Thanks for reading, everyone! This story will have 18 chapters, so 5 more to go. I'll be posting pretty regularly from here on out, too. I hope everyone's weekend's off to a great start. Happy Saturday, y'all!

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The door banged hard against the wall as it was thrown open. A guard burst through who stood well over six feet tall and had biceps a little smaller than the size of basketballs. He sent Jim a smirk to let him know that there would be hell to pay for this, and then his eyes found Madeline.

He curled his lip at her. "Madeline Scott. Still stickin' that nose of yours where it doesn't belong."

Her voice had a bite. "Hello, Conway. Still on the 'roids? Still living with mom?"

His stare darkened noticeably, but that was his only comeback. Immediately after, a second guard cleared the doorway. Jim felt his stomach start to sink. His name was Hollister. It was unclear if he was gunning for a promotion or if he just had a natural affinity for the more perverse aspects of the job. Like Conway, he also had the stature of a boxer, heavyweight division.

Jim's stomach dropped the rest of the way as Warden Carlson Grey stepped forward, looming from just inside the doorway.

The warden shot Madeline a furious look. She stared back defiantly.

Jim didn't think it was possible for Grey to look any more livid than he did, but he was wrong. Rage rolled off the warden in waves as he locked onto Jim. His voice held the first rumblings of anger. "Put your back up against the wall, inmate. Remain silent." Jim did as he was told, and then Grey turned back to Madeline. "And you. Get on your feet."

She took her time, reaching down to get her purse. "Carlson. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd mistaken me for one of your inmates."

Grey ordered, "Search them."

Hollister effortlessly hoisted Madeline up onto her feet and had her assume the position. Conway did the same with Jim, checking him for contraband, but Jim kept his eyes on Madeline. The guard handled her more roughly than necessary, though he couldn't say that surprised him. Jim overheard her mumble a remark about how maybe he could buy her dinner first. Hollister snarled in her ear that maybe he could fuck her up a little and soften her ass up. It brought silence.

Both guards came up empty. When he was done, Hollister presented her back to the warden.

Grey seethed out, "What the hell are you doing here with this inmate?"

Madeline's eyeroll went for boredom. "And here I thought that was obvious. I've been sitting here talking to him."

Behind her Hollister dumped out the contents of her purse onto the table. He rooted around, and a satisfied look crossed his face as he lifted up a familiar keycard off the table.

Grey snatched the card from him and held it up to Madeline between his fingers. "Where'd you get this?"

She kept her tone blunt. "It is shocking how many former employees of yours just could not wait to coach me on how to bypass security." She patted her lips. "If you ask me, you're lucky I found this surveillance gap before one of your inmates did."

Grey zeroed in on her and slowly stepped closer, until he moved right up against her. "I'm not in the mood for games, Madeline."

She stared up at him. "Well, that's good. I left my Twister mat back at the office."

Jim felt his head shaking. Weeks ago he couldn't imagine her going to to toe with the warden and the guards. Now, he could see it just fine. Unfortunately, that wasn't good news for either of them.

Grey ignored the comment. He leaned in very close to her. "We're gonna try this one more time. You're going to tell me what you're doing here with this inmate..." He sucked in a sharp intake and barked down in her face, "And you're going to tell me who the hell let you into my prison! I want names, and I want them -now-."

Madeline stayed still as a statue. Apparently, she didn't crack that easy. "I'll tell you the same thing I told you six years ago." Now she was the one leaning in. "Screaming that you want to hear something different doesn't change what the answers are."

The warden's eyes fell to slits and his jaw tightened.

She narrowed her gaze. "So if you're planning to ask me the same questions over and over again, we could all be here for a very long ti-"

Hollister squeezed his hand tight around her upper arm. It took the words out of her mouth. The skin around his fist turned white, but Madeline still fired a glare at him.

Grey growled to himself for a moment and stared off in thought. Jim could almost hear his mind ticking over. He was deciding what to do with her. The way Jim saw it Grey had two options on the table. He could decide she wasn't worth his time and call the brass. Or (and the longer they stood there, the more this one seemed likely) he could set Hollister to work prying more useful information out of her.

Or at least … that was what Jim initially thought.

An ice cold shiver drew a line down his back as the warden's stare moved to meet his. He openly studied Jim, and something clicked into place. Some realization. Grey flicked his eyes away and sent Hollister a pointed look.

It seemed they'd developed their own unspoken language. The guard gave an almost imperceptible nod. Then he yanked Madeline forward by the arm. Conway grabbed Jim and pulled him out the door, right on their heels.

All five of them walked out into the wide hallway. Hollister thrust Madeline out of his grip. Though she stumbled a little, she managed to stay on her feet. In the meantime, he and the warden settled in front of her. Grey looked irate, but also strangely gratified.

Jim's heart rate increased significantly. Something was happening. For some reason... Grey was enjoying this.

She gave him a dirty look, clearly annoyed at being shoved around. "I suppose I should be flattered. I had no idea I was so threatening that you'd need this much muscle to protect you."

Grey took her in and paused for effect. "When they said they caught you on camera, I didn't believe it," he said. "I had to see it for myself."

Jim held back a sigh. So she got confident and cocky… and careless. Unfortunately, he knew the feeling.

The warden continued, "I've had inmates try to break out of my prison. But I have to admit. You're the first one who's been stupid enough to break in."

"I know, can you imagine? Me arrested for breaking into your prison." She lightly pressed her fingertips against her throat. "I mean, how embarrassing. For me."

Madeline was too focused on holding her own with Grey to notice the change in Hollister and Conway's demeanors. They stood on the balls of their feet, tense, on edge. But Jim noticed it. Just as he did every subtle hint, every warning sign that told him this situation was no longer in her control.

"I considered that," Grey said. "Putting you under arrest. I'd see you shipped down the road to our women's facility." He leered at her. "We'd find out if orange is your color."

Madeline laughed dangerously against her closed mouth and rose up. "Do it," she dared him. "I would turn that place … Up. Side. Down."

"We'd take care of that rebellious streak of yours. The block I'd put you on would cure you of that." His voice turned dark and menacing. "Except we both know a prison sentence won't happen. Not with you."

She went still and blinked at his words. She'd been ready for a verbal sparring match, but that wasn't what was happening. She kept her face hard and set. But Jim had gotten to know her over the past months. Even if he hadn't, he knew fear when he saw it.

There was a long, silent pause on Grey's end. "So where does that leave me? I can't alert the authorities, not when you contract with them. Not when you'd just slip your way out of handcuffs." He motioned to her. "And you said yourself, I can't let the media get wind of this. It might be … an embarrassment."

Hollister took a step closer, so he was standing in line with Grey.

A steel band wrapped around Jim's chest and drew tight. And just like that, it awoke that practical, disciplined side to him. The part that watched every move of every person around him, evaluated their abilities, guessed at their intentions, and mapped out defensive and offensive strategies all at once.

Understanding reeled through his mind. Jim was a target in here. That was no secret. But up until this point he hadn't been sure that he'd made it to the top of Grey's hitlist. Now he knew. All Grey lacked before this was opportunity. And here comes Madeline … to unwittingly provide him with one.

Grey didn't like the headline - a brazen psychologist breaks into his prison to provide therapy to an inmate. But Jim was beginning to think the warden had one he liked better. Jim Gordon, a dangerous psychopath, lures Madeline Scott into Blackgate and murders her in cold blood.

The story wrote itself. Later tonight, it would make for a good cautionary tale for the 6' o clock news.

Maybe one of the guards came across Jim just after. He was wild after his kill. With his extensive training in hand-to-hand combat, the guard had no choice but to put him down for his own safety. It wrapped things up in a nice, clean way.

Grey's words and Hollister's movements lulled her into a silence, and some fly-through of good sense made Madeline backpedal. She was starting to piece it together.

She maintained control over her facial expressions, but her complexion still lost color. "You're going to want to think this through, Carlson," she warned him, her voice low and intense. "Think about if you're really prepared to kiss that political career of yours good-bye." She vaguely tossed up her hand at Jim. "All over one little inmate. The police, I.A., the press scrutinizing your every move, putting together what really happened." She glowered at him. "And once they start poking around, we both know there's no end to what they'll find."

"That's always been your weakness. You never could see yourself from the perspective of the people that run this city." Grey's eyes shone with a disturbing glint. "You're a problem. And those in power appreciate it when their problems … go away."

Jim knew what needed to be done if either Hollister or Grey took one more step. The guards had their batons. They were close to twice his size, but he reminded himself that the bigger they are the harder they fall. There was only one gun and it was in the warden's concealed ankle holster. They could shoot him, but they couldn't shoot her. It didn't go with the story. Jim could hold them off until Grey pulled the trigger. It would buy her a few seconds at least. She could make a run for it. Hell, for all he knew, she might even make it. Understanding what needed to be done and knowing he would do it, in its own way, was the strangest, most powerful relief he'd felt in some time.

Somehow Madeline knew to hold steady. So no one would panic. Jim hoped she knew to keep doing it. She sent them a fierce stare. "You think I was a thorn in your side before? Do this, and you'll be cursing my name from a prison cell. Right up until every inmate in here tears your life to shreds."

Grey looked unbothered by her assertions. His eyes found Jim's. "From what I've seen, this city's quick to turn its back on those who pose a problem…" He turned back to Madeline with calm resolve. "I think I'll take my chances."

Grey shot Hollister a glance. It was a look Jim knew all too well. 'Get it done.'

Hollister stepped toward her with clear intent, and Jim felt himself moving.

The door down the hall slammed open with a loud 'BANG', and Jim turned to see Wilson Bishop hurrying toward them. "Warden!" he called.

Grey, Conway, and Hollister all snapped their attention to the new arrival. Jim immediately looked to Madeline. She flinched in place and released a short, shaky breath, but otherwise, she didn't budge. In the time it took Conway and Hollister to turn back to her, she set herself back in stone.

Grey growled out, "What the hell is this, Bishop?"

Wilson did a good job of looking confused, annoyed, and then infuriated by the scene that met him. Then he focused on the matter at hand. Jim's mouth parted open. The man deserved an Oscar. "GCPD detectives are on site, sir," Wilson said. "We tried to hold them off but they barged through with a warrant to search the premises. Something about someone …" His stare fell to Madeline. "Breaching security."

The anger on her face melted into a tight, razor-edged smile. And when Grey turned back, he caught it.

He glared daggers at her. At the same time, Jim heard the faint sound of hard, purposeful footsteps coming closer toward them from behind the closed hallway door. Grey coldly stared down Jim for a long moment.

The warden all but spit at him, "Put this inmate back on his block. Now. I want eyes on him at all times." He looked back at Madeline and said through his teeth, "And get this bitch out my sight."

The guards seized them again and as they led them forward, Grey rasped at her. "You might think you have reach, but you won't always be under the watch of whatever detective you're fucking over at that precinct."

"You're right," she said. "That scene is becoming a little overdone for me." She kept staring forward. "Maybe I'll change things up and head over to City Hall. I could ask a few questions as to why there aren't more cameras in here. Makes me wonder what they might find."

It sounded like a bluff, but it still drew blood. Grey's voice sent a chill up Jim's spine. "You'll regret that, Madeline."

She ignored him and looked to Jim. Now that he was closer to her, he could see how pale her face was. She said softly but with conviction, "I'll see you soon."

Jim shared an uneasy glance with her as they were led off in separate directions.

As Conway dragged him back to F-Wing, he chuckled to himself. "Yeah, sooner than she thinks."