The Stolen Ones by Gwyn Bennett

Author:Gwyn Bennett [Bennett, Gwyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781805082484
Published: 2023-10-12T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-FOUR

TUESDAY

Saskia woke up with a headache which was undoubtedly due to the broken sleep, thanks to last night’s storm. She’d been woken in the early hours by hard rain against the glass panes and the wooden sash windows rattling and banging in the wind. She wasn’t used to the storms that could blow in off the sea ferociously and then disappear as quickly as they’d arrived, and this was her first strong winds and rain since she’d moved into the little cottage. Covering her ears with the duvet or pillow would have helped, but for Saskia it wasn’t an option. The wind reminded her of the bangs of her father’s anger. She’d always had to be vigilant as a child, ears on constant alert, even when asleep. She still felt that need to have her ears unhindered in case danger sounded its presence. The noise of the storm might have disturbed her sleep, but it had calmed her mind to hear it.

Her working day started with challenges of its own. She’d been asked to talk to a male prisoner who a couple of the guards suspected was the source of some disruptive behaviour in a wing. He wasn’t violent or aggressive and there hadn’t been any overt physical bullying, but one of the most experienced guards thought he’d been manipulating the younger and more impressionable inmates.

‘Don’t get why I need to be here. I’m missing horticultural activity,’ he said to her. His arms were folded across his chest in defiance and he leaned back in his chair, almost looking down his nose at her. There was no attempt to charm or hide his contempt. It was clear he thought this whole exercise below him.

‘I wanted to chat to you about how you’re getting on. You’ve been here eight months now. Index offence was fraud.’

‘Yeah,’ he shrugged, ‘you’ve got my notes. I shouldn’t be here.’

‘Why’s that, Michael?

‘I never hurt anybody. I’ve been put in here with a bunch of low-life criminals. Do you know the guy in the cell next to me has been in and out so many times he can’t even remember how many. Last time, lost his temper in a pub and smacked someone when he’d only been out three days. On the other side is a bloke who tried smuggling a load of cocaine into the island hidden in his car on the ferry. Do I look like I should be mixing with those kinds of people? You’ve trashed my reputation and taken away my rights.’

‘But your crimes did hurt people, didn’t they, Michael?’

‘I just did a few signatures and copied a few documents, that’s all.’

‘That’s not quite true, is it?’

Michael’s face grew darker and he sat up taller.

‘So I bet you feel superior sitting there, don’t you?’ he said, his voice lower, more measured.

‘No. You’ve been sentenced for your crimes and are being punished. As I said, I just want to make this a positive experience for you and the rest of the prison population. Are

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