The Big Breach - Index of

The Big Breach; From Top Secret to Maximum SecurityCompliments of http://www.192.com`You bastard,' I muttered. The words were meant to be unheard, but theyslipped out too loud. `Tomlinson, I'll have you down the block if yousay that again!' Mr Richards threatened without menace. Cell 2 wasright next to his desk and he reserved it for troublesome `fraggles' orsuicidal `toppers' so he could keep a close eye on them. Two fragglesor toppers could not be together in the same cell, so a well-behavedprisoner had to take the other bed. I'd been selected as the spur'spsychiatric nurse. `You'll get your new cellmate tomorrow afternoon,'Mr Richards grinned mischievously.Dumping my foam mattress and bedding on the metal straps of the hardiron bed, I surveyed my new cell. It had just been vacated by Parker,an untidy, overweight, chain-smoking gun-freak. Before Belmarsh, he hadlived at home in Essex with his mother and weapon collection. One dayhe drank too much beer and fell sound asleep on his bed. His dotingmother found him and, fearing he was dead, called an ambulance. Theparamedics arrived, realised he was just drunk, but also found ashotgun under his bed. They called the police who arrested him and hewas sentenced to two years imprisonment for illegal possession offirearms. His other hobby was lying in bed smoking and eating jaffacakes, so jail was a Butlin's activity camp for him. The cell stank ofbad hygiene, the floor had not been swept for weeks and even abluebottle would have thrown up at the toilet. The rest of that Sundaywas spent cleaning with the tiny strip of pot-scrubber and miniaturebar of soap which we were allowed in our cells. That night, lying on mybed listening to a violent storm battering the prison, I prayed that mynew cellmate, whether, a fraggle or a topper, would at least be clean.As a newly demoted B-cat, I was now eligible for `work' and my firstday in my new job was the next morning. Work gave me the opportunity toget out of the cell more often and my daily prison allowance went upfrom œ1.26 per day to œ1.76, making it possible to buy extra fruit,food and toiletries from the prison canteen. Somewhat surprisingly,given my crime, the Governor assigned me to the computer room, down inthe basement of the workshop area. Mike, the patient and kindly courseinstructor, quickly realised that I already knew how to use a PC soallowed me to do as I liked rather than follow the basic computerliteracy course.Shortly after returning to the cell from my first day in the lab, thedoor-flap slapped back, Mr Richards's narrow eyes checked me, and theheavy door locks clunked. `Tomlinson, here's your new cellmate,' MrRichards announced with a devilish grin as he flung the door open. Iput down my pocket-computer chess game and stood, ready to greet my newcellmate. Holding open the door, Mr Richards impatiently beckoned inthe new arrival, but the smell announced Stonley's presence even beforehe was visible. Mr Richards instinctively recoiled back into thefresher air of the spur and slammed the door shut on us.Stonley walked over to the spare bed, put his only possessions, aplastic mug and cutlery, on the bedside locker and began angrily pacingthe cell in tiny circles, clutching his beard, oblivious to mypresence. I watched for a couple of minutes, and realised that he wasnot going to stop. `Hey Stonley,' I said warmly, `would you mind givingit a break?' Stonley stopped in his tracks and stared in surprise at meas if I were a talking flowerpot. `Have a sit-down,' I suggested.Stonley obliged immediately, as if used to being bullied around, andpage- 190 - To purchase the original limited edition hardback version of this bookplease call 08000 192 192 or go to http://www.192.com