Abruzzi's movements were quick, that afternoon, Nolan was assigned to P.I and sent to work in a small shed next to the playground.
Michael and Lincoln were there too, the two brothers worked not far from each other, speaking in low voices, Abruzzi stood watching Michael and Nolan from time to time.
"Boss, why did you let those three join?" One of Abruzzi's men asked.
He narrowed his eyes. "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."
His subordinate, unable to fully understand, stayed silent, in the other corner, Michael cast a furtive glance at Abruzzi then whispered to Lincoln: "So far, the plan is going well, the next step is to solve a critical matter, once we do, we can truly begin."
"What is it?" Lincoln asked.
"My cellmate," Michael replied. "I didn't know who he was until I got in here, if we want to escape, he has to come with me, otherwise I can't do anything."
"And what's the problem? Doesn't that guy want to get out too?" Lincoln pressed.
Michael shook his head. "I've been here for days and still can't figure him out, I haven't asked him anything, that man is strange, I get a bad feeling from him."
Lincoln looked at Nolan, calmly painting a wall. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know how to explain it, I get the impression he doesn't care about the outside, that he doesn't mind staying here, he always smiles, never shows what he thinks, it's hard to tell if he's serious or lying, I even feel that compared to people like Abruzzi, he might be more dangerous."
Lincoln stayed silent. "What do you plan to do?"
"We don't have time," Michael replied, frowning. "I'm going to test him, if it doesn't work, I'll find a way to switch cellmates."
"You think you'll manage?" Lincoln asked.
"I have to try." Michael answered, continuing his work.
Nolan, of course, noticed the whispers and glances, so he guessed what they were talking about, but he didn't care, he already had his own plan.
"Tonight, dear Michael, you'll surely be surprised.." Nolan whispered and kept painting the wall, it turned out to be therapeutic.
...
In the afternoon, everyone went to the dining hall, which had been reopened at noon, at lunchtime, many inmates still hesitated to eat, fearful of another poisoning.
But nothing happened, so at dinner, the tension dissipated, only a few remained afraid.
After eating, showering, and returning to cellblock A, one hour of free time was granted, although first a headcount was made.
Nolan stopped at the railing and looked at the first floor, T-Bag's white gang was facing off against C-Note's African American group, and the tension between them was unbearable, war seemed imminent.
"Let them not fight tonight, I still don't have a weapon," Nolan thought.
In the original series, before the fight, the guards launched a surprise raid to confiscate contraband in cellblock A.
Since that hadn't happened yet, Nolan decided not to approach C-Note during the day, there was no point in getting a weapon that he would later have to discard, also risking being caught and sent to solitary.
Luckily, that night the racial war didn't break out, Nolan breathed a sigh of relief.
...
The night went on and the cells were locked, prison nightlife began, Michael, wearing a long sleeve jacket, quietly went to wash his clothes by the sink.
Nolan, sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall, watched him and smiled: "Michael, I've always had a question I want to ask you."
"Oh? What is it?" Michael replied, turning to him.
"Your tattoo seems very interesting to me," Nolan said with a smile.
"Mr. Nolan, that's not a problem," Michael replied, avoiding eye contact.
"Don't worry, the real question comes now." Nolan lowered his voice. "Why are there blueprints of a building hidden in your tattoo?" Michael froze, his whole body trembled.
"Surprised?" Nolan asked with a smile.
For a few seconds, Michael tried to hide his shock, until he managed to respond coldly: "Mr. Nolan, I don't know what you're talking about."
"That's interesting." Nolan didn't stop. "It doesn't look like a mistake, after all, you're a genius, I'm curious, where did you get the blueprints of this prison?"
Michael's face changed at once, his breathing quickened, he could no longer pretend, he turned sharply and looked up at Nolan, who was watching him with a smile from the top bunk.
The silence became suffocating, after a while, Michael, with a somber face, realized he had to give in, he had to save Lincoln, he couldn't risk it.
"Mr. Nolan, maybe you misunderstood, before I came in here I was a structural engineer, the tattoo only shows one of my designs."
"Michael," Nolan said calmly, enjoying the moment, "do you really want to keep claiming that? Your plan starts in this cell, right? As your cellmate, you should be honest with me."
Michael couldn't answer, his face darkened even more, like the sky before a storm, used to having the initiative and controlling every variable, now he faced an immovable wall.
For a long moment, his mind went blank: "Who the hell are you?" he finally asked, his voice tense.