by Woods, Karen
Vicky sat pondering her thoughts, Blake was on the out now and he was the father of her child. Tim was just using her to line his own pockets; she knew that deep down inside her. The both of them now sat together talking about how they could rip Tim off. They needed to make sure that when they had him over, they’d have enough money to leave the area. Blake and Vicky kissed each other as Declan ran and jumped on them both. “I love my mummy and my daddy,” he yelled at the top of his voice.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Helen stood at Susie’s door. Her face was squashed up against the glass as she shouted out her name. You could see her banana-like fingers rapping on the door panel. “Susie it’s me Helen, open up.”
Susie wasn’t feeling good and she was sat in the front room watching TV. She’d not long since spewed up and her face looked yellow. Hearing the continuous banging on the door, she bolted up from the chair and sighed. “For fuck sake.” Her pink fluffy housecoat was pulled tightly around her body as she walked into the hallway. She couldn’t chance anyone seeing her belly. Dipping her eyes down to her stomach she made sure it was fully covered.
Susie had decided to get rid of the baby but it was just finding the time. She was always too busy and tried to put it to the back of her mind until she was ready to deal with it. Ashley was in jail now too. She’d done her job well in informing the police of his criminal activities. The word on the street was that he was looking at least seven years. The local paper said he’d been caught with over eighty thousand pounds worth of drugs and firearms. Susie regretted grassing on him at first but now he was locked up behind bars she felt happy knowing he wasn’t causing her any more grief.
Pippa was still lying heavy on Susie’s mind. Every night before she closed her eyes to sleep she was plotting to wipe the smile from her face. Ashley was banged up in Strangeways prison along with his co-accused. Susie knew Pippa had been visiting him because Tim had told her. She hated the bitch with a passion, and she couldn’t wait until the day came when they were both on a visit at the same time so she could see Ashley’s face drop.
Susie wanted Tim back; she was doing everything she could to keep him onside. The drops in the jail were going well and Tim was more than happy with her performance. Susie had got at least eight parcels inside the nick already and the screw Jenkins made sure everything ran smoothly. Susie was taking small parcels into the jail at first, but nowadays she was packed up to the eyeballs with drugs. She’d brought heroin, cocaine, steroids, ecstasy tablets and anything else the inmates requested into the prison. Tim was getting greedy too, and she’d told him on one or more occasion that he would have to curb his demands. If Susie was ever caught with any of the shit she was taking in the prison she would have been slammed for years.
*
Tim watched Ashley walking along the prison landing as if he owned it. He snarled as he watched the cocky fucker bouncing towards him. Ashley thought that things were sweet between them both and didn’t have a clue that Tim was out to make him pay for his betrayal. Tim was playing the role well and kept Ashley by his side as much as he could. He needed him to trust him and to think he was his wing- man again.
Jenkins and Tim always had their heads together. They were always whispering and passing each other bits of paper. Jenkins looked as if he’d lost some weight and his black pants hung from his waist as he walked about the landing.
Paul Jenkins was on edge all the time; he looked scared of his own shadow. He couldn’t wait for this whole mess to be over with, so he could get back to feeling normal again. Tim told him that after these last few parcels had been dropped, he would be off the hook forever. He reassured Paul that his secret would never be revealed. Tim liked Jenkins and even though he was a screw, they had a laugh together. They both knew Susie was a bitch and both of them couldn’t wait till she got her comeuppance.
Tim lay on his bed, with his arms looped behind his head. His pillow looked flat and scruffy. Vicky had been a bit off with him lately and he was sure she was going off him. Dialling her number he listened to the ringing tone. She answered. “Hiya chicken,” he whispered as he raised his head from his bed checking no one was listening. It was late and the screws were patrolling the landing, he had to keep his voice low. “Where are you, are you in bed, babes?” Vicky replied to him and you could see him rubbing his hand at his crotch. He loved this time of the night when he got a bit of female attention. “Come on then Vicky, let’s get down to business, these cunts are all over the landing tonight, so I haven’t got long. Talk dirty to me, my balls are gonna explode if I don’t shoot my load soon.” His eyes were closing slowly and he held his head to the side so he could grip the phone in the crease of his neck. His hands were twisting his throbbing manhood. “Say it Vicky, come on love, do that sexy voice you always do.” His palms were firmly fixed around his penis; he looked like he was strangling a pigeon’s neck. Tim was yanking his cock up and down.
Groaning noises could be heard and it was obvious he’d emptied his sack. Yawning he wiped his penis on the blanket and he carried on speaking to her after he’d tossed the cover from his body. “That was bang on, that was. You’re a right dirty fucker, where did you learn all that perverted talk from?” his head tilted back as he giggled. Talking in a low voice he lifted his head from the bed to make sure no one could hear him. “Have you sorted out all those drops now?” He was nodding his head as he listened to her. “Yeah fucking hell, Vicky it’s cost me nearly six grand to sort this lot out. It better not go pear-shaped otherwise I’m going to be fucked.” Pulling the blanket up to his neck he snuggled down underneath it trying to get comfy. His whispering voice could be heard and he looked tired. Once the call was over he turned on his side and started to drift off to sleep. Tim had plans for the next day and he had to be fresh. Ashley was going to get what he deserved.
Morning light broke through the bars of HMP Strangeways. Stretching his hands over his head, Tim dropped his legs from his bed. Hearing the sound of pigeons cooing outside his cell he walked to the window. The bird looked at him as he poked his face through the bars. Laughing to himself he spoke to his feathered friend. “You’ve got it easy you, you have mate, free to fly wherever you want and no women to worry about.” The pigeon was turning its head looking at him. “Go on fuck off now then, waking me up at this time of the morning, ya, little bastard.” Tim pushed his hand through the bars and wafted it towards the bird “Shoo, shoo,” he shouted.
The sounds outside his door let him know that prison life had begun for another day. Every morning was the same, people shouting and laughing outside their doors. Dipping his face in the sink he splashed cold water over his skin. Dragging his cheek bones in his hands he realised how much weight he’d lost since he’d been in prison. Tim was hammering the steroids every day but he was nowhere near the size he used to be. Ashley was still big and he was forever ramming his muscles into everyone’s face, the posing fucker. Tim was jealous of Ashley’s body shape.
All the inmates were walking down the stairs to get their breakfast. Tim saw Jenkins and gave him the nod as Ashley came to join him. Jenkins could be seen heading back to the pads with a concerned look on his face. Tim rubbed Ashley’s hair as he stood at the side of him. There was a cunning grin spread across his face. The convicts all stood in the queue waiting to get their breakfast. The noise was deafening.
The prison canteen was busy. The men in the queue held that hard knock look in their eyes. Their skin looked grey and you could tell for a lot of them that this was their worst nightmare. The sound of cutlery being banged about could be heard. The server looked at Tim. “What ya having mate?” Tim’s eyes scanned the food and his face screwed up. The eggs looked like they’d been stood there for days and the toast looked hard as nails. “Erm... I’ll have some beans on toast.” The man stood behind the counter, he dug his large silver spoon in the beans and scooped them onto the piece of burnt bread. Before Tim could say anything the server was already asking Ashley the same question. Each inmate
looked at the food with disgust. Prison life was shit.
The sound of cutlery clattering on plates could be heard. Ashley sat next to Tim and chuckled. “Fuck me mate, how have we ended up in this place?”
Tim lifted his head from his plate. “Fucking hell, tell me about it, you just need to get ya head down and take every day as it comes, that’s what I do.”
Ashley gasped as he folded his toast in his fingers. “You’re alright mate; you know when you’re getting out. I’ve still got to be sentenced yet.”
Tim patted the middle of his arm. “Nar, you won’t get long, there are loads in here what’ve been caught with drugs and they only got four or five years.”
Ashley’s face dropped. “I can’t do fucking five weeks mate, never mind five big ‘uns rammed up my shitter. I just hope my barrister is good and he gets me off with it.”
Tim nearly choked on his food. “Get you off with it, you was caught bang to rights ya dick-head. You need to start telling yourself that you’re gonna be doing jail mate, because if you don’t, you’re in for a big surprise when you get slammed.”
Ashley pushed his white plate out in front of him. Slurping on his brew he looked deflated. Tim could see he was struggling and tried to make him laugh. “So you’re all loved up with Pippa then, she’s an alright woman you know.”
Ashley shot him a look and Tim laughed out loud. He punched Tim playfully in his arm. “Don’t tell me you have banged her first?” Ashley asked.
Tim held his belly as he stuttered his words. “Fucking dead right I’ve shagged her. I met her in a club ages ago and that’s how she ended up working in Delia’s. I mean, if she’s selling her fanny I have to make sure it’s worth it don’t I?”
Ashley’s head sunk. Tim had always got more women than he did. He never thought in a million years he’d slept with Pippa, he’d hid it well. Tim was out to break Ashley in two, and carried on with the banter. “Yeah, she was a top ride. Next time you’re licking her motty, just think my tackle has been inside her.” Tim roared laughing.
Ashley bolted up from his chair. “You sick bastard, don’t be saying shit like that, you’ll put me off her.”
Tim pulled at his arm and dragged him nearer. “Stop being a mard arse, I’m only joking with you.”
Ashley plonked back down in his chair and carried on drinking his brew. Tim reached over and grabbed his hand and stroked it slowly. “Ay I’ve never thanked you for looking after my Susie when you were on the out.”
Ashley swallowed hard and his lips were dry. He kept his eyes on the table as he replied. “No worries mate, that’s what friends do for each other.” Tim scowled and had to turn his face away from him. His nostrils were flaring and you could see his clenched fist lying on his lap under the table. Jenkins was stood at the doorway and shot Tim a look.
Breakfast was over and the inmates headed back to their cells. Tim always used this time to write a letter to his mother, he loved writing. It was bang up now for a few hours and you could see by the convicts faces that they hated this time of the day. “Are you busting the gym later, Tim?” Ashley shouted as they parted ways.
“Yeah I’ll see you down there later.”
Ashley flexed his muscles at Tim and kissed his bulging bicep. “You better had because you need it. You’re all skin and bone these days,” he sniggered. Both men disappeared into their pads now. The sound of door slamming could be heard.
Tim walked to his window and gripped the bars, his knuckles were white. “Let’s see whose laughing now, smart arse,” he whispered under his breath.
Ashley lay on his bed. He was preparing himself for an early morning wank when the door flew open. Bolting up from his bed he yanked his shorts up. “What the fuck,” he yelled. Five screws were in his pad. He was being spun over. This was normal in the jail, and every week at least five or six cells were turned over. The screws were wearing plastic gloves and their eyes were all over the show trying to look for hiding places. Jenkins led Ashley outside. He was made to stand with his back against the wall. Lots of noise was coming from the cell and Ashley was going ballistic as he popped his head back around the door trying to see inside. “Fucking no need for all this. I hope you’re gonna clean it all up when you’ve fucking finished.” A hand met his body and pushed him back up against the wall.
Minutes passed and laughter could be heard coming from his pad. Jenkins stood at Ashley’s side and stretched his neck over to see what was going on. He could see an officer holding a large bag of drugs in his hand. The powder was white and it looked like cocaine. Tim knew Ashley’s downfall came at a price and he’d made sure there were enough drugs found in his cell to get years added to his sentence.
“Result,” one of the officers shouted.
Ashley looked agitated. “What the fuck are they waffling on about in there?” he protested to Jenkins.
Jenkins cleared his throat and came to Ashley’s side. “They’ve found drugs.” His face dropped and Jenkins had to call for help to restrain him. He was up- in- arms shouting at the top of his voice. “Fucking no way in the world is there any drugs in my cell. If there is, you’ve stitched me up, you shower of bastards.” Ashley was sprawled across the floor; his face was forced into the cold concrete. He was trying to fight back but within minutes he was handcuffed and lay on the ground with a screw on top of him with his arms held behind his back. “Fucking cunts, you’ve set me up,” he ranted.
The screws came out from his pad and they looked happy at what they’d found. All in all six bags of drugs were seized. The other inmates on the landing were all kicking off from behind their doors. They were banging and going wild and shouting abuse at the screws. Ashley was dragged to his feet. He was still trying to fight back and tried head-butting a nearby officer. The wardens worked together and marched the prisoner down to the block. Solitary confinement was somewhere every prisoner dreaded going. All they had was a bed in a room with no television, no radio. It was the worst place in the prison to be.
Ashley was flung into his cell. Once he pulled himself up from the floor he ran back at the officers but it was too late, the door was closed. He pummelled the iron door with his fists at speed. Ashley looked demented; he was like a madman. “Bastards!” he yelled at the top of his voice. After a few minutes he realised it was pointless. Sliding down the wall he sat with his head held between his knees. Tears ran down his face and he sobbed as he realised that no matter what, he would be spending a long time locked away behind prison doors.
Tim was quick to hear the news about Ashley. Everyone on the landing was talking about it. One inmate at the side of him started to claim he’d seen all the commotion through the peephole in his cell door. He was bouncing about at the side of the convicts as he told his story. “I swear lads; Ashley took at least three of the bastards down. He had one in a head- lock and he round-housed another two. He was going sick at them.” The story teller was talking fast. “It took eight of them to hold him down.”
Another convict jumped in, they knew the prisoner was chatting shit and told him straight. “How the fuck did you see all that, when we were banged up. Stop telling fairy-tales ya muppet.”
The witness looked shocked, his mouth was opened wide. “Nar, I swear on my mother’s life, I saw it all.” His two palms were now held out in front of him.
“Fuck off Billy bull-shitter!” the other criminals laughed.
Tim sucked on his lips as the convicts went down the stairs. It was association time and the men looked relieved to be out of their cells again. Parking his arse on a chair at the side of the pool table Tim saw Jenkins head towards him. He looked happy, as he casually stood behind Tim. Bending down, he spoke to him. “The job’s a good ‘un, he’s going off his head down there in the block.”
Tim rocked back on his chair and tilted his head back at Jenkins. “Good stuff,” Tim whispered under his breath.
Jenkins moved forward and covered his mouth with his hand as he mumbled. “He should be shipped out soon. He�
�s fucked now.”
“Right just one last thing Paul and you’re a free man too” Tim nodded, “If you pull this next job off, I promise you, you’ll never hear from me again.”
Jenkins was sweating and a small droplet of sweat was visible on his forehead. “I’d better not,” he moaned as he walked away from the prisoner.
The inmates enjoyed the time out of their cells. They seemed to be human for at least the time they were among each other. Being locked away in a small room for most of the day and night was enough to break even the toughest men. Ex drug-addicts sat about the room, hugging their bodies, they were still craving drugs. You could see life without a fix was having an effect on them, they were roasting. Strangeways was a prison every drug addict hated. Many a late hour you could hear smack-heads screaming in pain as their bodies called out for a hit. Each one of them had to rattle and they knew that no matter what, they would have to roast their nuts off, because no one cared if they lived or died behind these prison walls.
Tim lay on his bed; he looked like the cat that had got the cream. Tapping his fingers on his cheek, he checked the time on his watch, it was wank time. Searching for his mobile phone he cautiously pulled it out from its hiding place. He’d been trying Vicky all day but she wasn’t answering. He looked concerned as he listened to the ring tone. Still no answer. His fingers quickly typed a text message and once he’d sent it he hid the phone away back in its secret location. Reaching under his bed he grabbed a fanny mag. One of the inmates had given it to him and it was the unwritten law of the jail, that you shared your porn with all the other inmates. Tim tried to open the first page of the glossy magazine but it was stuck solid. Tim giggled; some dirty bastard had shot his load all over the page, it looked like cardboard. Gripping the next page his eyes looked contented. A big hairy fanny stood out from the page. Rolling his boxer shorts down, he spit onto his palms. Moans and groans could be heard and it wasn’t long until Tim had emptied his sack. This was all that inmates seemed to do in the jail; eat, sleep and masturbate.
