Cell Block D
Nicky stood at the bars, an angry scowl on her face…."All my Passion and love…what were you thinking telling me to say that?"
Alex reclined on the bottom bunk of their tight quarters.."Hey, you went for it..it was your letter not mine."
She shook her head, her hands buried in her mass of hair…"She must think I went soft up in here…..passion…ya know if it has more than one syllable then it's too much talking…'fuck' that's a word with one syllable that she knows how to do.."
Alex just smirked at the apparent meltdown her cellmate was having at getting no reply to her heartfelt proposal letter one week earlier. "Just give it time, Nichols…"
"Are you kidding me…Nicky crossed their cell, pacing feverently…"I proposed to her…that doesn't take time….yes or no….one syllable….it's that simple!"
"She's going to say Yes…"
"How can you be so sure…She's supposed to be coming for a conjugal in two days…but she always calls me beforehand to tell me that's she going to be able to make it…", Nicky's eyes bulged with the frustration of being stuck in their cell, helpless.
"This time…I haven't heard a peep…and I blame you."
"You're lucky that you can even get a conjugal considering…." , Alex reasoned.
"Well, i know that since the prison was nice enough to honor our request the same as other heterosexual couples for private visits…even if it is only for an hour. Caputo only agreed anyway so he can hold it over my head to keep me in line, if I make one misstep in here that's the first thing they'll cut off.
"Open on four," the guard bellowed as they were interrupted…"Vause…Caputo wants to see you."
Nicky looked at Alex in warning…"The warden?...what did you do?"
Alex only shrugged her shoulders in response.
"Not good fish, no one gets an audience with Caputo unless you're getting transferred or you're in the SHU."
Warden's Office
Alex lowered herself gingerly into the plush seats of the air-conditioned room. Her eyes scanned the desk, taking in the plaque 'Warden Caputo', various family pictures and such.
Joe Caputo looked at Alex suspiciously, over the rim of black wire glasses… "Top of your class at Loyola Chicago, Magna Cum laude in fact…I can't help but wonder how someone with your credentials wound up in this place."
Alex smirked, lifting her glasses up onto the top of her head, "Just took a wrong turn a few months back, I guess."
"You make sound as if this was a traffic infraction, like all you did was turn the wrong way up a one way street.." , he huffed.
"Everybody turns up one sooner or later, right?", Alex reasoned. She held his eye contact, seeing that he was judging her for the truth in her answers.
He seemed unperturbed by her flippant remarks, "The reason I called you here today, was as I was going through your e-file, I noticed that under previous employment….you put unemployed…but that's not true….now is it?, Caputo paused waiting for what answer she would give next.
Alex only put her head down, unwillingly to answer…moments passed as Caputo came around his desk and well into her personal space, leaning over her…"I know you're a structural engineer, Vause..come with me…"
Alex met his eyes then, but not allowing the sudden fear in her stomach to show in her them. She thought she was headed to the SHU for lying…but he brought her into an adjoining room of his office. There was a large white structure on a desk that she could easily see was a rendition of the Taj Mahal.
"This was built by a man in honor of his undying love for wife many years ago, my wife is very fond of the story behind it. She's a romantic. Being married to someone in corrections is a very hard job, what with all the hours I'm here. But you know, in 19 years she has never complained….Caputo made eye contact with Alex…"And ya know, the worst part of it is, that I've never even thanked her."
They paced around the structure now built with popsicle sticks of varying sizes and actually quite detailed, garnering a small amount of respect from Alex considering the time that had likely been invested so far was very large..…"Since I never said it, I thought I'll build this and show her how much she means to me…in June is our 20th wedding anniversary."
He motioned for her to squat down with him and look into the entrance of the structure…"See look here, the problem is if I build anymore it's all going to come down like a house of cards…the support beams are weakening and I can't figure out where…That's where you come in…you do me this favor and I can offer you three days a week of work in here and it'll keep you out of the yard or laundry duty."
Alex stood, pausing to consider to the generous offer, if she was in here three days a week she wouldn't have time to plan the breakout…she nodded negatively, "I can't do it"
Caputo stiffened at the denial.."Listen…I know you're new here, but its better for me to owe you one than the other way around…I can promise you that"
She refused to meet his angry gaze, "I'll take my chances, boss."
He strode forward with quick steps throwing open the office door…"Then we're done here,..Guard, take this prisoner back to the block", he called down the hall sharply, his eyes never leaving Alex's back.
Cafeteria
Alex approaches a table where V and her crew are playing cards. She rounds cautiously, and stands a respectable distance from the boss, but close enough to be heard.
"Parker, I need you to hire me in PI", Alex says decisively
V doesn't bother to pick her head up, eyeing her cards deciding her next move, "Beat it, fish."
"Maybe you oughta hear what I gotta say.", Alex reasoned.
"You got nothing I need", she laughed boisterously, the rest of her tough-looking crew laughing on cue as well.
"'I wouldn't be so sure of that", Alex says, placing an folded origami swan on the table by her hands folded over her poker hand.
"What the fuck is this?", she barked incredulously…"a duck or some shit…this is what you think I need?", she flicked it onto the ground below.
"PI, Parker, you might find that I can be more help than you think."
V slams the table having had enough, just as two of her crew stand up menacingly, Alex takes her cue and begins to back pedal with her palms out in a gesture of surrender.."Okay, okay just come find me when you're ready to talk."
Carl's Car Wash, Frankfort NY
Various men are diligently washing cars on one of the hottest days yet that Spring, when a man in a button down suit approaches the manager, Carl, and with a slight head nod they retire into his office.
The man says nothing but instead pulls a manila envelope from his briefcase, inside he pulls out an enlarged black and white photo of man's profile and the nondescript background of a residential house. He slaps it down on the desk in frustration.
Carl looks confused momentarily…"So…this is what you drove over here for?"
"That's the son-of-a-bitch that named Parker in the police shootings."
Understanding dawned on Carl's face…"Lil Jerome?...I thought that bastard was gone forever…skipped town right after the trial…"
"Yeah, well somebody found him…"
"Who..?"
The man only shook his head…"Don't know this was sent to me just like this, no return address, just the picture and this"….he reached down in the manila envelope and pulled out a folded origami swan…looked at quizzically and threw it down on the desk next to the picture.
Carl looked equally confused…"Well, you know who we gotta call.", as he got an agreeing nod.
Agent Figueroa and Agent Bennett knock on the door of Bishop McMorrow's home, a nice brick split level with a neatly manicured lawn. As they sat in his study full of religious artifacts, it was unfortunate business to have to blackmail a priest, but he just wouldn't seem to see the way of things any way else but the hard way...some people were like that.
"What is it exactly about the Reznikov case that I can help you with...I've already spoken to the police.."
Natalie was the first to speak, "It is our understanding that you have a great amount of influence with the Governor."
"Well, I wouldn't say it is either great or influence necessarily, we're old friends."
Bennett spoke up, " I understand that you oppose the death penalty?"
The Bishop scoffed lightly, "I'm a man of God ...how could I not oppose such a thing?"
"Well...that's why we are here, we were hoping that you could change your position on that... at least temporarily," Figueroa said as she leaned forward placing both elbows on his desk.
The Bishop adjusted his white collar as he always did when he was nervous, "If the inmate makes an appeal to me for an intervention, how am I to turn my back on her?"
Fig stood up now pacing to the window in his study, " You have a habit of answering a question with a question...in my line of work that usually means you're hiding something."
"And you have a way of asking questions of a man that have no easy answers", the Bishop also stood...he didn't like where this was going at all and was ready to ask them to leave.
Natalie took this moment to come closer to Bishop, looking him squarely in the eye, she smiled...a smile that most men found alluring..."So, are saying that you won't do what I'm asking of you?"
His jaw clenched slightly, "As you well know, I'm not a man to equivocate."
Bennett and Figueroa glanced at each other, John sighed wishing there was another way but knowing that there was not.
Agent Figueroa's eyes glinted and was eager to press harder..."So you're what... 62 years old now your excellency, I would assume then that you're well aware of the way our tax system works then, taking personal capital gains under tax shelter of the church...that would be tax fraud now wouldn't it?
McMorrow held her eye contact, his nostrils flared but his face was devoid of emotion..."I will not be cowed into forsaking my beliefs...not by you...not by anyone", he walked to the office door and opened it.
Figueroa and Bennett took that as their cue to leave, "Fine, we'll be taking our leave then", John said. As they drew nearer to front door, the Bishop called out, "Ms. Figueroa, what is it about this case that has the Secret Service so interested in its outcome?"
"This woman killed the Vice President's brother...", Fig said as she hit the unlock on their unmarked sedan. The Bishop could only stare after them with his mouth slightly agape.
Litchfield Penitentiary
Yvonne Parker walked up to the line of stragglers waiting for the single payphone. One by one as they saw her hardened stare, they stepped to the side leaving only one they called "Big Boo" talking currently on the line. V tapped her shoulder, she shrugged it off, "Hold on a minute , huh?", not looking behind her. V proceeded to reach around her and press the long clear button to end the call.
Boo turned ready to start something, "What the fuck!", but see V, she shrank back..."Oh, hey didn't see ya there." She smirked handing over the phone, but as her expression changed soon after being out of eyesight. She didn't like V one bit, not that anyone did...but she damn sure wasn't raised to take a back seat to anyone and it was gnawing under her skin at the moment.
V made a bi-weekly call to Carl to check on things on the outside, her family, the business, but her money most importantly. Money had a way making life a whole lot easier on the inside of these cell walls. But, today was earlier than usual.
"What's so important?"
Carl gruffed into the phone,"Somebody found Jerome Watson, I'm looking at the bastard's picture right now."
V could barely contain her shock and anger, she made eye contact with the guard watching over the commons area and turned her back whispering into the phone.
"Where", was her only word.
"Not sure yet, but he has a beard now and glasses, also has a few guards via Witness Protection program. No return address, no location, just some folded up bird made of paper inside the envelope.", Carl's voice clear that no sense could be made of it.
She thought for a minute...then, "Like origami?", V asked, suddenly the events of earlier today were falling into place.
Light dawned in the dim man's brain, "Yeah, like origami."
V just said nothing and slammed the phone down in the receiver, drawing strange looks from all around her. She took off in search of Alex Vause.
Infirmary
Alex waited patiently in Dr. Chapman's office for her to arrive. Glancing around, she noticed no bookshelf of books, or degrees on the wall. No motivational sayings or private pictures on the small desk by the curtain. Piper didn't leave her cell phone or her purse or even any discarded lunch lying around. This woman was very methodical, and guarded it seemed. Well given where she worked, it was understandable to not leave your valuables unattended she supposed.
She heard her voice floating down the hall, "Tell pharmacy to come and stock the Pyxis please, we are running low."
She entered the same as last time, heading directly to the locked cabinet retrieving the syringe and glass bottle of insulin. Before Piper wheeled over to Alex, she allowed her green eyes a few moments of peaceful gazing...her lab coat was shorter today than yesterday. Alex couldn't help drift her eyes down her back to curves of her buttocks encased in tan slacks and she wore a light blue blouse today.
'So, how has your day been?', she quizzed as Piper swabbed her left arm with the alcohol swab. She could still feel the heat of her touch, even through the gloves just like yesterday.
Piper paused as if she might actually give an honest answer, then biting her bottom lip slightly between her teeth, she replied "Fine," while giving Alex the perfunctory jab with the needle.
"Really, because my day was completely ruined by construction on 7th and now I have to go all the way downtown just get my morning Venti Caramel Macchiato...", Alex teased with an indignant huff while pushing her black frames up.
Piper looked up just in time to get an unobstructed view of her dazzling green eyes for the first time. Her thoughts played gently across her face, as she smiled even though her eyes looked tired. Alex could see the dark circles that her makeup couldn't hide, she saw her pupils dilate for just a second at their closeness before she wheeled herself backwards.
"Ya know you could've called me, I would have been happy to grab you one..", Alex continued their game of pretending that she actually could have grabbed her a Starbucks or they had a close relationship like that.
"Are you always so full of jokes?" , Piper quizzed.
"I find it passes the time quite nicely..." Alex smirked, as Piper threw away the bloodied gauze, replaced it with a fresh one and grabbed some medical tape. She wrapped both hands around Alex's bicep as she secured the tape, briefly studying the design tattooed there.
Alex took a chance and put her right hand on top of Piper's before she pulled away, "Unless, you can think of a better way that is...", Alex's tone as suggestive as her single eyebrow raise.
They were close enough in that second that she could see her blue eyes widen slightly with shock as soon as it registered what exactly Alex was suggesting. But the spark of interest she was hoping for and used to seeing from most women when she casually flirted was missing... she saw the 'work face' slide back up quickly.
Piper rose, withdrawing her hand from beneath hers and grabbed her chart, "I don't know what you could possibly mean by that', which was a lie that Alex going to let pass for the moment as she could see that she had pressed too fast too soon.
"Right...I was just playing around anyway...", she went and stood by the glass door giving Piper some space. As she tapped on the door, Alex felt her eyes on her briefly...she chanced a light smile..."See ya tomorrow Doc".