Chapter 1: The Wolf (Bobby)

[drpete]

It's early December, 1920 on Blackwell Island. The weather is brisk, but not freezing. Your inmates are kept in their cells for much of the day, as they are considered quite dangerous. They are brought out for meals, and they spend an hour in the yard before lunch, but they are expected to stay in their cells, reading or praying, for much of the day. When they are out of their cells, moving from one area to another, they are not allowed to speak with one another, but they are free to socialize during their yard hour. It's going to be a bit chilly in the cell block, as the building is not heated well, but it should not be terrible. Business as usual.

Your cell block received pair of new inmates late last night. The pair, you have heard, are a pair of semi-celebrities. The two men, Henry Wilson and Casey Thomas, were preying on visitors to Coney Island. Kidnapping and murder, several counts each. When people like this are brought in, it generates a lot of interest and violence often follows. For the next few days, at least, everyone is a bit... on edge. One of the inmates is sure to try to make a name for themselves at the expense of the two newcomers. The newcomers are sure to try to do the same.

As the inmates file into the yard, what does your oversight of the inmates look like... you have a squad of 10 guards, and a number of well behaved "trusty" inmates, such as "Goldilocks", an enforcer of noted mobster "Mickey Blue Shoes". Together, they need to maintain order in a group of about 150 inmates. You sense that, despite the rule that prisoners aren't supposed to speak while being transported, there's a sort of "electrical" energy among the prisoners, like something might be about to happen.

How closely would the guards "mingle" with the inmates? You can assume that the guards are well armed with truncheons, revolvers and rifles, as required to keep the peace, though you generally would not give firearms to the "trusties". Would you have them in close to break up fights? On the walls to shoot down at troublemakers? Something else? Would you like to give them any special instructions on how to handle the inmates?

[thenewflesh]

Bobby and the guards patrol like sheepdogs over the edges of the group, at a distance. Two, however, are positioned on the walls, vigilant. The trusties have truncheons, and stand closer to the prisoners. If an incident breaks out among the prisoners, they will react first and the guards step in if necessary. Goldilocks makes sure the guards are almost never necessary.

Bobby rides the tension, looms closer to the prisoners than the other guards, almost standing among the trusties, as if daring somebody to try something. His lips are tight. He never speaks unless he must. Not during yard hour, anyway. He would never admit it, but he lives for moments like these, when the silence is pregnant. At the corner of the ring, staring down his opponent behind boxing gloves.

He watches Henry and Carey carefully, sizing up their walk, their speed. Are they fifth-round characters, or do they come out with fists flying?

[drpete]

Following your lead, the guards are extra vigilant, expecting something to happen at any moment. You see the trustees fidgeting with their truncheons, watching for trouble.

At the center of the "ring", you see Henry and Carey, off by themselves. Henry is a big man, 6'6" and muscular, with a handlebar mustache. Beside him, Carey is smaller, about 6 feet, and skinny. His pinched face reminds you of a rat.

The two men walk, side-by-side, around the yard, passing by the groups of inmates, giving small nods as they pass, getting getting cold looks as they pass.

Then, you notice a group of four inmates quickly shuffling up on the two men. You hear the sound of the bell "ding, ding!" announcing the start of the round, and a cheer goes up from the crowd of inmates... everything slows down, and you have a moment to act before they reach the newcomers.

What do you do?

[thenewflesh]

Who has control of the bell? Who could be ringing it?

Bobby reflexively tenses up, his posture tightens to orthodox stance, his hand clenches the revolver at his waist. But he waits a few moments for Goldilocks to act, half hoping he wouldn't.

[drpete]

Bobby looks around for the bell, but no one stands out as the source of the sound. The crowd roars in anticipation as the men rush up on Henry and Carey. Henry spins, grabbing at the men, but he is off a step, and catches no one, as they scatter. You see a red stain forming on the back of his shirt... someone definitely got him...

Goldilocks whistles, and the trustees start to move in, truncheons raised.

What do you do?

[thenewflesh]

The trustees advance, too slowly, and Bobby whips out his gun at the group. "BACK THE FUCK AWAY!" he yells to the prisoners, taking a few steps forward.

[drpete]

The trusties retreat away from you, pushing the gathering inmates back and clearing a space around you, Henry and Carey. Henry barely notices you, as he is staggering and reaching around to feel at the wound in his back. Carey, however, sees you coming. He puts his hands on his head, and starts to drop to his knees.

[thenewflesh]

"Alright, that's enough of that!" Bobby exclaims. "Back to behaving civilized." It's not safe to send Henry off to the nurse's with trusties, and god knows thinning the ranks by sending guards away is a terrible idea. So he'll just have to get a trusty to bandage Henry up temporarily and then, once the prisoners are locked up, to send Henry off. He calls over a blond boy Jimmy, in for twelve counts of cold-blooded murder, but on good behavior and he's got a soft touch with bandages. "Fix that guy up."

[drpete]

You call Jimmy over, and he applies pressure to the wound, hopefully slowing the bleeding. Henry moans in pain, and Carey lies on the ground, hands over his head, glowering quietly at the other prisoners.

You hear a husky voice whisper in your ear "You almost let them kill on your watch! What are loser! They're laughing at you! You gonna let them get away with that?!"

[thenewflesh]

Bobby growls, looking around at the inmates and guards with the expression of one being mocked. "Alright, back to it, back to it! And if I catch any more violence on my watch, I'll have some violence of my own!"

He waves his gun around wildly a few times, then eventually regains control of himself, holsters it, and goes back to keeping regular watch.

[drpete]

The guards and inmates back away from you and your gun, hands up. You hear the voices of some of them remarking "Look out!" "He's gone crazy! "Oh my God!" and somewhere, from the back of the crowd, you hear some of them laughing.

Shortly after this, a few trusties approach, with a stretcher. Seeing you guarding the injured man, they pause, waiting for your ok.

[thenewflesh]

Bobby makes sure to remember his mockers' faces. There may be repercussions, down the line.

Seeing the men with the stretcher, Bobby pauses, considering it. The bleeding's really quite bad. If Henry dies on his first yard shift, there'll be chaos at the next one. "Alright. Be quick about it."