The dress down lasted for a long time before the pissed off prisoners angrily launched out of their beds. Catharine had bawled out on a police officer for insulting her at the dining table, he showed off as she pigged out on the bread flour served to her table of friends. They flared up, giving Catharine the chance to give the first punch. Officer Race unexpectedly staggered to the floor but braved it out as he quickly stood to return fist which now brought about a war. As other prisoners joined in the fight, the ‘Rough riders’ taught it a great opportunity to take it on the ‘Beauty perfects. Officer Race was graciously perplexed to see them pull ahead of the Beauty perfects just then the cafeteria was turned into a clog. Now the meal attendants ran out as quick as their legs could carry them to the chaos to the authority officers.
****
Sergeant Brown had resorted to his disciplinary action before walking out of the five-hundred and two intel-female wards. Officer Race was taken to the medicals for his bleeding gums, Catharine was fixed on a two-weeks laundry duty alone; order was spelt out for immediate cleanup assigned to various inmates while others were forced to carry all broken facilities to the workshop and immediate repairs commencing immediately. Dinner was denied for every inmate while the war lord teams were denied dinner and breakfast for the next day. Angry prisoners who were denied food had to spill the bean on the bone of contention that led to the fight as heavy armed officers surrounded the central hall threatening to run 2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile into the entire building locking every one prisoner inside afterwards denying them food for a whole week.
****
24-year old Melody Catharine has been serving a twenty-year jail sentence after been being found guilty of beating a minor to death. The judgement was declared fair as very evidence stood on accusing grounds against her. After three years in the floor of ‘Intel-state’ prison Catharine has grown to hate life and every situation that came with it. kicked out from two foster homes back into the streets, Cat as she is fondly called took up every street fighter who cared for combat and when she wasn’t combating for a rank, she fought for the justice of the young girls in the neighborhood who were intimidated by people of her kind. Cat had spent most of her teenage life high and dry while she lived on bread and water.
****
Sergeant Brown now had to transfer officer Jefferson and his subordinate officer Jack to replace Race with clear details on monitoring. Officer Jack was directly ordered to follow Cat around serving her laundry team. As the days went by, they both mysteriously grew fond of each other a sense of pity and guilt expressed its vulnerability though Jack couldn’t help this feeling he took a drill into different areas of her life and found a vulnerable and loving woman; Cat was consumed with his affirmative show of care and affection.
The twenty-seven-year-old had read Catharine’s file and was disappointed by the judgement she was receiving for all the misfortunes that surrounded her growing up. Cat soon found solace in his company she would capitalize on any opportunity Jack would come up with to setting her free. Two months after, they made the irrevocable decision to escape the prison yards. The escape plan was well structured, Cat was to hide inside the truck that brought food suppliers to the yard the next day under Jack’s supervision; while Jack had applied for a day leave from Officer Jefferson on a special training class.
The execution commenced by 2:20pm when the truck came in and started off loading itself of the groceries; Jack had taken Cat through the kitchen closet on a chef’s clothing he sneaked in for her as a disguise. While he engaged the truck driver and his colleague in a seemly distracting conversation; Cat moved out with bent heads as if to dispose a refuge while returning rolled through the ground towards the truck and crawled into it. She folded herself into the returns that contained farm produce leaving the yards. After the conversation was ended, the men were ready to leave as they waved back to Jack and drove out of the prison yards. Jack hurried back to the kitchen to ensure Cat wasn’t left behind. Cat was in the van. A sense of joy and hope lighted his heart as he progressed for his off duty exist. He had not moved passed the kitchen corridors just when all security alarms went up. Fear griped him as he run fast to the meet the foot steps of other officers; inter-state was in a turmoil; commands came from superior officers to the subordinates to line out every inmate in front of their rooms. A murder had taken place; an officer whispered to the now confused looking officer as he asked his colleague the reason behind the rampage. Officer Jefferson was found dead with his coffee slipping down his uniform few minutes from the time Cat left with the truck. Investigations were ongoing, sergeant Brown ordered a thorough search warrant on every one with any substance poisonous and fatal to the body. Jack was shocking to his marrows; he had sweat running through this body as he reacted to move to action as the sergeant gave them more orders…
A loud cry came from one of the officers who dragged the inmates out, the reporter came from Catherine’s ward.
“She is missing. She is missing. She is missing.”
‘Melody Catharine inmate with ID number- 34265FGT is not her ward’’….
She has made a fool of anyone who came in to check on her; making her pillows into a sleeping image and covered it up with the bedspread the reporter exclaimed to the sergeant as he approached the scene. Every exit was ordered locked, the alarms kept ringing; before officer Jack could say a word, he was summoned, handcuffed and led out for further investigation.
****
Two weeks after Cat’s escape from prison, officer Jack was charged with murder from poisoning his senior colleague and conspiracy to a prison escape. Melody dropped the newspaper and promised to visit intel-state soon.
