SSV: Project S.T.A.T.I.C.- Part 2

Chapter 10

Zoey threw her keys down on the table beside the entrance to her apartment and slammed the door. It had been a long couple of days, and she was getting close to a breaking point. Between the guilt of handing Jake over to that sociopath Duchess, Sam's abduction, and the ridiculous demands of both Meg Myers and Karen, she was ready to snap. She'd joined the MPD to make a difference, to help ensure justice for people, and she'd wrongfully arrested a man that had done nothing but risk his life for this city. She hadn't had a choice, though, and Jake knew that now. Somehow, Jake's understanding and willingness to give himself up only made her feel worse about the situation. To top everything else off, she hadn't made any progress in tracking down Sam.

Between Karen and Meg ordering her around, issuing speeches, and fighting her at every turn, Zoey hadn't had much time to herself. She hadn't slept since Karen had shown her the photos of Sam, and she'd spent every second of her free time trying to look into Meg. Her thought was that she could uncover some clue to where the new mayor might be holding Sam, but the woman was like a ghost. Everything on her seemed to only exist from the last six months, and she wasn't able to check files at the station. She couldn't risk Karen discovering what she was doing. Sam's life and well-being were on the line, and the slightest mistake could cost her everything.

Zoey walked into her bedroom and sat down on the bed. She grabbed a picture of her and Sam that she'd placed on her dresser a month ago, and she looked down at it with a forlorn smile. "Afternoon, Commissioner," a familiar and distorted voice called from the shadows, "Isn't it a little early for you to be at home? Shouldn't you be licking the boots of the new mayor?"

Zoey's head snapped up as Beth and Pam stepped out of the shadows in the corner of her room. "Beth," she sighed as she set the picture down and stood up, "If you're here to threaten me, you're wasting your time. Besides, all you'd be doing is making a stronger case for Myers."

"Maybe, but it'd make me feel better," Beth said, taking a step forward.

"Kitten, control yourself," Pam said firmly, stepping past her with her hands behind her back, "We didn't come here for a fight, Zoey. We're here for answers."

"Join the freaking club, Pam," Zoey scoffed, turning her back on the two of them.

Pam could feel a layer of distress radiating from her friend. Whether it was exhaustion or stress, she couldn't be sure. Even without her empathy, though, she could tell Zoey hadn't been sleeping. "What's going on, Zoey?" Pam asked, "Don't tell me it's nothing, either. I'll know if you're lying."

Zoey clenched her fists, and Pam felt another wave of frustration roll off of her. "What if I don't and say I did?" Zoey asked, her tone much harsher than usual, "What are you going to do? Beat me, kill me, are you two willing to make yourselves enemies of the city in earnest if I don't cooperate? The entire city is on a damn manhunt for you two, and you being here is playing right into the hands of Myers!"

"Calm down," Pam said, trying to disarm a situation before it developed, "I've already told you that we're here for answers. This doesn't have to turn into a fight. We're friends, remember?"

"We fought on the same side not long ago," Beth added, crossing her arms and trying to hold in her rage, "Tell us what's going on. Look at us, and tell us that you're not involved in this bullshit."

"Newsflash, Beth, I'm the one who arrested Jake and handed him over to Amelia Ritters," Zoey said, her tone bitter, sad, and guilty, "Or, do you two not watch the news?"

"Choose your next words carefully, Zoey," Beth warned, taking another step forward, "Insulting me isn't something I'd advise. We're well aware that you're the one who arrested Jake, but we're trying to be civil here."

"Kitten, enough," Pam snapped, holding her arm out to stop Beth from getting any closer, "I made it clear that we're not here for a fight, and I'll be damned if I let this devolve before we get answers."

"Listen to your owner, I'm not in any mood, Beth," Zoey sneered, "Be a good girl, and do as you're told."

Her comment and tone were much more venomous than usual, but it struck a nerve with both women in the room. Beth went to attack, but Pam stopped her again. It was Pam's turn to take a step forward, and her tone lost its previous friendly demeanor as she spoke, "You will not address her in such a way, Zoey. Friendships be damned, you know the type of woman I am. She is mine, and you're lucky that I'm here to keep her from acting on her more violent urges. Do I make myself clear?"

"Did I hit a nerve, Pam?" Zoey asked, turning around and tilting her head, "How stupid of me to forget. The great Pam-fucking-Lavely can't let anyone else speak to her sub without her consent! What makes you so much better than everyone else, huh? What the hell makes you so damn special?!"

"Dude, what is your problem?!" Beth demanded, scowling behind her helmet.

"You break into my home, and I'm not allowed to be pissed?!" Zoey fired back, "Get out of here before I arrest the both of you."

"What are you hiding, Zoey?" Pam asked, growing sick of the back and forth between the two of them, "We can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. It's your choice, one you're lucky I'm still offering, but choose quickly."

"What are you going to do?" Zoey asked, meeting Pam's stern gaze with a glare of her own, "Send me to another dimension, infect me like you did that worm Andrew, or are you just going to stand there and make idle threats."

"I'm about sick of this attitude," Beth snapped, grabbing a knife from her coat, "You want to be a bitch, fine, but don't talk to us like we're your fucking enemy! We came here for-"

"Enough!" Pam shouted, her voice shaking the walls as her magic started to radiate from her body, "I've heard enough talking and stalling. No more threats, no more games, I want answers and I will have them! Beth, put away your knife and hold her still."

Beth swallowed upon hearing her name from Pam's lips. There were only certain times she used it. When she was worried, when she needed her to listen, if she needed reassurance, or when she was angry. The way the lights in the apartment flickered and the walls continued to shake, it was obvious it was the latter. She did as she was told and stowed her knife before approaching Zoey. "Hold still," Beth warned her, speaking softly, "Whatever she's about to do, I don't think moving and squirming is a smart idea."

"Get your hands off me!" Zoey shouted, her fear starting to bleed through as Beth grabbed her arms and held her in place.

Zoey headbutted Beth's helmet, and while it took the brunt of the blow, it still hurt. "Ack, dammit!" Beth shouted, "Would you knock that shit off?! You chose this route, dumbass!"

"Get away from me!" Zoey screamed as she kicked and bucked.

Pam's hands started to glow a deep shade of violet as she stepped forward. Her eyes shone white in the darkness that suddenly overtook the room. Zoey watched as Pam's hands got closer, and she squirmed in Beth's grip, but she couldn't break free. "You forced my hand," Pam said as she slapped her hand down on Zoey's forehead, "This will hurt more if you continue to resist. Settle down, and this will be over within a moment."

"Stop!" Zoey shrieked as she felt the strange sensation of her mind being poked and prodded.

Pam hadn't used this spell in a long time, but it was one that she knew by heart. A simple extraction of memories from the subject, in this case Zoey. It was an interrogation technique that Rebecca had taught her, and an easy way to bypass someone's reluctance. She refrained from using it more often due to the effects it could have on the individual that it was cast on. She'd meant what she said, she didn't want to hurt Zoey, but desperate times meant desperate measures. Zoey's mind was filled with various thoughts and memories from the last seventy-two hours. Feelings of bitterness, rage, hate, sorrow, guilt, and much more swam through the open connection and into Pam. She watched Zoey's phone call with Meg, the meeting with Karen Black, Jake's arrest, and she saw the photos of Sam tied and beaten. Pam's eyes widened and she pulled back immediately after seeing a bloody Sam.

Zoey's body went slack, but she remained conscious in Beth's arms. "Set her on the bed," Pam ordered as she stepped away and reigned in her magic, "Make sure she's sitting up, and go fetch a glass of water for her."

"You get what we need?" Beth asked, doing as she was told.

"Yes," Pam replied, holding a hand to her lips, "Go and grab the glass, Kitten. She's going to need a drink."

"Make it a scotch," Zoey sighed, feeling woozy, "Might as well get drunk if I'm going to cost someone their life."

"Huh?" Beth asked, looking over at Pam.

"One of each," Pam sighed.

"Top shelf over the sink, Beth," Zoey instructed, "Go ahead and pour yourself one as well."

"The fuck is going on?" Beth mumbled as she shrugged and hurried out of the room.

Zoey sat up and tried to catch her breath. She looked up at Pam with a tired glare, "You get what you wanted?" she asked, "Pretty dirty trick you've got there, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous. Must make getting to know a girl a lot easier if you can dive into the damn mind."

"It's not something I like to do, not anymore," Pam said, leaning against Zoey's dresser, "Don't move too much. You'll feel vertigo for the next fifteen minutes, but the water should help regulate that."

"Got no plans of going anywhere," Zoey sighed, "Not gonna lie, Pammy, that shit hurt. Do you understand why I've been doing this now?"

Beth returned with three glasses. She handed a glass of water to Zoey and set the scotch down on her nightstand. "Why didn't you tell us?" Pam asked as Zoey downed the water and grabbed the scotch.

Zoey held the glass to her lips and replied before taking a swig, "Why do you think?"

"What's going on?" Beth asked, still confused.

"Go ahead and tell her, Pam," Zoey sighed as she took a second drink of her scotch, "Tell her about how my job has become a figurehead for a lunatic, how a transfer detective is calling the shots and running my life, and how I let my girlfriend get captured by a maniac."

"Hold on, Sam's been captured?!" Beth exclaimed, "When the hell did this happen?!"

Pam sighed and shook her head, "She doesn't know, and that's why she was so hostile. She's not against us, she's angry and hurt. She's only been doing what she's been ordered to, and it's wearing her down little by little. She couldn't come to us. If she did, one of two things would have happened. Samantha would have been hurt, or we would have been unmasked and arrested. Her hands have been tied."

"Fucking hell," Beth sighed, "Myers is behind this?"

"She's the one who called me," Zoey sighed, finishing her drink and setting the glass down, "Jake would have gotten away if I hadn't have told him that night in the elevator. He gave himself up because he was worried about Sam, and I haven't even made a dent in finding her. The worst part is, I can't make any moves with that bitch Karen looking over my shoulder all the damn time."

Pam pursed her lips as she pictured the woman in question. "She seems familiar," she said, pacing as she tried to remember where she'd seen her before, "You said she's a transfer, right?"

"Yeah, CPD detective who transfered here last month," Zoey replied, "Why? Do you know her?"

"Rebecca had cops on the take in Citiville," Pam explained, "Detectives, beat cops, Sargeants, and more all looked the other way, or even acted as enforcers for her law. Some of them were paid handsomely, but others were paid in slaves. There was one woman that I had the mispleasure of meeting on a couple of occasions. She was a detective that had a penchant for sadism and cruelty that would have made Aurora proud if she weren't so spineless. I only remember her because she made a comment about how nice it would be to get her hands on me."

"You think that she's the same woman?" Zoey asked, sitting up, "Her file was damn near spotless, though."

"Rebecca had an in with records as well," Pam replied, "It wouldn't have been hard for her to keep such atrocities out of a simple folder. Part of my early duties included ensuring that the pencil pushers were doing their jobs."

"She made a comment about getting her hands on you?" Beth asked, "I don't imagine that went over too well."

"Let's just say our exchanges were quite silent after that evening," Pam said with a grin.

"You threatened her," Beth surmised.

"I'm nobody's plaything, especially that of a coward hiding behind a badge," Pam said, "No offense, Zoey."

"None taken," Zoey said, "So, Karen is the biggest obstacle I'm facing right now. I promised Jake I would find Sam, but I keep hitting dead ends. I can't mobilize my forces because Karen reports directly to Meg."

"Once a pawn, always a pawn," Pam sighed, "Okay, so we have our new lead. Alexis will continue handling Jake's escape, and we'll see if we can find Karen to have a word with her about her boss."

"Sounds like as good a plan as any," Beth agreed, "I can hurt this chick, right?"

"You may do whatever you wish as long as she can still speak to tell us what we need to know," Pam replied.

"You two take care of her, and I can start taking back control of my precinct," Zoey chimed in, "There's already been several officers that have made comments about missing you three in the field."

"I'll send word once I've dealt with Karen," Pam said, "No phones or computers, I'll send it through the void. You'll know the symbol when you see it, and maybe we can find Samantha before this all said and done."

"You've got Alexis working on getting Jake out?" Zoey asked, just realizing what Pam had said, "Are you sure that's smart?"

"You want to tell her no, because I sure don't," Beth shrugged, "Nintety percent of the criminal underworld is terrified of her, and I'm betting most of them will stay out of her way if she shows up."

"There's also the benefit of having a criminal break Jake out and being able to spin it that he was abducted against his will," Pam pointed out, "We just have to hope that Jake can manage by himself until help arrives."

"He seemed pretty confident in himself, more so than usual," Zoey said, "I tried to get him a private cell, but Amelia placed him in general populous."

"Course she did," Beth scoffed, "Fucking twisted cunt is probably hoping he'll break and beg to be her bitch. I guess it's a good thing Alexis sent someone to check on him, then."

"You don't mean-" Zoey started

"Yes, Miriam," Pam sighed, "The girl is almost as crazy as Alexis, but it's still someone to look after Jake."

"That explains the incident report from last night," Zoey sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah, you know, none of this would have happened if that bitch Myers wasn't in office," Beth pointed out, scratching the back of her helmet, "Jake will probably end up paying for the restoration of that block she blew up, if that helps."

"This had better work," Zoey said.

"We've pulled off crazier stunts," Beth offered, "C'mon, Pam, we should get moving. I can head out and try to track Karen if you can get a lock on her like you did Zoey. Time is something we don't have a whole lot of right now."

"Agreed," Pam nodded, holding her hand up and preparing the spell, "Zoey, for what it's worth, none of this is your fault. We'll find Samantha, and we'll make these people pay. You have my word."

"That actually means a lot," Zoey said as she watched her friends start to disappear, "Let's just hope we're not too late."

—--------------------

Jake sat against the wall of his cell in solitary. His alleged mother had gone silent after he'd broken down and begged her for a few minutes of peace. She'd told him that since he'd asked nicely, she'd be a good mother and let him have his time. Still, he knew that she was there. Only a few feet of steel and concrete separated her from him, and that thought kept him from getting any rest. He'd screamed for help, for somebody to come free him, but his throat was hoarse and raw. While The Amazon couldn't touch him, she had a hold over his mind that was almost worse than if she could. He couldn't say how much time had passed since he'd arrived here, but it felt like am eternity. Ashley had gone silent as well, and that only made the loneliness that much more unbearable.

Finally, the lock to his cell opened up, and he'd never been so glad to see Riley. She smirked as she looked down at him, "Having fun, bird-bitch? Hope you enjoyed your little vacation, and maybe your weak ass has learned how to keep your hands to yourself. Get up, it's time to eat."

Riley walked in and grabbed his arm to haul him to his feet. "I'll see you soon, baby boy!" The Amazon called out, "Try to take care of him, Riley, dear. If anybody is going to punish my son, it's going to be me."

"Not something I can control," Riley called back as she led Jake out of his cell, "Don't worry, you'll have your shot at him before too long!"

Jake waited until they were at the stairwell before he spoke, "You and your boss are sick. You planned that, didn't you?"

"So what if we did?" Riley scoffed, "You're the idiot who keeps turning down Duchess. If you had half a brain in that thick skull you'd be on your fucking knees thanking her for taking an interest in your sorry ass."

Jake didn't respond and let Riley lead him up the stairs and through the main halls of the prison. They walked through the doors to the cafeteria, and Jake saw more lunatics that he and Beth had put away sitting and eating. Some lower level criminals either sat together, or were being used by some of the more sadistic inmates. He spotted Megan sitting by herself, and she grinned at him. She had a knot on her head from where he'd knocked her out, but she didn't seem furious about it. She gestured with her thumb at her ass, and gave him a nod indicating that was where he belonged. He looked away as Riley continued to lead him. Just as he was starting wonder where she was taking him, he spotted Razor. His heart sunk as she paused stuffing her face and grinned at him.

"Been wondering where my bottom-bitch got off to," she said as she wiped some food from her mouth, "You've missed more than a few farts, and my ass is sore from these shit benches. Get over here, bitch, come to mommy!"

Razor shot up and grabbed his shoulder before he could blink. Riley let go of his arm and let him get dragged down with a devious smirk. Jake's face hit the steel bench of the table, and Razor dropped her full weight down on his head without warning. "Have fun, you two," Riley laughed as she turned to walk away, "Razor, don't kill the little fucker."

"You think I'd kill my bitch this early?" Razor asked as she leaned to the side and blasted Jake in the face with a rancid fart, "Nah, this little slut is too much fun. That's right, bitch, squirm for mommy. Squirm with that fucking stink! It's all for you. Want another one? Yeah, I think ya do!"

Jake had gone from one hell right back to another, and Razor was wasting no time putting him back in his place. Even if she weren't his cellmate, Jake was far too exhausted to fight back at this point. The most he could muster were pathetic struggles as she gassed him again and laughed. A bassy trumpet exploded from her disgusting ass, and Jake felt like he might vomit any second. It was brutal and agonizing, but it only got worse when Razor lifted up and repositioned his face. She forced him to look up as her muscular ass redescended down onto him. His vision was obscured by darkness, and his sense of smell was overloaded with her stench. He hated her, hated this prison, hated Amelia and the others, and he just wanted a damn moment of peace!

While Razor was having the time of her life torturing Jake, a light humming could be heard over the roar of the cafeteria. A short blonde woman with pink pigtails skipped her way through the crowd in search of her target. Miri was finally finished with processing, and she was both hungry and ecstatic. "Hello!" she exclaimed as she stopped in front of Razor and hopped onto the table, "Mind if I join you?"

"Fuck off," Razor said as she leaned to the side and farted again, causing Jake to scream into her ass, "Oh yeah, that's the stuff. Unless you want to take a turn huffing my gas, bitch, I suggest you find another table."

Miri rocked her hips as she weighed her options, "That sounds kinda fun, actually, but I'm not really into farts. I'm more of a…foot girl, ya know?"

Razor's face contorted and she sneered, "If you wanna suck these toes, then be my guest, freak. Otherwise, fuck off and find your own table."

Miri's cheery disposition shifted at Razor's remark. "That's not very nice," she huffed, narrowing her eyes, "You're not even gonna offer to share the billionaire with a newbie? You're kinda rude, ya know that?"

"You're testing my patience, cunt," Razor warned, getting more annoyed by the second, "Either make yourself useful, or get the fuck away from me."

"I see," Miri said calmly, hopping down from the table and grabbing her tray, "I can take a hint. I'm not dumb, ya know?"

"Could've fooled me," Razor sneered as she went back to eating.

Miri walked around the table with her tray in both hands, but she stopped as she got behind Razor. Without a word of warning, Miri slung her tray with both hands and crashed it into the back Razor's head. The blow dented the tray and knocked Razor off of Jake's face. Razor growled as she got to her feet, and Jake coughed as he was suddenly free from the confines of his tormentor's backside. "What the hell?" Jake asked between coughs as he spotted a familiar face, "Miri?!"

"That's my name!" Miri proclaimed proudly, pointing at herself with her thumb as the rest of the cafeteria quieted down to watch the show that was unfolding.

"You stupid little bitch," Razor snarled as she cracked her neck and knuckles, "Do you have any idea who you're fucking with?!"

"Do I look like I care?" Miri asked, cracking up and turning her attention to Jake, "Heya, cutie, ya miss me?"

Razor looked down at Jake for a moment then back at Miri in confusion. "You know this fucking moron, bitch?!" she demanded, "Know what? Doesn't matter, you can pay your respects at her fucking funeral!"

"I wouldn't-" Jake started before remembering everything that the lunatic had been putting him through and stopping himself, "You know what? Nevermind, do what you think is best."

"Smart boy, for once," Razor scoffed, circling Miri, "I am going to cut that idiotic smile off of your pretty face for fucking with me. I'm the baddest bitch in this joint, and there's a reason they call me Razor."

"You think I'm pretty?!" Miri exclaimed, suddenly forgetting the fight that was about to happen, "That is so sweet! Even if your name is totally stupid, and you're, like, majorly delusional!"

"Shut up!" Razor shrieked as she lunged at Miri, but she tumbled as Miri elegantly spun out of the way.

"Wow, you're slow," Miri giggled, sauntering around Razor as she got to her feet, "Why don't we make this easy, yeah? You scurry off to whatever hole you call a home, give me the billionaire, and tell the guards you don't want to share a cell with him anymore."

"One lucky move doesn't mean skill, you fucking freak!" Razor shouted, grabbing a shank from her bra and rushing at Miri and trying to stab her.

Miri frowned at the insult, but she once again managed to sidestep out of the way. This time, she stuck her leg out and tripped Razor, but Razor managed to remain on her feet. Razor spun the prison weapon in her hand, and threw a perfect punch at Miri. Her fist connected with her jaw, but instead of falling backwards, Miri started to giggle. Her laughter only angered Razor more, and she doubled down with a hard strike to Miri's stomach that she didn't try to dodge. Miri doubled over, and Razor grabbed her pigtails to pull her head back. She pressed the edge of her shank to Miri's throat and started to apply pressure. Miri bit her lip and inhaled sharply through her nose. More and more inmates had started to crowd around and watch the fight.

"Not so tough now, are you, bitch?!" Razor barked at her, "What happened to that smart mouth and fancy footwork?!"

Miri shivered in anticipation and excitement. Jake watched and waited to see what was going to happen next. He hadn't seen Miri fight since Alexis took her for herself, but he knew how Alexis was. He was certain that the young woman had faced much worse from her psychotic mistress. "Hehe, kinky," Miri giggled, pushing forward and causing the blade to draw blood from her neck, "Now, we're talking!"

"You fucking loony bitch!" Razor growled, slightly unnerved by Miri's sickness.

Razor tried to slice the blade across her throat, but Miri surprised everyone before she could. Miri threw her head back, and smashed it into Razor's nose. Razor kept her hold on Miri's pigtails as she howled in pain, but Miri flipped herself forward and threw Razor into the bench. She was moving before anyone could react, and her foot was on Razor's throat in less than a second. Miri grinned up above her, but Razor quickly pushed it aside and got to her feet. She rushed forward once again, and launched into a lightning fast combination attack. Miri leaned out of the way of the first punch, batted the second one away, and ducked under a vicious cross. Razor caught her with an elbow to the face, but Miri only laughed as she stumbled backward. Razor grabbed her arm, and flipped her over with a hip toss before locking her in an armbar.

Miri was on her stomach looking up at Jake, and she was smiling despite Razor applying continual pressure to her right arm. "Hi, Jake!" Miri smiled at him, "Be right with ya, lover-boy!"

"What is wrong with you, you freak?!" Razor demanded as she started trying to snap Miri's arm.

Miri scowled as she was called a freak again. She swung her leg around, and wrapped it around Razor's neck. She pulled her down with more force than should have been possible for someone so small, and Razor lost her hold on Miri's arm. Miri pushed herself back to her feet, and stomped on Razor's chest. "I really don't like that word," Miri said, her tone shifting to malice, "I've been nice so far, but you're getting on my nerves. This has been fun, but this game is getting old."

"Get off me!" Razor demanded.

Miri twisted her boot on Razor's chest before dropping her knee down and knocking the wind out of Razor. She stood up only to jump into the air and drop her ass down on Razor's stomach. "See, I don't think you get it," Miri explained as she slipped her boots off and put her feet in Razor's face, "It's not nice to go around insulting people, and it's a bad way to make friends. I think we could have gotten along pretty well too! Open your mouth."

"Fuck y-mmph!" Razor started, but she was cut off as Miri crammed her foot down her throat and made her gag.

"Go ahead, bite me, bitch," Miri said darkly, "You're going to suck my foot, and if you draw blood, you'll just be sucking that down too. Mm, this feels nice. I meant what I said, I'm kind of a switch, though. I can be a good girl, but I can also punish naughty little things like you. Suck, you dirty slut."

"Holy shit!" someone shouted in the background as Razor reluctantly did as Miri commanded, "New girl has Razor pinned and is making her suck her toes!"

"More than that, baby!" Miri shouted, "The mouth on her makes me wanna see if I can pull her vocal cords out with my toes. I got to do it once before, but it's been a few months since then. Keep sucking, bitch, you don't want to make me really angry, do you?"

Razor whimpered despite herself and did as she was told. "Miri, I-" Jake started, thinking this might be getting out of hand.

"Shut up!" Miri snapped, whipping her head around, "I'll get to you in a minute, billionaire-boy! Honestly, what happened to manners? Now, where was I? Oh, right, silly me! Razor, was it? I hope you're enjoying the taste of my feet. I can't stand socks, and I haven't washed these babies in a couple weeks. So, I'm going to make this simple. You can either run and tell the warden and guards that you want a cell to yourself, play with whoever else you want, and let me have the pretty boy. Or, we can make this a regular thing, and I'll take the billionaire and you both as my toys. I've got two feet, and you're not the only one who likes having their ass worshiped. I'm going to take my foot out of your mouth, and you're going to give me a civil answer. Try anything, yell at me, or insult me, and you'll be getting a taste of what real punishment looks like, little girl. Do you understand me?"

Jake couldn't believe what he was seeing. Miri had not only beaten Razor, but she'd managed to put her in a submissive state! Miri did as she promised, and Razor looked up at her with tears in her eyes. "Fine, keep him," Razor said between gags, "Just get your damn feet away from me."

"There's a good girl!" Miri exclaimed, jumping up and stomping on Razor's chest for good measure before addressing the crowd, "Listen up, you bunch of idiots! This one belongs to me! He stays in my cell, and nobody touches him unless he's in the fucking yard! Even then, if I've got him, you'll back off or ask me for permission! Anyone who has a problem with that, then you can join this dirty bitch!"

The cafeteria went silent as Miri finished speaking. To punctuate her point, she stomped on Razor's face to knock her out. She looked around, and waited for somebody to try to challenge her. Nobody made a move, so she walked over and sat beside Jake. "Uhm, thanks?" Jake said, not sure what he'd just witnessed, "Miri, what are you-"

Miri put a finger to his lips and threw an arm around him. She pulled him close and roughly patted his shoulder, "You look like dog-shit, Jake. C'mon, let's get you something to eat and get you a nap."

Jake was about to say something, but Miri roughly pulled his hair and gave him a stern look. "Do what she says, love," Ashley said, speaking up for the first time since she'd backed down in solitary, "She's just done us a huge favor, and we need to eat and get some sleep. Miri may be a wild card, but she works for Alexis. We can trust that she won't hurt us too badly."

"Hold on," the voice of Claudia cut in, "Zis is unacceptable! Jake is mine, and I'm not going to be outdone by a sidekick!"

Miri frowned and looked at Jake, "Be right back, babe," she said as she stood up and marched up to the French woman, "Call me a sidekick again, and see what happens, clown."

"Filzy, sidekick," Claudia huffed before Miri slammed her foot down on her boot and broke one of her toes, "Ah, you bitch!"

Miri threw her hip into Claudia and knocked her to the ground. She kicked her across the face and glared down at her, "I might have answered to someone once upon a time, but in here, I'm the HBIC. I'm gonna let you pass this time, but just because my new bitch needs some sleep so I can have my fun with him. C'mon, Jake, you can eat later. Let's get to my cell and get you in bed."

Jake didn't argue, and he was on his feet before Miri could turn to look at him. He glanced back at Claudia, and wondered just what the hell he'd gotten himself into. Not a soul dared to step between them or in their way as they left the cafeteria. Jake waited until they were alone before speaking up, "Miri, what are you doing here?"

Miri waited until they were in her cell before she responded, "Simple, the boss sent me to make sure ya don't get too roughed up. Now, that doesn't mean ya get a vacation or anything. We still gotta keep up appearances, and a girl does have urges. Boss says I can play with ya, but don't worry, Jake. I'm not gonna hurt ya too bad. I meant what I said, though. Ya look like shit, and you need some sleep. I'll keep ya safe while ya take a nap."

"Alexis sent you, and told you that you could mess with me?" Jake asked, not sure how he liked the sound of being Miri's personal bitch.

"Yup!" Miri beamed, pushing him onto the bed, "You're in good hands, Jake! Although, I'm still your temporary mistress, so try not to do anything stupid. Oh, and I kinda promised big broody warden lady that you'd still get passed around."

"Fucking-of course," Jake sighed, "Does she know you're with Alexis?"

"Nope, she thinks I'm just a crazy ex-Goth fanatic," Miri replied, "I mean, not entirely wrong, but she doesn't need to know everything about me! Now, stop talking and get some sleep! Or, do I need to smother you until you pass out?"

"N-no, that's alright," Jake stammered out, laying down and obeying.

"Ya sure?" Miri asked, sounding almost disappointed, "I don't mind. I'll even let ya pick boobs or butt!"

Jake shook his head, "Thanks, but I'll pass for now. Seriously, though, thank you, Miri."

"Don't mention it" Miri said, hopping up onto the top bunk, "You'll be making it up to me when you're cleaning my toes with your tongue later!"

"Well, I can't say that's an ideal compromise, but it's something," Ashley sighed, laying down beside Jake, "A small price to pay, I suppose. At least we're not completely alone in here now."

"Fair," Jake yawned as he closed his eyes, "G'night, Miri, Ash."

Jake drifted off to sleep within minutes. It was the first time that he felt even a modicum of peace and tranquility since Myers announced that he was wanted. He wasn't entirely out of the fire, but at least he was in the frying pan. Never before had he thought he'd be relieved to think something like that, but here he was. Jake had also never thought that he'd be glad to see Miri, but he could honestly say he was now. As he fell into a deep sleep, Ashley faded and prepared to keep him company in his dreams. The two of them needed to figure out their next move, but they also needed some time together.