When the Smoke is Going Down

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The man eyed his surroundings intently, his gaze shifting back and forth for the sign... For his cue...

It had been so long - *too* long. Three long years, he'd been here in this hell. Three long years, and that was only a tiny, insignificant fraction of the amount of time he'd gotten. The judge had sentenced him to fifteen years - without parole. His attorney had gone on and on afterward, about how he'd gotten off 'easily,' explaining that someone with his rap sheet would normally get at least twenty-five.

He didn't care... So what if the old man lawyer thought fifteen years was lenient? *He* wasn't the one doing time! It was so easy for him to sit there and tell him it wasn't so bad when it wasn't *he* who was in prison!

Prison... He'd truly grown to despise that word. And he resented the people responsible for him landing here, in this cursed 'correctional facility,' as they preferred to call it. No one really hassled him here, despite the fact of the two counts of rape against him, plus the one charge of sexual assault without rape. It was definitely a bonus that he'd been a well-known, popular pro-wrestler with the now WWE.

The man crouched low, his eyes sharp and alert as he studied his surroundings some more, ears pricked for sounds of trouble. And now that he recalled thoughts of what had brought him into this hell, his fury increased further. It was their faults - all *their* faults.

He despised them all... His little bitch of an ex-girlfriend... Her now husband - the little bastard she'd left *him* for... That other whore, the one he'd screwed and who'd turned on him... The woman he'd been working closely with, with whom he'd become enamored - who'd grown suspicious of him to the point where she'd done some detective work... That son of a bitch who'd been the cause of all his troubles in the first place - him *and* his little meddlesome bitch. He knew the two were now married as well, and had just had their first child sometime in December or January.

His scowl deepened as he thought about them - *all* of them. The whole entire group of them were nothing but troublesome, lowlife trash. They'd ruined Vince McMahon's life, though two of them were the man's children. More importantly, they'd destroyed *his* life.

He was not about to forget that - *or* forgive it. As a matter of fact, his mind was set on revenge... And that was only one of the reasons why he was doing this...

The inmates were all congregated outside, in the courtyard, for their daily outdoor activities and exercise. A couple of weeks ago, the man had been with another prisoner, one with whom he'd struck up a friendship - and the two of them had discovered the loophole - the means of his escape...

They'd stumbled upon the secret exit by accident, while tossing a frisbee around. Several feet away from where the flying disk had landed was an underground tunnel - a hole in the ground, large enough for a man to fit through, but small enough to go unnoticed. Apparently, the guards and security at this place were nowhere near as tight as they thought.

'Just as well...' he thought to himself as he felt the urge to grin widely and evilly. He refused to give in to the smile, not wanting to alert anyone to his plans.

His friend suddenly gave him the cue - the man keeled over, clutching his chest and making a lot of noise - thus bringing everyone's attention on him.

This was it - his big chance. And damn if he wasn't going to *take* it.

He rose from his crouched position, still hunched somewhat forward, his teeth gritted in determination as he edged ever closer to his method of escape - his ticket to freedom...

The man's heart pounded in triple time as he chanced one final glance back, a crowd now gathered around his comrade. They really had no clue... Good...

He squeezed himself through the makeshift tunnel, not bothering to look back again. In seconds, his feet hit the dirt-packed ground, and although pitch dark, he knew that if he moved forward - using the dirt wall at either side as a guide - he would be fine. He and his buddy had scouted the tunnel thoroughly.

It wasn't too long a trip - several more yards, probably the equivalent of perhaps four or five blocks. Thoughts of the hit movie The Shawshank Redemption flitted through his mind.

But only one thing mattered now. He was free at last, and he was going to find them... Find them and take his sweet, long-anticipated revenge.
 
 
 
 

Part 2

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