Enforcer
Selena Black
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Copyright 2017 © by Selena Black
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Chapter 1
The sharp clang of the thin metal tray crashing down on the table was intended to startle Matt Harris, but it didn’t work. His awareness of the stark surroundings he was sitting in alerted him to the determined approach of the grimy man, and that enabled him to get ready for what he knew was coming. He made sure he didn’t flinch when the loud sound rang out. Showing any sign of weakness was dangerous in the place he currently called home and he didn’t intend to. He calmly lifted the fork he was holding to continue eating his breakfast, as if it was just another normal morning in the dining hall of the state penitentiary.
“You’re Matt Harris,” the man said in an aggressive voice as he threw himself down on the seat opposite.
Matt lowered the fork from his mouth and slowly brought his gaze up from the plate of food in front of him. His expression remained composed as he spoke.
“What’s it to you if I am?”
“I’ve heard stories about you,” the man went on and smirked.
Matt let out a slow breath as he sized up the opponent he knew he was about to take on. Not that he wanted to get involved, but he suspected he wouldn’t have much choice in the matter. Walking away wasn’t an option because turning his back would be too much of a risk. He needed to face up to the danger on the other side of the table and everyone knew it. The hush descending around him was a sign that surrounding inmates were watching the scene unfold with interest.
“What stories would they be?” he asked.
“Oh, that you consider yourself to be something special when it comes to fighting,” the man said. “And you think you can take anyone.”
Matt shook his head, then dropped his gaze to his breakfast and carried on eating. The man opposite him was obviously a fan of working out and his heavily muscled torso showed that he was probably a daily user of the free weights in the gym facilities. It made him big and imposing, but he was likely more brawn than brain and relied on his physical strength to intimidate others into submission. It wasn’t going to work on this occasion.
“Not me,” Matt said in a quiet voice. “All I want is to finish doing my time, without any hassle and get out of this shithole.”
“Is that right?” the man said and grabbed the fork on his tray to lift it.
Matt tensed in preparation when he sensed the attack was about to come, but the man simply speared some scrambled eggs and raised them to his mouth.
“So, maybe those stories I heard are bullshit then,” he went on and let out a harsh laugh. “Maybe you’re a fucking pussy that wets his pants when confronted by a real man.”
“Wouldn’t know,” Matt retorted and grinned. “I’ve never met one in here.”
He knew that his insult would guarantee a fight, but he couldn’t help himself. The sound of the man’s laughter faded away when he heard the sniggers of inmates at the surrounding tables. A scowl crossed his face.
“Think you’re funny, do you?” he spat out.
He put the fork down and his hand slipped out of sight. There was no doubt now that he was about to make his move, and it was explosive when it happened. The glint of silver revealed the makeshift knife in his hand when he lunged across the table, but Matt was ready. He threw himself to the side to avoid the stabbing attack and grabbed hold of the hand holding the weapon to yank on it. The surprise showed on the man’s face as he was pulled across the table then slammed down onto it. The wind was knocked from him and a solid punch caught him square on the jaw when he lifted his head.
There was a sudden eruption of noise as the inmates close by saw the action unfolding. Matt moved slowly away from the table, but kept his eyes fixed firmly on the muscular man. He hoped he’d done enough to see off the attack. The furious roar of rage told him different.
“Shit,” he muttered and glanced around.
The only people he could see nearby were other inmates and there was no sign of any guards reacting to the commotion yet. He returned his attention to the danger he faced and got ready to defend himself when the man stormed around the table. His assessment that he was up against all brawn and no brains turned out to be right as his opponent threw himself forward into another unthinking, charging attack. Matt sidestepped it easily and slammed his palm against a swinging forearm. It stopped the thrust of the knife and he clenched his other hand tightly to throw a full-blooded punch that caught the man on the tip of his chin.
It slowed him enough for Matt to follow up with more punishing shots and the rising din around him grew to a crescendo, with men jeering and crashing trays together as the fight played out. He knocked the knife from the man’s hand and threw himself to a furious onslaught to make sure he came out on top. Hands grabbed at his arms to stop him and he was about to react to the intervention until he realized it was prison guards. It brought the brief, one-sided fight to an end and he let himself be pulled away.
Dazed by the flurry of punches, the muscular man slumped to the floor and lifted a hand to his nose. It came away covered in red and Matt grinned as he watched. He took no pleasure in handing out a beating, but it wasn’t as if he was given much choice in the matter.
“There’s another story about me for your collection,” he mocked, but wasn’t sure if the man heard his words in the bedlam around them.
“Shut the fuck up, Harris,” a guard ordered.
The grip on his arms tightened to drag them behind his back and his wrists were cuffed together. He was then hauled through a baying crowd of inmates to the door of the dining hall. There was no point in asking where he was being taken. He knew already and followed compliantly as he was led through the corridors of the facility to a holding cell. The guards said nothing when they shoved him inside the small space and locked the door.
“Fuck,” Matt let out and moved across to a concrete bench to sit down.
It wasn’t the start to the day he wanted and he leaned forward to stare at the floor as the surging adrenaline pumping through his veins slowly drained away. He knew the routine and changed position to lie on his side on the hard surface. It wasn’t very comfortable, but all he could do was settle in for a few hours of solitary confinement and wait for someone to return. The sound of the key in the lock a few hours later was the signal to get up to a sitting position and he watched as a senior guard stepped inside the cell.
“Upsetting the calm of my facility again, Harris,” the burly man said.
“You’re speaking to the wrong person,” Matt replied. “All I was doing was eating my breakfast.”
“Yeah…, well, you can tell that bullshit to the prison governor,” the guard went on.
Matt grimaced. That certainly wasn’t the procedure he was expecting. The normal ending to an incident was an escorting to his cell by a senior guard and the threat of some privileges being revoked if he didn’t toe the line in future. An audience with the governor usually meant some form of punishment and he let out a slow breath as he got to his feet.
“Can you at least take the cuffs off me?” he asked.
“No, get moving,” the guard instructed and motioned his head towards the door.
Matt knew there was no point in arguing and walked out of the cell. He waited while the door was closed and locked, then started walking when the guard pointed along the corridor. The walk to the governor’s office was completed in silence and the cuffs were removed from his wrists before the door was opened to lead him inside.
“Inmate Harris,” the guard said.
Matt rubbed at his wrists as he watched the guard leave the room and close the door. He then turned his attention to the man sitting at the desk.
“Take a seat,” Governor Carter said.
Matt moved to the wooden chair at the desk and dropped down on it. There was silence for a few seconds before the other man went on talking.
“Not a good start to your day.”
“I’ve had better,” Matt replied.
The governor leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk and pressed his fingertips together.
“In fact, I would say it was pretty stupid getting involved in a fight when your release date is five days away.”
“You could say that,” Matt commented. “Then again, I prefer being alive to have a chance of getting out rather than bleeding to death on the floor of the dining hall.”
“You could have walked…”
“You have security coverage in the dining hall,” Matt interrupted him, then kept going. “Look at the footage and tell me what I was supposed to do. All I wanted was to eat my breakfast peacefully and return to my cell, which is exactly what I would have done if that gorilla hadn’t decided he wanted a piece of me.”
“I watched the pictures already,” Governor Carter said.
“Then you know I’m telling the truth,” Matt replied. “I only defended myself against an unprovoked attack. Would you rather I was lying dead in the morgue and you were left to explain what happened to your superiors?”
Governor Carter settled down in his chair.
“No,” he replied. “But trouble does seem to follow you around.”
“Tell me about it,” Matt let out in a sarcastic voice. “But there’s not much I can do about that.”
“Then I’ll be welcoming your return here pretty quickly after your release.”
Matt tightened his lips together because he knew there was a degree of truth in what the man on the other side of the desk was saying. His reputation went before him and there were plenty of hard men that wouldn’t back down from trying their luck. The incident that morning was an example of it and showed there were still those that saw taking down Matt Harris as a way of making a name for themselves.
Four years stuck inside hadn’t changed that and it was likely there were any number of people on the outside that would have a go at him when his period of incarceration came to an end. It was the existence he led as an enforcer for gangsters that gained him his reputation, but that was also the reason he ended up in prison. If he went back to that way of life, the outcome was likely to be the same and he wasn’t sure he wanted to waste any more years locked up in a cell.
“So what do you suggest,” he let out in a mocking tone. “Should I get cosmetic surgery to disguise my appearance?”
“It’s an option,” Governor Carter replied and a smile flashed across his face. “I can’t really see you in makeup and a skirt though.”
“Yeah…, funny,” Matt complained. “But I wasn’t talking about going as far as a sex change.”
“Do you want to take up where you left off four years ago?”
Matt tapped his fingers on his thigh while he considered the question, but eventually shook his head. Four years inside gave far too many hours for reflection and he’d come to the conclusion that returning to a life of crime wasn’t the smart move to make.
“Not particularly,” he admitted. “But I don’t exactly have unlimited opportunities to change things when I get out.”
“That’s true,” Governor Carter went on. “But there is one open to you that we’ve started trialing in the last six months.”
Matt narrowed his eyes as he stared at the man on the other side of the desk.
“You didn’t bring me here to punish me for the fight?” he said.
“No,” Governor Carter replied. “I told you already that I watched the CCTV pictures from the dining hall. You gave that man a beating, but you were defending yourself.”
“So, why am I here?” Matt asked.
“You have five days left to serve. If you’re serious about not returning to your previous life, I can get you a place on the rehabilitation scheme we’re trialing.”
Matt eyed the governor warily.
“What exactly would I have to do for that?”
“The intention is to stop ex-cons from returning to their old lives and re-offending,” Governor Carter answered. “State funding allows us to set you up in an apartment for a maximum of six months on your release. We can also provide assistance in terms of finding a job to help you get settled into a new life as quickly as possible.”
“OK, but that didn’t answer my question,” Matt went on. “What would I need to do?”
“The project is staffed by counselors that can help,” Governor Carter went on. “You would be expected to attend weekly sessions during the first three months and then fortnightly for the rest of the time you’re part of the trial.”
“You want me to see a shrink?”
“They’re not psychiatrists,” Governor Carter replied. “They’re trained counselors that can help you adjust to life on the outside and provide you with any assistance you need.”
“And all this is free?”
“The state provides funding for the program, as I said already,” Governor Carter said. “The powers that be see it as an investment in stopping re-offending, which is considered better for society. Money is obviously a factor as well, since it’s a cheaper option to have ex-cons integrate into life on the outside and make a contribution rather than having them locked up in here again. Or did you think prisons are free to run? If you ask me, we treat you guys too nice in here.”
Matt nodded his head, but remained quiet as thoughts ran through his head. Sessions with a counselor sounded like a pain in the ass, but a free apartment for up to six months wasn’t to be sniffed at. Help in finding a job might also be worthwhile and he was sorely tempted to accept the offer straight away. In the end, he didn’t need to when the governor broke the silence.
“It’s not something that gets offered to everyone, but the instructions from above are to get anyone smart enough to know a good thing involved. You might have built your reputation on your fists, but I’ve seen enough of you in the last four years to know you aren’t stupid.”
“I was stupid enough to get caught and be in here,” Matt pointed out in a mocking tone.
“Yeah, but are you foolish enough to end up in prison for a second time?”
Matt rubbed at his chin as he considered that prospect, but again, he didn’t have to speak when the governor went on talking.
“You need to let me know in the next couple of days, so things can be set up for your release.”
“OK, I’ll think about it,” Matt said.
The governor picked up the phone on his desk to make a call and a few minutes later, a guard appeared.
“Let me know as soon as you come to a decision.”
“Sure,” Matt agreed and walked out of the office to be led to his cell.
He mulled the offer over during the next couple of days and could think of no real reason not to accept it. A few counselor meet
ings that he could bluff his way through was a small price to pay for what he could get out of the rehabilitation program, so he passed a message to the governor that he was willing to get involved.
His release date three days later saw him leaving the penitentiary under the cover of darkness, in the rear of an unmarked prison van. He sat quietly during the journey and didn’t even bother looking out of the window to watch where he was going. When the vehicle eventually came to a stop, he waited for the doors to be opened and then looked around when he got out. He didn’t recognize the area he was in although that didn’t worry him. All that mattered was he was out and he wasn’t planning to go back to prison.
“Inside,” the guard said curtly.
Matt nodded and they walked into a non-descript apartment building. He looked around as he followed the guard to see bare, cream-painted walls and a dark brown ceramic-tiled floor. It looked slightly cheap and tacky, but was probably easy to maintain and he hardly expected the government to splash out on luxury accommodation for a bunch of ex-cons. The only piece of furniture in the lobby area was a desk and he stopped when they got to it.
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