On the Inside
Susie had considered telling Wendy that she had the day-off but had decided to keep it to herself. She had a feeling that would provoke too many questions from her. It was easier to make it look like she was going out to a normal day at work. Better to tell one silent lie than a whole lot of them.
Instead of taking her usual bus to work, she got on the transit bus that would take her to Greater Borealis, the big city to their sleepy town. Usually, a trip to the city would mean she had something fun in store for herself. A small shopping trip to second-hand movie stores for hidden gems, a little date with Wendy, but not this time. Instead, her journey would be taking her to the small prison just outside the city.
She gave Jeremy another phone call to exchange information and found him to be making progress too, just a different sort.
"Goldie was right about these guys being victims too," he said. "They've had some really messed up stuff done to them and they're scared. One way or another, I'm gonna get them and the original synths out of there. If I can find them, that is."
"Well, like you said, maybe Theodore will be able to help you out. That's the idea, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, 'cause I followed Hermana's tip and that got me to find out what happened with Vevina or at least part of it and gave me an in to connect with Clyde. If I do the same with Theodore like Clyde's hinting at, that might give me something else," he said.
"I hope it does. I can't believe that mess of parts can actually move and if Vevina is somehow stuck in there, that must be torture for her," she said.
He sighed. "Yeah, you're telling me. I was not expecting that when I went into Kid's Cove. Hey, that reminds me, I wanted to ask: what's in Prize Corner? In that big box, I mean?"
"I'm not really sure, I've not seen it. From what I've heard, there's meant to be some kind of surprise for kids in there if certain requirements are met or something. Plays a tinkly little tune like a jack-in-the-box and something comes springing out."
"So long as it doesn't come springing out at me, I'm fine. I've had enough surprises. And hey, sounds like you found a good lead with those guards. The one who works upstairs could give you a way to get up there," he said.
"She would if their fearless leader hadn't butted in," she muttered. "I'm hoping to turn up some more info today. Even then, I still wouldn't be able to get upstairs unless I know the code or I have a reason to be there and get let up. The door's in plain view so I can't just sneak up there, so the next best thing is to find a reason to be up there."
"That's not great. Hey, here's an idea. What if you gave them a reason?" he suggested.
Susie frowned. "How do you mean?"
"You know, make some trouble. I mean, that's pretty much what we're doing already but think about it. If Fritz is covering up something, he's not gonna like it when he finds out that you're sniffing around for answers. If you make enough of an impact, he might bring you up to the office himself and that gives you a way in to check the place out," explained Jeremy.
"Hey, that's actually a good idea. Hopefully, what I've got going on today will let me do just that," she said.
"Fingers crossed. And hey, when you see him… tell him I said hi, will you?" he asked.
"I will. Talk to you soon, Jeremy."
She hung up the line and let out a sigh. Needless to say, Susie was quite apprehensive. She tried to relax in her seat but she couldn't. She never had any reason to visit prison. Of course, she'd plenty of prisons in movies and TV shows. Usually abandoned prisons filled with ghosts and serial killers. But there was something about actually going to one that was a whole different experience than just watching it. The fact that she was going to be inside a building, filled with some of the worst examples of humanity didn't sit well with her at all. It was a little frightening.
Added to that was the reason why she was visiting. It had been almost a month since she'd last seen him and even though part of her was happy she would be, another was equally scared. Another thing that she'd seen in all those movies and shows was how prison apparently changed people and in most cases, not for the better. She didn't know what she was going to find, if it was still going to be the man that she knew or if he had somehow changed too. A mental image flashed in her mind of him covered in tattoos with massive arms that was so ridiculous she had to laugh, making a couple of others turn their heads.
She had to take another bus to actually get there. The building itself was what she expected. Chain link fence, barbed wire, a squat and ugly grey building with a small yard. Not exactly Shawshank but it was enough to remind her of where she was. When she arrived, she told them on the desk who she was visiting. They led her into the visiting room, which was lined up with those booths with the plate of thick glass and a phone for you to talk to the person on the other side. A few other people were in there too.
Susie took the one on the very end and waited. She glanced around the room. The panels next to her hid the other visitors and their prisoners from view but she could hear a man not too far away sobbing as he spoke to someone on the other side, telling them how much he missed them. Susie's heart went out to that person and despite her apprehension, she was reminded of the importance of her own mission.
A door on the other side opened and the prisoner was walked in. He took a seat opposite Susie and she couldn't help but smile. His eyes were more resigned than when she saw him last and looked as if he'd been sleeping rough. His stubble was growing out more and he looked peaky. Aside from all that, it was definitely still her friend, gazing out at her.
He picked up the nearby phone, his voice sounding like he could hardly believe who he was talking to.
"H-Hey, Susie."
"Hi, Mike." She pressed a hand against the glass. "It's so good to see you."
"You, too. Oh my god, I-I'm so happy it's…" His voice wavered and broke. He had to cover his mouth with his hand. "I'm sorry, it's just…"
"No, don't be sorry." She wished she could give him the biggest hug right now. At least then she'd be able to hide the beginnings of her own tears. "Mike, I'm so sorry I haven't been in sooner. After everything that happened, there was so much to… I had to just…"
But none of the explanations sounded good enough, not now she was actually here. No matter how she might try and reason it or justify it, there was no changing the truth. She could have come to see him sooner but she didn't.
Mike didn't seem to care. "It doesn't matter. You're here now. I-I know I already said, but it really is good to see you, Susie."
"You too. Jeremy says hi, by the way," she added.
"Oh. T-Tell him I said hi back and that I-I'm sorry about his brother." Mike paused. "He… he doesn't think that I-?"
"No, he doesn't. How have you been holding up?" she asked.
"Not great. I mean l-like, really bad. Oh god, Susie it's h-horrible in here. I-I keep telling them that I d-didn't do it, but they d-don't believe me!" He stared desperately at her. "I didn't kill those kids, Susie! You have to believe me, I didn't-!"
"Mike, it's okay. I believe you," she said. "I know you didn't do it. Don't worry, we're working on it out here and your chances are looking golden."
This completely changed Mike's demeanour. He looked as if he could cry again, though not from despair.
"That's… oh, my god, she…" He let out a loud laugh. "When? When is it going to happen?"
"Soon. I can't promise anything at the moment, but there's something I need to know from you, Mike. It's really important to help us out," she said.
"Anything," he said at once.
"I need you to tell me what happened when those security guards broke in to Freddy's. I know how it sounds, but it will help. I promise," she said.
"Okay then." She could tell he thought it was odd, but he didn't question it. "W-Well, it was my mom who let them in. She was suspicious of the um… the performers a-and just the place in general. Thought she was helping, they told her th-they had the same suspicions she did. They wanted to gather evidence of their claims, told her they wouldn't hurt anyone. T-Took me and my dad by surprise."
"Your dad was there too?" she asked.
"Yeah. He used to be the old night guard before anyone else a-and he joined me when he was in town. Th-They held us at gunpoint. Their leader, Daniel, he was dead-set on getting what he w-wanted. Kept asking m-me for the truth. He…" Mike took in a breath and shuddered. "H-He… he threatened to shoot m-my dad if I didn't tell him."
Susie cupped a hand to her mouth. "Oh my… he actually did that?"
"He did. Almost did too. B-But I managed to trick him, get him into the back room and g-get the drop on him. W-We fought back, the performers mainly a-and then… then Daniel got really mad. H-He came at me with a knife, he was crazy. He said i-it was my fault, that I r-ruined everything. Luckily, Fox- I-I mean one of the performers stopped him. Managed to tackle him. After they realised they were beaten, they ran. I didn't know about what happened after until they got arrested for breaking into the warehouse."
"Okay," said Susie slowly. "So Daniel sounds like he was really off the rails."
"Oh he was, he really was," said Mike. "They tried to recruit me when I was coming home from work one night. He started off trying to be friendly, b-but as soon as he thought I might know something a-about Freddy's, his whole manner changed. K-Kept asking me what I knew a-and when I tried to run, he grabbed my arm to stop me leaving. I-It was only when the quiet guy w-with the glasses made him that he l-let me go."
"He really does sound like a piece of work," agreed Susie. "Why did he do it in the first place? What did he hope to gain?"
"They thought Freddy's was hiding some big secret they were determined to expose.
"What about the others, how did they act?"
He shook his head. "I-I can't really remember their names a-all too well. They all wore masks and followed his lead, kept an eye on all the performers. One of them was a woman, she was pretty okay. She had a camera phone, she had the job of filming everything for evidence. I-I think she tried to talk Daniel down when he started waving his gun around but I think e-even she was scared of him. So were the others, I think. S-Sorry but why do you need to know this stuff?"
"Because I'm working with them now, Mike. All five of them, they all work at the new restaurant. There's something weird going on with this whole thing and I think they're part of it," she said.
"I see." Mike's eyes suddenly widened. "Actually, I-I think you might be right about that. Before everything went down, I got handed a newspaper article. It said my uncle Fritz, h-he paid their bail and let them all out, gave them all jobs working for him. Something about giving them second chances or something. I thought it was weird, but it was definitely them."
"Yeah, I agree with you there," Susie said. "From what I've been told about your uncle, he doesn't really seem the type to be charitable."
"That was my thoughts too," he nodded. "Not only that but when the cops first brought me in, they said part of the evidence they had was that the five of them had given testimony against me. They didn't let me see, but they said that all of the performers were potentially dangerous because they attacked them when they broke in. And apparently, because I associated with them, that made me just as bad," he added darkly.
"Okay, that seems like too much of a coincidence. They get let out and then their testimony is used to get you put away? I don't think I need to tell you that something's off about this whole thing," said Susie.
"You're telling me," murmured Mike.
"What about the performers? How did they act?" she asked.
Mike glanced around at the guard, but he didn't seem to be really paying attention to their discussion. He kept checking his watch, no doubt seeing how long they had until he would take Mike back to his cell.
"What you said before, a-about my chances being golden. Do you… do you know?" he asked quietly.
"I do. I know everything, Mike," she said.
He nodded. "Are they… are they all okay?"
"We don't know yet. What we're doing to help you, it's going to help them too," she answered. "So tell me, what did they do?"
Mike looked like he wanted to follow up on that, but he managed to keep it down. They didn't have very long to do this.
"Well… they acted pretty much like you'd expect someone who's being threatened. They were scared b-but they did as they were told. Freddy, he kept trying to talk them down. When they saw their chance, they fought back b-but they were threatened first, it's not like how they think" he added quickly. "The worst it got was when one of them tackled Daniel, but that was to save me."
"I get it," she said. "I can't believe they've done this."
"Me neither." Mike glanced at the clock. "M-My time's almost up. I-I don't want to go back in there. Susie, you c-can't imagine what it's like."
"I can't, but don't worry, Mike. You won't be in here for too much longer, I promise," she said, fighting to keep her voice even.
"I hope so. L-Look, my dad's number is on my file. Get it from them, he can tell you more. Would you… would you tell him I love him? Mom too?" he asked.
"I will," she said. Their hands connected against the glass again. "Before long though, you should be able to tell him yourself."
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Susie."
They didn't say anything else until the guard came to take Mike away. For a moment, it looked like Mike might resist but he allowed himself to be chained up again and walked out. He kept stealing glances back at Susie who tried to convey as much as she could her encouragement to him. She watched until he was taken through the door and out of sight.
Susie stood up to leave, a few tears trickling down her face. On the one hand, she was relieved to know that Mike was still very much the same man he was before. But it made her heart break to see him like that and to know that, for now at least, there was nothing she could do to change the situation. She could only imagine how horrible it must be for someone who had somebody they cared about locked up in here and be utterly powerless to do anything about it. Even if some of them did deserve it, at the end of the day these were still people.
As she got the number for Mike's dad from the front desk, Susie only felt more determined. Unlike those other unfortunates, she had a chance to get her friend out of that place and she wasn't going to waste it. He hadn't been to trial yet and she was going to make sure that he was a free man before that ever came to pass. She had just gotten the number and turned when somebody else in the reception area addressed her.
"Oh hey, it's you," a bright voice said. "You're on the front desk at the Fun Palace, right?"
Susie had to take a moment to recall but she realised it was her. The woman from the Fun Palace who always came in. The one who always smiled at Susie but never said a word. Now that she was up close, Susie wasn't too ashamed to admit that she was even cuter. Chestnut hair cut in a pixie fashion. Pale skin, but less of a nerdy shut-in deal, more like sexy vampire. Her face was dotted with a number of freckles and she had a really nice smile. She also wore a t-shirt that had a quote she vaguely knew was from Star Trek.
"Oh hey, yeah. Hi!" Susie greeted. "Now this is a weird coincidence. Are you here visiting someone?"
"Yes. Well, maybe. I don't know, honestly," she said. "I'm kind of debating at the moment. It's become something of a ritual almost. I haven't really been able to yet. Does that sound bad?"
"Not really, I think I get it. I know its daunting but whoever they are, I'm sure they'll be happy to see a friendly face. It really makes a difference," said Susie.
"Hmm. I don't know, I'll think about it. But at least I got to bump into somebody interesting," the woman said brightly. "Interesting and pretty. Oh wait, did I say that out loud?"
"You did, but I'll forgive it. I'd be lying if I didn't think the same of myself. You're not so bad either." That got Susie a laugh from the woman that made her both delighted and ashamed that her stomach fluttered to hear it. "Nice to finally talk to you properly."
"Oh god yes, I'm so sorry I haven't until now. My job's pretty much a get in, do it and get out sort of deal. I would have loved to stay and chat but they expect me back pretty sharpish when I'm done," she said rather rapidly.
"Don't worry about it. I usually end up being pretty busy anyway," said Susie. "Must be a pretty important thing you've got to do if you've got to be in and out that quick."
"Yeah, I come by to work on the robots so I'm stuck in the Parts and Services room all day. Don't get me wrong, I do love my job, but it gets pretty tiring with nobody to talk to and always being on the move."
"You don't say," said Susie, fighting to keep the grin off her face. "That sounds pretty cool. I'd love to find out about it sometime."
"I wish I could talk but you know, I can't really hang around during working hours," she said sadly.
"How about after working hours? I know a couple of good places to eat in the town," offered Susie.
"Are you… asking me out to dinner?" The woman's cheeks tinted a little. "Pretty forward and you haven't even told me your name."
"It's Susie. Susie Thompson," she answered. "And yours?"
"Lidiya Holland," she returned. "Well, now we know each other's names, I guess I have no choice."
"I guess not. I finish at five tomorrow and I'll see you in front of the restaurant not a minute later," said Susie.
"I won't be able to get there until six, but that still sounds great," said Lidiya.
Susie pretended to sigh melodramatically. "I suppose I can forgive your lateness. Six it is then." She pulled out her phone and held up her number. "Just let me know when you're there."
"Will do." Lidiya hurriedly typed in the number and tapped out a text that said 'see you then'.
"See you then," echoed Susie and stepped out of the prison.
She allowed herself to feel the elation at her unbelievable luck and fortitude, then the shame at having openly flirted with another woman. She began to ponder if it was best to keep this hidden from Wendy or find some way to tell her that this would just be a friendly get-together with a co-worker and nothing more. Just how many more lies was she going to have to tell her partner?
Susie did her best to put it out of her mind. Today was going really well for her, so far. Now it was time to keep the ball rolling. Her phone already in her hand, she typed in the other number she'd gotten today and rang it. It didn't take long for it to pick up.
"Hello?" The man's voice sounded tired and despondent. Susie couldn't blame him for that at all.
"Hello? Mr Schmidt? My name is Susie. You don't know me, but I'm a friend of your son, Mike. I'm trying to help him out but I need your help, too," she said.
"Is that so? Look, Susie, I don't know how you got this number but-"
"I got it from your son, Mr Schmidt. I've just visited him in prison, locked up for a crime he didn't commit. We, me and others, are trying to prove his innocence and put away the real people responsible. Like I said though, I need your help otherwise Mike is never going to get out," she said. "Please, I know how crazy it sounds but I can do it. I promise."
There was silence on the other end. "You really want to help my son?"
"I do, sir."
"Right. What do you want to know?" he asked.
"The break-in at Freddy's. Tell me everything about the way the performers behaved and how the people who broke in acted. Don't spare any detail. I want to know everything."
