Reasonable Doubt ✔ | Open Novella Contest 2020 | Complete

Five - Alex

At the end of the fifteen days, I'm released back to E-Echo for another walk of shame. This time, the stares I get from the other guys on the unit are different. They're not looking at me like fresh meat. They know I can fight, now.

"Hole-shot, Alex?" Colt laughs, standing from where he'd been doing push-ups. It affords me enough room to step inside and close the door from the racket of the unit. "Heard you cold-cocked a dude."

"Headbutt," I correct him. Then, "You're here awful early - did you not have to work today?"

Colt brandishes his forearm, where a line sutures travel from his elbow to his wrist. "Got sent home sick."

"Ay carajo." I step across and grip his arm, running my thumb gingerly over the repair. I count 22 blue stitches. "What happened?"

"One of the fans snapped, flung shrapnel. Cut me wide open," Colts voice has dropped low, almost husky. "I'm more pissed it fucked up the tattoo."

I realize how close I'm standing, inspecting the wound. Touch is something that doesn't happen here. How easily I forgot that rule.

I jump back, squint at him. "How long are you off work?"

"Doc said a month, at least." With a deep chuckle that reminds me of Azteca d'oro, he continues, "I get to keep your nose clean in that time."

"Wonderful," I scoff without malice. Hopping up onto my rack, I unpack my small bag of effects.

Sensing the conversation is over, Colt goes back to doing his calisthenics. I want to tell him not to put excessive strain on the sutures but bite my tongue. From the scar on his brow and crooked nose, he knows how to handle injuries.

I open the mail from Sharron. Now that I'm out of segregation, she wants to set appointments for face to face discussions.

She still believes me innocent, even if the jury didn't. I mean, I am innocent, but even I can't deny how the evidence was presented. It was pretty damning.

Noting the date for my next council, I move on to the personal letters. Mama, of course, writes me every day. I assume someone in administration told her about my segregation stint. At least she knew not to worry.

A series of hisses and pops heralds the mass release of our range for rec. Colt retrieves his stashed smokes and pockets them before we head out.

The yard at LeCI is massive. A lap around the track is a good mile and a half. I can usually get three in along with calisthenics before the hour is up.

Only Colt steers me away from the starting line by the elbow. I see why. Gang members, black, white, and other wait for me, gazes sharp and harrowing. Seems those two weeks on solitary warranted drafting me into their ranks.

The handball courts afford some privacy from the COs and the cameras. It's where the smokers go, where Colt spends the first half of rec. I've never been out here before, but I don't miss how they give him a wide berth.

"Here," he hands me a Marlboro. When I look at it skeptically, he rolls his eyes. "C'mon, Alex. It's a fucking cigarette, not a snake."

I take it. "I can't pay."

"I'm not asking you to," he informs me frankly. "You just got out of the hole. That deserves some celebration."

"How are you going to light it?" I ask. Lighters aren't allowed. Yet he always comes back to the cell smelling like tobacco.

"Stinger."

"Stinger?"

"Watch." Colt withdraws an AA battery from his pocket secured to a copper wire with electrical tape at the negative end. Touching the naked space of the wire to the positive end of the battery, he puffs the cigarette against the middle of the wire not covered with electrical tape.

Sure enough, a cherry forms. Breathing in deep, he exhales a cloud of smoke on a grin. Then hands it to me. "You try."

I do, lighting my own cigarette. The smoke curls into my nostrils, fills my mouth and lung. Groaning out the cloud, I hand it back to him. "Fuck, that's good." I don't even care that it's a Marlboro

Colt chuckles. "Been a while, huh?"

"Thirteen months," I reflect. I take an appreciative drag, then another. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

"You pick things up, the more time you spend here," Colt replies. "You'd be surprised the trouble bored people get into."

"Like what?"

"Distilling moonshine," he chuckles.

"You're shitting me."

A wink. "Stay out of the hole, I might teach you how."

"Alejandro?"

I turn in response to my name. Then beam at the stocky man in front of me. Even in state-issued blues, I recognize his broad face. "Raphael!"

We shake hands and clap one another's shoulders. "I haven't seen you in so long!" He admires. "You've grown up! Driving your own cars and everything, verdad?"

"I did for a bit, yeah."

His face grows serious. "I'm sorry about what happened to Javier."

"Thanks." I take a steadying inhale on the cigarette. "How have you been?"

Raphael was part of my Javier's original crew, prior to getting incarcerated on grand theft auto charges. The get-away driver before me. Always sarcastic, always kept my brother in check.

We talk back and forth in Spanish. I get the sense that he's as starved for conversation like this as I am. It's only when I finish the cigarette that his voice drops low. "I actually am supposed to...convince...you to join the Folk Nation."

I don't miss the emphasis on the word. "And if I refuse?"

"It would be considered a tremendous insult," Raphael winces. Then, "C'mon, Alex. It's not so bad. There's cigarettes, JPlayers, TVs, protection. Plus, it gets you a cell that isn't with a fag gringo." He glances meaningfully over my shoulder at Colt.

The word flares anger in me. I force a smile. "Not interested, thank you."

"Ay, carbon," Raphael grips my shoulder as I turn away. "Ten cuidado."

I nod. He releases me. I return to Colt. He stalks around the border of the handball court.

Colt almost seems bored as he finishes his cigarette. "What was that about?"

"Two old friends catching up." I return the blithe tone. "Nothing important."

AN:\\

Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate your time and attention to this story 😊

Are we noticing a continued change in Alex?

How do you like that lighter? ;D.

How are you liking Colt?

How's the pacing? Anything more of corrections you want to see or know?

Thank you for all your support <3. Feel free to ask me anything - DMs or otherwise. I promise I'm not scary :3

Stay safe out there!

~ T