Stunning Prisoner - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was not long after I had started taking on solo assignments, following in my brother’s footsteps.

My brother and I usually didn’t accept the same requests. So, it was rare for us to have a meal together on a restaurant terrace after work—unless we happened to bump into each other on the street, like that day.

We hadn’t grown up eating out at expensive places. Even now, with plenty of money, that frugality has become a kind of habit.

Excited at the rare chance to eat out, I scanned the menu quickly. I placed my order, then leaned back deep into my chair until the food arrived.

My brother smiled faintly at the sight. From afar, we looked so alike—same hair color, similar features—that it was obvious we were siblings. The difference was that he was much taller than me. And despite his lean, lightweight appearance, he wasn’t as fragile as he looked.

Sluuurp—

Before eating, I stuck my straw into the juice and took a sip. When the food arrived, with grilled vegetables on the side, I quickly grabbed my knife.

“Billy.”

The knife hadn’t yet touched the meat when my brother spoke, prompting me to answer in mild annoyance.

“What? Spit it out fast. The meat’s getting cold.”

I was anxious about the juices escaping. This was my first proper meal of the day. My brother spun the plate of grilled vegetables toward me. Ever since I was little, he’d always found sneaky ways to make me eat my vegetables.

He leaned forward, resting his chin on the back of his hand.

“Sometimes I feel like I raised you wrong.”

“Out of nowhere? What the hell are you talking about, bro?”

I spun the plate back toward the meat. He let out a chuckle, rubbing at the corner of his mouth.

“Ah, you’re so cute. Look at you, this little thing, talking to your brother so sweetly.”

“Want me to stab you with this ‘little thing’?”

I asked, gripping the knife tightly. I could practically see the juices escaping my steak with every passing second. How could anyone expect me to stay calm in such a tragic moment?

“Hey, hey, I told you not to wave that knife around. Put it down, Billy.”

I grinned, twirling the knife between my fingers, and his expression turned more serious.

“Hey—tsk.”

“Nope.”

I turned the tip toward him playfully, smiling. He grumbled, still spinning the plate of vegetables toward me, completely unfazed by the blade aimed at him.

“Now that you’re grown, you don’t listen to your brother anymore, huh?”

“Why do you keep talking crap? People will think you gave birth to me.”

“Well, aren’t I your brother-slash-mom-slash-dad?”

Even if it sounded ridiculous, it was technically true. But still—he was only four years older than me.

“Yeah, not even close.”

He pulled a sulky face, then picked up his own knife, watching me chew my meat. I knew what was coming—he’d slice the steak into bite-sized pieces and put them on my plate.

And, of course, I was right. He cut the meat and placed it on my plate without a second thought, and I picked it up without a second’s hesitation. The juicy, fatty flavor was just what I needed. He nibbled at his food, then sipped his wine.

As I chewed, I overheard a conversation from the table next to us. Judging from their words, they were a family. The parents were scolding their kids for being picky eaters, their voices mixing with the restaurant’s background music.

Following my brother’s gaze, I realized he was looking at them too.

“It would’ve been nice if you’d grown up in an ordinary family. Innocent, knowing nothing, just… loved.”

I guessed it was bothering him. But it wasn’t like he had a normal childhood either.

“We agreed not to talk about that kind of thing.”

It wasn’t an official agreement, but there were some things we just never brought up. All it did was drag up memories of our garbage past.

“You’re right. My bad.”

He admitted his mistake right away.

“Let’s just eat. Ah, there you go.”

Like I was some baby bird, I opened my mouth for the meat he offered without much thought.

“Good job.” 

He said, smiling at me with an almost proud expression.

***

A9012.

That was my inmate number. After changing into my prison uniform, I stood in line in the corridor alongside a guard.Dim light spilled from the ceiling and walls, dust motes drifting lazily through it. I looked at the crystal fixtures glowing across from me.

If I sold all of that, I could probably get 3,000 Birr. What a shame.

With 3,000 Birr, I could get an AFP-1A, or a Jackel, maybe even a TK10… no, wait. A TK10 sniper rifle would probably be pushing it. It’s one of the newest models, sleek, and praised as the most precise sniper weapon out there. And the specialized ammo is expensive—no way I could afford it right now anyway. My top priority is a gun, so if I had the money, of course I’d go for the TK10. But that much cash could also buy me two full weeks of dining at luxury restaurants.

I smacked my lips in regret and glanced sideways at the guy next to me, who didn’t seem to care one bit about the crystal.

“What the fuck are you looking at?”

The first letter of the man’s inmate number was the same as mine—an A. Still hung up on the TK10, I couldn’t help asking.

“Do you think the price of the TK10 sniper rifle will go up in the future? Or drop?”

“Crazy bitch.”

“If you don’t know, fine. But why the insults?”

I really was curious. My shoulders slumped in disappointment. From the scars and calluses on his fingers, it was obvious he’d been using sniper rifles for a long time.

Even if he swore at me, I couldn’t shake my curiosity. Clutching at straws, I put on a pleading look.

“But you really don’t know? You can’t even guess?”

“Piss off, you fucking bitch.”

The man was spewing curses when a guard watching us gave him a warning. His lips turned pale, and his hand trembled ever so slightly. He was the first to leave my side when the line split in two, being shoved into a cell.

The moment he was inside, he wailed.

“No! Not here! Please, please—”

He clung to the bars before being dragged away. Somewhere in the dome, mocking laughter echoed, as if to make fun of his voice. The laughter spread through not only Section A, where I was, but also Sections B and C.

Clang, clang—

Section A, third floor.

We were crossing a grated metal walkway when I heard commotion below. The guard pulling me along also glanced down. He didn’t seem to know what was going on either, so I leaned over the railing.

The interior was designed so that inmates could be monitored from anywhere in the wide dome. On the first floor, directly beneath my feet, a group of prisoners surrounded someone. I saw one man bang the back of his head against a pillar, artificial light glaring off his bald scalp.

He raised one knee to the ground. Was it a fight? I tried to see more, but from this angle, the metal grating hid the other man’s face—only the top of his head was visible.

“Tch, these bastards…”

The guard next to me raised a whistle to his lips. But after another glance at the situation, he lowered it again.

What, so he’s not going to blow it?

Looking again, I saw other guards on the ground floor—but none of them were using their whistles either. They just stood still, rifles slung diagonally across their chests.

So they weren’t planning to break it up.

Weird. I looked down again.

It wasn’t a case of a gang beating up one inmate. The bald man coughing up blood, and the other man whose face I couldn’t see—those two were facing off. The rest had gathered in a circle to watch.

Then, the man with pale gray hair tilted his head up toward the ceiling. He was the one whose face I hadn’t been able to see until now.

Our eyes met. That unwavering stare was cold. His silver-gray eyes fixed on me with blatant, almost obsessive intensity. Not once did he blink.

Up here, only the guard and I were looking down. Since the guard wasn’t paying attention, that gaze was obviously aimed at me.

He was definitely looking straight at me.

His eyes glinted. His lips parted as if to say something. A chill ran down my spine, and I quickly leaned back from the railing.

“Wow… creepy.”

That look could kill a man. God, I had goosebumps. What made it worse was reading his lips.

What are you looking at?

Just two words. Maybe there was more after, but it didn’t matter. Between that deadly gaze and the blood on his opponent, I was certain—this was a terrifying guy.

“Move. Quit dawdling.”

The guard tugged the rope binding me, and my body followed. I heard more clang sounds from below. At least he was a man—that was a small comfort.

Still, having to share a cell with someone like him? That would be hell. Life in prison is already hell without even thinking about escape, tsk. Judging by the look of him, he was probably Class 1. I shook my head.

“A9012, what’s your problem?”

The guard frowned at my little one-man show.

“Me?”

“I won’t say it again.”

“Oh, right—I’m A9012? I’m just happy, that’s all.”

Because I’m glad I’m not sharing a cell with that guy.

When I gave a bright smile, the guard looked at me like I was insane, then turned away with a displeased expression. Before long, he unlocked a cell door.

Screeeech—

The iron bars closed with a chilling sound.

Inside, I stared straight ahead. The stares aimed back at me were sharp enough to sting.