7. Chapter 7

7

“ Y ou’re under Sebastian’s protection?” Captain said, slowly. Carefully. Each word dripped with scepticism, but Rory ignored his tone and nodded.

“That’s right.”

“And you don’t have to bring him drugs?”

“No.”

Captain narrowed his eyes. “He hasn’t tried anything inappropriate?”

“No, I swear. He wants a good night’s sleep, that’s all.”

“And he thinks one appointment with the therapist will magically change that?”

“I don’t think it could make it much worse.”

“Fine.” Captain huffed. He got to his feet, shot a menacing look at Pauly across the room, then spoke over his shoulder to Rory. “I’ll sort it.”

The pull of Sebastian’s stare made Rory look his way. He raised his eyebrow questioningly, and Rory nodded. Sebastian smiled and gave him the thumbs-up. Rory’s stomach fluttered. It was nice not being faced with Sebastian’s sneer or smirk for once, but with a smile that looked genuine.

Ollie walked across the room, hugging himself. His face was pale, and his eyes were darting around.

“What’s happened?”

Ollie sunk down in the chair next to Rory but didn’t speak.

“Talk to me.” Rory nudged him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay… At the moment, I’m okay.”

“Has someone threatened you? Has Teddy—”

“No, he’s not hurt me.”

Ollie’s gaze snapped to his cell, and he mumbled something Rory didn’t quite catch.

“What?”

“Maggots,” Ollie repeated.

“Maggots? In the food?”

Ollie shook his head. “In my cell.”

Rory shuddered. “Get rid of them.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Ollie leaned closer. “I think they’re Teddy’s pets.”

“Pet maggots,” Rory murmured, then he snorted.

“It’s not funny, I’m serious. He showed me them last night, by the window, a load of them. There was a big smile on Teddy’s face when he picked one up and put it in his palm. He tried to make me hold one, and I screamed.”

Rory raised his eyebrows. “That high-pitched scream, was you?”

“Arsehole.” Ollie shoved him. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Don’t go putting them in your arsehole for a start.”

“I hate you.”

“Look, they’re only maggots, and they’re by the window, right?”

“Even so, I couldn’t sleep last night, convinced I was going to get eaten by them. I swear, I could hear them moving around in their pot. I can’t—I can’t stay in there.”

“It’s simple, really… You give Teddy an ultimatum.”

“Yeah?”

Rory bit his lip to stop himself from laughing, took a second to compose himself, then spoke closer to Ollie’s ear.

“You tell him, Teddy, it’s me or the maggots.”

Ollie glared at him, and Rory couldn’t help but laugh. His side pinched, but it didn’t matter. Other inmates were looking, but he didn’t care. He felt lighter than he had in weeks.

Ollie’s lips twitched into a smile. “It’s not funny.”

“Kind of is,” Rory said, wiping his eyes.

“I genuinely don’t know what to do, and you’re being an arse.”

“If you can’t live with them, get rid of them.”

Ollie shuddered, then pretended to retch. “I can’t touch them…”

“Well, I’m not doing it. I’m still recovering, and I don’t fancy getting pummelled by Teddy.”

“Shit,” Ollie hissed, then he paused. “I guess I could tell one of the officers, get them to remove them.”

“You could.”

Ollie pushed off from the table. “Right.”

Rory chuckled under his breath and went back to reading his battered copy of The Fellowship of the Ring he’d got from the library. He stopped when he saw a shadow on the table, someone looming behind him.

“I like your smile.”

It was Sebastian’s deep voice. Rory shivered. He didn’t know what to say in reply, and by the time he thought of something, a substandard ‘thanks’, Sebastian had gone.

Captain sat down at the table with a sigh. His white T-shirt was damp from sweat, and he was breathing hard.

Rory closed his book, then lifted his eyebrow. “You all right?”

“Fine.”

“Want me to get you some water?”

“No, I don’t want water.”

Rory frowned. He was bright red, panting harshly, and sweating in buckets. He definitely needed a drink.

Rory went to stand, but Captain slammed his fist on the table. Everyone close by looked over, including Sebastian, who stood up slowly and fixed Captain with a stern glare.

Captain ignored him. He ignored everyone.

“I said I don’t want a drink right now.”

“Okay.” Rory swallowed his unease. “I’m sorry.”

Captain mopped his brow with his T-shirt. “I’ve been in the gym lifting weights.”

“I gathered. Did—did you make an appointment with the—”

“Yeah, hence the exhausting workout.”

“Why are you punishing yourself?”

Captain closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’ve got to prove I’m not weak.”

“Asking for help isn’t weak.”

“I didn’t ask for help. I asked for an appointment with a shrink, that’s all, one appointment, to prove it won’t help.”

Sebastian cleared his throat, and they both looked up at him. A man stood beside him with the same haunted look Captain had. His head was shaved, and on one of his overworked biceps, he had a tattoo of a lion sitting on a crown.

Sebastian introduced him. “This is Sergeant Zeke Chambers. He served two years in Afghanistan. Lost his leg to a bomb blast.”

Zeke grinned, then patted the knee of his jeans. Rory assumed the one he touched was his injured leg, and Zeke confirmed so when he said, “I’ve nailed down a natural stride though, best prosthetic money can buy.”

Zeke stepped forward and held out his hand. Captain shook it and got to his feet.

“How long are you in here for?” Captain asked.

For the first time since knowing him, Rory heard excitement in Captain’s voice. He even smiled, a proper smile that lifted his dull eyes.

“I’ve got eighteen months left,” Zeke said. “Want to get some water?”

Captain nodded. “Sure.”

Rory smiled at Sebastian. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

He sat down in the seat Captain had been in, then grimaced and shifted to the one beside it. “Sweaty. How are you today?”

Rory raised his shoulders. “Other than being bored.”

“Bored?” Sebastian eyed the book. “How can you be bored? It’s a great book, they all are.”

“Finally,” Rory exhaled. “Something we agree on. It is great, but I’ve read it before… I’ve read it several times before.”

Sebastian snorted. “I can help you with the boredom if you’d like.”

“I’m not playing cards with you again.”

Sebastian snorted. “Fine. How about chess?”

“Chess?”

“That’s what I said. You any good at chess?”

Rory shook his head. “No.”

“Neither am I…”

He waved Einstein and Vince over. Einstein had a chessboard in his hands, and he placed it on the table with a chuckle.

“Here we go…” he mumbled.

“I’m supposed to believe you’re awful at chess?” Rory muttered.

Vince laughed. “He is, really awful.”

Einstein sighed. “I tried to teach him, but he’s hopeless.”

“I’m not buying it,” Rory muttered.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “You’re bored, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So let’s have a few games.”

Rory sighed through his nose. “Fine.”

They played chess.

Rory played badly, but Sebastian played even worse. It was three games to Rory when Einstein cleared his throat to get Rory’s attention.

“This is the perfect way to win back your phone cards.”

Rory lifted his eyebrow. “Yeah?”

Vince nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, you’re wiping the floor with him.”

“I haven’t got anything to gamble with.”

Sebastian pursed his lips. “I’ll tell you what, you win, you get six phone cards. I win…and I get a back rub.”

Rory leaned back in his chair. “You want a backrub?”

“Hell, yes.”

Einstein shook his head. “Don’t worry, boy, no chance of that. He’s awful at chess.”

“Yeah?”

Vince smiled. “You’ve got this, Roar.”

Sebastian stuck his hand out across the table. “Deal?”

“Deal,” Rory said, shaking on it.

As soon as they shook hands, Vince burst out laughing and Einstein muttered ‘stupid’ under his breath.

Sebastian looked at his friends. “As I said, he’s got a pretty face, but there’s not much going on between his ears.”

“What?” Rory said.

Vince gave Rory a pitiful look. “He’s the best chess player in here. No one will play him anymore.”

Sebastian winked. “I think you knew it; you just want to touch me up.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You can start on my shoulders, maybe my thighs too.” His eyes glinted, and he gave Rory a confident smile. “I’m already looking forward to it…”

Vince hastily set up the board, and Sebastian gestured for Rory to take the first move. He moved his pawn, and the game began.

Rory had played the naive guy perfectly, and Sebastian fell straight into his trap. The smirks and snorts from Vince and Einstein lessened, then stopped altogether.

Sebastian clutched his chin before each move, and his brow folded with more intense lines each time they went back and forth. Their game got a crowd, and a few officers stood close enough to watch.

Ollie came over at some point but lost interest and disappeared with Teddy. The match lasted an hour, then Sebastian stood up abruptly, tilted his head at Rory and admitted his defeat.

Rory held out his palm for the phone cards, and Sebastian slapped them down. He counted them, then handed three to Vince and three to Einstein. They gawped at Rory in surprise.

Sebastian stepped away from the table, clutched his head, then rushed back and sat down. “Rematch?”

“Tomorrow,” Rory agreed.

They both jumped at the yell. Sebastian turned around lightning fast to see where the commotion was coming from. Officers went into Ollie and Teddy’s cell, and when they came out, they were dragging a thrashing and growling Teddy.

“Calm it, Teddy,” Sebastian shouted, but it had no effect.

In his current state, he was unreachable—spitting and flinging his head side to side. He struggled like a wild animal, and the three officers trying to get him under control had no chance.

Teddy broke free and shoved one of the officers over. The alarm started to howl, and officers demanded everyone return to their cells. Teddy raised his hands, ready to fight the officers. His eyes were crazed, and he wanted blood. He swung his fist and caught the closest officer in the chest. He went down and didn’t get back up.

“Jesus, Teddy!” Sebastian yelled.

Rory spotted Ollie pressed against the opposite wall inside the cell, wide-eyed with his lip wobbling. Rory took a step towards him, intention clear, but Sebastian grabbed him around the waist and held him still.

Sebastian spoke in Rory’s ear. “Don’t get involved.”

“But—”

“No buts,” Sebastian said firmly.

The rest of the inmates were slow to return to their cells, clearly wanting to watch as Teddy took on the officers.

Four of them lined up, and one lay on the ground.

Their batons were out and ready for Teddy’s next attack.

He swung another punch, and the officers backed off fast.

Sebastian pulled Rory behind himself.

“Stay right there.”

His voice nailed Rory’s feet to the ground.

Sebastian strolled forward with his arm out and his hand raised towards Teddy in a stop motion. The officers made a space for Sebastian to pass through, and he walked straight up to Teddy. He craned his neck forward, spoke close to Teddy’s ear, then suddenly Teddy slumped, as if he were a puppet and his strings had been cut. His arms sagged at his sides, and he lowered his head.

Sebastian retreated, then the officers launched at Teddy. He didn’t fight them. He let them throw him to the ground.

“Come on,” Sebastian said, giving Rory an encouraging push. “Back to the cell.”

Rory hopped onto his bed as soon as they got inside, but he didn’t curl in a ball or press himself to the wall. He sat with his legs hanging down.

“So, you’re a chess genius?” Sebastian muttered.

“What?”

“You’re good at chess.”

“Oh.” He blinked. “Yeah, and believe it or not, I’m not an idiot.”

Sebastian smirked. “I didn’t say you were. Who taught you to play?”

Rory bit his lip, then mumbled, “My grandad at first, then my dad.”

“I hate to admit it, but you’re good. Really good.”

“I beat your sorry arse.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows shot up, and Rory thought he’d crossed a line, but then an amused rumble escaped Sebastian’s lips. “You did this time, but next time…”

“I’ll beat you again.”

“I like your confidence.”

Rory listened to the shouts and clunks of gates. “What are they doing with Teddy?”

“They’ll take him to the segregation unit. I swear he’s spent more time there over the years than in the wing.”

“What did you say to calm him down?”

Sebastian hummed, then looked up. “I told him he was terrifying Ollie.”

“And that stopped him?”

“Sure did. Teddy, he’s complicated. I don’t know what happened to set him off, but he soon stopped when I told him Ollie was scared.”

Rory swallowed uncomfortably and averted his gaze.

“You have an idea what might have upset him, don’t you?”

“I think it had something to do with maggots.”

“What?”

“He had maggots in the cell, was keeping them in a pot on the windowsill, and they freaked Ollie out. He was going to ask the officers to get rid of them.”

“Maggots?” Sebastian mumbled, shaking his head. “Well, I guess Teddy’s even more complicated than I thought.”

“He’s not going to, you know…hurt Ollie if he finds out he was involved?”

“I told you before, I doubt it.”

“Good.”

“I take it Captain’s made an appointment with the shrink?”

“He’s not very enthusiastic about it, but yeah.”

“Jarvis is good; he’ll help.”

“Have you ever gone to see him?”

Sebastian snorted. “No, but I haven’t gone through hell and back. My mind isn’t fractured; it’s focused, fully intact.”

“Focused on what?”

“Revenge.”

“Revenge on who?”

Sebastian tipped his head back and sighed. “The guy that put me in here.”

“You’re here because you killed someone.”

“But why did I kill him? Because some arsehole inspector got to him, turned him against me.”

“Who?”

Sebastian shook his head. “His name’s not important.”

“What are you going to do to him?”

Sebastian’s eyes glinted. “The last thing he’ll hear before his world comes crashing down will be a pop .”

He retreated to his bed, out of view.

Rory lay down, staring at the ceiling with unblinking eyes.