My entire body was trembling. I had been in that chair for over an hour only able to watch Bellick and Geary torture Tbag about the money. I was well past the point of crying as the tears were now stained on my cheeks and I wanted nothing more than to be able to help Tbag in any way. He was tough as he took their hits, but there was only so much a person could take. Thankfully, Bellick didn't rip out all of Tbag's stitches. But they had to resort to other methods like beating him senseless. He had stopped looking at me a long time ago. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that he blamed me for this, and I would be in huge trouble if he lost the money. A part of me wished that he would just tell them where it was so all of this could be over. I had thought about telling them myself once or twice because I knew he put it in that train station somewhere, but I held my tongue in fear of Tbag's reaction.

For the moment, they had stopped beating him and were trying a new kind of torment. Geary had gone out to buy a radio and they kept repeating the same song over and over again. It was driving me nuts, but I think they wanted to use it to drown out Tbag's screams. Tbag was shaking in his chair and I wanted nothing more than to go over there and comfort him (How do you comfort Tbag?), but I was afraid to get out of my chair. Still, I had to try something. I looked over at Bellick who was staring out the window.

"Can I go to the bathroom please?" I said so quietly it was almost a whisper.

Bellick turned around and gave me a look like he couldn't believe that I had just asked his permission to use the bathroom. Tbag was giving me the same look, but his was angrier.

"Yes Laney, you can use the bathroom." he laughed.

I quickly got up out of my chair and hurried to the other room. The bathroom was on the other side of the kitchen and I had to slip by Geary to get to it. Once I was inside, I quickly shut the door and locked it. For good measure I lifted up the toilet seat and slammed it loudly so the others would be able to hear it. Truthfully, I really didn't have to use the bathroom, but I was trying to find something, no anything, that could help us. I wasn't having much luck because no one has lived here for a few months. Everything was gone. I ran my hands through my hair wishing there was something I could do to help Tbag. I flinched when that dreadful music started playing again and I heard Tbag let out a grunt. I reached over and flushed the stupid toilet and threw open the door.

I thought I was going to be sick when I saw Bellick taking a meat hammer and bashing Tbag's hand with it. The look on his face was one of pure agony and it made me sick. The longer the torture went on the harder Bellick would hit him. I didn't even think before I started charging Bellick. He raised his arm to hit Tbag again, and I rushed over to him and wrapped my arms around Bellick's arm trying to stop him. It worked. Sort of. I did stop Bellick from hitting Tbag, but now he turned towards me and I was going to have to suffer his wrath. He flung his arm forward and I fell onto the ground face first. I was lying at Tbag's feet and I slowly lifted my eyes to look up at him. He looked terrible. He had cuts all over his face that were bleeding and a few bruises. His hand looked far worse. It didn't even really look like a hand. The flesh wasn't a healthy pink, but darkish red and some parts even looked black. I opened my mouth to say something to him, but Bellick grabbed me by the hair and pulled me to my knees. That meat hammer was swinging in front of my face.

"I think we may have been going about this the wrong way Geary." he called out.

Geary looked confused but interested into what Bellick was going to say.

"We can hurt this pervert all we want, but he ain't never going to give up that money. It might be a different story if instead the harm was going to his precious Laney."

Now I really felt sick to my stomach. I looked up at Tbag now begging him to just tell them where that key was. Was it really worth all that money if I was going to get hurt, or worse? I was afraid to find out just how far Bellick was willing to go to get that money. I was having a difficult time getting a read on Tbag's expression on whether he was actually concerned for my safety or not. It apparently wasn't the reaction Bellick was hoping for so he backhanded me across the face. I would have fallen straight to the floor, but his hold on my hair was keeping me up. Tbag was trying to keep his face calm but I could see his teeth starting to grind. I knew what he was thinking. Nobody could lay a hand on me except for him. He wasn't really concerned about my well-being, just his power trip. Bellick back handed me yet again and this time he released my hair letting me crash to the floor at Tbag's feet once again. And that's when I saw it.

The key. The key to the stupid fucking money.

It was hidden in his black sock and it was nearly invisible due to the black top of it. But I saw it, and Tbag knew that I saw it. He tried to shift his feet inconspicuously moving the key further into his sock. A hand wrapped itself around my ankle and started pulling me across the floor. I reached up my hands in the hopes that Tbag would try to help me, but I mean what could he do? His hands were bound to the chair. Bellick pulled me across the room and it must have been a sight due to the fact that I was still wearing my dress. He let go of my ankle and grabbed me around the waist pulling me to my feet. Tbag was just watching me intently, but looked like he wasn't going to make any move to try and help me. I was just staring at him wide eyed wishing that I would be more important to him than the stupid money. But that would be giving away that he actually cared about someone other than himself. Bellick wrapped his big meaty hand around my throat and I was finding it hard to breathe.

"Come on Tbag, I have watched the effort you have put out for this girl since Fox River. I know that you care for her on some level, and don't want to see her hurt. Tell me where the money is."

Tbag's eyes kept flicking back between Bellick and me. I could see the struggle in his eyes and he was really contemplating on what to do. Bellick was squeezing my throat tighter and I opened my mouth trying to get my breath. A choked sound came out of my mouth. Even though I couldn't speak, I found myself shaking my head at Tbag. Even though I was terrified of what Bellick could do to me I didn't want Tbag to give up the money. I have no idea what changed my mind, and even though it would cost me my freedom I couldn't stand to see them win. We have been through so much together that we could get through these two bozos.

I kept shaking my head at Tbag, and he understood me. Fuzzy blackness started clouding my vision and my knees started wobbling beneath me. Bellick must have sensed what was going on and he released his hold on my throat. I collapsed onto the ground and started choking trying to catch my breath. I put my hand up to my chest speedily moving up and down. I looked up to Tbag and I gave him a brief smile at him not giving up the money and me not getting hurt. But Bellick wasn't about to give up yet. His foot came crashing down on my lower back sending me to the ground. I rolled over onto my side trying to shield myself, but Bellick continued to kick me in the stomach and in my ribs. I couldn't help but cry out and the tears started pouring from my eyes. Bellick kept shouting over and over again at Tbag to give up the money.

Bellick lowered himself onto his knees and flipped me over onto my back so he could proceed hitting me across the face back and forth. My neck has never felt so sore after being whipped in every direction. I had been so focused on Tbag that I hadn't even noticed that Geary had disappeared into the kitchen. I attempted and willed to lift my arms into the air wanting to defend myself, but they felt like they were weighed down by bricks. Through my teary eyed vision I glanced over to Tbag to try and let him know that I was alright. His look was absolutely horrifying. He was pulling against the tape binding his hands so hard his arms were bright red. A slap from Bellick made me turn my attention back to him, and I could feel the warm liquid spill from my lip. He put both hands on my shoulders and started pressing all of his weight down into me. My shoulder was searing and I started screaming out in pain. I swore that if I ever saw Abruzzi again I was going to kick his ass for doing this to my shoulder. I screamed out again as it felt like my shoulders were going to crack at any moment. I bucked my body upwards and thrashed my legs about trying anything to get Bellick off of me. That's when Geary returned. I turned my eyes over in his direction and he was holding some kind of metal bar in his hands, but he was being very cautious about not holding the tip of it. I trained my eyes a little closer and saw the fading red on the top of it. Geary started walking towards me.

"Maybe this will loosen their tongues a little."

Bellick smiled an evil smile and I screamed out trying to get away from them. They couldn't do this, it was just pure evil. They were going to brand me! Bellick got a hold of me and was pinning me down with his knee and sliding my dress up my thigh. I was pretty much sobbing at this point and begging him not to do this. His attention wasn't on me, however, he was more concerned with Tbag.

"Come on Teddy give it up, or I swear I will burn her in places you can't even imagine."

My eyes widened and I tried to conceal any part of my body that they could burn. He already had my dress worked up so my upper thigh was showing and that is where the first mark was going to go. I shut my eyes and gritted my teeth waiting for the inevitable as Geary started lowering the bar towards my flesh. I could smell it, and could feel the heat radiating off of it. I was going to experience a pain like never before. I heard Tbag scream out loudly and I looked over at him shocked. He had ripped the tape clean off the chair and was charging Bellick and Geary. I shifted my weight so when Tbag tackled the both of them I wouldn't take a blow. The metal bar went flying across the room and Bellick and Geary crashed to the floor.

I scooted back on my butt trembling as I watched the three guys all wrestling on the ground. I pulled my dress down as far as it would go, and even though nothing happened I felt so violated. Again. My eyes darted back and forth because one minute Tbag looked like he was going to come out on top, but then they would take him down. I plucked up the courage to get onto my feet and was going to try and assist Tbag any way I could. But as I neared them Geary tackled Tbag to the ground and I watched as the key flew from his sock and slid across the floor. Time just seemed to stop for a moment as everyone was staring at that key. Luckily I was already on my feet and I bolted for that key. Bellick was right on my heels and I knew that I wasn't going to be able to fight him for it if I picked it up. So, instead, I pretended to pick it up off the ground and I covered the real key up with my foot. I turned around and held my fist out in the air away from Bellick. He completely stopped and was staring at what he thought was the key in my hand. Everyone had their eyes on me. I was trying to figure out a way to let Tbag know that the key was really under my foot.

"Give me the key Laney." Bellick ordered.

I glared at him. Did he really think after everything that he has put me through that I was just going to hand over the key? Hand over the only thing that was still keeping us alive? I don't think so. I clenched my fists tighter causing my nails to dig into my skin. Bellick's eyebrows knitted together and I could tell that he was furious. Good thing he didn't know that I couldn't move from this spot without giving away the location of the key.

"Aren't you tired of running? Don't you just want to get away from this mess? Hand over the key and I will help you."

For a moment, I considered this. I tried to picture what my life would be like if all of this craziness were out of it. If I didn't have to worry about being arrested by the police every day or worrying about the others getting arrested. I wouldn't have to worry about Tbag or even Abruzzi trying to kill me if I said or did the wrong thing. At times it did seem appealing, but Bellick wasn't thinking about one thing. Without all of this, I would have never met the people like Michael, Sucre, and Lincoln. Even though they can drive me crazy, Tbag and Abruzzi are a part of my life now. I couldn't imagine ever being truly happy again if Tweener wasn't somewhere in the picture and without everything that had happened I would never have found out things about myself that I know now. So I was not going to give up the key to Bellick because I wanted to stay right where I was at. I glanced over to Tbag who was still sitting on the floor next to Geary and I gave him a small smile then turned my attention back to Bellick.

"This mess is my life and if I have to keep on running to save it then I guess I am just going to have to run a little farther." I opened my hand to reveal that I was not holding the key.

Bellick's eyes went wide with rage and he started to charge me. I slightly lifted my foot to reveal the key and I swiped it with my foot so it slid back across the room heading straight for Tbag. I couldn't see what happened next because Bellick had slammed into me and tackled me to the ground. I grunted out in pain and Bellick was yelling at Geary to hurry up and grabbed the key. I fought and struggled against Bellick and was able to crane my neck to see Tbag snatch the key and start to move away. Apparently, Bellick thought I was no longer worth it and abandoned me to fight Tbag. I strained myself into a sitting position and looked on as Tbag was fighting to keep the key out of their reach. Then I looked on as he did something completely unexpected. (Actually the more I think about it, it is pretty expected coming from Tbag.)

He put the key inside of his mouth and swallowed it whole.