. I open it and can see that it's a GIF from the movie, "Thelma and Louise." It's taken from the moment they are about to drive off a cliff and they are holding hands in the front seat of their convertible. Underneath, her message reads, "Ride or die, xoxo."
Seeing this snaps me to reality and I smile for the first time all day. Thank God for friends.
For the next week, my thoughts are bouncing from one corner of my mind to the next like a Ping-Pong ball at high speed. One minute, I'm crying and downing a pint of Ben & Jerry's, and the next minute, I'm determined to pull my life together. I'm trying to network for a new job—I won't make it otherwise. So I'm talking to anyone who might have a lead, and while some leads are warm, I can't help but think if anyone will want to employ a pregnant woman. I know they can't outright discriminate against my situation, but let's be honest—who wants to hire someone who will need to take a short leave in the immediate future? And beyond that—every little thing is making me sick. The smell of toothpaste, the smell of a cooked dinner, and even the smell of dish soap have me running for the toilet. I'm guessing morning sickness is starting to creep in, but honestly, I'm not even sure why they call it that because I'm sick all day.
To help get my mind off of all this, I'm determined to not give up on Lucien's case. I spend my free moments researching the circumstances surrounding his conviction, even now. I'm searching Google, entering in every possible combination of search terms and then I see a link to a document that looks interesting. I click it and read through the material. Half way through, I have my hand over my mouth in shock. I can't believe what I'm reading. A set of bloody boot prints were found at the scene of the crime—prints that did not match anything Lucien owned, and they were ultimately dismissed Why did this get thrown out at trial? Immediately, I dial an attorney who I've known for a while, J. Edgar. He picks up on the second ring and we chat.
"I really think we have enough for a retrial," I tell him. "This man is innocent."
"I'd need to take a closer look," he says, after a long pause. "But you may be right. My afternoon appointment canceled and I have some free time. Can you stop by?"
"Of course! Thank you, I appreciate it! I'll be right over."
I hang up and close my laptop, and then search for my shoes, jacket, and purse. I'm feeling better than I have all week. If J. Edgar is willing to review this case, then that gives me hope. Now if I can just find my keys… I look on my desk, where I thought I left them, but I don't see anything. Maybe I left them in the kitchen. With my purse on one shoulder, I quickly walk into the kitchen and look at the counter—there they are. I grab them and turn around to leave, and then I feel it—an arm is hooked around my neck.
The suddenness of it all leaves me frozen and terrified. I think for a moment and then try to break free but the man squeezes harder and I'm forced to stay still. Was I being watched? How did he get into my house? Panic starts to flood my entire body and my heart is thumping in my chest. I'm feeling dizzy with adrenaline.
"Don't move or I'll kill you!" he growls, and his voice sounds muffled, as if something is covering his face.
"Wh-who are you? What do you want?"
And then I know he—whoever this man is—isn't here to answer questions because in that instance it feels as if someone has taken a baseball bat to the back of my head and there's a
n explosion inside of my brain.
My legs buckle and everything is black.
Lucien
The chicken tastes like shit. The mashed potatoes taste even worse.
But who am I kidding? The entire prison is a piece of shit place. It’s peeling, crumbling, dirty, dank, infested, and full of fucking misery.
I can’t believe I used to be happy in this dump.
But that’s when she was here.
I know what you’re thinking. You probably hate my fucking guts. More than when you first met me.
But I had to do it. You saw what Grinder said. You saw what they did to me.
I’ve been around places like this a lot in my fucking life. I know when shit’s serious and when it’s just people talking. And there's no way they were just talking with empty fucking threats there.
I couldn’t take the fucking chance. Not when I love her. Not when she’s carrying my baby.
So, I do the only thing that I can do in this situation. I close my eyes and scoop mashed potatoes into my mouth.
It tastes like fucking garbage.
“If you’re not going to eat your food, I’ll have some,” a voice says and I sigh because I would recognize that fucking voice anywhere. The guy who started all this.
“What the fuck do you want, Spider?” I ask not even bothering to open my eyes. “She’s gone, ain’t nothing I can do for you no more.”
There’s a long pause on the other side of the table and then Spider sighs.
“See, I already knew that, amigo,” he says in his nasally voice and if my eyes were open and looking at him, I’d be fucking rolling them at him right now. “That’s kind of why I’m here actually. You snitched to the Warden so she’d be safe. I understand that. The problem is she’s not.”
Now my eyes are open and I’m looking straight at the motherfucker. If something’s happened to Kerri….
I clutch my tray, ready to use it as a weapon in case I need to. Spider sees this and backs away in his seat a little bit.
“Now, hear me out before you do anything crazy, man,” Spider says hurriedly with nervous fear coating his words. “You don’t want to do anything drastic.”
It seriously takes all my mental strength to keep from flinging the food off the tray and grabbing Spider by the shirt with one hand while I use the tray as a blade, swiping at his neck. I could kill that rascally motherfucker right now if I needed to.
But what would happen to Kerri?
Is he even telling the truth about her being in danger? Or is this just another big laugh that he’s having?
“Where is she?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even.
Spider takes a big sigh, as if he’s doing this against his will.
“So, Grinder thought that there was a chance after our last…meeting…that you might try to do something to get that bitch out of the prison,” Spider says, trying to affect an air of nonchalance. “So he had her watched. If she left the prison for whatever reason, it would probably be because of you. Looks like he was right.”
“What’s happened to her?” I ask Spider and without waiting for an answer I start to warn him, “If you’ve done something to her, I swear to fucking God that I will…”
I don’t get a chance to answer.
“Hold up, man, she’s fine,” Spider says, trying to quiet me down from getting worked up. “At least she will be if you cooperate.”
I’m still seeing red, but at this point if Spider is telling me she’s fine, I’m at least calming down a bit. Can I trust him? Not one bit. But it’s not in his interest to lie to me right now. He knows that I know him too and can tell when he’s lying.
“What do you want?” I ask. It’s a simple question but its clear that she’s being held so that I can do something for them.
“Well, actually, now that you mention it,” Spider says as he takes out a folded piece of paper from the front pocket of his prison jumpsuit. “There are a few things that Grinder would like you to do to ensure her safety.”
Why the fuck am I not surprised? I hold my tongue until Spider unfolds the paper and hands it to me. I start reading.
“Grinder wants you to take Kerri hostage when she comes to see you,” Spider says. “And don’t worry, she will come to see you. You can see for yourself that she hasn’t been harmed at that time, man.”
I keep reading.
The instructions on the paper are quite clear and in simple bullet points. First, I take Kerri hostage. That part is actually doable, now that I think about it. There’s only one guard in the area watching the conversations. And while it is true that we are divided and have to talk by phone, it’s not that difficult to overpower the guard and use the door that separates the two of us.
There are two cameras in the visitors reception area. I’m supposed to use them to let everyone know I’ve taken Kerri hostage and what my demands are.
Once I take Kerri hostage, I have to negotiate with the Warden to removes the guards that stand watch over the prison yard. I think I know which way this is going. The south entrance, or Visitor’s Entrance, feeds past the prison yard. Without any guards there and with open doors, prisoners will be able to get out into the open air if they make it into the prison yard.
Whatever I do, I’m not supposed to flee into the prison or take out the cameras. The cameras should be my main source of communication. And if I need to get a better vantage point, I should go toward the Visitor’s Entrance to the prison, not into it.
And finally, after a sufficient amount of time has passed, I can release Kerri and I’m on my own to do whatever I want.
“After about thirty minutes or so, you're free to do whatever you want with that bitch, because Grinder won’t need you at that point,” Spider says, leaning back in his chair.
I look up from the paper toward Spider. “You know it’ll never work trying to escape this place from the prison yard, right?” I ask. Grinder’s a fool for even trying to consider it. “The sharpshooters on the towers will take out anyone who makes it past the fences.”
Spider shrugs. He doesn't say anything.
“Why would Grinder waste an opportunity like this to try such a stupid escape plan?” I ask Spider. “If I’m going to be the one doing this, I need to fucking know.”
And it’s a fair question. If I’m going to be taking my girlfriend hostage after I cost her a job, I need to know how this is all going to play out in the end. It’s still my job to protect her. Even if I am going to be her fucking captor in doing it.
Spider looks at me for a long minute. He can see that I’m serious in my question and finally he relents.
“No one is going to be escaping from the prison yard, amigo,” Spider says at last. “All you’re doing is creating a distraction for Grinder and me…and a few of his boys to go out a separate way.”
So that’s it. While I’m distracting the entire prison on one side, he plans to be going out through another route that not that many people will be watching for. Creating a distraction that’s big enough here, so no one sees what’s happening over there.
“The Warden would hunt you guys down like fucking roaches,” I hiss.
“Not if the Deputy Warden sends everyone on the wrong track, boss,” Spider replies back with a forceful whisper. “And by the time he corrects his mistakes, we’re long gone underground.”
Fuck. That makes sense now how much Grinder is always able to get away with certain things. The Deputy Warden is dirty. That’s exactly how Grinder knew what I did to protect Kerri. And that’s how he’s going to escape.
Normally, an escape from prison is a long shot at best.
But with a corrupt Deputy Warden, it could just work.
“What’s in it for me?” I ask. This could be my ticket out. I have to explore it. If I could get out, I could live outside these walls. I could apologize to Kerri. I could be a real father.
“Nothing,” Spider says, not breaking his stare into my eyes. “Maybe getting to keep your girl safe, if that mat
ters to you, but other than that, you’re not coming with us. You’re probably not doing anything more than starting a riot.”
I look at him wondering what kind of fucking negotiating tactic this is. It’s like he doesn’t even have the decency to fucking lie to me. That’s how fucking little he cares about this.
“So, I get nothing from doing this, then I don’t think I’ll even fucking go see that bitch,” I tell Spider, drawling out my words and taking a scoop of the chicken breast that’s on my tray. “I don’t really need to see her when she comes calling.”
“Grinder’s guys are gonna rape the living shit out of her and then leave her to die if you don’t, boss,” Spider says, his eyes flashing in fear. “You asked what was in it for you and I said nothing, right? That’s because you missed your chance. You took the hand that Grinder gave you in friendship and you just pulled your cock out and pissed on it. We could have all transferred over to St. Simons and then got Grinder to help us get out with his connections. But you took a shit on that. Now, he’s figuring his own way out. And ain’t no seats left on this bus.”
Spider looks like he didn't have to put it in those words. But those are the cards I’m being dealt.
I need a chance to think this through. What if something goes wrong? What if I end up putting Kerri in more danger than she already is? This jail is a violent fucking jungle. Do I really want to bring a pregnant woman into the crossfires of a sniper?
“I need to fucking think about it, man,” I tell Spider, leaning back. “It’s a lot to do.”