The Prison (Book 1)

The First

The First

Cain opened the metal door for me and I walked past him and into the surveillance room. To think that whenever he disappeared, he'd be here in a basement beneath the cabin, right under my feet.

As one would expect of a surveillance room, multiple screens lined one wall, showing the entirety of the island at all times. There were infra-red and regular cameras in places I'd already been to, places I hadn't been to yet, and places I didn't know existed. There were even cameras in every room in the house, save for the bathrooms. All of it was being watched, at all times.

"So, this is how you actually kept finding me. It wasn't really your parrot keeping an eye on me," I said, feeling like an idiot for believing Cain's ridiculous deception.

"Cassius is blind."

I stared at Cain, thin-mouthed, and then breathed, "You've got to be kidding me." Well, now I felt even more of an idiot for not noticing that the damned parrot was blind.

I turned to look at the screens again. Movement in one monitor immediately drew my attention. Schneizel's face appeared in it.

My heart lurched.

As calmly as I could manage, I asked, "What do you plan to do?" I nodded in the screen's direction.

At first, he simply eyed me with unconcealed doubt, as if he still didn't believe my sudden change in allegiance. Then, he surprised me by asking me, "What would you have me do?"

I lowered my eyes and answered truthfully, "It's not like I want Schneizel to get hurt or anything."

"But he's here for you. We will clash eventually."

"If you go down this road, there will only be calamity. I also don't want you to get hurt," I told him sincerely, meeting his gaze unwaveringly. I willed him to see the truth in my words, the sincerity in my heart. Despite all that Cain had done to me these past few weeks, I still cared for him, as he had physically cared for me... most of the time.

He wasn't a bad guy, not really. He was someone who had been hurt, and this was his way of lashing out. Like a wounded animal.

Though it was mostly built on speculation, I recognized the source of the animosity between Schneizel and him; it was a friendship that had been based on trust, and when that trust was broken, it was quickly replaced by festering hatred. Cain couldn't really hate Schneizel!

Now, I just had to make Cain remember that.

Easier said than done.

Cain seemed to be slowly taking in what I said. I could practically see the cogs turning in his head as he processed.

So, it was easy for me to see when my side, the side of reason, began to lose the battle, and when his side won.

"No, I must do this." His face abruptly hardened and his eyes darkened dangerously. He'd resolved himself to a path of self-destruction!

Alarmed, I said, "No, you don't have-"

He promptly interrupted me, "Pick a side Aiden; either you're with me, or you're with him, but do it fast. Time is running out."

My plan to talk some sense into Cain had failed, it seemed.

I bit my lip and helplessly watched as Schneizel got closer and closer to the cabin. And he wasn't on his own. Accompanying him was Cade. Knowing that Cain was outnumbered and was therefore at a disadvantage did not give me one bit of joy, as it might have a few weeks ago. It only meant that this would be a quick, one-sided fight.

"You seem nervous."

"Of course I'm nervous! You two are so stubborn that you're going to kill each other!" If I knew Schneizel even a little bit, and I did, he was going to shove his hand up Cain's ass and down his throat and then wring Cain like a fucking accordion.

"Please," I pleaded with him. "Reconsider! Can't you see you're outnumbered? You'll never stand a chance!"

"Oh, really?" Cain smirked at me.

"Why don't you take a closer look at the monitors?"

A chill of alarm slithered down my spine and paraded across my skin when I heard the assured tone of his voice. I whirled around to face the screens again and that was when I saw it. How could I have ever missed it?

An army of armed, camouflage-wearing men followed Schneizel and Cade, slowly but surely closing in on them from all sides! They were completely surrounded! I stared at the semi-automatic guns the men were carrying and felt my dread triple. I was reaching new levels of stress that I didn't know were possible. I nearly began to hyperventilate.

"So, have you decided?"

Slowly, I turned to face Cain. He looked more imposing and dangerous than ever before.

Tread carefully, Aiden, or you risk turning him against you too.

"I did." I nodded. "I'm on my side."

Cain arched a questioning eyebrow at me, his expression unamused.

"My side is looking out for the both of you, even if you don't me to." From the back pocket of my jeans, I pulled out the old photograph of Cain and Schneizel.

In it, they were standing side by side, their arms over each other's shoulders. They were dressed in a school's sports uniform and were looking a little sweaty and ruffled, as if they'd just finished a game.

I showed it to him. His face faltered.

Ignoring his question, I asked one of my own, "You weren't just 'friends', were you?" I'd known it the moment I looked at the photograph. I ignored the pang of jealously in my heart.

They were standing a little too intimately to be just casual friends. While Cain was laughing cheerily at the camera, Schneizel was looking at him a little too warmly, even possessively.

It was safe to say that Schneizel once had a thing for Cain. I'd know that look anywhere; it was the same one he looked at me with.

Cain didn't deny it, much to my surprise. He didn't even get angry that I'd broken into his office and pried into his private life, only to confront him with it. Rather, he admitted of his own free will, "No, we weren't. Schneizel was my first." 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

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