Page 50 of Diamond in the Rough

“And I was betrayed.”

“The one you killed executioner style.”

Maddox rolled his eyes. “There was no execution killing. He pulled a gun on me. I shot first. Him or me, and it wasn’t gonna be me.”

“And Richie?”

“I never got on with Richie.”

“You smashed his skull in. Why?”

“He stole something of mine. I was angry about it.”

“And then you ended up in here?”

Maddox gestured to himself. “No shit.”

“So how you gonna get out?”

“First, I need to deal with my other problem.”

“And then?”

Maddox eyed the closest guard. “Then I look for a weak link.”

Ernie stuck his forefinger out at the guard. “Jerry’s not gonna help you.”

“I can be very convincing when I wanna be.”

“If that’s your plan to get out of here, you really don’t have a hope in hell.”

“And what do you suggest?”

Ernie shrugged. “You gotta be smarter, that’s all. These guards aren’t going to fold to intimidation and pressure. I’ve been in here twenty years, and not one has broke out.”

Maddox wagged his finger at the gate. “I’m gonna walk out of here, through all these gates and past all the guards.”

“I hope I live to see the day.”

****

The lights went out, and the prison was bathed in darkness once again. The chatter died down, and Ernie had stopped retching in the sink.

Maddox pried apart the thin foam of his mattress and retrieved the phone. He listened intently to the wheezing below and tried to work out whether Ernie was asleep or not.

“Oi, old man…”

There was no reply, and Maddox tapped the phone against his chin, then closed his eyes and sighed. He reopened them, then typed in Jake’s number.

“Hey, it’s me…”

“Again tonight? Ever heard of friction burn?”

Maddox smiled, then remembered Ernie was beneath him and there were more pressing matters. “I need you to disappear for a few days.”

“What?”

“Tom’s going to sort out our little problem, but to be sure there’re no repercussions, I need you to vanish.”

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