Gray Ghost - License to Kill

Chapter 5 - Ghost Squad

CHAPTER 5 – GHOST SQUAD

As he walked out the door, I asked myself 'what the hell have I gotten myself into'. I have been offered a 'get out of jail free' card and not given any time to ask questions or understand what was involved. But, why would I care, nothing they are offering could be worse than sitting in a jail cell for the rest of my life, I thought.

The guard walked in to escort me back to my cell. As I was walking, I observed the bars, the stench of jail, the depressing view of men standing there behind those gray steel bars. Past the cafeteria area, seeing the food that most would consider inhumane. Past the community showers that reminded me that I had not experienced a second of privacy since I first walked through these doors.

A smile came across my face, I got an opportunity to leave all of this behind. An opportunity to just start over again on the outside. I can not wait to call Stephanie and tell her I was coming home. And my guy Mark, let him know I am coming home. But I just remembered, he told me that none of this happened, so I could not tell anybody. If I got out early, what would I tell them?

I got back to my cell and just laid down. I laid there looking at the concrete ceiling. Looking at these concrete walls and those steel gray bars they call a door. How these bars have taken so much from me, not just in the terms of years, but in the sense of humanity.

I could not sleep that night thinking about that conversation and if any of that was real. Who could I possibly talk to, what would I tell them. None of it was really making any sense, but the thought of freedom was exhilarating.

As I was laying in the bed, a guard came by and slid a note into the cell. I looked at the envelope laying on the floor. I walked over and picked it up off the cell floor and opened it. There was a piece of paper inside the envelope, the only thing written on it was "Be ready at 8am". Those were the only words on the paper.

That seemed very cryptic. There was a real level of mystery with everything that was going on. I had to admit though, the mystique around it all was sort of thrilling. I spent the rest of the night laying there counting down the hours until 8am.

I could not sleep at all that night anticipating the next morning. It had to be about 5 or 6 in the morning when I finally fell asleep. I was awakened by a commotion in the jail. I sat up as it sounded like a riot going on outside. I walked to my door to look outside to see what all the commotion was.

It seemed like they were outside my cell rioting. My first thought was that I am leaving here in minutes, and now this is happening. I was not leaving my cell and jeopardizing my release.

As I was standing there, a guy came to my cell door.

"Let's go" he said. I looked at him dressed in inmate clothing. I have no idea who he was and where he wanted me to go, but I was not leaving my cell. I was waiting on them to come and get me so I could walk up out of this place.

"No man, I am good. I am not leaving this cell" I said to this guy.

He looked at me, "It is 8am, let's go" he said.

That confused me, was this a coincidence that he mentioned 8am. I am sure they didn't send another prisoner to come and get me. I was not leaving this cell. I just stood there looking at him.

"The note said be ready at 8am right" he said to me as he was looking around encouraging me to hurry up. He handed me a gray hoodie and said "Put this on".

He just confirmed that he knew about the note, he knew they were coming to get me at 8am. Oh damn, guess I should be following him as I threw on the hoodie and walked out of the cell.