Chapter 21. The Conclusion

Everything has gone as we expected. We’ve managed to get out of the prison without any complications. We’re continuing with the plan and we’re already at Pedro’s friend’s house. I don’t have much time, so the farewell will be short. I have no idea what the next destination of my escape companions will be. They never told me. What I’m clear about is that I’m not going to see them again. It’s a very desolate feeling, since, although I haven’t known them for long, I’ve created a great friendship with them and they’ve been a great support.

From this house, I’m heading on foot to the library. As I walk, I think that being on the street is a very strange sensation. I don’t know how to describe it, but the mere fact of walking down any street makes me happy. I hope my new friends do well and I hope the same happens to me. I’m quite nervous because I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, and it’s a very distressing feeling.

Although Chani is helping me prove my innocence, my relationship with him will never be the same. I plan to leave this city and forget et everything that has happened to me here. That also includes Chani. As for Rich, better not to even talk about it. He was one of my best friends and he betrayed me without thinking for some money.

I keep walking and my head won’t stop spinning. I guess it’s normal, but I have a very bad feeling. Maybe it’s nerves. I enjoy what could be my last minutes of freedom, although I can’t enjoy them as I would like. I must walk very quickly, as I don’t have much time.

Then, without warning, someone grabs my arm and I almost have a heart attack. Nobody knows me in this area, so I wasn’t expecting to be stopped for any reason. When I turn around, I got a small surprise: it was Rich. I thought it would be a coincidence, since we had arranged to meet at the same place and were following the same path. But in reality, it wasn’t like that. He was waiting there to warn me.

As soon as I saw him, an immense feeling of anger came over me. I thought about hitting him, but before I could say anything, he started talking hurriedly. I could hardly understand him.

 

I tried hard to understand what he was saying and came to the conclusion that he was leading me into a trap. I don’t have much time, so I asked him to explain himself better and more slowly.

Then he began to explain a story. According to him, Chani had planned everything together with his Korean girlfriend. Apparently, it had all been the latter’s idea. She had planned it from afar. Additionally, they had Chani’s cousin as an accomplice. The main idea was to frame both me and Rich, but it seems they didn’t have enough time to access his computer and they gave up.

Continuing with the story, theoretically, Rich didn’t know anything until Chani and his girlfriend contacted him a few weeks ago. They offered him a good sum of money if he testified against me and corroborated their story. According to Rich, he refused to do it and then the threats came. First, they suggested they could have him imprisoned and then, seeing that their victim was still hesitant, the physical threats towards him and his family began. They advised him to stay out of it, and that’s why he hadn’t received any news from him for a long time.

Meanwhile, Chani and his accomplices had been weaving a plan to ensure I stayed locked up for a long time. The idea was to convince me to escape from prison and, when I arrived at the agreed place, the police would be waiting for me there. Apparently, that’s what awaits me there: a lot of undercover police officers, from the surroundings to inside the library.

The story seems credible; even Rich’s way of expressing himself is very convincing, but this plot is quite hard to believe. I’ve been planning the prison escape for months based on information, and I can’t get my head around things being different. On the other hand, it’s normal for Rich to want to deceive me; in theory, he’s the one who benefits from me being in prison.

After thinking about it for less than a minute, I tell him I don’t believe it and that I plan to get to the library. Although in reality doubts have already entered my mind and I’m extremely nervous. But, having come this far, I don’t know what else to do. The only option I have is to continue with the plan and trust that everything will work out. The story they just told me makes a lot of sense, but if I were in his place, I would also try to deceive me.

Luckily for me, Rich had evidence to show me. The first time he contacted Chani and his girlfriend, he managed to get a recording. At one point during the meeting, he went to the bathroom and activated his phone’s audio recording. At the beginning of the conversation, you can hear two people speaking in Korean, although at some point they start speaking in English with Rich. It’s definitely Chani’s voice; he starts by saying that I’m a criminal and that I must pay for my crimes. Then he advises him not to help me and ends with a threat, making it clear that if he helps me in any way, he’ll end up explaining himself to justice.

Chani is smart, so at no point does he reveal his involvement and is very measured in his threats. This recording has opened my eyes, although I’m still not 100% convinced. It might have been part of the plan to get Rich to trust them and thus obtain incriminating evidence. Whatever the case, I’m more inclined to believe Rich’s version. But I’m still doubting; I weigh my alternatives and mentally review all the conversations I’ve had with those involved since I entered prison.

As Rich sees that I’m still doubtful, he decides to show me one more piece of evidence. Something irrefutable. He asks me to follow him, although he suggests that I keep my distance. He carefully scans the horizon and stays close to the wall. He seems to be looking for something. He reaches a corner dumpster; from there you can see the library and the entire main street in front of it. I don’t know what we’re looking for, but almost without telling me anything, he points to a van. There are people inside, they seem to be watching. Then he shows me another van parked on the other side. It’s clear they’re police officers and they’re waiting for my arrival.

At that moment, I start feeling an amount of anxiety that I can barely control. I think that if the police are waiting, it’s because they already know I’ve escaped from prison and the whole plan has gone down the drain. The easiest thing would be to try to run away. I wish I knew where Bud had gone; maybe he could take me with him or at least help me leave the country.

 

I didn’t know yet that Bud was still monitoring the communication reaching the prison. Inside it, the police still didn’t know I had escaped, so they weren’t looking for me. If I returned before they did the cell check, no one would have proof of my escape and no one would have reason to doubt me

Suddenly I remembered the recording that Chani’s cousin showed me to incriminate Rich, where he asked Chani to leave the country and never come back. I mentioned it to Rich, and he told me it was a phrase taken out of context. The conversation wasn’t with Chani, but with an English friend from his same city. It’s such an absurd excuse that it must be true.

I don’t know what to do; I’m frozen. Luckily, Rich starts speaking in a low voice and tells me he has a plan. It seems he had planned it since Chani asked him to participate in this trap meeting. In reality, I barely have to do anything; everything will depend on him. Well, to be honest, if he asks me to do something, it’s to hit him in the face. It surprises me, but he only had to ask twice. He’s bleeding from his nose, he’s wiped his shirt and even got part of his clothes muddy. Finally, he tells me to escape from there as soon as possible. My intention is to return to prison with Phil; even if they already know in jail that I’m not there, I can make up some story, like I fell asleep in the laundry room. I tell Rich my meeting point with Phil, and he simply says goodbye, telling me he’ll give me a two-minute head start.

After those two minutes, Rich ran out to the main street desperately asking for help. It was then that all the police officers approached to see what was happening. He told them that someone had assaulted him and had run away. Of course, he indicated the opposite direction to the one I used to escape. At that moment, I was already reaching the parking lot, where I would wait for Phil crouched down.

Thanks to this strategy, the library was left unprotected. The police told Rich that he should stay there waiting for the ambulance, but that wasn’t what he had in mind. Inside the library, they hadn’t heard about what had happened, so Chani and his girlfriend still thought the meeting was on and that the authorities were out there waiting to arrest me.

He explained to them that he had met me at the entrance, that I had attacked him and then fled upon seeing the police presence. This made them think that at that moment I was about to be captured and that their plan had been a complete success. On the other hand, after the attack, they thought that from now on Rich was totally on their side.

 

They began to talk casually, and Rich explained to them in detail how he had been attacked by surprise. He knew he had to gain their trust before bringing up any incriminating topics. If they suspected anything, all would be lost. There’s only one chance to get a confession from them.

Chani’s girlfriend began saying that I was dangerous and that, thanks to this, they were going to sentence me for a long time. Chani thanked Rich for his help and they shook hands. Then the tone of the conversation changed and became more relaxed. For a few minutes, both parties were discussing their immediate future plans. Then, Rich took advantage of the situation.

He began complaining that, despite being an accomplice to the Korean couple’s crime, he hadn’t received any money, while they had gotten a good sum, enough to live well for a long time. These comments were followed by a long silence. They were quite distrustful and didn’t want to corroborate Rich’s words.

Once the tension passed, they continued by saying they hadn’t received any money and that they were simply happy to have helped the authorities arrest a criminal. Things were going badly and it was time to make the final attempt. Seeing that the couple was very secretive, he decided to try a new tactic: making them angry. He was sure that at some point they would explode. They had already shown aggressive behavior towards him in the past, and he knew it could happen again.

He began playing his last card, threatening to talk if he didn’t receive money. The important thing was for them to think that I didn’t matter to him at all and that all he wanted was money. This way, they wouldn’t suspect anything. At this point, no one could blame him if he claimed a share of the loot. Besides, it was fair, since he was risking a lot being an accomplice and had even helped them set this trap for me.

Regarding my unfair incrimination, Chani, extremely cautious, neither confirmed nor denied Rich’s words. He simply said that the important thing was that everyone was physically well, which sounded like a subtle threat. He emphasized that all he wanted for everyone was that they could continue being friends and go on with their lives, trying to forget what had happened.

Although Chani remained cautious, Rich tried one last time. This time, directly, he told them that if he didn’t receive fair compensation, he would confess to the police that very night and even testify against them in court. That would exculpate me and put both of them in prison. It was then that Chani’s girlfriend lost control and became disproportionately furious. She began shouting, asserting that he would never receive any of the money they had stolen and that if he didn’t want to suffer an “accident,” he’d better keep his mouth shut.

They had taken the bait, and Rich already had what he wanted. Now, to avoid problems, he needed to reduce the tension and leave there with the recorded evidence. He simply said that he wasn’t stupid enough to confess, as that could also bring problems for him. Finally, he added that they would be in contact because he wasn’t giving up his share of the money and that they would have time to discuss it more calmly. Chani, calmer now, accepted. He shook his hand and they said goodbye. Rich left there with his objective accomplished.

Meanwhile, I was crouched in the parking lot, waiting for Phil. I had no way to communicate with him, only the hope that he would appear at the agreed time. With the blackmail we had done to him, I had no doubt he would comply. Five minutes before the agreed time, he arrived and turned off the car lights. For at least two minutes, I observed the area looking for any suspicious movement. Seeing that everything was quiet, I cautiously approached the car. Phil got out and put me in the trunk. It wouldn’t be a comfortable journey and, to be honest, it was quite claustrophobic, but it was the only way to return to prison without being detected.

The parking lot for prison staff is underground and from there you can access several rooms. Before escaping, Bud showed me a route back to my cell. The door should still be open and, once there, I’ll be able to close it from the inside. It was the perfect plan, although I’m worried that the police might have alerted the prison guards about my possible escape. At this point, they’ve probably already checked my cell and discovered I wasn’t there. Even so, I trust the plan. No one has seen me outside these walls and they can’t prove that I’ve escaped. If I manage to return without being detected, I’ll be able to continue with our strategy.

Returning to my humble quarters was quite simple. I closed the cell from the inside and now I’m just waiting for the morning inspection. I don’t see much commotion, which means they’re not looking for anyone; a very good sign. When the guard arrived, his expression completely changed.

For a moment, I was scared, but then I remembered that Bud had escaped and they didn’t know it yet.

Quickly, the guard raised the alarm and the search began. It was then that I realized that Bud, from outside, had helped me by blocking communications between the police and the prison. The plan had worked perfectly.

Of course, I was interrogated about the disappearance of my escape companions, especially because I shared a cell with one of them. I simply said that I was asleep and that, when I woke up, I found myself alone in the cell. It was an unlikely explanation, but impossible to refute.

Rich, for his part, handed the audio to my lawyer and together they started working on my defense. Thanks to the new evidence and Rich’s testimony, it didn’t take long for me to regain my freedom. Finally, I could prove my innocence. Now I have a whole new life ahead of me and, additionally, I’ve learned to Program in Java.

Chani and his girlfriend weren’t so lucky. They were found guilty of extortion and sentenced to several years in prison. The affected companies recovered their money, and everything was finally cleared up.

Thank you for having accompanied me on this arduous journey. Together we’ve learned to Program in Java, and I hope it’s as useful for you as it has been for me.