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It was a cool afternoon, and the work detail of the Millington Correctional Facility was sent to clear up some debris left on the roadway leading to the building. One of the members of that work detail was Royce McLaughlin, who served time for criminal falicitation. He pleaded innocence for months. He was only the driver of an armed jewelry heist that didn't work out. As a matter of fact, he was the only one who was caught, while everyone else got away. McLaughlin is now 33 years old, having served six months. However, something would happen that would change his life, and possibly make him go after those who sold him out. "Hey, McLaughlin!" shouted one of the correctional officers. "The warden wants to see you in his office.""Why?" he asked. "Don't ask me, boy, but he has something to tell you, and you just might like it.""Really?" "You never know, partner. Just finish up here and then when we have to bring all of you back, we'll take you to the warden.""All right." They would hop on one of the correctional facility vehicles, en route to see the warden. After they reached a half-mile towards the place, they noticed there was an accident on the road. As they looked, they saw one small car on fire and a pickup truck parked on the side of the road. The correctional officers would get out of the vehicle to look and see what happened while Royce sat in the back. It looked as if one guy was limping and the other was sitting down, feeling dizzy. "What's going on here?" asked one of the officers. "Well," replied the man sitting down, "I saw this man having trouble with his car, so I decided to help him. As I got close to his car, it exploded. Maybe the carburetor caught fire." "I'll get the fire extinguisher from the car," said the other officer. He would get it and then he would use it to put out the fire.Suddenly, the two men got up to fight the officers. They thought they had knocked them unconscious, and then they turned their guns at McLaughlin, ready to kill him. However, one of the officers shot them, killing them. Once the officers got up, they reported the incident to the dispatcher. A few minutes later, the warden showed up. The warden was Chester Finley, who worked for 10 years in that position. He was in his late 40's, curly hair and heavy-set build. "Well, McLaughlin, I have a feeling that someone knows you could nail whoever is responsible for you being here," he said. "Yeah, that's right", he said, smiling, thinking that now someone believes his story. "I'll tell you what I will do. I'm going to release you, so you can find out who's trying to kill you." "Really? You're going to let me go? That's fantastic, because I know who those bastards are." "All right, then. You'll get some fresh clothes and other things to get you back into the regular world." "You know, Warden Finley, I really appreciate what you're doing. But I don't understand why." "I looked over your files, McLaughlin. It seems you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps you didn't want to be part of their gang. Maybe you just wanted the money to drive, right?" McLaughlin smiled. "You're right, sir. I just needed money for driving. That was it." "All right", nodded the Warden, who then turned to the correctional officers and said, "Okay, men. Let's get Mr. McLaughlin back home." They would drive back to the correctional facility. Once inside, McLaughlin took a shower, and then put on civilian clothes.Warden Finley walked in. "Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're a regular guy visiting the prison." "Are you trying to humor me, Warden?" Finley laughed. "Oh, light up, man. You're a free man, ready to step out onto the street and do whatever you want. Good luck to you, my friend." Royce McLaughlin stepped out of the correctional facility's gates, the midday sun warming his face. For a moment, he stood still, feeling the strange sensation of freedom after months of confinement. Determined to clear his name and find those who betrayed him, he took a deep breath and set off down the road. He had a plan. The first step was to reconnect with his old life, to find out who among his former associates had set him up. He knew they would be careful, watching their backs, but Royce had a few tricks up his sleeve. He headed to the only place he could think of where he might get some information without drawing too much attention: the old bar on the outskirts of town where they used to meet. As he walked in, the familiar scent of stale beer and tobacco smoke hit him. He spotted an old acquaintance, Jimmy, sitting at a corner table nursing a drink. "Jimmy," Royce greeted, sliding into the seat across from him. "Long time no see." Jimmy looked up, surprise flickering across his face. "Royce? What the hell are you doing here?" "I got out early," Royce replied with a smirk. "Need some help? Heard anything about the guys who pulled that job? The ones who left me hanging?" Jimmy hesitated, glancing around nervously. "Man, you gotta be careful. They've been keeping a low profile since that day. But I've heard a couple of names thrown around—Benny and Mike. They're the ones you need to talk to." "Benny and Mike, huh?" Royce's jaw tightened. "Where can I find them?" "Last I heard, they were hiding out in an old warehouse by the docks," Jimmy whispered, lowering his voice. "Watch your back, Royce. Those guys aren't playing around." Royce nodded, slipping Jimmy a few bills as thanks. He stood up, his mind set on finding Benny and Mike. The time for answers had come, and Royce was ready to do whatever it took to get justice. As he drove by the docks, he'd see Benny Dawkins, the guy who's been keeping his ears to the ground as it relates to anything going on around the docks. He'd immediately recognize Royce, saying, "Yo, Royce---" "Hey, Benny, what's up?" "Man, I heard you were still in the slammer. When did you get out?" "It was yesterday, man. Warden said I got a bad rap, plus time off for good behavior. " "Dude, you definitely got a bad rap. In fact, you better be careful. Word on the streets is that the guys who set you up are planning to kill you." "Wait, you know who those guys are?" "Mike Collins and I are keeping our eyes open and our ears unwaxed so we can help you out." Royce would smile. "Well, now I know there are two people I can trust." Suddenly Mike Collins, a really husky-looking man, appeared. "That's right," he said. "In fact, I have even better news for you." "What's that?" Royce would say being quite curious. "Stacy Clever, your old girlfriend, also believes in you." Royce would really grin. "Stacy? Really? How is she?" Mike pulled out a picture of her, in a cap-and-gown. "She just graduated from law school, and hey, she's a pretty smart woman." Royce smiled again. "Well, you don't have to tell me, guys. I already know." Mike continued. "Anyway, she plans to work for my brother, Sal, and she's starting as a paralegal." "Sal had better watch it; she'd learn fast." "Yeah, I won't argue with you on that one, Royce." "Me neither," agreed Benny. With that, the three of them walked towards the boat that Mike owned. "Step into my boat", he said to Royce and Benny.The three of them enjoyed soft pretzels and sodas while watching TV. It was the news, as the anchor talked about the city council approving funds to create a park in one of the neighborhoods. "Hey", Royce said as he looked surprised. "That's my old neighborhood. They're gonna finally build a park there. It's about time." "Yeah," agreed Benny. "You remember we used to play around that area? There was nothing but dirt there.""I know", Mike said, smiling. The commercials came on, and there was one with twin sisters on a cruise, waving to the crowd as the announcer talked about enjoying a vacation on the cruise ship Palmyra. They would turn around and say in unison, "What are you waiting for? Join us?" Mike's eyes bulged as he said, "Hell, yeah." Royce and Benny laughed. "Man, I knew you'd say that." Suddenly, the laughter stopped as they heard something shocking from the news anchor, Hal Webster. "We've just received word from Lancaster Police. According to their statement, a prisoner from Millington Correctional Facility escaped, leaving two correctional officers dead and one severely injured. The escaped prisoner is 33-year-old Royce McLaughlin, who served time for criminal falicitation in a failed jewel robbery---" "Damn!" Royce shouted. "That Warden Finley lied to me, that sonofa-----" Mike and Benny held him back. "Easy, Royce. You know we believe you're a straight-up guy. What really happened?""Finley said he's releasing me from prison so that I can go out and find out who's setting me up. Now he's setting me up. Why, you stinking mother-----" Mike and Benny restrained him again. "Easy, Royce. Now we know that Finley knows more about that failed jewel robbery attempt than you do. It's payback time." "Yeah, you're right. But where do we start?" Royce, Benny, and Mike sat in tense silence, the hum of the television fading into the background. Royce's mind was racing. He needed a plan, and fast. "First things first," Mike said, breaking the silence. "We need to lay low for a bit and gather intel. If Finley's involved, he must have some dirty dealings we can exploit." "Right," Benny agreed. "But we can't do it alone. We need someone on the inside, someone who can get us information without raising suspicion." "Stacy," Royce said, his mind already working. "She's smart, and she just started working for Sal. She can get close to Finley without him knowing." "That's a good call," Mike said. "But we'll need to be careful. We can't risk her safety." "I'll talk to her," Royce said firmly. "She'll know what to do. In the meantime, let's gather whatever evidence we can about Finley's operations. Benny, you keep your ears to the ground at the docks. Mike, see if you can find anything in the city records that ties Finley to shady dealings."

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McLaughlin: Betrayal And Vengeance

mmswriter61

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Mark Salud

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