Terminus Part I: The Journey There (Draft)

Chapter 13: To Jail or Not To Jail

James was satisfied that he had collected enough information from 'Bob' as he would need to. While he did not think that the evidence was concrete, the argument he made was certainly compelling. However, as it happened, the officers Crimson and Cerulean had busted in, looking to arrest 'Bob' for the murder of Judge Wisconsin Perkins.

Unsure of what to make of this new and sticky situation, James opted to not resist arrest, and with luck, figure something out later down the line.

Salvador was talking to his fellow inmates.

"I suspect the time of our escape is soon. Do you wish to be discreet or loud?" he asked.

"Would they find your secret hideout if we were to use it as an escape route?" asked Dan.

"That is a troubling concern. I suspect it might serve our needs better if we were to be loud. Any objections?"

No-one spoke, and so it was decided. Salvador would wait for something that would indicate that it was time for action, and then they would break out of prison.

Crock had finished talking to Gumboot, and had returned to the ship, where the other members were playing video games. He laughed and remembered the times he would sit back and relax. Those days were years ago, before he even became a sailor. He asked them if they wanted to head out into town and go for a walk. The phone then started to ring.

"I'll get it!" said Cameron.

After he picked up the phone, he heard James' voice on the other end, urgency within it. "Do any of you have experience being a lawyer?" he asked.

Cameron repeated the question to the crew.

"Laws aren't fun!" said both Patricia and Karnilla.

"I used to know a lawyer, does that count?" said Crock.

"They're not my favourite kind of people, but if James needs a lawyer, I could give it a shot," said Milangelo.

"Oh, yeah, you... never mind," said Cameron. "Uh, James, if you need a lawyer, Milangelo says..."

"Okay, good. I need you all to come to the court, we need to prove that we had nothing to do with the murders that took place at Meals Eternal on the 11th of October."

"Isn't it a bit late in the day for that?" asked Milangelo.

"Not today, tomorrow. Come to the court tomorrow, there's going to be a trial. The cops have an innocent person pegged as their suspect. If we don't clear our own names and then provide enough evidence, or in the absence of, enough of an argument, it is highly likely this person will be convicted."

"The guy who caught and helped put away my friend is talking about how authorities shouldn't convict innocent people."

"Are you trying to tell me something I didn't know about Edwin Longchest, Crock?"

Barracuda was preparing to go home, when Grouper came in and gave a report.

"I just received confirmation from Redfish, 'Bob' has been arrested for the murder of Judge Perkins. It would also appear that a rogue detective was in the process of interviewing him at the time, so they have him in custody, too."

"A detective? Those idiots! Why is everyone changing the plan to suit their needs? We can't afford to get this person involved! This is completely reckless!" said Barracuda. He thought about Gaia's warning: Exercise caution; a detective of ill-repute may undo all that you have connected.

Hedges visited Mitchell in his infirmary, and was informed that while he was very weak, he had regained consciousness.

"Sir, it's good to see you," he said.