Chapter 3

"You have a visitor," a voice said, "get up and get moving!"

Sleepily Kai opened one eye and blinked at the man standing over him. "Who the fuck …"

"Get up and get moving!"

"Yeah, I heard you very well," Kai retorted snippy and closed his eye again.

Angrily the man grabbed him by the shoulder to lift him up. He didn't expect any resistance since Kai was still very drowsy, but he was wrong. In a split-second Kai rolled, as much as on the small bed possible, to the side, gripped the hand that was holding him and pulled the owner down, so that the man was now lying half on the bed. With both hands he pressed the struggling person down.

"Grishin, right?" Kai asked rhetorically and bent down to whisper in the prison officer's ear, "rule number one: When you have to come into my cell and wake me up, do it nicely with a cheerful 'Good morning', understood?"

The warden stopped struggling when he felt one of the hands wandering down his back. It stopped on his ass, patted it a few times and then both hands were gone. Confused Grishin got to his feet and stared down at the boy on the bed, who was sizing him up from head to toe and back again.

"And rule number two?" he asked emotionless.

Instead of an answer Kai said, "At least XL, right?" He got up as well and walked over to the prison officer, who was still watching him blankly. Just centimeters before the over one head taller man he paused and with a smirk on his lips he said tempting, "We could have a lot of fun together."

Not backing down Grishin replied seemingly unaffected, "Your visitor is waiting. Turn around, hands on your back."

Kai looked him in the eyes a little longer before he obeyed the command, satisfied as it seemed.

"Who the fuck is visiting me anyway?"

Without an answer he was led outside his cell, along the corridor up to the prison visiting area. At least Kai thought it was the prison visiting area, since it was the first time that somebody visited him, so he wasn't sure. He was guided into an old office with nothing more than a table and two chairs in it. A man sat on one of the chairs, looking impatiently at the two incoming people.

"About time," he growled. "Open the handcuffs and wait outside the room," he told the prison officer.

"Sir, I'm not allowed to remove the handcuffs anywhere outside the prisoner's area," Grishin replied soberly.

"Fine, just go."

Kai watched the dispute without interest. When the warden was gone, he sat down on the free chair. "Good morning, Officer Jackson. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"Cut the crap, Kai. I'm not in the mood of your little mind games."

"I see. You look like shit, Officer. So, what do you want?"

Officer Jackson was the official Kai had insulted and in a way the reason that he officially was in prison now. He was a member of Interpol and unfortunately had made it his goal to convict Kai. The prosecution brought him to Moscow, where he met Kai unexpectedly on the first evening. He was leaning against the car door from the car that the Russian police had thankworthy provided Jackson with. Said car was now cruelly disfigured. Grinning and with the aerosol can still in one hand Kai walked over to the Interpol agent, but at this very moment a local police car drove by. The outcome: one year in prison, though it was most unlikely that he would have to serve the full sentence.

"You have used me and I want to know for what," Jackson said, who had long ago stopped to set Kai straight that he wasn't an officer.

"I don't understand what you mean." Kai played dumb.

"You know exactly what I mean." The sharp reply came immediately.

"You know that I won't tell you anything, so why are you really here?"

Jackson waited a moment before he answered, "It's over."

Kai waited for an explanation. After some more moments the man continued. "My superior abolished the funds for my work. He says that now that you are in prison it's dissipation of money to prosecute you."

"Sounds reasonable," Kai replied.

"But I know that you have a bigger skeleton in your closet," Jackson said grimly.

"Then prove it."

"I will. And, you will spend the rest of your life in prison. This, I promise you."

"Are you finished?" Kai asked bored.

"No!"

"What else?"

Jackson stood up and started pacing in the little office. After a while, he stopped abruptly and with a furious sparkle in his eyes he turned to Kai again. "Because of you I have lost everything!"

Kai was still sitting calmly on his chairs, watching him from the corner of his eyes. If at all he was amused. "Explain."

"Expla–… Well." Jackson started pacing again. "My wife, my home, just everything." The man from Interpol took a deep breath and continued a bit calmer. "After your arrest I flew back home. Finally, after so many months flying around the world, chasing after you. I just wanted to embrace my wife and spending some relaxing time in my garden, but when I opened the door of my house it … everything … She had another man. No hug, no kiss, not even a 'welcome home'. All she gave me were the application for a divorce and the rest of my clothes, already stored in a suitcase."

"And that's my fault?" Kai said while standing up. "But you know as well as I do that this isn't true." Kai walked up to the angry man who stopped once again to look at him. "You still have me," he added grinning.

"Didn't you just listen?! My superior ordered me back! If I hadn't so much overtime I wouldn't be here. I would be in an office in New York, working on whatever case they pass on me or even more likely doing paperwork!" The furious sparkle in the man's eyes was back.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Kai asked standing before the man. 'Why should I care?'

"I don't know," Jackson, who calmed down by the reassuring tone of Kai's voice, answered honestly.

"Hm. I know." Kai lowered his voice to a mere whisper, so that the man had to bend down a bit to hear what he was saying. "You've not only lost your wife and your home, but also your friends. There's nobody you can talk to. Pathetic, isn't it?"

Jackson swallowed audibly. Kai was right; he had lost all his friends. Without thinking he pulled Kai into an embrace. "Just don't leave me", he mumbled, "promise me." Kai, with his hands still tied behind his back, stood rigid. For several minutes Jackson clutched at the teenager like a drowning person would at a lifesaver. A single tear fell from the man's left eye onto Kai's cheek where it went down to his chin. "I should go now," Jackson said calmly. When Kai didn't reply, he stepped back and gave him a once-over. "You seem fine, although you lost some weight." With that Interpol agent turned around and went towards the door.

"You are really weird, you know." Kai waited until the man paused and continued, "On one moment you want me to rot away in a cell and in the next one you hold on to me like I'm your lifesaver."

"Maybe you are both; my doom and my salvation," the agent said without turning around. The sound of the door opening and closing signaled Kai that he was alone.

Grishin, who had impatiently waited outside the whole time, entered a moment later with a grin which implied that he had heard most of the conversation. But he said nothing and that alarmed Kai more than the most offensive comment. They locked eyes for a brief moment before the prison officer guided Kai wordlessly back to his cell.

Released from the handcuffs Kai turned to the man who scrutinized him blatantly. "The others have warned me about you, but all I can see is a little boy with a loose tongue and an exceptionally large vocabulary on vulgar phrases."

"Nice. By the way, I'm Kai. I don't like it when people call me 'boy'," Kai retorted in a conversational tone. "And you?"

"What me?"

"Your name, dumbass," Kai explained.

"Never call me that again, understood," the warden replied angrily.

"Then tell me your name, honey." Kai couldn't suppress a smirk.

"Never," the man began again, but then the penny dropped and he said, "I'm Jegor Grishin, the replacement for Kozlov."

"Poor Kozlov. He wasn't man enough to do the job here. Well, since you seem half as old as him you should have enough energy to suit my needs." Kai looked Grishin in the face, who wasn't even half amused as himself.

"I'm 24," the prison officer deadpanned.

"You look younger." Kai walked over to his bed and dropped down on it. "Are you going to stare at me the rest of your shift?"

"No."

"Holy shit!" Kai uttered and to add to the picture he facepalmed. "Stop pretending to be unaffected."

"I don't pretend."

"You do. Like the majority in this prison. And, I don't like this. Haven't your dear colleagues who warned you about me gave you some tips how to handle me? I bet they gave you a lot, but nobody said you should just be yourself." Kai leapt up to his feet and with two steps he stood in front of the prison officer who still watched him with an emotionless stare. To whisper in his ear he had to stand on tiptoe, but this didn't take the intensity off his next words. "Show me your true self." After that, he stepped back and continued in his conversional tone, "Do you want to know why the people pretend so much?"

After a moment of silence Grishin asked, "Why?"

"Because they think they are weak. Okay, most of them are weak, but pretending only increases their weakness. You don't want me to see you as a weak person, do you?"

"No."

"Then be true to yourself. Come back when you are ready." With this Kai laid down on the bed, grabbed the book from Imre Kertész and started reading. He ignored the warden who was still standing in his cell, watching him with a straight face until he finally walked off. Five minutes later the man came back with a cushioned chair and his lunch. He positioned the chair in a way he could monitor Kai, who, with a frustrated sigh, stopped reading and sat up.

"Don't mind me," Grishin said and took a bite of his sandwich. He chewed thoroughly before he swallowed. Kai waited patiently, but instead of saying more the prison officer just took another bite.

"I can't concentrate on the book when you watch me like I'm your favorite TV series. "

"You don't like it?" Before Kai could answer on this Grishin added, "What are you reading?"

"'Fatelessness' by Imre Kertész," Kai replied to the second question. "And I don't mind being watched under certain conditions, but these conditions aren't given at this moment."

"Your choice of books is interesting. I thought you would be more the type who, well …"

"Doesn't read at all," Kai completed the sentence. "I read to distract myself. And, right now I need something to distract me or someone else," he finished more seductively.

Grishin chewed on the last piece of his sandwich and swallowed it. After that, he stretched his arms and legs out to relax them a bit and sighed loudly. "What do you suggest?"

"Two options," Kai replied playfully, "first: you leave and let me read, second: you stay and devour me, but not just with your eyes. I vote for the second."

"What do we do when I vote for the first?"

"I relent, you leave and I can read," was the prompt reply.

"So, you are always the winner," Grishin concluded. "Isn't that a bit unfair?" he asked with feigning indignation.

"Don't tell me you are a bad loser," Kai deferred to the game.

"What if yes?"

"Hm. I might give in to the temptation to console you."

"Well, I'm a very bad loser, but since I also vote for the second it doesn't matter," Grishin said, smirking devilishly. The effect of his statement was hardly visible, only the expression in the crimson eyes changed from playful to lustful. These eyes seemed to look right through everything and the first doubts arose in the prison officer: this wasn't a game, this was real. "Play with fire and you'll get burned", Kozlov said to him this morning and here he was about to get scorched.

Kai stood up from the bed and approached the man slowly, never taking his gaze off of him. The warden stood up as well, returned the look firmly. One step away Kai paused, a smirk tugged on the corner of his mouth. His eyes wandered down the broad shoulders along the muscular abdomen to the man's crotch. The chat hadn't left the officer unaffected.

"I want to see," Kai said determined, his eyes still on the bulge in the warden's pants.

"What?"

Kai's gaze went back to the prison officer's face. "I want to examine the goods before I take them."

For a moment they just stared at each other. Not breaking the eye contact Grishin unbuckled his belt and with a swift movement he pulled down his pants and underwear. "Pleased?" he managed to say calmly, betraying his inner turmoil.

Kai's eyes stuck to the semi-aroused cock. He got down on his haunches to have a better view, but he made no move to touch it, although he couldn't suppress to lick his lips in anticipation. Grishin became restless; the intensive examination aroused him, even though no physical contact took place. He didn't want to believe that something this trivial could make him hard.

"Are you finished?" His voice sounded hoarse.

"Hm," was all he got as an answer. While Kai stood up the prison officer pulled up his clothes.

"Is this all you have to say?" Grishin asked irritated.

"A visitor is coming," Kai replied emotionless and looked to the door.

"Who?" Grishin asked further while he adjusted his uniform. As soon as the question was out somebody knocked at the door and opened it. A man in his mid-forties entered.

"Sir, you are awaited in the conference room. There is an extraordinary session you have to attend. The order is from the prison warden and he didn't seem delighted about your absence. You should hurry," the man said in one spate of words to the officer, whose face told Kai that he knew about this meeting and had simply forgotten it.

"I'll be coming," Grishin answered the man, who was already leaving. Before he followed out, the prison officer bent down to whisper something in Kai's ear. After that, he exited the cell and locked the door.

Left alone Kai picked up his book and started to read again. Now he had two things from which he needed distraction.

The hours passed by and nothing particular happened. Kai was locked up in his cell the whole time and when the night shift began nobody came to open the door. It almost seemed like they had forgotten him. Finally, at 7 pm Golov came and opened his cell. "Sorry Kai," he began, "the meeting took longer than expected."

Kai was on the ground doing pushups. He didn't stop when the warden entered and kept on working out while he replied to the man, "No prob. I'm going to take a shower."

"Okay," Golov hesitated for a moment, "aren't you hungry. I can bring you something from our canteen as a sort of compensation."

"Hm." Kai changed from his pushups into a handstand and with a graceful backflip he leapt up to his feet. "If you pay."

"Of course, it's my treat," Golov said gleefully and left the cell.

'I wonder what they had to talk about,' Kai thought while he went to the showers. 'They spent half a day at this fucking meeting.'

"Oi Kai!" somebody shouted behind him. "Going to take a shower?"

Kai turned around, but didn't stop walking and called back, "Wanna join me?" It was Oleg and from his beaming face Kai could tell that he had some thrilling news that he wanted to share at all costs.

"Sure, Shorty."

After a short sprint, the man had outrun Kai and together they stepped into the shower room. Four other inmates were there, but since they put their clothes back on it was obvious that they had already finished and should be leaving in no time. This was why Kai liked to take a shower at this time. Most of the inmates showered after their work or after dinner.

"Spit it out!" Kai said while they undressed.

"What do you mean?" Oleg replied.

"Don't play dumb. I'm not in the mood of this shit today," Kai retorted harsher as intended.

"Hey, why so sullen?"

"As from today Grishin has the day shift in my section," Kai began to explain, but before he could continue Oleg completed for him.

"And somebody or something interrupted your fun before the action even started. Poor boy, never get laid." Oleg chuckled, though he added more serious. "I guess the culprit was a meeting, am I right?"

Kai turned on the hot water and let it run over his muscles, which were sore from his workout earlier. Oleg followed him suit and since Kai didn't say anything he continued, "Rumors, and I point out that these are just rumors, according to these rumors this prison will shut down next year."

"They are shy of money," was all Kai said. Nothing in his body language or tone indicated that this news concerned him in any way.

"You don't care?"

"Next year I won't be here anymore."

"Shit, forgot about that," Oleg replied. "Anyway, this is just a rumor. Not a rumor but reality, it's now official that our dear Shutcall will be back tomorrow."

Now Kai pricked up his ears. "Do you know more?"

"He will be released from solitary confinement at 2 pm. Why so curious?"

"I want to meet him," Kai answered tersely, but earnestly.

"And the reason is none of my business. I got it, Shorty. Don't be surprised when he's not the man you might expect," Oleg said vaguely.

Kai turned off his shower, grabbed his towel and started to dry himself. Oleg watched him with curiosity, still waiting for a reply. When Kai finished drying, he put on his clothes and started to leave. "See you tomorrow," he called back over his shoulder.

Somewhat perplexed Oleg called back. "Hey, where are you going?! No rooting, no blow job, not even the slightest bit dirty talk, you can't leave like this!"

"As you can see, I can." And with this Kai was gone.