CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 54; BUYING FREEDOM 1

The cell fell into an uneasy quiet after they finished eating. The trays had been collected through the slot without ceremony, leaving them alone with their wild thoughts and the unfamiliar comfort of their new accommodations.

Tank claimed the lower bunk nearest the window, her massive frame making the bed look smaller than it was. She lay on her back, hands folded behind her head, staring at the ceiling with an expression that suggested she was calculating angles and trajectories, preparing for battles that might never come.

Blade took the bunk across from her, sitting cross-legged on the thin mattress with her back against the wall. Her eyes were closed, but her breathing pattern suggested meditation rather than sleep, centering herself the way she always did after violence.

Razor had sprawled across the lower bunk beneath Shuyin’s, already half-asleep despite the adrenaline that should still be coursing through her system. Youth gave her that advantage, the ability to crash hard and recover fast.

Shuyin remained on the upper bunk, lying on her side facing the wall. Her jade eyes were open, glowing faintly in the darkness, seeing beyond the concrete and steel that imprisoned them. She could feel the prison’s rhythm now, the pulse of hundreds of lives trapped in cages, the ebb and flow of guards on their rounds, the corruption that seeped through every level of this place like rot in old wood.

She knew something was coming. Could feel it approaching like a storm on the horizon.

The question was whether it would bring opportunity or just another form of suffering.

— — — — —

Thirty minutes later, the black sedan pulled through the prison’s security checkpoint with minimal delay.

The Prison guards recognized the vehicle immediately, Sixth Master Lu’s visits were rare but always significant. They waved him through without the usual inspections, questions, or delay.

His presence was expected and they had made preparations.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the administrative building, the engine purring quietly before falling silent.

Sixth Master Lu stepped out, adjusting his suit jacket with practiced efficiency. The night air was cold, carrying the scent of industrial decay and human desperation that seemed to cling to every prison he’d ever visited. He’d been to many over the years, conducting business that required discretion and locations where questions weren’t asked.

This was different.

This was personal.

This was what hopes held onto...

Director Chen was waiting at the entrance, practically vibrating with nervous energy. He was a round man in his fifties, with thinning hair and the soft hands of someone who’d never done real work. His suit was expensive but poorly fitted, suggesting wealth without taste.

"Sixth Master Lu," he greeted, bowing slightly, too deeply for respect and not deeply enough for genuine deference. "Thank you for coming. I’ve made all the arrangements as requested. Complete privacy, no records, no witnesses."

"Where?" Sixth Master Lu’s voice was clipped, and impatient. All he wanted was to see and hear from her.

"This way, please." Director Chen gestured toward the building, leading him through the corridors that grew progressively more luxurious the further they went from the actual prison. This was the administrative wing, where the warden and his cronies conducted their business away from the squalor they oversaw.

They stopped in front of a door near the end of a quiet hallway. Director Chen produced a key, unlocking it with hands that trembled slightly.

"This is the VIP guest suite, Sixth Master Lu" he explained, pushing the door open. "We use it for... special visitors. High-ranking officials who want to tour the facility without actually experiencing it, if you understand my meaning."

Sixth Master Lu understood perfectly. This was where bribes were negotiated, where deals were made, where the corruption that funded the illegal fights was sealed with handshakes and threats.

He stepped inside without much care...

The room was a jarring contrast to the prison beyond its walls. Plush carpeting absorbed his footsteps. A large mahogany desk dominated one corner, its surface polished to a mirror shine. A leather couch sat against the far wall, flanked by matching chairs. Expensive artwork hung on the walls, probably seized from inmates who’d had wealth before their incarceration.

There was even a private bathroom visible through a half-open door, complete with marble fixtures.

"Will this suffice?" Director Chen asked, hovering in the doorway like an anxious servant.

"It’s fine." Sixth Master Lu moved to the couch, settling into it with the ease of someone accustomed to luxury. "Bring her. And Chen?" He fixed the director with a look that made the man go pale. "If anyone else knows about this meeting, if any record exists of it, if there’s even a whisper tomorrow... You understand the consequences?"

"Yes, sir. Absolutely, sir. Complete discretion." Director Chen backed out of the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

Sixth Master Lu leaned back against the leather seat, closing his eyes for a moment. The drive from the hospital had been long enough for doubts to creep in. What was he doing? Chasing rumors about a woman who could heal impossibly fast? Meeting with a prisoner in the middle of the night based on a phone call about glowing eyes and an unlikely victory?

It sounded insane.

But he’d exhausted every sane option. Every rational approach had led nowhere. His daughter was dying by inches, trapped in that impossible sleep, and he was desperate enough to grasp at anything that might resemble hope.

Even if that hope came from the depths of a prison, wrapped in the form of a woman who shouldn’t exist.

He opened his eyes, scanning the room with the practiced assessment of someone who trusted nothing and no one.

Security cameras, there were none visible, but that meant nothing. He stood up, moving around the room with casual purpose, checking corners, looking for the telltale glint of lenses.

But there was nothing.

Either Director Chen had been thorough, or Sixth Master Lu’s reputation was sufficient to ensure compliance.