The Collective

Chapter Thirty-Six

     "I don't think this is going to work," I muttered, rubbing my ear against my shoulder. The little rubber thingy shifted the slightest bit. It made it worse.

     Chase readjusted it. "Stop. I'll turn it off now. Don't turn it back on until you're through security. If you do it before, you're gonna get us all killed." Chase gently tapped the thing in my ear. It trilled. "Now, try not to move your head too much. I don't want it to turn back on."

     I fiddled with the black gloves. "Remind me again why I have to be the bad guy?" Not a bad guy. A lawyer. Apparently, Chase and Max had warrants out for their arrest. They couldn't afford to be seen by anyone or anything that could recognize them. Stacy, on the other hand, had years of experience doing shady stuff, including being undercover in a prison, but no. She couldn't do it because she was actually supposed to be dead as far as US authorities were concerned and couldn't afford for that to be a lie. So, guess what? The one person who hadn't actually committed any felonies got to go to prison!

     Stacy dropped me off about a block away from the prison. I kept a loose hold on my briefcase, striding up to the front gate. I put one hand on my hip, glaring into the camera in the corner.

     It buzzed. "Visiting hours are over, ma'am."

     "I'm Kelly Tate." I smiled coldly. "I'm with Governor Kalling's office."

     The doors slid open. According to Stacy, Governor Kalling had been busy the past few months, cutting down on crime and corporate practices in prison, including, but not limited to, rewards for having a certain number of inmates present, solitary confinement, and my personal favorite, overly harsh sentences.

     I waltzed in, gripping the brief case. A sweaty man in a dark purple suit with a green tie waited for me, wringing his hands. He led me through security, muttering about how they'd cut down on the instances of solitary confinement dramatically since he'd been given the position, and if he could just have a few more days...

     I jerked to a halt on the other side of the metal detector, forcing him to stumble. I grabbed the briefcase, taking full advantage of the fact I was four inches taller than he was. "We both know that's not why I'm here." Governor Kalling had also started a chapter of the Innocence Project.

     He tensed.

     I smiled. I swept my hair behind my ear, switching on the comm.

     He paled.

     I turned on my heel, striding down the hall, taking directions from Chase in my ear. As far as the warden knew, I'd been here several times before. He was new. As far as he knew, I was who I said I was.

     I sat down in the, "visitor room." It felt more like a hospital room. It was decidedly not homey. I tapped my fingers on the metal table, ankles crossed. I breathed in and out slowly. We were halfway there. It was fine. Everything was fine.

     "Okay?" Chase asked.

     "Mm-hmm." I didn't move when the door opened. Two guards shoved Sarah into the chair across from me. Her eyes widened. She raised an eyebrow. I shook my head once.

     The guards stood up.

     "Are those really necessary?" I demanded.

     They shrugged, "Let us know when you're ready to leave." I waited until the door closed behind them. The light above it stayed green.

     I put the briefcase on the table. I pulled out two gas masks, sliding one to Sarah. "Alright, Ms. Kensington, if you would kindly put this on for me." I tugged the handcuff key from its place in the case. I pushed the red button. "Showtime." I slid the briefcase in front of the door. The room filled with smoke.