The Devil You Know

“Looks like you’re in quite the pickle,” said the bearded man gently smiling from the other side of the bars.

“They pinch you for speeding too?” replied the man in the matching red dress-shirt and pants from his place on the bench that took up the majority of the township’s small holding cell.

“Nah, I snuck in to see you,” chuckled the bearded man. “Although it’s a miracle that they didn’t catch me especially with all this security."

The prisoner got up and frowned, “Why? It must have made you and the old man’s day when you found out they put me in prison.”

“Not really,he’s the one who sent me. You know he’s not a big fan of jurisdictional disputes. Judge not lest ye be judge and all that,” replied the bearded man.

“But getting me out of a jam? That doesn’t sound like the Father I grew up with…" he said shaking his head, "Hell, Pops tossed me out of his house for less. Besides, they set my bail pretty high.”

“Oh, I’m not bailing you out,” replied the bearded man quickly pulling a large golden key from his flowing robe. “I’m busting you out. Get your coat, the vacations over. You know Father's all into sticking to the plan now-a-days. He wants you back on the clock, said he can't afford to train someone new,” finished the bearded man as his prodigal brother put on his fine Italian cut jacket and ran a hand through his messy black hair, slicking it over the small horns that protruded there.

The man in red grinned. “I could have sworn you had a rule about this kind of thing Thanks, I owe you one," he finished, as the odd pair slipped out and walked slowly down the dusty Texas street.