Inconsolable » Squid [Holes]

20: Habits Die Hard

The constant sun exposure must have fried Mickey's brain more than she thought because, despite practically having the contents of Honorable Lawson's letter memorized over the course of the long walk from the holes back to D-Tent, it still didn't make sense. Not that the letter itself was complicated; in fact it was short, sweet, and to the point:

As per my last letter, there have been no updates as of yet.
I am keeping my ears to the ground for any new advancements.
My resources are steady. I suspect that everything is still in order on your end.
However, I am still waiting for your end to come through. I expect a response soon.

It was the set up that had her mind reeling. No formal opening, no salutations, no closing, just the brief correspondence. Almost as if he were trying to weed out the insignificant extras, just to draw eye to the point. And even on paper the words appeared as stilted and stiff as the man they belonged to.

Mickey could still hear his clipped tones as he announced her fate: that she was to be sentenced to eighteen months at detention facility. Yes, maybe it was a bad idea to try and beat up her attacker with a baseball bat, but she was just...done. Done with being silenced. Done with being ignored. Done with being stepped on. Done with losing.

But it was her first offense! She'd never stepped a toe out of line in her life. The one time she snuck a cookie that her mother said she couldn't have, she felt so guilty she tried to throw it back up so at least she could somewhat put it back (she was five and she couldn't exclude Santa's all-knowing influence from the occasion.)

The leniency she expected to be handed in her case fell by the way side and the next thing she knew she was being shipped away. And as the cold handcuffs were slapped around her wrists, she looked up to the stand and saw the look on Honorable Lawson's face, that satisfied smile as he sent another troubled kid away. But it wasn't his look that stayed with her the longest, it was his sentencing before he smacked down his gavel. His quick quip, "Lucky for you, vacancies don't last long where you're going."

Her fingers gripped the letter in her pocket, the paper crinkled in her hand, squealing and creaking in her grip. Maybe if she held it hard enough, she could get a better understanding of him, of why he wouldn't even bother to check where she was being sent. He could lose his license over a mistake like this, couldn't he? If the news ever came to light, his reputation would be ruined.

Her body jolted with such ferocity that she came to a standstill on the outskirts of the camp. She spied campers walking to and fro, from the showers to the tents to the Wreck Room and to lounge around the porched railing of the dilapidated buildings. Fragmented conversations and random bursts of laughter floated by her only to be drowned out by the blood rushing in her ears and the thoughts flying through her mind.

His reputation would be ruined if the news got out. And, as far as she knew, she was the only one who knew she was in the wrong place. Or, rather, the only one who cared. But what if she wasn't the only one that cared? She swallowed the lump that had begun to form in her throat and eased out a breath in an effort to steady her now racing heart.

What if that was why the Warden wasn't in a rush to get her out? Because she needed to keep her there. To keep her quiet. Because she and Honorable Lawson were in on something, together. Certainly no one as esteemed as him could have made such a mistake. Because it wasn't a mistake. No, he knew what he was doing. Deep down, she felt it in her bones. She was sent there on purpose. The boys may have been sent to dig holes and build character or whatever bullshit they were pushing but she was there for their protection. Her own be damned.

She chuckled as she continued walking into the camp. It was a good idea, she had to admit, but there were a few problems. Her mother would be able to research and figure out more about the camp and once she found out then she'd send a swarm of police down to get her. Right?