OK, not five players, but...

“Halt!”

As the chain gang halted, the guard undid the shackles on the man at the back. He stepped into the end cell, the next one along was unlocked, he stepped in too and the guard locked the door.

The process continued down the line, two to a cell. Then he got to Diah.

Again. unlocked shackles. He moved on to the man in front and looked up as he unlocked him too. He stepped into the cell immediately. Diah lingered.

“Well?”

“Sir?”

“In, you idiot!”

Diah glanced inside. “But”

“I said in!”

“What do you mean, sir? You don’t expect us to sleep together do you?”

“What?”

“Look!” Diah pointed at the bare top bunk. No mattress. No bedding. “Besides, I need a change of clothes for tomorrow, sir!”

“Where the hell’s your mattress! What’ve you done with it!?”

“It’s in my cell, sir.”

“This is your cell!”

“It isn’t even my wing, sir!”

“What do you mean, not your wing!?”

“I’m in cell 385, sir. C wing and I’ve got obligations there, too, sir!”

“What the hell are you talking about, boy! C wing don’t do hard labour!”

“I requested it, sir! It isn’t a punishment for me. I enjoyed myself out there today, sir.”

“Why the hell wasn’t I told?”

“No-one ever tells us anything, sir. Only what to do and where to go. You’ll have to take that up with the office, sir.”

He sighed. “Name?”

“Stephens, O. 853945. sir!”

“In! And you’ll remain there until I get to the bottom of this!”

Diah sighed, nodded and stepped into the cell. The door slammed immediately.

“Fine pickle you’ve got yourself in, lad.”

Diah chuckled. “Once they’ve sorted it out today I doubt it’ll happen that often. Why don’t they just remove the shackles before the bloody shower in the first place?”

“Simple. They want the chains clean too.”

“Makes sense. Don’t suppose you’ve got any cards or anything have you? Might as well pass the time.”

“Damned good idea. We could make it interesting.” He leaned over to his cupboard, took out a pack and began dealing.

“Interesting how?”

“I’d quite like one of them bog rolls.”

“And what can you offer if I win?”

“Got a few things. Chocolate bar. Pack of fags. Another coat hanger?”

Diah picked up the cards he’d been dealt. “What are we playing?”

“Poker.”

“Might as well then. So… Points? Say, one hundred each at the start? That’s what we bet with? The most at the time the guard returns gets the prize?”

“Damn, that’s a good way of doin’ it. Have to remember that when we’re out on Sunday.”

“Why are you in now? What about food? They’ve got to feed you don’t they?”

He nodded. “B wing, medium security. We don’t get out that often. Few hours after chapel on a Sunday for footy. All other times, lock down. We’ll be released for food soon enough.”

Diah shuddered. “What’s your name anyway?”

“My name?”

“We did speak quite a bit today but I never got it. Don’t even know if you’re West or Crawley.”

“You got that much then. Crawley. S. 643800, sir! Sid to you.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Sid. So you’ve been in a while then.”

He nodded. “And you’re right. For me, hard labour was hell at first. Got used to it years ago though. Hell of a lot more variety than the other jobs they have in ’ere. Actually glad to be sentenced to it now. Spent a one stretch on a normal sentence when I was sixteen. Out in eight months with good behaviour. Didn’t last once I was out though.”

“Obviously.”

“And what you said about that Ben bloke?”

“Prison transfer to the armed forces? Yeah. Dunno what the limitations are. He had a ten stretch. Dunno if it’s possible if you’ve got less than that left.”

“I’ll bet half of B wing’s off to the navy if that’s true.”

“Well, you lot are certainly fit enough to handle military training. You won’t see much difference discipline-wise. Should warn you, if you hate it and run away, it is the death penalty.”

Diah tossed two cards in, picked two more and studied them, adjusting a couple.

“Death?”

“For desertion. Yeah. Bloody hell though, it’s worth it. Trust me. Changed my life forever. Never looking back.”

Sid tossed in one card, picked another and smirked.

“But you’re here.”

Diah shrugged. “Not forever. I’ll still be able to join up once I’m out.”

“And the Baron?”

Diah shrugged. “I’ll work for him until it’s time. Just have to hope he’s satisfied with that. If not, things could get complicated. Might have to hold off on joining up until he is willing to let me go but he can’t hold onto me forever.”

“I’ll throw five points into the pot. He can y’know. Once he gets his claws in, there’s no turning back.”

Diah’s head sank into his hands. “Shit! I need that life. I’ve got mates on that ship! Maybe I could offer him something else? International agent perhaps. Extend his reach. I’ll see your five and raise you ten.”

“International? You’d have to be bloody careful, robbing places abroad while in the navy. See it, raise another five.”

“Don’t I know it. Small items, easily pocketed. That’s all I’d be able to take, so they’d have to be bloody valuable. Be a lot more difficult getting messages to him too. He works off dead drops and all of them are miles away from the ports. Days away.”

“Bright side, you’ve got five years to come up with something.”

“That’s true. I’ll toss in twenty-five to call.”

“Flush.”

Diah sighed. “Three tens. Oh well.”

Sid dealt again.

Diah glanced at is cards. “So are we always next to each other now, on the chain?”. He picked two, tossed them in and replaced them.

“Yeah. Always the same order. Makes a change, being next to someone else.”

“For the next five years.”

“How did you do it? I heard what you said to Pickering.”

“Daydream? Five for the pot.”

“No. Work so hard. You don’t even look that knackered. See your five, raise you another five.”

“Hard labour might be new to me but hard work isn’t and I spent a year at sea. Got to be strong to scramble around in the rigging like we do. See it, raise ten.”

“Twenty to call. Bloody hell you did a good job of it today.”

“How often do you feel the lash?” Diah placed his cards. “Straight.” He spread them to reveal a five, six, seven, eight and nine of diamonds.

“Damn. Two pairs. You won a few back but I’m still in line for the roll. As for the lash… Not that often. At the start it was a lot. Especially near the end of the day.”

He dealt again but before Diah got the chance to toss in his cards, keys rattled in the lock.

“You win. I’ll see it gets to you.”

Both of them stood and faced the door as it opened.

“Stephens. Out.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I didn’t believe you. Follow me.”

Diah stepped out and the guard locked the door behind him.