As Greg was taken through the various checkpoints and procedures, he couldn't help but worry yet again if he was doing the right thing. He had deliberately decided to dress down in a T-shirt, faded jeans and baseball cap as he didn't particularly want some over excited prison guard informing the world that Greg Sanders had visited a killer. He felt his nerves growing as he grew ever closer to facing one of the men who had wrecked his life, he didn't know how he was going to react when seeing his one time friend and ultimate betrayer but it shocked even him. As he abruptly came into the room and face to face with Jack, he found he felt absolutely nothing at all. Jack looked so pathetic, so emotionless, a shadow of the man he once knew that that he felt nothing but pity. He sat down slowly into the hard, plastic chair, looking at Jack the whole time through the glass. He picked up the receiver, gripping it hard, watching as Jack did the same.
"I'm glad you came Greg" Jack said by way of simple greeting. "I just had to say sorry" he added pitifully.
Greg let out a snort, before an incredulous look glazed over his face and he laughed bitterly. Jack looked confused. "What's wrong?"
"It's just I thought you said you were sorry?" Greg questioned for clarification.
"I did, very sorry" Jack confirmed somewhat feebly, hanging his head.
Greg let out another small chuckle before his face hardened. "You see 'sorry' is something you might say if you accidently bump into someone in the street, or sorry you forgot to call your date on time or I'm sorry I forgot your birthday" Greg knew his voice was dangerously loud and a few people around him were starting to look on in concern but he didn't care. He could feel tears beginning to prick the back of his eyes as he became more emotional. "but I'm sorry my freaking psychopath of a boyfriend kidnapped and tortured you? You say don't say sorry for that, in fact Jack, sorry doesn't even begin to cut it. Nick was right" He said in disgust "I should never have come."
He got up to leave but Jack begged him to stay "Please Greg don't go, just hear me out!" He pleaded. Greg looked back at his pathetic, pleading face and decided he would hear him out, it was going to be the last time he ever saw him.
"I know that nothing I can say will ever be enough, and I am paying for my crimes with my life but I just had to tell you Greg that I never ever meant to hurt anyone especially you"
"So why did you?" Greg almost cried "Why did you agree to his plans to take me? WHY DID YOU LET HIM DO THOSE THINGS TO ME?" Greg screamed, distressed.
Jack looked totally distraught and ashamed "It was never supposed to be this way" He said rocking back on his chair "He lied to me, I was so so naive"
"I nearly died though Jack! That sick son of a bitch, assaulted me over and over again and then left me to die! What was supposed to happen? You collected a nice little ransom sum and I was returned unharmed? You're right Jack, you are naive" Greg said, disgusted.
"He told me he loved me!" Jack cried out, desperate now " He said we would just get cash for any CSI, he never ever even mentioned anything about you!"
"Yet you still went along with it though didn't you Jack? Even when he finally told you his sick little plans!" Greg spat out.
"No, No it wasn't like that all!" Jack attempted to protest. "He NEVER told me exactly what he planned, god Greg if I knew he was going to do those awful things, If I'd known he was going to ra.." Jack began to shake violently and looked ill.
"Go on Jack, you can say it, you let it happen after all!" Greg lashed out angrily.
"No Greg you have to believe me" Jack said in absolute despair now. " If I'd known what a monster he was, I would have killed him myself, I wouldn't have let him near you or anyone"
"But you didn't" Greg said, tears now streaking down his face, "Instead you killed for him, you killed two innocent people and your actions almost killed me. What happened to you?" Greg implored, searching for reason in Jack's eyes. He was sobbing openly now, he didn't care. "Why would you do that man I thought we were friends?"
"I can't explain it Greg, he had a hold on me that I just couldn't ignore. I know I was a fool and I know that I deserve to die"
Greg couldn't argue with that. "So is that it? That's all you wanted me here for, just to say you were sorry?"
"No Greg, I need your forgiveness, I need you to forgive me"
"That is a joke right Jack? You want me to forgive you, seriously?"
"Yes, I deserve to be punished for my sins but I must beg your forgiveness first"
It quickly occurred to Greg that Jack was deadly serious. He never had him down as the god fearing religious type, it was suddenly clear he never knew Jack at all in reality.
"You're going straight to hell Jack, I for one hope you burn" Greg sneered, his hatred for this pitful man full blooded now.
Jack looked completely broken "All I am guilty of is falling in love with the wrong person"
"You really believe that don't you? I can't even feel sorry for you, you're so pathetic, we are done" Greg slammed the phone down. Jack didn't take it too well, screaming for Greg to come back. Greg carried on walking, he could hear him screaming as the prison guards tried to haul him away. Suddenly he heard him clearly, chilled at what though he heard. "Stop!" he shouted at the guards "Let me hear what he said, please" The guards allowed one last conversation. Greg picked up the phone again "What did you say?"
Jack no longer looked weak just determined and unhinged. "I said. Watch. Your. Back"
"I thought so" Greg replied angrily "Is that supposed to be a threat?"
"Consider it a friendly warning"
"About what? " Greg was furious how dare he make threats as his dying words!
"Put it this way there are a lot of people out there unhappy that HE is dead, I'm just telling you to be careful, this might not be over yet"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Greg said clearly rattled.
Jack smirked mysteriously "Bye Greg. I would like to go back to my cell now and enjoy my last few hours with my favourite TV show please" He requested to his guards, hanging up the phone.
"No Jack! You can't do this to me, What does that mean you son of a bitch!" Greg pounded on the glass angrily.
But Jack never looked back, it was the last Greg was to see of him.
"Dammit" He cursed bitterly. The supervising officer looked at him sympathetically. "I wouldn't worry too much, he's an absolute fruitloop, he's ranted and raved since the day he got here"
"But he said it wasn't over" Greg said desperately "what the hell does that mean? Haven't I already gone through enough?"
"Like I said don't worry, the majority of psychos here end up making some kind of empty threats, they're not mentally stable, they don't know what they're talking about half the time" He said kindly as he guided Greg out. "Don't you let that freak stop you living your life"
"I won't" Greg said, although there was no denying it had badly shook him up, he hadn't got his answers, in Jack's own mind he didn't know why he had done the things he did, there was absolutely no trace of the Jack he once knew, the shy sweet guy who trusted his secrets to you, he was gone replaced by a man who became a monster. The visit had been nothing short of a disaster. He tried to put what Jack had said to the back of his mind but it was impossible. It was probable that Jack was making empty threats like the officer said, but a nagging doubt knawed at him that there was something more to it. He doubted his day could get any worse but he was hideously wrong, as he left the sanctuary of the prison gates, his eyes were suddenly assaulted by a flashbulb and a barrage of questions fired at him.
He shielded his eyes from the cameras going off in his face, pulling his cap further across his face, and walking quickly to the car park. The press was jus what he did not need.
"Greg, Greg is it true, did you go visit a killer?"
"Greg how does it feel to be the only person who survived an attack by the most notorious of serial killers?" One paticularly bolshy female bellowed in his face.
"Greg is it actually true that Robins was Paul's lover?"
Greg muttered " I'm sorry I'm not making a comment" , his eyes completely downcast as he quickened his pace.
It didn't seem to deter the vultures of the press, who continued to press their microphones and recorders in his face, luckily the prison guards came to his rescue, shielding him from the persistant reporters and guiding him to the car park away from the frenzied questioning of the press. Greg was extremely grateful for their intervention, he just wanted to get home. He thanked the guards for their assistance and jogged to his car, anxious to leave. He sank into the seat and pulled off his baseball cap. He glanced in the mirror to check his appearance and nearly jumped out his skin at what he saw on the back seat.
"So Greg do I get the exclusive again?" His unexpected passenger purred at him.
"Jesus Talia!" Greg exclaimed angrily "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? How the hell did you get in my car?"
"You left it unlocked" Talia said simply, shrugging.
Greg didn't want to believe he could be so careless but he had a horrible feeling he was so stressed out about seeing Jack that he could quite well have done so, had he even unlocked it now or had he hopped straight in?
"How did you even know I would be here Talia? Who invited the fanfare?"
"Greg you should know by now that we have our sources, it only took one person to open their big fat mouth and wallah! Every newshound in the area was down here, you have to realise Greg this is one of the biggest stories in Las Vegas in years" Talia explained patiently.
Greg glared at her in the mirror, extremely peeved. He should have known better than to trust the prison assurances that his visit would be wholly off the radar. Talia was right, the story of the serial killer, his accomplice lover and the CSI victim was a huge news story. Paul Simmonds had been a notorious killer in other states for years before this story, and to the press, the attempted murder of Greg and the story that came with it was just the cherry on the top of a rather juicy headline grabber anyway.
The media attention had been Greg's biggest struggle throughout his recovery, they had been interested in every aspect of his life, printing stories with everyone from his neighbour to his local pizza delivery guy. It had been too much for Greg to cope with, there were so many rumours flying around about what had happened, so many slurs and inaccuracies that with the support of the lab, Greg had finally told his side of the story. Talia Ramirez had been used in the past by the lab for official stories, she was a freelance journalist with an excellent reputation and had produced several acclaimed articles on some of Vegas' most well known residents. After agreeing to talk to Talia, Greg had been surprised when he met her, she wasn't a hardnosed journalist who wanted a story at all costs, she was actually quite beautiful, extremely understanding and sympathetic and he found her to be quite a comfort as they worked together on his story.
He had found himself telling Talia everything, and she had listened to his every word, and was there for him as he had recalled his darkest moments, unable to stop himself breaking down. Talia had kept to her word about what to include in the article, it wasn't completely warts and all, every word had been agreed with Greg and although it was at times harrowing, it was the best article he could have hoped for, it had seemed to satisfy the press, the story reproduced in every paper and magazine. For three months he had been the most famous man in Vegas but eventually they had grown bored and his story had been forgotton in favour of some sex scandal about a famous singer, that was until today. He certainly didn't want it raked up again.
"You have to know Greg that something like this would stir up interest, what were you thinking?"
Talia questioned
"Talia, I have nothing to say!" Greg snapped "Now please get out of my car"
Talia immediately did so but paused at Greg's window. " What's going on Greg? What did you hope to achieve?" She seemed genuinely concerned for him. "You've probably just opened a hornets nest again" She shook her head disbelievingly. "Please call me if you need me"
"Okay" Greg agreed, even though they both knew he wouldn't. He watched her sashay away, before slumping against the steering wheel in despair. In visiting Robins, had he just made one of the worst decisions of his life?