Chapter Two



So, I guess I should introduce myself. As you already know, my name is Arya Flynn and I'm currently sitting in a holding cell in one of the police precincts in New York City, courtesy of New York's finest. I suppose it's not that bad. I mean, I get something to eat and I'm relatively safe, I suppose. I'm still sitting at the back of the cell, making sure I can watch everything and everyone. A few people have come and gone since I was put in here. I guess I'm just waiting for my arraignment. It seems pretty clear cut to me. The guy's a jerk and he tried to grab me, so I punched his face in. Knowing my luck, they'll punish me for defending myself.

As you can probably tell, I'm no stranger to the cops and the system. I've been in and out of precincts since I was a kid. What can I say? I must like trouble or it follows me everywhere I go. Whatever way you want to look at it. I don't particularly care to be honest. I've got no family so no one will be bailing me out. I just have to sit here and wait to find out what they're doing with me.

Palmer appears the next morning, but Rogers isn't with him. I can't resist making a comment, “What? Your bum buddy not with you today? Is he feeling alright? I do hope he's not coming down with something...”

“Cut the cracks. I thought you might appreciate him not being here, after what he said yesterday.”

I chuckle, “How sweet... not. I don't care, Palmer. What he said was wrong so I dealt with it. After that, I don't care.”

I roll my shoulders before backing up to the bars. I know the drill. He won't open the cell door before my cuffs are on in case I knock him out and take off. The thought has crossed my mind, but if asked, I won't admit to it.

He watches me roll my shoulders and he asks, “Did you even sleep?”

“Are you for real?”

“What?”

“Don't act like you're concerned. Let's just get on with this. I'm just another collar for you, so let's cut the personal junk.”

I'm not going to admit to him that I didn't sleep, because then I'd have to deal with his questions on why, and those I will never answer.

Palmer walks me into an interview room, where he takes my statement. He leaves me there, cuffed to the table after someone knocks on the window. I'm bored and I just want out of here now. I want to get back on the streets. I'm drumming on the table and bouncing my leg when Palmer and a lady walk into the room. They have similar eyes and their hair is the same dark brown, but before I can analyze any further Palmer speaks.

“Arya, this is Assistant District Attorney Emma Palmer...”

I burst out laughing and they both stare at me like I've lost my mind. Maybe an insanity plea will solve all my problems.

“Arya, are you ok?”

I stare at Palmer and say, “She's your sister. You going soft on me, Palmer? Here's me thinking you're gonna be a hard man and throw the book at me, even when I was just defending myself, but you're going soft. You've disappointed me, man. I expected more of you...”

The ADA interrupts me, “I assure you, Miss Flynn, that he's not going easy on you. However, it may be that you were defending yourself, this time, but I have looked over your record. You have quite an impressive wrap sheet for a 21 year old.”

“What can I say? I live to impress you guys.”

“You will remember that you resisted arrest a few weeks ago and then, on the same occasion, you escaped from custody...”

I chuckle, “Never gets old, that memory.”

The two Palmers share a look, one that I know well. I've seen it a million times in my life. They're shocked and disgusted at my behavior. It's nothing new to me, so I don't even blink.

The ADA continues, “Add to that, your assault on a police officer yesterday and the fact that you knocked a cop out a few weeks ago and you are looking at some serious trouble.”

I say nothing, just continue to drum on the table out of boredom. I hear Palmer the cop mutter, “You are unbelievable...”

I mutter back, “That's what he said...”

I do believe I see a hint of pink color the cop's ears, but he fights the blush before it can reach his face. I chuckle again, staring straight at him.

Emma clears her throat and says, “I have spoken to my boss and to the judge that resided on your last few cases and we have discussed what we are going to do with you.”

“Do with me? Like kill me?”

I'm waiting for the horrified looks that work onto their faces. I see the moment that my words hit them, and their expressions are shocked and appalled.

Palmer the cop shouts, “What?!” While at the same time Emma shouts, “No!”

The cop continues, “Where did you even get that impression?”

“Dude, your faces... Priceless...”

“Can't you be serious for just a few minutes, Miss Flynn? We're talking about possible jail time here.”

I shrug, “And? It's nothing I haven't seen before. Whatever. Just get on with it.”

Again, Palmer the cop mutters, “Unbelievable...”

I snort and whisper, “Again, that's what he said. Sure you don't want to find out for yourself...?”

His eyes nearly fall out of his head and if his sister hears the exchange, she doesn't comment on it.

“Joe, have you taken the statement of the man Miss Flynn assaulted?”

“Yes ma'am. Mr Parker claims that he bumped into Miss Flynn and she went crazy at him. His words, not mine.”

“And have you reviewed camera footage?”

“Yes ma'am.”

“And?”

“Shouldn't we discuss this outside?”

I stop drumming on the table enough to say, “Yeah, shouldn't you have sorted all this out before speaking with me? I mean, I'm no ADA, but surely you should have all your stuff together...”

I see Emma's face turn an abnormal shade of red and I chuckle, knowing I've got the reaction I was expecting. Anger. I love to get this reaction out of people. Emma throws the door open and walks out, waiting for her brother to follow.

I'm still waiting for Joe to react the same way, so I drive the nail in by saying, “Some people really can't do their jobs...”

I see his jaw tense and anyone else would think he was biting back a response, but I know better. I know he's angry, he's just trying not to show it. I sit really quietly, hoping I can hear the two of them talking. I don't have to wait long, because I hear Emma's furious voice say, “That girl is infuriating!”

Well, thank you very much. I will accept that compliment.

Her brother's voice is lower, so I don't hear what he responds with, but I do hear him say, “The tape shows him bumping into Miss Flynn, but it clearly shows he grabs her inappropriately after she'd pushed him off of her. Then she punches him and it all gets a bit crazy from there.”

Emma responds, “So, she was telling the truth...”

I yell, “Of course I was telling the truth!”

Joe opens the door and smirks, “If you were just going to listen in, why did you chase us out?”

“Me? Chase? You're a joker. I merely pointed out the fact that you should be more professional in your jobs. It's not my fault that you are nearly yelling out there. And, Miss Palmer, I thank you for your compliment.”

The ADA turns a completely different shade of red, now that's an embarrassed shade and it makes me laugh.

“Not that I'm not having a barrel of laughs being here, but can you just send me off to jail or something. I'm getting pretty bored right now.”

Both pairs of brown eyes stare at me, like they actually don't know how to react to me. Palmer, the cop, should know what I'm like. I mean, he's arrested me more times than I can count. Anyway, the ADA looks over my file and her paperwork before sighing.

“Upon speaking with my boss and the judge from your past few cases, we have come to the conclusion that jail obviously isn't doing anything to correct your ways...”

“So, you're letting me go? Sweet. I told you it was self defense.”

“That might have been self defense, but knocking out Officer Sloane a few weeks ago, escaping custody and assaulting Officer Rogers yesterday was not self defense. The District Attorney's Office have put forward a proposition and the judge has made a ruling based on your history. There's a new program being trialled and the judge has ruled that you are going to be part of that program.”

“What kind of program? Coz if you're gonna start poking electric rods in my brain or stuff like that, you may as well kill me now. I'm so not up for being used as a scientific experiment.”

Now I'm getting annoyed. Nothing good ever comes of it when I get annoyed. It's only a matter of time before I want to smash someone's face in.

“No, not any science experiment. We're trialling a program, sending repeat offenders to ranches throughout the country in the hope that taking them out of the situations they were in and putting them to hard work will drop the urge to reoffend...”

I cut her off and blurt out, “Are you high?”

I'm pretty sure Joe's eyes have now fallen out and rolled under the table. The ADA just stares at me, dumbfounded.

“What?”

“I said, are you high?”

“I heard what you said. I'm just wondering how you came to that conclusion. We're giving you a way out of jail and you're questioning it?”

“Darn right I am. Send me to jail, I don't care, but I'm not going to some backward town with the hillbillies or rednecks or whatever they're called. I'd rather spend the rest of my life in jail...”

Joe speaks up, “Arya, stop messing around. Just take it. Just take the deal they're giving you.”

“So I've got a choice? Coz I choose jail.”

The ADA sighs, “No, you don't have a choice. It's a court order, so you don't get to choose. You'll stay in holding until we can process the paperwork and get a Marshall here to escort you. We also have to place you in the correct ranch. You'll probably be out of here in a few days.”

I nearly growl, “Great. Can't wait. I can't believe you're making me do this. This is an infringement on my human rights...”

“What about the human rights of all the people you've hurt? What about the human rights of the cop you knocked out?”

No, she was not going to put the blame on me for this.

“They deserved it. I've never hit someone who didn't deserve it.”

“So you're a judge now?”

This woman is seriously a pain in the butt. I stare through her, not saying anything, until she looks away. Good, I've made her uncomfortable. Eventually, I say, “Take me back to holding. I'm done.”

Officer Palmer says, “Emma, you need to leave before I remove Arya's cuffs from the table.”

I smirk at that. They're right to be wary. I know how to fight and now I'm annoyed, so smashing her face in is sounding more appealing by the second. Maybe if I do that, then they'll throw me in jail rather than send me to some dumb ranch in a backwards town. Before I can think about it even more, Officer Palmer's face appears in front of me and he whispers, “Don't even think about it, Arya. You don't want to hurt her...”

I chuckle, “Now you're telling me what I do and don't want to do? You think you know me? You have no idea. Just coz you've arrested me a hundred times, doesn't mean you know me.”



Palmer doesn't say anything else to me as he walks me back to the holding cell, where I take my place at the back of the cell again.