The Gamble – Part 5
Natalie: I'm sorry. I promised myself that if I ever got out of that pit, I would stop doing things like that.
John: Funny, because I promised myself that if you made it, I'd start doing some things differently, too.
Natalie: That was nice.
John: Yeah, it was.
John woke from the dream with a start. Being in prison gave new meaning to the phrase "sleeping with one eye open." It was like being back in the FBI and going undercover, which he had done a lot of after Caitlin was killed. At the thought of her name he put his hand over the ache in his stomach.
"Good morning, Sam. Dreaming of your lost love again? I must say, Natalie's name has been whispered many a time within these walls. All with longing of course, and a few times in anger."
"Shut it, Hesser." John growled and sat up. It was the little things in here that were driving him crazy. Like right now not being able to jump into a shower and the lack of privacy.
"Looks like your side hurts again. That old gunshot wound."
"If you're watching me in the showers I'm going to pound you." John felt sick to his stomach. It had been over a month already since he'd been put in here and he was beginning to think he wasn't going to get out alive or get out, because he might just be driven to murder or suicide.
"I can get you something that could help the nerve damage is it?" Carlo, looking suspiciously squeaky clean and fresh for an early morning in prison, hopped down from his top bunk and stood in front of John.
"What the fuck do you know?" John stood up, obviously biting back pain.
"I know you've been to the infirmary and haven't been able to get what you need for that. You may be an ex-cop, but they don't hand out controlled substances to us prisoners just like that." Carlo snapped.
"But you can?" John scoffed and stood up and walked past Carlo to the sink to splash his pale face with water.
"Can't have you looking so peaked when your lady love visits."
John stiffened and tossed the towel on the metal chair.
"Have you seen the papers this week?"
John turned and glared at Carlo, but didn't say a word. Couldn't. All his fears were pressing his throat closed. Was she moving on with Cristian already and coming to tell him in person? It would be just like her to make sure she told him face to face.
"Ah, I see you haven't kept up." John watched carefully as Carlo pressed the combination and opened his private trunk and pulled out a pile of newspapers.
John took the pile and dropped them on the desk. He frowned when he saw the dates. They started a few weeks ago and went up to today. How had Carlo gotten a hold of these and hid them from him?
"Vega Says Free Cop Who Imprisoned Him"
"Vega's Wife Requests Pardon"
On and on the headlines went on the covers of The Sun and The Banner. Natalie hadn't forgotten him, she was working on getting him free. Part of him was elated, especially since there was no mention that she was back together with Cristian in the articles he quickly scanned, the other part was frightened for her safety. He needed to get a message to Bo. Why hadn't the Commissioner had her back off?
He smiled to himself at the thought. As if Natalie would listen. Then his expression hardened, she had to this time.
"It must be quite a fall for you, Sam. Having to hang out with the likes of me and read about your ex-girlfriend trying to save your worthless hide." Carlo's voice was a smooth taunt. "You know Vega used to call out her name in his sleep. I told him how lucky he was to have once had her and how much I enjoyed the voluptuous red-head myself, from a distance of course."
John's face was a blank mask now. He wouldn't let Carlo know how it sickened him to hear him even talk about Natalie.
"I can see why so many men have been driven to such extremes for her. My god, she got Mr. Honorable Cop to imprison her husband so he could be with her. I can't wait to look her up when I get out. She might just succumb to my charm."
"You're not getting out of here anytime soon, Hesser."
"Maybe. Maybe not. She's probably living in connubial bliss with her husband, how else did she get him to speak out on your behalf? After all the old guys like you and Laurence she must me relieved to have a younger man right now. And imagine how pent up he's been." Carlo laughed.
John's fingers crinkled the newspaper, but his face stayed carefully blank.
"Too good to talk to me, Sam? Or is the topic bothering you?"
"That doesn't seem to shut you up," John's voice was a growl.
"I've seen and done a lot worse. I've been dead, McBain." Carlo dropped all pretension of civility and leaned into John's face.
"So have I." John's voice was cold. His fingers itched to grab Hesser by the throat.
"So about that pain management I offered?" Hesser's eyes dropped to John's stomach again. "You want to be on top of your game when you run into Ivan now don't you?"
John's eyes burned at the opportunity.