It's been five days since Locus was sent to Solitary.
My throat, though heavily bruised, has healed tremendously from what it was. I now also had full vocalization.
For the past few days, I've been watching the reds. From afar of course, as I remembered my last nasty encounter with them. Getting a read on the schedule that they get in new supplies. It was every other day.
And tonight, was one of those nights.
I frown. I had my key to get out of my cell. But I still lacked a way to get out of the cellblock and to the kitchen.
I poke my spork at my food emptily. I was sitting outside, cool fall breeze hitting my face. As the sun beamed hotly from above. I hear loud bells and clangs. Looking up, I see armed guards running to stand at the other facilities doors. They're letting the solitaries out.
Wait. THEY'RE LETTING THE SOLITARIES OUT!
I jump up from my seat and move to the line of white clad individuals as the guards uncuffed them.
"If we have a repeat of the last time we let you sick fucks out. There will be electro therapy for EVERYONE." Andersmith growls. They all visibly flinch. Except for Locus. Who stood near the back of the line. Staring emptily at the ground.
Andersmith turns seeing me approach, a scowl coming across his face. "Can I help you Black?" I look up. Shaking my head, "Nah. Not unless you've got a hot girl stashed somewhere."
Some of the convicts laugh. Even a couple guards. Andersmiths frown deepens. "Maybe instead of cracking jokes, Black you should focus on something more productive." I smirk. "I dunno about you boss, but give me a lady and I'll be plenty, Productive."
I was joking of course to get a read on his stress level. He wanted me to leave so he could get back to letting the detainees loose. So he could maybe trade shit with O'Malley. He was growing steadily more and more angry.
He goes to say something when a blonde guard with pink highlights clears her throat at him.
"Andersmith. We have a job to do. Quit talking to the inmate." He grumbles and moves to do as told. I smile to myself.
A few minutes later the Solitary convicts were loose.
I ignore all the others. The crazies, the evil ones, the just plain weirdos. Going straight for Locus. I look up at him. His face looked the same;Save for the bags under his eyes. "Vanta." He speaks. I hold his blue eyed gaze for a moment longer before reaching my arms around him to hug him.
He stiffens. But after a moment returns the gesture, almost shakily. "Thank you for what you did for me Lo." I breathe. A few warm seconds later he draws back. "It's no problem. I'd do it again for you." I smile up at him. A moment later a flash of blue took me by surprise and Felix has thrown himself into Locus.
"Sam! Oh my god Sam!" Locus stumbles lightly on impact from the shorter man. Felix monkeying himself to wrap around Locus. "Jesus I've missed you pal." Felix mutters before clambering off the taller man. He clears his throat.
"Eheh sorry. Just Damn, it's good to see you again." Locus holds a face of amusement. "Likewise."
The next thirty minutes to an hour or so I sit kinda off to the side as Felix and Locus Talk. Throwing in my two cents occasionally. I notice Locus looking at me oddly.
Almost missing it, he'd hold my gaze a bit longer. He'd be staring at me. Squinting as if he were trying to solve a puzzle.
I shook it off though. It was just because he's spent so long in isolation. Speaking of Isolation. I'm going to see about talking Andersmith into pulling him out early.
"ALL SOLITARY CONVICTS. LINE UP!" Shouts a guard suddenly. We freeze and look up. "What in the hell. They can't be putting them up this early." Felix whines. I scowl. "Maybe it's because of that thing with Epsilon?" Locus sighs standing. He looked odd in white.
"Perhaps." He mutters. I frown standing as well. "You going to be okay in there Lo?" He nods. Putting a hand on my shoulder. "I'll be fine. Worry about yourself. And who you think your friends are."
I make a face as I hold his gaze. His eyes were screaming something. He casts an anxious glance at Felix. As if he wanted to say something,he couldn't say with him there. But what is it. "What?" I ask.
"I said ALL SOLITARY CONVICTS. YOU TOO ORTEZ!" "Goodbye." Locus grunts walking away. Felix makes a face. "That was fucking weird. Am I right?" He nudges my side with his elbow.
"Yeah. Weird." I breathe.
Felix grips my hand suddenly. "Hey. Black, it'll be alright. I promise you. Don't worry about him." I turn. Felix was giving me his trademark smile. With something new added.
His eyes sparkle with what could be unshed tears. I frown, moving to hug him. He looked like he needed one. "I know Felix. I know he'll be fine. You need to remember that too."
.
.
.
I chew my bottom lip uneasily.
I've got a key, to open my cell. An I know what nights Andersmith trades. But how do I get the guards to let me pass.
I stand carefully and walk up to the guard on duty. A guy named Vic. With this INCREDIBLY annoying voice.
He would be on night watch alone tonight. Perhaps I could offer to pay him somehow.
"Hey. Guard." I speak in a hushed manner as I approach. "Oh hey there. Yes sirery. I'm right here, what can I do ya for?"
Dear god I want to choke him he's so fucking annoying.
"So. What if, hypothetically. An inmate. Such as myself. Needed to discuss some things with a guard."
"Well then, seems like you're doing that now. Pretty easy compadre." I scowl at him. "After hours. And, not in the cells."
He narrows his eyes before they widen in realization. "Oohhh you got one of them, 'secret meetings' to trade for shit am I right? Of course I'm right. Well then, hypothetically, you would just have to give me a little something something, and I can just look the other way." I smile. "Great, so what do you want? Cigarettes?"
He purses his lips. "Blow me."
"Wait- what?"
.
.
.
I wait until around 11:30. Sharkface and Wash were snoring heavily. Felix, I'm hoping was asleep.
I sit up in bed and roll off silently. I'd worn my prison tennis shoes to bed. I grab my cell key from my waist band as I approach the cell door.
"Mmmm Vanta."
I freeze. Not daring to breath as I heard rustling blankets. Everyones breathing was still deep and sound however. I hold still as I here my name mumbled again. Felix, was the one uttering it.
I cock an eyebrow, was he having a wet dream?
Shaking it off I put the key in, turning out with a click, the semi automatic doors open partially. Allowing me to exit.
I see Vic standing crossarmed near the exit door.
"Alright Blacky black. Blackaroo. Let's head into this maintence closet here. Better make it good." I groan inwardly as he takes my forearm and drags me in.
Whining lightly as he pushes me to my knees and unbuckles his pants.
.
.
.
I spit for at least the eighth time. Walking stealthily through the prison, on a bee line for the kitchens. I had only around five minutes before the deal would go down. I hide behind a counter in the kitchens. Eyes slowly adjusting to the dim lighting.
I steady my breathing, just as footsteps enter the room.
Heavy. Loud. Andersmith.
He moves and stands by the door I'd seen him at before. Light illuminating his right side through the door window. Minutes pass. I hear him tap his foot impatiently.
I try and some how quieten my breathing. Memories of other stakes outs I'd done slowly coming back.
Around ten minutes later a softer set enter the room. "Sorry Jones." The second man speaks. I recognize as Donut.
"What the Fuck Donut! You keep me waiting, I'll stop trading." "No no! I'm sorry, really. My night watch was switched, took me some time to convince the guards to let me through."
"Uh huh. Just know that you aren't my only caterer. I still have two more inmates. Then I have to get into solitary." "Alright, alright."
"Uh huh, just get down there." A few seconds pass and I hear a zipper. Followed with some noises that will soon be repressed.
After around 6 or 7 minutes it's over. I peak over the counter and see Andersmith pass over some drugs, magazines, food, and even what looked like sex toys.
Donut takes his leave, leaving the pleased guard to lean against the door a while longer.
I stand, the darkness still concealing me as I speak.
"So you'll sneak marijuana to prisoners, but not me testosterone?" He jumps with a shout of 'Jesus!'
I cross my arms. "But then again, anything to keep me from succeeding and learning that YOU'RE the god damn crook I'm looking for."
He shakes his head taking a step forward."no no no, Vanta. It's not that way." I scoff with a dry laugh. "Oh!? It isn't? Please explain. I'd love to know what you THINK you're doing. Especially with O fucking malley."
He grimaces in the low light.
"Vanta. Ugh, look. I can explain it all. I promise." I uncross my arms, they fly around as i speak. I was a hand talker.
"Really? Because I have one. Cop gone bad. What are they paying you? Huh?! For helping build the bomb? God. I trusted you!"
He moves quickly across the floor. "AND YOU STILL CAN!" He roars in my face. I flinch at his volume, tone and, the spray of spit.
"God. Look I um. I'm trying to get in tight. With the inmates. Get them to depend on me. Then demand they tell me who the ACTUAL person bringing stuff in is. It's a long and complicated plan."
I scowl. He sounded awkward as he spoke. He could be lying. Or, he could just be scared.
"Yeah? If that's true why aren't you reporting in? I know for a fact! That you haven't the director anything!"
He groans. "I use the Prison mail box. The other guy must be taking my mail. He might know who I am."
I narrow my eyes. Feeling guilt settle in my chest. What if I have misaccused Andersmith?
"What about O'Malley?" He shakes his head. "An undercover cop. Deep undercover. He uh-he watches out for the solitary."
I look down. His story, kinda made sense.
More sense then him, as a cop, helping build a bomb.
"Oh."
"Yeah! Oh."
I shuffle my feet. "You gotta admit. You've been acting kinda suspicious." He scoffs. "Sorry. And-how'd you know that thing about the mail?"
I look up, "Um the other cop. Whizz, he's undercover too. He said you haven't been reporting in."
Andersmith narrows his eyes. "Inmate Gerlad Whizz? He's a cop?" I nod. "Yeah, didn't you know?" He pauses, "Uh yeah yeah. I knew, yeah. Sorry."
I make a face. He then pats my lower back. "Well, good work. Really fine detective skills black." I give him a look. Trying to figure whether it was sarcasm or honesty in his voice.
"You said inmate Whizz right?" He asks once more as I move to leave. I turn, hearing almost a dangerous edge to his voice. "Um yeah. Whizz. You should know this." He chuckles awkwardly, "I do, I do. Just checking you didn't say something else."
I narrow my eyes as I leave. Was he lying? Or was he just an awkward man?
.
.
.
When I wake up the next morning, the entire prison is abuzz.
I groan turning over as Felix and Sharkface chat excitedly. "Could y'all keep your voices down?" I grumble. Felix looks up at me. "Sorry."
I make a face,"What are you guys talking about?"
They look at each other unsurely. "They um. This morning, an inmate is missing."
My eyes widen, "What?! Who?"
"Some guy called Whizz. Just over night he disappeared, looks like he picked his cell lock." Sharkface states. I frown. "No no that's gotta be a mistake. Whizz wouldn't pick a lock, in fact. I don't think he even can."
They shrug, turning back to their conversation. I frown and move to the open cell doors. To search for any clue of what is happening. I make my way to his cell. His roomies Sirus and some other dude looking around confusedly.
"Hey. Where's Whizz?" I demand. The men look up at me. Sirus was a Chinese man with black hair. A small scar through his eyebrow. His robot leg pressing against the inner cloth of his pants.
"No clue. He took off sometime in the night." I growl shaking my head, "No he wouldn't do that." Sirus shrugs. "Well, he did. It's not like a guard just nabbed him in the night or something."
I pause. "What did you just say?" He cocks his head, "Um. It's not like a guard took him?"
I narrow my eyes turning around and walking out.
I need to find Whizz. Or Andersmith.
Something tells me if I find one I'll find the other.
.
.
.
I eventually meet up with Felix. We walk together, him having nothing better to do decides to join my search for Whizz.
We're just passing the rec room when he pauses. "Damn." I turn,"What?"
He shakes his head stepping into the rec room. "Cables busted again. The TV ain't on. It's always on."
I make a face and follow after. Entering a mid sized white room with two tables and a couple rows of chairs stacked against the wall. A single window to the right of where a TV was.
I walk up to the TV, momentarily distracted from my search. "Hmmm. Odd. Wait-"
I look to the TV where the cables should be plugged in. They've been cut.
Not even just twisted out, or ripped apart. A clean cut right where they screw in.
"No anyone with a knife and a hatred for cable TV?" I ask. Turning it to show Felix. He moves in. His arm brushing past my chest as he reaches to look at it. I shudder.
"The fuck? I'm going to kick whoever's ass did this. What ever. There's spares in the closet."
He walks away, his warm presence leaving me. "Think you could unscrew those why'll I get replacements?" I nod, "Sure."
The other end of the room, had a door leading to a closet with supplies and stuff for the rec room.
He makes his way toward it as I unscrew the cut pieces.I hear the door swing open, followed by an, "Oh my fuck."
I purse my lips. "What?"
"Felix?"
As I turn my stomach drops.
Whizz, was hanging in the closet. Head limp to his right shoulder, face a pale bluish color. Suspended by his neck with TV cables.
My hands fly to my mouth in shock. Felix immediately moves to me grabbing me and holding me to his chest. Pressing his hands to my head and lower back. "Hey hey hey, it's alright. It's alright Vee."
I don't even realize it, but tears were rolling down my face. I want to embrace Felix back. Revel in his touch. But something catches my eyes. I push him away lightly.
"What happened?" I ask shakily. "He hung himself. Isn't it obvious?" Felix says slowly.
I narrow my eyes looking at Whizzes hands. Bruised, split, and bloody. As if he'd been punching something. Or someone.
Then my eyes move to the white cord around his neck, tying him to the ceiling.
"No he didn't."
Felix puts a hand on my shoulder. "He did Vee. I know you might not want to believe it, but he did." I shake my head. His hands were decently bloody.
"If he did, how come there's blood on his hands, but not on the cord?"
.
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::Author note::
Sorry it's been so long. What do y'all think? The plot thickens.
TELL. ME. WHAT. YOU. THINK.
PLEASE.
Also, votes are as follows
Felix 22
Locus 21
Wash 15
Sharkface 5
Church 5
So vote, please.
Also, don't worry. Locus will soon return.
Toodles