Troy glared at the sergeant. "You're ruining my beauty sleep. What's the offer?"
"Very funny. We thought you might want some extra privileges."
Troy maintained a scowl. "I'm listening."
"How would you like to become a movie star?" Jensen flexed and curled his fist sitting on Troy’s shoulder.
"What kind of movie?"
"In here." A room designated as a safe room for disturbed prisoners was outfitted like a dungeon from an old Boris Karloff movie. As his handcuffs were unlocked, his eyes adjusted. A woman, naked, wearing only a hood stood bound to the padded wall.
"Well?" Jensen's flashlight prodded him toward her. "C'mon, Mills, you need instructions? Fuck her."
"And if I don't?" The proposition did not sit well with him.
"We find someone else who will fuck her to death. You go to door number two." Jensen struck him hard over the kidneys.
Troy moaned out the question, "Door number two?"
"A fight to your death."
Troy was alone in this endeavor and had no escape. He needed to tell his team, which meant he needed to live another day. "All right. I want a rubber."
"Use as many as you want." He tossed a handful of condoms toward the girl's feet. "Make her scream, and you win extra points. Make it good. Oh, and take these. Open up." Jensen handed him a water bottle. "Swallow." Jensen elbowed him in the gut.
Any idea Troy had of cheeking the two Viagra disappeared as they went down his throat. The sergeant laughed and dragged a hood over his head. Before locking the door, he told him, "Smile for the cameras.”
Troy walked over to the woman, whose shaking intensified the closer he got. "My name is Royce. What's your name?"
Chained to the wall, her head could only face forward. "Kalina."
"How old are you, Kalina?"
"Nineteen."
"How'd you end up here?" Troy spoke softly.
"My boyfriend hid five pounds of marijuana in my car. Let me take the fall. I had a previous conviction for soliciting," she said.
"What did they promise you?"
"Money for my mom to care for my little boy. Make my time go easier, I'm hooked. This can't be any worse than what my boyfriend did to me. Or the guards. I used to be a good girl. Please, just get it over with."
"I'll try not to hurt you, sweetheart. Looks like we’re both in a no-win situation."
After satisfying the filmmakers, Jensen led Troy back to his cell. Once inside, he heaved into the metal toilet. Though Kalina didn't say no to him, what he did was far from consensual.
Wednesday, August 3rd
Steven Keys stood on the other side of the cadaver from Elizabeth, who was reflecting on her time as a resident. He scrutinized every detail as she scrubbed, gowned and gloved. "Let's start slow: make a midline incision." Melanie Gold, the head nurse from the OR, served as her scrub nurse and another critical eye.
"Scalpel." The blade popped into her hand. Focused, she made a straight, steady cut.
Steven put her through her paces, observing for any hand tremor or weakness. "Doing well, Beth. How do you feel? Hoyt is right; the decreased blood pressure protected your brain."
"Fine. Great," she said while performing multiple styles of sutures.
As she stitched with ease, the door to the room opened, and Henrietta Krump joined them. "Came to see how you’re doing."
