To take on Gabriel, a newcomer needed more than mere size. Either way, Gabriel had no interest in him, because all Stiles had was bulk. And perhaps Stiles was innocent of the charges, like so many morons condemned by British justice. Apparently in the village he hailed from, idiots were treated gently. The biggest, a bona fide village idiot named Benjamin Stiles, kept his head down, shooting nervous looks at the gray stone walls and hugging himself tight. None seemed likely to challenge Gabriel’s supremacy in Wentworth. It also kept him informed about recent developments, including the details behind new inmates. Gabriel wasn’t sure if gambling with McCrory, Buckland and the other F-block guards had strengthened his moral fiber, but it kept him supplied in Pall Malls. At Wentworth, the guards were encouraged to mix with the prisoners and provide a wholesome example. Gone were the days when prisoners were masked, referred to by number and forbidden to speak to the guards. Wentworth was a modern facility, host to several experimental programs and far removed from its Victorian roots. Convicts detained at His Majesty’s Pleasure in April 1936 were issued half an ounce of plain tobacco and a dozen cigarette papers each month, but Gabriel was so skilled at cards, he rarely rolled his own.

He stood quietly in the shadow of the watchtower, smoking a Pall Mall and taking their measure. Jeers and laughter rang through the crisp spring air as the inmates emerged, but Gabriel didn’t join in. Then the new men would be led down Wentworth’s long green and white halls to be kitted out.

First they would be marched to the infirmary, where their leg irons would be unlocked and a cursory medical exam would follow. Gabriel MacKenna knew precisely what awaited them. They arrived by bus, shuffling single file down the vehicle’s steps and into the exercise yard. New inmates came to Wentworth Men’s Prison on Sunday afternoons. F., a lion among men and J.M., every day, especially Tuesdays Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictiously any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.įor M. Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. No part of this eBook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

Protection by S.A. Reid