Snake stared out the window as they examined his chains before the ferry. His eye turned to the water. Some people might make a break for the water but with 30 armed men and who knew how many choppers on pads at the processing center, Snake knew better. He could wait.
His eye settled again on the Statue. She must feel lost and alone these days. She looked over a police state now instead of a free country. Below the police scurried about ignoring her. No one stared up at her with awe any longer; no one but Plissken. What good was a man in chains looking on in awe of a dead monument? Plissken sighed and grumbled as the bruises from bouncing around in his previous transportation came in contact with the bars as the bus lurched. His fingers wrapped around the bars for balance and instantly they were smashed with the butt of a rifle.
Snake pulled his hand back rubbing the knuckles and gazing up at the impressive statue. He'd seen her once as a young boy. She seemed enormous then. Things hadn't changed much. He still felt small compared to her great bulk. The sway of the bus was lulling until he was poked at with a rifle through the bars. Plissken glared at the offending officer while his companions laughed.
Snake didn't move as they prodded at him. There was an intimate understanding of why caged animals attacked their keepers. Snake would bide his time like a caged lion. The hit came harder this time and Plissken looked away out the window with a flat disinterested gaze. He didn't even let on that it hurt despite the waves of pain rolling out from the impact point. The guards got bored and left him to himself. He was glad of that when the bus rumbled off the ferry and on to Liberty Island.
Snake relaxed himself putting aside all of his emotions into the coal fire that burned in the pit of his stomach and kept him going like a steam train. One thing remained that he couldn't push away; patriotism. In the presence of The Statue he couldn't forget why he was fighting all this madness.
Snake stepped off the bus and glanced around. The chains were digging into his wrists uncomfortably as his gaze turned up. Lady Liberty was right there looking out over a prison. In that moment Snake felt more disgust for what had happened to America than he had previously imagined possible. The idea of freedom turned to prison was undeniable as he watched the choppers rise behind the statue. This was the disgrace, the hypocrisy Snake knew he would fight to the end or die trying one day. He just hoped today wasn't that day.