ASBO: A Novel of Extreme Terror(87)

There was silence between them for almost ten minutes while Damien thought about things. He was only here for six months, and would have an easy life by just keeping his head down and doing his time. That would feel wrong to him, though. Being locked up was the best way to build his rep and make a few contacts that could help him on the outside. For that reason, Conner had to go. But it wouldn’t be as easy as he thought with the Warden looking out for him. He would have help though, and in fact, he knew that he had help in this very cell. Frankie was broken and dehumanised, which meant he had nothing to lose; the perfect weapon for Damien to wield.

“We take out the Warden,” Damien said suddenly. “Next time he comes in here and gets his cock out, you slit his throat. I will swear that he came in to abuse you and you tell them about what he’s been doing. I guarantee they will cover it up rather than expose something like this.”

“You want me to murder him?”

“What’s the problem? You don’t think he deserves it?”

Frankie shrugged on the end of the bed. “I just don’t think I could ever kill anyone.”

Damien patted his new ally on the back. “You can, my friend. We all can. And you’ll enjoy it.”

“You know something,” said Frankie. He sounded forlorn. “After what that pervert has been doing to me, I think I would. He deserves it and my life can’t get any worse anyway. I’m in.”

Damien was surprised Frankie hadn’t needed more convincing; the lad would be even more useful than he thought.

“Great,” said Damien. “Then, when the Warden’s gone, we take out Conner.”

“And his mates,” Frankie added, suddenly sounding very eager. “I’m going to make every one of them pay.”

Damien shrugged, “Okay, man. If that’s what you want. Your deal though, I just want the top spot.”

“That’s fine,” said Frankie. “You get the top spot and I kill em all.”

Kill em all, Damien thought. This guy is taking to murder a little too easy. What am I unleashing here?

Frankie stood up from the bunk and walked over to the cell door, looking out through an imaginary window. He seemed like a new man, strong and lithe; mentally prepared. “They’ll learn to respect me whether they like it or not. I’m Frankie, f*cking, Walker.”

Damien stared at the lad from behind and smiled. “Pleased to meet you, Frankie.”





Also by Iain Rob Wright

THE FINAL WINTER

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CHAPTER ONE


Harry sipped his latest beer while yet another news update flashed across the pub’s dusty television. A female reporter appeared onscreen, enveloped by an over-sized pink ski-jacket and covered in snow. “Good evening,” she said politely, a slight shiver in her voice. “I’m Jane Hamilton with Midland-UK News. As you can clearly see, the nineteen-inches of snow Britain has witnessed during the previous 24-hours has left the nation’s transportation network in disarray.” The camera panned to overlook a deserted motorway. A sky-blue transit van lay overturned and abandoned in its centre; its mystery cargo strewn across – and half-buried by – the snow.

The reporter let out a breath that steamed the air and then continued. “Major roads have now been closed off and the nation’s rail links have been terminated until further notice. Schools are closed, along with nonessential businesses, while hospitals are doing their best to remain open. The current death toll of weather-related fatalities is now at twenty-seven and feared to rise. Emergency services have set up a helpline in order to assist anyone in serious need and to offer advice on how best to survive the current freezing temperatures. That number is being displayed at the bottom of the screen now.”

Harry shook his head. How long they going to keep this up? We get it, the weather’s bad! No need to tell us every ten minutes. Life’s depressing enough!

“Even more concerning,” the television reporter continued, much to Harry’s displeasure, “is the fact that it is currently snowing throughout every nation of the world.” A multi-coloured map of the earth superimposed itself at the top right of the screen, then slowly turned white to represent the recent snowfall. “From barren deserts to areas of dense rainforest, all have been subjected to unprecedented snowfall, some for the first time in centuries. Never before in recorded history has such an event been known to occur. Certain religious leaders are calling this-”