CHAPTER NINE - Happy to See You Again
Stillwater Prison, Minnesota
~
They made their way down a long, dark shaft, lined with cages and old scarred arms sticking out of them, begging for something that couldn't be understood. A large barrel chested sheriff with his spurs clinking followed closely behind them, nudging them with his shotgun anytime one of them slowed.
"What the hell is that?" Cole's face crumpled as the odoriferous stench crept into his nose. "Do you smell that?" The dark hallway smelled of defecation, vomit and piss. The floors and walls were cold stone so nothing could seep into them and disappear.
"You'll get use to it," the guard said emotionlessly as he pressed his rifle into Cole and Bob's back, making them stumble forward a bit. The chains connecting their ankles, and the even shorted ones at their wrists, weren't much for movement as they hobbled.
"Even if we don't," Bob said, leaning down to whisper to Cole. "They'll cure it." He looked up to where he could see the guards posted around the metal caging, a gallows stage standing in the open. "They'll hang us."
As if summoned, the crashing of the bags echoed through the damp, stinking prison from outside the walls. Some of the newer men crammed into the cell jumped, while the archaic individuals lapped their rotten tongues over their toothless gums and shook their heads.
"Here," the guard stopped them and palmed a handful of keys, working one into the log as it screamed open on its rusted hinges. "Find yourself a place to sit...and keep it, cause you're going to want it when another load of prisoners comes in."
The guard went in before them, kicking at the man that scrambled back into the shadows, clearing a space to where the guard could then help Bob and Cole sit down the floor.
He didn't take the chains off as he left, only stepped out and swung the door closed, locking it. The men started creeping back out from the shadows, lapping their gums in distaste at the new prisoners.
"Uh...Cole?" Bob uttered anxiously as one of the toothless men came too close for comfort. Cole had worked his way up onto his feet using the wall and was making his way to the front of the bars. "What are you doing?"
Ignoring him, Cole went up and reached out to grab onto the bars, pressing his face against their cold bodies.
"Hey you yellow bellied bastard, this is against the law."
The guard turned spitting and wiping at the excess. "What law?"
"We're innocent."
A smile played at the guard's lips. "You shittin' me?" he asked incredulously.
"Honest to God."
The guard waddled back over to where Cole stood, coming up to the bars with his keys well secured to his belt. "What didn't you do then?"
"Sir, my brother, Bob Younger, and I took no part in that bank robbery up in Northfield. We were simply passing by when we were picked up under false - what's that word Frank taught you?"
"I think you mean "allegations"." Bob said, trying to shoo away the crazy toothless old man, who was currently rubbing his head into Bob's stomach, cuddling like a sick creature.
"Yeah," Cole turned back, "false allegations."
"What's this?" The guard reached over and plucked a piece of paper from Cole's breast pocket, unfolding the paper he looked at it carefully, before turning it around. It was a WANTED poster, one with Cole and Bob's sketches on it, one he'd grabbed just to have around.
"Shut yer lying trap boy." The guard cussed at him and crumpled it up, throwing at Cole's chest before licking his fingers for the aftertaste.
Cole pushed his face closer to the guard's, smelling the tobacco on his breath, seeing it drip into his white beard.
"Cole." Bob's shoulders dropped as he sighed in disbelief at what Cole was doing, pressing the old man back by one thin shoulder.
Staring the man straight in the eye, Cole pursed his lips and shucked his throat with the back of his tongue, sending out a big gobbet of spit to hit right to the left of the man's crooked nose, catching him in the eye.
The old man took his time in surprise, reaching up to wipe at the sloppy green globule and rub it with his fingers before stretching it out, riveted on it momentarily. Then, without letting any part of his body stop, he fumbled for his keys, unlocking the door and stepping inside.
Cole goaded him on, up on his toes in the excitement of the fight just waiting for the chance to pop the old man one right in the jaw. But it was him who got the first lick.
The guard swung out with his rifle butt and caught Cole right in the jaw, almost sending him sprawling but he quickly righted himself and swung his shackled hands in an arc, aiming for the guard's jaw, but fell short when the guard ducked low beneath his fists and kicked up high, connecting with Cole right between the legs, sending him to the ground. Then, as fast as that, the fight was over.
"Hope you have stupid children ya piece o' shit..." And the guard kicked Cole while he was down, right smack in the nose with the heel of his boot, his face immediately rupturing in blood.
Spitting on him in return, the guard turned and left without a backward glance.
"That was stupid Cole." Bob sighed as he put his hands on his brother's shoulders, waiting until he stopped coughing and spitting up the running blood.
"Shut the hell up." Cole hissed as Bob rolled him onto his back, turning out his leg to let Cole rest upon it like a pillow. Bob let his head fall back against the cold stone wall, taking another look up at the guards standing in the sunlight with their rifles loaded over their shoulders.
"Think we'll ever see Jesse and Frank again?"
Cole felt the blood on his face, a pain swelling his nose as his head rolled on Bob's leg. "No," Cole said through the blood. "I hope we don't."
He'd never know how right he was...
~
Henceforth, if reviews go down, so will quality and quickness between chapters...don't give up on me guys, it's almost over...have some heart: REVIEW and you'll make this world a better place for me to live in!
Stillwater Prison, Minnesota
~
They made their way down a long, dark shaft, lined with cages and old scarred arms sticking out of them, begging for something that couldn't be understood. A large barrel chested sheriff with his spurs clinking followed closely behind them, nudging them with his shotgun anytime one of them slowed.
"What the hell is that?" Cole's face crumpled as the odoriferous stench crept into his nose. "Do you smell that?" The dark hallway smelled of defecation, vomit and piss. The floors and walls were cold stone so nothing could seep into them and disappear.
"You'll get use to it," the guard said emotionlessly as he pressed his rifle into Cole and Bob's back, making them stumble forward a bit. The chains connecting their ankles, and the even shorted ones at their wrists, weren't much for movement as they hobbled.
"Even if we don't," Bob said, leaning down to whisper to Cole. "They'll cure it." He looked up to where he could see the guards posted around the metal caging, a gallows stage standing in the open. "They'll hang us."
As if summoned, the crashing of the bags echoed through the damp, stinking prison from outside the walls. Some of the newer men crammed into the cell jumped, while the archaic individuals lapped their rotten tongues over their toothless gums and shook their heads.
"Here," the guard stopped them and palmed a handful of keys, working one into the log as it screamed open on its rusted hinges. "Find yourself a place to sit...and keep it, cause you're going to want it when another load of prisoners comes in."
The guard went in before them, kicking at the man that scrambled back into the shadows, clearing a space to where the guard could then help Bob and Cole sit down the floor.
He didn't take the chains off as he left, only stepped out and swung the door closed, locking it. The men started creeping back out from the shadows, lapping their gums in distaste at the new prisoners.
"Uh...Cole?" Bob uttered anxiously as one of the toothless men came too close for comfort. Cole had worked his way up onto his feet using the wall and was making his way to the front of the bars. "What are you doing?"
Ignoring him, Cole went up and reached out to grab onto the bars, pressing his face against their cold bodies.
"Hey you yellow bellied bastard, this is against the law."
The guard turned spitting and wiping at the excess. "What law?"
"We're innocent."
A smile played at the guard's lips. "You shittin' me?" he asked incredulously.
"Honest to God."
The guard waddled back over to where Cole stood, coming up to the bars with his keys well secured to his belt. "What didn't you do then?"
"Sir, my brother, Bob Younger, and I took no part in that bank robbery up in Northfield. We were simply passing by when we were picked up under false - what's that word Frank taught you?"
"I think you mean "allegations"." Bob said, trying to shoo away the crazy toothless old man, who was currently rubbing his head into Bob's stomach, cuddling like a sick creature.
"Yeah," Cole turned back, "false allegations."
"What's this?" The guard reached over and plucked a piece of paper from Cole's breast pocket, unfolding the paper he looked at it carefully, before turning it around. It was a WANTED poster, one with Cole and Bob's sketches on it, one he'd grabbed just to have around.
"Shut yer lying trap boy." The guard cussed at him and crumpled it up, throwing at Cole's chest before licking his fingers for the aftertaste.
Cole pushed his face closer to the guard's, smelling the tobacco on his breath, seeing it drip into his white beard.
"Cole." Bob's shoulders dropped as he sighed in disbelief at what Cole was doing, pressing the old man back by one thin shoulder.
Staring the man straight in the eye, Cole pursed his lips and shucked his throat with the back of his tongue, sending out a big gobbet of spit to hit right to the left of the man's crooked nose, catching him in the eye.
The old man took his time in surprise, reaching up to wipe at the sloppy green globule and rub it with his fingers before stretching it out, riveted on it momentarily. Then, without letting any part of his body stop, he fumbled for his keys, unlocking the door and stepping inside.
Cole goaded him on, up on his toes in the excitement of the fight just waiting for the chance to pop the old man one right in the jaw. But it was him who got the first lick.
The guard swung out with his rifle butt and caught Cole right in the jaw, almost sending him sprawling but he quickly righted himself and swung his shackled hands in an arc, aiming for the guard's jaw, but fell short when the guard ducked low beneath his fists and kicked up high, connecting with Cole right between the legs, sending him to the ground. Then, as fast as that, the fight was over.
"Hope you have stupid children ya piece o' shit..." And the guard kicked Cole while he was down, right smack in the nose with the heel of his boot, his face immediately rupturing in blood.
Spitting on him in return, the guard turned and left without a backward glance.
"That was stupid Cole." Bob sighed as he put his hands on his brother's shoulders, waiting until he stopped coughing and spitting up the running blood.
"Shut the hell up." Cole hissed as Bob rolled him onto his back, turning out his leg to let Cole rest upon it like a pillow. Bob let his head fall back against the cold stone wall, taking another look up at the guards standing in the sunlight with their rifles loaded over their shoulders.
"Think we'll ever see Jesse and Frank again?"
Cole felt the blood on his face, a pain swelling his nose as his head rolled on Bob's leg. "No," Cole said through the blood. "I hope we don't."
He'd never know how right he was...
~
Henceforth, if reviews go down, so will quality and quickness between chapters...don't give up on me guys, it's almost over...have some heart: REVIEW and you'll make this world a better place for me to live in!