"So you've known Cyrus the Virus for 12 years" Sally asked me in a weirdly calm voice; looking over to where she was standing with her hands changed up on the gate I nodded as I leaned on the gate next to her.
"Yeah since I was about 5, I thought they were so cool" I said with a small smile, Sally looked at me confused "them?" nodding I looked over to where Cyrus and Nathan were stood "Yeah them. "
Sally sighed before looking back at me "So how did you meet?" smiling I brushed away my hair that had fallen out of my ponytail "I was running away from my dad's office and wound up outside Cyrus' cell" biting my lip I laughed "I went to see him every week after that, he made me laugh and read to me for hours"
Sally just listened to me and nodded "I always made him homemade cookies" we both fell into silence before I looked back up to a frowning Sally "They saved my life last week" I whispered to her, her eyebrows shot up in surprise "the riot?" Nodding I wrapped my arms around myself.
Looking at the woman I had come to trust I frowned when she was looking at me seriously "What?" Sally leaned into me "You need to stop" she said in hushed towns making me frown even more "Can't you see what he's doing to you, it's not real sweetie" Shaking my head I backed away from sally.
"No he cares about me more than my own family ever will" I cried out to her gaining attention of the man we were arguing about "That's what he wants you to think, he's a murderer he can't show feelings Nicole!"
"Nicole?" turning around I saw Cyrus, Nathan and Billy looking between me and Sally who gulped in fear "You ok baby girl?" looking at Sally I just nodded I didn't want her to get hurt. Cyrus lead me over to the walkway and put me between him and the wall away from Nathan and Billy.
"What did she say to get you all upset sweetheart?" Cyrus asked me making me look behind him to Sally who was struggling to see us behind the steps "Nicole" Cyrus called me sternly "She told me…" I looked at Cyrus dubiously before sighing "That you didn't care about me, that you couldn't have feelings because you're a murderer"
Cyrus laughed before reaching for his gun, panicking I grabbed his hand "Don't please" Cyrus looked at me and nodded slowly before grabbing my face in his hands "you're too good for this world" he muttered stroking his thumb against my cheek.
Smiling a part of me loved the feeling of his hands on my face whereas the rational part of me knew he was a murderer. My heart quickened as Cyrus leaned down and place a kiss of my jaw bone before pulling us back over to Nathan and Billy.
"Feel better baby girl?" nodding I smiled at little Nathan was always so protective "Don't worry about what people say about you, your special girl" leaning my head again Nathan's strong arms I smiled he was right these two had always protected me when my own family hadn't.
"Hey, Cyrus, l, uh, I got some good news and I got some bad news" we all looked up at a nervous looking pinball "Yeah, what's the good news?" Cyrus asked crossing his arms over my shoulders and around my neck loosely.
I was confused at these sudden shows of affection especially in front of people but it still gave me odd butterflies in my stomach sure I thought he was handsome and had a crush on him growing up but who wouldn't?.
"Well, the good news is I found Benson, Carls and Popovitch" Pinball said sweating as Cyrus looked at him "What's the bad news?" Pinball scratched the back of his neck.
"The bad news is this dead fellow right here happens to be Benson" walking toward us "This Aryan fellow with the bullet hole in his forehead is, is Carls" Pinball put his hand on Carls bloody head before wiping his hand on his shirt.
"and, and this honky he's draggin' in is Popovitch" we looked over to see a convict dragging a dead convict behind him. "I don't know how to tell you this, Cyrus, but we are three white guys short or as they say in ebonics, we be fucked."
Cyrus sighed and rubbed his face "Listen, Carson City is expecting six men to get off this plane and we're gonna give 'em exactly what they expect" Cyrus moved away from me and walked down the plane "So I need three volunteers"
Cyrus looked over to Billy who laughed "Don't look at me, pal. I'm servin' eight consecutive life sentences. I am not getting off this plane" he told us smirking.
An old man put his hand up in the air "Hey, I'll go. I'm too old for his shit" he said making me giggle "Go ahead, go to the back" Cyrus told him pointing to the back of the plane "Anybody else?" he asked impatiently.
Odell put his hand up and grabbed Cameron's shoulder "Hey, right here, man. Us two" Cyrus nodded pointed to the back of the plane again "Great, go ahead. Go to the back"
Cyrus suddenly turned back to look at Odell and Cameron "Hey, whoa, stop. The guys they're expecting are white. That puts you shit out of luck" he said point to Odell who looked very upset
"Hey, come on, man" he protested to Cyrus who looked like he could care less "I'll tell you what. Sit down. One of my associates will bring you a phone book, and you call the Affirmative Action office"
Turing to another convict with his hand in the air Cyrus pointed to him "You, go ahead" I watched as Odell turned to Cameron upset and then Cameron whispered something and fist bumped Odell.
"We need another white boy to volunteer" Nathan called out from his position on top of the walkway but the cockpit "Pilot's white" Cyrus told him with a straight face.
"Wait, wait, wait. The pilot?" Billy asked surprised and put his hand up "Who's gonna fly the plane?" Cyrus smirked and walked up the walkway stairs to the cockpit "Relax, Billy. Welcome to the machine".
-San Quentin Prison-
2 guards walked up to the door of a cell "Vacant cell D8, ready for inspection" the bigger officer whose badge read 'Garner' said opening the door "Last tenant, Cyrus Grissom"
The other officer, Renfro, sat on the bed and watched Garner inspect the room "Got scratches on the wall" Garner said noting down the markings on his clip board.
"Probably a weapon sharpening" Renfro muttered chewing on his toothpick "What about the loose shelf screw?"
"What the hell is this?" Garner walked by the metal toilet and looked on the floor "Looks like cocaine" he said letting the grains fall from his fingers.
"What, do you got something there?" Renfro called now interested in what his fellow officer had found, Garner began to pick at the soft spot on the otherwise brick wall "I don't know. It's all soft"
Walking to the back of the plane I watched as Pinball started to cut the wrist tags off the other convicts "What about the rest of the pigs?" turning my head around I saw Cyrus walked up behind us.
"Be patient, now. They haven't ceased to be useful yet" Cyrus told Nathan in a relaxed voice he wasn't worried about any of this at all and his voice showed it.
I flinched when Pinball used the taser to melt the plastic tags together on the old man's wrists "Okay, old man. Now you're Mr Popovitch" Pinball told the man as Johnny 23 put tape and a cloth mask over his head.
"Gentlemen, you'll reach the Nevada pen in about two hours. The tape's just a little precaution in case any of you are rocked by the sudden impulse to squeal like a pig. Not that we don't trust you. But let's face it, your criminals" Cyrus told the men who were all lined up together on their knees.
Pinball held a piece of tape over Cameron's head who never looked up "Come on, man, move your head up" Pinball told him but Cameron only looked behind him "I want to stay on"
"What?" Pinball asked shocked as he looked down at Cameron who was now looking up at Cyrus "I changed my mind" Pinball looked over to us "So, Cyrus, we got a little mind-changer"
"I got 15 years left, and I know I'd just hate myself if I thought I blew my one shot at a naked party freak and an umbrella drink" Cameron said looking straight up at Cyrus before looking at me nervous knowing I knew he was a free man.
"You got 15 years? Boy, a second ago you couldn't wait to get off this plane" Cyrus said looking at Cameron almost suspiciously as Cameron looked back at the floor "I know. Fear of freedom, I guess"
Cyrus thought for a minute before nodding "Get him up. Get the cuffs off him. Pick out a guard, and then put that dead cop's prison issues on him" Watching Cameron walk back over to Odell and Sally I frowned and wondered what he was up to especially when he turned back to me and nodded a little.