A/N: There was an exam week last week, so I hadn't time to write this until this week. I thought it would be best seeing as I have exams next week too. You're in for a real treat. I think this is my longest chapter yet. I felt I had a lot to put into this chapter. Tying up loose ends and what not. Oh, and a bit of news for all you faithful readers out there. The next chapter is the final one. (gasp)

Chapter Thirty-Five

When the redhead was ushered through the gates again, a broad smile lay brilliant upon his slightly freckled face. And though he was wounded and therefore weaker than normal, the Scotsman felt as if he were equivalent to a World Champion. In fact, he was feeling so self indulgent that it seemed he was failing to notice the looks he was receiving. Especially one in particular, although the stranger seemed to blend in with the developing crowds of inmates alike.

Rei watched him intently, his golden eyes more narrow then they had ever been. He didn't hate Johnny and neither was he intended to glare at him either. He was simply trying to piece together the jigsaw puzzle, which he was sure was beginning to structure itself. But rather than a puzzle, it was more like a game of chess. Everyone had a place on the board, making their moves, standing in place of others and plotting their next move. And it was dangerous. No one knew who was going to fall first.

"What are you looking at, Kon?" The voice withdrew him from his thoughts and he realised that he hadn't taken his eyes off of the redhead. They'd seemed to unconsciously follow him, even without Rei's say-so. He blinked and then shook the sense back into his head.

"Nothing,"

"Is that supposed to be an insult?" pressed Johnny. His smug expression had now switched to its defence, where his violet eyes glistened angrily.

"Give it a rest, Johnny," Rei retorted. He folded his arms over his chest and leaned his shoulder up against the wall. "No one's out to get you!"

Johnny's lips thinned. It was perhaps that he had taken the remark as a sly form of sarcasm or he was just being his usual self.

"Yeah, well I'm doing you a favour, so you'd better be grateful,"

"What are you talking about?"

"Hiwatari that's who. He ain't getting out of here, that's for sure. He's going down. Big time!"

Johnny's smile returned with a vengeance as he carried on passed Rei to wherever he was headed and again Rei's gaze followed him. He'd had a sinking suspicion that he was up to something and now he had a pretty good idea of what. Lawfully, Johnny had probably done the right thing, but unfortunately for him, Rei couldn't let that happen. Not now.

-

Salima was at her wits end. She couldn't be sure that Johnny was telling the truth. After all, she knew Johnny's reputation well and though he was unpopular with the inmates, he was even more unpopular with the staff. She had heard that a while back, he had gotten himself down the block because he had lost his temper and punched one of the officers. He had also, threatened a few. She reckoned that was perhaps the reason he had gotten himself locked up in the first place. And then there was his situation with Kai. But though Johnny was a troublemaker, she couldn't help but think that it was all true. Johnny couldn't be that bad to lie about something like that. But what if she was wrong? What if this was some sort of ploy?

She couldn't even think straight. Her heart was thumping inside her chest. How would she go about organising this? Bring Kai back down the block again? No. She couldn't do that. Because he wouldn't have even done anything yet. Or, she could nail them on the night. But what if that failed? What if they escaped? The Board of Governors and Robert Jurgen would certainly have her head for that. And her job too. So much to consider. So much to think about. So little time. The breakout was supposed to be the very next day.

Well, she wasn't in this alone. Or at least she wasn't supposed to be. She had a whole team of officers at her disposal. Roughly a dozen to be exact. The next briefing would be at lunch. She would tell them then and they would just have to give her their opinions. Just because she'd been promoted, didn't mean she wasn't still one of them. Even though she had had to miss nights out to focus on paperwork, while Jurgen was away. They were still friends, weren't they? They wouldn't think any different of her. She sighed. She needed a drink. A strong drink.

Lunch was coming to an end and she hadn't even realised the time until the final ten minutes approached. She hadn't even eaten yet, too focused on paperwork and what she had just heard. But before she could even draw out the sandwich that she had stashed inside her bag, there came another rap on the office door. Salima gasped at the sound.

"Who is it?" She said crossly. She hadn't meant it to sound like that at all. It was definitely the stress catching up on her.

"Ma'am. We have another inmate to see you," The officer spoke.

"Another?" She plonked herself in the giant black chair and leant backwards into it, a hand running through her messy hair.

"He says it's urgent, ma'am!"

She sighed again. "Send him in!"

And when the door opened and Salima saw who it was, she nearly fell off her seat. She gulped hard and her skin paled in both fear and anxiety. Even as the officer closed the door behind him, she felt somewhat speechless. She hadn't expected him. Not now. Not when everything was on top of her. She loosened the collar of her shirt with her finger to allow the gulp to slide down her throat and straightened up in the chair.

"Um…Rei," She gestured to the chair in front of him. "Please take a seat."

Rei's expression wasn't helping either. It was exact opposite from what it had been before. There was lack of kindness now; no loyalty. He looked just like any other inmate. Perhaps someone with a score to settle. But he nodded and soon took the seat, though he slouched forwards and placed his hands together between his legs. For the first time in ages, Salima actually felt intimidated, not just by him, but in general. It was as if she was reverting back to who she used to be.

"Uh…" She moved a few of the papers on her desk out of the way to clear some space and keep herself occupied. "So…what brings you…?"

"How much do you know?" interrupted Rei. His stared at her and she felt herself shrink where she sat.

"Uh…I…don't know what you're talking about," She was generally confused. She had thought he had come here to talk about what had happened all that time ago.

"Johnny told you, didn't he?"

"…What?"

He lowered his voice. "About the break out,"

"You…?" Salima's brows furrowed again. "You…know?"

"Everyone knows,"

"Well," She tried to sound professional. "We're definitely going to get on the case. The Russians won't get passed us."

Rei's manner suddenly changed. His lowered his head and let his gaze fall upon the ground. "I…can't let you do that," He sounded a cross between upset and yet determined.

"…What!"

"You have…," Slowly, he lifted his head up to face her. "You have to let him go."

"You can't…you can't be serious, Rei," Salima shook her head. "I can't just let them go. It's just plain…wrong. They did something against the law. We can't just let them go free. No to mention…I'll loose my job."

"You'll loose it…anyway," And there was again - that serious expression - something that made Salima baulk again. Unbeknownst to her however, Rei was fighting an internal battle.

"W…what are you saying?"

"You haven't told anyone, have you?" Rei switched topics.

"Well…no…but…"

"Don't tell anyone!"

" What? But…Rei…

"If you do…then I'll tell them,"

"Tell them?"

They locked eyes, Salima's own trembling as they did so. She didn't need to be told twice. A hand went to her mouth and she gasped. "But Rei…that was a…a mistake. I didn't mean to,"

"They won't see it like that,"

"You wouldn't…"

Slowly she fell back into her chair, her mind afloat with thoughts and fears. Her throat suddenly ran dry, but she had somehow forgotten how to swallow. She could do the right thing at the risk of loosing it all. Or she could do the wrong thing to stay in Jurgen's good books. But could she live with the guilt. And who was to say the Russians would escape tomorrow. Obviously, the staff would act once they realised the boys had gone. They'd sought it out. Wouldn't they?

"Why are you…doing this?" Her voice was but a meek exasperated whisper.

Rei looked away from her when he replied. "…If there was another way, believe me, I'd take it. But there isn't,"

She felt the need to cry again. The tears were threatening to escape and it took all of her willpower to hold them back. It was just one problem after another. Why was she being punished? What had she done? She inhaled, though it quivered as she did so, into a tearless sob.

"I'm sorry," Rei said, as he stood up from his seat. "Maybe in time, you'll come to forgive me." He paused. "But there is one more thing that I must ask of you, as well…"

-

He took a drag of his cigarette and inhaled the nicotine as if his life depended on it. What a day it had been for him. He was finally free and yet he wasn't free at all. They had decided that they would give him the day shift, but even such a shift hadn't allowed him to get away from his incessant prisoner. Now it was night, the sky was a black and the pearly whites of the stars gleamed down at him as the gates of Standheld lifted and let a large distributing van in to initiate even more prisoners. A car pulled out from its driving space and a few more officers and official alike began departing for the day, while others were coming in to work the late shift. He still hadn't a car himself. It would be a long tedious journey home as it always was on Thursday.

He heard a distinctive clicking sound behind him as he stood where he was, casually, with a foot pressed up against the wall. The sound was hurried and brash and as with any reflex, it caused him to look and see who it was. He noticed the deep red hair immediately, but didn't catch the face of the woman at first for the person suddenly lost their grip on the contents in their hand to which they sailed smoothly to the floor in a heap. A curse escaped they're lips and he smiled knowingly, having felt the exact same way several days ago.

Being the gentleman that he was, he disposed of his cigarette – it was almost finished anyway – and proceeded to help the fallen woman. Papers were strewn across the floor, some of which were picking up dirt as the woman picked them up. Even her handbag had lost some of its contents. Nonetheless, he bent down before her and began picking up some of her contents. She must have seen his hand because she instantly spoke.

"Oh thank you so much…I'm so clumsy these days," She scolded herself.

"Happens to everyone," He shrugged and handed her back some of her papers. They both stood up and she flicked a piece of her hair out of her face. There, she met his gaze and then her face suddenly seemed to brighten up.

"Oh…my…God!" A hand went to her mouth and she almost lost grip of her contents again. "It's you!"

He looked at her hard. For some reason she seemed to recognise him, but he wasn't sure he'd seen her anywhere before.

"Don't you recognise me?" She asked him.

The man shook his head.

"It's me! Salima,"

His eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

"Yeah!" She laughed. "I know. I've changed haven't I?"

"You're telling me," He finally said in realisation. "I…I didn't know you worked here."

"I got transferred several months ago,"

He glanced at her name badge. "And they've promoted you already?"

"Oh no! This is just temporary. The real Senior Governor's in hospital, but oh my God, how have you been? I haven't seen you since college"

"I've been alright. Just taking it as it comes. How about you?"

She frowned slightly. "Not so good. This new job's taking its toll on me."

"You look like you could use a drink,"

"Yeah!"

"Well…" He paused for a moment. "Why don't we go for one and catch up? That is unless you're busy or something."

"Um…no, I haven't actually got anything planned tonight besides the paperwork, but I don't know."

"Aww come on. Everyone deserves a break once in a while."

Salima paused for thought this time. "Alright," She finally said. "Let's go!"

-

They chose a local bar at the north side of town that was quite quiet, but nice in interior design. It had an always-cosy intimate feel and the soft music and three glasses of wine allowed Salima to cool off and calm down. Her paperwork lay a mess in the back of her car, which was how they had gotten there. He was right of course. She really did need a break. They found themselves immersed in conversation. From their college days, to the bits and pieces that happened after. She talked to him about the woman's prison and what a disaster that had been and then again at the beginning of her career at Stanheld to which also, hadn't been pleasant.

"So what made you turn things around? I mean, you look pretty successful to me," The man said. He put his glad to his lips and allowed some of the alcohol to slide along his throat.

"Well, lets just say I had a little help,"

"In this business?" The man raised an eyebrow. "It's hard to get to the top. Whoever helped you must have been a miracle worker."

When Salima smiled this time, it looked as if it was forced, but rather than it remain, her lips thinned into a straight line and her eyes stared at her forth glass of wine, which remained half finished.

"Yeah," She murmured. "I thought so too."

For a moment, there was silence, save for the music playing in the background and the laughter of a woman who's partner had cracked a joke. He studied her, before he spoke again.

"Hey. What's up?" He folded his arms on the table and leaned forwards.

"Oh…uh…it's nothing," Salima dismissed, straightening up in her seat.

"Come on, Salima. It's only been five years. I know what you're like when you've got something on your mind,"

She hesitated. "It's just that…well…uh…it's nothing. Really?"

He shot her an unconvinced look, which made Salima smile. There would be no getting out of this one, even if she couldn't tell him the whole truth.

"I'm just worried about a friend of mine," She began. "She also, works at the prison and she's gone and gotten herself in trouble with one of the inmates." She paused, waiting for her accomplice to say something, but he seemed intent on just listening. So she continued. "She's being blackmailed by one of them. And she's at a cross between doing the right thing, or loosing her job and probably going to prison herself. I just don't know what to suggest."

He gulped. How familiar this entire situation sounded to him. He had almost lost his life trying to do the right thing and in the end, he had ended up right back where he'd started. But he was finally free and yet he wasn't free at all. He sighed.

"Lemme tell you something about inmates," He began, taking his glass into his hand. "You can't mess with them…because even though they're on the inside, they'll always have links on the outside" He took another swig of his drink. "They'd sooner stitch you up if they've got you in a stronghold. And I know it sounds bad, but it's better to just do what they want and get it over and done with. You're much safer then."

"You think so?" She leaned her elbows on the table in defeat. "I dunno."

"Believe me! I've seen a lot of people try to d the right thing and land themselves in deeper trouble with or without the law. One guy lost everything. His car. His house. His wife. His son. It's better to keep your head low. Get in and get out. I know it sounds real sleazy and it goes against everything we stand for, but it's the best option for you, right now."

Salima sighed, picking up the glass of wine and staring at the swirlly-yellowed substance. "You're right, Kane. You're right,"

­-

After lights-out was announced, Rei took a little longer than usual to fall asleep. The room was unnervingly quiet. He should have been used to it by now. After all, Lee was gone. His bed lay stripped, naked, bare and empty. It was satirical, because that's exactly how Rei felt without his friend. There was no one left for him now. Kevin was definitely out of the question. If he could poison Lee somehow, than who was to stop him from poisoning him either. Rei reckoned himself the forgiving type, but this, he could not forgive and nor could he forget. As far as he was concerned, Kevin was dead to him now.

Huffing, his eyes began to fall heavy after a while and soon they closed and awakened unto sleep. The thought of Salima crossed his mind briefly. After all, he had as good as blackmailed her; an officer; a Senior Governor – a temporary one, but one nonetheless. It had hurt him to do so, but he had done it and in a way betrayed himself. But this was his last chance to get things right. And even as he drifted off into a deeper sleep, he clung to the device in his hand under the sheets like his life depended on it.

-

The room was pitch black save for the stream of light that peered in through the window. The orange-coated brightness placed the shadows of the bars of the window on the door that he was to see for the last time ever. Max had crawled into bed with Tyson that night and though the blunette was snoring as always, Max seemed pretty content. He wondered how the blond could take it because Kai certainly couldn't. It was the half the reason why he was still awake. The other half was because his thoughts were calculating various simulations, time and place circumstances and everything under the sun that he had prepared for. Everything seemed as if it would work out and Kai was adamant that he would succeed.

-

"So explain to me why we're helping them again," asked Enrique to his lover.

He and Oliver were cuddled together in top bunk again that night, both their bodies pressed up against each other.

"We're not helping them per say," The Frenchman replied.

"Well, it sounds a lot like we're helping them to me. We gave them our connections and everything," Enrique continued. "I mean, we could have escaped ourselves, if we wanted to."

"Are you planning on leaving me, Enrique?" Oliver said in a mock-childish way. He pouted and fluttered his long eyelashes, which caused Enrique to laugh.

"Not a chance," He replied.

Johnny, who was on the opposite bunk, was snoring peacefully for the first time in ages. Though they were use to his Scottish vulgarity, there was something extremely odd about him that night, namely, the smirk on his face.

"What's he grinning about?" Enrique jerked his head in Johnny's direction.

Oliver turned slightly to look over his shoulder. He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he's finally released all that pent-up frustration," He snuggled back up against the heat of his boyfriend.

A sigh pursed from his lips. "Just think of it, Enrique. This time tomorrow, those Russian's will be out of our hair for good,"

TBC