North Oak, Book 1 - BORN TO RUN

Chapter 9: Tribunal

TRIBUNAL

Alex hugged her knees to her chest in her cell at the Tennessee New Visions Youth Development Facility at Woodland Hills in Nashville. Which was just a puffed up name for kid prison.

Her eyes darted to a girl she'd gotten into a fight with as she passed by Alex's cell.  The other girl sneered. The guard accompanying the girl jostled her, making her look forward again. Alex smirked when she saw the black eye she'd given the girl. 

Alex had played the game before in another corrections center when she'd been in for petty theft. Not being afraid to defend herself had ensured no one else caused another fight with her while she was in juvie. She hoped it would be the same here. She wasn't the type to start fights, but she was the type who finished them.

It didn't matter what it was about, she wouldn't put up with it.

She looked up when footsteps approached.  A guard unlocked her cell. "You've got a visitor."

Alex rose to be escorted to a meeting room. She paused in the doorway when she saw Mr. North sitting at a table beside another man in a dark suit. The guard seated Alex across from them, shut the door, and stood watch.

Mr. North was the first to speak. "I came as soon as I could."

Alex folded her arms and leaned back in the chair wordlessly.

Mr. North motioned to the man beside him. "This is my attorney Mr. Michaels." 

The attorney leaned forward, offering his hand to shake, but Alex just glared at him. He sat back down slowly and smoothed over his tie. 

Mr. North folded his hands on the cool, steel table they crowded around. He cleared his throat. "Alex, it is within my power to change your circumstances. Mr. Michaels here will help us bring you back to North Oak."

Alex turned her head and pursed her lips as though she had tasted something sour. 

"What's wrong?" asked North.

Her eyes drilled into his. "Why doesn't anyone ask what I want? What makes you think I want to go back to your dumb horse farm?"

North fell back in his chair, much the same way Hillary had when she told her of the murder. He was quiet so long that his attorney began stacking and smoothing over the papers in front of him, avoiding eye contact with both parties.

Mr. North glanced at him. "Could you give us a moment?"

Mr. Michaels nodded and rose. The guard let him step into the hall where he promptly pulled a cell phone from his inner suit pocket. When the door shut, North leaned toward Alex. He pulled a file from the pile his attorney had brought.

"Do you know what this is?"

Alex looked anywhere but him.

"You've seen me with it before, the day we met in the hospital." He sighed when she still wouldn't speak to him. "It's yours."

Alex rolled her head back against her shoulder. She glanced at the manila folder.

"Every foster home you've ever been in, you've run away. What are you running from?"

Not from. Alex's heart quickened as she thought of Ashley.  To. Ashley was always home. But now there was no Ashley. And no home.

She bit her lip.

Alex kicked the chair out from under her and went to the door where the guard escorted her out. Mr. Michaels caught her elbow in the hall. "We want you to plead not guilty. See you at the arraignment."