WELCOME TO MAX SEC

[Taylor Nash]

24 hours after Brad’s shooting

The beating Taylor had been sure was coming never materialized as the vigil outside his cell in the SHU began. Two guards lounging on chairs sat facing him 24/7. In the event Brad Clark didn’t make it there would be a hierarchy of VV personnel lining up to exact revenge on the inmate responsible for the death of their esteemed leader but as long as the brute remained in critical condition Taylor was to be left relatively untouched so as not to screw with protocol or deprive anyone of fun.

Naked and shackled to the wall so as to rule out suicide should he be entertaining such thoughts Tay had nothing better to do than pass hour after monotonous hour fitfully dosing or listening to the sentinels posted outside his cage speculate over what would happen if Clark shed his mortal coil. Apparently a team of high-powered attorneys had swung into action before the bastard had even been airlifted to hospital and duly appointed Jake Sanderson as acting head of the entire VV empire with full executive authority until such time as Brad recovered. If he died, Sanderson was to be sworn in as his successor and had been named in his will as sole beneficiary to his not inconsiderable personal fortune.

Tay had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before Sanderson paid him a visit and that was something he wasn’t looking forward to at all. In fact he’d rather face the wrath of Brad Clark for though the man was utterly despicable Tay was convinced Sanderson was the more evil of the two by a long shot.

He was pretty sure his days were numbered regardless of whether Clark lived or died but better him than Nicole. He just prayed if Clark did pull through his recollection would be too hazy to pinpoint Nicole as the shooter or the consequences didn't bear thinking about.

Weak with hunger and in agony from 24 hours spent shackled in an upright position his gaze fell upon the cooler box on the floor between the two guards from which they helped themselves to a steady stream of ice-cold beers.

“Sir? Could I have some water please.” he rasped, running his tongue over parched lips as he watched beads of condensation trickle down the outside of the bottle in the guard’s hand. He didn’t expect anything other than a mouthful of abuse followed by a gob of phlegm hawked at him but he was so thirsty he was prepared to beg for a drink if need be.

[Jake Sanderson]

”No!” he barked as he walked in just as Nash was asking for water. The two guards leapt to their feet but it was already too late for that. Jake was already past them and standing before Nash, staring at the man, looking him over. He had a few bruises from when he’d been taken down in the library but beyond that he was untouched. Jake looked back at the two guards. ”Fuck off.” They hesitated. ”FUCK OFF! I’ll call you when you’re needed.” The guards were gone in seconds but not before grabbing their cooler first. ”Wait!” Jake walked back to them and reached into the cooler, not for beer but for ice. ”Now piss off and don’t come back until I call you.” He turned towards Nash and stepped up so he was almost nose-to-nose with the man. He lifted his hand, showing the handful of ice-cubes he had in his hand. ”Thirsty? Fuck you.” He tossed the ice back over his shoulder, ignoring it clattering onto the floor behind him. Slowly he reached up and closed his fingers around Nash’s forearm, his touchy icy from the cubes, turning the man’s wrist within the shackles as his eyes looked towards the hand. ”You’re right-handed, aren’t you, Nash?” No first name any longer. Just Nash. That didn’t stop Jake inspecting the man’s other hand.

”See, we have the gun. You were found holding it but I don’t believe you used it. We can have it checked for fingerprints. Shit, Nash,” Jake even chuckled. ”We can even find out who owned it. So tell me the truth, Nash, the real truth… because you haven’t been showered or anything and I don’t see any powder burns on your hand.” Jake caught Nash’s chin in his hand. ”Now, tell me, Nash. Just how far are you willing to go to protect Nicole Sheridan?” Jake Sanderson was not a stupid man. He’d let the others believe that Nash had done the shooting. It’s why he’d wanted to speak to Nash alone. Jake Sanderson wasn’t a man to be taken for a fool.

[Taylor Nash]

Maybe he’d been too engrossed in trying to persuade the guard to let him have a sip of water or perhaps it was simply down to Sanderson's legendary stealth. Either way Tay never heard him approach until he was right there barking out orders and throwing his weight around in stark contrast to his usual suave unruffled manner. Tay wasn’t sure which persona was scarier, cool calm and collected or pissed as hell. There really wasn’t much to pick between the two but if Tay’s bladder had contained a dribble of fluid it would’ve been running down his leg right about now.

The cruel streak Tay was by now alarmingly familiar with surfaced the minute Sanderson stepped inside the cell. Undoubtedly armed with the knowledge Tay hadn’t been offered anything to eat or drink in the past twenty-four hours Sanderson made that his first tool of torment. The ice cubes glistened like liquid diamonds in his hand and Tay reflexively fell forward toward the nectar his body was screaming out for only to watch in despair as it was tossed carelessly over Sanderson’s shoulder. He let out a low moan as his gaze raked over the precious slivers of ice melting into tiny pools on the filthy cement floor.

“Please, sir…I need a drink…please…”

He would have gone on to beg and plead but Sanderson wasn’t listening and Tay gasped as his forearm was suddenly grabbed in a vice-like grip. The guard’s hand, still damp from the ice cubes grasped him tightly enough to cause pain yet by the same token the freezing cold touch on his burning skin was infinitely soothing.

He snarled something about Tay being right-handed and for a moment Tay was filled with abject fear. Why was he asking whether Tay was right-handed? From past experience Tay almost expected the sadistic bastard to produce a hacksaw from his pocket and start sawing his hand off at the wrist. There was nothing he wouldn’t put it past Sanderson to do in terms of inflicting pain. But it soon became clear mutilation wasn’t on the agenda today as the guard, toning down his aggression somewhat, went on to speak of the gun and forensic evidence, or lack thereof.

He didn’t believe Taylor was the one who shot Brad.

Shit!

A look of desperation flickered across Tay’s tense features as Sanderson demanded he tell him the truth. Tay had learned long ago it was impossible to fob Jake Sanderson off with a lie; the man had the uncanny knack of seeing right into his head and reading his very thoughts. Tay tried to avert his gaze but was prevented from doing so when Sanderson painfully gripped his chin, forcing him to maintain eye contact as he asked just how far Tay was willing to go to protect Nicole.

“Nic…Mrs Sheridan…” Tay quickly corrected himself knowing Sanderson would use anything he could to his advantage, including any hint of a friendship between Nicole and him. “...has Jon to look out for. She’d have to be crazy to risk her freedom shooting Brad Clark.” he paused to pull in a shuddering breath, trying to buy a few precious seconds of time to get his thoughts in order so he could word this in such a way that it was neither a lie nor an admission of guilt. “What does it matter who pulled the trigger as long as you have someone to hold culpable; someone to torture and kill. I don’t have a kid that needs me and I'm never likely to walk out of here alive anyway. I’ll sign a confession or do whatever you want me to if you’ll just please leave Jon’s mom out of this.”

He wasn’t appealing to Sanderson’s better nature as he’d learned long ago the man was evil through and through. What he was banking on was the sick perverse fascination Sanderson had for him. Tay was willing to bet if it came to a choice between torturing one of them to death Sanderson would pick him over Nicole in a heartbeat.

[Jake Sanderson]

”Nick?” For a split second Jake didn’t have a clue who Nash was talking about. The only ‘Nick’ he’d known of was that insane bastard brat of Clark’s who had almost turned the prison into his own personal killing field because of some sick obsession over a bloody faggot inmate. Of course it was only a split second because Nash corrected himself. Mrs Sheridan. Nicole… Nic. Of course. They were on first name terms. If it wasn’t one library bitch it was the other. It seemed Nash had a preference for women and books. He wondered if the idiot fantasised about the librarians every time he read a book. So of course Jake was right, Nash was protecting Nicole Sheridan. What made Jake so angry was that this made life a hundred times more difficult for him. If Clark recovered, he’d be baying for Nick’s blood and Jake Sanderson wasn’t ready to give up his plaything just yet.

This was why he’d come to see Nash alone. This was why he’d ordered those other two guards to disappear. Taylor Nash belonged to Jake Sanderson and the bastard had just done something that could remove him from Jake’s hold for the rest of eternity… did Nash even think about that at the time? Jake doubted it, the man was thinking with his fucking cock, not his head, although if he had been using his head he’d have realised death would remove him from Jake’s grasp permanently. It would remove him from Nicole Sheridan’s life as well and Jake got the impression that Nash wouldn’t want that at all, so the man was thinking with his cock, not his head.

”Jon’s mother is the very reason you’re here, remember? How can I leave her out of this… but I’ll tell you what. We don’t need any signed confession. You were caught with the gun in your hands. Witnesses will say you did it. I’m sure Jon will say you did it. He’ll protect his mother; that’s what I expect from him… and he dislikes you, so he’s going to put you in as deep as he can… if he even remembers what the hell went on.” The kid had been catatonic apparently after Brad’s visit. Still, Jake was well aware that with enough coaching and coaxing, especially by him, Jon would only be too willing to say Nash shot Clark and not his mother. No, it wouldn’t take any coaxing at all.

”This is what’s going to happen, Nash. Since you’re so determined to protect your pretty librarian and take the blame for her deed, if you want to see her again, if you want to survive this, at least until Clark returns, and he will,” Jake affirmed because there was no fucking way he was going to have to compete with the likes of idiots like Lawrence for VV leadership so he wanted Clark to return. Clark could have all the headaches and the responsibilities; Jake liked his position right where it was, but not if Lawrence decided to step up. He wouldn’t let that happen. If Clark didn’t return, Jake knew he’d probably have no choice but to step up and put himself forward as a potential leader. But that was for another day. He had more pressing issues to deal with.

[b]”You’re going to spend at least a week, hell, maybe a month in the hole but you’ll get out, eventually. Even if you go to trial over this or it’s just an appearance in court as a formality, you’ll not get the death penalty… unless Clark dies. Either way, your sentence means you’re going to die in prison. You’ve screwed yourself. See… Mrs Sheridan, as you call her, might have got away with a small prison sentence. Temporary insanity or provocation; after all, her son’s in here and she’s seeing what he’s going through… I’m sure that could push even the most stable of people over the edge. She might have been tried for attempted murder, if Clark survives, and got off lightly. Maybe even got out eventually around the same time Jon would be getting paroled. But you… no, not you. You’ve screwed your parole… but you figured you weren’t going to make it, didn’t you, so you let your cock speak for you.”

Jake patted Nash rather firmly on the cheek. Not a slap but not far short of one. He leaned in close. ”When you get out of the hole, you’re going to continue whatever shit it is you’re doing with Nicole Sheridan but you’re going to be open about it… you’re going to be the wedge that drives Nicole and Jon Sheridan apart,” he said softly. ”And you’re not going to let on that I’m behind this, to anybody, because I’ll know, Nash, I fucking well will know. The instant I get even a whiff that you’ve let on to Nicole or Jon what you’re doing, I’ll make sure new evidence comes to light about where the pistol came from and who’s fingerprints were on it. Hell, even if Clark remembers, I’m sure he’ll be only too willing for me deal with it as I see fit. He likes to be entertained… it’ll be a get well present from me. So you’re going to prove to Jon Sheridan exactly why he hates you. It’s not just going to be about his step-father any longer, it’s going to be about his mother as well. You’re the thin edge of the wedge, Nash, and I want you to start driving in deeper and widening that gap. Got it? Because if you don’t do this for me, Nicole Sheridan will go to court and I’ll make sure she gets the death penalty, whether or not Clark survives.” He stepped back and looked the man over, waiting for a response, a promise or a question. ”You agree to this, Nicole Sheridan is safe and I’ll see about having you moved to the hole straight away… and maybe even get you an ice cube or two.”

[Taylor Nash]

The hell Jake Sanderson had already put him through went far beyond the boundaries of depraved but Tay listened with growing horror to his latest despicable scheme. The guard's propensity for evil was truly terrifying and Tay had no doubt if the devil incarnate existed in an earthly form he was looking straight into its soulless eyes right at that moment. Past experience had taught him there was no compromise or room for negotiation where Sanderson was concerned. What the bastard wanted he got without reservation. Yet even though he knew he was in the wrong company to find a crumb of compassion Tay still felt the need to plead his case.

With a small shake of his head he dared to challenge Sanderson’s arrogant conviction he could play god. “It’ll never work. You underestimate the bond between Jon and his mother, even when the strain gets too much and one of them almost gives up the other one pulls them back together again. Most parents would lay down their lives for their children; Nicole wouldn't hesitate…I'm sure your mother would do the same for you if it came to the crunch.” he ventured boldly, though he seriously doubted Jake Sanderson had ever known the love of a mother being the spawn of some horned, cloven-hoofed creature that lurked in the nether regions of hell.

Tay met the man’s eyes for a second then quickly dropped his gaze unnerved by the malice residing there. It was only the thought of what Sanderson had in store for Nicole that left him no option but to go on.

“Aside from that there’s absolutely nothing going on between Nicole and I, that’s the god’s honest truth I swear." he stated resolutely, "I like reading and spend most of my time in the library so we struck up a friendship but we’re not romantically involved if that’s what you’re thinking. Sure, I find her attractive and if I wasn’t in here I’d definitely like to take it to the next level but as far as I’m aware I’m just another inmate to her. We chat about normal everyday stuff, Jon very rarely comes up in our conversations so I really don’t see how I could drive a wedge between them.”

It occurred to Tay that in trying to point out the flaws in Sanderson’s crazy plan to alienate mother and son he may inadvertently be placing Nicole in even greater danger. If Sanderson believed his plan wouldn’t work then he’d find some other way to achieve his objective. With that in mind, Tay decided to try and appease him.

“I don't think it'll work but for Nicole’s sake I’ll try, sir.”

Better an estranged mother and son who were still breathing than a loving son with a dead mother. Tay looked Sanderson straight in the eye as he agreed to his ultimatum, the germ of a counter plan already forming in his head.

[Jake Sanderson]

Jake watched Nash closely and a smile was growing steadily on his lips as Nash had the gall to tell him that his plan wouldn’t work. ”I know what a parent would do for their child,” he said softly. ”What a child will do for their parent, or to their parent… that’s an entirely different matter.” That was the whole point. Nash didn’t have to even engage with Jon at all. All he had to do was get close to Nicole Sheridan; turn it into something. Kids were selfish bastards. They wanted their parents to treat them like they were the centre of the universe. Jon was like that… and it had screwed him up when his step-father, the man he thought he was his father, had supposedly put Nash ahead of Jon. It didn’t help that the kid’s father had screwed him over as well, making promises and failing. A parent wasn’t supposed to fail their child… and that’s all Jake needed Nash to do. Get involved with Nicole Sherican… Jon loathed Nash, Jake was well aware of that. If Jon, in spite of promises and words from his mother, believed that Taylor Nash was beginning to become the centre of Nicole Sheridan’s universe that would be a wedge that would take eons to remove. Jake had seen kids reject their parents for far less.

”Don’t tell me there’s nothing going on. You might claim it but your sweet little librarian needs a man willing to give her attention, willing to protect her and didn’t you do a right and dandy job of that yesterday!” Yep, Nicole Sheridan would fall for anybody who showed her kindness, who became protective of her and who was on her side. He didn’t need Nash to deal with Jon at all… he just needed Nash to become a focus in Nicole’s life. Jon would do the rest, he always did. ”Jon doesn’t have to come up in your conversations. You don’t have to talk to him at all.” Jake smiled but it was a cold, smug smile. ”In fact it would be even better if you didn’t talk about him but if she does, go right ahead.” He touched Nash’s cheek. ”Basically, I’m giving you the chance to form a relationship. Do what you want with it, so long as you become a focus for Nicole Sheridan.”

He studied Nash a long time before he turned away, towards the door and then paused. Jake turned back and moved back to the naked man shackled to the wall. ”If you do anything that screws this all up…” he paused for affect just as his hand came up sharply to catch Nash’s balls far too tightly in his fingers. ”You might just become the first eunuch inside Manfried… I haven’t checked the history and I don’t really care if you’re not the first, but you will be one if you screw this up.” He squeezed Nash’s balls more tightly, painfully, before releasing them. ”And I don’t mean just any eunuch… I’ll take it all off so you’ll have to sit down and piss like a woman.” He turned and stalked away, again pausing at the door and calling for the guards who came running with surprising alacrity. ”Take him down, get him washed he stinks like a fucking slaughterhouse, all shit and blood and put him in the hole. No privileges, basic meal once a day. We’ll decide what to do with him once we know whether or not Clark is going to survive.” Jake glanced back at Nash one more time, then to the prison guards. ”Not a mark on him, understand? Save it all up for the right moment should Clark not make it.” He gazed at Nash, watching as he let those words sink in.