S5E2: Scene 7
The women entered the exercise yard by cell block. Juice and her boys from H4 were let out first, then Kaz and her crew, followed by the Asians. As they came into the sunlight they were curious about a table placed in the center of the yard. They wandered around in small groups or sat at the picnic tables and talked. But no one felt like playing basketball or working out with the exercise equipment. There was a somber mood that felt like a fog covering the ground.
They turned when the women of H1 came out as a group, followed by the governor, the deputy governor, and most of the guards who could be released from duty. A red ceramic urn was placed in the center of the table and a drawing that Bea Smith had made of herself had been framed and that was placed on a small easel next to the urn. Allie stood in the center of the crowd with Maxine on one side and Kaz on the other. The other women circled around them.
As the women fell into an expectant silence, Will Jackson began to hum deeply, getting louder and louder. He began a series of shouts as he stomped his feet. A few of the darker-skinned women accompanied his haka with a deep, rhythmic hum; and not one person watching questioned that he would send off the Top Dog with a burial haka for a warrior.
Allie didn't think she had any more tears left but they flowed silently down her cheeks as her heart beat to the rhythm of Will's stomping. When he finished, he placed a piece of carved white bone next to the red urn, turned and walked out of the yard.
Liz gave Boomer a little tug and the two of them walked up to the table and slowly placed white carnations in front of Bea's drawing. Liz looked over at Doreen, who came up next to them and added her flower. Several other people followed including Kaz, Miss Miles, and Officer Ford, who tried to hide his sadness with a scowl that his red eyes betrayed.
Maxine placed one carnation and then leaned down as she put a second. "From Frankie," she whispered and she gently added it to the pile.
Vera and Bridget walked up together and each placed a flower and as they turned, Bridget pointed to the second floor windows of Vera's office. "I'm going to go check on…" And Vera nodded that she understood.
Everyone seemed to grow even quieter, waiting silently; it was a sign of respect greater than Vera ever expected. Finally, Allie moved, one slow step and then another. As she stood in front of the table, she reached out her hand and placed one red rose.
"For Debbie," she said loud enough for most of the women to hear.
Then her hand reached out one more time and in it was another red rose. As uncontrolled tears flowed down her cheeks, her hand shook visibly as she started to place it on the pile of flowers. But she couldn't let it go. She pulled her shaking hand back to her chest and cradled the red rose to her heart. She turned and fell into Kaz's open arms and the two women walked back into the prison.
Vera looked up at the women and men around her. "Thank you," was all she could manage. And the prisoners and guards began to slowly drift off into their own small groups or back to work.
Vera looked up into the tinted windows of her office and could just make out the shorter Bridget holding the thin, black-haired woman that they smuggled in through the side door. She hoped that no one else was interested in her office windows.
A hand on her arm made her jump and she turned to see Maxine's gaunt, pale face. "Thank you, Miss Bennett." Vera nodded at her and rubbed the side of Maxine's arm but couldn't speak. She had to get out of the yard and didn't watch as Liz and Doreen gathered the flowers, the urn and the framed drawing.
As Vera reached the corridor to her office, her cell phone rang a special tone and she pulled it out of the belt clip. She answered it and told the caller to hold a moment as she walked into her office. She closed the door and her two guests waited while Vera listened to the caller.
"Yes. I understand. But that's…" Vera dropped slowly in her chair, the blood draining from her face. "No, it's not a problem. I'll make sure of it."
Vera hung up the phone call and looked up at Bridget in shocked silence. Bridget started to ask her what was wrong but Vera cut her off. "You two need to leave right away."
"Vera, is everything okay?" Bridget was worried for her friend. "What's happened? Vera!"
Vera looked up at her, wetness welling in her eyes. She brushed her eyes, stood up and pulled down her jacket. "I will explain later but right now you both need to leave."
Bridget decided it was best not to push any further and she led Frankie out the door and down the back staircase.
Vera sat back down and looked at the room around her. It felt bigger but also like it was crowding in on her. And for the first time in her career, she wished she wasn't sitting in the governor's chair. With a shaking hand she reached over and picked up the walkie talkie.
"Sierra Two to Sierra Three."
"Sierra Three here."
"Mr. Jackson will you come to my office please."
"Yes, Governor. Be there in five."
"Thank you."
Twenty minutes later, she picked up the walkie talkie again.
"Sierra Two to Sierra Four."
"Sierra Four here."
"Mr. Stewart, it seems we have a plumbing issue. Will you meet me in the boiler room, please?"
"Right away, Governor."
Vera stood up from her desk, pulled down her jacket and walked out of her office.
Jake was waiting for her when she opened the door to the boiler room. The grin on his face made her stomach jump and turn and she smiled back. She led him over to their spot behind one of the tanks and made him lean against the pipe.
"Oh, Governor. Don't be too rough with me."
"Shut up, Mr. Stewart."
"Oh, yes ma'am."
"Spread 'em." She kicked his legs apart and ran her hands up the back of his leg and over his butt. She could feel the muscles tighten beneath her hands. She continued running her hands up his hips and pushed his arms spread wide along the horizontal pipe. She pulled her hands back along his arms, stopping to feel his biceps, which he politely flexed for her.
"Oooh," she whispered in his ear.
She leaned against him and pushed him against the pipe with her body. He leaned his head back, trying to kiss her but she pushed him forward. He started to rock side to side, rubbing his firm bottom against her stomach and she leaned into him. Then she removed a roll of gauze bandage from her pocket and wrapped his right hand to the pipe, and then his left.
"Oh, Vera, be gentle with me," he playfully pleaded.
She leaned in very close so that he could feel the warmth of her breath on his ear and he moaned.
"Oh, Vera."
"Oh, Jake," she whispered. "What does she have on you?"
"Oh…what?" He tried to pull away from the pipe and realized that he was tied to it. "What's going on?"
"What does she have on you?"
"Who?"
"Joan Ferguson. Talk to me. Tell me and I might be able to help you."
"What are you talking about? I don't know anything." He started to struggle in the bindings around his hands. "Let me out of this, Vera. It's not funny anymore."
"No, it's not funny. It really wasn't funny when I received a phone call from the District Prosecutor this afternoon and he told me they found the gun that killed Nils Jesper. The killer must have left in the van after shooting him and when the van blew up, it sent the gun flying into the ditch. They widened the search and found it in a drainage pipe."
"I don't know anything about that. Honest."
"Don't!" She shouted in his ear. "Don't…" she stopped and the look in her eyes changed from betrayed to angry. "…ever… lie… to me again. Why did you do it?"
"Vera. I don't know what you're talking about."
"They tested the gun and didn't find any finger prints."
"See, I told you I didn't have anything to do with that."
"So they tested the bullets."
"Vera," Jake started to struggle against the material that had him tied to the pipe. "Vera, I can explain. Cut me loose and we can go somewhere and talk."
She looked at him and shook her head. Then she pulled down her jacket. "He's all yours."
Will stepped out of the shadows.
"Will, help me out here buddy. You owe me. Get me out of here or I will tell her everything."
"He's already told me everything. The phone. The drugs. The money you asked him for. Did she give it to you? Is that why you killed Nils Jesper?"
"Look, Vera. We can still get out of here. We'll have to get far away from her or she'll kill us both."
"You're going to prison."
"She'll kill me. That won't stop her." Fear flooded over him.
"Then I suggest you make a deal with these gentlemen." She pointed to the prosecutor and two police officers.
"Vera, she'll kill you, she controls this prison."
"No! This is MY prison! I'm the Governor!"
"Jake Stewart," the police officer put a handcuff around his wrist as he cut the gauze. "You are under arrest for the murder of Nils Jesper. You have the right to remain silent…"
Vera didn't stay to hear the rest.
