15

They were the law and I knew enough not to be seen talking to them. It was okay to bribe them, but I sure as hell didn't want to be friends with them.

The days of mobsters ruling prisons are long gone. I loved watching movies where the wiseguys owned an entire wing of the prison and threw big feasts of good food. I wasn't made, so maybe it wasn't me anyway. During those first few days in prison, I was just another inmate trying to survive. My first real problem started the next day in the backyard. It was a cold morning when we were sent out to get some fresh air and exercise. There was nothing physical happening that day; It was very cold. Instead, everyone huddled in small groups to ward off the cold. I went to the same group of people I had dinner with the night before.

"Hey you," a voice yelled in my direction. "Stay right here. It's too cold."

He was a big guy with short hair and a crooked nose. He was pointing to a point near him in the direction of the wind. I realized I was asked to be your wind blocker.

I told him to go to hell.

An instant hush fell over the courtyard. I watched as the huge bull of a person stomped towards me with a sneer on his face. The oncoming fist felt like the size of a bowling ball as he punched me.

Lane was there before the fist landed. He grabbed my attacker by the shoulder and spun him around. The crack of his broken nose echoed through the prison yard as he punched the man in the face. The fight was short and vicious, as prison fights are. Lane was the winner and he stepped back beside me as the guards came to take the loser to the infirmary.

I began to feel the effects of sobriety almost immediately. The lack of drugs in my system made my head hurt and I found it difficult to concentrate. Fortunately, drugs were easy to come by, even in prison.

it was hell. I knew I had a problem, but I didn't realize how bad it was. A week later, and I was practically crying for a solution.

it's over, all it took was a little begging. I found some guys who were happy to give me what I needed in exchange for payment once I left. It was expensive, but it was worth it for me. The tremors, headaches and loss of focus immediately ended. I felt better than ever!

(Lost $1000 outside money and athletics +10)

The good thing about being in prison was that society wanted to reform you. That meant I had all kinds of free options I never had while I was on the outside.

a little boxing, a little wrestling, a little karate, and of course the current trend, mixed martial arts. The prison gym was full of people working out and training in various disciplines.

(Fight +20)

I was halfway through my arrest when I met my first online wiseguy from New Daria. After all, it was a huge prison. He was being beaten up by a bunch of guards when I first saw him. They were actually laying in it.

could see blood covering his many tattoos as the beating continued. We'd never spoken before and I knew he'd probably make my life miserable if he knew I was here, considering Taylor had killed one of his guys.

The guards didn't seem to show any signs of giving up. I wasn't sure what I had walked into.

it was an incredibly stupid thing to do. I took one of the worst beatings of my life. We were both left lying on the floor to recover on our own. We smile at each other through bloody teeth as we stand up.

(Jeff Ratio +20, Fighting +5 and Heat +50)

Prison boundaries changed many things. I never would have expected that I would make a friend of the Sato Family during my stay, but I did.

"It was the Smirnov Family," he said. "I had a big nightclub on the east side and they took it from me the moment I was arrested. And now I know that one of them bribed the guards too. Thanks for helping me."

One of the biggest problems with being in prison was that I wasn't making money anymore. All my schemes were stagnant out there and I had no way of charging them. While my options were limited, there were still plenty of ways to make money behind bars.

I figured things were too limited in prison to earn real money. The sooner I could leave, the sooner I could get back to work.

Lane was a decent cellmate, despite the first night. He was very strong and enjoyed working out at the gym. If a problem could be solved with his fingers, Lane could fix it. However, intellectual endeavors were not his forte. I saw him struggling with his lawyer's paperwork one night, a very confused expression on his face.

Mostly just "there there" and other buzzwords. I could tell he was very angry and I was surprised I didn't get punched in the face for my troubles.

(Lane ratio +10)

I was approaching my release date when I heard a rumor going around the cell block. Although I had rarely seen Jeff since the day I helped him with the guards, I had heard that the Smirnov Family was going to kill him. Two big neckless ones would grab you in the cafeteria and a third would use a piece of glass with a duct tape handle to turn your throat to Swiss cheese.

The day of the assassination attempt started according to their plan. But the instant the two beefy prisoners grabbed Jeff, I was there too. They weren't expecting any interference, so I slashed one of them in the face with the shard of glass and then rammed it into the other's neck before they knew I was there. I got back to my chair before the guards entered. One of the attackers died, and the other was sent to the infirmary for several months. Life was cheap in a federal prison.

I was amazed that so little effort was made to find out what really happened. The guards questioned my involvement, as did everyone else in the mess hall, but no one said anything. I don't know what the cameras saw, but I had to assume it wasn't enough to charge me with murder. Needless to say, Jeff was very happy and the Smirnov Family very angry.

(Jeff Ratio +30, Smirnov Family Reputation -40, Fighter +5 and Heat +50)

Five long years. That's how much time I spent in Federal Prison in Nova Daria. I wasn't given time off for good behavior. I was only too happy to pack my things and head out the front door when I was finally released. (Necessary under 75 heat)

I was even happier to see Taylor pull up outside the prison to take me home. I gave him a big kiss and got in the car. I have to admit, I was a little nervous that none of the Family was there to welcome me back into society. I half expected to see Jimmy, Dana, Freddie or someone. I wasted no time and headed straight for Lucky Lanes.

Next chapter

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