Rafe laid on his bed listening to David and Roger go on about some girl they had never met.
"Ain't that right Rafe?"
"What?" Rafe sat up.
"I said would you hit that?"
"Definitely." Rafe agreed, just to shut them up. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight they were wired and liked to pull him into their conversation when he was trying to sleep.
"Hey dude, where's your hot sister?" Roger jumped on Rafe's bed pulling the pillow from under his head.
"First of all," Rafe took the pillow smacking Roger across the head, "She's not my sister and she not hot, she's stupid."
"You're just jealous you're going to be family so you can't hit that."
Rafe threw the pillow at David. "Shut up."
KNOCK KNOCK
The three boys looked at each other. "Dude if you were going to have company you could have said something. Where are we supposed to sleep?" David threw the pillow back at Rafe.
"Shut up David it's not for me."
Roger shook his head. "Not me."
The knock came harder.
Rafe followed by his roommate walked to eh door wielding their baseball bats.
Rafe slowly opened the door. It flew open as 3 police officers rushed in taking Rafe down to the ground. "Raphael Rivera you are under arrest for capital murder of an officer of the law. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law." The officers hoisted Rafe up walking him out of the door.
"David, call Ava!" Rafe yelled as he was led down the hallway.
Natalia pulled Olivia to the phones. The unit was empty. Everyone was too scared to come out of their room for fear of being attacked.
Natalia quickly dialed Rafe's number. It was the fourth time in the last 2 hours she had tried to reach her son. They were supposed to call him at 10 and it was noon already. Natalia slammed the phone down as the answer machine kicked in.
"Calm down, shh." Olivia hugged Natalia shielding her from spying eyes.
Olivia pulled Natalia back into their room. "Shh. It's okay I'm sure everything is fine." She tried to comfort Natalia.
"No I know something is wrong. He wouldn't miss a phone call. Olivia something is wrong." Natalia held Olivia closer. She had only missed a couple of phone call when she was in the hole but Rafe had never missed a call.
"Natalia calm down, I'll try Ava again and if I can't get her I'll call someone to get in touch with her. We'll get them just calm down; you're going to make yourself sick." Olivia sat the increasingly distraught woman down on the bed. She ran her hand through Natalia's hair trying to soothe her. "I'm sure it's nothing."
Olivia was being to worry herself. Ava wasn't answering either.
Rafe pushed open the door slamming it into the wall. The knob left a hole in the wall.
David and Roger ran in examining the hole. "Thanks a lot Rafe you know we have to pay for that." Roger picked up a piece of plaster holding it up.
"Fuck you Roger you didn't just spend a night in a small room with two assholes calling you a liar." Rafe stomped up to his roommate.
Ava pulled him away from the boy. "Can you two give us some privacy?"
"Yea whatever but that is coming out of your pocket?" David followed Roger out of the apartment.
Emma ran to the desktop computer pulling up her favorite application. She quickly put on the headphone to block out her sister and Rafe's conversation.
Rafe flopped onto the futon. "This is bullshit. They finger printed me and everything. And I missed Ma's call." He picked up his bat that he dropped last night. "Thanks for coming to get me."
"No problem." Ava sat beside him."I couldn't leave you hanging; Mom would have torn me a new one." Ava looked around the apartment it was only her third time being in the small place. How do people live like this, my bathroom is the size of this place.
"Thanks anyway. You talked to Olivia?"
"No haven't been home yet. I'm sure they'll call you again. Natalia is probably going crazy not talking with her little boy." Ava ruffled Rafe's hair.
Rafe grumbled leaning away from Ava's hand. "I'm a man."
"Yea, yea."I should call Lewis and tell him what's going on. Mom will be worried I didn't answer her call. Ava playfully tapped Rafe's shoulder. Rafe hit her back. They start to slap at each other Ava having longer arms getting the best of Rafe.
A knock at the door ended their game. Rafe got up from the couch stomping to the door. "Damn it David can we get some privacy." Rafe swung open the door jumping back as he stared down the barrel of a gun.
"Long time no see bro." Patrick Nunez walked in the apartment shutting the door behind him. He had shaved his head and grew a thin mustache. "What's the matter you don't look happy to see me."
Rafe raised his hands in surrender backing up. "Pat, man don't do this."
Emma slid under the desk barricading herself in with the chair. Ava stepped up beside Rafe, making sure her little sister was safe.
"I wouldn't have to if you didn't snitch on me." Patrick swung the gun between Rafe and Ava.
"Pat I didn't!"
"You think I'm stupid Rafe. Some asshole has been following me and next thing I know some guy is asking my mom where I was the night of the murder. You gonna tell me that was a coincident."
"I don't know what you are talking about. But why would I tell on you. I would be in jail too." Rafe kept his hands up in surrender. "I swear I didn't tell on you."
Patrick shrugged his shoulders tucking the gun in his pants. "You know you're my little bro. And I would hate to have to take you out, so keep your mouth shut."
"Why should Rafe have to keep his mouth shut? You killed the man. He had nothing to do with it." Ava yelled at the intruder.
"So what I killed him. And I'll kill you too." Pat smiled. "Rafe you should tell your girlfriend to keep her mouth shut."
Rafe sighed. "She's not my girlfriend."
"And I don't keep my mouth shut for anyone. I'll talk when I want to." Ava squared her shoulders.
Pat took a step forward and Rafe stepped in front of Ava.
"Oh shit, look who what's to be tough now." Pat laughed in Rafe's face. "You didn't happen to tell your girl how you screamed like a bitch."
"Shut up Pat." Rafe grind his teeth together. Ma was right he whole time about Pat. He;s a fucking asshole.
"No Rafe did you tell her that. How you almost got us caught trying to save that asshole. How you fucking cried for two days talking about confessing and shit. No you wouldn't tell that."
"I didn't know you were going to kill him." Rafe yelled.
"So what Rafe?" Pat threw his hands up. "So what? I killed him and you didn't know I was going to do it. Who's to say you didn't shoot him and I didn't know about it. I was getting drugs for your birthday and you thank me but snitching."
"I didn't!"
"Why the fuck would I have told you anyway? You're a mama's boy, crying all the time." Pat wiped his fake tears mocking Rafe.
"You think that makes you better that him." Ava talked behind Rafe. "You're nothing compared to Rafe."
"No it makes me stronger that him." They all stood in a stalemate of words.
"I swear Rafe if one more person comes to me talking about this I'm coming for you." Patrick punched Rafe lightly in the stomach. "Bro." He turned running out of the apartment.
Rafe hurried a shut the door. He leaned back against it feeling his heart attempt to beat out of his chest.
Ava helped Emma out of her hiding space talking to Rafe. "You call him your brother."
"He wasn't always like that." Rafe countered holding his chest.
"Emma what is this?"
9
Olivia had finally coaxed Natalia into lying down. She spooned Natalia, her arm serviced as Natalia's pillow.
"Shake down ladies." Edmund and Foley stood at their door. "Aw isn't that sweet."
Olivia shook Natalia waking her from a restless sleep. They stepped out of the room looking caution at Edmund.
Winslow walked to the bunk pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. He opened it in front of them. "Oh what is this…an escape plan?" He held the paper up. "Who's is it?"
"This is bull, you just pulled that paper out of your pocket." Olivia exclaimed. The rest of the unit came to their doors trying to see what the commotion was about.
"I'll ask you again. Who's is it?"
Natalia stood in disbelief. "You just…"
"Both of you can go to the hole, maybe that will jar your memory of whose it is." Winslow pocketed the note. "Move."
"No I have to call my son." Natalia backed away from the man.
"You're not calling anyone." Foley took out his pepper spray.
"Natalia come on." Olivia took Natalia's hand. There was no need in being sprayed they were just going to end up in the hole anyway.
Foley escorted them to the next unit. They both strip and were led to their cell, that were next to one another. The door slammed; bring back the harsh memories of Natalia's first days.
"Natalia."
Natalia heard Olivia through their joint vent beside the toilet. Natalia lay on the floor beside the toilet. "Olivia, why are they doing this."
"I don't know but you have to be strong. Lewis will be back and straighten this out."
"Olivia, what if they give us more time?"
"They won't. If you haven't notice they don't consult the courts. They take things into their own hands." Olivia's voice got faint. Natalia could hear her moving around in the cell.
"Olivia what are you doing?" Natalia tried to look through the vent. It was too small and dark to see anything.
"Trying to see who's the deputy." Olivia came back to the vent. "If its O'Neil, we'll be out of here in no time."
"Olivia I'm scared." Natalia laid her forehead on the cold concrete floor.
"I know." Me too.