Excellent Peril gets his day in court. The Pitches : Florida by Bill Schott

Peril was transferred to the courthouse and sat next to his attorney, Halley Lupe. He remembered her from before he got married. She was the validic-something at a prep school in the city. She went on to Wayne State and got a law degree. Now she worked for Sim-Sim as his legal arm. Her nickname of Alley Oop stuck from high school. "So what's the deal, Alley? How'm I gettin' outta this?" "My name is Halley, Mr. Pitch. You will be sentenced by the judge and directed to begin a life sentence at the Standish Maximum Security Prison." "Sure. Now, how am I gettin' out of that?" "Mr. Samuels has arranged for the security detail to deliver you to another location. All records of your transfer will be completed to show your successful arrival in Standish." "What if someone comes lookin' for me?" "This procedure is common, Mr. Pitch. Records are easily altered; people lost in the system. Someone could disappear for years though thought to be incarcerated. " "Nice. So where am I really goin'?" "I am not supposed to know, but I do suspect it will be Georgia or Florida." "Swell! I got some friends down that way." "Yes. Many of Mr. Samuels associates have been sent there." The hearing started and ended within a ten minute period. All rose, the judge entered, presented a life sentence, all rose, the judge left, and two guards escorted Peril out of the courthouse. In the protected parking area behind the courthouse, where prisoners were transferred in and out of vehicles, Pez waited to see his father off. He stood with Slinky Lincoln, who had made the final arrangements for Peril's send off. "Here he is; ready ta do his toyme. Jasdice is soyved." "So, he's going to Florida?" "Dunt yous worry where he's gahn. He ain't comin' beck." "It don't matter. Ma's dead and he's dead to me. I hope I never see him again." Slinky patted him on the shoulder and opened the door to his car. "Op in, kid. They wunt let us see'm now no how." The two got in the car and drove off. Peril was walked by where they had been and looked around. He thought his son might have at least come by to see him off. Once he was secured in the back of the crowd control truck, the two guards pulled out cigarettes and lit up. Peril looked at both and smiled. "How about getting' me outta these shackles and gimme one a them smokes?" he said. One guard looked at the other and grinned. "Sure, Pitch. You ought to have a cigarette, at least." "I agree. So -- where in Florida are we goin'?" "Well, we are only going as far as Toledo. From there you'll be on your way to the Okefenokee Swamp." The guard handed Peril a cigarette and lit it. Then both guards began to chuckle. Peril went silent and stared across the vehicle to the other side. The cigarette burned down to the filter in his hand.   Author Notes The Okefenoke Swamp is the suspected dumping area of many people with connections to mobs.

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