Ch.10 iGo to the death Chamber

12 hours till the execution

"So here's what's going to happen. When the warden asks you if you have any last words, You are going to have a sudden attack of concience." The entire conversation rang in Sam's ears like a group of construction workers using jackhammers in the morning when you're trying to sleep. She had no idea how she could bring herself to suddenly confess to crimes that she had spent the past two years maintaining her innocence of. When Missy left her, all hope seemed to leave her. There seemed to be no way out. Spencer had done what he could, but he simply wasn't a fully trained trial lawyer.

It didn't help her mental state that in the past week she'd seen more of Sarah Greene than she'd had since she was brought to Gig Harbor. With her execution looming, Greene seemed to delight in rubbing it in. She had told Sam that it was a small measure of revenge that she could claim in her niece's honor. As if on cue, the guard in question banged the cell bars with a night stick to get Sam's attention.

"It's time for your last meal, Puckett." Another guard brought a tray in with several dishes on it. She removed the covers of several to reveal ham, bacon and other meats. Personally, Guard Greene thought that Sam deserved nothing but bread and water for her last meal, but she kept her mouth shut. There were laws of course, that said a prisoner was entitled to have anything within reason for their last meal. And the warden had recently become suspicous of her treatment towards Sam. In any case, she would have the last laugh in a matter of hours, when Sam left this world.

"Enjoy, Puckett," she said as the guards exited her cell, leaving her in peace to contemplate what was to come. Normally, surrounded by this much meat would be a heyday for Sam. But due to the circumstances, she could barely bring herself to nibble the food before her. Each time she took a bite, she remembered something that had happened. The arrest, the trial, the relentless taunts from Guard Greene, and most recently the blackmail conversation she'd had with Missy Robinson just two days before. It really got under her skin that this bitch would walk. As far as the state knew, they had their murderer.

The hours passed too quickly for Sam's preference. This was definatly going down in history as her worst birthday ever. She was told that her execution would begin at midnight. It pissed her off that the state was so gung-ho about it. They had to do it the second midnight hit. Never mind that they were about to kill an innocent woman. She was lost in thought as time dragged on. As a final form of torture, Missy had left all the pictures of Carly in Sam's cell. As a reminder of what would happen to Carly, she'd said with a laugh.

Spencer had managed to contact Detective William Sharp. He'd agreed to meet Spencer at Seattle Police Department as soon as he'd been told that Sam had an identical twin. The two were in a room waiting. Suddenly the door opened. "Let's make this quick, if you want to save Sam." He started a tape recorder, and Melanie began talking. She explained how two years ago, she'd been walking to her dorm after a long day of school when she'd been cornered by Nevel and Missy. Of course, she didn't know their names, but the point was made.

She told the detective that she'd tried to run, but they came from two sides. She had been drugged, and when she came to she was tied to a chair and they were attempting to cut her hair. "Why didn't you return to your school in Portland?" he asked. "I was told that if I left Seattle they'd start killing my friends and family," the girl answered sadly. "Ok, we should have enough here to get an immediate stay, if not get Sam completely exonerated. I have to make some calls." The detective left looking for a phone. He had to get this to the governor.

30 minutes left

It was dark enough. It didn't appear that both of them were at the house at the time. Nevertheless, she had no intention of going in half-cocked. She was armed with the very baseball bat that was used on Freddie. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. It happened fast. Jocelyn picked the back door of the house as quietly as possible. Upon entering, she began scanning for Carly. There appeared to be no one downstairs, so she slowly walked up the stairs to the upper level of the house.

Upon entering the first door, she saw a sight that scared her. Carly was shakily standing on the makeshift gallows that her kidnappers had erected for her. There was duct tape over her mouth, so Carly couldn't speak. All that came out were a series of muffled "Mffp, Mffps," Joceyln had seen enough movies to know that Carly was trying to warn her. As she turned, Nevel attempted to take her out at the legs. He was unarmed, but he had the element of surprise.

He was sucessful in disarming the much larger girl. The bat had flew from her grasp when she was tackled. Luckily, Sam had taught her a little something of grappling, and Nevel was certainly not Sam. He'd retrieved the bat and now he stood over her, prepared to deliver a finishing blow. Missy came out of the bathroom and saw what was going on. She silently left Nevel to fend for himself. In her mind, he'd served his purpose. It was likely that he'd be caught, and she hoped to be in Canada by the time he started naming names.

Carly's eyes fell, as Nevel moved to strike. He was so sure he had won that he was taken completely off guard when Jocelyn shifted her body and took him down with a foot sweep that would have made Sam proud. Outside, Officer Gaby Brooks heard the commotion. This house had no known owners, so she was sure someone was trespassing. She called for backup as she circled around back.

Nevel continued to struggle, and got some blows in. Jocelyn was winded from a lucky shot to her solar plexus, and Nevel seized the opportunity to get close to the bench that Carly was on. "One more step, and she dies," he said as Jocelyn picked up the bat. She raised her hands in surrender. She couldn't do anything as long as he was close enough to harm Carly. "Drop it," he ordered. She placed the bat down and kept her hands where he could see them.

"Freeze! Police!" an unknown voice shouted. Officer Brooks had arrived. Nevel surrendered and was taken into custody. Jocelyn helped Carly down as he was escorted to a waiting patrol car. "Are you ok?" she asked as soon as the duct tape was off. "A little whoozy from whatever they used to drug me, but otherwise I'm fine," Carly responded. "Let's go, we gotta get to the police station. Melanie's helping get Sam off the hook as we speak." Carly yelped for joy. Melanie had been found, and more importantly, she was safe. Officer Brooks overheard. "You guys need a ride?"

5 minutes left

"It's time." Guard Greene led the entourage of guards and prison officials who had come to retrieve her from her cell. She'd had this nightmare several times, yet she was still astonished at how quickly the guards went about chaining her up. She looked at her cell one last time, then slowly stepped out. The guards formed an inescapable wall, with Sam in the middle. There was a priest, though Sam had not asked for one. As the procession to the death chamber began, Guard Greene shouted out, "Dead woman walking!" Sam stifled her tears as they began the walk that was so slowly it seemed to dredge on, yet fast enough to get to the final destination.

As they walked, the priest began reciting the Lord's Prayer. "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name." Sam had not asked for this, but it offered her some measure of comfort, so she made no objection as he continued. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in Earth as it is in Heaven." They slowly continued walking through the hall, and Sam was silently weeping for Freddie, Carly and everything else she was about to leave. "Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive our trepasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us."

Even the guards were solemn at this point. Sam was somehow able to maintain her composure as the priest continued. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." The door to the chamber was now in sight. "For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen." Sam nodded. "Thank you, Father," she said as the door opened. What amazed Sam the most was that the death chamber looked like a health clinic. Everything was steril, there wasn't a speck of dirt anywhere. The deathbed lay in the center of the room.

The warden sent Sam a sorrowful look. The guards once again moved like a practiced unit. Everything seemed to move so fast that Sam could hardly register from the moment they removed her chains to the moment she was strapped down. She struggled to keep her lunch down as a prison doctor put one needle in each arm, just so that they had a fail safe. "Can you feel it yet?" Guard Greene mocked as the guards finished their work. She had forgotten that the warden was present.

"Guard Greene, consider yourself dismissed," the warden ordered. She looked shocked, not that she was sorry, but that she'd been caught. She left the chamber just as it was closed. "I'm so sorry, Sam," she said to the girl. It was time to begin. As the curtain was raised so that the witnesses could see the proceedings, she began to have an epiphiny. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she was sure that Carly was safe. She decided to take a chance, and threw out the script that Missy had cooked up for her. And in case of the worst, at least they would be together again soon.

"The prisoner is allowed a final statement," the warden began. She would remain proffesional, no matter how much she didn't want this to happen. "Is there anything you'd like to say?" Sam thought for a moment. "First, I'd like to apologize to Gibby, for all the times I picked on him. I didn't kill him, and I forgive the State of Washington for my death. And Carly, I'll see you again, one way or another." She nodded and the warden had to now do what was no doubt the worst part of her job in this.

She unfolded a piece of paper and read, "To all it may concern, be it known that the King County Superior Court has ordered that Samantha Joy Puckett suffer the penalty of death for the crime of murder in the first degree." Sam glanced at the doctor who stood by the machine that would soon end her life. She closed her eyes, and waited. As the doctor was about to press the first button, everyone in the chamber was startled by the phone ringing.