Blood Ties, page 4
‘I was still in a rage. As I stared at his evil face, memories of all the times he’d abused me flashed through my mind. I started to stab away at his clothes and his flesh. The blood seeped through. I cut a big hole in his trousers with the knife. I could see his penis poking through. I hated it! So I tore at his clothes until he was half naked.
‘Then I cut it off,’ Caroline said quickly. ‘His testicles, too.’
Adele gulped. She pictured Caroline staring maniacally at her husband as she sawed through his private parts with a kitchen knife. A cold sweat trickled down her back as a rush of fear swept through her. She was sickened at the thought of how long it must have taken Caroline to cut off his penis and testicles, but she remained silent as Caroline continued.
‘Then, when it was done, I was still raging. I don’t know where it came from. It must have been building up for years. I just wanted rid of the bloody things. I hated them!’ she cried. ‘So I burnt them.’
‘Oh my God!’ cried Adele, and she then quickly swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat.
By this time Caroline was sobbing. ‘I’m sorry,’ said Caroline. ‘I swear, to this day, I’ll never know why I went that far. I don’t know what possessed me.’
‘It’s alright,’ said Adele, rushing to Caroline’s side and putting her arms around her.
Adele felt tears cloud her own eyes. Although she was appalled by what Caroline had done, who was she to judge? After all, it wasn’t that different from her own story. She too had been in that position. She had lost all control and hit her father repeatedly even as his skull cracked open and his brains spilt out.
They remained there for several minutes, Adele now also in tears and shaking. She didn’t know what to say. What could she say? There were no words to explain why either she or Caroline had reacted so violently to their tormentors.
As she sat there silently, a rush of thoughts flashed through her mind. Everything made sense now. The way the other prisoners were wary of Caroline, even though she seemed such a caring person. And the way she and Caroline had been drawn to each other.
Eventually she spoke. ‘Did you seek me out?’ she asked.
Caroline looked up, her face red and blotchy and streaked with tears. ‘I know what you’re thinking,’ she said. ‘That perhaps I thought we would understand each other because of… our crimes. But no, not particularly. I mean, I knew what you were in for, and maybe I’d have judged you differently if it wasn’t for my own experiences. But I didn’t deliberately seek you out. I just liked you as a person.’
Adele nodded, unsure what to say next.
‘Well, it’s out in the open now,’ said Caroline, with a sardonic smile.
‘I won’t hold it against you,’ said Adele. ‘How could I?’
And as she spoke those words Adele realised just how much her world had changed. At one time she’d have run a mile from someone who had committed such a heinous crime, no matter what the circumstances were. But inside these walls she saw Caroline as a best friend.
Their crimes were similar. They shared the guilt. And Adele knew that no one would ever understand Caroline in the same way that she did.
Chapter 6
Adele was lying on the top bunk in her cell. She was having a good night’s sleep; one of the best she’d had since starting her prison sentence.
It was the day after Caroline had made her revelation and their shared understanding had cemented their friendship. As Adele settled into prison life and made more friends, she was feeling more at ease and sleeping better.
She was currently dreaming about John, her ex-boyfriend. He was often in her thoughts and, even though she knew she would never see him again, occasional recollections of their happy times together could brighten an otherwise dull day.
Her dreams of him were often graphic in nature, too. They had shared a wonderful sex life and she often woke up with a smile following an explicit dream. Tonight was no exception. She murmured as his hands caressed her nipples softly. Then he drew her face towards his, meeting her lips.
As she awoke she could still feel a tingling sensation in her breasts and had a warm glow all over her body. Until she opened her eyes. There, leaning over her, was the pockmarked, manly face of Anna, accompanied by a faint smell of stale sweat. She had drawn her lips away but still had her hands inside Adele’s nightshirt, resting on her breasts.
Adele shot up in the bed, her head colliding with Anna’s. She was battling with a riot of emotions: her initial repugnance at the sight of Anna, disappointment that it wasn’t John, then fury at Anna’s audacity. There was a look of alarm on Anna’s face as Adele pushed her ferociously away.
‘What the fuck do you think you’re playing at?’ Adele yelled, giving Anna another angry shove.
Anna lost her balance and almost tumbled off the top bunk. She found the steps just in time before Adele could throw her off altogether. But Adele wasn’t finished with her yet. She launched herself off the bunk, meeting Anna at ground level. Before Anna could react, Adele rammed into her, pinned her up against the cell wall and slammed her forearm across Anna’s throat.
Adele’s arm was pressed so tightly against Anna’s throat that she gasped for air. She tried to prise Adele off her but failed. Anger was coursing through Adele’s veins. She threw all her weight behind her forearm until it was wedged in place.
‘You fuckin’ cheeky bitch! How dare you?’ Adele yelled as she slapped away Anna’s hands.
Anna was going red in the face as she struggled to breathe, but Adele wouldn’t let up. Her face was a mask of fury as she put more weight behind her forearm until it was even tighter against Anna’s throat.
‘You dirty, slimy fuckin’ freak!’ shouted Adele. ‘Just what the fuck have you been doing while I’ve been asleep?’
Anna struggled to respond and Adele eased her arm away a little.
‘Nothing,’ Anna panted. ‘It was the first time, I swear!’
‘I don’t fuckin’ believe you. You dirty bitch!’
‘It was! Honestly, I’ve never done that before, and I swear I’ll never do it again.’
‘You’d better fuckin’ not!’ said Adele, easing her arm a little more. ‘Because if I ever fuckin’ catch you doing anything like that again, I’ll be straight off to the governor to demand a cell change. And I’ll make sure she, and everybody else, knows why.’
As Adele released her grip, a look of relief flashed across Anna’s face, which annoyed Adele even more. She jabbed her arm back tightly and spoke between clenched teeth. ‘But before I go to see the governor, I’ll give you the hiding of your fuckin’ life! Do you understand?’
She jabbed her arm even harder to emphasise her point until Anna’s eyes bulged. Then, feeling alarmed at how far she’d gone, she removed her arm and let Anna go.
Anna took a few sharp breaths before retreating to her own bunk and muttering something under her breath.
‘What did you say?’ demanded Adele, her adrenalin still pumping.
‘You seemed to be enjoying it,’ she murmured, more sure of herself now that Adele had let her go.
‘Don’t you fuckin’ dare!’ shouted Adele, stepping towards her again.
‘Alright, alright,’ Anna babbled. ‘Just saying.’
‘Well, don’t! You know very well that’s not my bag and, even if it was, you’d be the last person on my list. So, in future, keep your fuckin’ dirty hands to yourself!’
Anna grabbed at a magazine and held it in front of her face, pretending to read, but her shame was evident so Adele left her alone and busied herself tidying up the cell to take her mind off what had happened. She couldn’t help feeling troubled, however, at the thought of what Anna got up to once she was asleep.
*
Denise and Louise were in the recreation area when Anna went over to join them. She was still recovering from the shock of Adele’s recent attack.
‘What’s that mark on your neck?’ Denise asked.
Anna fingered the red swelling around her throat, which felt tender to the touch. ‘It’s that Adele. She’s a fuckin’ lunatic!’
‘What d’you mean?’ asked Louise.
‘She attacked me. She had me pinned up against the wall. I thought she was gonna fuckin’ kill me!’
‘You’re joking!’ said Denise. ‘What did she do that for?’
‘Nothing much,’ sniffed Anna. Then, with her head hanging low, she muttered, ‘I made a pass at her.’
‘Aah, right,’ said Denise, with a knowing smile. Then she added, ‘So, what was wrong with just knocking you back like anyone else would have done?’
‘Exactly!’ Anna noticed that a small crowd had now gathered around them and she was enjoying playing to an audience. ‘Instead, the mad bitch has to go and attack me. She’s a fuckin’ psycho! I tell you what, if either of you are thinking of making a play for her, I wouldn’t bother, not if you value your life, anyway.’
‘We wouldn’t,’ said Denise, giving Louise an evil stare.
‘No, would we ’eck,’ Louise quickly added.
‘How come she got the better of you, anyway? You’re bigger than her. I thought you would have fuckin’ had her,’ said Denise.
‘She’s stronger than you think,’ said Anna. ‘And she’s a fuckin’ kickboxing expert, isn’t she? Haven’t you seen her in the gym doing her stuff? She’s good at it – fast, too. She had me up against that fuckin’ cell wall before I even knew what was happening. Anyway, from what I heard you didn’t do so well against her when she had a go at you.’
Denise sniffed. ‘She just caught me by surprise, that’s all. She looks like butter wouldn’t melt but, you’re right, she’s a fuckin’ lunatic when she loses it. Anyway, she’d better not fuckin’ go for me like that again. ’Cos next time I’ll be ready, and I’ll fuckin’ have her.’
Anna noticed the steely look of defiance on Denise’s face as well as the concerned expressions on the faces of some of the other inmates. Anna realised that perhaps she had gone a bit too far. After all, Adele had good reason for doing what she had, although Anna wasn’t about to admit that to anyone. And despite Adele attacking her, Anna still had a soft spot for her and wouldn’t want her to come to any harm. Denise was a tough adversary and it wasn’t good to get on the wrong side of her.
What Anna didn’t realise was that Adele’s reputation was gaining momentum. The other prisoners already knew what had happened between Adele and Denise, and this new revelation was further cementing Adele’s status as someone who wasn’t to be messed with.
‘She’s alright really. She’s just got a bit of a temper, that’s all,’ Anna said.
‘You’ve soon changed your fuckin’ tune!’ said Denise.
‘Like I said, she’s alright really. You’ve just gotta make sure you don’t upset her.’
Denise scowled at Anna. ‘We’ll fuckin’ see about that,’ she murmured before walking away with Louise trailing behind.
Anna stared after them, worried that she might have stirred things up unintentionally. She only hoped that Adele wouldn’t suffer because of her big mouth.
Chapter 7
When David answered his front door, his hair was messy and his clothes creased. Peter smelt the faint odour of BO and guessed that David hadn’t showered and was probably still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. He screwed up his face in disgust.
‘Heavy night, was it?’ Peter asked scathingly as he and Glynn stepped inside.
David looked down at his crumpled clothing. ‘Yeah,’ he laughed. ‘Fuckin’ great night. I crashed out on the sofa.’
They walked through to the lounge.
‘D’you wanna drink?’ David asked.
‘No, thanks,’ said Peter, his nostrils twitching at the stench of the place.
‘This isn’t a social visit anyway,’ added Glynn.
A look of unease flashed across David’s face. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Sit down!’ ordered Peter. ‘We need to talk.’
David did as he was told while Peter and Glynn remained standing.
‘Right, for a start, do you wanna tell me why you’ve been seeing so much of Steve Miller?’ Peter asked, his tone harsh.
‘I haven’t. What you on about?’
‘You’ve been meeting him in the Sportsman’s. And from what I’ve been told, you’ve been getting pretty fuckin’ cosy.’
‘No, I haven’t. That’s a lie,’ David protested. Then he looked up at Glynn. ‘Did he tell you this?’
‘Never mind who fuckin’ told me!’ Peter snapped. ‘I’ve heard it from more than one person. And, from what I’ve heard, you’ve met him a few times.’
‘That’s bullshit! I don’t have owt to do with him.’
‘You sure?’ asked Peter, ‘Only, from what I’ve been told, you and him even use the same fuckin’ supplier!’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t even know who he scores from. I don’t have anything to do with the guy.’
David’s voice had taken on an alarmed tone now as he watched Glynn alternately balling his hands into fists then cracking his knuckles. Peter nodded to Glynn, who walked over to the sofa and dragged David off it by the scruff of his neck.
‘Get your fuckin’ hands off me!’ David yelled.
Peter nodded again and Glynn responded by belting David while keeping a grip on him with his other hand. The punch landed squarely on David’s jaw and he pulled back, clutching his face. He tried to wriggle free but Glynn kept hold of him, his large hands crushing David’s flesh.
‘Get your fuckin’ hands off me!’ David repeated, his arms flailing wildly about as he tried to break free of Glynn’s grasp.
Glynn landed another sharp punch to his nose. Blood spurted from David’s nostrils, and Glynn wiped his knuckles in disgust.
‘They’re lying!’ David shouted. ‘Whoever told you is lying.’
Glynn hit him again repeatedly until Peter signalled for him to stop and Glynn stood aside. ‘Tell the fuckin’ truth, David, or he’ll carry on hitting you!’
‘I’m not fuckin’ lying!’ David squealed, his face now blood soaked and contorted with pain.
Peter stepped up to David so their faces were only centimetres apart.
‘I know what you’ve been up to so don’t keep telling me fuckin’ lies!’ he hissed.
David opened his mouth to speak again but the sight of his former friend’s angry face silenced him. Peter’s face was blood red, and the veins in his throat were taut.
‘I can’t fuckin’ trust you anymore! You’re a loose cannon, Dave,’ he said, his voice now a mix of anger and bitter disappointment.
Peter quickly checked himself, not wanting to show any sign of weakness, and his voice took on a more menacing tone. ‘I should have known by the way you’ve been acting lately. Getting too big for your fuckin’ boots!’
As Peter spoke the last words he aimed a sharp blow to David’s gut. David doubled over, squealing in agony. While Glynn held David from behind, Peter continued to rain punches. His aggressive onslaught helped him release his fury and disappointment in his one-time friend. When David begged for mercy and screamed out in pain, Peter became even angrier, belting him repeatedly as the blood spattered around them.
He didn’t stop until his fists were sore. Then he stood back, eyeing David’s bloody, swollen face. ‘You’re a fuckin’ disaster, Dave,’ he cursed. ‘Get back to your coke-head mates. You’re no fuckin’ use to me now.’
Peter walked away and signalled for Glynn to follow. As Glynn let go of David, he slumped to the ground.
‘What a fuckin’ loser,’ Peter muttered as they made their way out.
Peter was upset as well as angry. He felt bad having to punish David. He’d been his friend for a long time and they’d been through a lot together. Doling out punishments was one thing, but doing it to a former mate was another matter. But he couldn’t afford not to. David had to be taught a lesson. No one took the piss out of Peter Robinson and got away with it.
As he made his way out of David’s home, Peter was already feeling remorseful. He knew it was the drugs that had turned his friend. Once they got a grip, you lost all logic. But he couldn’t carry someone like that. He’d be forever watching his back. He couldn’t trust someone who had lied and deceived him. So, he walked away to the sound of David still protesting his innocence.
*
Caroline wished she hadn’t let Adele rope her into her kickboxing session again. Despite Caroline’s criminal history, all that wanton aggression just wasn’t her scene at all. But Adele needed someone to partner her while she practised her moves and Caroline didn’t like to refuse a good friend.
They were in the gym and Caroline was clutching a long kickboxing pad, which covered most of her torso. While Adele jabbed at the pad, Caroline threw her weight behind it to stop her feet from shifting. As Adele continued to jab, she seemed to be working herself up into such a fury that Caroline had to push harder to maintain her position.
Something seemed to have upset Adele recently but Caroline wasn’t sure what. Maybe it was the incident with Anna that had shaken her. Caroline had tried to help her laugh it off but Adele was having none of it. Although Caroline had tried to play it down, she could understand why Adele was so freaked out. It can’t have been nice to think that someone was mauling you while you were asleep.
Caroline also found the kickboxing sessions boring. While she held onto the pad her mind drifted and she gazed around the gym. She could see a small group of women, a few metres behind Adele. They had taken a break from their workouts and were now watching Adele practising, and whispering amongst themselves.
All of a sudden Adele took a mighty front kick off the back leg, striking the pad with some force. It took Caroline by surprise and she rocked backwards, almost toppling over. While Caroline tried to recover her balance, Adele continued to jab rapidly at the pad.
