(15 meters, north of San Fernando prison building)

Ten men struggled amidst the irregular land before them. The constant dent and rough surface of the ground demanded a stronger pair of legs than what the group of cops who were laboriously making their way across scabrous and dust-filled ground could offer.

"At this rate, we'd be too tired to face those thugs!" One of them yelled.

The others only glanced at him with dismay. "We're trekking the same ground dude, stop complaining." A man with rivulets of sweat on his forehead retorted.

"How could it be dusty when it rained like cats and dogs last night? " the man continued to complain, making his team shake their heads-irritated by their companion's rampant blabber.
***

(13 meters, West of San Fernando prison building)

"Arnold, this is beyond favorable, why the hell did they build this prison with such grounds!" Jay-a thirty-year-old cop protested.

Arnold, the man tasked as the team leader looked back at his subordinate. "It's a maximum-security prison, what else would you expect?" he irritatingly replied.

"Well, I expected it not to fall under the hands of its prisoners," Jay scoffed.

"Hey, stop acting like a girl exposed to sunlight and sweat, you've endured a lot more than this before, so shut your trap!" the eldest of them, a man by the name of Vandolph screamed.

"Unless ya'll want to announce our position to the thugs, then keep blabbering." The man they called Smith added.
***

(12 meters, South of San Fernando Prison building)

"Keep your heads low, no sudden movements, the East team is down." The team leader whispered.

His men bobbed their heads-their bodies crawling on the ground like worms.

"What will we do if we're spotted?" one of them asked.

The Leader raised his gun slightly and said, "Open fire."
***

(East, 10 meters of San Fernando Correctional prison)

A man lay bloodied on the ground. The others had their necks craned from left to right, keeping their bodies plastered to the ground. The first batch of shots made a sound, which gave them enough time to dock, but the second batch came in silence, sending some of them to their demise.

The chief watched with a heavy heart, as his men fell one after the other. He glanced at everyone who was still conscious.

"How many are hit?" the chief screamed.

"Five, six, and eight are down." One of them answered.

"Where the hell are the other groups!" One man with a bleeding leg complained.

"They won't make a move unless they see us, given their position, I doubt if any of them have seen our situation." Chief Evan replied.

"How can we fight like this, we're sitting ducks!" screamed a man with a bullet embedded in his shoulder.

"Just hold on," the chief answered solemnly.
***

(Ground floor - South Wing)

Sheldon kept running like a madman, Oscar trailed behind him with no planned direction to take.

The duo only stopped when they heard a whimper coming from the infirmary.

Slowly, the two of them leaned towards the door-trying to get a better grasp of the sound coming from the inside.

"Is he dead?"

"Oh shut up, he's still alive-well barely. We need to get him to a hospital soon."

"Where the hell are they!"

Sheldon and Oscar stared at each other, without a word uttered, they pushed the door open with full force-only to stumble and fall on top of each other, after the door easily gave way.

Two young guards, Rodney and Kelvin, who were luckily saved from Rudolf's men by the Convicts inside the infirmary, looked down at the two aged men sprawled on the floor.

"Well, that's something we don't see every day. You okay Sheldon?" Rodney asked.

Sheldon struggled under Oscar before the old man found himself yanked upwards by Kelvin.

Oscar, after getting to his feet, was aware of the indifferent look the other guards were throwing at him. So, he moved near the broken door and decided, he would make a run for it if things got out of hand.

"Take your feet off of those!" Sheldon suddenly yelled-startling the others inside the infirmary.

The guard whose feet were in question looked down and realized that he was stepping on a pile of letters. Immediately, he removed his foot and watched in awe as Sheldon-the guard they barely spoke to, picked up the letters with haste.

The two guards stared at Sheldon-questioning, but their silent query was answered by the old prisoner. "Those are letters for his mother."

Both men, Rodney and Kelvin, glanced in Oscar's direction, with a look that the old prisoner understood as what do you mean?

Before any of them could say another word, Sheldon sat on one of the chairs beside the infirmary bed-where a guard he knew to be named Samson lay unconscious.

"I have to get this to my mother, she needs to know all of this," Sheldon murmured.

"For an old man, your acting like a child, holding on to those letters like that," Rodney commented.

Sheldon stared at him with a narrowed eyebrow and retorted, "I'm not that old, I'm only 54."

The guard didn't bother to give a reply after he saw that Sheldon have already bent his head, seemingly ready to read one of the letters.

"Hey, can you read that out loud?" Oscar requested. The two guards glanced at Oscar again, but this time-they held a gaze that showed curiosity.

"I knew the man who wrote those letters," Oscar explained, as an answer to their unsaid question.

Sheldon didn't bother with the looks he was given. He shook his head and began to read the letter.
***

Dear Maria,

Hello love, I believe your kids are all grown up now. How time flies. I can't believe I've been locked up for decades.

Maria? Have you ever thought about me? I remember how you kept staring at me inside the courthouse. Do you even remember me? The man who was convicted for the murder of your husband?
The man who spent time with you-in the shadows of course-when your family went on a vacation to your in-law's house, leaving you behind? I'm certain you don't. How could you, when you're not even aware that I was there?

I felt broken when I saw how alone you were Maria, but I couldn't bring myself to save you unless you asked for it.

What happened to you? You used to be headstrong and defiant. Did the incident when you were sixteen broke you? Was that it Maria? Did that man burn out your light completely?

During that time my love, I wish I could've told you what his fate was. I wish I could've walked up to you and said "I have avenged you!" I'm sorry for being a coward Maria-I guess, my courage only surfaced when I needed to kill someone, but when it came to be with you-I was nothing more but a wet puppy, a sniveling piece of existence that could only lurk in the shadows.

I remember the day after they left, you dressed up and went to church. I followed, only to be certain that nothing bad happened to you. I was worried because you looked so beautiful. What if someone came and mess with you? I needed to be there. I had to be certain that you were safe.

When you entered the confession booth, I wanted to follow you inside, but don't worry-I didn't. I respected the higher beings, even when they seemed to enjoy stomping on my fate.

I know I made a lot of mistakes and committed a bunch of crimes, but still-I think the higher power toyed with my life. I know I shouldn't blame them. I'm aware that everything was my choice, but Maria-was it so hard for them to give me a break?

They failed to protect you. They turned their back when you needed them the most. It was me who took over their job.

I'm sorry for ranting love, but remembering how you kneeled in front of the altar and prayed with your eyes shut firmly, showed how lonely you were. I didn't know what you prayed for, but I'm certain, it was to beg for their help.

I only needed to hear you say it, Maria, say it out loud for the world to hear... for me to hear!

But Maria, your plea that day was not for me, right? It was for the heavens. So, I knelt and prayed that they listen to your prayers.

As the days went on, you started to come out of your house, less and less. I began to worry, so one night, I sneaked inside your house and saw you drinking yourself to sleep. I wanted to hug you, but I couldn't. All I was capable of, was watching. I stayed in the shadows of the hallways inside your home. I listened as you cried amidst empty bottles of gin.

I wanted nothing more but to hug you.

In the second week, I managed to do so. But that is a story I will tell later on.

I love you, Maria, always.

Merry Christmas love! Well, the warden is back, and guess what, he gave me a burger. It was not allowed, due to my heart condition. But I'd be lying if I say I didn't want it.

Love Forever

Your Silent Knight.