Relaxation among the Bars

Chapter 1

"Do what you love, and love what you do" – I am the living embodiment of this adage. As an ex-military woman, I walk to the light of a sublime mission, which accompanies me to this day. My job is to keep society, especially my loved ones, from evil in all its forms. Whether with a rifle or a baton, whether in beige uniforms or gray-matte, I am fully committed to my role. Suicide bombers, murderers and rapists – all different parts of the same evil, and I will fight them all to the end.

When I parked the vehicle, it was 4:50 AM. It was warm and humid, as expected from a summer night. I straightened the gray uniform, which at this time of night was covered with the stain of the nearby streetlight. I looked at the silhouette of the building that towered over my head and took a deep breath – those waiting for me inside wait to upset me, being fed by the smallest fraction of insecurity. I won't let them have it, but they definitely will try. The elevator door opened as I approached her, as if she felt me ​​approaching. I pressed the button and the elevator started moving. As the elevator doors reopened, I marched into the prison room, where everyone gathered for the daily briefing.

"Good morning, Sawyer." Jeff greeted me as I entered the room.

"Good Morning." I replied and joined him.

"I guess you've heard about what Torrez did yesterday." Jeff hissed and sipped from a Styrofoam cup filled with steaming black coffee.

"Yes, I have, the commotion in the yard."

"Animals, they're all animals!"

"Is it insecurity in your voice or is the coffee just too hot?"

Jeff twisted his eyes and sipped quietly, absorbing my sting without comment. I smiled at him and patted his shoulder, just as Sergeant Campbell, commander in chief, entered the room:

"Morning, everyone." He greeted everyone present and took his place behind the podium as everyone sat down.

When all the wardens were seated, the sergeant began his speech:

"I guess you all already know about the fuss in the yard, so I'll go straight to the point."

The sergeant's calmness, with which he entered the room, was gone as he landed his clenched fist on the podium, and the anger that he had stored within spilled out like a river:

"5 minutes it took to stop the mess, 5 minutes! That's a disgrace! We were only seconds away from murder, and I guess you remember what happened the last time an inmate died between the bars!"

Most of the warders in the room bowed their heads down, afraid to look at the sergeant in the eyes. I glanced to my right and left to see who dared to do so, who didn't have the courage to admit the blunder. It would have never happen in my shift!

"Luckily, Jeff had the balls to act fast enough to separate Torrez from the others!" The sergeant barked, and it seemed to be the only consolation from last night's events, because soon afterwards, the sergeant's anger subsided.

I patted Jeff on the shoulder one more time as all the wardens looked up at him proudly. I felt proud to serve alongside a guy like Jeff, it's a bit of shame we didn't know before I joined the prison service – my combat service would have looked different with Jeff beside me. The sergeant took a deep breath, got rid of all the rest of the rage, and continued the briefing:

"Open your eyes! Be alert! As soon as you notice something wrong, you storm and deal with it! Such a thing should never be allowed to happen again, certainly not prior to the commissioner's visit."

The murmurs began to spread in the crowd, but the sergeant tapped the podium again and silenced them.

"Yes, you heard it right. In about a week, the commissioner will be visiting our facility. I want this place to tick like a clock! Make the commissioner proud that the most dangerous and violent ones are locked here, at our prison, instead of somewhere else!"