She recalled with a painful sense of irony that Senator Jorgens had been the very man who had been pushing hard for prison reform within the state, and along with his investigation of crime had been exposing the inequities of the penal system in Florida. Certainly the four criminals in their ignorance did not realize this – but if they did, the question was whether it would make any difference. Yes, Billy and the rest were truly being used as tools that would be discarded after their purpose had been served. There was no doubt in her mind that their death warrants had already been signed by the underworld lords. Ellen, herself, could see that as plain as daylight; but in their desperation and ignorance the escaped convicts were in no position to view the consequences of their acts.

"Yeah, but if any of them people get a glance at us, it still looks like it'll all be over," Billy answered after a moment of thought.

"We have prepared for that eventuality, Billy," the man said smoothly, talking to Billy as though he were a small child who just couldn't understand. "The moment you shoot him, another shot will ring out from behind our fist fight. It will actually be a firecracker, and there will be no weapon to be found. By the time the police get to our decoy, you and your friend will be out of the stadium."

"I don't like it," Pop said for the first time.

"What don't you like about it?" the man said, turning sharply to the new speaker.

"The part about gettin' out. That street is gonna be packed and there'll be cops to hell and back."

"Now we come to the next stage in our plan," the man said and leaned closer to Cash and Billy who sat on either side of him. "We've got to make the killing look as though it came from the protectors who've been making trouble recently. There will be a demonstration, as there always is, planned by us, and the student protectors will be uncomfortably close to our little fist fight. Now, knowing the temper of these times, who do you think is going to get fingered, you or the Students Alliance?"