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Authors: Christopher Nuttall
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pencilled-detail, just how the prison was organised. It took me a moment to sort out the colour coding, but once I understood I saw how it all fitted together. Some of the very worst – the paedophiles and a handful of terrorists – had been segregated for their own protection. Prisoners like to think that they still have rank and status…and traitors, child molesters and terrorists were right at the bottom. They tended not to survive being in the general population…well, not for very long.
“All right,” I said, finally. “Listen carefully.”
I explained, briefly, what I knew about the war. “It seems likely,” I concluded, “that the federal and state governments no longer exist in any form we would care to recognise. We cannot depend on the police or the army or even parts of the National Guard any longer. I know they’ll do what they can, but they’re going to be completely overwhelmed. We’re on our own.”
I watched his face slump. Most of the guards were young unmarried men…and the handful who were married had homes near the prison. A pair of them, I remembered now, had had family in Ingalls. I’d have to chew them both out for leaving their posts, but after that I would have to forgive them, probably. It didn’t look as if it had been disastrous. Richard, however, no longer had a place to call home. Norfolk had definitely been hit. If he hadn’t been divorced from his wife…
“Now, we’re going to have to take action fast,” I continued. Time wasn't entirely on our side. “What have you done with the prisoners?”
“They’re in lockdown,” Richard said. He looked more composed now that I’d presented him with a problem he could solve. “They’re meant to be exercising at this time, but I daren’t take more than a handful out of the cells without more guards. The ones on meds are going to be needing them soon, Sheriff, and we’re going to run out pretty quickly.”
I scowled. Some of the prisoners would be on meds, of course. I had forgotten. Most of them would have AIDS, or something else equally nasty, while others would have all kinds of drugs intended to keep them calm and tranquil. I had never liked the concept of medicating a young boy who had been diagnosed with ADD, but it did seem to help some of the prisoners. Deprived of their medications, they would rapidly swing back towards their more normal behaviour, losing what little control they had. We could keep medicating them for a few weeks, depending on how many drugs there were stored in the prison – something else I’d have to check – but sooner or later we would run out…and then it would be Katy bar the door. There was nothing we could do for them.
“Brent, go back outside and bring in the Posse,” I ordered, finally. “I want them to become familiar with the prison. Get a pair of the guards to give them a tour of everywhere, but listen to them and don’t let the prisoners get to you. Richard, I want you to give me a private tour, just now.”
Brent didn’t question me. In hindsight, that was a little odd. “Of course,” Richard said. “What should I tell the guards?”
“They know about the war,” I said, grimly. It hadn’t been high on my list of concerns, but it should have been. I hadn’t delegated this task to anyone, even to Mac. I didn’t want to take the coward’s way out. “Tell them that we will be happy to accept any of them in Ingalls if they want to stay.”
Richard gave me a brief tour of the prison. I’d toured it before, back when I’d become Sheriff, but it hadn’t been so overcrowded then. The prison cells looked strong enough to hold lions, but some of the prisoners looked stronger, almost as if they were monstrous caricatures of human beings. It was always a surprise to know just how strong prisoners could become, trapped in a world where strength was
“All right,” I said, finally. “Listen carefully.”
I explained, briefly, what I knew about the war. “It seems likely,” I concluded, “that the federal and state governments no longer exist in any form we would care to recognise. We cannot depend on the police or the army or even parts of the National Guard any longer. I know they’ll do what they can, but they’re going to be completely overwhelmed. We’re on our own.”
I watched his face slump. Most of the guards were young unmarried men…and the handful who were married had homes near the prison. A pair of them, I remembered now, had had family in Ingalls. I’d have to chew them both out for leaving their posts, but after that I would have to forgive them, probably. It didn’t look as if it had been disastrous. Richard, however, no longer had a place to call home. Norfolk had definitely been hit. If he hadn’t been divorced from his wife…
“Now, we’re going to have to take action fast,” I continued. Time wasn't entirely on our side. “What have you done with the prisoners?”
“They’re in lockdown,” Richard said. He looked more composed now that I’d presented him with a problem he could solve. “They’re meant to be exercising at this time, but I daren’t take more than a handful out of the cells without more guards. The ones on meds are going to be needing them soon, Sheriff, and we’re going to run out pretty quickly.”
I scowled. Some of the prisoners would be on meds, of course. I had forgotten. Most of them would have AIDS, or something else equally nasty, while others would have all kinds of drugs intended to keep them calm and tranquil. I had never liked the concept of medicating a young boy who had been diagnosed with ADD, but it did seem to help some of the prisoners. Deprived of their medications, they would rapidly swing back towards their more normal behaviour, losing what little control they had. We could keep medicating them for a few weeks, depending on how many drugs there were stored in the prison – something else I’d have to check – but sooner or later we would run out…and then it would be Katy bar the door. There was nothing we could do for them.
“Brent, go back outside and bring in the Posse,” I ordered, finally. “I want them to become familiar with the prison. Get a pair of the guards to give them a tour of everywhere, but listen to them and don’t let the prisoners get to you. Richard, I want you to give me a private tour, just now.”
Brent didn’t question me. In hindsight, that was a little odd. “Of course,” Richard said. “What should I tell the guards?”
“They know about the war,” I said, grimly. It hadn’t been high on my list of concerns, but it should have been. I hadn’t delegated this task to anyone, even to Mac. I didn’t want to take the coward’s way out. “Tell them that we will be happy to accept any of them in Ingalls if they want to stay.”
Richard gave me a brief tour of the prison. I’d toured it before, back when I’d become Sheriff, but it hadn’t been so overcrowded then. The prison cells looked strong enough to hold lions, but some of the prisoners looked stronger, almost as if they were monstrous caricatures of human beings. It was always a surprise to know just how strong prisoners could become, trapped in a world where strength was
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