The Innocents

Chapter Thirty-Five

Mrs. K still had a job at the prison.

Nobody really suspected her of much, not even Warden Games. There was a warrant out for the arrest of Miles Ford. It wasn't on television or anything because what happens within the walls of The Iron Rose is no business to the rest of the country. Mrs. K knew it from word of mouth in the prison. It was all anyone talked about. I thought of how hard it had been to keep the mouths of the Sills family shut. It was inevitable that it wouldn't last long.

Some of the girls called him a hero. Some called him stupid. There were rumors that he had killed everyone in the room that day and even one that he had gone on a killing spree outside of the prison and that when cops ransacked his home, they found a weapons room full of everything you could think of. Some perpetuated the rumor that he offed himself to be with me. I liked that one the most. It was the most romantic.

Sometimes I still wished that I had been the one to kill Crawford. I think about it a lot.

As soon as I had agreed to join them, the WFW quickly organized the infiltration of prison. Marla and I were short and small which made us ideal for slipping in and out without detection. We also still had our jumpsuits. We could pass as inmates even though we were officially supposed to be dead. Marla took an extra step and decided to dye her hair. It was now the same color as my own. I told her that we looked like sisters and that caused a thousand watt smile to spread across her face.

I didn't know it then, but that would be the last day I would see Marla. I didn't know that Mrs. K and the rest of her vigilante group of rebels would lie to me.

We piled into a bus reminiscent of the one I had first arrived at The Iron Rose and I thought that it was sort of ironic that my story had begun on the bus and it was about to end with it too. Because after that, I'd start a new life.

I sat next to Marla with Lena and her fiery hair in front. There was Mrs. K of course and Penny and Alice and about two dozen of the WFW that mostly included women. There was one other girl who had come about two weeks after Marla and I had. Her name was Trini and she was Asian and got along really well with Lena. Turns out she had been in the ward above us, The Mac and had been sent to prison in a similar situation such as my own. She was angry and looked like the type to fight anyone at any time. Mrs. K really had a knack at finding the broken ones.

Miles insisted on coming, but Mrs. K denied him. He was a wanted man. It would be pretty foolish to get onto a bus and into the direct visual of the checkpoint guards. He would ruin everything and they would cart him off to prison. Then I would have nothing left in this world. So, I gave him a short peck on his lips as to assure him that a longer one was promised when I returned. The promise of the touch of his lips was what made me strong and his last words of, I'll be right here waiting. I will never leave you, echoed in my head. I may have sported a dumb smile during the bus ride. I hope nobody saw.

Alice drove us to The Iron Rose. The ride took a little bit over an hour which meant the house we were staying was fairly close. I looked out the window and I was reminded of my original arrival at the prison. I had felt pretty numb and as if it wasn't really happening. This time I was more aware. As much as I didn't want to ever see that place again, I knew I had to do this for Jo.

Alice ambled the bus up to the checkpoint. By this time, all of us girls were shackled to our seats and properly clothed in our jumpsuits. The guard there climbed into the bus and looked us over. Alice muttered something about transfers and he looked kind of confused until he saw Mrs. K and the recognition spurred a head nod and a:

"So they got you riding with the prisoners now?"

"Budget cuts," Mrs. K replied.

"Sons of bitches," the guard said with a nod of understanding and waved us through. I finally let go of the breath I was holding. Marla seemed to do the same.