Life Inside: Part 2

Posted on Tue May 11th, 2021 @ 10:44pm by Unawakened Elliot Wren & Watch Leader Frederick Hollywood
Edited on on Fri May 14th, 2021 @ 2:57am

Mission: The Factions
Location: Kentucky Federal Prison
Timeline: Present

Warden Price looked over Elliot Wren as he walked into his office. He finished up on his laptop before speaking. “So Mister Wren, you have a visitor today. Do you have any idea why?”

“No,” Elliot said with full honesty. Who on Earth would want to see him? His ex hated him. His kids hated him. Even his parents had sided with the other side when everything went down, and, well, you don’t make too many close friends as a stay or home dad or a disinterested salesman. He couldn’t fathom who on the outside would want to see him. Maybe one of his daughters had finally decided to at least see if the man they knew as a kid was really as bad as they remembered? “No idea,” he repeated.

The Warden shrugged. “Well while the visitor application says this guy is part of a legal aid program, the school listed is Harvard Law. I’m just saying we don’t get many pro bono visits from Harvard for cases like yours unless we missed something. Okay then Mister Wren you sound like you believe what you’re saying so I will approve the visit. Mister Tombs, please take Wren to his appointment will you?”

“Yes sir, Let’s get a move on Wren!” Tombs reached over and opened the door for his charge to walk out.

A legal aid? Perhaps they had the wrong person. Or perhaps this was some law student, come to research the more dramatic cases. Elliot had heard about people like that - read a memoir by some guy who’d try to help out death row inmates - but couldn’t imagine why his case would be interesting enough to warrant legal aid. Maybe they were using this as a way to try to get to his ex’s money? Ha. Good luck with that. Elliot nodded, and gave a sharp “Yes, sir,” before stepping out of the room to follow Tombs.

After the long walk to the visitation area Elliot was let into a private meeting room. Although it still had two way glass on it and cameras. Sitting on the far side of the room was a man dressed in a black suit that looked like it would have cost Elliot’s whole year's wages. He had a fire engine red tie, and sunglasses to match. His long blonde hair was back in a ponytail also he wore a large dangling cross earring. The guy looked like he was quite a bit younger than Elliot. “Hello Elliot.” The man smiled brightly in a slightly disturbing way. “You don’t mind if I call you that do you?”

Elliot paused to look at the man. Young. So maybe this was a law student. Would have to be an awful rich one then. Old money? Bored old money, if they were dealing with Elliot’s case. The man hesitated in response to the younger man’s question. Yes, Elliot was what he liked to be called, but a way in the man’s demeanor almost made Elliot want to be contrary, say something like ‘No, ‘Wren’ is better’. Then again, Elliot wasn’t here to poke a bear, or to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Elliot is fine,” he said with a weak smile, sitting down.

“Honestly just less things to say phonetically speaking you know besides if things work out I might be seeing you on a regular basis.” The man opened his briefcase and pulled out a very slimline laptop. The logo read “SATO.” “So I am here because at my school there is a program you see. We review cases and if someone, in this case me, finds merit for review, we check it out. That said in short order, why do you think you are here Elliot?” Again came the grin and this time a look in the man's eye like someone studying something.

Elliot found a strange, misplaced curiosity in the laptop. He was an electronics salesman for a while, after all, and he didn’t recognize the model. How much had things changed while he was in here? Who did this law student work for, and who was “SATO”? And what on Earth in his case was even up for review? Elliot had been only one poor decision away from pleading guilty himself. “Why do I think I’m in here? Well, everything it says in my record. It’s all true,” the man shrugged. His case had been pretty cut and dry, and he assumed the kid had looked at it before coming to visit. He wasn’t quite fond of talking about that awful week.

The blond man sighed. “Elliot, let me assure you that’s not why you are here. Not to sound too teachy or nothing but, nothing in the law is that cut and dry. If you said that in front of a parole board, that would be awesome. You see in most cases there are three sides, the prosecution, the defence, and the judge or jury. None of them, in a way, have anything to do with you. For example, I see you worked in retail. This tells me you most likely didn’t have money for a huge defense fund right?”

“Even if I had money, I don’t think I’d have wasted it on a defense fund. Frankly, I think I should’ve taken the plea bargain.” Elliot shrugged. “And if you mean ‘why am I here’, as in ‘why am I in this room’, then I have even less to tell you. Maybe it’s because you want to enjoy my company?” He asked with a joking grin. He didn’t mind too much talking to these lawyer types. The more time spent in this visitation room, the more time spent away from Andy and his ilk.

“That brings up my next question. Have you been seen by a shrink? Also have you availed yourself of the prison's mental health facilities while here?” The strange man stopped typing again and looked at Elliot again with a quizzical look.

“Yeah,” Elliot responded with a shrug. That was true as well. Not that he thought he got much out of them - he did go to therapy, back when he was still in college, and so he knew what a good mental health professional was like. The one here was not. Either way, he might as well make them spend as much of their funding if they could, if the prison was going to be so uncouth as to let folk like Andy run around terrorizing the others. “And?”

The lawyer tapped the screen. “Well I see two possible routes to take to at least shorten your sentence. For example some states wouldn’t have even touched that dog thing as extra time, but here comes the second part, you believed your life was in peril. As in you had broken the law and were going to get in trouble. That’s where it seems to me things unraveled in a catastrophic way. At this point it sounds like you had a breakdown of sorts and maybe still suffering from depression from that trauma. Now I am not saying you will likely anytime soon see these charges evaporate but I think with my school's help we can at least fight for a reduced sentence if not a complete change of venue from here to a facility more suited to your needs.” Then the man looked up from the computer screen and as though something hit him his eyes widened a bit. “Sorry, I guess I was carrying on. Does any of that sound okay to you?”

“That’s no excuse. And I never thought my life was in peril.” No. Only things he valued as much as his life were. Elliot leaned back in the chair. “Depressed? Of course I’m depressed from all this. Who wouldn’t be?” Elliot gave a smile. “I’m not sure I deserve a reduced sentence.” After all - what was there waiting for him on the outside? A family that hated him, and an industry that was impossible to get a job in while having a criminal record? “A nicer prison, though. Well that would be amenable.” Elliot was a bad person. But hadn’t really hurt anyone, at least not physically. People like him and Marco, they didn’t deserve to be stuck in here with sadists and murderers.

“Well, Elliot I do have some forms for you to sign. Most are just the basic consent, info, and so on feel free to read them of course. One of them also allows me to bring in other legal counsel if this case is either too big or doesn’t match a specific criteria for one reason or another. Again remember this is being done pro bono and costs you nothing even if we outsource some or all of the work. Got some things to rattle off here, like, your fee was paid in advance by Sato Corp as part of its community enrichment program. If you wish to find out more about that visit sato corp forwardslash florida dot gov. Oh would you like a coffee or soda or something while you look over the forms there is no hurry.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” Elliot said, not reaching for the forms. “There’s a lot you haven’t told me here. Like your name. Or what’s in this for you. Or who Sato corp is.” I’m an asshole, not an idiot. “Who’s funding this? I’ve never heard of that community enrichment program, and I doubt Florida cares about me.”

“Wow, he speaks,” the man laughed a little, “Lot of questions there Elliot and some a bit redundant let me explain. As I said, my school has the interest. That school is owned by Sato Corp. Sato Corp is a large corporation that started in Japan. It has many, many, interests ranging originally with tech and as of late it has dipped into civic planning. As for the program that is funding this, that is from the United States Government. Most large companies get a piece of something like that. Most schools, drug rehabs, hospitals, and large construction firms get a large portion of the grant I am talking about. Oh, and lastly my name is Frederick Hollywood and I am sure when you get some library time you can look me or Sato Corp up and you will find us. If not then what have you lost anyway other than being offered a cup of coffee.

“Your school?” Elliot asked. Behind his lack of care, he was not an unintelligent man. “I thought the Warden said you were with Harvard? Last I checked, they weren’t owned by this Sato Corp, unless things have really changed while I’ve been in here.” The man glanced at the papers, still not reaching towards them. “And whatever school you are with - what is their interest with me? Not just that they have an interest. What, do they expect me to go work for them or something?”

“Harvard? Oh yea I went there just long enough to almost go Greek. No, Sato has a school of its own and that's where I am from.” The man stood up and walked over to the door and knocked on it. Tombs opened the door. “Hey can you bring us two large coffees, extra sugar, extra cream, and a bag of chips or something?” He passed the large officer a one hundred dollar bill. “So, as for hiring you for work at my school, honestly I am fairly sure you wouldn’t like it there. We have had troubled students in the past and nowadays we try to avoid those sorts of problems ya know? That said there are a few agencies that do help people like you get back on their feet after times just like these. I do hope that does answer at least some of your questions. Oh, and don’t feel like you have to sign those right now. If you want, you can take them with you and call us if and when you do.”

“Hmph,” Elliot muttered. He took offense to that - “troubled students.” Who was he to talk, here lying to the Warden about Harvard? And bribing the guards. No. Elliot had done some bad things, but he still saw himself as a better man than this stranger in some regards. He did not trust the man one bit. One didn’t wear such expensive clothes if they were in it for helping poor wayward souls. But there was no harm in taking this paperwork. The man reached over and took the papers without much outward care.

A knock came to the door. The blonde black clad legal adviser answered it. Tombs handed in two coffees. Frederick placed one in front of his client. “Sorry if it’s not what you wanted but I was just trying to buy you a little time before heading back.” He tapped on the keys of his computer as he spoke. “Now just to be clear this may get kicked to someone that deals with local legal charity work of this type. After all, you have even mentioned some slight reservations about working with a group located in Florida. I do have a couple of organizations in mind, but no sense in going into great detail on that unless one of them bites right?” He smiled again at Elliot. This time in a way that showed a bit of pain behind his hazel eyes. “You can head back to your unit anytime you want, I have all I need.” Then the man placed the slim computer back into his briefcase. “That said we have a couple of hours if you want something to eat or want to watch a movie.


Elliot looked at the man. Then, he shrugged. He didn’t know what sort of game he was a pawn in, but if it was going to get him a bit of time away from his cell, he wasn’t about to question it for now. “Sure.” The man said. “A movie.”

Frederick decided not to make a crack by starting up the movie “Bad Boys,” so instead he queued up one of his all time favorites, “Hope you haven’t seen ‘What Dreams May Come.’ It’s one of my favorite movies. Robin Williams and so on.” He always loved that the lead character left heaven and went to Hell to save his soul mate. “Hey nothing like using billable hours to watch a movie am I right?”

“Haven’t seen it,” Elliot responded honestly. “I don’t watch many movies.” He did like the part about using billable hours to do so though, especially if he didn’t like the people paying for such.

-----

Before leaving the prison Lorde stopped and made a call on one of the payphones. He used the duplicate message service he had set up for Syn. “I found something interesting for you. You should be receiving a file very soon. I just don’t think my agency can be as much help in this case as yours can be.” Wish in moments of the call a manila envelope with the particulars of Elliot's case and more importantly the scans Lorde had taken of him reached Syn’s office.

FIN

Frederick Hollywood
Lorde
The Findelian Watch

Elliot Wren
Unawakened