Deadlock || ᴠᴍɪɴ

Chapter 5

Two weeks passed since the day he came to Schelger Prison. Jimin began to check up on the FBI’s list of inmates within the best of his abilities. But that didn’t mean he could simply walk up to them and start a conversation or sniff about their surroundings. He began by discreetly observing the targets when he saw them in the cafeteria or rec room, and confirming what kind of people they associated with.

Jimin made sure to keep his attitude strictly geared for investigation. He knew that bringing personal feelings or motives into his actions would cloud his judgement and make him lose his calm.

This was a special mission, assigned to Jimin Lennix, former narcotic investigator of the DEA. An undercover operation in prison to chase down an abominable terrorist. He felt like he’d become the protagonist of some third-rate movie, and nearly let slip a laugh of derision. But if switching his mentality to be on the job would help his situation turn for the better, so be it. He would become an awkward Superman or farcical Spiderman any day. So be it.

Micky had taken quite a liking to Matthew. They now did everything together, and Micky took good care of the younger man. Although Micky was a joker, the breadth of his social network was not to be taken lightly. Now that Matthew was known among the other inmates as Micky’s younger brother of sorts, his chastity still remained protected. However, he was still subjected to frequent ass-grabs made in passing, or crude pickup lines. Some inmates were particularly tenacious, making advances whenever they had the chance. But even innocent and unsuspecting Matthew appeared to have taken Jimin's attack incident to heart, and was now cautious to the point of cowardly. Thanks to that, he had yet to be raped.

Jimin, on the other hand, lived every day in an eerily peaceful calm. For now it seemed he was free from the clutches of BB. None of the inmates subjected him to the routine newcomer-bullying, perhaps because BB had picked on him on his first day. In fact, most inmates seemed reluctant even to interact with Jimin, likely fearful of the danger involved with picking on BB’s prey.

“Jimin, let’s go to the rec room,” said Micky one day after dinner, as Jimin was reading a book in his cell. Matthew, of course, was with him. The rec room was an ideal location for inmates to mingle, and they could interact with other blocks without inhibition. Jimin agreed to go along, figuring he would be able to observe his targets if he found any there.

As the three of them set off together down the hall, Jimin looked out one of the windows and spotted V and Nathan outside. The two of them were sitting on a bench off to the side of the abandoned basketball court in the fading sunlight, immersed in deep conversation.

“Hey, Micky,” Matthew said. “There’s V and Nathan over there. Let’s invite them, too.”

“Leave ‘em,” Micky said dismissively, shaking his head. “When they’re talking in a secluded spot like that, it means they don’t want to be disturbed.”

“Why? Are they talking about something important?”

Micky cocked an eyebrow at him. “No, you idiot, they’re professing their love for each other.”

“What?” cried Matthew in astonishment. “They’re in that kind of relationship?” Micky snorted at his response. Matthew pouted when he realized that he’d been duped.

“That wasn’t fair,” he said sourly.

“No, no. I didn’t exactly lie to you. They’re not lovers, but they do get along really well. They’re ― how would I say it ― on the same wavelength. Nathan trusts V a lot, and V only lets his guard down around Nathan. They’re one of the few lucky people to have a best friend in prison.”

Now that Micky mentioned it, Jimin did realize that V and Nathan occasionally talked alone with each other like this. The sight of them wandering the outskirts of the grounds or sitting in a corner talking secretively, created a strange, exclusive mood about them.