Arresting Attraction: How To Create A Criminal

Chapter Four

Osgate High Security Psychiatric Prison's favourite time of day - as voted by the inmates - was yard time. For an hour a day, inmates were allowed to exit their cramped cell rooms, and explore the great outdoors. If you could call it the great outdoors.

The yard was small. It was a patch of grass, with a couple of tables, some gym equipment, and not much else. Inmates were encouraged to talk and communicate, so they didn't drive themselves near insane. The patch of grass was then surrounded by a large, thick glass surrounding, with various entryways, only reachable with keys.

Behind the glass, waiting, 400, if not more, armed guards. They monitored what was happening, and were in charge of general control. Osgate held the world's most dangerous and notorious criminals. It's aim was to keep everyone bad in, and the good guys out.

Sometimes, nurses, and doctors and other facility works would observe the happenings of the yard, safely protected by the glass. It was a zoo.

On raised platforms were more guards, these ones, with sedative guns, ready to stop anything that got out of control. But, due to the overwhelming number of docile inmates, issues were few to none.

As I entered the outer yard, Ryan waved a hand at me, calling me over. He waved so wildly, a few inmates laughed, and swore in his direction. Ryan promptly ignore it.

Beside him, Amy stood stiff. Barley acknowledging me as I approached. I hadn't seen her since Charlie's physical exam. I could only assume she was still mad, as was I.

"Hey! How was your break?" Ryan asked, pulling me from my glare.

I shrugged, "It's never enough, is it?"

"Nah."

Sucking everything up, I leaned around Amy and waved, "Morning."

She didn't say anything.

"Morning, Amy," I pressed, grinning.

She shot me a look, unimpressed.

Ryan kept quiet, looking ahead. He could probably sense the hostility between us. Whether he knew something I didn't or was still mad about the incident himself, he wasn't going to say.

I knocked my shoulder against his and crossed my arms, "How was everything while I was gone?"

Amy let out a dry laugh.

Ryan shot her a look I didn't see, before looking back at me and shrugging.

"No, really?"

Ryan scratched his head, "Your friend was...interesting."

"Who?"

Amy scoffed, "Thomas."

"What about everyone else?" I pushed.

"Everyone else was fine. The usual."

Amy butt in again, "Like you care about them. Thomas is the only one you're interested in."

It made me mad.

"Do you mind?"

Ryan put his arm out, warning me. I backed down.

"What else happened?"

Ryan turned his attention to me, "Charlie under went his psychological exam. Davis said he'd never seen anyone so fucked in the head."

"That's not really politically correct."

Amy spat, "Doesn't matter what it is, it's true. He's been beaten every day since he arrived. He's a psychopath."