Page 29 of Caged In

Maybe the killer has a facial muscle disease and can’t smile?

Wow, your thoughts are a weird place to be.

Izz pushes his thoughts aside and resumes studying the empty back corner. Willing the killer to appear in the shadows. To give his mind something to focus on and occupy itself with. To stop thinking about what the male’s smile may or may not look like.

Why is the killer running late?

Not eating?

Killing someone in theCleaning Suppliescloset?

Izz scoffs, disappointedin himself for showing he cares where the killer may be. It’s not his place and there is a good reason for it—because—Hello—the male‘is’a serial killer. Not some crush he has any right to gawk at.

Izz reprimands his own mind, digging into his food. Telling his thoughts to concentrate on other issues, not the serial killer criminal he’s sharing a cage with—

Reni and Zidie snap into action when they both notice Izz has returned. Over-excited and jumping down his throat on what job assignment he was handed.

“Kitchen,” Izz answers, unimpressed.

Watching both their faces light up in surprise. Like they were both certain he would be put in the laundry room with the rest of The Gang. How they could be certain on that, he has no idea.

Reni rubs his chin, a frown creasing his eyebrows. “Weird. Counsellor usually does the ‘random’pick, by looking at who you hang out with. That’s why it can sometimes take a while. They have to see who you’re in with. If you have gang tats, you usually get the job assignment almost instantaneously.”

Zidie nods along with Reni’s contemplations—a cupcake tattooed, bobble headed criminal doll, bobbing along a bumpy track. The train of thought moving from Reni to Zidie like they’re connected by one mind’s eye.

“Keeps groups together, minimises fighting during the work periods,” Blake inserts into the explanation, becoming part of the conversation.

Izz doesn’t mind. He’s beginning to form a bond with the vampire, like that of an older brother or favourite cousin.

“The only ones who work the kitchens are The StaZos. I’m sure you noticed the star ink on their faces?” Reni points to his brow, with Zidie mimicking right along with him. “Considering you hang with us, you should have been put in the laundry.It’s . . .” Reni’s voice trails off, a distant expression appearing on his face.

“ . . . It’s what?” Aknot is forming in Izz’s stomach from the look on Reni’s face—a dawning understanding and an expression of dread taking over his cellmate’s features. And the puzzlement on Zidie’s face isn’t helping the knot untangle.

“What?” Izz isn’t sure he wants to hear the answer.

“ . . . almost like someone wanted you there,” Reni finishes ominously.

Izz scoffs at the answer. His stomach unknotting in an instant. Trust his cellmate to make a big deal out of nothing, throwing a conspiracy theory into the mix. “Well dah. They wouldn’t put me in a job with no available space, of course someone wanted . . . me . . . there . . .” Izz trails off when Reni’s expression grows substantially more serious.

Izz frowns at Reni.Maybe he means an inmate wants me there?

But why . . .

An image flashes into his frontal lobe—the beefy server who always hands him food. Is always so nice to him and giving him extra—

His mind races away from that train of thought as if a bomb went off and disintegrated it—the killer has appeared by the doors. Striding in like he owns the place and isn’t afraid to kill to keep the entire prison as his territory. Like the rest of the inmates are as insignificant to him as ants. A predator who fears no others.

The killer reclines in his claimed eating area. Reigning over the non-worthy animals eating around him. His tray is empty of any food, like he isn’t hungry. Although he came here, and collected a tray. So maybe it’s more the food being served today isn’t to his satisfaction or he dislikes the items available?

Why else would he come to the cafeteria if it isn’t to eat?

Why stay in the cafeteria,if you’re not going to eat anything?

Why is he frustrated about it? Who cares. It’s not like any of them have many places to be in this cage. He shouldn’t even be taking note of the killer’s whereabouts, or actions. Let alone being annoyed by the killer not eating, like that’s his concern—it is none of his business.

Izz jots it down as morbid curiosity, and leaves it at that. He does not want to dig into why he’s noticing changes in the killer’s routine. He’ll call it a prey response to the predator in the vicinity. Not a human response to his libido’scall—

Izz’s heart stops when the killer’s cold gaze lands directly on him, and doesn’t shift away.

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