Chapter 16: Shadows of Solitary
The ward had finally quieted.
Gianna slipped from the bed, hurriedly dressing before leaving without another word. Her family's affairs weighed heavily on her; even finding time for this visit had been rare.
Tommy watched her silhouette vanish down the corridor, his gaze deep and calculating.
He had always planned to build a balance—Gianna working from the outside to secure parole, Sara protecting him within Redhaven to ease his life behind bars. Together, they formed the perfect support system.
But Gianna's sudden visit risked unraveling that delicate balance. The intimacy he'd cultivated with Sara was fragile, and now fractured. Still, Tommy didn't dwell. There was time. He could repair it.
For now, he couldn't play the hypocrite—jumping from Gianna's arms to Sara's the same day. Even he would find such behavior shameful.
The clock ticked steadily on the wall.
---
In the medical office next door, an uninvited guest stormed in.
"Doctor Sara, I need an update on Tommy Vercetti's condition."
Captain Belick.
Just days ago, he'd tried to drag Tommy straight to solitary. Sara had intervened, blocking him with her medical authority. Because of that, Belick had borne the warden's fury and even lost part of his pay.
Every time he thought about it, his stomach twisted with rage.
That damned inmate causes trouble, and I pay the price?
His knuckles whitened as he clenched his fists. He couldn't let Tommy slip by again.
Still, standing before Sara, Belick forced a strained smile. "I reviewed his test results. They suggest his injuries are healed. Is that true, Doctor?"
Sara hesitated. She'd overheard enough from the ward to piece together Tommy's betrayal, and her heart was raw with hurt. Rationally, she should cut ties.
But feelings weren't ruled by logic. Despite everything, she couldn't bring herself to abandon him completely. Her professional mask slipped into her voice.
"His wounds may look healed on the surface, Captain, but from a doctor's perspective he still needs several more days under observation. Otherwise, infection and complications remain a serious risk."
Belick's lips curled into a bitter sneer. "That line again?"
He remembered all too well—ten days ago, she'd used the same excuse. Infection, complications, observation. Did she think him a fool?
He stepped closer, lowering his tone. "Enough. Tea Bag is being discharged tomorrow morning. His injuries were worse than Tommy's. If he can walk free, there's no reason Tommy should still be here."
The meaning was clear.
Sara bit her lip. She had no argument left. Belick was right—Tea Bag had been half-dead, yet was being released back into the blocks. Compared to him, Tommy's recovery gave her no leverage.
Still, she fought for something. "At least one more night. He's not ready yet."
Belick scowled, torn between fury and caution. He wanted to drag Tommy out this instant, but Sara's determination—and her father's influence—kept him in check.
"Fine. One more night," he growled. "But tomorrow, he goes to solitary. Three months in the dark. That bastard won't escape me again."
With that, he slammed the door behind him.
---
Minutes later, Sara entered Tommy's ward. Her face was pale, her expression unreadable.
"Belick will move you tomorrow," she said curtly. "Solitary confinement. Three months."
She didn't wait for his answer. Turning sharply, she walked away, her back cold and unyielding.
Tommy exhaled slowly, knowing he'd wounded her more deeply than she'd admit. For now, though, his thoughts shifted elsewhere.
"Three months in the dark…"
Solitary confinement—Redhaven's most feared punishment.
A six-by-seven meter box. No windows. No sense of day or night. A light that never dimmed.
At first, it would seem tolerable—three meals, silence, no gangs breathing down your neck. But days would blur into each other. Time itself would lose meaning. Without distractions, the mind would fray. Hallucinations, despair, madness.
Even hardened killers walked out of solitary as hollow shells.
But Tommy wasn't just any prisoner.
With Tai Lung's martial arts talent burning in his blood, isolation could become training. A place to sharpen himself, push his body, and hone his instincts.
Still… three months locked away cut him off from everything. Sara. Gianna. His growing influence in Redhaven. Too much risk. If Gianna's support vanished, parole would be a fantasy.
His jaw tightened.
"No. I can't allow it."
If he wanted to avoid the dark room, one obstacle had to be removed first.
Belick.
End of the chapter
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