Page 33 (1/2)

“We er said

“Go? But aren’t we going to deal with Kayla?”

He shook his head “She has already beendealt with This new thing—”

“She hasn’t been dealt with,” I said hotly “She hasn’t had anything happen to her You put Lia, but they were good people, not a wicked, manipulative bitch like Kayla”

His ansas sharp and angry “Be silent, or you will regret your careless words later”

And then, in the usual Messenger style, ere gone froh not from her story

I would learn more of Samantha and Kayla, much more, and I would cry bitter tears over that final chapter

15

THE NEXT THING I SAW WAS A CAGE WITH chipped-paint steel bars That cage was large enough to contain eight long steel tables bolted to the bare concrete floor, a television mounted on one wall, two filthy, open cinderblock-walled bathrooh to co twice that number

The e from their fifties down to their teens Each was dressed in an orange juh there were variations within narrow limits: Some wore the jumpsuit with sleeves down to cover track marks; others wore the sleeves rolled up to show off tattoos Some had their zippers down to their navels; others had peeled the top off entirely to let it hang loose; still others were zipped up tight

It was not difficult to see that the dayroom of the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez was divided along racial lines African Aroup, and white prisoners,Nazi tattoos, were farthest away and smallest in number

Food had been served Bologna on white bread, canned peaches, soht once have been broccoli Men ate with plastic forks, their shoulders hunched forward, their heads low over their food The rooly loud from the television, which showed a roans, and shouts, as well as a , and even, here and there, uni

Messenger stepped through the bars I watched hi to observe closely to better understand just how he perforain, it was as ifbefore the it is to say that the bars seeer

He h I had by that point walked through ht be invisible to the ine that did not reach doith so much certainty that it could easily override htened me It was afear, different fro like the Game Master

But when Messenger jerked his head impatiently, I followed, and my fear of the men distractedthe laws of physics and passing through case-hardened steel bars