The FAYZ Trials Chapter 4
The jury were ready with their result and the whole room was on pins. Freddy watched as the speaker of the jury stood and declared:
"The jury find Caine Soren not guilty."
Freddy swore.
"This is wonderful news Caine," Karim said as Caine strutted out of the courtroom. "Wonderful news," Caine grinned. "Freddy messed that one up" Karim laughed. Suddenly Caine turned on him, "So if Freddy hadn't of messed up where would I be?" he asked angrily "Back in my cell? You're my lawyer, I rely on you not on how badly Freddy does in court, I've still got loads of trials to go and I don't want to be getting away by the skin of my teeth again!" Karim faltered and nodded.
"Right Caine, that's true, next time I'll-"
"Do better." Caine said finishing his sentence with a smirk
Karim was beginning to like that kid less and less by the second.
Sam waited until Karim arrived. He was in the prison's meeting room surrounded with kidnappers, rapists and murderers all sitting in their orange prison suits waiting to talk to their own lawyer, or wife, or best friend or whatever. Sam was waiting for Karim, waiting for Karim and an explanation. He was angry, so angry that Caine should walk free and he be guilty, how could Karim let that happen?
Eventually Sam saw a police officer show Karim over to where he was sitting. Karim was dressed in a grey suit that looked sharp and expensive, usually he dressed modestly but Sam noticed the designer label on the lapel.
"Nice suit." He said sullenly sounding, unfortunately, like Caine. Karim blushed and smiled awkwardly and Sam guessed that the suit was bought with the money he'd earned from Caine and Quinn.
"Look Sam, we're going to appeal so there's no need to worry," Karim said taking a seat opposite Sam.
"Caine is innocent and I'm guilty!" Sam yelled "How does that work out Karim? And 'no need to worry!' I've not got much else to do sat alone in a cell all day!" Karim flinched as Sam let loose "And don't even get me started on my next case! The Thanksgiving Massacre!" Sam put his head on the desk and pulled at his hair which had been cropped short by the prison nurse.
"Sam the Massacre is the least of your worries," Karim said seriously "If you're found guilty then the worst you'll get is a fine, you were defending Perdido Beach that night – Caine's the one who needs to worry,"
"Well then why don't you go help precious Caine!" Sam yelled slamming his fists onto the table and jumping to his feet "Don't worry about me it's not as if I cemented peoples' hands or anything! It's not like I ever tried to help or take control or find justice when we were trapped under that dome! Nah, Caine's the one who has it tough, poor Caine!" The police officer on guard grabbed Sam and led him back to his cell leaving Karim sitting with the empty chair opposite him.
Lana lay awake in her hotel room. She couldn't sleep, not knowing that tomorrow she would be on trial for the Thanksgiving Massacre. She was pretty confident she'd be cleared though, after all, when she healed Drake she didn't know he'd spawn a mutant arm did she? Besides had she not helped him she'd probably be on trial for that instead.
Yet she still felt nervous, earlier that day she'd learned that Sam had been found guilty in the Mineshaft Incident and Caine –Caine Soren – was innocent. At first she thought it was a misprint in the newspaper but she'd seen the news bulletin on TV moments later. She was lucky that she hadn't been called for the Mineshaft Incident, it was kind of her fault it happened, but since she wasn't in the right state of mind during the incident she'd been cleared, which was cool. She'd shot Edilio that night so she was glad not to have to relive that night.
Still, she was nervous. Very nervous.
Caine chewed at his thumb. He was trying to memorise his speech for tomorrow. How was he going to convince the jury that his idea to lead the coyotes to Perdido Beach was an accident? Maybe he could claim that someone like Penny had been the one with the bright idea! Maybe not since absolutely nobody would believe him. Speaking of Penny he had her murder trial too, self defence would be his excuse there though so no worries.
"Relax you'll be fine," Diana said. Caine sighed and locked the door of Hotel Victoria room number 441. The hotel was where all those cleared or facing trial were forced to stay – so a prison with room service, Caine thought. Still, it was better than poor old Sammy huh?
"Easy for you to say," he muttered back at her but then he remembered that Diana wasn't even in the same room, she wasn't even in the same hotel. No Diana was in the Psychiatric Hospital across state. Since the fall of the FAYZ Diana had been under constant watch, the final battle had mentally scarred her much to Caine's despair.
He'd been on the brink of joining her, and Caine knew as he climbed beneath the covers of his king size bed that if he was found guilty and sent to the claustrophobic, lonely, dark hole of a prison cell he'd have to reserve himself a bed there...
Karim sighed and pulled off his reading glasses to rub the sleep from his eyes. He was having a tough time sleeping and had decided to read over his case notes for the Thanksgiving Massacre. It was such a tough case to get his head around especially when he was expected to defend not just one FAYZ kid but all of those accused of crimes.
Sam Temple: Attacked Coates kids and ordered people to shoot guns – Sam would be fine.
Caine Soren: Attacked the town and ordered the psychopath Drake Merwin to allow the mutant coyotes to attack the day care centre – tricky, Caine might not get away with this one.
Lana Arwen Lazar: Responsible for creating that Drake's freakish tentacle arm – well, that could swing either way
Quinn Gaither: This was a difficult case – the boy could have stopped Drake and the coyotes but backed down – Freddy would call him a coward...
Karim sighed again: one out of four would be his most probable outcome and even Sam Temple wasn't immune from the wrath of the jury.
"How are you feeling this morning Diana?"
Diana stared darkly at her psychiatrist. Dr Morgan a fifty something, overweight loser who was trying to get into her head. He was sitting in the leather chair opposite her with his clipboard balanced on his lap and pen stuffed between his podgy little fingers. He was a typical idiot man who liked to think that he could understand her, that he could relate to her – hah! Please, this was the sort of guy who'd go home and listen to classical music and watch boring political dramas with his wife – kind of an Astrid person really.
"Still having nightmares?" he asked her giving her a smile which frankly creeped Diana out.
"Actually I think I'm having one right now." She replied dryly.
"Really!?" Dr Morgan asked leaning forward in his chair with anticipation.
"No."
"Miss Ladris, please, if you would simply cooperate with me then perhaps we will permit you to give evidence in court, but until we can be sure that you are stable enough to be let out you will simply have to stay here."
"You know if Caine knew how you guys were treating me he'd kill you with his bare hands," Diana smirked watching Dr Morgan's face drain of its colour "Literally." She added.
Freddy was flirting with the cashier at the coffee house outside the court. She'd recognised him from TV and had given him a free latte. She was cute too – if a little young. This female attention put Freddy in a very good mood and he couldn't wait to get into the court room and rip Sam Temple to pieces.
His confidence was inspiring since even he knew that Sam Temple was unlikely to be convicted of anything serious – if anything it sounded like the kid was a hero, defending the town from an army of – what was it again? Oh yeah, talking coyotes. Freddy chuckled to himself as he waved goodbye to the cashier and entered the court. Inside he spotted Karim. He looked tired, he had big bags under his eyes and Freddy noticed that Karim had forgotten to touch up his grey roots. Freddy shook his head with delight, the camera would pick those greys up real bad.
"Good luck Karim!" he called as he entered the main court room "You're gonna need it pal!" Karim didn't respond and Freddy was confident that this was going to be a good day.
"Phone call for you Mister Soren."
Caine was eating breakfast in the hotel's dining room. Eggs Benedict and fresh orange juice – smooth of course, Caine didn't like the pulp. The hotel receptionist was holding out a cordless phone and looked nervous to be standing so close to him.
"Who is it?" Caine asked pouring himself more juice.
"It's Diana Ladris."
Caine poured the juice over his shirt and jumped up out of his seat, snatching the phone from the receptionist.
"Diana? Is it really you?"
"No Caine. It's the fake Diana, in fact the real Diana no longer exists and is simply a fragment of your imagination."
Caine breathed a sigh of relief, it was Diana – that sarcasm was unmatchable.
"How are you?" he breathed.
"Wonderful Caine! I absolutely love it here being analysed 24/7 like some lab rat – in fact you should come along too, we'd have a whale of a time." Diana sounded more irritated than ever and Caine decided to cut to the chase.
"Sorry, I guess it must be hard on you." Diana snorted and Caine practically heard her eyes rolling. "What is it you want Diana?"
"To warn you," she replied her tone serious "they're not letting me out for the Thanksgiving trial so that false alibi I was going to give you? Yeah – not going to happen."
Caine felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. No Diana to testify was bad, real bad. Now he'd have to rely on Karim and he was about as useful as Jack without a computer. He was on his own.
"Caine?" Diana's voice rang loudly from the phone in his hand "Listen to me Caine, I will get out of here soon and I will help you." She paused and Caine wished that she was with him in person not at the other end of the line. "Caine? You still there?"
"I love you Diana." He whispered.
"Yeah, I love you too Caine."
And the line went dead.