Chapter 5: Home sweet cell
The heavy gate to death row hissed open, requiring both a palm scan and a physical key.
Nathan stepped through, his leg chains scraping the floor.
The block was a long, single-level corridor lined with solid steel doors. The air was stale, like sweat mixed with rust.
His arrival broke the silence.
"Yo! Fresh meat! Look alive, boys!"
"Count your days, pretty boy! Hahahaha!"
"Hey blondie, got money on your books yet?"
"Hmmm. My type," a deep raspy voice echoed.
Nathan kept his eyes on the guard ahead. They stopped at the last door. The guard threw it open, revealing a concrete room with a bed and a toilet with a sink.
"Get in," the guard ordered.
Nathan stepped inside. The door slammed shut with a deafening clang.
"Hands through the slot."
Nathan turned and pushed his wrists through the narrow metal flap. The guard unlocked the chains from the outside, then snapped the flap shut.
Nathan stood at the center of the room, rubbing his wrists.
"Home sweet home," he muttered.
He disposed of the cotton wool from earlier. His arm throbbed where the needle had jerked.
What the hell is her problem?
He rubbed the spot and focused his thought elsewhere.
He willed the system screen to appear, its golden glow illuminating his face in the dimly lit room. The system balance stared back at him.
A hundred grand.
A chuckle escaped from him.
"You seem to be in a good mood," a voice came from the adjacent cell.
Nathan traced the source to the wall beside his bed. "Who’s that?"
"Theo," the voice replied. "You?"
"Nathan."
"Pleased to meet you. First time on deathrow?"
"First time in prison."
"Ah, you’re a fish. Who did you kill to end up here?"
"Who says I killed anyone?" Nathan replied.
"Haha! must have been some crime you committed then."
Nathan kept silent.
"Why so serious," Theo asked.
Nathan deflected a question. "How long have you been here?"
"Months. Deathrow isn’t exactly known for its speedy paperwork."
"So you know the ins and outs of this place?What does a guy have to know to survive prison?"
"That everyone wants something."
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Even you?"
"Of course."
Nathan smiled. "Appreciate the honesty. So what do you charge?"
Theo chuckled. "Relax. Advice is free. Besides it’s on me to show you the ropes as your cellmate."
"Appreciate it," Nathan said.
"So. To keep it simple. Keep your head down. Don’t be a cunt. Mind your business and whatever you do, don’t be a snitch."
Nathan rested a hand on his chin. "What if I need something?"
"Prison account’s for the normal stuff. But if you are asking for the good stuff. There’s a plug for that."
"A plug? What can they get?"
"Whatever you are willing to pay for. Cigarettes, drugs, phones, laptops, Solelyfans photos if you are into that shit. No weapons though."
Phones.
Nathan thought for a moment. "How are payments made? I assume the prison would flag purchases like that?"
"Of course. You can make trades with items you buy from the commissary, cash, crypto or in kind,"
Nathan kept his expression neutral. He’d read enough Breaddit posts about prison trading that none of it surprised him.
"Hmm. That’s a lot of options. How does one keep items hidden? Don’t the guards search?" Nathan questioned.
"Woah. Slow down tiger."
Theo let silence stretch for a moment before speaking again. "It’s usually a never-ending cycle of getting your items back, which brings me to another point. Money."
Theo continued. "You’ll need it while you are here. You can do jobs to earn money but since you’re new, It’ll be a while before you’ll be cleared for any."
"So how soon can I get the phone and the other stuff?"
"Tomorrow. At the yard. Keep in mind you’ll need a wifi connection but I can help with that."
Nathan didn’t offer a reply instantly. "So what’s the catch?"
Theo chuckled. "You can call it a welcome gift."
"Let’s just say I’m not exactly keen on gifts these days. Everyone wants something."
"True," Theo said. "I do want something but that’s a conversation for when you’ve gotten the hang of things. For now, just know I’m not the guy who’ll stab you in the back."
"That sounds like something someone who’d stab in the back would say," Nathan replied.
A warm laugh escaped Theo. "Fair enough. How about this. I’ve got nothing to gain from a dead fish."
Their conversation ended as the gates opened. A trolley containing trays rolled into the block.
The guards handed out a tray to each inmate through their slot. When it got to Nathan’s turn, the guards included a small parcel and left.
Nathan opened it and found the items he had purchased earlier when he was processed.
He took a look at the food. The grey slab of meat made him wonder what animal it came from. It was paired with watery beans and bread that had bits of mold.
"Food’s bloody awful, huh?" Theo called out.
"Yeah but I expected as much."
"You can get better meals if you pay enough. I can give you some snacks if you want."
"I appreciate it but no."
"Suit yourself mate. You’ll learn to accept help soon enough."
"Accepting help is what got me here in the first place," Nathan said in a dry tone.
Theo chuckled. "Get some sleep first. We can talk in the yard tomorrow."
Nathan lay on the hard bed and tried his best. but every sound made him alert.
A shout from down the block, the clang of metal and the low hum of the lights. He considered staying awake.
But as the weariness of the entire day caught up to him, his body gave way to sleep.
—
The restaurant was quiet with soft lighting and white tablecloths. Waiters in pressed suits filled glasses and some served orders.
Raymond Specter sat at the head of the table in an immaculate dark suit. He wore an unreadable expression as he sat across three men.
Leon, Jayden, and Zack.
Leon, his hair dyed green and red, a thick silver chain around his neck, leaned back in his chair, a half-empty glass of whiskey in his hand.
"I have to admit, Specter. I wasn’t sure you could pull it off."
Specter didn’t react, opting to sip water from his glass.
"The way he just—" Leon snapped his fingers. "Bam! And confessed. Right there in court. How did you do that man? Did you threaten him or what?"
Specter set his glass down. "Does it matter?"
"Come on," Jayden leaned in, shaggy brown hair falling over one eye beneath a biker jacket. "We’re all in this together, right? You can tell us."
Specter’s eyes flicked between them. "I don’t discuss my methods. Besides I’m surprised you’d do this to someone you once called a friend."
The table went quiet.
Leon laughed, but there was no warmth in it. "Friend? I guess you could say that. We did have some moments but in the end he was just a tool who thought he was better than us."
"Being broke and still having morals is crazy." Jayden added.
Zack, the youngest looking of the three, shifted in his seat, his round eyes fixed on the table.
Leon noticed. "What, Zack? You got something to say?"
"No I don’t."
Specter watched them, his expression unchanged. "I see. I took this case because your father’s paid well. Your personal sentiments are not my concern."
Leon grinned. "Of course. It’s just good business."
Specter stood up, hands in pockets. "I believe this concludes our business."
"Leaving already?" Leon leaned back. "I was hoping you’d stay for a toast."
"I have other matters to attend to," Specter answered then proceeded to leave through the exit without looking back.
Leon shrugged then raised his glass. "A toast to Nathan."
Jayden did the same. "To Nathan. A man who forgot his place."
Zack hesitated. Then he raised his glass, but he couldn’t bring himself to drink.
The other two didn’t have such problems.
"Anyway..." Leon lowered his glass. "I’m thinking of paying his sister a visit. Catherine, right?
"Yeah, Nathan did always treat her like some precious gem," Jayden added.
Leon glanced in no particular direction. "She’ll need someone to look out for her, now that her big bro is in prison."
Zack’s eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
"Relax, Zack." Leon’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. "I’m just watching out for her."
Jayden laughed. "Yeah right. Send her my way when you’re done."
Leon chuckled. "Depends on how cooperative she is."
Zack looked away. His glass remained untouched.