First Degree Innocence Read Online Free PDF Page B

me, and I assure you everything is true.” Her eyes turned icy. “I run this place, and anyone who crosses me, pays. You got it?”
    Carrie nodded like an obedient child. What hold did this woman have over everyone? She certainly wasn’t impressive in stature and weight. Carrie figured her to be about 5’8” and one hundred and thirty pounds, at the most. She looked to be in her early thirties and was quite pretty. Glancing around the circle of women, it was clear no one questioned Jet’s authority. Not even Susanna, who appeared so brave back in the cell. After her intro, she had faded to the back of the group.
    Jet focused her cold stare on each woman before she spun on her heel and sauntered back across the room. She resembled a cocky barnyard rooster lording over a flock of hens. Carrie waited until Jet was out of hearing range before daring to speak. “Well, that went well.” She chuckled and sagged onto the bench.
    Her attempt at humor fell flat.
    Helen shook her head. “Just give her a wide berth. Jet means it when she says, ‘you’ll pay’.”
    “And believe me, you won’t like the price.” Ruthie pulled up her shirt, inched the waistband of her panties down, and displayed a jagged scar. “This is the welcome present I got from her when I first arrived last year.”
    Carrie winced. “Oh, my gosh, Ruthie. How in the world…”
    “A shank made out of her toothbrush. It may not have been a knife, but I sure couldn’t tell the difference. I spent ten days in the infirmary, hooked up to an IV, fighting the infection I got after they stitched me back up.”
    “Well, I’m sure there was a consequence to her actions, wasn’t there?”
    A chorus of chuckles passed through the group. Susanna’s brow arched. “Are you kidding? You don’t rat on anyone in here. There’s nothing worse than being a snitch. Trust us, Carrie. You can’t rely on anyone in here except yourself.” Susanna made a sweeping gesture at the others. “We can be your friends, but we aren’t with you twenty-four seven. You have to watch your own back most of the time.”
    Confusion clouded Carrie’s mind. She nervously picked at her nails. “What kinds of things make Jet mad? I don’t want to cross her, so I need a little help here, girls.”
    “Just agree with everything she says, don’t get in her way, and above all, if she asks you for anything, give it to her. She heard I had cigarettes, and when I didn’t produce…” Ruthie displayed her toothless grin and patted the side sporting the memory.
    “Don’t the guards…”
    Again, her words were drowned out by guffaws.
    Franny rested an arm on Carrie’s shoulder. “Sweetie, you’ve met Ogden. Do you honestly think you can count on her to help you? It might interest you to know that Jet is her pet inmate. Why else do you think we put up with the tattooed darling? Collectively, we could kick the shit out of her, but in the end, she’d heal and we’d all be spending the rest of our days in solitary. It’s just better to play their stupid game.”
    Carrie gnashed her teeth. “I can’t believe that horrid woman would have a pet anything.”
    Try as she might, she couldn’t find a redeeming quality about the matron who had treated her so shabbily. Just the memory brought a taste of bile to Carrie’s mouth. “So what you’re telling me is that some of the inmates have the guards in their pockets and the rest of us get punished for it.”
    Susanna nodded. “You got it.” Her gaze wandered to the open doors at the far end of the room. “I’m gonna step outside for a breath of fresh air.”
    Carrie nodded. “I totally forgot we are allowed outdoors. I’d love to smell something besides mold and mildew.” She smiled at the remaining group and hurried to catch up with Susanna.
    At the door, Carrie took a deep breath, held it for a moment and then exhaled. Her gaze searched the crisp blue sky, appreciating for the first time the freedom the clouds enjoyed as they