Wake of the Storm - The Mason Storm Series Book One

What can you buy with Tuna Fish? (02/13/17)

What can you buy with Tuna Fish?

I can buy drugs, liqueur, tobacco, chicken, roast beef, cheese, anything really. I can even gamble with it if I want to.

In federal prison, at least the one I am in, fish is our currency. And just like out there, whoever has the most currency has the most control. Cash is still king, even if it is fish... right now the money and control belongs to the GD's. And it's no secret, most groups in here are sick of them, but no one has a choice. We are all forced to deal with them. Until now. A 'changing of the guard' is coming and the White Boys are the ones who are going to do it.

Fish is either sold at the commissary or by inmates who have stacked it up through activities that go against policy. Anything of value which is bought or sold between inmates is done so with fish. A mackerel is worth a dollar and a yellowfin is two. For instance, a whole cigarette will cost you twenty to twenty-five fish; pinners are five; a green pepper or onion stolen from the kitchen is two. On Thursdays you can buy two pieces of chicken for three fish.

Well, it's been two weeks since I made the deal with Spanky and his group and today I have roughly twenty thousand fish, in the form of tobacco laid out on my bed. We just received the first four cartons from the GDs. We are now in debt six grand to them and have the weekend to get the fish together. I gave my word to Spank we would have it done no later than Monday night after chow. It's not an ideal situation for us, but come hell or high water, we'll get it done.

Lil' Mat, a kid out of Pennsylvania doing a couple years on some petty drug charges, is in the hallway holding point, watching out for the cops, while Dub-C, Flip and I cut off all of the filters and get rid of the packaging. The fastest way to bring heat to the compound is for the SIS Lieutenants to find empty packs and butts lying around. We cut our chances of being caught in half taking these extra couple of steps. Plus, if staff finds the packaging they will start snooping around, looking to see who has a dirty cop in their back pocket.

We now have forty sandwich baggies, each with twenty filterless cigarettes. Dub-C is taking fifteen of the baggies to the shot-caller for the Paisas for six grand (We're leaving a little money on the table, but we can't afford to be greedy right now.) and Flip is taking another ten to the Italians for four, as a 'just in case'. Anything can happen between now and Monday with the Paisas and we are on the hook. The GDs want their money on Monday. No excuses.

"Make sure you tell them we need the fish by Sunday night. We still have to get it all moved to A-unit," I say as Flip and Dub-C leave.

I take lil' Mat and the last fifteen baggies.

I am now holding point for him outside the showers, while he pulls himself up into the ceiling to hide the rest. I have a plan for these. At the end of the day one of the GDs put their hands on Jimmy. I haven't forgotten this. We are going to run them off this yard; we can no longer live here with them. We just have to be smart how we do it.

When Dub-C gets back from making the drop I ask him where Jaime is.

"Probably in the library doing his ticket."

"See if he can meet us at recreation at 4:30."

Jaime is out of Battle Creek, Michigan. He's one of the guys. Actually, he's the pitcher for our White Boy softball team. Everyone calls him Leader. He's one of the bookies on the pound; running a small gambling ticket. If my plan works, he's going to run the biggest, possible the only one.

At 4:30 it's Dub-C, Leader, Flip and me on the hill. I tell them what I have in mind.

"Listen, I want to take over the yard," I say.

"Whadda mean?" Dub-C asks.

"The White Boys are going to control everything that moves."

They all look at me like I belong on crazy pills.

"And how do you intend to do this?" Leader asks.

"The GDs have the majority of the fish. I'm guessing more than a hundred thousand dollars worth. We're going to change the currency...with no one the wiser. And we are going to do it with their hustle. They'll be stuck with money that has no value. Let 'em eat the fish!"

I finish telling them my plan and everyone is eager to get started.

Gregory C. Brown is the author of The Mason Storm Series and just recently released Book One, Wake of the Storm. He is also the creator of Stories from Behind the Wall with weekly installments found at https://gregorycbrownbooks.com/stories-from-behind-the-wall/