A Brief Moment in TIme by Jeane Watier Read Free Book Online Page B

guards got them settled down. As she waited for silence, Kathryn looked over the group in front of her. The men differed in age, size, race, and most undoubtedly, belief systems. The one common denominator was that they were all serving time for committing a very serious crime, and that time was nearing an end.
    One man in particular caught her attention. He was a large man, well built and handsome. The look he gave her was unmistakably different from ones the other men were directing at her. His expression was one of surprise and confusion, as if he knew her. As their eyes met and held for a moment, she wondered what his story was.
    She anticipated learning about the men before meeting with them in the group and individual sessions. The warden had a package made up, a profile on each of the men for her and her associates to look over and keep in their files. It would assist greatly in tailoring the program to the individual needs of the men they would soon be working with.
    Kathryn began by introducing herself and describing the program in general terms. The men were not taking her seriously, so she decided to get to the heart of her message, which was the essence of the teaching and what it would do for them. Having gained the men’s attention, she made the most of it. She gave them a glimpse of the potentially life-changing program, and the processes and tools they could use to make their transition back into society. She assured them that the valuable teaching would help them in every area of their lives, both now and in the future.
    As she spoke, she occasionally glanced at the man who had been and was still looking at her oddly. At one point, she saw him shake his head in what she could only describe as dismay. It was subtle; the others around him probably wouldn’t notice. But her training caused her to pick up on behavior that was out of the ordinary, and his definitely stood out to her.
    Kathryn ended her speech by describing how the program would be set up. She then introduced her colleagues. With that, she thanked the men for their willing participation and left them with the promise that they would not regret it.
    The warden stepped forward to dismiss the men, and Kathryn watched as they filed out of the room. The man that had intrigued her was the last to get up from his chair, and as he left the room he turned to look directly at her. His face was clearly imprinted in her mind, and she was eager to go back to her hotel room and look through his profile.
    In the meantime, she was elated to have made her presentation and to have seen the men and the facility first hand. It was all beginning to sink in. Her program, which for so long had been just an idea, a theory, was now unfolding into an undeniable reality. Kathryn couldn’t have been more excited.

 
    Chapter 7
     
    GAVIN WONDERED if he wasn’t still in some sort of delusional state. The events of the past few weeks were unclear. He honestly couldn’t remember what was real and what he had dreamed. He seriously considered reporting back to the infirmary to let them know he was hallucinating.
    The most bizarre thing was that he had now sat through Kate’s presentation—the same identical speech—twice. In fact, as he looked back on the first time he’d heard it, he realized that everything about that day mirrored the current one. She and her associates were wearing the same clothes, the men around him had uttered the same rude comments, and the guards had responded in the same way. Now, as they walked to the industry area, he heard Stubby make the same comment about rehabilitation that he’d made weeks earlier.
    Gavin kept his thoughts to himself. He had a lot to sort out—if that were even a possibility. He had to try to make sense of it somehow. He knew he wasn’t crazy. Unfortunately, he knew that no one else would see it that way.
     
     
    KATHRYN AND HER TEAM had plenty to do in the days following her initial presentation. They were staying in