They slowly walked back to camp. The tall man was the Texas Attorney General, the chief law enforcement o cer for the state. Stanley’s lawyer was named Ms. Morengo.
Stanley held the suitcase. He was so tired he couldn’t think straight. He felt as if he was walking in a dream, not quite able to comprehend what was going on around him.
They stopped in front of the camp o ce. Mr. Sir went inside to get Stanley’s belongings. The Attorney General told Mr. Pendanski to get the boys something to drink and eat.
The Warden seemed as dazed as Stanley. “You can’t even read,” she said to Zero.
Zero said nothing.
Ms. Morengo put a hand on Stanley’s shoulder and told him to hang in there. He would be seeing his parents soon.
She was shorter than Stanley, but somehow gave the appearance of being tall.
Mr. Pendanski returned with two cartons of orange juice and two bagels. Stanley drank the juice but didn’t feel like eating anything.
“Wait!” the Warden exclaimed. “I didn’t say they stole the suitcase. It’s his suitcase, obviously, but he put my things from my cabin inside it.”
“That isn’t what you said earlier,” said Ms. Morengo.
“What’s in the suitcase?” the Warden asked Stanley. “Tell us what’s in it, then we’ll open it and see!”
Stanley didn’t know what to do.
“Stanley, as your lawyer, I advise you not to open your suitcase,” said Ms. Morengo.
“He has to open it!” said the Warden. “I have the right to check the personal property of any of the detainees. How do I know there aren’t drugs or weapons in there? He stole a car, too! I’ve got witnesses!” She was nearly hysterical.
“He is no longer under your jurisdiction,” said Stanley’s lawyer. “He has not been o cially released,” said the Warden. “Open the
suitcase, Stanley!”
“Do not open it,” said Stanley’s lawyer. Stanley did nothing.
Mr. Sir returned from the o ce with Stanley’s backpack and clothes.
The Attorney General handed Ms. Morengo a sheet of paper. “You’re free to go,” he said to Stanley. “I know you’re anxious to get out of here, so you can just keep the orange suit as a souvenir. Or burn it, whatever you want. Good luck, Stanley.”
He reached out his hand to shake, but Ms. Morengo hurried Stanley away. “C’mon, Stanley,” she said. “We have a lot to talk about.”
Stanley stopped and turned to look at Zero. He couldn’t just leave him here.
Zero gave him thumbs-up.
“I can’t leave Hector,” Stanley said.
“I suggest we go,” said his lawyer with a sense of urgency in her voice.
“I’ll be okay,” said Zero. His eyes shifted toward Mr. Pendanski on one side of him, then to the Warden and Mr. Sir on the other.
“There’s nothing I can do for your friend,” said Ms. Morengo. “You are released pursuant to an order from the judge.”
“They’ll kill him,” said Stanley.
“Your friend is not in danger,” said the Attorney General. “There’s going to be an investigation into everything that’s happened here. For the present, I am taking charge of the camp.”
“C’mon, Stanley,” said his lawyer. “Your parents are waiting.” Stanley stayed where he was.
His lawyer sighed. “May I have a look at Hector’s file?” she asked.
“Certainly,” said the Attorney General. “Ms. Walker, go get Hector’s file.”
She looked at him blankly. “Well?”
The Warden turned to Mr. Pendanski. “Bring me Hector Zeroni’s file.”
He stared at her. “Get it!” she ordered.
Mr. Pendanski went into the o ce. He returned a few minutes later and announced the file was apparently misplaced.
The Attorney General was outraged. “What kind of camp are you running here, Ms. Walker?”
The Warden said nothing. She stared at the suitcase.
The Attorney General assured Stanley’s lawyer that he would get the records. “Excuse me, while I call my o ce.” He turned back to the Warden. “I assume the phone works.” He walked into the camp o ce, slamming the door behind him. A little while later he reappeared and told the Warden he wanted to talk to her.
She cursed, then went inside. Stanley gave Zero thumbs-up. “Caveman? Is that you?”
He turned to see Armpit and Squid coming out of the Wreck Room. Squid shouted back into the Wreck Room, “Caveman and Zero are out here!”
Soon all the boys from Group D had gathered around him and Zero.
“Good to see you, man,” Armpit said, shaking his hand. “We thought you were buzzard food.”
“Stanley is being released today,” said Mr. Pendanski. “Way to go,” said Magnet, hitting him on the shoulder.
“And you didn’t even have to step on a rattlesnake,” said Squid. Even Zigzag shook Stanley’s hand. “Sorry about…you know.” “It’s cool,” said Stanley.
“We had to lift the truck clear out of the hole,” Zigzag told him. “It took everybody in C, D, and E. We just picked it right up.”
“It was really cool,” said Twitch.
X-Ray was the only one who didn’t come over. Stanley saw him hang back behind the others a moment, then return to the Wreck Room.
“Guess what?” said Magnet, glancing at Mr. Pendanski. “Mom says we don’t have to dig any more holes.”
“That’s great,” Stanley said.
“Will you do me a favor?” asked Squid.
“I guess,” Stanley agreed, somewhat hesitantly.
“I want you to—” He turned to Ms. Morengo. “Hey, lady, you have a pen and paper I can borrow?”
She gave it to him, and Squid wrote down a phone number which he gave to Stanley. “Call my mom for me, okay? Tell her…Tell her I said I was sorry. Tell her Alan said he was sorry.”
Stanley promised he would.
“Now you be careful out in the real world,” said Armpit. “Not everybody is as nice as us.” Stanley smiled.
The boys departed when the Warden came out of the o ce. The Attorney General was right behind her.
“My o ce is having some di culty locating Hector Zeroni’s records,” the Attorney General said.
“So you have no claim of authority over him?” asked Ms.
Morengo.
“I didn’t say that. He’s in the computer. We just can’t access his records. It’s like they’ve fallen through a hole in cyberspace.”
“A hole in cyberspace,” Ms. Morengo repeated. “How interesting.
When is his release date?” “I don’t know.”
“How long has he been here?” “Like I said, we can’t—”
“So what are you planning to do with him? Keep him confined indefinitely, without justification, while you go crawling through black holes in cyberspace?”
The Attorney General stared at her. “He was obviously incarcerated for a reason.”
“Oh? And what reason was that?” The Attorney General said nothing.
Stanley’s lawyer took hold of Zero’s hand. “C’mon, Hector, you’re coming with us.”
