Chance and Reason

Chapter Twenty-Seven

A/N: So, I hope you are having a wonderful day and that you enjoy this next chapter. I'm sorry that it was a bit late coming, but it's quite long, so hopefully that makes up for it. Every vote and comment adds a bit of magic to my day, and I would love to hear from you. Thank you all.

Stepping into the prison entrance, Camila felt herself being struck by an indescribable wall of tension. It was quiet here, in this main foyer, but the whole aura of the place was deeply unsettling, and she visibly shivered. For some reason, she felt far more affected by the jail ambience this time than she had done when she had last visited for her article interview.

Her unease did not go unnoticed by Lauren, and the attentive agent leant over and briefly intertwined their fingers, squeezing her hand comfortingly.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Camila nodded, "Or at least... I will be,"

"It'll be over soon," Normani offered reassuringly, "We're not going to go easy on him, are we, Agent Jauregui?"

"Not at all," Lauren concurred firmly, "He'll be spilling every last scrap of information we want,"

Camila shuddered, feeling briefly sorry for the prisoner about to bear the brunt of the wrath of the police officers. The two made an imposing team.

"Here to see Austin Mahone," Normani announced to the attendant at the desk, flipping open her police badge to show him.

"Mahone, huh?" he grunted, "Names?"

"Officer Kordei, Agent Jauregui and Miss Cabello,"

"Yeah, an Officer Mendes called about you coming. Official interview, is it?"

Normani nodded in confirmation, and he jerked a thumb towards the door.

"There's a prison guard in there," he explained gruffly, "Tell him what you're here for and he'll get Mahone for you,"

Camila saw nothing out of the ordinary in this statement, but Normani and Lauren exchanged looks.

"Can't we get him ourselves?" Lauren asked, "Is he violent?"

The prison attendant sat back in his seat and drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair.

"Mahone ain't the one you should be worrying about," he commented dryly, "There's a lot of guys in there that would just love to lay their hands on him. You've got to be careful; this lot don't miss an opportunity,"

Normani murmured something indefinable into Lauren's ear, and the agent shrugged, turning her attention back to the attendant.

"Is there a secure room we can speak to him in?"

"End of this cell block," he answered.

"Let's go inside,"

The prison attendant stood and moved forward to a huge metal door. It had various hefty bolts keeping it shut, and he had to heave to get it open. This door led into a small corridor, and they walked down and through another door into the main cell wing.

Even from the prison entrance room, the distant noise of shouting and rattling cell bars had been audible. But, as soon as the final door was opened, it became deafening. Some of the inmates were yelling over at the newcomers, while others were pushing their hands through the metal grids keeping them caged inside, shaking their fists and reaching out to grab at them. It was a frightening experience, and even the experienced police officers looked a little uncomfortable.

A prison guard escorted them down, occasionally bellowing back at prisoners who screamed abuse at him. Eventually, they reached a cell near the end, where it was slightly quieter. The guard smacked a hand on the cell bars and peered inside at the man lying on the bed.