So sorry this has taken so long to get up. I sort of fizzled out for a while on writing, but have recently been reignited :). I will work on getting the next chapter up sooner. I am also working on update my other story Bound by Blood this week as well. So if you are following that one watch for the updates soon. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter Six

Levi worked rather smoothly at losing the forged prison stamps in the rigged poker game. He kept his cool and Icey's crew seemed none the wiser to what really was happening. However, even Levi himself failed to understand Neal's plan. He simply knew to lose the game.

Neal observed from a distance so as to not attract attention to himself or to Levi. But as he watched he couldn't shake an odd uneasy feeling. He glanced around him and realized Rocco was standing only a few feet away, glaring at him through his cold gray eyes. Neal knew his time was running out, soon Rocco would have his revenge. Neal looked from Rocco's stone cold gaze back to Levi who was now taking his leave from the poker table.

Levi casually looked up at Neal and using his eyes and a slight tilt of his head, he indicated for Neal to meet him around the corner of the Guards lookout building. Neal nodded his head in acknowledgment and discreetly he began to make his way to the north side of the small red bricked building. As he moved across the yard he could feel Rocco's haunting eyes stalking him. It was a disturbing feeling knowing that someone capable of murder was plotting something against you, and every move you made was under his constant surveillance. But Neal did his best to ignore those emotions, and he was good at picking and choosing what he allowed himself to feel. It was as if he were able to lock those fears and worries into a safe and seal it up inside with a combination so complex even the most advanced safe cracker would fail miserably at unlocking it. Little did he know that the man responsible for putting him in that prison would one day crack that safe wide open and expose his most vulnerable raw emotions.

He turned the corner and came face to face with Levi. "Okay, Picasso. What now?"

Neal smiled. "Now we wait."

"Wait for what?"

"We wait for Icey to get out of solitary."

"That's tomorrow. I sure hope you know what you're doing Picasso. Because Icey is one dude I don't want to tango with."

Neal smiled. "I just need five minutes alone with him."

Levi's eyes sprung open wide. "What? This was all about getting alone with Icey? You'll never get passed his guys, they'll break you in half if you even look at Icey without their permission. I thought you had a good plan?" Levi sounded slightly distressed and disappointed at the thought he may have played right into a plan that was destined to fail.

Neal reached out and rested his hand on Levi's shoulder. "Trust me Levi. His guys will be a bit preoccupied tomorrow when he gets out of solitary to worry about what I'm doing."

Levi frowned. "Preoccupied with what?"

Neal's lips spread into a pleasing and confident smile. His eyes sparkled with satisfaction. "Unfortunately for them, tomorrow at noon, the guards will receive an anonymous tip that they are in possession of forged prison stamps."

Levi smiled. "That's sick. Okay so that gets you in with Icey, but that doesn't help you on getting him on your side. In fact I'm pretty sure that will do the opposite."

Neal smiled. "Come with me to see him tomorrow and you'll know the rest of the plan."

Levi shook his head. "Oh no. I draw the line here. I stay clear of Icey. I'd tell you to do the same, but you've actually done pretty good running your little cons on the cons. I wish you luck though, but somehow I don't think you need it."

Neal stepped back and gratefully nodded his head. "Thanks. But if you change your mind, let me know."

Levi laughed. "If I suddenly have a death wish, you'll be the first to know."

Just as Levi finished talking a loud bell rang out indicating Rec. time had ended.

The next day was Sunday. It was a rest day and they were allowed to remain in the GenPop with their cell doors open. Many inmates came and went visiting other blocks and mingling in the alley ways.

Levi lay on the top bunk looking through a car magazine.

Neal sat on the edge of the bottom bunk staring at a small marble he twirled between his fingers.

The noise of the inmates was loud as they rustled about, some arguing, some talking, and on occasion some yelling. Neal blocked all of it out, he was deeply entwined within his own thoughts. The commotion of the prison had become commonplace. It was something that you become accustomed to the same as you do the sound of traffic when you live alongside a busy street. Simply put, it was normal.

What wasn't normal was a sudden silence, the sound of whispers hissing through the air; the rapid halt of movement among the inmates. That was alarming, and that was exactly what happened that very moment. Levi stared into his magazine but slowly he realized the noises had died down. He lowered his magazine to his chest and lifted his head from his pillow to stare into the GenPop room that suddenly looked as if it had frozen in time. Neal also noticed the eerie calm. He raised his eyes from the marble in his hand and slowly he stood to his feet.

Levi dropped to the ground beside him. They both exited their cell block and looked down into the pit where everyone seemed to be staring.

Entering was four guards escorting a tall dark headed man into the room below them. His wrists were bound in handcuffs with a long chain trailing down to his bound ankles. He moved stiffly with a slight limp on his right leg. His dark brown hair was slicked back and tied into a tiny braid at the base of his head. His arms were tattooed with two full sleeves. You could tell his entire torso was covered in ink due to the artistry that crept up his neck beneath his orange jump suit. He slowly looked up and a smile crept across his lips at all the eyes filled with fear as they looked down upon him. His clean sharp goatee framed his evil grin.

Levi leaned into Neal's ear and whispered. "You sure you still want to meet face to face with Icey?" Levi glanced around at all the inmates as they stared at the terrifying man.

Neal understood Levi's message and simultaneous warning. He could feel the tension in the air and he could almost smell the terror welling inside each man in the building. Even the guards were on edge. He even noticed for the first time in two weeks Rocco's attention was focused away from him. He was intent as he stared down at the man. But Neal also knew facing Icey was his best chance at getting Rocco off his back. He looked at Levi and nodded his head. "I'm sure."

Levi took in a deep breath and retreated back into their cell block. Neal leaned against the railing and watched the man as the guards released him from his bindings. He saw the three men that played the poker game approach him. They laughed and roughly greeted each other with firm handshakes and single armed hugs. Neal turned and picked up a piece of paper hidden beneath his mattress and looked at Levi. "You sure you don't want to come?"

"Still don't have a death wish." Levi smiled.

"Okay, suit yourself." Neal turned and left the cell block.

Levi couldn't help but feel a sense of nerves plague him while Neal was absent. He began to pace the floor of their block impatiently. Normally he only worried about himself. But for some reason this kid had him intrigued. He couldn't help but admit; he liked the kid. Despite his best efforts he worried about what Neal was getting himself into. He looked at the watch on his wrist, Neal had only been gone ten minutes, but if felt like it had been an hour. He licked his lips and gritted his teeth. "Damn you Picasso! What do you keep dragging me into?" He slammed his fist into the mattress of the top bunk and spun on his feet to set out on his hunt for Neal.

As he exited the block he suddenly heard the guards rushing into the GenPop area. The alarm sounded that informed all the inmates to return to their cells immediately. Levi quickly looked around searching for Neal, he spotted him rushing towards him. "What are you doing?"

Neal breezed past Levi and quickly announced. "Going to see Icey."

Levi frowned and looked back down into the second level and saw the guards pushing their way towards the cell blocks of Icey's men. Levi spun around and took off following behind Neal.

Neal heard the sound of footsteps approaching him and glanced over his shoulder. He smiled when he saw Levi tailing him. "So you've got a death wish now?"

Levi frowned. "Shut up."

They swiftly dodged in and out of men crowding the stair ways as they hurriedly headed for their cell blocks. But Neal and Levi were headed in the opposite direction of their cell. They raced as fast as they could towards Icey's cell. Suddenly the bell rang out again and the cell doors began to slide closed. If they were locked out of a cell they would both be placed into solitary confinement so they knew they had only a few seconds to make it to Icey's cell before their opportunity to be alone with him was gone for good.

Neal broke into a run as he attempted to reach Icey before he missed his chance. Levi followed him closely. They raced past Rocco's cell and Rocco quickly sprung to his feet and tried to watch where they were going through his slowly closing cell door.

Neal looked at the next door they passed and it was half way closed. His opportunity was slipping through his fingers. Levi called out. "We're not going to make it Neal."

Neal ignored him and his pace quickened. Just as the cell doors were only two feet from closing Neal reached Icey's cell and slipped inside through the tight opening. Levi only inches behind also managed to squeeze into the cell.

Now suddenly they stood inside Icey's cell, just the three of them as the doors locked closed. Icey was on the bottom bunk leaning back against the wall. The shadows of the top bunk hid his face from view. Neal stepped back against the wall and stared at the dark shadowed silhouette.

"I think you're on the wrong side of the bars." Came a cold deep voice.

Neal swallowed and watched as Icey slowly began to rise to a standing position. He was now face to face with Neal. "I don't know how you got passed my boys, but I can promise you won't get passed them again."

Neal took in a deep breath. "You're boys, are a little busy right now."

Icey chuckled under his breath. "Busy?" His voice suddenly went cold and firm, "With what?" he growled out.

"Their cells are being searched right now because unfortunately for them, they are in possession of forged prison stamps."

"You're lying."

Levi smiled. "Oh he's not lying." Levi stepped forward and wrapped one arm around Neal's neck. "See Picasso here, is one hell of an artist. And well, my luck is not so good at poker." Levi chuckled.

"You're dead kid." Icey took a step closer to Neal and his threatening glare bared down on him. His thick long fingers tightly curled into his hand forming a large fist as he raised his arm up to cast the powerful blow to Neal's head.

"You don't want to do that." Neal stayed calm and self-assured.

"You have no idea how badly I want to do this." Icey held his fist high, yet Neal's confidence caused him to pause long enough for Neal to continue.

"You see, I happen to know that when your crew wins money, they split it four ways, but you get the majority. So when Levi lost those five forged stamps, they each got one, but you got two. Now the anonymous tip the guards received, was only about your three goons. If something happens to me or to Levi the guards will get another tip that will lead them to search your bunk for forged stamps. And they will take that seriously seeing as how they have already recovered three forged stamps in the prison."

Icey slowly lowered his fist and looked from Levi back to Neal. Levi had a smile of pride across his lips. He really was feeling like he was in the presence of a genius.

Icey held his prideful smile. "Go ahead I'll just get rid of all my stamps and they won't find anything in my possession."

Levi frowned and looked at Neal. "Well that kind of puts a hole in your plan." He softly whispered into Neal's ear.

Neal chuckled. "Yeah, well the thing is. We both know, you don't want them searching your cell, because you have something much bigger you don't want them to find. And I can trigger that search with a simple note."

Icey took a step back from them and his smile faded. He looked from Levi, who had recovered his satisfying smile, back to Neal. His head tilted to one side as he stared at Neal hoping to find some evidence of a bluff. Some hint of insecurity or even a nervous twitch. But Neal's confident posture and slightly twisted smile provided proof that this was no empty threat. Icey allowed a half smile to creep back across his face and he extended his hand towards Neal. "You've got guts kid. I have to respect that."

Neal dropped his eyes to Icey's open hand and slowly he reached out and took it firmly in his own.

Icey's grip tightened and he pulled Neal closer towards him. "Let's just get something straight. If you ever cross me, you'll regret the day you were born."

Neal nodded his head. "As long as no one bothers either of us, you'll have nothing to worry about." Neal felt Icey's grip release and he pulled his hand away.

Levi felt his heart beat began to slow, he had not even realized how fast it was beating from the adrenaline pumping through his veins until now. He looked at Icey and also nodded his head in agreement to their arrangement, then he smiled. "Oh and Icey, you might keep a close eye on Rocco. He's been after Neal since he got here."

Icey looked at Levi and chuckled. "Rocco?" Then he looked back at Neal and his eyes trailed across Neal's body and he smiled. "Yeah, I guess I could see that. He always does go after the pretty boys."

Levi laughed. "Except he got a lot more than he bargained for with Neal, and now he wants revenge."

Icey's eyebrows rose. "Revenge? Revenge for what?"

"Picasso here may look like a light weight, but he can tango with the heavy weights any day." Levi slapped Neal on the back.

Icey chuckled. "So I noticed. Don't worry about Rocco, he just thinks he's a heavy weight."

After a few minutes the cell doors slid open again and another bell rang out informing the inmates they could return to their activities.

Levi and Neal left Icey's cell and returned to their block. Neal collapsed onto the bottom bunk and felt a sense of reliefe fall over him.

Levi leaned against the wall and looked down at Neal. "What does Icey have in his cell he doesn't want the guards to find?"

Neal smiled and he laced his fingers behind his head. "I have no idea."

"So you bluffed through that?"

"Well I just figured a guy like that is bound to have something he's hiding in his cell. So I played the odds. Looks like they fell in my favor."

"You're either the dumbest or the bravest dude I know."

Neal smiled back at Levi then his smile began to dissolve. "It will at least buy me some time to figure out my next move."

"Your next move? I thought that was it."

"It will only work until Icey lands himself in solitary again. And the odds of that happening, well," he sighed as he took a long pause, "those are pretty high too."

Levi frowned. He knew Neal was right about that. Icey was in solitary more than he was in GenPop. "So what next?"

"I'm going to try and reach out to someone who might be willing to help me get out of here."

"Who's that?"

"The FBI agent that put me in here." Neal smiled.