the lid off the Pringles can as he led Dave back to their beds.
Teems a cool guy,?James said, crashing on to his bed with a mouthful of chips.
Cont you believe it,?Dave smiled. Cesar just wants to needle the skinheads.?
Lhat do you mean??James asked.
Tit here.?
James stepped over the partition and sat up close to Dave, so they could talk in confidence.
Theree a pissing contest going on between the Latinos at that end and the whites at this end.?
Obviously,?James nodded. ite not exactly an advert for racial harmony in here, is it??
Dave grinned. Elwood and Kirch are the top dogs on the white side, and we pose a threat to them. They?? see BAM washing your T-shirt, they?? see our baby-soft toilet tissue and you filling your chops with Latino munchies. If Elwood and Kirch think wete getting support from Cesar, theyte going to start worrying about us undermining their whole power base in this cell.?
Couldnt we just go up to Elwood and Kirch, shake hands and say hello??
if we go over there now, we might look scared,?Dave explained, shaking his head sharply. Before we can convince Curtis to escape with us, wete got to earn his respect. We?? only manage that if Elwood and Kirch respect us too.?
To, what then??James asked.
Lell,?Dave said slyly, it doesnt take a tactical genius to work that out. Does it??
James looked irritated. To It not a tactical genius; just tell me.?
Hou put Stanley Duffe little brother in the prison hospital. You can guarantee that a meathead like Stanley will try to get us back. I doubt Elwood and Kirch will show their hand until they see how well we deal with that.?
Lot you,?James grinned. To wete got to take out Stanley Duff.?
Ro. Elwood and Kirch might get worried if wete too aggressive. We?? wait for Stanley to come after us. He knows we can do him, so he?? try a surprise attack, probably with a knife.?
Hou reckon he can get hold of a knife??
Dave nodded. i dont think he?? find it hard. Youte seen how much contraband there is floating around in here.?
Lhen do you think he?? move on us??James asked.
Tonight most likely, when he thinks wete both asleep. We?? have to take turns staying awake. If we take out Stanley tonight, then tomorrow we can straighten things out with Elwood and Kirch in the exercise yard. We?? make it clear that wete not in bed with the Latinos and we just want a fair share of the action. Once thate sorted, you can start chumming up with Curtis.?
Ilways assuming Stanley doesnt stick a knife in our guts before we get a chance,?James said, smiling uneasily as he held the Pringles can up in the air and drained the crumbs into his mouth.
Lust in case,?Dave said, Rub the end of your toothbrush against the concrete floor to sharpen the end. Then sleep with it in your hand.?
16. SLEEPERS
A standing count at 10:30 p.m. was followed by lights-out. The guards needed to be sure that the inmates werent digging a tunnel or killing each other, so a line of tubes down the middle of the cell stayed on. It was enough light to read by and most of the TVs and radios kept going too, along with the bragging matches and rowdy dice games.
The noise died back after midnight, but James still felt like he was in hell. He sat on his bed with his back to the wall, studying the beads of sweat rolling down his chest. There always seemed to be at least one winged black speck wandering over his skin, while hundreds of larger insects had decided to spend the night clanking their heads against the fluorescent lights near the ceiling.
James wrestled with his sheet, but it was soggy and hopelessly tangled around his legs, so he threw it away in frustration. He studied the white marks covering the shiny plastic over his mattress. He hadnt been able to work them out earlier, but now he disgusted himself by solving the riddle: it was crusted salt from the previous occupante dried-out sweat.
James looked over the partition. Dave had put a towel over his eyes to shield the light and been asleep by 10:45. James remembered how his mum used to call people like Dave sleepers. Lauren was another sleeper: stick her in the back of a car, or on a couch in some strange house and shet be out in no time. Unless he was exhausted, or sick, James could never do it. He