The episode opens in the aftermath of chaos. Inside the prison, the dead are being dragged from the mess hall. The wounded are screaming. And the survivors—both guards and inmates—are staring at each other with something worse than hatred: mutual fear.

Deacon stares at him for a long time. Then he nods.

Mike hangs up. He knows Milo means Kyle.

“You’re not the mayor of this town,” she says. “You’re the janitor. You clean up messes other people make, and you tell yourself that’s power. It’s not. It’s penance.”

Mike doesn’t argue. He can’t. Because she’s right.

Mike goes back inside the prison—alone, no vest, no backup. He finds Deacon in the laundry room, guarded by two lieutenants. The air smells of bleach and blood. Deacon is calm, almost friendly. He knows why Mike is there.