After a long wait here is the next chapter in the day of the life of Luca's prison holiday.

He was getting a headache.

One of those mind crushing headaches that only gets bigger and never goes away.

He couldn't say he was surprised given his current position.

Lucas was tied to a chair with his eyelids taped open and a giant light shown in his face. His head was strapped so he couldn't move it away from the light, he was simply left there to stare at it… and it was really beginning to hurt. Part of him screamed that he deserved this. This was his reward or punishment for his past sins, for what happened with Vaughan in Dakar…

He never told anyone about that not even Harry. That little episode will stay with him until he dies. Funny how murdering so many people by using a bomb can be summed up as an 'episode' or a moment of madness. Well what else was he meant to do? Confess the whole thing to the Russians demanding they inform MI5? They would probably laugh at him!

His eyes strained and his vision blurred for the 100th time how long had he been like this? Lucas couldn't tell instead he tried for the 1000th time to look anywhere but the light. If he really strained he could just about see his tattoo on his shoulder in the corner of his eye… it had been the first one he had gotten.

"Ouch" Lucas cried looking anywhere but the needle.

"Sorry try and hold still," the Russian man told him what was his name? Yuri that was it a hairy Russian who had been in here for years who did most the tattoos in here… that was all Lucas knew about him "nearly finished."

"Good" Lucas muttered gritting his teeth.

"Don't be like that in a few minutes you have a nice tattoo to show off all your prisoner friends!" Yuri responded mocking Lucas. "Besides the first one is always the most painful!"

"This will be the only one" Lucas replied bitterly. He had been here only a few months and was only getting this to blend in and didn't want to get anymore. Elizabeta his wife hated tattoos calling them disgusting… great he had nearly gone a whole day without thinking her now she would be stuck in his head all night.

"Hah!" Yuri laughed "that is what they all say my friend! Just one little tattoo to keep the bullies away next thing you know you will look like me!" Yuri proudly showed off his left arm which was covered in various tattoos and words.

"Anyway it doesn't matter one, three, five tattoos it is good that you are getting into the spirit of things here!" Yuri told Lucas.

"Does it look like I have much of a choice?" Lucas muttered darkly then a thought stuck him he hardly knew Yuri at all might as well make some conversation… could be the last time Lucas talks to anyone for awhile.

"Why are you here?" Lucas asked.

"I robbed a bank and murdered 5 people doing it" Yuri replied as if he was simply stating what he had for breakfast that morning. Yuri noticed Lucas's discomfort and it was not just because of the needle. "Oh I am sorry my friend I robbed the bank because it was run by greedy evil men! No wait I forget! I robbed it to help feed my darling wife and my 10 little girls! And those people I killed each of them were terrorists! Not one of them went to church in their lives! Happy now?" Yuri leered at Lucas.

"Delighted!" Lucas sneered back

"You are jail Mr North! I suggest you get used to it you will be here for awhile" Yuri laughed finishing Lucas's first tattoo.

Yuri had done far more than just one tattoo on Lucas by the time he had been killed for reasons Lucas was never too sure with. Lucas was used to that eight years in a prison lots of a names and faces had come and gone. Lucas had kept on surviving, managing to keep living by the skin of his teeth and for what? For one day to have his cell door open and for the someone British to walk in and hug him and tell him that the world has moved on so much that the Russians and the British are best of friends? Lucas had better chance of winning the lottery.

What was happening outside these walls? Where were his friends? Harry? Tom? Had Tom made MI5 his own, he would be the team leader there with Lucas stuck in prison after all. The chief of Section D Tom and Lucas had worked for was a man called Tim. In his 40s, calm, direct and a touch too by the books for Lucas's tastes Lucas had never really warmed to him but then Tim had never opened himself up in that way. He was their leader Lucas and Tom were his agents. Lucas suppose it made sense putting the play it safe Tim in charge of two gung ho and inexperienced boys like Tom and Lucas. The boys would keep Tim in his toes and Tim would show Lucas and Tom how to do things properly. Tim had died before Lucas had come to Russia, killed by a single bullet in a gun fight one of those quick deaths you pray for in the field.

It was part of the reason Lucas had taken the Russia mission. With a position up for grabs and Harry in need of a replacement it was time to impress. So go to Russia, complete the mission with all the style you can muster, come home, shake Harry's hand and accept his offer of the chief of section D… simple really. Things had been so simple once Lucas mused as another memory took hold of him.

"Morning Lucas" Harry said walking into the briefing room where Lucas was waiting.

"Mr Pearce," Lucas replies with a nod

"How many times do I have to tell you Harry please! Mr Pearce sounds like a geography teacher," Harry joked smiling back at Lucas. "I hope you enjoyed your training?"

"Yes it was good," Lucas responded.

"Good you will need it, " Harry told him beckoning someone behind Lucas to enter. Lucas turned and a man who he had never met entered the room.

"Lucas North meet Tom Quinn" Harry watched as the two men eyed each of other and shook hands.

"Good to meet you" Tom said.

"Thank you, likewise" Lucas responded