Read Online Faces in Time by Lewis E. Aleman - Free Book Online Page A

wife—a real private one.”
    Edmund takes his turn in nodding, “That’d do it.”
    After a moment of digesting the news, Edmund continues, “Was a long two days in solitary. Really appreciate that.”
    “I’m sure it was a real blast, Edmund, but isn’t it worth the reward? The gold at the end of the journey? Besides, the less that it appears you got any special treatment from me, the better it is for the both of us.”
    “Really, the both of us? Or just you?”
    “Hasn’t it occurred to you that if they catch me involved in this that they’re going to want to nail you even more? To bring the one that got away back and show everyone that everything is back in order again—that no one gets out of here. That the jails are secure—not even corruption can get you out. If people don’t think prison is a perfect lockup for all the bad guys, the people start getting restless, lose faith in the system, start thinking of new ways to do things. Nobody in charge will let that happen; none of them want people looking and questioning how things are done. They’ll all make sure you get nailed any way they can get at you. Catch you, and it’s all back to normal.”
    Trouble waves over Edmund’s face for the first time in any of their conversations.
    “Well, you look so different; I’d even have a hard time recognizing you myself if you weren’t in your cell.”
    Edmund stares intently, “Ain that convenient.”
    “The new guard is coming on in,” looking at his watch, “seven minutes; you better get to getting changed, before he decides to make his rounds.”
    “Name’s Nathan Chapetta—he takes care of his brother’s retarded daughter; she just moved in with him. You know that?”
    “Of course, I know that—just hired him a few weeks ago, but it’s best for you not to think about that. You need to think about sticking to the plan, and not about the lives of an unfortunate piece of the plan.”
    “Uh huh.”
    “You just be ready before he gets here and stick to what we’ve said.”
    “No problem, boss man; this is your show. Just give me the clothes.”
    A timid hand raises the gray cotton shirt and black baggy pants that were a cash purchase from an out of town discount drug store. As soon as they touch the space between the bars, they are snatched and yanked into the cell with all the savageness of an alpha male tearing off the choicest piece of a fallen prey’s flesh before the rest of the pack dives in to get theirs, his knuckles banging on the cold bars in the process.
    Turning the clothes over in his hands, Edmund grumbles, “Glad that you shelled out for the good stuff.”
    “Hey, anything besides that bright orange getup that you’re wearing is exquisite stuff, dontchya think?”
    “You just get on down that hallway, push the button to release my door, and get out of sight. I’ll get these on fast.”
    “Why is it that an impatient man always thinks he has the right to bark out orders to everyone else? You’d think that the desperate would plead.”
    Yanking his shoulders out the unbuttoned top of the bright jumpsuit, he says, “Tick tock, Mr. Deputy Warden, sir.”
    “Let me tell you something, dirtball. When Warden McCullough is not here, I am the ex officio captain of the guards; this is my frickin’ place, every filthy inch of it, including you; your little bed that’s bolted to the wall over there; that filthy, shiny, ice cold toilet; and even the little bits of scraggly hair that you’ve cut off all over the floor.”
    “Fine. It’s all yours; I want out of here, remember? You’re the king of prisonland for all I care, but we need to get moving. Now.”
    “Well, don’t say anything else that might make me want to discuss its meaning with you; it’s not the time to be keeping you in line. Stick to the plan.”
    “I’m a criminal, not a child; I got it.”
    “Well, you’re going to need to get this too,” he says holding up a thin laminated card with a dark blue lanyard