fear.
“SLAM!”
Jerry jumped at the sound of a closing door.
Stuart Co. Jail, Tank 3WestB
11 August, 8:15 PM
THE COMMON denominator shared by all inmates, when they’re not “busy,” is that they watch others. In doing this, they notice little things that might be different, or the same, from the previous day. For instance, does the CO have a new haircut, or the nurse a new pen? Does Joe Blow spend a lot of time on the phone, or writing home to his family? Who gets in the med line, and which pills does he get? Does the Med-Nurse look into everybody’s mouth, to see if a guy has actually swallowed his pills, or does he only look into the mouths of a select few? What time does a particular employee arrive in the unit everyday? Does he carry himself with confidence? Has he been working out? These are just a few of the many questions the inmate seeks to answer, and then files away in his brain. It’s an instinctual behavior we all possess, but in jail it’s honed to a high degree.
LIKE EVERYONE else, Josh was also watchful. One day he was sitting at a table with Frank when he noticed three guys who were standing in the corner of the tank. At first glance, he thought the three had gathered together to shoot the breeze. But with another glance, he quickly realized that his initial impression had been wrong – things just didn’t look right. Josh’s mind immediately kicked into high gear. Are they trying to create a diversion of some sort? he wondered. Or, perhaps, shield some nefarious act from the eyes of the COs?
Just then, Frank leaned over and poked him on the shoulder. “Hey, Josh, look over there.” Frank motioned with his eyes, and a slight jerk of his head.
“I know – I know,” Josh whispered. “I see it.”
“What do you think they’re doing?”
“I don’t know yet. Just shut-up, and let’s watch.”
“It doesn’t look good, whatever it is.”
“I KNOW! Just shut-up. I wanna see this.”
The two cellmates tried to look nonchalant as they observed the proceedings taking place in the corner. Before long, it became apparent that one of the three guys, the little one, didn’t want to be there. In fact, he looked a little distressed and even frightened. Josh struggled to hear what was being said, but he was only able to hear choppy snippets of the conversation.
“Hey, punk, I – we’d collect – these days,” said the first conspirator. He was the largest of the three men, and seemed to be the leader.
“Come on guys – repay – when I – chance,” the apparent victim pleaded.
“Larry, I think we – stick him – lesson.” The second conspirator leaned forward and jabbed the little guy’s chest. To Josh, this second guy seemed to be the “muscle,” the one who did the dirty work whenever there was dirty work needing to be done.
Josh tried to tune everything else out, and catch a few more bits and pieces of the conversation. As he leaned forward in his seat, Larry glanced over in his direction and looked straight at him. Josh immediately feigned ignorance and a lack of interest. Frank, on the other hand, froze in his seat; he looked like he’d just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Larry ignored them both and turned his attention back to the victim.
“I already – once before – pay up – NOW!” he said.
“ Pleassse guys, gimme a – more days,” the little guy again pleaded.
Josh could tell that this was where the rubber would meet the road. If something didn’t happen now to break up this little dispute going on in the corner, somebody was going to get hurt. His mind screamed. “ Where’s the CO!!? Can’t he see what’s happening in here? ” He looked around the tank, but everybody else seemed to be unconcerned. Even Frank looked like he was in a catatonic state. Josh got up from his chair.
As he approached the trio, they all looked over at him
“SLAM!”
Jerry jumped at the sound of a closing door.
Stuart Co. Jail, Tank 3WestB
11 August, 8:15 PM
THE COMMON denominator shared by all inmates, when they’re not “busy,” is that they watch others. In doing this, they notice little things that might be different, or the same, from the previous day. For instance, does the CO have a new haircut, or the nurse a new pen? Does Joe Blow spend a lot of time on the phone, or writing home to his family? Who gets in the med line, and which pills does he get? Does the Med-Nurse look into everybody’s mouth, to see if a guy has actually swallowed his pills, or does he only look into the mouths of a select few? What time does a particular employee arrive in the unit everyday? Does he carry himself with confidence? Has he been working out? These are just a few of the many questions the inmate seeks to answer, and then files away in his brain. It’s an instinctual behavior we all possess, but in jail it’s honed to a high degree.
LIKE EVERYONE else, Josh was also watchful. One day he was sitting at a table with Frank when he noticed three guys who were standing in the corner of the tank. At first glance, he thought the three had gathered together to shoot the breeze. But with another glance, he quickly realized that his initial impression had been wrong – things just didn’t look right. Josh’s mind immediately kicked into high gear. Are they trying to create a diversion of some sort? he wondered. Or, perhaps, shield some nefarious act from the eyes of the COs?
Just then, Frank leaned over and poked him on the shoulder. “Hey, Josh, look over there.” Frank motioned with his eyes, and a slight jerk of his head.
“I know – I know,” Josh whispered. “I see it.”
“What do you think they’re doing?”
“I don’t know yet. Just shut-up, and let’s watch.”
“It doesn’t look good, whatever it is.”
“I KNOW! Just shut-up. I wanna see this.”
The two cellmates tried to look nonchalant as they observed the proceedings taking place in the corner. Before long, it became apparent that one of the three guys, the little one, didn’t want to be there. In fact, he looked a little distressed and even frightened. Josh struggled to hear what was being said, but he was only able to hear choppy snippets of the conversation.
“Hey, punk, I – we’d collect – these days,” said the first conspirator. He was the largest of the three men, and seemed to be the leader.
“Come on guys – repay – when I – chance,” the apparent victim pleaded.
“Larry, I think we – stick him – lesson.” The second conspirator leaned forward and jabbed the little guy’s chest. To Josh, this second guy seemed to be the “muscle,” the one who did the dirty work whenever there was dirty work needing to be done.
Josh tried to tune everything else out, and catch a few more bits and pieces of the conversation. As he leaned forward in his seat, Larry glanced over in his direction and looked straight at him. Josh immediately feigned ignorance and a lack of interest. Frank, on the other hand, froze in his seat; he looked like he’d just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Larry ignored them both and turned his attention back to the victim.
“I already – once before – pay up – NOW!” he said.
“ Pleassse guys, gimme a – more days,” the little guy again pleaded.
Josh could tell that this was where the rubber would meet the road. If something didn’t happen now to break up this little dispute going on in the corner, somebody was going to get hurt. His mind screamed. “ Where’s the CO!!? Can’t he see what’s happening in here? ” He looked around the tank, but everybody else seemed to be unconcerned. Even Frank looked like he was in a catatonic state. Josh got up from his chair.
As he approached the trio, they all looked over at him
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