Imprisoned

Chapter 3

They had ordered that the prisoners in the nasty prison be transferred to the other, and vice versa until they could decide what to do. It wasn’t like they wanted a pleasant place for someone to do time if they committed a crime, but they would be damned if they were going to allow people to live like f*****g kings, while others suffered and died of infections, that they weren’t even supposed to be getting as shifters and paranormals, but when you didn’t eat right or sleep right, your animal slowly dissipated, until it either died or hibernated, leaving the human half to die, or go into a coma and eventually die anyway.

“Alpha Houston is expecting us. He and I have been working on the prisoner list, and we have a selection of people to speak with, because, honestly, we have no clue why the hell they’re even here.” Jigger said.

“Damn, how the hell does someone end up in a prison and no one knows why?” Alaska ground out.

Jigger shrugged. “I have no clue, lover, but it isn’t just that. There are prisoners that should be here, and no one knows where the hell they are.”

“They escaped?” Barney gasped.

Shaking his head, “No... at least, we don’t think so. Alpha Houston did a numbers count, and the number kept here is accurate, it’s just that some of the people are ‘missing’.”

“That doesn’t make a damn bit of sense. How can you have the right number, but not all the names match with the count?” Elija asked.

Sighing, Jigger said, “They did the count first. It was accurate with what the council had. They went back and started placing the names with their prison location and number. There are three names unaccounted for, and two names that aren’t even in the files. We’ll have to figure this s**t out.”

“Great. I was hoping for us to be able to get settled and relax before getting started.” Elija muttered.

“Unless the Alpha already started,” Alaska said, stepping towards their exit.

Jigger pointed out the opened exit door. “Well, he’s coming this way, so I guess we’re about to find out.”

Everyone exited the jet in time to see the Alpha walk up. “Hello council members. It’s good to see you again.”

CHAPTER 2

Elija sighed, “Houston, please, just call us by our names. We’re not real formal unless we have call to be, and I can’t see how that would apply to you.”

Alpha Houston laughed and held out his hand, “It’s good to see you again, Elija. How’s the inventing going?”

“Great. It pays the bills.” Elija said, with an answering handshake and smile.

“Of that I have no doubt. Didn’t you just sell another invention to the government this time? Or are my little birds inaccurate.”

Shrugging, Elija replied, “As usual, your information is correct. They needed new surveillance equipment that made it difficult to track, and I happen to have just finished working on something that did just that. We were both happy with the deal. So, how are things on your end.

Are your pack members settled into their new homes?”

Alpha Houston smiled. “Actually we’re all settled. I have to tell you I was pissed when that fucker Jupiter said he was taking our land, but I have to thank Loki... and trust me, that’s not something I’m looking forward to. You know how much the man can be an asshole. The thing is, my people are really loving this place. Hell who wouldn’t? Our homes are far nicer than the ones we had on our old pack lands, and we have much larger lands to run on when we want to let our animals out. Then, the lands we can use to farm and grow our livestock to sell. Add into all that, the funds we’re paid to run the prison here... yeah, we’re doing great. Or, we will be once we get all this bullshit figured out.”

Nodding, Elija replied, “Yeah, Jigger was telling us you’re missing three people.”

Shaking his head, Alpha Houston said, “One. It took us some time, but we figured out that the two guys we were looking for were released two years ago, and the extra two bodies we counted were brought in a year after that. It’s just that the lazy-ass council didn’t bother logging them in.

However, we still have no account for Kurby Lemon.”

“What was he brought in for?” Elija asked.

“That’s the thing. We have no f*****g clue. He was booked in, but there were no charges filed. I mean none, Elija. We contacted the alpha of his pride, but no one has a record of Kurby Lemon...

or at least, that’s what they’re saying.” Alpha Houston said, in disgust.

Nodding, Elija said, “I’ll need the name and any other pertinent information you have on this pride. So, what is this Kurby guy’s animal?”

Shaking his head. “I have no clue. Nothing was mentioned in the man’s file. All I know is the pride Alpha is a black panther.”

“Well, it would be kind of difficult to hide one of those in these prison walls. Has anyone checked out the cell he was assigned?” Alaska asked, once he got Jigger settled into their vehicle which the Alpha had provided for them.

“Yeah. I went along with some of my men. We can see little signs anyone was living in it, but then again, it’s kind of hard to scent anything with the smells of all that BO, urine, feces, and other bodily fluids, I don’t want to think about, in that place we call the ‘hell cells’.” The Alpha answered.