Page 11

Brian Porter

One week later

It was another day waiting in jail for his lawyer to get him out of jail.

He moped around like he had lost his best friend.

While Bourbon was reading letters from loved ones, Brian didn’t have anything to read but the Bible.

Since he’d left the Chapel, he’d started reading the Bible.

He was currently in the book of Exodus.

Reading Exodus helped him focus his attention on redemption.

It seemed the people of God would never be freed from Pharaoh, but God sent a deliverer.

Spending time in the word helped Brian to trust God to send someone to release him from jail.

“You have a visitor Mr. Porter.” The female guard announced.

He looked around confused.

Who would come to Paris to visit him in jail?

“Hurry up before you miss visiting hours!” The guard shouted.

Brian hopped up from his bunk and followed the female guard’s instructions.

As soon as Brian walked into the visitor’s room, he was shocked to see who was waiting for him.

“Hazel, girl what are you doing here?” He looked across the table at her in shock.

She was putting away her identification card in her purse.

The look on her face showed she was upset about something.

“What’s wrong with you?” He asked.

“If I had known that I would’ve been treated like a criminal coming here to see my man then I would have thought twice. The body search the guards gave me was so aggressive. I’ve never experienced such harsh treatment in all my life. I missed you and had to see how you’re doing. I can tell you’ve been in a fight since you’ve been in here. I promise your lawyer is working on getting you out, but it’s still no bond or court date.”

“Hazel, I appreciate you coming to see me, but I wish you hadn’t come. It’s a lot going on here and it’s unsafe. Thank you for taking care of the wire transfer for the canteen deposit. You won’t have to visit me again since you added more money to my canteen. I have faith God will help me get released soon.”

“Ma’am, I need you to come with me.” Several men with foreign security service badges come for Hazel and handcuffed her.

“What did I do? Let me go! Why are you arresting me? Brian, help me. Don’t let them arrest me!” Brian sat there helplessly in shock.

“Hazel Ryan, you are being arrested for accessory to attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be held against you in a court of law.” She cried out to Brian as the police took her out of the room.

“Looks like you’ll need to pray to God to help your girlfriend now.” The female guard joked.

Brian rolled his eyes and held his tongue.

Although he wanted to curse the guard out, he didn’t.

The last thing he wanted to deal with was a night in solitary confinement.

After the guard walked him back to his cell, she took the cuffs off him and pushed him back into the jail cell.

“Dang young blood, what’s going on now? You always pissing my guards off. You’ve got to learn from me and use your charm on these guards.”

“My girl was visiting me, and the foreign security service came in to arrest her. Do you have any idea why?”

“Now, why would I know the reason your girl got locked up? I don’t know anything about her.”

“Look she made the wire transfer to your canteen to pay your hitman. Did you tell anyone what she did for me?” He asked boldly in Bourbon’s face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You better get out of my face, young blood or I’ll make this your last conversation in life.” He threatened.

Remember I’m already sentenced to life in jail.

You on the other hand can go home if you play your cards right.

You need to keep your mouth closed.

If your girl is going down, then that’s her problem.

She has no way to link any murder for hire to you.

So lay low and go back to reading the Bible.

” Bourbon chuckled.

“I want to give you a heads up. You better get on your knees and pray tonight. I just overheard the jail supervisor recite your name as one going before the judge in the morning for arraignment. I hope you have a lawyer.” The guard said and she went back to doing guard tours.

“Of course I have a lawyer. My lawyer is better than Johnny Cochran. He’s paid already too. My girl paid him when I told her I was locked up.” Brian announced.

Although he said it with confidence, he wasn’t sure if Hazel did her part.

She had always done what she was told.

Now she’s facing charges too and Brian didn’t have a way of talking to her.

His lawyer hadn’t paid him a visit since he’d been in jail.

Now he could only hope and pray his lawyer was there for his arraignment.

Brian was fearful that without a lawyer he would have a disadvantage.

∞∞∞

The next morning, Brian waited in court for the judge to see him.

He felt like an abandoned child waiting for his lawyer to come through the doors.

He held his head down in prayer until the judge called his name.

All he could remember was the affirmations Chaplain Jones taught him to say.

He quietly said, “I am the head and not the tail. I am above and not beneath.” He also remembered the times his dad would tell him to man up and take his beating like a man .

If his father could see him in court squirming, he would call him a coward.

Brian knew he’d have to pay for the consequences of his actions.

The presiding judge lead the arraignment and addressed the defendant directly.

“Please state your name. “My name is Brian Porter.

” Brian stood up facing the judge with a look of despair.

“You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to be assisted by a lawyer.”

The judge quietly looked over the arraignment details and the crimes against Brian.

“Do you have counsel to help you defend your case? If you don’t have your own counsel then one of our public defenders can assist you.”

“I have an attorney, but he didn’t show up today, sir.”

“I’m sorry but I don’t suggest you defend yourself. You have many charges. Do you plan to plead guilty today for kidnapping, aggravated assault, and other pending charges?”

“No sir, I’m not guilty.”

“We will reset your trial for next week. Make sure you have your attorney.” The judge hit his gavel to signal the conclusion of the case.

Brian took a deep sigh of relief.

He felt like God gave him another chance for redemption.

He had a little time to talk to his lawyer and prepare.

The fact the judge added other unknown pending charges to his case scared him more.

He still has faith that God would deliver him from his situation.