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CHAPTER 14 Caitlin stood at her cell window and looked out over the courtyard. She hadn't moved from that spot since the firing squad had done their duty and executed the girl in the white robe. As she looked down at the courtyard now, she could still see the figure hanging from the post. There was no white robe any more. It was a deep red, almost black, soaked through with the girl's blood. She still couldn't take her eyes away, and for some reason, she felt that she owed it to that cat that she didn't know to sit and bear witness for everything that happened. She could see one of the girls across the yard and on the first floor looking through her window with the same look that Caitlin could imagine was on her face. Neither met the other's glance, and both eyes were fixed squarely on that figure at the post. The door opened and two men in white uniforms came through with a wheeled stretcher. On the stretcher was a black fabric bag that Caitlin recognized immediately. They moved with professional speed across the concrete and to the central yard. The first one stopped in front of the girl and pulled a tool from his belt, and then cut the flex cuffs around the girl's wrists. Her arms flopped down to her sides and it took both of the men to lift her enough that they could get the S-hook out from behind her head. Then they eased her body to the ground while the first pulled another tool from his belt. This one he pressed to the collar around the girl's neck and it sprang open almost the instant the tool had touched it. Caitlin watched in shock as the first man picked up the girl's body and almost tossed it onto the stretcher, like he was tossing a sack of garbage into the back of a truck. His face had the look that matched the gesture. The look that said he was handling something noxious and foul. No respect was offered whatsoever, even in her death. "Her name was Lilly." Caitlin squeaked in surprise and spun around to see Orfeo staring at her from the other side of the bars. Orfeo's face was ragged and she had little lines under her eyes. Caitlin frowned. "What?" she asked. "You asked who she was," Orfeo said. "Her name was Lilly. She was nineteen." Caitlin remained silent and looked at the guard through the bars. Orfeo's shoulders were slumped and she stooped a bit. There was a look on her face that went beyond sad. It was bordering on the look that Caitlin had seen on Lilly's face when she'd looked closer. The look that said she'd given up. "I've seen twenty girls at that post, Kincaid, and I remember the name of every single one." Though her words didn't reflect it, Caitlin could see the pain on the guard's face and she couldn't help feeling sorry for her. "Some of them really were guilty, but some of them, like Lilly, just got caught up in something they didn't understand." Orfeo reached into her pocket and drew out her keycard, then slid it through the reader on the wall to open the cell door. When it was open, she stepped inside and it closed automatically behind her. She took the two steps to the bunk and sat down, then invited Caitlin to sit next to her. Caitlin looked at her dumbly for a moment before she moved across the cell and sat. She could feel Orfeo's body so near hers, but she didn't move away. Orfeo wasn't paying her any attention, just looking with glazed eyes at the cinderblock wall across from the bunk, and Caitlin waited for her to collect her thoughts. "Lilly was a sweet girl, Kincaid. She was as well-mannered as you are, and I couldn't ever get her to stop calling me ma'am." Orfeo lowered her head to her chest. "I can't believe that she did what they said she did, but they found every scrap of evidence against her, and it was enough." Caitlin watched, confused and curious about the look of pain on Orfeo's face. "If she didn't do it, then why was she out there at the pole, Momma Wolf?" Orfeo shook her head and reached a hand up to wipe at her eyes. "I don't know, Kincaid. But something was going on behind the scenes with her." "Why are you telling me, Momma Wolf? I thought they weren't supposed to have names. Won't you get in trouble for telling me?" Orfeo turned her eyes to the girl sitting next to her. "I want you to know, Caitlin," she said. Caitlin's eyes widened. It was the first time that she'd ever heard the guard use her first name. "I want you to know that there's someone who remembers the names. They needed to know that there was someone who would remember them." Caitlin could hear the message behind her words. Momma Wolf wanted her to know that if she ended up out there with no name and no history, being treated like trash, that there would be someone who would remember her name and help make sure that she wasn't forgotten. Caitlin wanted to reach out and hug the guard, but she held herself back, afraid that Orfeo wouldn't like it. Instead she bowed her head. "Thank you, Momma Wolf." Orfeo nodded. "I came to tell you one more thing, Kincaid." Caitlin raised her head from her chest and looked at the guard curiously. "I called your parents when you were brought in, and told them where you were and that you were safe. I've arranged for them to visit you tomorrow if you'd like." Caitlin couldn't believe what she was hearing and she couldn't hold back from reaching out and wrapping her arms around Orfeo. The guard didn't respond, just sat there and let Caitlin hug her, but she didn't push her away either. "Thank you, Momma Wolf," Caitlin choked out around the tears that had started to form in her eyes. "That'll do, girl," Orfeo said as she extricated herself from Caitlin's embrace. She stood up and smoothed out her uniform, and by the time she looked up at Caitlin again, her face had returned to the impassive but slightly friendly look she usually had on. "They'll be here tomorrow morning, and I'll come find you when they get here." Then she turned on her feet and walked towards the door. It opened when she got close and closed automatically behind her. Then she turned once again and looked back in at Caitlin. "Don't go losing hope, girl. You're not in the white robe yet." Then she turned and headed down the aisle, and Caitlin could hear her greeting and bantering with the other girls as she went. Caitlin stood and walked back to the window and looked at the empty pole with the open collar lying in the bloodstained grass, and for the first time, she felt a bit of hope. It wasn't much, like a lone flower in a field of weeds, but it was there, and she held onto it as tightly as she could.