Crimes of Perception (Chapter Five)
Title: Crimes of Perception
Genre: Prison Break
Author: Kate Monster
Characters: LJ Burrows, Lincoln Burrows, Michael Scofield, Sara Tancredi, Paul Kellerman
Rating: PG-13 ("Language, LJ!")
Summary: LJ is finally in a place that should be safe, with people he should be able to trust, but no place is safe anymore.
Spoilers: Through 2.07, beyond that is unspoiled speculation.
He dreamed he was in jail.
Not the courthouse in Illinois, not the detention center in Arizona, but in Fox River, with his dad, and his uncle, and all the others. Except that nobody seemed to know him, and he was alone, and Veronica was in the visitor room. And he was in the cage, just like his father used to be, and the officer standing over him was Nick. And then Nick pulled him out of the cage, uncuffed him, and threw him forcefully, and he was flying, flying over the wall… He was dreaming… It was a dream, and he knew it, and he could fly in this dream… it was okay, nobody could hurt him, not like this… and then his father was on one side of him, and his mother on the other, and then they landed in a field, where a picnic was waiting for them, a picnic of hot dogs and cole slaw and coca cola, and he didn’t want to wake up, he just wanted to see what happened next…
LJ blinked his eyes open. Sunlight was peeking in through the window, and something felt… odd. He rolled over, blinking towards the window, and saw his father silhouetted against the light, leaning against the headboard. Lincoln was awake, and staring right at him.
He blinked again.
“Hi?” LJ asked.
“Sorry.” Lincoln rolled over and climbed out of the bed on the other side. The bed creaked and bowed as he moved. LJ wondered how long he’d been watching him sleep. On the one hand, it was unnerving, and on the other hand, it was strangely… comforting, to know that while he slept, he was being watched.
“Sleep okay?” LJ said. He stretched, angling his arms over his head.
“Well enough,” Lincoln said, then hesitated. “Don’t sleep so well anymore, lately. How about you?”
“Decent. You used to sleep through anything,” LJ said. “I couldn’t wake you up even when I wanted to.” He grinned and set his hands down, then scooted back to lean against the headboard. He pulled the covers up. It was surprisingly chilly in here for an early summer morning. But then, that was Wisconsin.
“Got a lot on my mind,” Lincoln admitted.
LJ offered a wry smile as he rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Never pegged you for the thinker.”
“Hey. Your dad has more smarts than you might think, huh?”
“I know, I’m just-“ LJ shook his head. He blinked once more, his head slowly clearing. “What do you think? About that guy out there in the living room?”
“I think he’s dangerous,” Lincoln said slowly, “but I also think he’s our best chance, and I think between you, me, Michael and the doctor, we have the upper hand.”
“He’s a sociopath, Dad,” LJ said, lowering his voice. “That guy is seriously sick. I wish you coulda heard some of the things he said to me. Back when you were still in prison. The way he taunted me about my mom… about framing me…” He caught his voice rising, and he licked his lips and lowered his tone. “I don’t buy it. He doesn’t want to help us, he just knows he has to.”
“You let me and Mike worry about him,” Lincoln said. “He’s our problem now. All I want you to worry about is that book report. How is it so far?”
Right. Daniel. “It’s okay,” he said. He licked his lips again. “I’m kinda into it, I guess. I’ll probably finish it today.”
“Good!’ Lincoln sounded cheerful for the first time since they’d arrived. “I like that. Seeing you reading. That’s good. What’s it about?”
“It’s… about a kid whose parents both went to the electric chair,” LJ said. He didn’t know why, he just felt daring. He knew it was a risky thing to reveal. He glanced away.
“What?” Lincoln asked abruptly. He stiffened. “Where did you find that?”
“It was Nick’s. It’s good,” he said defensively. “Real good. It’s just…”
“A little close to home, huh?” Lincoln asked. He tried to force a grin, but didn’t do too well. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Well, we got through that. And here we are.”
“Here we are,” LJ echoed.
They both fell silent for a moment. Lincoln turned to face the window. “Was that true, what he said last night? ‘Bout Adrian.”
“What?” LJ asked in surprise. “That he killed him?”
“That he… hit you.”
“Oh.” LJ shrugged uncomfortably. “Hey look, I don’t even know where he got that from, and it wasn’t… it wasn’t bad or nothing. He was always kind of a wuss.” He licked his lips. “It’s okay, Dad. Adrian saved my life. He was a decent enough guy, really. And maybe I deserved it for being such a smartass. ”
Lincoln turned around. “I don’t want you to think for a second that you deserved this. Any of this.”
“Okay…” LJ said, hesitating.
“Cause you are a smartass. But that doesn’t give anybody an excuse for what’s happened to you.”
LJ had to choke back a snicker. “Okay.” He grinned down at the covers.
“Good.” Lincoln took a deep breath and clasped his hands together. “Hungry?”
LJ shrugged. He wasn’t, really, but he wasn’t about to stop his father from fixing breakfast for him, either, not if he wanted to. “Sure.”
Some things, at least, were kind of perfect right now.
He reached for the book on the bedside table as Lincoln exited the room. And he hadn’t even cracked it before he heard the shout from the living room. “Michael!”
The tone in his father’s voice was alarming. Very alarming. He shot out of bed and was in the living room in a second. Michael was just beginning to stir in the chair, Sara was blinking awake on the couch, and-
“What the hell?” LJ breathed. “Where’d he go?”
“Michael!” Lincoln shouted again, and LJ wasn’t sure that he’d ever heard his father quite so angry. He flinched back in spite of himself, even though he wasn’t the one in hot water this time. It was still scary whenever his father bellowed like that.
“Where’s Kellerman?” Michael asked in alarm, jumping into consciousness as he looked around, pulling the blanket up with him.
“He was there,” Sara said. “He was secure-“
Lincoln grabbed LJ roughly by the shoulders. “Go in the back,” he said. He pushed him towards the bedroom. “Go. In. The back. The guns…” He whirled around. “Michael, where’d you put them?”
Michael was already out of bed and stumbling towards the closet. He threw the doors open and pulled out a box. LJ stopped in his tracks to turn around and stare. Of course they’d moved the guns after the day before. Of course they didn’t trust him after he pulled a gun on their captive, the one who just busted out when nobody was looking. It practically made him want to scream. “He didn’t get them,” Michael said. “Everything’s here.”
“What about the one he had?” Sara asked. She dove for the suitcase in the corner. “Gone,” she said almost immediately, although the stricken expression on her face was all they needed.
“Linc,” Michael said, his head shaking ever so slightly, “I-“
“I know,” Lincoln said impatiently. “How far could he have gotten? The cars? Are they-?”
“Still there,” LJ said. He’d already made his way over to the window.
“Get away from there,” Lincoln ordered again, and LJ stumbled backwards, chagrined. “Everybody stay away from the windows. He could be watching, and he’s armed.”
“He won’t take us out like that,” LJ whispered. “He’ll want to taunt us first… He hates me…”
“I don’t understand,” Sara said. “He came with us - willingly - he told me to tie him up… he volunteered…”
“He woulda turned no matter what,” LJ said from the doorway of the bedroom. He clutched the door frame. “It just happened faster cause I got here.” He rubbed a hand up and down, feeling the rough wood beneath his fingers, staring at his well-chewed fingernails. “He’s like a shark. Smells blood and the chase is back on…”
“Hey,” Michael said, cutting him off with a warning glance. His eyes flicked over to Sara, who still looked rather distraught, then back to LJ, who got it.
“We gotta go,” Lincoln said suddenly. “We don’t know how far he’s gotten, or who he might be bringing here now that he knows where we are. All it takes is one call to the police, and…” His voice trailed off. “Grab everything you can. We’re leaving. Right now.”
LJ wasted no time, scrambling into the bedroom and grabbing his duffel bag. He tossed his book into it, and ripped off the t-shirt and sweats he’d slept in, pulling on his jeans and a fresh t-shirt instead. He didn’t change the socks he’d slept in, just shoved his feet into his boots and returned to the living room, where the adults were similarly completing a rapid-fire packing job.
“We take one car,” Michael said, breathing rather heavily. “We’re not splitting up.”
“Agreed,” Lincoln said. “LJ, is that everything?”
“That’s everything,” LJ confirmed. “Don’t forget the guns.”
Everyone turned to the closet. Lincoln looked back at him. “Right,” he said. Michael grabbed for the box.
“I’ll check to make sure the coast is clear,” Sara said.
“Sara, no,” Michael said.
“I’m the one he’s least likely to hurt.” She stretched out her hand. “Give me one.”
Michael obliged and handed her a weapon. “Be careful with that,” he said.
“I know how to use this,” she said. “I worked in a correctional facility, remember. Wait here.” She shouldered her own bag and opened the door carefully.
“This is unbelievable,” LJ muttered. “This is unreal…”
“Hey,” Lincoln said, “It’ll be okay.”
LJ rolled his eyes. “You say that,” he said, “and all you manage to do is convince me that you don’t know this guy.”
“Clear,” Sara hissed, poking her head back in the door. “Guys. Come on.”
Lincoln put his hand on LJ’s shoulder. “I want you to stay low going out there. He might still be out of sight. We get in the car, I want you in the backseat, your head down. If anybody’s going to be a target, it’s not going to be you.”
“Or you,” LJ said, alarmed.
“Go!”
LJ scrambled across the gravel, trying to erase unpleasant flashbacks from the siege on the cabin. He expected shots to ring out at any moment, but nothing happened. Not this time. He opened the door and crawled into the backseat, tossing his bag on the seat and securing himself on the floor. He didn’t breathe until Michael and Lincoln were in the car, the door was closed, and Sara was driving them down the road.
“Now where do we go?” LJ asked, twisting around to try and catch a glimpse of Michael, who was low in the front seat. Lincoln had joined him in the back and was now leaning his head back against Michael’s seat, his eyes closed. “Canada?”
“Where would we go in Canada?” Lincoln asked, not opening his eyes.
“Hell, anywhere, I don’t know. They can’t extradite you, right?”
“They can’t,” Lincoln said, “but they can extradite your uncle.”
“How’s that work?” LJ asked in surprise.
“Death penalty,” he said simply, and LJ immediately wished he hadn’t asked. The thought of turning into Daniel after all made him shiver just a little. “Where do you think Kellerman’s going?” Lincoln asked.
“I don’t know,” Michael said, “and I don’t care, as long as we don’t see him again. LJ was right. He was never going to help us. If LJ hadn’t shown up, he probably would have turned on us later. But once he saw things weren’t going his way anymore, he bailed.” His fist struck the dashboard with a surprisingly loud thump, causing LJ to jump slightly in the back.
“Last night?” Sara spoke up from the driver’s seat. “He gave me the address for the company office. It’s in Denver. Colorado.”
Silence settled over the car. LJ glanced over at his father and saw Lincoln’s eyes fly open.
“When was that?” Michael demanded.
“You were in the bathroom.”
“And you didn’t say anything?”
“I figured we’d talk about it in the morning,” she said. “I didn’t think he’d…” She shook her head.
“Well, we’re not going there, right?” LJ asked. “Clearly, it’s a trap.”
“We’ve walked into them before,” Michael pointed out. “If that really is the place where they have every paper, every document you can’t find somewhere else…”
“What good are papers going to do us?” Lincoln asked. “Besides, you think he’d give us the real address?”
“Yeah, was he by any chance talking when he gave it to you?” LJ piped up. “Because usually when he does that, he’s lying.”
“Perceptive,” Michael noted.
“That’s me,” LJ said, feeling only slightly uncomfortable. “I’m a criminal of perception.” He glanced down at the bag beside him.
“What?” Michael asked. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing,” LJ said. He reached into the side pocket and pulled the book out to stare at it again. He shifted slightly, wedging himself on the floor more securely. The vehicle was still bouncing around too much to read. He’d get carsick. “Just something from my book.”
Lincoln glanced at him, alarmed, but LJ just tucked his head to the side, staring at the cover.
“I want to find him,” Michael said firmly. “If we’re going to take anybody down, Kellerman’s going with them.”
“You find him,” Lincoln said in a low voice, “and I’ll take care of the rest.” He glanced across the seat to his son, but LJ couldn’t meet his father’s eyes.
LJ set the book down on the seat and leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling of the car. He allowed himself a small, secret smile, hidden behind his hand for safekeeping. And across from him, the large form of his father shifted positions, tucking his head to the side and closing his eyes.
Now, at last, LJ watched him, feeling oddly contented as he crouched on the floor of the car and they raced towards an uncertain future.
Genre: Prison Break
Author: Kate Monster
Characters: LJ Burrows, Lincoln Burrows, Michael Scofield, Sara Tancredi, Paul Kellerman
Rating: PG-13 ("Language, LJ!")
Summary: LJ is finally in a place that should be safe, with people he should be able to trust, but no place is safe anymore.
Spoilers: Through 2.07, beyond that is unspoiled speculation.
He dreamed he was in jail.
Not the courthouse in Illinois, not the detention center in Arizona, but in Fox River, with his dad, and his uncle, and all the others. Except that nobody seemed to know him, and he was alone, and Veronica was in the visitor room. And he was in the cage, just like his father used to be, and the officer standing over him was Nick. And then Nick pulled him out of the cage, uncuffed him, and threw him forcefully, and he was flying, flying over the wall… He was dreaming… It was a dream, and he knew it, and he could fly in this dream… it was okay, nobody could hurt him, not like this… and then his father was on one side of him, and his mother on the other, and then they landed in a field, where a picnic was waiting for them, a picnic of hot dogs and cole slaw and coca cola, and he didn’t want to wake up, he just wanted to see what happened next…
LJ blinked his eyes open. Sunlight was peeking in through the window, and something felt… odd. He rolled over, blinking towards the window, and saw his father silhouetted against the light, leaning against the headboard. Lincoln was awake, and staring right at him.
He blinked again.
“Hi?” LJ asked.
“Sorry.” Lincoln rolled over and climbed out of the bed on the other side. The bed creaked and bowed as he moved. LJ wondered how long he’d been watching him sleep. On the one hand, it was unnerving, and on the other hand, it was strangely… comforting, to know that while he slept, he was being watched.
“Sleep okay?” LJ said. He stretched, angling his arms over his head.
“Well enough,” Lincoln said, then hesitated. “Don’t sleep so well anymore, lately. How about you?”
“Decent. You used to sleep through anything,” LJ said. “I couldn’t wake you up even when I wanted to.” He grinned and set his hands down, then scooted back to lean against the headboard. He pulled the covers up. It was surprisingly chilly in here for an early summer morning. But then, that was Wisconsin.
“Got a lot on my mind,” Lincoln admitted.
LJ offered a wry smile as he rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Never pegged you for the thinker.”
“Hey. Your dad has more smarts than you might think, huh?”
“I know, I’m just-“ LJ shook his head. He blinked once more, his head slowly clearing. “What do you think? About that guy out there in the living room?”
“I think he’s dangerous,” Lincoln said slowly, “but I also think he’s our best chance, and I think between you, me, Michael and the doctor, we have the upper hand.”
“He’s a sociopath, Dad,” LJ said, lowering his voice. “That guy is seriously sick. I wish you coulda heard some of the things he said to me. Back when you were still in prison. The way he taunted me about my mom… about framing me…” He caught his voice rising, and he licked his lips and lowered his tone. “I don’t buy it. He doesn’t want to help us, he just knows he has to.”
“You let me and Mike worry about him,” Lincoln said. “He’s our problem now. All I want you to worry about is that book report. How is it so far?”
Right. Daniel. “It’s okay,” he said. He licked his lips again. “I’m kinda into it, I guess. I’ll probably finish it today.”
“Good!’ Lincoln sounded cheerful for the first time since they’d arrived. “I like that. Seeing you reading. That’s good. What’s it about?”
“It’s… about a kid whose parents both went to the electric chair,” LJ said. He didn’t know why, he just felt daring. He knew it was a risky thing to reveal. He glanced away.
“What?” Lincoln asked abruptly. He stiffened. “Where did you find that?”
“It was Nick’s. It’s good,” he said defensively. “Real good. It’s just…”
“A little close to home, huh?” Lincoln asked. He tried to force a grin, but didn’t do too well. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Well, we got through that. And here we are.”
“Here we are,” LJ echoed.
They both fell silent for a moment. Lincoln turned to face the window. “Was that true, what he said last night? ‘Bout Adrian.”
“What?” LJ asked in surprise. “That he killed him?”
“That he… hit you.”
“Oh.” LJ shrugged uncomfortably. “Hey look, I don’t even know where he got that from, and it wasn’t… it wasn’t bad or nothing. He was always kind of a wuss.” He licked his lips. “It’s okay, Dad. Adrian saved my life. He was a decent enough guy, really. And maybe I deserved it for being such a smartass. ”
Lincoln turned around. “I don’t want you to think for a second that you deserved this. Any of this.”
“Okay…” LJ said, hesitating.
“Cause you are a smartass. But that doesn’t give anybody an excuse for what’s happened to you.”
LJ had to choke back a snicker. “Okay.” He grinned down at the covers.
“Good.” Lincoln took a deep breath and clasped his hands together. “Hungry?”
LJ shrugged. He wasn’t, really, but he wasn’t about to stop his father from fixing breakfast for him, either, not if he wanted to. “Sure.”
Some things, at least, were kind of perfect right now.
He reached for the book on the bedside table as Lincoln exited the room. And he hadn’t even cracked it before he heard the shout from the living room. “Michael!”
The tone in his father’s voice was alarming. Very alarming. He shot out of bed and was in the living room in a second. Michael was just beginning to stir in the chair, Sara was blinking awake on the couch, and-
“What the hell?” LJ breathed. “Where’d he go?”
“Michael!” Lincoln shouted again, and LJ wasn’t sure that he’d ever heard his father quite so angry. He flinched back in spite of himself, even though he wasn’t the one in hot water this time. It was still scary whenever his father bellowed like that.
“Where’s Kellerman?” Michael asked in alarm, jumping into consciousness as he looked around, pulling the blanket up with him.
“He was there,” Sara said. “He was secure-“
Lincoln grabbed LJ roughly by the shoulders. “Go in the back,” he said. He pushed him towards the bedroom. “Go. In. The back. The guns…” He whirled around. “Michael, where’d you put them?”
Michael was already out of bed and stumbling towards the closet. He threw the doors open and pulled out a box. LJ stopped in his tracks to turn around and stare. Of course they’d moved the guns after the day before. Of course they didn’t trust him after he pulled a gun on their captive, the one who just busted out when nobody was looking. It practically made him want to scream. “He didn’t get them,” Michael said. “Everything’s here.”
“What about the one he had?” Sara asked. She dove for the suitcase in the corner. “Gone,” she said almost immediately, although the stricken expression on her face was all they needed.
“Linc,” Michael said, his head shaking ever so slightly, “I-“
“I know,” Lincoln said impatiently. “How far could he have gotten? The cars? Are they-?”
“Still there,” LJ said. He’d already made his way over to the window.
“Get away from there,” Lincoln ordered again, and LJ stumbled backwards, chagrined. “Everybody stay away from the windows. He could be watching, and he’s armed.”
“He won’t take us out like that,” LJ whispered. “He’ll want to taunt us first… He hates me…”
“I don’t understand,” Sara said. “He came with us - willingly - he told me to tie him up… he volunteered…”
“He woulda turned no matter what,” LJ said from the doorway of the bedroom. He clutched the door frame. “It just happened faster cause I got here.” He rubbed a hand up and down, feeling the rough wood beneath his fingers, staring at his well-chewed fingernails. “He’s like a shark. Smells blood and the chase is back on…”
“Hey,” Michael said, cutting him off with a warning glance. His eyes flicked over to Sara, who still looked rather distraught, then back to LJ, who got it.
“We gotta go,” Lincoln said suddenly. “We don’t know how far he’s gotten, or who he might be bringing here now that he knows where we are. All it takes is one call to the police, and…” His voice trailed off. “Grab everything you can. We’re leaving. Right now.”
LJ wasted no time, scrambling into the bedroom and grabbing his duffel bag. He tossed his book into it, and ripped off the t-shirt and sweats he’d slept in, pulling on his jeans and a fresh t-shirt instead. He didn’t change the socks he’d slept in, just shoved his feet into his boots and returned to the living room, where the adults were similarly completing a rapid-fire packing job.
“We take one car,” Michael said, breathing rather heavily. “We’re not splitting up.”
“Agreed,” Lincoln said. “LJ, is that everything?”
“That’s everything,” LJ confirmed. “Don’t forget the guns.”
Everyone turned to the closet. Lincoln looked back at him. “Right,” he said. Michael grabbed for the box.
“I’ll check to make sure the coast is clear,” Sara said.
“Sara, no,” Michael said.
“I’m the one he’s least likely to hurt.” She stretched out her hand. “Give me one.”
Michael obliged and handed her a weapon. “Be careful with that,” he said.
“I know how to use this,” she said. “I worked in a correctional facility, remember. Wait here.” She shouldered her own bag and opened the door carefully.
“This is unbelievable,” LJ muttered. “This is unreal…”
“Hey,” Lincoln said, “It’ll be okay.”
LJ rolled his eyes. “You say that,” he said, “and all you manage to do is convince me that you don’t know this guy.”
“Clear,” Sara hissed, poking her head back in the door. “Guys. Come on.”
Lincoln put his hand on LJ’s shoulder. “I want you to stay low going out there. He might still be out of sight. We get in the car, I want you in the backseat, your head down. If anybody’s going to be a target, it’s not going to be you.”
“Or you,” LJ said, alarmed.
“Go!”
LJ scrambled across the gravel, trying to erase unpleasant flashbacks from the siege on the cabin. He expected shots to ring out at any moment, but nothing happened. Not this time. He opened the door and crawled into the backseat, tossing his bag on the seat and securing himself on the floor. He didn’t breathe until Michael and Lincoln were in the car, the door was closed, and Sara was driving them down the road.
“Now where do we go?” LJ asked, twisting around to try and catch a glimpse of Michael, who was low in the front seat. Lincoln had joined him in the back and was now leaning his head back against Michael’s seat, his eyes closed. “Canada?”
“Where would we go in Canada?” Lincoln asked, not opening his eyes.
“Hell, anywhere, I don’t know. They can’t extradite you, right?”
“They can’t,” Lincoln said, “but they can extradite your uncle.”
“How’s that work?” LJ asked in surprise.
“Death penalty,” he said simply, and LJ immediately wished he hadn’t asked. The thought of turning into Daniel after all made him shiver just a little. “Where do you think Kellerman’s going?” Lincoln asked.
“I don’t know,” Michael said, “and I don’t care, as long as we don’t see him again. LJ was right. He was never going to help us. If LJ hadn’t shown up, he probably would have turned on us later. But once he saw things weren’t going his way anymore, he bailed.” His fist struck the dashboard with a surprisingly loud thump, causing LJ to jump slightly in the back.
“Last night?” Sara spoke up from the driver’s seat. “He gave me the address for the company office. It’s in Denver. Colorado.”
Silence settled over the car. LJ glanced over at his father and saw Lincoln’s eyes fly open.
“When was that?” Michael demanded.
“You were in the bathroom.”
“And you didn’t say anything?”
“I figured we’d talk about it in the morning,” she said. “I didn’t think he’d…” She shook her head.
“Well, we’re not going there, right?” LJ asked. “Clearly, it’s a trap.”
“We’ve walked into them before,” Michael pointed out. “If that really is the place where they have every paper, every document you can’t find somewhere else…”
“What good are papers going to do us?” Lincoln asked. “Besides, you think he’d give us the real address?”
“Yeah, was he by any chance talking when he gave it to you?” LJ piped up. “Because usually when he does that, he’s lying.”
“Perceptive,” Michael noted.
“That’s me,” LJ said, feeling only slightly uncomfortable. “I’m a criminal of perception.” He glanced down at the bag beside him.
“What?” Michael asked. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing,” LJ said. He reached into the side pocket and pulled the book out to stare at it again. He shifted slightly, wedging himself on the floor more securely. The vehicle was still bouncing around too much to read. He’d get carsick. “Just something from my book.”
Lincoln glanced at him, alarmed, but LJ just tucked his head to the side, staring at the cover.
“I want to find him,” Michael said firmly. “If we’re going to take anybody down, Kellerman’s going with them.”
“You find him,” Lincoln said in a low voice, “and I’ll take care of the rest.” He glanced across the seat to his son, but LJ couldn’t meet his father’s eyes.
LJ set the book down on the seat and leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling of the car. He allowed himself a small, secret smile, hidden behind his hand for safekeeping. And across from him, the large form of his father shifted positions, tucking his head to the side and closing his eyes.
Now, at last, LJ watched him, feeling oddly contented as he crouched on the floor of the car and they raced towards an uncertain future.