Chapter One: Think Like A Criminal
My uncle paced back and forth, an expression, I'm not use to seeing, plastered on his face. He was obviously in one of his thinking moods, trying to figure something out as he continued to pace across the hard-wood floor of the dumpy cabin but there seemed to be something else there too. My dad, agent Mahone, whom I still do not like, Sucre, and some guy named all sat around, lounging in the small living area. I don't know why but as every creak in the wood sounded out when Michael stepped on them, the more agitated I became. Perhaps I was being anxious, wondering the same question everyone else was thinking. What do we do now? We arrived in a Podunk town called Cisco somewhere in the middle of Texas. How we got here, I still don't understand but Michael had assured it was safe.
I look around to everyone sitting. My dad, surprisingly, has been quite. Sucre bites his thumb nail, wracking his brain no doubt about what he was going to do about his beloved Maricruz. Mahone fidgets, sweat covers his forehead. was the last I saw, sitting there with a calm expression. How I envied how he can be so collected at such times like these. It confuses me, along with the fact I still had no idea who this guy was. All I've collected was that Michael wanted to turn him back in but in our situation, he couldn't do that without exposing himself and my dad, and Sucre. The company was just full of tricky bastards.
"Michael, settle down," Mahone first to speak. Michael suddenly stopped pacing and looked at him but said nothing. Utter silence followed as Michael sat next to my dad.
"Know what we gonna do now, pretty?" commented.
It always disturbed me that he called my uncle that degrading nickname and from his character I can guess he was a man not to screw with despite his small stature, even in prison.
"Not yet," Michael almost glared at him, yet his voice was level.
"We can't just sit here. They'll find us," Lincoln concludes.
"No they won't. When we ran we lost any way they can possibly track us when we crossed the river and dropped all our devices. As far as they know, we're still on our way to California," Michael's statement calms my nerves slightly but I still felt like I should be doing something, contributing to the cause in some way.
"How do you know for sure?" I ask, I didn't mean for my voice to sound so weak but compared to the rest I suppose I was the most scared. To look on the bright side of that flaw I think that it's because I'm not use to being on the run like a criminal.
"Trust me, there's no way they will ever think we went to Texas, there is nothing for us here."
"So why are we in Texas?" Sucre asked the million dollar question.
"There's someone here who might be able to help us. Someone I have no doubt the company does not know about," Michael replies.
"How do you know?" asks.
"She's good with lying low and being effective. Probably the best."
"You mean-," Lincoln thinks.
"Yes."
"No way Mike, she said she'd never help us again after last time we got ourselves in a mess. And that wasn't even half of the problems we have now," Lincoln reasons.
"We have no choice. If we're going to make it to our destination, we're going to need her help. I'll need you there Linc, just in case something goes amiss," Michael pleads with his brother to at least accept this last piece of hope.
"Fine, but we can't bring everyone. It'll be too bulky. Who else goes?"
"Just us."
"What?" I don't know if my dad or I said it first, but we both definitely said it.
"Yes. With just the two of us, it'll be a lot easier for us to move. You have the strength, I have the brains," Michael smiles at this comment.
"What about them?" I can tell my dad was actually suggesting towards . Michael sighs as he reflects what to do.
"They stay here. We have some WTs in here somewhere, that's how we'll communicate," He explains.
I didn't like this. I was just reunited with my dad, I didn't want to be separated already. This is crap! I guess my dad could tell my distress and said," LJ, we'll be back. I promise, soon we'll be able to just sit back and relax. No looking over our shoulders anymore." How I wish we could do that now.
I simply nod, not trusting to be able to keep my overflowing emotions in check.
My dad grabbed a tight hold of me and pulls me into a breath taking hug before saying," We'll be back, I promise."
After this everyone but and I went to the kitchen to discuss plans for what's next. It strikes me odd they exclude someone like who could obviously help them in some way in their cause for freedom but from observations I can tell nobody likes him, especially my dad. For this fact I've made it somewhat of a game to find out as much as possible about and about everyone else here. They all must have such interesting backgrounds…
I slide over next to who gives me a raised eyebrow in response. I think of which question I wish to ask first but end up blurting out the one I wanted to wait to ask," Why were you in prison?"
A silence that seemed to drag on forever covered the room and eventually I don't think is going to answer. So far I've gotten no reaction, not even a sigh or gesture. Not exactly what I was expecting when I evaluate how his personality seems to be. In a way he always has an answer. It may not be the one you want but it's an answer, no matter how sarcastic or bad-mouthed it may be.
"Ya know, I would tell you LJ but I have a feelin' you'll be figurin' that out soon enough," The look in 's eyes and the smile he gave me then made me feel uncomfortable so I stood and left to the kitchen where the group was still discussing the details of their plan.
"….I still say Sucre should go, he'll be able to lookout for anybody while we set everything up," Lincoln says, obviously frustrated that his brother won't listen to him.
"No, Sucre will be more useful here. As long as we stay low Linc, nobody will get us. She's not even that far off from where we have to pick up some supplies. I think perhaps we should grab the stuff, hit her place, than head back here. If we think we're being followed we'll go to the other cabin we renovated to throw them off our track. If that doesn't work we'll contact everyone here to let them know we've been compromised. But until then, Sucre should stay here."
The look Michael was giving Lincoln was somewhat cryptic, like he was trying to tell him something without the others knowing but Lincoln was too caught up in his own thoughts to notice. But I noticed and Michael knows I did. He gently grabs my arm and pulls me to another room where the others can't hear us.
"LJ, I know you don't want your dad to go but trust me, once this is done, there's a high probability we'll be done with everything and we can put it in our past."
I nod in understanding, but I can't help but think that there tends to be something all the time so we can put things behind us but it never works. Sometimes I wonder if we ever could put all of this behind us and live life like we intended. On the beach, surfing.
"Listen," Michael puts his hand on my shoulder and looks at me," while we're gone I want you to be careful. There's certain people that I don't trust and I want you to try and stay around Sucre as much as possible, understand?"
I'm confused but I nod regardless of this fact.
"Good, because I don't want anything to happen to you while we're gone. I'm afraid Lincoln will lose it at any moment and even the smallest thing might push him off the ledge. Just be safe while we're gone, alright?"
"Alright," I say, not really understanding but I suppose my uncle was just concerned for my safety. I mean, I was in a house full of criminals. Even ex-cop Mahone has skeletons in his closet and it slightly worries me that he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger if he found reason to shoot me. Then there was Sucre but judging by how much Michael trust him than I should trust him too. That just leaves , whom I still know nothing about except he was one of the Fox River eight, he's from Alabama, and his temper management is slightly off. I feel as if I'm missing something and everyone else knows what it is. They just refuse to tell me… Every time I'm even in the same room as , I feel a strange vibe and I just stand next to my dad. I felt slightly bad avoiding because I had no reason to, but I was never really the calm and collected one. (Michael JR. XD) I have to admit, it was difficult trying to figure him out and still try and keep a distance. I had to choose one or the other, never the same.
"Are you alright?"
I hadn't realized I had been making a face and now Michael seemed curious.
"Oh yea, I'm just…thinking too much. That's all."
Michael didn't seem to believe me," alright. But listen, if anything, and I mean anything, happens while we're gone, you get a hold of us. Okay? Sucre should be able to handle things but I have a strange feeling something is going to happen while Linc and I are gone…"
"That's just your oversized brain talking," I laugh.
Michael smiles too," That's nice."
I frown," What?"
"I haven't seen you smile in a while. It's nice to know it's still possible to make you crack up," Michael explains.
I smile again," Only you Michael, only you."
"Hey! What's that suppose to mean?" Michael playfully pushes my shoulder.
The mood felt good, all of the tension that I didn't know was building had vanished with that small joke and I think Michael felt the same. But I lose my smile for my worries return and a question rises.
"What is it?" Michael asked.
I look around, not really sure if I want to ask Michael but I think I should know if I was in danger," Well, I was just curious. Why was in prison?"
Michael loses all emotion from his face for a moment," It's hard to explain. Why?"
"Well, it's just that every time I'm around him…I…"
"Did he do something?" Michael seemed protective all of a sudden and it only confirmed my worries that there is something I should be aware of.
"No, I was just wondering."
"You stay away from , you understand? He's bad news, listen to what I said. Stay close to Sucre and you should be fine."
Should? Oh, that's comforting…
"Are you going to tell me why?"
Michael hesitated, not sure if he wanted to be the one to explain the entire ordeal to me," Well, back in prison was part of a group and they were called The Puritans. This group…they typically had beef with anyone who refused joining them for one fact. The people they asked for specific people, people they wanted."
When Michael didn't continue I asked," So they wanted people? I don't get it…."
Michael sighs," I don't mean want as in just be part of the group. I mean want. The Puritans were people who would offer you protection in exchange for your services. was their leader, LJ. He's done more bad than good in this world, he's kill a lot of innocent people. Children. Kids even your age. That's why Linc was so angry when I had told him you would be staying here. But it's also the reason I argued why Sucre should stay. I meant it when I said Sucre would be more useful here."
After Michael had said his mouthful, I was shocked. I didn't know what words to form, what to say. So I say," And you want me to stay behind with this creep? What if he tries something? What if he ends up killing everyone here?" I was almost yelling, but I didn't care.
"I would choose anything else if there was something else but I see this as our only option. I'm sorry; I didn't want to tell you this. Especially before we left, but I see no point in lying. I know you're already scared because you're on the run with us, but you have to stay strong for just a couple more days. Linc and I will go as fast as possible and if everything goes according to plan, we should be out of here by next week."
Silence.
"What do I do if something happens?"
Michael sighs," You'll have to continue on. Take precautions, always take those. Be careful, never trust easily, and if you run into trouble, whatever you do, do NOT do something stupid."
"So…in other words…."
Michael looks at me," Think like a criminal."