A/N: Excuse the lateness. I forgot to bring my floppy disc in on the friday.
Chapter Thirty-Four
As he wondered through the hall of the Wing, people seemed to move out of the way on cue, as if he had told them so with his eyes. He had never before noticed just how much of an impact he had on people. They watched him like a mouse does a cat and scurried away at the first sign of danger. He had just come from the library however and struck up a very one-sided deal, so he wasn't at all surprised that they stared at him with mistrust. After all, Bryan trusted no one himself…almost.
He found himself feeling very miserable these days even though he should have been thrilled to be escaping from the hellhole that was Stanheld. They'd be on the run of course, until they were able to make it to a country that hadn't heard of them for them to change their identities. But it was the thrill of being on the run that he liked. Hard work paid off in the end and after years of having to work under Boris and Voltaire, he should have been looking forward to his freedom. But something about it was holding him down.
When he found his dorm room, he pushed open the door to see Ian lain across his bed, while Tala was washing his hands in the small sink provided. The redhead looked up first, but his look softened instantly at the sight of his lover. Closing the door, he took up a seat on the bed opposite Ian, who sat up immediately, looking rather uneasy with the new presence in the room.
"Did you do it?" Tala asked, as he shook the excess water off his hands and wondered over to the arctic Russian.
Bryan nodded.
"I knew that computer nerd would comply," Tala's lips curled into that familiar smirk of his as he set himself next to Bryan.
"So we've got the camera's set," Ian piped up and swung his somewhat short legs onto the ground. "What else?"
"We need a distraction," said Bryan.
"Isn't Kai taking care of that?" Tala asked.
"So he says," Bryan murmured.
Deep down, he was becoming annoyed at the mention of that name and he hadn't really found out why until recently.
"Well, I doubt it'll be hard to find one," The youngest Russian said. "The entire wings knows about our plans now."
"What!" Tala screwed up his face. He looked as if he were about to reach out and grab Ian by the neck.
"It's not my fault," Ian said defensively, shuffling along the bed towards the door. "They just found out and anyway, none of the goons have any idea about it". A pause. "I reckon it's Oliver and Enrique's doing. They don't know how to keep their mouths shut."
"I don't see why not. We never told them to keep it a secret and we've been so busy with the operation that we haven't had time to pay them a visit," Tala justified.
"We could always pay them a visit before we go," Ian said hopefully.
"Nah! I think we've had our fun," The redhead said, making Ian's optimism vanish. "They've been conquered already."
There was a small silence in the room before Ian stood up. "Well, in that case, all we have to do is pack." He stretched his arms before heading to the door. "I'm going for lunch. You coming?"
"I'm not hungry," said Bryan.
Tala stared at his boyfriend quizzically and then jerked his head at Ian, indicating for him to leave.
"Suit yourself," The navy-haired Russian said and departed from the room.
Tala rose from his seat. "Okay Bryan, what's going on?"
The burly adolescent remained as he was, staring into the floor as if trying to dig a hole through the surface. If Tala didn't know any better, he'd say that his lover was sulking.
"You've been even more moody then usual,"
"…And you haven't?" Bryan suddenly said.
Tala stared down at the other and narrowed his eyes slightly, making his eyes appear like tiny icicles. He wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a stabbing comment or not, but he let it slide.
"Perhaps, but I suppose we're all entitled to one, once in a while,"
"My point exactly,"
A sigh pursed from the redhead's lips. He'd forgotten how stubborn Bryan could be and so he bent down in front of him and tried to meet his gaze. Bryan's eyes were their usual arctic thunder, as if something was troubling him. In the past, it was very rare that you saw such things in Bryan, but that had been before the pair had gotten together. Often, Tala reckoned he was battling with emotions that he'd never had before.
"I know what you're thinking," He said.
Bryan raised an eyebrow.
"You don't trust him and I don't blame you,"
"Is that so?"
"We both have a lot of pride, Bryan…
"…You tossed yours aside a while ago,"
"What's the supposed to mean?"
Bryan's face stiffened, along with his fists.
A thousand different thoughts were circling around in his mind, all leading towards the same thing.
"I know you don't like him and to be honest, I don't much either…
"Don't you?"
Tala raised his eyebrow this time.
"I was surprised when you agreed to his terms, but now I'm piecing things together and it all makes sense,"
"What makes sense?"
"You still have feelings for him,"
"What!"
Bryan stood up. He'd seen the way Tala had behaved. Just when things had been getting back to normal, Kai Hiwatari had clicked his fingers and Tala had come running back. It had mainly been them two who had planned the escape. Though Kai had many contacts, he was quite the strategist; so much, that Bryan's own input seemed scarce.
He couldn't say he'd be happy spending the next fifteen years behind doors, but spending the next fifteen years on the run with Kai Hiwatari as the head, didn't sound like his cup of tea.
Tala, who had now come to a stand, met Bryan gaze, as he tried to search for any signs of disbelief. "You don't believe that,"
Bryan's expression hardened. "Ian told me to reason behind your outburst a couple of months ago,"
"And you choose to believe him over me?"
"I believe what I see,"
"Okay…I know I've been a little preoccupied over these passed months, but I know I no longer have any feelings for Kai,"
"You can't be sure," Bryan averted his eyes.
"But I am," Tala reached a hand to Bryan face and turned it towards him. "I've never been more sure of anything before. Don't you remember? It was you who was there for me all along, even after Spencer's death and then again when they moved us here. Forget about Kai. He's only a military convenience. And as soon as we're shot of this place, we won't need him any longer".
Just then, the door to the dorm opened wide and Tala retrieved his hand ready to reprimand the intruder of their intimate moment. His usual scowl intensified when he saw who it was. For the person was none other than Tyson Kinomiya, a large grin on his somewhat chubby face. The Japanese ignored the looks his was receiving from the Russians.
"So," He whispered. "I hear you guys need a distraction."
-
Johnny McGregor was furious and that anger had been building up for some time now. He had been out cold for approximately twenty-four hours after the account with Kai to which he remember waking up thinking that his skull must have cracked in two and that his limbs were non-existent. What was worse was that when he had been released back onto the wing, things were even worse than they had been before.
As a Scotsman, his pride had been severely tarnished and with it his reputation. He'd seen the snickering, even heard some of the whispered comments as he'd walked by. Kai had given him a beat down and what was more was that he deserved it. This was all wrong of course. Kai had bumped into him, just like the Russian had a tendency of doing. They couldn't expect Johnny just to take that. After all, Johnny had morals. He knew right from wrong and bumping into somebody deserved an apology. He was the innocent one in all of this and yet nobody could see it but him.
Everyone had this idea that Johnny had provoked the so-called 'legend' of the F Wing and had been doing so for some time. But the difference between Johnny and everyone else was that Johnny wasn't blind. Kai acted like he wasn't milking the attention for everything its worth, but deep down Johnny knew what he was like. Kai simply turned a blind eye, but all the same, he was simply encouraging it. And yet, no story had been divulged about his time on the run. No great feats. No grand triumphs. The guy was nothing at all. And in the heat of the moment, when Kai had lost it, everyone had seen his true colours and yet still no one seemed to bat an eyelid. But Johnny was smarter. More cunning. And he would have his moment and send Kai Hiwatari so far down into the segregation unit, that he'd been screaming for air.
His personal officer was leading him along one of the familiar corridors of the prison that led towards the F Wing staff room. With the sling on his arm and the vague limp in his step, they hadn't much to worry about regardless. But the Scot had pressed that he had some very interesting news to tell the Senior Wing Governor and only the Senior Wing Governor. After much persuasion, they had decided to let him proceed, so when they approached the staff room, they made a swift left towards one of the door further along with the words 'Senior Wing Governor" printed boldly on the glass screen. They stopped and the officer knocked upon the door.
From inside the room, something dropped and then the voice of the temporary Wing Governor stated, "Who is it?"
"Parker, ma'am," The officer responded. "I have an inmate who wishes to speak to you."
Something else shuffled around inside the room. "Send him in," Came the response and the officer opened the door and Johnny wondered inside. The door was closed behind him.
He looked around the office. The last time, he had been in there, was when Jurgen had had a go at him from getting into a fight with another inmate. Johnny had won that one and got out of it with a simple black eye, but that hadn't stopped him from receiving a warning. The officer however had been much neater, save for the papers and files on the desk. Now, it looked the complete opposite. The filing cabinet had several of its compartments spread out on the floor with files hanging out of it. The bin had toppled over with its contents spewed on the floor. A lamp was falling on its side and the entire desk was made completely out of papers with no organised conduct at all. Salima was sat in the Governor's chair, her big red hair in slight disarray. When she looked up, she looked less than impressed.
"What is it, Johnny?" She said. "Make it quick. I have a subsequent engagement and as you can see, I'm very busy."
"So I see," The redhead taunted. He figured he might as well make it quick anyway. His shared room with Oliver and Enrique was cleaner than this.
Salima gave him a disapproving look.
"I just thought you'd like to know that there's going to be a breakout,"
"What!"
"Yeah! Hiwatari and the others are planning to escape,"
The female Governor looked at Johnny, hard. "I hope you're not lying to me. I know you've always had it in for Kai,"
"So maybe I do," responded Johnny. "But that doesn't mean I'd lie about this. Hiwatari's going to try and escape. Three days from now. And you better be ready for it"
TBC