DISCLAIMER: I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars. This story is written as a tribute only. No celebrity endorsement is implied by product placements. All real persons' names are used in the sense of "wouldn't it be cool if this person had this gig?" The institution discussed in this fic is not a real institution. All opinions regarding real-life organizations expressed in this fic are the opinions of the characters only. You may or may not agree with the conclusions of the characters, and no harm or insult is intended to these real-life organizations, or to any participant, past, present, or future, in the meetings of these organizations. Again, this fic is not intended for those under the age of 17; this particular chapter includes a graphic depiction of violence.
A/N: Beta-ed by Poniesforall, who is also my assistant casting director, and Kazy. All mistakes that remain are my responsibility. Mexican-Spanish translations by Babushcka and PrincessBella24.
Previously on Veronica Mars: The Year of Living Dangerously Part Two:
vanessagalore•livejournal•com/46556•html
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VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Don't Let the Easy Entrance Fool You
Veronica is picked up the transfer service.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Carmen: Callie
Thorne. Joe: Tom Sizemore. Tony:
Romany Malco.
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CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT: "DON'T LET THE EASY ENTRANCE FOOL YOU"
Fri. 3/6/09 late: Rented house, suburbs of Boston, MA
Keith knocks lightly on the bedroom door where Veronica is trying to nap. "Honey, they're here. I love you, Veronica. Remember, I'll be watching you every moment."
Veronica nods and closes her eyes, pretending to be asleep; her heart is pounding as she waits. She goes over the lines she rehearsed with her dad earlier that day. I'm not going to have to act scared. I'm terrified.
She listens intently; first she hears a light tapping on the door, then quiet voices. Even though she can't make out the words, Veronica hears the tension in her dad's voice. She realizes he's not having to act scared, either, and for a moment, she thinks about bailing. Then Veronica takes several deep breaths and reminds herself of every single reason to do this: save other girls from having to go through this experience; prove that Hannah's death was a copycat murder; make sure that Logan recovers from Hannah's murder once and for all, and finally try to make Hannah's suffering and death count for something. Hannah had to do this without people watching over her. I can't imagine how scared she was. I'm going to be all right...I'm going to be all right.
The door to her room is opened; if she weren't listening for it, she would not have heard it. Veronica feels rather than hears someone approaching her bed. Suddenly, the blankets are ripped off the bed as the light switch is flipped on. She blinks against the sudden glare and mutters, "Wah?" She tries to block out the light with her hand.
A woman shakes her and says sternly, "Get up, Connie. We're going to go to the bathroom, and then you're going to get dressed. Your dad's arranged for you to go somewhere you can get the help you need."
"Go to hell. I don't need help, and I'm not going anywhere," Veronica says in a nasty tone. "Fucking bitch, get out of my bedroom."
"Connie!" Keith says. "Connie, get out of bed and do what they say, right now."
"Fuck you, Daddy," Veronica replies. She turns over and presses her face into the pillow.
Keith starts to walk toward the bed, but the man beside him holds up a restraining hand, saying, "No. Let us handle it."
The woman grabs Veronica's arm and rolls her over. She gets right into Veronica's face and says, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Doesn't matter to me, you end up in the same place either way." She pinches Veronica's arm hard, and Veronica squeals in pain. "Get up!" the woman screams in Veronica's face.
"All right, all right," Veronica answers, sitting up on the edge of the bed. "Look, this is fucking crazy. Dad, I'm not going anywhere."
"Connie, I've decided that I don't know how to help you, and I'm sending you to a school where you can work on your problems," Keith pleads. "Connie, please don't fight this. I found the best place for you."
Suddenly, Veronica pushes hard against the woman and tries to run out of the bedroom. The man takes a few quick steps and catches her, twisting her arm behind her back. In a low voice he says, "Don't resist. I will hurt you." He bends her arm a little more for emphasis, and Veronica cries out. "Connie. Here's what's going to happen. You're going to get dressed, then Carmen is going to take you to the bathroom. She's going to watch you. This is your last opportunity to go the bathroom for four hours, so don't waste it."
Veronica struggles against him. "You cocksucker, get your hands off me."
Keith rubs his forehead. "Dammit, Connie. Where did you learn language like that? I can't do this anymore!"
"I wish you were dead!" Veronica screams at him. "I wish it was you that died, not Mom!"
"Enough!" the man shouts in her ear. He pulls her arm back harder and forces her to kneel down on the floor.
Veronica gasps in pain and begins to cry. "Daddy, why are you letting them do this? They're hurting me!"
"Connie, you hurt me every day. I don't know what to do anymore. Please, go with these people quietly," Keith says in a frustrated voice, his hands clenched in fists at his side.
"Mr. Morris, I think you should leave the room so we can get her dressed," the woman suggests.
Keith nods. Of course, this entire incident is being videotaped, you bitch, he thinks as he leaves the bedroom.
The woman, Carmen, is looking through the drawers of the bureau. She sets out a bra and panties, a t-shirt, jeans, and socks. Veronica notes with satisfaction that the woman doesn't notice the unusual underwire in the bra. The man and woman drag her into the bathroom; the woman stays with her while the man exits, closing the door behind him.
"Okay, Connie, here's what's going to happen now. You're going to take off your pajamas and put on these clothes, then you're going to go to the bathroom." The woman motions to the clothes on the bathroom vanity.
"I'm not doing anything while you're watching me," Veronica snaps back.
"Oh yes you are. If necessary, I'll bring Joe in here, and we'll strip you and then hold you down and put your clothes on. It won't be the first time we've done it, and it certainly won't be the last time."
"God, what are you, a fucking lezzie? You get your thrills making young girls take off their clothes for you?" Veronica asks spitefully.
"It's time for you to accept that we're here to help you, and you need to do what you're told. The longer you resist us, the more trouble you're going to have," Carmen answers.
"There's no way that this is legal! You can't do this to me!" Veronica yells back.
"Actually, if you contacted a policeman right now, he'd have no choice other than to surrender you into our custody. We have all the paperwork with your dad's signature, committing you into a residential placement for ninety days," Carmen replies. "There's not a judge in the country that would dispute it."
Veronica swallows, staring at the woman. Finally, she turns her back to the woman and strips. She puts on the clothes and turns around. "Okay, I got dressed. I'll go to the bathroom if you get out of here."
"No. You go in front of me," Carmen says. "Get used to it. Where you're going, that's the rule. No unattended bathroom visits until you've proven you can be trusted."
"Where I'm going?" Veronica echoes. "What the hell is this place?"
"It's called Briar Hill Academy, and it's a school where parents send bad girls like you to get straightened out."
Veronica stares at the woman again. Finally, she pulls down her jeans and goes to the bathroom as Carmen watches. I knew this was going to happen, but still... She finishes and flushes the toilet, realizing that she's blushing red from the woman's constant staring.
"Good, Connie. Let's hope that you keep behaving," Carmen says. She knocks on the door, and the man, Joe, comes in to the bathroom. Carmen says, "Okay, Connie, put your hands out in front of you."
Veronica looks from the woman to the man and tries to back away from them, but is immediately stopped by the wall at her back. Joe walks toward her and grabs her hands strongly, with Veronica struggling all the while. Carmen takes a pair of handcuffs from her belt and puts them on Veronica, securing her hands in front of her. The man takes Veronica's arm and drags her back into the bedroom, where Keith is waiting, pacing nervously.
Keith says, "That's her stuff. I packed what they said." He notices the handcuffs and says nervously, "Are handcuffs really necessary?" but Joe and Carmen ignore him.
Seeing the smallness of the bag, Veronica cries out, "That can't be all my stuff! What about my laptop, my books, my phone? Ninety days, that's three months. There can't be enough clothes in there."
"Connie, honey, they're going to provide you with clothing and everything else you need. There's no internet and no phone privileges there, so you won't be able to contact your friends."
"I'll run away! You can't make me stay there!" Veronica shouts. She tries to pull free from the man's grasp, but Joe just tightens his grip on her arm. Veronica is certain that he's leaving a bruise mark, and she reminds herself to try to find a way to get Kavner or Logan to document it when they get to the school.
"Connie, no! Don't struggle! You're going to hurt yourself," Keith pleads. He sighs and continues, "Please, Connie, it's not that I want to do this. You've left me no choice. I'm afraid you're going to kill yourself or end up in prison if you keep going the way you have been."
Veronica changes tactics and says in a wheedling tone, "Please, Daddy, don't do this. I'll be good. I promise. I'll do whatever you say. Please don't send me away."
"No, Connie," he says sadly.
She screams at him again, "You fucker! Goddamn you!" Joe shakes her by the arm, and she tries to strike him with her manacled hands.
The man and woman take Veronica, still struggling and cursing, out of the bedroom and walk her down the hallway to the front door. Joe opens the door, and Keith calls out, "I love you, Connie. Please, try to behave so you can come home to me as soon as possible."
Carmen pushes Veronica toward the front stoop, and Veronica makes a break for it. The man and woman pursue her as she runs across the neighbor's lawn, her speed hindered by her hands cuffed in front of her. Joe catches her and tackles her to the ground. Veronica continues to struggle against him; he finally controls her, and the woman unlocks one cuff and pulls Veronica's arms behind her back, snapping the cuff in place again. Carmen says, "So you think you're tough, huh, Connie? We haven't lost a girl yet, and you're not going to be our first."
Joe pulls Veronica to her feet and walks her to a van parked in front of the house. He opens the sliding side door and pushes her in front of him. He follows her into the van and says, "Sit. Stop pissing me off, you little bitch." Veronica awkwardly sits down on a meager cushion he indicates. He kneels down and attaches another pair of cuffs to her ankles. Quietly, so Keith observing from the sidewalk won't hear, he says, "Enjoy the next four hours trussed up like a hog, you stupid cunt. If you keep your mouth shut, I won't put a gag on you. Right? Do you understand, Connie? Nod if you understand," Joe says.
Veronica nods. She lies down on her side, trying to get comfortable. Joe exits the van, sliding the door shut, and gets in the driver's seat. Carmen gets in the passenger side. She looks back at Veronica, meeting her eyes. Carmen says, "Behave yourself, Connie, and you'll get through this just fine. You need to accept that your life's going to be a lot different now, and the sooner that you do, the easier it will be for you."
Joe starts the van and pulls out into traffic. Carmen turns to Joe, and they start conversing about the other pickups scheduled for that week. Then the conversation absurdly turns to a discussion of the last round of "America's Next Top Model".
Veronica tries to relax. She knows that her dad is listening to the bug they had sewn into her jeans. After talking to several previous students from the school, Keith surmised that they could take the chance of bugging her that way since the students' outer clothes are taken from them as soon as they are admitted. Just in case, the bug has been disguised as one of the buttons on the button fly, with the transmitting wire sewn into the waistband.
Veronica reviews the different code words they have settled on during their preparation: 'Lianne', 'Lamb', and 'California'. Each indicates a different level of warning: 'Lianne' indicates that Veronica is nervous about being discovered and needs to be monitored more closely; 'Lamb' means send the cops in immediately; and 'California' means that the undercover operation urgently needs to be terminated–Logan and Kavner will go to Veronica's rescue and get her out of there immediately. They also have agreed that if Veronica uses the phrase, 'I want to call my dad', that will signify that she's okay and that they shouldn't worry. Similarly, if Logan or Kavner say the words "cutie-pie" to her, she will know that Keith has decided to terminate the operation and will be extracting her as soon as possible. Veronica tries to clear her head of her worries, and, despite her uncomfortable position, she attempts to get some rest.
Fri. 3/6/09 late: Boston, MA to Manchester Center, VT
About ten miles behind the van, Keith listens to the conversation between Carmen and Joe on his laptop monitoring program. So far, so good, he thinks as he drives down the highway. Veronica knocked that out of the park. Kavner texted him earlier that day that he had managed to switch shifts so he could be present at Veronica's intake and hand off the bug for her bra after the strip search.
Fri. 3/6/09 late: Briar Hill Academy, Manchester Center, VT
Logan lies sleeplessly in his small room in the employees' housing. Today, his first full day working at the school, he had to drag a girl to an isolation room. What shocked him the most was the silence at the school. The girls don't chat; they move like zombies from their chores to the group therapy to the classroom where they silently fill out worksheets. The social structure here is obvious; the girls who have been here the longest seem almost to be in charge, and each newcomer's movement is completely restricted by the oldcomer assigned to them. The employees such as himself rarely have to intercede if someone misbehaves; the oldcomers mete out punishment on the newcomers without being urged. He is taking Keith's advice to mimic the words and actions of the other employees. Each time he hears an interaction, he takes note of the wording for later.
At his employee training yesterday, the manager of the school went over the use of the taser and mace that was supplied to Logan, and then reviewed the school's policies, glossing over the specifics. When Logan asked if there was a proper way to restrain the girls when necessary, the manager, Tony, looked at him blankly, then finally said, "Don't you get it? These girls are liars and drug addicts. They're going to try to manipulate you. You're going to restrain them however you can, because if you don't, they're going to hurt you or themselves."
Logan laughed weakly, saying, "Yeah, you're right. I guess they wouldn't be here if they didn't need to be. I really need this job, you know? I don't want to screw up."
"Don't worry so much about the girls. For most of them, their only choice is the school or the streets, and they're lucky their parents care enough to send them here. You got to realize: most of them need to be broken before we can put them back together again. I know, because I was a kid like this. I spent five years in STRAIT trying to get clean. I think Peter Klein, the headmaster here, saved my life. It was brutal in the program, but it was what I needed," Tony explained.
"Sounds like you really admire him," Logan commented.
"Not many people have the guts to do what he does. He got sued, you know, but he still wanted to help kids, so he started all over again with a new program. He puts his own life on the line every day to help these girls. You know, every girl here ends up thanking him at the end."
Yeah, because they have to, in order to graduate. That's if they aren't already brainwashed by the program, Logan thought. Aloud he said, "I didn't know that."
Tony nodded vigorously, clapping Logan on the back in a friendly manner.
Lying on his bed, trying hopelessly to sleep, Logan realizes that already he's started to be influenced by the subtle mental programming at the school. He has been taken into the guard's social circle and advised that all the girls have severe problems and deserve to be there. If I hadn't known ahead of time about the program, I might have believed what this guy was saying. After dinner, one of the other guards, Ron, was repeating one of the student's testimony in group; all the guards laughed at her tales of debauched sexual antics in return for free crack cocaine.
Then Logan's thoughts turn again to Veronica. He glances at his watch, realizing that by now, she's been picked up and is on her way to the school. At first, he wanted to be present at her intake, but Kavner forcefully told him, 'no, you're not ready for that.' Kavner's serious expression scared Logan more than anything he had heard during the preparation for the operation. Kavner promised that he would trade shifts with another guard so he could be there to hand off the bug to Veronica and to watch over her to make sure she was okay. Logan reluctantly agreed.
He vows again that he will somehow find a way to protect her during the operation, even if it means that she'll be mad at him later. Logan pulls his compact cell phone from its hiding place in his pack of cigarettes and compulsively checks to see if there are any text messages. He wills the words 'Operation Canceled' to appear on the screen, but, as in the last twenty times he checked, there are no messages.
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VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
E-M-E-T-I-B
Veronica is delivered to Briar Hill;
Wallace and Weevil head out to Chino;
Duncan witnesses something.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Keith: Enrico
Colantoni. Wallace: Percy Daggs III.
Weevil: Francis Capra. Peter Klein:
Clancy Brown. Maria: Gina Mantegna.
Kavner: Eric Bana. Joe: Tom Sizemore.
Carmen: Callie Thorne. Duncan 2.0:
Chris Carmack. Mrs. Dominguez: Shelley
Morrison. Kendall 2.0: Katherine Heigl.
Tara: Kirsten Prout.
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CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE: "E-M-E-T-I-B"
Sat. 3/7/09 very early: Briar Hill Academy, Manchester Center, VT
Veronica is jolted awake from her fitful dozing by the sound of the sliding door opening on the van. Joe shines a flashlight in her eyes and says, "Remember, I don't want to hurt you, Connie, but I will if I have to." He moves the flashlight slightly so that Veronica can see his taser held at the ready.
Veronica swallows and nods.
Joe watches as Carmen enters the van and unlocks the cuffs around Veronica's ankles. Carmen grabs Veronica's arm and helps her to her feet. Joe steps aside, allowing them to pass, and Carmen escorts Veronica out of the van, holding firmly onto her upper arm. Veronica says quietly, "Wait, my legs are asleep. Please..." and Carmen stops and gives Veronica a second to shake her legs out.
"Ready?" Carmen says, and Veronica nods. Carmen pulls Veronica along a sidewalk toward the front door of a large imposing building. It looks more like a hotel than a school, but there a few details that strike Veronica as odd. There are no lights showing in any windows, and Veronica realizes that all the windows are blocked by heavy shades or perhaps are boarded up on the inside, preventing anyone from looking out. Or seeing in, she muses. The front door opens. It's Kavner along with several adults and five girls. Veronica makes sure to avoid looking at Kavner.
One man is tall and distinguished-looking, and Veronica realizes this is the famous Peter Klein, headmaster of the school and CEO. To her surprise, he comes up to her and hugs her. He steps back and says in a sonorous voice, "Welcome to Briar Hill Academy, Connie. I just want you to know that we love you here. Your life is going to change now, and it may seem difficult at times. But if you trust us, with our love and understanding, you can reinvent yourself as a productive member of society."
As he pauses, as if on cue, the five girls say quickly in unison, "Love you, Connie."
Klein smiles graciously. "Connie, since you are a newcomer to our school, you will be assigned to an oldcomer who will help you with your transition. This is Maria."
Maria steps forward out of the line and hugs Veronica. Maria whispers into Veronica's ear, "You're going to do exactly as I say, bitch." Then Maria steps back and says aloud, "Love you, Connie."
Klein continues, "For the first ninety days, you will not be farther than six feet away from Maria. If you want to talk, you will tap her on the shoulder; if she agrees, you may speak only to her at that point. The only time this rule is not in effect is during group therapy or if you are addressed directly by a counselor or guard. If you stray farther than six feet away from Maria, there will be consequences. Maria is responsible for you; any mistake you make will be corrected by her. If she fails in her responsibilities, she will have time added to her own program. Maria is one of our success stories; she'll be graduating soon if all goes as planned."
Veronica blurts out, "The first ninety days? My dad said I was only going to be here for ninety days."
Maria reaches out and slaps Veronica, not hard, but enough to sting, and puts a warning finger in Veronica's face. "I didn't give you permission to speak." Veronica flinches.
Ignoring Maria's actions, Klein says, "I've read your file, Connie. I think you're in serious trouble. Your life is a mess; you are a mess, and it's going to take a lot of work to get you right. We love you, Connie, we're going to help you here if you're willing to help yourself by following the rules and working your program."
Klein nods at Carmen, who unlocks the handcuffs securing Veronica's hands behind her back. Joe hands the bag that Keith packed to one of the girls. Maria takes Veronica's arm and escorts her to a room at the back of the building. The other four girls and Kavner go with them. Klein watches their progress, smiling benevolently.
Maria drags Veronica into a well-lit room, followed by the other girls and Kavner. Once they are all in the room, Kavner locks the door behind him with a key on his ring and nods to Maria. Maria releases Veronica and says harshly, "Take off your clothes; we're going to search you."
Veronica looks from one blank face to the next. It's very clear that there will be no help from the other girls. She looks to her left and sees a doctor's examining table, with stirrups like a gynecologist's.
"Let's go, I don't have all day," Maria says. When Veronica doesn't begin to undress, Maria nods at the other girls, who grab Veronica and start to take off her top.
Veronica shakes them off, commenting bitterly, "All right, all right." She slowly takes off her clothes. Her legs begins to shake, and Veronica thinks, I'm not acting. She stops when she is wearing just her panties and a bra; she tries to cover herself and says, "Okay, I'm undressed. See? I'm not hiding anything." There is no response from Maria, and Veronica repeats, "I'm not hiding anything."
"All of it," Maria commands. Veronica shakes her head 'no', and the other girls rush her and drag her down to the floor; Veronica kicks and screams while the girls pull off the rest of her clothes. Kavner watches, looking uninterested, and Veronica realizes that he's seen this happen more than once already and is maintaining a poker face; if Veronica didn't know his true purpose here, his uncaring indifference would have been the most frightening part of this. Finally, Veronica is completely nude; she begins to sob and cries, "If my dad knew about this, he'd kick your ass. Goddamn it! I want to call my dad...You fuckers!" She struggles violently against the girls trying to hold her down.
The girls finally subdue Veronica, and one girl manages to get her hand over Veronica's mouth. Maria leans down and says, "You want to call your dad, huh?"
Veronica nods, the girl's hand still on her mouth.
"I'll tell you what: if you sign these papers voluntarily committing yourself to the Academy, I'll arrange for a phone call with your dad," Maria say solemnly. She gets some stapled pages from a counter and shows them to Veronica. "Okay? You want to sign these?"
Maria nods to the girl holding her hand over Veronica's mouth, and the girl removes her hand. Veronica spits out, "I'm not signing anything! I have the right to call my dad! I want to talk to him on the phone right now! I know if he knew about this, he'd have me out of here in a second."
Maria laughs. "Your dad signed the same contract my dad signed. Briar Hill is your guardian now. He agreed to the use of physical force to restrict your movements; he agreed to no contact with anyone outside the school, even your family, for ninety days. At that time, if you've earned the privilege, you can have a supervised phone call with a family member. But, Connie, if you're a good girl, sign this document, and let us complete this search without an argument, I'll bend the rules a little and see if I can get you a phone call to your dad."
Veronica stays silent, apparently processing the Orwellian nature of her situation. Finally, she says, "You promise? You'll let me talk to my dad?"
Maria nods and hands Veronica a pen to sign the voluntary commitment papers(9). Veronica, staring at Maria, thinks long and hard; she finally pretends to put the pen to paper, then she suddenly reverses the pen, stabbing Maria in the arm, and tries to run to the door.
"Fuck!" Maria screams. She and the other girls scramble to grab Veronica, who has reached the locked door and is struggling futilely to open it. Veronica gives up on the door and begins fighting with the other girls. She aims a punch at Maria and hits her nose; Maria begins to bleed profusely and mutters under her breath, "Fuck fuck fuck! Goddamn it!"
Veronica manages to land a few punches while the girls struggle to get control of the situation. One girl knocks Veronica in the mouth with her elbow, and Veronica's lip begins to bleed. Another girl shoves Veronica hard, and she lands on her shoulder on the floor, wincing at the pain. The girls jump on her, holding her down and controlling her movements. Maria walks over, stares down at Veronica, and slaps her face with all her strength, knocking Veronica's head back onto the concrete floor again. Kavner doesn't interfere; he lets the other girls subdue Veronica and appears unconcerned when Maria strikes Veronica.
The girls drag Veronica to the examining table and maneuver her on top of it, laying on her back. Maria holds her head back, with a paper towel held to her face, trying to get the nosebleed to stop. Breathing heavily through her mouth, she walks over to the table and mutters, "Her feet."
One girl is reluctant, and Veronica kicks at her. Maria says sharply, "Tara! Grab her foot. You know the rules." Tara winces at her tone and grabs Veronica's foot, preventing her from kicking. The girls working together manage to get Veronica's feet in the stirrups and hold her in place. Tara looks nauseous, but reluctantly works with the other girls to restrain Veronica; the other girls display no reservation in their expressions.
Veronica fights against them the entire time, screaming and cursing. Maria discards the paper towel on her nose and gets a pair of surgical gloves. She dons the gloves and forces Veronica's mouth open. She runs a finger along Veronica's teeth and gums, thoroughly searching for contraband, then moves to the end of the table and examines Veronica's vagina and rectum forcefully. Veronica jumps in response to the painful intrusions and begins to cry.
Maria discards the gloves and leans over Veronica. She whispers, "You're going to be my bitch." She touches Veronica's cheek in a parody of softness, then reaches and squeezes Veronica's breast viciously.
Veronica's sobs increase, and she yells, "Fuck you, I'm not your bitch."
Maria laughs. "We'll see about that." She turns to Kavner and says, "I think 'Observation Placement' for her...at least twenty-four hours. You know Klein will agree."
Kavner nods his response.
One of the girls gets the bag with Veronica's underwear and sets out a pair of underwear and panties, along with gray sweats, t-shirt, and sweatshirt similar to what all the girls are wearing. Veronica is crying and moans, "I think you gave me a concussion."
Maria replies, "Get dressed. It's time for you to quit your stinkin' thinkin'. You and only you are responsible for being here. You're the cause of all your problems. You are a damaged person, Connie. You can't function in society. You need to accept that we know what's right for you." She nods to the girls, indicating that they can let Veronica go.
Veronica curls up in a ball, sobbing; she jumps when a girl prods her, and she slowly sits up. "My head really hurts. I want to see a doctor." She rubs the back of her head where it hit the floor.
Maria scoffs. "Bullshit. Your manipulative ways aren't going to work here."
"No, I'm not bullshitting you," Veronica protests. "I think I should see a doctor. I want to call my dad."
Maria replies, "You're just faking it. The only thing wrong with you is your attitude. Get dressed!"
Veronica gets off the table, turning her back to everyone, and slowly puts on the clothes. Maria says, "Good girl. I love you, Connie." To Kavner, she says, "I'll tell Klein."
Maria grabs Veronica's arm as Kavner unlocks the door; the girls file out, then Kavner takes Veronica's arm from Maria and escorts her down the hallway in the opposite direction.
As soon as possible, Kavner eases his grip on Veronica's arm; to the casual observer, it still looks as if he is controlling her. He whispers, "What the fuck was that? You're going to really get hurt if you keep that up."
Veronica sighs, rubbing her lip. "I just hate her; I couldn't help it. I didn't plan on doing that...I just lost control for a moment," she replies, sotto voce. "Besides, we got them on tape now, denying me medical attention. And now you can give me the bug without worrying about anyone noticing."
"You know, it won't kill you to go along a little bit," Kavner mutters. He digs the bug out of his pocket and looks around surreptitiously before handing it to her. "Okay, go for it." She reaches under her sweatshirt and attaches the bug without looking, having practiced this maneuver with her eyes closed numerous times.
"You did get it all on video, right?" she whispers. He nods, shushing her. They keep walking, Kavner appearing to be manhandling her all the while. At a set of stairs, he motions up, and they climb the stairs slowly. When they pass another guard, Kavner nods, and Veronica pretends to struggle against his grip. On the third floor landing, Kavner says, "Left," and they turn down the hallway. At the end of the hall, they come to a reinforced door with several locks. Kavner uses several keys to unlock the door. Veronica looks around the dark room and sighs. The room contains only a very thin mattress and a blanket. The window is completely blocked, and the only light fixture doesn't have any light bulbs.
"What about a bathroom?" Veronica whispers.
Kavner quietly replies, shaking his head, "Someone will come and take you in a few hours. I can't take the chance they'll see us. It's part of their milieu control; they control your body functions too. I'm sorry. Are you okay? You didn't really get hurt, did you?"
"No, I'm all right. I'm just going to try to get some sleep," Veronica answers. "It's been a long week."
"I know you have to provoke them, but Veronica, you have to be more careful," Kavner warns. "The oldcomer who's assigned to you–Maria? That was unlucky. She was in charge of another girl who escaped, and Maria had six months added to her own program to punish her for being lax. She's going to be extremely tough on you. Don't push her, Veronica."
Veronica ruefully nods her agreement as Kavner leaves. When the door shuts behind him, the room becomes very dark. She listens as the multiple locks are engaged and imagines how frightening this would feel to a girl who wasn't being watched over as she is. She tries to find a comfortable position on the mattress and pulls the blanket over her. She whispers, "Dad, I'm okay. Really...I'm okay. We're going to get these bastards."
Sat. 3/7/09 early: Navarro Residence, Neptune, CA
Wallace pulls up to the curb in front of Eli Navarro's house, located in the less desirable section of Neptune. Weevil's house is modest but well-kept; it's obvious that the owner is proud of his home.
The front door opens, and Weevil walks out, locking the door behind him. Weevil walks to the car and gets in the passenger seat. "This is fucking embarrassing," he comments. "Even soccer moms would be ashamed of this car. Some of my old crew is still in Chino, you know. I have a rep to keep up."
"I'll tell Veronica that's what you think about her Saturn," Wallace replies.
"She knows."
"Besides, the other option–me on the back of your motorcycle for the two hour ride to Chino–was completely unacceptable," Wallace says drily.
Weevil doesn't reply, just checks out Wallace's clothing. "Good, you paid attention to what I told you. No blue jeans, no fatigues, so you don't look like a prisoner or a guard."
"Yeah, and no spaghetti straps or mini-skirts either. I read the visitors' rules too. Somehow I held back. But you know how hard it is not to show off my fine Nubian body."
Weevil snorts. "Let's get going; we gotta get there early before the visitors' line is too long. How'd you get the visitor permission expedited anyways? It's usually a thirty-day wait to approve a new visitor for an inmate."
"It helps to have connections in law enforcement. Keith knows the warden up there," Wallace replies.
Wallace pulls out into traffic, and they ride for a while in silence. Weevil begins to play with the radio, changing all of Veronica's presets to new ones that he prefers. He notices that Wallace is looking at him surreptitiously. "What the fuck now?" he says in irritation.
"Uh...I've never seen eyelashes that long on a guy before," Wallace says.
"Dreamy, I know. Fuck! I can't help it. But...you know what? The girls love 'em." Weevil smirks. "They just line up for a taste of my chorizo caliente." He glances over at Wallace and adds, "Just drive, motherfucker, stop looking at my eyelashes."
Wallace rolls his eyes and keeps his attention on the road.
Sat. 3/7/09: Rented house, Manchester Center, VT
Keith is drumming his fingers on the table, worrying about what's going on with Veronica at the school. The last thing the bug in her jeans picked up was 'Okay, I'm undressed. See? I'm not hiding anything.' There was a short pause, then Veronica repeated, 'I'm not hiding anything.' Then another voice said sharply, 'All of it.' There was sounds of a scuffle; then indistinguishable noises were all that could be heard. The wait seems interminable as he pictures possible scenarios similar to the horror stories he has been collecting from past students.
Finally, the audio monitor program indicates that Veronica's bug has been activated, and Keith turns up the gain. He listens carefully to Veronica's muted conversation with Kavner. When Veronica says, 'Dad, I'm okay. Really...I'm okay. We're going to get these bastards,' he sighs in relief.
Sat. 3/7/09: Playground, Neptune, CA
With Mrs. Dominguez, the court-appointed social worker, tagging along behind them, Duncan and Lilly walk hand-in-hand in the playground. Lilly tugs her hand free and skips ahead. Duncan calls, "Don't go too far."
Lilly replies, "Okay, Daddy." She makes for the slide and quickly clambers up the step ladder. "Catch me!" she yells, before she hurtles herself down the slide toward Duncan. He catches her in his arms at the bottom, and she laughs happily.
Lilly amuses herself at the slide for a while before she tires of it and asks to go to the swings. She grabs Duncan's hand as they walk over to that area of the playground. Duncan pushes her on the swing, and she screams in delight as she soars high above the ground.
As he pushes her, he notices a blonde woman on the other side of the park. Kendall? he thinks. He stops pushing and looks again.
"Daddy! Why aren't you pushing?" Lilly complains as the swing loses momentum.
He pushes her again, watching the woman. It is Kendall. She's pacing, looking around nervously. Waiting for someone? Duncan notices a man walking toward Kendall. Kendall appears relieved when she sees him. They start to talk; the discussion appears to become heated, with Kendall angrily pointing at the man. He grabs her and shakes her viciously. Duncan does not recognize the man; he is certain that it's not Liam Fitzpatrick, whose picture has been in the papers recently due to the dismissal of his charges.
Duncan says to Lilly, "Let's take a little break. Just for a minute, honey." He catches the swing and slows it to a stop.
"Daddy, please."
"Just a moment, Lilly." Duncan pulls out his cell phone and takes a few pictures of Kendall and the man. The man shakes Kendall hard one final time and turns to walk away. Kendall appears frightened and uncertain; as the man walks away from her, Duncan is able to get a good shot of his face. The man gets in a car and speeds off. Kendall stares after him, then she quickly exits the park in the opposite direction.
What the hell is going on? I thought for sure Kendall would leave town after we figured out who she was. Duncan continues to stare into space long after Kendall has disappeared from view.
Mrs. Dominguez approaches. "Duncan? Is everything okay?"
He shakes himself. "Yes...just someone I didn't expect to see." Duncan turns to Mrs. Dominguez and smiles. "Can you watch Lilly for one minute? I need to make a very quick phone call." She nods, and Duncan steps away.
He tries Veronica's cell phone; there's no answer, and he leaves a brief message asking her to call him. He thinks a moment and then forwards the pictures he took to vmarsATaol•com.
Sat. 3/7/09: Sunset Cliffs Apartment, Neptune, CA
Veronica's cell phone vibrates in its charger on the desk in her bedroom. The screen reads 'CALL FROM DANIEL' and then changes to '7 missed calls'.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Incarceration
The monitoring team in place;
Wallace and Weevil in Chino;
Veronica in Observation Placement.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Epstein: Scott
Grimes. Dr. Kinny: Dan Castellaneta.
Wallace: Percy Daggs III. Weevil: Francis
Capra. Emilio Vargas: Vincent Laresca
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER SIXTY: "INCARCERATION"
Sat. 3/7/09: Rented house, Manchester Center, VT
Keith is watching the computer screen as the video file sent by Kavner finishes downloading when the doorbell rings. Checking the peephole on the door, he lets Dr. Kinny and the attorney, James Epstein, into the house.
"I'm glad you guys are here finally. So this is our observation post," Keith says. He shows them around the house and summarizes what has happened so far.
"I'd really like to see the video of her intake," Kinny remarks.
The three men gather around the computer screen to watch. Keith is both proud of and horrified by his daughter's actions. At one point, Epstein turns to him and says, "This is all great for the case, but she's pushing it a little, don't you think?"
Keith replies, "Yeah, Kavner told her to cool it. This Maria girl is dangerous; from what Kavner told me, she's got a lot to lose if Veronica gets out of control."
"It's actually not that surprising. Veronica thinks of herself as a strong person. She is a strong person, in fact. And she reacts when she's bullied," Kinny says. "Did you notice the one girl who didn't join in as quickly as the others? I think Maria called her Tara or Terry. We should find out more about her."
Keith sighs wearily. "I could really use some sleep. Can I show you guys how to monitor the audio and video feeds? Everything is recorded, pretty much automatically, but I think we should take four hour shifts monitoring to keep alert. That way, nobody's staring at the screen for too long."
The other men agree; Keith demonstrates the Sonic Snoop Audio/Video Surveillance program and reviews the code words that he has worked out with Veronica. He leaves his cell phone by the monitor, explaining that Kavner is speed-dial two and Logan is speed-dial three if they need to make contact. Kinny offers to take the first shift, and Keith gratefully goes off to take a nap.
Sat. 3/7/09: California Institution for Men, Chino, CA
Wallace reads the sign on the wall while they wait in line.
'Visiting in California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation institutions/facilities must be conducted in as accommodating a manner as possible in keeping with the need to maintain order, the safety of persons, the security of the institution/facility, and the requirements of prison activities and operations. Failure to comply with the established regulations and policies may result in warning, termination, suspension, or revocation of visiting privileges. These rules will help ensure the continued safety and security of the institution, staff, visitors, and inmates.
'We hope you will assist us in making the visiting experience a pleasant one for you, your family, friends, and the person you are visiting.'(10)
A pleasant visiting experience? We're not in Disneyland here, Wallace thinks. He looks over at Weevil standing in line beside him.
Weevil seems to read his mind. "Yeah, you probably never thought about what it would be like to be in prison. 'Course, I have a cousin who's serving a life sentence. I've been visiting him for years, so..." he shrugs. "I knew the consequences when I joined up with the PCHers."
"It's not just that," Wallace replies. "This case Veronica's working on...where she is is worse than a prison. The girls there can't even get visitors or mail."
Weevil looks at him solemnly. "That's fucked up. Even in juvie hall, you can see visitors every weekend."
Wallace assisted with a lot of the research Keith and Veronica did while they were preparing for the operation. He typed up the notes on the interviews and organized all the research. Here in Chino, he's realizing just how sheltered a life he's actually lived. All the cases he's worked for Mars Investigations seem trivial compared to the experiences of the discouraged and toughened people around him here. And what Veronica is doing at Briar Hill–she's volunteered to put herself in this very situation or worse.
"It's the lack of control over your life," Weevil says, intruding on his thoughts about Veronica. "You can't do what you want, and someone else is in charge of your existence. It's impossible not to change in prison. People don't get it when they bitch about cons getting to watch TV and work out while they're doing time."
Finally, they reach the head of the line. They present their identification, and Weevil shows his proof of discharge from parole along with the written permission of the Warden of the prison. They submit to a search conducted by a businesslike corrections officer, and both open their wallets to show that they have less than thirty dollars each on their person. They prove that they are not carrying any contraband such as cigarettes, weapons, or cell phones, and they are allowed to proceed through the metal detector and into the visiting area.
Weevil points at the sign, '«––Visiting Room Non-contact Booths––»', and leads Wallace to the right. They enter the visiting area, and they follow a corrections officer to a booth to wait for Emilio.
A Hispanic man about thirty years old, wearing blue jeans and a faded blue work shirt with a stenciled number on the chest pocket, approaches and sits on the other side of the glass. Weevil smiles broadly and picks up the phone. "Yo, Emilio."
Emilio looks at Wallace suspiciously and says to Weevil, "¿Qué onda con el negro, ese?"
Weevil replies, "He's okay. He works with that girl Veronica I told you about, the one that helped me find out who took out Felix."
Emilio regards Wallace and finally says to Weevil, "Órale, pelonito."
Weevil nods to Wallace, who clears his throat and says, "I'm trying to get some information about Ciaran Fitzpatrick. My girlfriend's brother...well, we think Ciaran had him murdered. This guy Shawn Blake was dealing a drug called Meth-X and turned up dead in Washington State."
Emilio looks from Wallace to Weevil and back. "Yeah, I heard something about that...This kid Shawn, he had a connection for this new drug, but the supplier would only deal in a large quantity. Shawn asked around and figured out that the Fitzpatricks were the most likely partners for that kind of a deal. Shawn had the connection, and the Fitzpatricks had the money to set it up."
"So what happened?" Weevil asks.
"I don't know. The story was that Ciaran was going to cut out the middleman, try to deal with the supplier himself. But then I heard that the kid tried to do an end run around him and cut out the Fitzpatricks."
"Pissing off Ciaran and getting himself killed," Weevil comments.
Emilio nods and leans toward the glass. "But there's more to it. Around that time, one of Fitzpatrick's boys was bragging that he would never get convicted because the Fitzpatricks had someone in the cops who would destroy the evidence in his case. The C.O.'s found him with a shiv in his back the next day."
Wallace echoes, "Someone in the cops?"
"You know Liam's racketeering charges got dismissed...este pinche puto pendejo baboso," Emilio comments bitterly. "The prison was buzzing with the news that Liam was finally going to go down. I was looking forward to giving him a little midnight justice. And then, ¡chingaos!, the evidence is excluded because of a fucked-up warrant, and Liam's back on the streets," he concludes sarcastically. "Got to be a dirty cop helping him."
"But why would they kill Shawn in Washington?" Wallace asks curiously.
"The Fitzpatricks always used a Mexican contact for their meth in the past. But there's a rumor that the Mexican border's too tight now, and some people are trying to get stuff in across the Canadian border...especially in Montana and Washington where the Border Patrol is stretched thin. It's all fucking trees and mountains up there, and a million places that aren't being watched," Emilio says.
"I'm pretty sure it wasn't actually Ciaran that shot Shawn," Wallace explains. "He and his brother Padraig were arrested on a drunk and disorderly charge around the time Shawn disappeared, and then they had to make a court appearance a few days later. Because of all their previous convictions, they had to surrender their driver's licenses and passports when they made bail. So they couldn't have flown up to Washington on a commercial flight, and I don't think they had enough time to drive up to Washington and back during that time."
"What about Liam? Was he around?" Weevil asks.
"I haven't made any progress on his alibi yet," Wallace replies. "It's not like I can go up to the guy and ask him where he was."
A corrections officer approaches and taps Weevil on the shoulder. "Two minutes."
Weevil nods and speaks quietly into the phone. "Emilio, maybe you could ask around about this? You know, see if we can find a way to make the fucking micks pay for what they did to the Reaper? And for Angel too. He says he's going to sell the junkyard rather than pay protection to the Fitzpatricks."
Emilio nods and says to Wallace, "Find out who the dirty cop is, güey."
Sat. 3/7/09 afternoon: Briar Hill Academy, Manchester Center, VT
Veronica wakes with a start and is disoriented in the dark room. Then she remembers where she is. After Maria finally took her to the bathroom and returned her without comment to 'Observation Placement', Veronica fell asleep fitfully, all the while wishing they would bring her something to eat or drink. She woke up several times; each time she was surrounded by deafening silence and unrelenting darkness.
She automatically looks at her wrist and realizes: of course...she doesn't have a watch anymore. It's got to be morning...maybe late Saturday night. I probably slept straight through the night. I can't believe they haven't brought me anything to eat or drink.
For a moment, she begins to mentally relive the brutal search that Maria performed on her; I knew it was...I knew it would be... Not a rape, NOT a rape, I knew it would be like that... Then Veronica deliberately refuses to think about the search anymore, putting it out of her mind, trying to deny the emotions she's feeling. I'm no one's bitch.
Veronica decides to try to explore the room in the dark. She feels her way around the room, remembering its dimensions from her brief view of it when Kavner brought her here. The room is bare of furniture or decorations other than the thin mattress and blanket. She finds her way to the window and tries to determine how it has been blocked. Boarded up? No...maybe painted black. She experimentally tries to scrape a fingernail on the window, but it appears to be typical window glass. Probably painted on the outside. She pushes on the double-hung window to see if it will budge; even using all her strength, the window refuses to give way. She feels her way around the sash and discovers several screws permanently fastening the window; she tries to unscrew one and realizes it is the type used in public bathrooms that can't be unscrewed without a special tool. She only succeeds in breaking a fingernail for her efforts.
She remembers reading in Logan's book about the Stanford Prison Experiment that one of the "prisoners" in the famous experiment used a fingernail to pry loose an electrical faceplate and then used that to unscrew the hinges on their "cell" door. She spends fifteen minutes futilely searching along the baseboards for an electrical outlet before she remembers that the door of the isolation room opens out. Veronica slides down the wall and sits on the floor, thinking absurdly of the scene in "The Big Lebowski" when the Dude braces the door shut by nailing a piece of wood into the floor only to realize, when the door flies open, that the door actually opens outward. She giggles, then starts to shake with laughter, and unaccountably a quiet sob.
What the hell is wrong with me? She takes a couple deep breaths. This is what they meant by milieu control. I don't know what time it is. I'm at their mercy for food and bathroom breaks. Veronica starts doing the breathing exercises that Dr. Kinny showed her and regains a little of her control. She focuses on everything that she can control in this room. She can control her breathing; she can walk around for a little activity; she can practice yoga poses or stretches; she can focus on the happy moments in her life. No one can take her memories away from her. She stands up and, holding her arms out in front of her, measures how many paces she can take before she runs into the opposite wall. Okay, five steps, and then I have to turn around. She starts to pace, one, two, three, four, five, turn around, one, two, three, four, five, turn around... She begins to feel calm as she performs the ritual over and over. It feels good to be able to move around a little and work out the kinks from the long trip handcuffed in the van and the vicious fight at her intake.
Feeling much more relaxed, she sits down on the mattress again. Suddenly she hears the locks being unlocked and the door opens; Veronica is blinded by the light from the hallway. She shades her eyes trying to see who it is; the door shuts quietly, and she hears someone whisper, "Veronica?"
She recognizes Logan's voice and stands up quickly. As they move toward each other in the dark, she bumps into his outstretched arm. He folds her into a hug. "I can't stay long, they'll notice I'm not where I'm supposed to be," he whispers.
"It's okay, I'm glad you came," she breathes. "What time is it?"
"Four o'clock."
"Four o'clock a.m.?" she asks.
"No, four o'clock in the afternoon, Saturday," he says, mystified. "You've been in here for about ten hours."
Veronica is completely dumbfounded. "I thought it was...I don't know, middle of the night at least."
Logan strokes her forehead. "You're okay? Kavner said you really made a ruckus when you came in."
"A ruckus?" she echoes.
"His word, not mine," Logan explains. "That girl Maria, your oldcomer, she's a real bitch, always running to tattle on someone to try to get some brownie points." He presses a granola bar into her hand. "Veronica, I wish I could have brought something a little more substantial, but I can't take the chance. Give me the wrapper back."
Veronica unwraps the granola bar and gives him the wrapper. "Get out of here now." She kisses him quickly, and he leaves the room, locking the door behind him. She catches just a glimpse of his worried face as he leaves.
"DON'T LET THE EASY ENTRANCE FOOL YOU"
from Dante's Inferno, Canto V 16-20: "O you who come to this abode of pain,...beware how you come in and whom you trust. Don't let the easy entrance fool you." -Robert Hollander and Jean Hollander, trans.
etcweb•princeton•edu/dante/pdp/
A more traditional translation:
"O thou, that to this dolorous hostelry,...Look how thou enterest, and in whom thou trustest; Let not the portal's amplitude deceive thee." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, trans.
www•divinecomedy•org/divinecomedy•html
If you're a nerd like me: for fun, check out this site (a purity test based on Dante's Inferno)
www•4degreez•com/misc/dante-inferno-test•mv
"E-M-E-T-I-B"
The title is an 'Alias' reference from the pilot, it's "Bite Me" backwards, the scene in 'Alias' is not too far off from what's going on with Veronica in the intake scene.
en•wikiquote•org/wiki/Alias#TruthBeTold
(9) Apparently the concept is that if the student 'willingly' signs these papers, the school can legally keep them there against their wishes after their eighteenth birthday.
"chorizo caliente" - "hot and spicy sausage"
Apparently Francis Capra took a lot of ribbing from the rest of the cast in season one, because the fangirls on TWOP, etc., kept talking about how dreamy he was, "and those eyelashes!", etc.
www•neptunesite•com/dohringinterview•htm
(10) www•cdcr•ca•gov/Visitors/docs/InmateVisitingGuidelines•pdf
"¿Qué onda con el negro, ese?" - "What's with the black dude, homeboy?"
"Órale, pelonito." - "All right, go ahead, little baldy."
"este pinche puto pendejo baboso" - Literally means "that fucking faggot pubic hair slug" but understood by Mexicans as "that fucking stupid-ass asshole."
"¡chingaos!" - "what a fucking surprise" or "those fuckers"
"güey" - "dude"
If you never saw "The Big Lebowski", you can see the scene I'm referencing at
www•youtube•com/watch?vEQUALSpKnDP0cr2h4
Replace "•" with "." and the word EQUALS with the appropriate mathematical symbol. Sigh at the inane rules of Fanfiction•net.
Thanks very much to everyone who left a review. I really appreciate everyone who reads this story, and your reviews make my day a lot better.