Cub stood watching the bars of his cell slide shut. Placing his hands on the bars he looked out over the cell block, at the countless other men who stood waiting for the bars to lock them in at night. He knew out there was the rest of his team. He knew exactly which cells housed Eagle, Wolf, Fox and Snake. Even after all this time they were still using SAS code names. Wolf said it was better to use code names it reminded them that they were a team, a unit. K-units bond had only grown stronger while they were wasting away in prison. Cub's patent smirk had transformed into a dangerous sneer. Perhaps wasting wasn't the best word to describe his time here. Wolf had somehow managed to keep them on a fitness routine that made his trip to Breacon Hills look easy. The young man grasping the bars, had grown up. At 17 Cub was 6'2 of solid muscle.

"Alex, come here" Alex turned and walked over to his cellmate. He comfortingly patted the old man's back to ease his hacking cough. "Oh, Alex if only my son had been more like you" The old man wheezed.

"Take it easy Burt. Wouldn't want you to cough up a lung" Alex tried to smile soothingly but really it was difficult to do. Burton had been his cellmate since Alex first got here and it wasn't hard to see that the old man was dying.

"Alex did I ever tell you how the coppers caught me?" Alex who must have heard the story at least a hundred times smiled.

"No, No you haven't."

"It was my son's fault" the old man paused to deep coughs racking his slight frame. "My own flesh and blood and he betrayed me." The coughing continued. "I gave that boy everything. He never wanted for nothing. He went to all the right schools, ran in all the right circles and how did he repay me?"

"How'd he repay you?" Alex struggled not to sound patronizing. This old man had been a friend a very valuable friend.

"He wore a wire. He wore a goddamn wire. If it had been anyone else I would have caught it. Mickey and the boys would have patted him down. But I foolishly thought if you can't trust family who can you trust?"

The old man grab Alex's arm. Alex was caught the old man's grip was iron. "Alex I want you to make me a promise."

Alex amazed at the strength of the grip and the intensity of his glare could only stutter "sure Burt, anything."

"I want you to kill him Alex. Kill him and take his place. You were the son I always should've had."

"You sure, Burton? He's still your son." Alex hesitated he wasn't used to dealing with this side of Burton. Gone was the friendly old cellmate. It wasn't hard to see how Burton became the most notorious gangster in all of Britain.

"I want him killed!"

"Fine Burton. You know I'll do it. I owe you after all."

"Alex don't look at this like you owe me. Doing this will set you up for life. I know you did well on your exams and you are preparing for you're A levels. " Alex had joined a prison program that allowed prisoners to study for their A levels. Without MI6 pulling him out of class every few weeks Alex found that he had easily caught up with his year mates. And with the one on one tutoring sessions from volunteers who came in on the weekends Alex was sure he was ready to face his A levels. "Alex you do this favor for me and I'll see to it that your set up with a whole new life. Do you really think that acing your A-Levels will help you get into college? Hm…?" The old man smiled horribly at Alex.

"You of all people should know that life is not fair. You are a criminal now—a murderer even. You think that a perfect score is going to erase what you are? What the world sees you as? Hm… Alex think you're a smart boy and you're getting out in two months. You think you're going to be any different than the rest of the men out there? " The old man waved his handkerchief at the cell block. "They dream of getting out, they count down the weeks, the days, the hours even but you know what Alex, they are all going to end up right back here. Counting down a new, longer sentence."

"Burton, I am not the same, In two months I have a chance to lead a normal life." Alex pleaded with Burton "For the first time I can be a normal person."

"Really, you think society will just forgot about your crimes, you think that you're young enough and with time they won't matter? Maybe you're right maybe life will give you a fair shake and chance to start fresh." Alex felt hope rising in his chest. He knew he could start over. That's why he was working so hard on his exams with these grades, he could go to college. He would finally achieve the goal that had been his dream since his world was ripped apart at age 14. He felt it was within his grasp. Two months left and he would be free.

"But get real Alex, even if you get your dream, a long-shot, what about your buddies. You're crew. Those men are too old to start over. Crime is the only life they know and you know you'll go down with them." The old man shook his head "I've never see such a loyal group, never."

The old man was right. Despite thinking that the K-Unit and Alex were all members of the same gang, which was according to the cover story Alex and Wolf had pulled together, the K-Unit really was to old to start over. Even though they hadn't spent their whole lives as career criminals they had spent their adult lives as SAS. They didn't know anything else what were they going to do.

"Kid, just hear me out. You don't have a lot of options." Alex settled down. Finding a more comfortable spot on the floor next to Burton's bunk.