Life After OZ Ch. 7
By Dan

*****

(Location: Metro City Jail-Holding Cell)

*****

Guy and Dean were both in the same holding cell, awaiting the warden’s presence. A door opened, and sure enough, the warden, followed by Eddy E came through the door. Warden Ferguson eyed Guy, and then a sneering Dean. He shook his head as if saddened by something.

“You two boys shouldn’t have got involved. I told ya’ that, didn’t I?”, the warden said lighting a cigarette. Guy and Dean had nothing to say. The warden found this highly amusing.

“Oh, I see. Ain’t gonna’ speak, eh? What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”

Dean looked at Guy, then at the warden. Even though he got shot two nights ago, it was only a grazing wound to his shoulder. But it was the warden’s gun that shot the would-be fatal bullet. Dean knew if said anything at the moment, it would only make things worse. So he wisely kept quiet. Warden Ferguson looked at Guy and Dean one last time, then motioning for Eddy E to follow suit, left out the door they entered through.

“Man, this is really some f---ed up s***.”, Dean said, plopping down on the jail bench. Guy said nothing. He hadn’t said much since he was apprehended by the police. Dean got up, and walked back over to Guy.

“What’s up with you?”, Dean said.

“Do you realize I could break out of here right now?”, Guy said, not bothering to answer Dean’s question.

“Whaddya’ mean? Guy, you really could bust us loose?”

“Yes, but I’m not going to.”

“And why not?”, Dean said with a hint of anger in his voice. Guy sighed.

“Because breaking out of here will only add to the list of things that warden can indict us for.”

“Are you serious?”, Dean said.

“Being a joker isn’t in my nature, Dean.”, Guy said in a quiet tone. Dean walked back over to his bench, and plopped down noisily.

“So we’re stuck here, then.”

“Looks like it. That is, if Cody doesn’t turn himself in.”

*****

(Cody)

*****

Cody knew the cops would still be tracking him down, so he made sure to use all the back alleyways of Metro City. “*Wouldn’t be too safe to travel by daytime, so I guess I’ll hafta’ lay low.*”, he realized. Even though Jessica gave him a new outfit and a new hair color, it was still plain to see he was just Cody with auburn hair. Anybody who was anybody could still recognize him, day or night. Luckily for him, it was nighttime right now. Cody stealthily slipped through the shadows of the night and he found himself by a train station.

“Main Street.”, Cody said quietly to himself. Thankfully, Jessica also stashed some money in his pockets, so he quietly walked down into the subway. People walked by him and by the side of him, but no one really made any assumptions about who he is. Cody was nearly to the front entrance to the station, when suddenly...

“There he is! GET HIM!”

Cody turned around in a panic. The police were chasing a man on the station’s platform. Cody noticed the fleeing man had a black purse, and it was obvious he stole it. Cody let out a whooshing breath of relief, and continued on his way.

*****

(The Haggar Estate)

*****

Jessica was quietly watching the news in the living room. Her father was working late tonight, so she invited Lucia, Rena and Maki over. Lucia frowned when she saw that Maki had brought with her another one of her “potential” boyfriends. This one was odder than usual. Long brown hair, wearing a pink sweater and cream-colored khakis...

“Any news on Cody?”, Maki said. Jessica shook her head no.

“Wait a sec. You mean none of you heard the news about Guy and Dean?”, Jessica realized.

“No.”

“Not really.”

“Uh-uh.”

Jessica had an incredulous look on her face. “*Wow, I wonder if Dean WAS right. They all act like they don’t care at all.*” Nonetheless, she told all of them about how Guy and Dean were arrested by the cops.

“I KNEW this was going to happen! I told Dean not to go, but would he listen? No.”, Lucia said. Rena simply shook her head.

“I don’t know why Guy decided to follow through with this in the first place. I mean, he doesn’t owe Cody anything. Cody got himself in this mess, let him get himself out.” THAT got Jessica upset.

“I can’t believe I’m hearing that from you! Rena, you wanna’ know WHY Guy tried to help Cody? Because they’re friends! You KNOW if Guy was in this situation, Cody would’ve helped him without a second though for his personal safety.” Rena scoffed.

“Yeah, because Cody has no sense what-so-ever.”

*SLAP*

Rena held her hand to her face where Jessica just hit her. She hardly looked upset about it. But nonetheless, she knocked Jessica to the floor. Jessica got up quickly, and with a cry of anger, tackled Rena. Maki and Lucia broke them up quickly, as Jessica tried to break herself from Lucia’s grip.

“You know what, Rena? Guy too good for you!”, Jessica yelled at her. Rena tried to break out of Maki’s grip. But she couldn’t, so she came back with a response for Jessica.

“I hope Cody gets life, b*tch.”

Jessica tried with all her strength to try to pry herself from Lucia’s grip, but her efforts were all for naught. Maki practically pulled Rena out the door, with her “potential” boyfriend close behind.

“Have you two gone insane?”, Lucia said to Jessica. Jessica didn’t say a word. But, as she was just about to reply, Maki came back in with her boyfriend.

“Rena’s leaving. I’m going to see her on her way home, but I’ll be back. C’mon honey.”, Maki said. Her boyfriend said bye to Lucia and Jessica, and the duo made their way outside.

*****

(Cody)

*****

Cody was awaiting the train on the platform. As usual, it was arriving later than it was supposed to. He was beginning to get weary of the policemen who were running their nightly shifts. Cody tried to stay as inconspicuous as humanly possible. But he noticed that three or four cops were talking to each other while pointing to him... Soon, a cop made his way toward Cody.

“Excuse me sir, we’d like to ask you a couple of questions.” Cody turned to face the cop. He was praying the cops wouldn’t recognize him...

“Yes, officer. What seems to be the problem?”

“Well, nothing really. There is a criminal on the loose here in Metro City, and he looks like this picture here.”, the cop said. He handed Cody a picture of himself. Cody looked at his former blonde hair. So did the policeman... He looked at the picture, then looked at the auburn hair of Cody. Cody saw the policeman’s look, and knew he was caught. He began to run.

“Hey! That’s him! That’s CODY! All units, respond to Main Street train station!”, the cop said chasing Cody. The other cops followed. Cody jumped down onto the tracks, and ran into the tunnels.

“Is he crazy?”, one cop said.

“Does it matter? Contact Warden Ferguson!”, the other cop said. They followed Cody into the tunnel.

*****

(Warden Ferguson)

*****

A ring on his phone startled the snoring warden. Warden Ferguson let it ring once, then picked it up.

“Who’s this?”

“Officer Donald Kowalski. We’ve found the runaway prisoner, sir. Right now we are currently tracking him through the Main Street tunnel of the Metro City Rapid Transit line.”

“Keep following him! I’ll be on my way!”, the warden said. Hanging up, he got his shotgun, and quickly made his way out of the jail passing Guy and Dean on the way out.

“What do you think that was all about?”, Dean said.

“Something bad is about to go down. My guess is it involves Cody.”, Guy quietly said. The two watched from the barred windows as Warden Ferguson and his guards sped off in the jeep into the nighttime traffic.