Ringo assures you that he's working on the before sunrise visits. "At the moment, your name is on everyone's lips, and the prison's visiting hours don't begin that early. I'll keep trying to get them to make an exception, but right now, I just don't have any leverage."
"Yes, sir," Dawn replies curtly to you.
During the next day, all the prisoners are brought out into the yard so the building can be cleaned. Duncan, a hard man, by the look of him, walks up with two meatheads.
"My old friend Cedric said you wanted to have a minute of my time. Your minute starts now."
"And that minute will last as long as I see fit. Starting today, I will be taking 15% of the total action in this place. You'll have til lockup tonight to make sure all of it is brought to me. To do differently would not only be foolish, but costly. Are we clear? Good. Gentlemen, you are dismissed."
Duncan laughs. He keeps from doubling over, but is laughing heartily. Finally, he dries his eyes and responds to you, "Haa. That was the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. I doubt Cedric wanted me to talk to you for your comedic abilities, though, so if you could get right down to the real reason you wanted to talk to me, I'm listening."
"That was the reason, and I assure you, I am QUITE serious."
His mouth twitches. "That wasn't as funny as it was the first time. You have one more chance to tell me what you want."
You've been told. "TWICE". You will not be told a third time. I left over 100 bodies in a single short afternoon to be incarcerated. And I have absolutely no problem leaving a few more to make a point. Now off with you before I get inclined to sign autographs."
Duncan shakes his head. "Crazy m-----f-----...." and walks away.
He has til lockdown tonight. If not, I'll pay him a visit tomorrow.
As you already know, he doesn't send you anything by any means.
How are you going to get ahold of him? You're returned to the solitary cell; the lock on the door has been replaced, as well as the window.
There's always the rec yard, now isn't there.
Unfortunately, the only reason everyone was taken outside the day before was for cleanup.
When you are taken out for rec time, it is all by yourself.
Then I will speak to one of the guards I signed an autograph for. Perhaps they will be inclined to assist me.
You haven't had any altercations yet with the guys on first shift;
all the guards who were working second shift on your first day here (that's the day before yesterday) were killed by Dawn. There are a lot of new guys and transfers.
Looks like you'll be needing to sign some new autographs.
Well, I won't be in solitary forever. There'll be plenty of autographs when I get back to population.
Well, 12 isn't bad, but it's not great, either.
§
They put you back in population after a week in solitaire; Duncan is not in your cell block, and they take the cell blocks out one at a time for rec.
At least you get to see Dougie Formage again. The dentist has already started work to replace his four shattered from teeth. He tells you it wasn't cool for you to do that and now he sees how it is.
Dougie needs a slap, so I'll give him one.
"Boy, do NOT address you unless I address you first."
Time to try and mentally contact Dawn. If successful, I'll give her instructions.
Dougie cries like a little girl.
§
You find Dawn's mind. She's happy to hear from you.
To Dawn mentally: "Babe, I have a assignment for you. How good are you at sniping?"
Her thoughts wander to hundreds of different exploding heads and throats, hundreds of weapons, assembled and disassembled, caliburs of bullets/energy cells; in other words, do you even really have to ask?
I'll mentally picture Duncan. "Got the face?"
Consider it done, comes the thought back to you.
§
A few hours later, there are rumors that an inmate was shot and killed. The details are unknown; some people say it was a police officer, some people say a visitor did it, some people say another inmate had a gun and did it.
I'll ask one of the guards who was shot.
The guard responds to you very professionally with an informal air, "No one was shot, man. It's just a rumor. Don't sweat it."
"So, Duncan took a killshot, huh", I'll say informally.
The guard looks irritated and suspicious, and his manner changes with everyone as the trays get passed out. He even goes so far as to threaten Dougie, "Next time I see you doing that in your cell, you're gonna get charged with self-mutilation. You know what I'm talking about."
I'll tell the guard, " Look. I'm not trying to undermine you. I just tend to hear things that no one else does. Just confirm it with me, and I'll let it go."
He says to you, "Nobody got shot, man. Stop spreading rumors. If everyone would just not pass these ridiculous rumors around we'd all have a better day."
I'll stare him in the eye. "Cut the bullshit. he caught the big croak, didn't he?"
He says to you, "Come into your cell with me."
He closes the door, leaving just the two of you, and says to you quietly, "Yeah, he's dead, alright? Probably someone from a rival gang shot him through a window with a high calibur rifle. Now, will you please stop trying to make me lose my job?"
If that's all, he bangs on the door and gets the control room to buzz it open.
I'll go talk to Ced.
"Whoever takes Duncan's place, tell them it's now 20% of all the action."
Cedric responds to you, "Look, man. Duncan was one of my best friends growing up. I'd love to help you, but he was my main connect in that world. I don't think whoever is now the go to guy with the gang he is in would take kindly to me telling them that, even if I knew who it was."
"I'm sorry Duncan is gone. Had he seen reason, things would have gone differently. I hope you won't hold his passing against me."
I know just the patsy for this job. Ole Dougie just became useful. I'll go over and speak quietly to him.
"Douglas. I have a service I need performed. You will go to Duncan's crew and inform them that I will now be taking 20% of all the action in this place, and that they are to pass it along to every other crew in here. If they follow this, everything will go smoothly and no one will be f**ked with. Should they fail to follow my simple rules, the body could will continue. If anything happens to me while I'm in here, every single person in this place will be dead within 12 hours. Think you can deliver this message for me?"
Dougie is excited and thinks it means he might be able to be one of the cool kids if he helps you out, so he agrees.
The next morning he assures you that the message has been passed along. The day passes slowly; no money by the end of the day.
The next morning, there's a new inmate brought into the cell block, name of Juan.
I'll try and contact Dawn again and tell her to kill one random person in the yard a day, prisoners only, unless I am out there. Target whoever looks like the leader.
I'll size up Juan. What does he look like?
He's hispanic, small, scrappy, medium skinned, with a scar on his neck like he lived through getting his throat cut.
Later in the day, apparently someone has been shot again.
"Welcome to our cell block, Juan. My name is Pharaoh. Feel free to introduce yourself to the others."
To Dougie: "Douglas, I need you to go and take another message. One person a day dies until they get with the program."
Dougie tells you he'll make sure the message is delivered.
Early the next morning, as you come out of your cell to join population, Juan lunges at you with a shiv.
"Very foolish. Paying me would have been cheaper that a hospital visit."
I will attempt to disarm him then break his arm in several places.
You disarm him.
You are holding his arm from the shoulder.
He's collapsed on the floor in shock, shaking visibly, spurting blood from where he once had an arm.
"Whoops! I hate it when that happens, don't you, Juan? Juan? Oh for Christ's sake, you getting blood all over my clean cell block!"
I'll beat him with his own arm. "Didn't your mother tell you NOT to play with shivs?"
I'll throw his bloody arm on top of him.
OOC: Yes, I believe I'm the first verser to rip off someone's arm and beat them with the bloody stump.