8. Chapter 8

8

H amish leaned over the table. He pouted his lips, pushing up his moustache.

“Well?” he pressed.

After Sebastian’s sinister threat, Rory had used the prison phones to call his ‘uncle’. It was a way of letting Hamish and Morris know he’d found something out that was important without arousing suspicion. Nothing suggestive was said on the call, it was mundane, but just him phoning the number was enough to get them to visit the prison.

“It sounds like he’s out to get you, sir,” Rory mumbled.

“Are you sure?” Morris asked. She was leaning against the door, staring at Rory with her usual disdain. They were in the governor’s office again, but the governor himself was elsewhere.

If anyone asked Rory where he’d disappeared to, he was to tell them he had a meeting with his lawyer.

“I’m sure.”

Sebastian hadn’t named Hamish, but it had been obvious to Rory that was who he’d been talking about, who he felt was responsible.

“What’s he planning?” Morris asked.

Rory shook his head. “I don’t know. He mentioned a pop.”

“A pop?”

“ The last thing he’ll hear before his world comes crashing down will be a pop. Those were his words.”

“A gun, does he mean a gun?” Morris demanded.

Rory shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Come on, Rory.”

“That’s all I’ve got. Since the last time we spoke, that’s it. It’s not easy finding a way in.”

“There’s one in your face and one in your arse, why not put them both to good use? That’s why you were chosen for this, was it not?”

“What?” Rory frowned. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing,” Hamish snapped. He flashed an angry look at Morris. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“You’re implying that because I’m gay, I’d use that to…form some kind of bond with Sebastian?”

Morris looked at Hamish, who glanced away.

“Of course she’s not saying that,” Hamish said. “We don’t think that.” He sighed. “Let’s stay focused. Before pop, he said a big bang . What if they’re about the same thing, not a bomb, but a gun?”

“He’s been involved with both illegal firearms and bombs,” Morris said. “It could be either, but if he wanted you shot, surely…”

“Surely what?” Hamish asked.

“He would’ve got someone to do it.”

Rory bit his lip. “I get the impression, whatever he’s planning, he wants to do it himself.”

“Sebastian’s after you,” Morris said. “You’ve got to go into hiding.”

“No—”

“But, William—Inspector. You’re in danger.” Morris pushed off from the door and rushed over. She captured his hand in both of hers. “Don’t be reckless.”

“I’m not in danger yet.”

“He’s threatening your life.”

“He’s still got eight months left,” Hamish argued. “It’s enough time to gather evidence against him. The second he steps out of those gates, we’ll arrest him again.”

Morris pulled a pained expression, then looked at Rory. “Surely you can see this is madness. He’s putting himself in danger.”

Rory shrugged. “It’s the inspector’s decision. He’s got to own his choices.”

Hamish pressed his lips together and nodded.

“You’re both idiots,” Morris hissed.

“Find out all you can,” Hamish said to Rory. “By any means necessary.” He snapped his fingers, then pointed at Morris. “Phone.”

Morris sighed and pulled a mobile from her jacket.

“Ten minutes,” Hamish said before leaving the room.

Morris perched on the desk again, making it clear she wasn’t going anywhere.

Rory blocked her presence out and called Erica.

His shoulders dropped, and the tension pulling his spine straight left as soon as she answered. He pressed back into his chair.

“Hey, Eric…”

“Erica,” she growled, then her voice softened. “Fuck, Rory. So soon?”

“Are you disappointed?”

“Of course not,” she snapped. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He licked his lips. “I can’t talk about the job.”

“I know, I remember from last time.”

Rory swallowed. “How did the speed dating go?”

“Ah…the speed dating.”

“That memorable?”

“I didn’t match with two guys, so it wasn’t that memorable. But I did get on with one guy. He’s called Danny. He’s a bit of a petrolhead and has a black mustang he’s practically in love with.”

“Competition already?”

“It happens to be a beauty of a car, and my God, does it purr.”

Rory raised his eyebrows. “You’ve been out in it?”

“Oh yeah.” Erica chuckled. “I was clinging on for dear life, but it was exhilarating.”

“We are talking about the car right, not your sex life?”

“The car, but now you’ve mentioned it—”

“No, thank you,” Rory interrupted with a snort.

“I think you’ll like him,” Erica said softly. “He’s nice.”

“Nice?”

“Handsome too, and he can cook. You know how badly I need a man that can cook.”

Rory smiled. “I know firsthand how awful your culinary skills are.”

“Harsh,” Erica mused. “But fair. I want you to meet him.”

“Wow,” Rory said. “How many times have you seen him?”

“Every other day.”

Rory’s eyebrows shot up.

“It feels right,” Erica said. “Like we’ve got this connection, and let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger.”

“You’re only thirty.”

Erica groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

“How old is Danny?”

“Thirty-two. He works at some car body-work place, hence the immaculate mustang.” She sighed. “I think I’m falling for the car at the same time I’m falling for him.”

“I hope the three of you will be happy together.”

Erica laughed, but it tapered off into a sigh. “Hurry up and catch the bad guy so I can have my brother back.”

“I’m working on it,” Rory promised.

Rory hurried through the wing to the gate that led to the yard. He sat down on a bench and clutched his side. The inmates were playing football again, the shirtless against the shirted. Rory leaned back and watched them play. They hooted, they celebrated, and sometimes they pushed their chests together and started a fight. The officers outside beat their batons on the wall and threatened to take the ball away if things escalated.

The fighting ceased, and they were kicking the ball around as if the ruckus hadn’t happened.

“Hey…”

Rory glanced up at Ollie’s voice. “Hey.”

“What did your lawyer say?”

“Nothing much. Are you all right?”

“Not really.” He sat down and curled forward. “I’m a horrible person.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Did you see Teddy?”

Rory lowered his gaze. “You didn’t know he’d react like that. It’s your cell too, and if you weren’t comfortable with them there, you had a right to say so.”

“He knocked that officer out, and he got himself ten days in the segregation unit.”

Rory clutched Ollie’s knee. “Look, he’s not going to hurt you. Sebastian said he’s not like that, and I believe him. It’ll be okay.”

“I’m not worried about him hurting me.”

“Then what?”

“When you went up to your cell, they handcuffed him and got him off the floor. I looked at his face, and he looked devastated. He was crying.”

Rory saw the tears in Ollie’s eyes. “You didn’t know those maggots meant that much to him.”

“When I got convicted, I was terrified of going to prison. Knew I had nine years of pain and humiliation in store, and when we first walked in, I saw how some of the men looked at me. Fresh meat that they couldn’t wait to get their hands and whatever else on. But they won’t cross Teddy, and he hasn’t done anything to hurt me. He’s been nothing but nice, and that’s how I repaid him. I took something from him and made him sad. I hurt him.”

“You didn’t know.”

“You’ve got to help me make this right,” Ollie mumbled.

“How?”

“We’ve got to find more maggots.”

“What?” Rory blurted.

“That’s the only way I can make it up to him.”

“I’m not going to go searching for maggots.”

“ Pleas e, Rory.”

“No way.”

Ollie glanced around. “I just need you to keep a lookout.”

“While you do what?”

“Go through the bins.”

He gestured to the two green barrels at the edge of the yard. Leftover food scraps were put into them each day by the kitchen inmates, and they were collected every two days. The smell was a health hazard, and when the wind blew from their direction, only the hardiest inmates stayed outside.

“You screamed at the thought of touching a maggot the other day.”

“I know, they make me feel sick, but for Teddy, I’ll get some.”

“Not to mention, going through rotting food isn’t exactly hygienic.”

“You going to help me, or what?”

Rory stared, hoping Ollie was only joking with him.

“Fine,” Ollie hissed, getting up. “I’ll do it myself.”

“Wait, wait,” Rory said. “Okay, I’ll stand watch.”

The officers had their eyes fixed on the football match. Ollie and Rory trudged across the yard, trying to look casual, but Rory imagined they had failed miserably.

Rory stood in front of the barrels, and Ollie ducked behind him.

“Hurry up,” Rory muttered.

“What do you think I’m going to do? Search at a leisurely pace?”

Rory laughed, then grabbed his side. “Ouch.”

“Laughing hurts?”

“Yeah, it does.”

He heard a rustle and glanced back to see Ollie putting a plastic bag over his hand. “I doubt that’ll help.”

As soon as Ollie opened the first barrel, the smell intensified. Rory pressed his hand to his mouth and mumbled, “Oh my God.”

His eyes burned at the smell, and he blinked back tears.

“I’m going to be sick,” Ollie called out.

“Don’t be, you’ll just have to wade through that as well.”

Ollie groaned and spluttered, then the lid of the bin crashed down.

“I can’t do it, please, Rory—”

“No way in hell!”

He turned around and looked down at Ollie. He was on his knees, head resting against the bin. The sound of his sob hit Rory straight in the chest.

“I don’t want him to hate me,” Ollie spluttered.

“He won’t, I promise you.”

“He will.”

Rory threw his head back and growled at the sky. “Fine, move out of the way.”

Ollie shot him a grateful look, then rushed to stand up. “Thanks, Rory—”

“Don’t, just don’t.”

Rory prepared himself to open the bin but couldn’t do it. He looked down at the ground, then frowned at the grey wire. Not a wire, he realized, but a tail.

“Here,” Ollie said, passing him a bag.

Rory took it, then dropped down.

“The maggots are in the bin, not underneath it,” Ollie hissed.

Rory ignored him, pinched the tail through the bag, and pulled the rat out. It looked fresh, and he couldn’t smell it, but he could definitely see its body moving from maggots. He managed to get it in the bag and wrapped it up.

“Let’s go.”

Ollie’s eyebrows shot up. “Really, you’ve got some?”

“Sort of.”

“What do you mean sort of?”

Rory pushed the bag to Ollie’s chest. “Hide that under your jumper.”

Ollie didn’t ask any questions; he stuffed it under his jumper in a flash.

“Come on,” Rory said.

“Where are we going?”

“Back to your cell to perform rodent surgery.”

“What?”

Rory rushed down the corridor and across the wing. He made a beeline for Teddy and Ollie’s cell, waited till Ollie was inside, then pushed the door shut. Ollie took the bag out of his jumper, then peeked inside.

“It’s a flaming rat!”

He hurled it across the cell, and it hit the wall with a thump.

Rory tried to shush him but ended up laughing. “I know, okay?”

“I want maggots, not a dead rat.”

“The maggots are inside the rat.”

He picked up the bag and looked inside, but there was no movement.

“That’s just great,” Ollie yelled, “How am I supposed to get them out?”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“No shit!”

The door swung open, and Rory hid the bag behind himself. Sebastian frowned and folded his arms over his chest. His eyes twitched, and he tilted his head as if trying to work them out.

“What are you two shouting about?”

“You wouldn’t believe us if we told you,” Ollie mumbled.

“Speak up.”

Ollie straightened and took a step back. The bag crinkled behind Rory, and he tried his hardest not to laugh. The whole situation was ridiculous.

“Rory?”

His lips twitched, the laugh bubbled up, and he couldn’t stop it. Sebastian glared at him, but his angry expression gave way to amusement. He grinned, then shook his head.

“What are you up to?” Sebastian asked.

Ollie darted panicked looks between them. “Look, this was my idea, not Rory’s.”

Sebastian stepped into the cell, then leaned back against the door. “What was your idea?”

“Teddy had some maggots, and I got the officers to kill them. He was upset, and I felt shit. I asked Rory to help me get some more.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows shot up. “Help you get maggots?”

“And I tried to go through the bin, but I couldn’t do it, so I begged Rory.”

“That explains the smell.” Sebastian smirked.

“The short story is, Rory found a dead rat.”

Sebastian narrowed his eyes and took a step closer. The amusement had gone, and the anger returned in full force.

“Have you got this rat?”

Ollie nodded. “Rory’s got it—”

“Give it to me now.”

Rory hesitantly held out the bag, and Sebastian snatched it away.

“It was moving with maggots.”

Sebastian reached into the bag and pulled out the rat. Ollie scrunched his eyes shut and turned to the sink.

“This is mine,” Sebastian muttered.

Rory blinked—he thought he’d heard wrong. Every long-serving inmate had lost their mind. Teddy, obsessed with maggots, and Sebastian, territorial over dead rats.

“It’s yours?” Rory said.

“I’ve been waiting for it.” Sebastian ripped the rat open with his hands. “My old one got found by the officers.”

Rory pinched himself. It must’ve been a dream. He wanted to wake up. It was too strange; the stress of being undercover had made him lose his mind.

There was no blood, or guts, or smell. Sebastian grinned, then turned the gaping rat to Rory.

“They look good, don’t they?”

Rory leaned closer. “It—it’s fake?”

Sebastian nodded.

“But it was moving?”

Sebastian opened up the rat like a purse, and Rory spotted something inside.

“Take it…”

Rory reached, and his fingers closed around something plastic. A phone. He smirked and studied it intently.

“As I said, I’ve been waiting for a new one.”

“Did he just rip the rat’s head off?” Ollie whispered.

Rory turned to him. He was leaning over the sink with his eyes still scrunched shut.

“No, he didn’t.”

Sebastian took the phone from Rory and shoved it in his pocket. He dropped the scraps of fake rat in the bag, then smiled.

“All done.”

“Done?” Ollie asked.

“Yep.”

Ollie opened his eyes. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Sebastian said, “and don’t worry about the maggots. I’ll speak to Teddy when he comes back on the wing.”

“Yeah?” Ollie said.

“Yep.” He turned his attention back to Rory. “We’ll speak later, but…”

“But what?”

“Make sure you have a damn shower first…”

Rory waited patiently for Sebastian to explain. The lights went out, and the only glow came from the floodlights in the yard. He drummed his fingers on his stomach, looking at the ceiling of their cell, waiting, but Sebastian didn’t say anything until Rory sighed.

Sebastian chuckled below him. “You want me to tell you about the rats?”

“Yeah.”

“Only people I trust know about the rats.”

Rory didn’t bother telling Sebastian he could be trusted. He didn’t think it would come out of his mouth convincingly enough.

He rolled onto his side and muttered at the wall, “That’s me screwed then.”

Sebastian snorted. “It’s quite simple, really. The officers and the governor think the prison’s got a rat problem. Sometimes food packages have been nibbled , and there’s rat droppings all over the floor.”

Rory screwed up his face. “Gross.”

“Except, I just get someone to scratch up the packages. And the rat droppings? Burned grains of rice.”

“Okay, so no rats…”

“Occasionally there is, but that’s not the point. The point is, the governors and officers believe there is. They worry about health and safety reports. So they hire an exterminator, and he puts boxes of poison outside the prison. He can’t put them inside—inmates would kill each other.”

“Yeah, I bet.”

“I have a friend on the outside; he makes the rats look and feel real.”

Rory shuddered, and the bed shook. “It fooled me.”

“He throws them over the fence, and the officers won’t go near the dead rats. They get inmates to put them in the bins, then Vince, Einstein or myself pick them up when we can.”

“And inside the rats?”

“Drugs, alcohol, phones, aftershave, chocolate, whatever will fit.”

“Why did you want me to get you drugs when you’re already doing it yourself?”

“I didn’t really. I wanted to know what you’d do to get my protection.”

“So that’s how you smuggle stuff in?”

Sebastian huffed. “All prisons do it differently, but I’ve been running this for years. Normally one rat a week but sometimes two if demand for contraband is high.”

“Is that why… Is that why you’ve got power on the wing?”

“One of the reasons. I haven’t been caught, and it’s preferable to getting drugs from some guy’s back passage.”

Rory twitched his nose. “Because it’s so much more appealing getting drugs from a rat’s stomach.”

Sebastian laughed. “Exactly, and that’s not all.”

“What do you mean?”

“The governor is so convinced of this rat problem he bribes me with phone cards to keep the inmates quiet. Ten cards a month, and I keep the rat problem hush-hush when the health inspector comes. I’m pretty much paid to smuggle stuff in.”

A silence grew between them, and Rory picked obsessively at his nails. “It… It’s really clever.”

The bed shifted, and Sebastian stood up. He crossed his forearms on Rory’s bed and leaned closer. The glow of the floodlight shone on his face, and his blue eyes sparkled. His silver hair caught the light too and highlighted the etchings of age on his face. Rory hated to admit he thought he was handsome, but he couldn’t deny it in that moment. The floodlight shone a spotlight on Sebastian, and Rory liked what he saw.

“You think so?”

Rory glanced at Sebastian’s lips. He couldn’t stop looking at them, and they lifted into a smile under his gaze.

“Yeah…”

“Good to know.” Sebastian smirked. “But if the officers suddenly get wise, I’ll know who to blame.”

“I won’t say anything, I swear.”

Sebastian climbed underneath the bed, out of Rory’s view.

“Night, Rory.”

Rory wiped his hand down his face and inwardly cursed his reaction. Finding Sebastian attractive would only cause problems.

“Night…Sebastian.”