The next day
Mahone straightened his cuffs and with a small half smile to his team walked out into the sunshine, stepping quickly down the stone steps outside the FBI offices in downtown Chicago. He glanced up as he reached the bottom and noticed for the first time the myriad of news vans parked along the bottom of the steps . All the Chicago stations were there but so were the Nationals, he wondered if the numbers meant it was a slow day for news or the allure of the Fox River 8 story was still strong. Crews busied themselves with last minute arrangements for the hastily arranged press conference.
A producer and newsreader were blowing on hot cups of coffee
“Any idea what the breaking news here? I thought the trail had gone cold several weeks ago?”
The other shrugged their shoulders, blowing away some of the froth from her drink before sipping and grimacing
“Guess they just want to keep us all interested. Wonder why we’re out here though, why can’t we use their press room, the coffee’s better in there as well.”
They both smiled then turned as a cab drew up against the sidewalk twenty yards down from the steps. Suddenly the steps and street was filled with police their guns drawn, FBI men flooded from the building as well, their jackets and weapons making it absolutely clear who they were and that they meant business.
“What’s happening?” asked the puzzled newsreader, as the journalists both turned towards the taxi.
A man was getting out of the taxi, he was wearing a dark coloured suit, he looked like any business man, except he carried no papers or case. The woman journalist noticed instead his long slender fingers as he slowly moved away from the cab and raised both his hands into the air.
“Isn’t that… ?” she asked, then with sudden realisation she clicked into work mode physically pulled her cameraman around who was filming the law enforcement officers on the steps and started her broadcast.
“The mastermind of the Fox River breakout, Michael Scofield has just appeared at the FBI building and seems to be about to give himself up…….Yes we can confirm this is breaking news Michael Scofield, leader and mastermind behind the Fox River breakout and brother of the recently exonerated Lincoln Burrows appears to be handing himself in…." Behind her everything seemed to be happening in slow motion as more and more police arrived and the crews became aware of what was happening.
Michael moved several more steps away from the cab and then smiled, he turned around slowly in an eerie replay of his original arrest at the bank, taking in the slowed traffic in the street, the TV vans and crews and the phalanx of police and FBI agents, an assortment of guns trained on him. Someone shouted
“Get down Scofield”
He slowly went down on one knee then the other, his arms still raised to the sky.
He looked up and met the stare of Mahone who was motionless at the bottom of the stone steps, and stared back, still with a half smile on his face.
Then they descended on him, pushing him roughly to the pavement, his face hit the ground and he turned his head to carry on staring at Mahone. He was cuffed with plastic ties, his arms pulled tightly behind him. Then he was hauled roughly up to his knees. He stared around, a slight shake of the head, a look of puzzlement on his face. There were at least 30 guns trained on him. His eyes flickered as flashbulbs reflected of his face from the banks of press now circling the FBI teams. He couldn’t help thinking this was overkill, but he guessed being ‘America’s most wanted ‘ meant the cops were taking any chances and there was surely a little playing up to the cameras going on here. ….and then an arm was reaching down to him and pulling him almost gently up to standing.
Mahone whispered to him,
“Scofield, I’m ending this circus right now” and turning him slowly pushed his way through the encircling cops and media and walked slowly up the steps with him.
At the top Michael turned and caught one last look at the news crews, photographers and police and turned to face Mahone before he was surrounded once again by armed officers..
“Thank you”
Mahone turned to him,
“I been wanting to meet you for quite a while, Michael, lets go talk.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
I realised I hadnt posted part 2 properly so hopefully its now showing as chapter 2.