Have you ever been accused of something you know you did not do and needed to find a way to prove your innocence? Well, that is exactly where our main character, Vincent Taylor, finds himself. With a mother who believes in him, a girlfriend who visits him in prison and says she will help, a best friend he cannot locate and an identical twin who is a defense attorney that detests him, Vincent takes a journey of behind close doors dealings and perpetrations that question even his own character and commitments. Two wrongs never make it right; and right is only a turn. So strap yourselves in a roller coaster ride that will take you on a trip with no promise of where you be let off.
Two Wrongs
A Novel
By Anthony L. BakerTrafford Publishing
Copyright © 2017 Anthony L. Baker
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4907-8224-9Contents
Chapter 1: Betrayed and Set Up, 1,
Chapter 2: You're on Death Row, Fool, 6,
Chapter 3: Windows of the Soul, 11,
Chapter 4: The Planning Room, 16,
Chapter 5: Dirty Windows, 19,
Chapter 6: Big Daddy, 23,
Chapter 7: Bad Boy, 29,
Chapter 8: Release the Hounds, 36,
Chapter 9: Implementation, 40,
Chapter 10: Brother to Brother, 46,
Chapter 11: Slavery, 52,
Chapter 12: Lovely Scenery, 57,
Chapter 13: D-Day, 63,
Chapter 14: Don't I Know You?, 68,
Chapter 15: Reality Show, 75,
Chapter 16: Unknown Terri-Tory, 81,
Chapter 17: Sunday's Best, 87,
Chapter 18: Insert Foot, 92,
Chapter 19: If You Don't Know Me by Now, 96,
Chapter 20: Threats and Promises, 102,
Chapter 21: And the Winner Is, 105,
Chapter 22: New Shit, 111,
Chapter 23: Intermission, 116,
Chapter 24: Wrong Floor, 119,
Chapter 25: Put into Action, 123,
Chapter 26: Lunch Date, 126,
Chapter 27: Want Some More?, 129,
Chapter 28: Divine Interception, 133,
Chapter 29: ROI, 137,
Chapter 30: The Heart Knows, 141,
Chapter 31: I'm Listening, 145,
Chapter 32: Let's Get Serious, 149,
Chapter 33: Meeting Up, 151,
Chapter 34: What's Love Got to Do with It Anyway?, 156,
Chapter 35: Proper Paperwork and Product, 160,
Chapter 36: Wrap Up, 164,
Chapter 37: Everything Is a Choice, 167,
Chapter 38: Uncovered, 171,
Chapter 39: Finger Lickin' Good, 175,
Chapter 40: The Weekend Warriors, 183,
Chapter 41: Surprise, Surprise, Surprise, 188,
Chapter 42: The All-Seeing Eye, 196,
Chapter 43: Loose Ends, 199,
CHAPTER 1
Betrayed and Set Up
Three and a half years. Not a long time. Unless you're in prison for a crime you didn't commit. This was the fate of one person: Vincent Taylor. Wearing the very same drab black-and-white striped suit the whole time, only having it washed on occasion. He was a handsome guy, smart, well-groomed, six feet two inches, black, and in tiptop shape. He would put you in the mind of a younger version of Maxwell but with a shadow of a beard and moustache. His eyes were kind but serious, and you knew when he meant business. He was never the kind that got in any big trouble, until now that is ... just the normal things a kid might find himself doing. But he wasn't a kid anymore, and even though he had done some time for menial crimes, it certainly was not for murder. However, that was just what he was in prison for.
The long corridor that led to the "special room" was nothing more than gray cement blocks decorated with cobwebs and dust along with the smell of fresh piss, musk, and farts. One could see how the mold on the walls had taken residence. Graffiti had to be removed almost on a daily basis. How the prisoner got the markers was always the unsolvable mystery. Passing by the cells, you could hear sneers, jeers, and cheers for the appointee of the hour. You could hear them but could only make out a few phrases. There was no jealousy, however. This was one of those rare occasions when being in the cell was a good thing for a prisoner. Seeing as how it was February, at the height of the winter season, and it was New York, you would have thought someone would turn up some heat. But neither the guards nor the warden seemed to care. They only cared about getting paid and making it alive through the week to collect. A chill overtook Vincent for a second.
The "special room" was nothing more than solitary confinement here at the New York State Prison Facilities. Even though there was nothing special about it, the warden got a kick out of calling it that, and the guards quickly grasped onto the idea. There was no phone, no lights, no motorcar — not a single luxury. Even when the guards would bring the "tray of the day," you could tell that no well-known chef put his part into preparing it. This was just another so-called fun phrase the guards would use at the expense of the prisoners. It was just enough to sustain a man but just enough to piss him off as well.
Vincent was being escorted down this corridor as the "special guest" of the moment, and for some reason, this walk seemed to go on forever. One could say that this was not a bad thing since he really wasn't in a hurry to get to the "special room" anyway. His arms, neck, and legs ached with pain since he had to be subdued by a couple of the guards. Turns out that an inmate had been put up to reaching around Vincent and grabbing him between his legs ... as a sort of "massage therapy." That particular inmate also thought that if he could get V, as Vincent would be called, to be his pimp daddy in prison, then no one else would mess with him. He figured wrong. V tried to kill this inmate but fell short of his task when he was grabbed by who he thought was his friend. This inmate would spend quite a few days in the infirmary though.
Officer Kevin Casey was one of those rare guards who too often cared about prisoners, especially about those who were dogged or jumped on by other inmates. He was six feet six inches, weighed 260 pounds, in great shape, and since he was balding on the top of his head, he kept his head shaved. He had a light mustache and goatee, but it was graying in spots. You could see how his job made him look a lot older than he was. Even with lotion, you could see how his hands were weathered, and there were a couple of scars on his arms and back from scuffles at the prison that he wore like badges of honor. He was proud to do what he did, so his uniforms were always pristine.
When V first arrived at this prison, a gang of horny inmates jumped him, and Kevin, who just happened to be making his rounds, heard the scuffle. V thought to himself, Somebody's gonna die before they get this ass! Might be me, but it won't be only me! Kevin wound up stopping what would have been a painful and embarrassing situation for V, but it also prevented V from killing maybe one or even two of the assailants. Vincent Taylor and Kevin Casey started a friendship from then on, and for three and a half years, V has had his back watched ever since, whenever possible that is ... except for this last time. V knew Kevin couldn't watch him all the time, so he made sure he would do three things while he was here: He would continue to work out, he would continue the art of jiujitsu that he had practiced since a teen, and he would visit the library as often as he could, if nothing more than to become a little more educated. After the inmates learned that V was convicted for killing a judge and was on death row, it really wasn't necessary to watch his back all the time anyway; he became an instant hero among the majority of the inmates. Some couldn't care less, and you know what they say: "You cant please everyone." They knew they had to serve their own time for whatever crimes they were convicted for, so hey, "to each his own." And for the ones who were convicted by Judge Mumford, they almost cherished V! If Kevin hadn't stopped him, V would have murdered that "massage therapist." Self-defense? Sure, but while in prison, it would have still been looked upon as murder. He was trying to protect his ass...
