Virgil walked silently with Lea, conscious of the fact that a guard had their eyes on them.
He looked down at his worn shoes awkwardly, "How're y-"

"I'm fine." Lea said overly peachy.

"Okay, but-"

"I'm fine." He repeated.

This subject was going to be like beating a dead horse if Virgil continues to pry about Tom, "So...Brian...what's up with him?"

"He'll help us find out what happened to Roman." Lea stated very robotically.

"Cool but like...how..?" Virgil frowned.

"Information." Lea nodded.

"Right...and...this is a good idea?"

No response from Lea.

"Right...you sure that you're ok-"

"Peachy." Lea said through a gritty smile.

"Where do we find Brian?" Virgil cocked an eyebrow as they made their way to the base floor.

"Cafeteria."

"Right." Virgil whistled as they neared the cafeteria.

Lea stopped at the entrance, waiting a second.
Virgil took this time to try and read his expression while he was still for him to look at his profile and behind his glasses.
Where Virgil expected there to be an expression of sadness or anger, there was just a blank gaze, as if someone had drained Lea of everything that made him him.

"Let's go." Lea opened the cafeteria door and headed in.

There were a few groups that had stayed after breakfast, including one that Lea seemed particularly interested in.

"Brian?" Virgil asked in a hushed voice.

Lea nodded.

Virgil sighed and followed Lea.

They approached a group of four at one table, who slowly turned heads until they turned bodies other than one of them. Brian.

"Lea?" Brian scoffed, turning only when Lea arrived, "Surprised to see you here- and without your little pet snake? Shocking."

Lea blinked, unflinching, "We want to make a trade.

"He's doing that thing again." Camden grumbled.

Brian ignored that comment as his eyebrows rose before he looked around the three people around him and nodded, "This is for my ears only."

They seemed to begrudgingly comply, leading out of the cafeteria all together.

Virgil wondered how Brian kept them in line if all of them could turn him into a bloody pulp if they wished.

Once they were gone, Brian leaned forward from where he sat on top of his table, "So? What're you looking for? It's gotta be good if you're coming to me."

Virgil was surprised. Had Lea been some kind of top dog here and he had never even noticed?

Lea gestured to Virgil.

Brian turned his head to Virgil and prompted him with a cocked eyebrow.

"Oh- right- um, there's this guy, Roman.." He kept glancing at Lea for signs to stop if he was giving too much information, "And...well, he came back with a fuzzy memory and we think it's because of something that happened to him between when he got sh-"

Lea shook his head.

"From when he got caught to now and...we wanted to know if you can help us figure out where he was and what happened to him in the last few months after he was arrested?" Virgil bit his lower lip.

Brian hummed in thought before sighing, "Well, I'm sure I can...I can access his file with ease, getting it is the hard part...it'll cost you." He leaned forward, "You're...Virgil, correct?"

Virgil was surprised he was known despite having never been introduced formally, "Um...yes."

"One easy thing for me to track are the phone calls- I can easily percept them...and one person you talk to quite often is that Logan guy," Brian nodded slowly.

Virgil wasn't sure how comfortable he felt with the fact that Brian had been listening in on his calls but tried to ignore this fact for now, "Yeah, I do."

"From what Terrance and Valery tell me, his smarts make him a valuable asset...what are the chances of him helping us...?" Brian smirked.

"Helping...you...? With what?"

"Ah, So snake and sunglas— Lea— haven't told you? I expected less of them, I'm impressed." Brian hummed.

"I'm- confused." Virgil frowned.

Brian leaned even more so forward and his voice got even quieter, "We're hightailing it out of this joint. Only taking what we can carry which is those of us who prove ourselves useful- you've got contact with the outside, that's useful. Me, you, those cell mates of yours, and mine. You get that Logan fella to help and you're in as well, then I'll get you your information." Brian leaned back.

Virgil considered this. It sounded really dangerous...but couldn't be worse than what Roman was currently putting him through- or going through himself, "And Roman."

Lea made a discomforted sniffing noise.

"You're just like little snake," Brian sighed, "Begged me to bring Lea over there, refusing to work with me unless Lea could come."

Lea blinked a few times, as if this were new information- or a reminder.

"I don't prefer love, but- I do prefer assets. Is he going to be more harm than good?" Brian asked.

"I can't promise anything but I can promise my full compliance and what I can get with Logan." Virgil nodded.

"And information...I'll..." Brian considered this, "I'll take your offer...but, don't think you're off the hook, I'm getting less than you are here. You're lucky I have an emotional soft spot," He deadpanned.

"Right.." Virgil mumbled.

Brian hopped off the table, "Alright, well, let's hope this does more good than harm- and that if it does harm, it does it to the people who deserve it." His eyes flickered mischievously, "Soon as you get Logan, I'll get you your information. You and your boyfriend and the lot get a less than free pass out of here, deal?" He held his hand out to shake with Virgil.

A handshake was practically binding.

Virgil looked at the hand before taking it and shaking it.

Brian squeezed his hand tight and pulled Virgil towards him, leaning forward to whisper a few millimeters away from his ear, so his breath rose hairs on Virgil's neck, "Don't make me regret this."

Brian then leaned back and shook Virgil's hand a final time before releasing it, "Well!" He clapped his hands together, "Good luck! ..I'll need it."
He then went to left the cafeteria.

Virgil turned to Lea.

Lea looked up with a sigh, "I'm fine."

////
Woooo
Alrighty
Another chapter
So, one thing I did that I usually do at the ends of my books is outlined it,
So this book will end at chapter 20
L o t s of things will happen between now and then...
The ending y'all
The ending
I'm sorry in advance
-Jay🥳