Plausible Deniability **EDITED**

Part Six

I kept a close eye on Evan once we got to Red Onion State Prison. I was used to other officers looking at her with distain and disapproval but prison guards were a different breed. She'd never been to a prison with the team and this particular cellblock wouldn't have been my first choice for her.

"I'll be fine," she reassured me on the plane ride. "Don't be jealous of all those men behind bars staring at me."

    "It's not the prisoners I'm worried about," I looked around to make sure no one was listening to our conversation, "prison guards are ruthless. I've never met one that didn't have something to prove."

    "They have to deal with shit people all day, then we come in to pick up their slack. I'm sure they're just peachy."

"I mean it, Evan. Every time we get called into a prison, at least one officer threatens my team and I won't have anyone talking to you like..."

She looked up from the iPad with a grin, "you think I can't handle an asshole?"

    "Oh, I know you can, that's what worries me," I grinned back, "I don't want that mouth to get us thrown off of a case."

"This mouth can do a lot of things, Aaron. I wouldn't underestimate it." I looked up to see that shit-eating grin for only a second before I felt my face turn red and I got up to go get more coffee before anyone noticed.

And sure enough, only a few hours into our investigation, a guard said something in passing on our way back from the security room, that pissed her off.

"You wanna say that to my face, asshole?" she rushed up on him and I didn't dare get in the middle of it.

"I was just asking my friend here, when they started allowing conjugal visits. Because there's no way you're here with the FBI, looking like that." His eyes were all over her body and it took all that I had not to leap across the hallway and knock him out.

"Oh, honey, I wouldn't want to take your job away from you," she mocked him, "You've got such a pretty mouth, I'm sure all the inmates must wait in line."

"Who the fuck do you think you are?!" he raised his voice and got in her face, Evan's hand immediately going for the gun on her hip.

"I'm one of the people who outrank you, so I suggest you watch your fucking manners and don't piss me off!"

"Hey!" I had to jump in, before we had a dead guard in the middle of the hallway.  "That's enough! Officer, apologize to my agent."

"This bitch-!"

"I would refrain from saying another word or I might just let her shoot you. I wouldn't tempt her."

I could feel Evan behind me, raging, her breathing heavy on the back of my neck. The officer looked to me, then to her and back to me before scoffing in my face and storming off.

"I told you I could handle an asshole," her hand fell from her gun.

"You can't shoot a prison guard, Evan," I rolled my eyes, "give a few good punches, maybe..."

"Agents!" a voice came echoing down the hallway, "We just got a tip that Layton has been sighted," the warden gestured for us to follow him back to the conference room and we all rushed down the hallway to where the rest of the team was already waiting.

"Where was he seen?" I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed for Garcia once we were all back.

"Just right outside of McClure."