It was quiet. Too quiet.

A low hum of voices shifted from table to table in the lunchroom like bees buzzing from flower to flower. The usual shouting and banging of food trays were absent. A thick veil of tension hung in the air. The guards were jittery; they paced along the side walls watching for clues. 

Something was about to happen. Something, but what?

The women walked single file through the cafeteria line, accepting their meals without the usual complaints. Voices were low. A pan piled with dishes slid from a cart. Plates shattered, plastic glasses bounced and rolled, and food scraps smeared across the cement floor. Heads snapped toward the kitchen area; a few whistled and cheered, but dissipated quickly.

An inmate in her late forties whispered to the girl beside her. “Did you hear anything more about JP?” She accepted her food and shuffled forward in the line.

 
The second woman inspected her dinner plate. It wasn’t home cooking, but it was better than usual. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and coleslaw; they were eating well today.

She checked her back, then answered. “She’s in the infirmary. According to Heddy, the burns on her face are bad.”

A third inmate scoffed at them. “Maybe JP had it coming.” 

The second girl scowled but looked around the room before adding, “JP has friends. There’ll be payback for sure.” She dropped her eyes to her plate and ended the conversation.

 The third woman's thoughts returned to dinner. “Oh man, that chicken smells good.”

“I’m glad it’s not that meatloaf. I gagged to death last Wednesday,” Another one added.

“I heard it wasn’t meatloaf.”

“Oh, girl, don’t tell me that stuff.”

At the end of the line, they grabbed their drinks and a piece of fruit and moved toward the tables. A half-eaten apple sailed through the air, bouncing off the second girl’s tray, knocking her food to the floor. Cheering erupted at the offender’s table, and within seconds, silence turned to chaos. At least seven or eight women were punching, kicking, pulling hair, and cursing. 

A guard pulled the alarm. The harsh, high-pitched beep-beep-beeps echoed off the walls. The shrill, piercing guard whistles faded beneath the women’s screeching and guttural screams. As the guards grabbed inmates’ collars and extracted them from the scuffle, the prisoners scattered, and it was over. Blood trickled down the faces of several women, but they refused to go to the infirmary. No one wanted to appear weak, so it was wiser to suck it up. The guards shrugged and returned to their posts.

During all the commotion, Allie and Cassidy stood in the lunch line. A server shoved two plates in their direction and both women picked theirs up and placed it on their trays. A guard walked past and jostled Allie, sending her sideways and she lost her balance. Gravy spilled over the edge of her plate. 

Allie blurted, “Hey…” but stopped when she recognized the uniform. Anger flashed in her eyes. She turned to check on Cassidy.

“Allie, did she...do that on purpose?” Cassidy stammered. Her eyes were wide with terror and grew wider as she pointed her finger at Allie’s plate. “Ew… Allie, someone tossed a dirty napkin on your food.”

Allie’s eyes shifted to her plate. She reached for the napkin and her hand stopped, wavering above it. There appeared to be writing, not food, on the offending tissue. The ink from a black marker was fading through the thin paper. Allie lifted her head and looked around. Her eyes met the beastly-looking woman’s dark brown ones. The woman’s head dipped in a curt nod before a brash rumble blasted from her mouth. “Move on. You’re holding up the line.”

Without another word, Allie and Cassidy moved forward, grabbed a piece of fruit and a glass of water, and chose a table along the wall, distancing themselves from where the scuffle had taken place. Cassidy slid onto the bench across from Allie, keeping her eyes focused on her food tray.

Allie glanced around the commons area to see if anyone was watching. Her fingers smoothed the napkin’s wrinkles. She read it and then scrunched it into a ball.

“Allie, there’s writing…” Cassidy’s words died on her lips when she saw the look in Allie’s eyes. Instead, she whispered, “What is it?”

Allie shoved the napkin into her glass, spilling water over the sides. Then, she removed it and disposed of it in the nearby trash container. 

“Allie, what did it say?” Cassidy whispered, but she didn’t raise her head. She stirred her mashed potatoes with the prongs of her fork. 

“Quit playing with your food.” Allie reached across the table and slapped Cassidy’s hand, trying to ease the tension. “Eat and don’t worry about it. It was just a prank.”

A prank warning me to watch our backs. 

Allie took a bite of her chicken. “Hmm. This actually tastes good.” She thought she might choke as she tried to swallow. She knew the threat was real.

Cassidy followed her lead. She kept glancing around the room and then back to her plate, nibbling pieces of chicken. 

Allie nudged Cassidy’s foot under the table. “Relax before you draw someone’s unwanted attention. Let’s change the conversation, okay?”

Cassidy nodded and exhaled. She stared at her friend for a moment; her shoulders sagged. “I wanted to talk anyhow." She sipped her water, cleared her throat and began, "Allie, you’re my only friend. I couldn’t survive in here without you.” Her eyes were watery as she stared across the table.

“Chickee, dry up the waterworks before you get us in a fight.” Allie laughed and tossed a napkin to Cassidy. “I told you from day one that you needed someone to watch your back. That's me!”

“That’s why I feel awful for lying to you. I’m sorry, but I’ve kept a terrible secret hidden from you and everyone else.”

Allie took a bite of mashed potatoes and waited. Her fingers gripped her fork a little tighter. 

“You going to spit it out or do I have to pry it out of you?” Allie growled.

“No, I want to tell you, but you can’t tell anyone please.”

Oh, no, Cassidy, don’t tell me something I don’t want to hear.

“Please don’t tell me you killed Mason’s wife.” Allie’s heart was pumping. 

“What? Of course, I didn’t.” Cassidy stared at Allie as if she had three heads and a horn. “I told you I was innocent and I am.”

Allie sighed in relief. “Whew! Well, what’s your big secret then?”

Cassidy bit her bottom lip and then took another bite of her chicken. She chewed it methodically, swallowing every tiny morsel before she spoke. “I have been a fool. I believed Mason when he said he’d protect me and that everything would be okay if I did what he asked. We were in love.” Cassidy paused and shook her head. “Well, I guess I was, but he was playing a game.”

“In love? You and your boss, Mason Caldwell?”

“We spent romantic evenings and weekends at his second home in the hills. He treated me like a princess.” Her face glowed for a moment.

“Oh, please tell me more, Cinderella,” Allie scoffed.

“I know I was stupid. I believed every word he said. I promised him I would never tell a single soul because it would ruin his business and destroy his reputation.”

“His reputation! Doesn’t say much about the guy. You’re living in this hell hole, and he has his housekeeper send a token gift. What an ass!”

“You don’t understand, Allie. My mom is very ill. She’s in a nursing home. My lawyer told me it didn’t look good at trial. He said that Mason would pay the $1000 a week payment to care for her until he got me out of here. He said it wouldn’t be for long.”

“The lawyer Mason hired told you this fairytale, right?” Allie set down her fork and leaned toward Cassidy. “Mason is living the good life. Not to mention the beauties that hang on his arm. So much for loving you!” Allie groaned. “Why would Sofia lie in court?”

Come on, Cassidy. Give me something.

“Sofia is an illegal migrant. She’s worked for Mason for years. She has raised her family on the ranch, and they lived a wonderful life. She did it to protect her family.” 

Cassidy lowered her voice. “I was at the casino in Mason’s suite. He joined me after a meeting in town. He said someone had murdered his wife, and, and he begged me not to tell anyone we were together. He convinced me it wouldn’t make any difference, but it would make him look like a cheating husband. I didn’t see how it would hurt me.”

“He was a cheating husband! Worse than that, he set you up to take the fall.” Allie clasped her hands together and tapped them against the edge of the table. “Cassidy, don’t you understand you could be free if you told someone. He lied! Tell your lawyer or someone else you trust.”

“I did! I told you and you can’t tell anyone. I’d rather rot in here than not have someone taking care of my mom. Besides, Jon knew she was lying. He saw me leaving Mason’s suite. He was entering Rose’s room."

“Jon? Your brother? He knew, and he did nothing to save you from prison?” Allie rolled her eyes in disbelief. The bell indicated lunch was over. The two women stood and carried their trays to the return counter. Allie leaned toward Cassidy’s ear and whispered, “Girlfriend, this conversation isn’t over.”

A guard yelled over their heads. “Okay, let’s go ladies. Lunch is over. Move it!”

Everyone shifted toward the exit. As the lunch period began, the hum had been a low buzz, but now it seemed to build to a crescendo, from bee to chain saw. 

Cassidy and Allie fell into line and followed the chain down the corridor. Allie kept alert, listening, and wondering what was happening. Something was about to go down, but what?

As the line filed past the laundry room, the doors swung open, and clouds of steam rolled into the hallway. It was impossible to see. Like synchronized swimmers, two amazon women caught Allie and Cassidy off guard. They sprang from the laundry room, wrapped their muscular arms around the women, and pulled them, kicking and screaming, into the dark steamy room. The other inmates kept their eyes forward, pretending not to see, as they continued to their cells.

Allie and Cassidy didn’t have a chance. The muscle-bound women had a mission, and they completed it swiftly. With one hand over Cassidy’s mouth, the first attacker rammed a shank deep into Cassidy’s back. Her muffled scream died in her throat as the shank plunged into her again and again until she dropped to the floor, motionless.

Refusing to die without a fight, Allie flailed her fists and legs. She sunk her teeth into her attacker’s flesh. The demon woman laughed sadistically. Like the green Hulk, she lifted Allie off the floor and dropped her. Allie's body slammed against the damp, cold concrete. Her head hit the floor and bounced, splitting. Blood trickled from the opening.

Bending over Allie’s limp figure, the amazon spit in her face and buried the shank deep into her torso. She grabbed a towel and wiped the blood from her hands before dropping it on her prey. A satisfied look spread across her face. She ignored the groans.

 “Your lover sends his love.” The woman’s foot slammed into Cassidy’s side as she laughed. 

 They tipped over the linen carts, letting them topple on top of the bodies. Dirty sheets fell everywhere. Prepared to do more damage, they stopped as the guard opened the laundry door. She glanced behind the inmates. A pool of blood oozed from the edge of the pile of linen. She shifted her eyes from the floor to the women. “Come on. Let’s go.”

The trio walked briskly away from the laundry room.