Blinking to clear the sleep out of her eyes, she saw two deputies maneuvering a large man inside the opposite cell. At least, she thought the person was a male. From her viewpoint, she couldn’t really tell. All she could discern was, whoever it was, they were large enough that the deputies were having trouble carrying him, and a hoodie hid the back of his head from her.
Tossing the person onto the bunk, the deputies exited the cell, slamming the door closed behind them.
Seeing she was observing them, the deputy who was too young to have such shockingly white hair spoke to the other deputy, whom she had only seen a few times before. “You go on, Larry. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Walking closer to her cell door, Deputy Porter gave a backward nod of his head. “He won’t be bothering you none. Had too good of a time at the fair tonight. You need anything before I turn the lights off?”
“No, I don’t need anything, but I’d feel more comfortable if you put him in the other cell and leave the lights on.”
“I’m not chancing putting more of a strain on my back than I already have. He weighs a ton. The lights are bright enough to keep you awake and won’t do his head any good if he wakes up. If I were you, I’d prefer him sleeping. Only person on duty tonight is the dispatcher. The rest of us are out and about on patrol, or stationed at the fairgrounds.”
Alanna swung her legs off the side of the cot. “I don’t exactly feel comfortable knowing that I’m sleeping within six feet of someone who has done something illegal to get arrested.”
The deputy rattled her cell door. “Hear that?”
“Yes,” she gritted out between clenched teeth.
Taking a step back, he rattled the other cell door. “Here that?”
“Yes,” she muttered angrily.
“Then you’re all good?”
“I guess so,” she forced out. At this point, she just wanted him to leave.
The deputy walked back to her door. “Reckon I’ll see you in the morning. Want anything in particular for breakfast?”
“Pancakes with a nail file inside would be appreciated.”
The deputy shook his head, as if he was taking her sarcastic joke serious. “Sorry, my misses would have my ass if I lost my job when we just found out we’re expecting.”
“Then no, I don’t want anything.”
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged.
Alanna lay back down as the deputy moved away from the cell. At least he did make one concession by not turning the light off in the corridor.
Turning to her side to stare toward the other cell now that the deputy had moved out the way, she could see the man’s tall form lying on the bunk, on his side, with his back turned toward her. The cell had sat empty since her arrest. Owen had been placed in another cell further down the corridor.
There was no way she was going to be able to go back to sleep, regardless of there being two metal doors separating the cells. She had never been able to sleep with someone else in the room after she had been taken in by the Fields. Owen and Kate had made nights a torture to endure.
The shadowy interior of the cells escalated her fears that came out to play in the dark. Sitting back up, she scrunched herself into a ball, in the corner of her bunk, to stare unblinking at the figure on the other bunk. Hitching her head upward when she nearly nodded off numerous times, she almost screamed out loud when she saw the man suddenly roll over to his back then sit on the side of the bed to look toward her cell.
Other than pressing her back against the wall behind her, Alanna froze. Could he see her? Shards of fear fissured through her body.
Don’t panic. Clenching her hands under the blanket until her nails bit into the palms, Alanna talked herself down from her fears so she could think with a clear head and not let the fear overtake her.He’s just sitting there.
Her clear-headedness was shaken when the figure rose from the bed to stand at the bars of his cell.
“Don’t be afraid, Alanna. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Alanna put her hand over her mouth to keep from speaking, alarm bells ringing in her mind from hearing him call her by name, knowing she was frightened.
“I feel your fear.”
A low husky laugh started to rattle her already shaky resolve to remain calm.
He hung his hands out of the bars casually, as if to show he was weaponless and caged like her, but it didn’t lessen the panic which kept her silent.