Unchained

Part One

So, once again, I did a thing. This one is also finished, and I'll be posting the seven parts over the next week or so. Just a couple of things. I'm an IT geek, not a lawyer, prison officer etc. Everything you read in this story, I made up based on TV shows etc. Don't be too hard on me! There are some references to drug taking and a little bit of violence here and there, but nothing too heavy. And of course, it wouldn't be one of my stories without some adult lady fun! Oh, and one more important piece of information: Hank Henshaw in this story is NOT J'Onn. K? K!

I wrote this as one long story so some parts ended up longer than others when I was trying to find logical break points :-)

Rays of sunlight through metal bars painted stripes across a sleeping woman's body. Her blonde hair glowed under its hue and its warmth began to rouse her from a very strange dream of running through green pastures and flowered meadows. Groaning softly, she shifted uncomfortably, her back aching from the thin mattress that barely masked the rough springs of the metal bedframe beneath her. She rolled over onto her back and scratched sleepily at the black neck tattoo that indicated that she was a member of the most feared crew in the California State Women's Correctional Facility. But Kara Zorel wasn't just a member of the Hornets. She was their leader… and she was both respected and feared.

A sudden bang against the bars of her cell made her jump and she scowled as she sat up and swiveled her legs off the mattress. She leaned on her thighs with her head bowed and yawned sleepily. "Get up, Zorel," a male voice ordered as a shadow crossed the bars of her cell.

"Yeah, yeah," Kara replied flatly, scrubbing her fingers against her scalp and rubbing her blue eyes. "I'm coming." She got to her feet and went to the bars, looking up and down the walkway as far as she could see before springing up and grabbing the highest crossbar. She dangled for a moment, sighing with relief as her spine realigned, and then let go to drop right down into fast pushups that she kept up until her arms wouldn't hold her weight anymore.

"How many you got today?" a voice called to her and she chuckled softly.

"I wasn't counting, Megan," she replied as she stepped behind the privacy wall of her cell and shed her pajama bottoms and tank top. She used the toilet and slipped into fresh underwear and a pair of dark blue overalls emblazoned with her prisoner number in big white characters on the back. Then she brushed her hair, tied it back in a loose ponytail and grabbed her washbag and towel. "Shoes," she reminded herself and reached under her bed to find a pair of white sneakers and socks.

"Let's go, Prisoners!" the same male voice called out and the familiar buzz sounded as all of the cell doors in Kara's row slid open. "It's another beautiful day in cell block B. Time for morning count!"

Kara finished tying her laces and then stepped out onto the walkway, towel over her forearm and washbag clenched in her fist. She smiled at her friend who was lolling against the twelve inches of breeze block wall separating their cells. "How did you sleep?" Megan asked.

"Same shit, different night," Kara replied with a frown. Then she lowered her voice. "I can't shake that dream I told you about."

"That happened to me too when I first got here," the older woman replied with a shrug. "I call 'em dreams of freedom."

Kara snorted a laugh. "I've been here almost a year," she said.

"Blow in," Megan teased.

The blonde chuckled as she straightened in front of the guard who was counting them. "Good morning, Mr. Henshaw," she said in a sickeningly sweet voice that made Megan snicker.

The tall man stopped and slowly turned, pulling out his baton and twirling it in his hand before easing it under her chin, to bring her eyes up to his. "I'm not in the mood for your shit today, Prisoner Zorel," he said quietly. 'So just don't."

Kara feigned contriteness and lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. Henshaw, I guess I'll save it for tomorrow."

The man rolled his deep, brown eyes and put away his baton again, shaking his head as he continued along the row.

"Mmmm mmm," Megan murmured. "Someday, he's gonna lose it and you're gonna end up in the hole."

"Whatever," Kara replied with a shrug. "Besides, you know all I have to do is breathe and he wants to shove me in there. At least this way I get some satisfaction first."

At another officer's command, Kara filed with the others along the walkway and down the stairs to the shower room where she stripped out of her clothes to walk, naked as the day she was born and a hell of a lot more confident, into a stall. She was aware of the eyes on her, some fearful, some lascivious and she took her time, enjoying the hot water as it ran down her face, and over her breasts and muscular stomach.

"Zorel!" Kara was pulled out of her thoughts by one of the female officers standing by the door with a radio in her hand. "The new warden wants to see you!"

The blonde stepped out of the stall, soap bubbles running down her body, and perched her hands on her hips as she faced the young officer and dripped on the floor. "Should I go like this?" she asked and a round of laughter from the other inmates echoed through the room.

The officer rolled her eyes and blushed a little. "After breakfast," she clarified. "Now hurry up, all of you. Time's almost up."

Twenty minutes later, Kara was in line for breakfast and she sighed as she received a big scoop of sloppy oatmeal, four strips of bacon and two slices of buttered toast. "Meal fit for a queen," she muttered as she went to join her crew at their usual table. Her lieutenant brought her coffee and was rewarded with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Sue."

"You're welcome, Boss," the Latina replied as she took her own seat and eyed her breakfast with disdain. "I hate oatmeal day."

"Every day is oatmeal day," Kara pointed out.

"Exactly," Sue clarified.

The blonde chuckled softly. "Well, apparently I'm meeting with the new warden today. I'll tell him about our little oatmeal problem, shall I?"

"What happened to Warden Edge?" Andrea, a tall red-head and former rival of Kara's, asked.

"Shanked over in D block," Megan commented. "I heard he just decided to retire."

Kara's blue eyes focused on her friend. "Who did that?" she asked, her face darkening.

"Uh… sorry, not sure," the older woman replied. "But I'll try to find out."

"Thanks," the blonde replied with a nod. She went back to her oatmeal and then assembled a bacon sandwich, smiling gratefully but turning down the offers of extra bacon from her crew. She was chewing contentedly when a petite blonde nervously approached the table.

"Um… Miss Kara?"

Kara stopped chewing and swallowed slowly, her eyes lifting to meet the newcomer's. "Whatcha want, Kid?" she growled, trying to hold her scowl as Megan snickered and covered her mouth to hide it.

"I just wanted to say thank you."

Kara leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. "For what?" she asked.

The girl pushed up the sleeve of her overalls to show the crew leader her inner arm. Healed track marks scarred her skin, but she smiled broadly. "I'm clean six months today," she said. "Thanks to you."

Kara's face gentled as she felt her older friend's hand land on her thigh under the table and squeeze gently. "Great job, Kid," she said with a little smile. "Now get the hell outta my face."

"Yes, Ma'am," the girl grinned, and she scooted back between the tables to rejoin her friends.

Kara watched her go and then picked up her sandwich again to take a bite. She thought about the long couple of days when she'd held the kid close every chance she could get, as she went through the worst of her withdrawal. No one knew about it but Megan. "Sue," she said after a minute. "No one touches that kid."

"You got it, Boss."

The crew leader nodded and finished her sandwich washing it down with coffee as she watched the officer from the shower room cross the room to her table. "Prisoner Zorel, come with me please. We're going to see the warden."

"Cool," Kara replied as she got up and dusted the crumbs off the front of her overalls. "Lead the way." The officer rolled her eyes and waved her hand, indicating that Kara should walk ahead of her. "They're so paranoid, aren't they?" the prisoner commented, making her friends laugh as she walked ahead of Officer Jones and headed out of the cafeteria.

Xx

Kara sat slouched in an orange, plastic chair inside the waiting area of the warden's office as Officer Jones paced slowly back and forth. She tapped her foot impatiently as she looked at the clock on the wall and then stared back at the floor. She'd been there almost thirty minutes and she was feeling pretty pissed off. Just then, the door of the waiting room opened, and then closed and soft footsteps made their way across the floor. A murmur of voices caught her ear. Then a pair of feet in low-heeled boots stopped in her line of sight and a gentle clearing of throat made her look up. "Miss Zorel, I'm Warden Alex Danvers. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. I had something to deal with that couldn't wait."

Kara straightened in her chair and met a pair of compassionate brown eyes set into a beautiful face framed by shoulder-length, brown hair that glowed with a reddish tint in the sunlight. She swallowed as she slowly stood and held out her hand. "Hello, Warden."

Warden Danvers was shorter than Kara's tall frame by a couple of inches and was barely a couple of years older than her, but her commanding presence seemed to fill the room. She was dressed in a pair of khaki cargo pants, a white shirt, open a few buttons at her throat, and a black leather jacket fitted to her slender form. She reached out to shake the prisoner's hand firmly, then opened her office door and invited Kara to enter in front of her. "Please." Then she smiled at Officer Jones. "I can take it from here."

Kara strolled into the office, looking around and chuckling softly as she took in the tasteful decor. Alex raised an eyebrow at her as she closed the door and rounded her desk to take a seat in her high-backed leather chair. She took her jacket off and tossed it onto the nearby armchair, revealing tanned forearms below rolled up sleeves. "Something funny?" she asked with a good-natured grin.

"Uh… sorry, no…" Kara replied, clearing her throat softly as she sat in the guest chair. "It's just that, the last time I was in here, it was painted grey and the walls and shelves were covered with golf trophies and animal heads and shit. This is soooo much better. Nicer things to look at while I'm getting yelled at."

Alex laughed melodiously and leaned on her forearms with her fingers laced together. "Yeah, my predecessor left me with quite a lot to redecorate. The animal heads were the first to go... AND the good news is that I didn't ask you here to yell at you. I just wanted to meet you." She rummaged in a drawer for a moment to pull out a file, which she dropped on her desk and then opened, leafing through the pages until she found the one she wanted. Kara waited, fingers tapping the arm of her chair as her knee bounced. "Ok," Alex went on. "Kara Zorel. Three years for second degree robbery, first offense. Served… eleven months so far?" She lifted her eyebrows in question and the prisoner nodded. "Pretty long eleven months, I would imagine?" Kara nodded again. Alex's eyes scanned over the next page in the file. "Also, a pretty long list of altercations during those past eleven months, Miss Zorel."

"Call me Kara," Kara spoke up, surprising even herself, and Alex smiled back at her.

"You're the leader of the Hornets, right?"

"Yeah," the blonde replied with a shrug.

"And how did that happen, Kara..." She looked down at the file and pursed her lips. "... only four months after you got here?"

Kara leaned forward in her chair and locked eyes with the warden, a little smirk twisting her lips. "I didn't like the way my predecessor decorated her office," she replied, tone very serious. "So, I did something about it."

Alex leaned back in her chair and laced her fingers across her stomach. "I see. And what was it you did?"

"Got rid of the animal heads." But this time Kara's face was serious, and Alex sensed the meaning behind the words. She lifted her eyebrows in question and Kara inhaled deeply. "Look, Warden Danvers," she said. "I may be just a prisoner, but I firmly believe that the women here have a hard-enough time of it without having to deal with drugs being pushed on them and it was my predecessor doing the pushing. I dealt with her after she tried to push that shit on me and now, I do NOT allow drugs in my block."

"Your block..." Alex repeated, not accusing, just interested.

"Yes."

"So, you're controlling the flow of drugs."

"I STOPPED the flow of drugs, when your officers couldn't… or wouldn't."

Blue eyes challenged brown for a long moment. Alex didn't back down, but she did nod and let a smile touch her eyes. "I'm impressed… but you know I can't exactly reward you for doing the right thing."

Kara's shoulders squared as she held eye contact with the brunette. "Warden Danvers, seeing those women... who used to be so strung out they couldn't remember their own names... clean, is the greatest reward anyone could give me."

"Why?" Alex asked softly. "Why does it mean so much to you?"

Kara slowly pulled up the left sleeve of her overalls and showed the brunette the scars on her inner arm. "Because I used to be one of them. My parents died in a fire when I was thirteen and I ended up in the system. A dealer pushed that shit on me when I was only fourteen, but I eventually got to a foster family that helped me, got me out, and I've been clean since. I want to pay it forward."

The warden sucked in a breath. "Ok," she said pensively. "Kara, would you be willing to tell me how you managed to eradicate drugs from B block?"

"Why?" the blonde asked suspiciously.

"Because I want to clean up this entire wing and then I want to expand it to other blocks and other wings until this entire prison is drug free."

Kara chuckled and crossed her arms as she slouched back. "You certainly dream big, Warden." Then she nodded slowly. "I can control the flow because the Hornets control the block. I'm not sure how we could do that in other areas that don't have a Hornet presence."

"We?" Alex interjected with a big smile. "So, you're interested in trying?"

The prisoner sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm interested in trying but on one condition."

"Which is?" Alex asked warily.

"Can we please have something other than oatmeal for breakfast. It's EVERY DAMN DAY."

The warden laughed in surprise and nodded. "I think I can probably look into that."

Xx

"The new warden is a woman?" Megan said, surprise coloring her tone.

"Yeah," Kara replied as she settled herself on her back and bench pressed a little more weight than normal.

Megan hovered over her, ready to act if it became too much. "What's she like?"

"Young, friendly." Kara chuckled then. "Super-hot. She asked for my help getting rid of drugs from the prison in general."

"The leader of the Hornets and the Warden, teaming up, eh? What did you say?"

Kara racked the bar and sat up. "I said yes, on the condition that we get something new for breakfast."

"And were you serious? Not about the oatmeal but about working with her," the older woman asked. "You know you'll get backlash for it."

Kara sighed softly as she rotated the ache out of her shoulders. "Yeah, I know," she said. "But I'll handle it." She paused thoughtfully, eyes far away. "Megan, there was just something about her. She was respectful toward me, none of the usual bluster bullshit the old warden and the officers use. She seemed sincere."

"You know she won't last long with round-eyed optimism like that," Megan pointed out, running her hand through her curly brown hair. "She's obviously just not jaded yet."

Kara was about to answer when she suddenly got the feeling she was being watched. Her eyes lifted and she scanned the bar-covered windows of the administration building right behind them to find a pair of brown eyes looking back. To her surprise, the warden lifted her hand and waved a greeting to her.

Megan followed the blonde's line of sight and blinked. "Is that her?"

Kara lifted her hand in acknowledgement as she nodded. "Yeah, that's her." She got up and went to the heavy bag, pulling a pair of well-worn gloves on and then going to town on it, punching and kicking until she was drenched with sweat and finishing with a spinning round-house kick that almost knocked the bag's frame over.

The older prisoner chuckled. "She's still watching you."

Kara grinned evilly. "Should I take off my shirt and give her something to really look at?"

"You baaaaad girl," Megan laughed. "So, so bad."