Sorry about the long delay. I will try my best to make sure it isn't so long till the next update.
Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Akane in Chains
Chapter Twelve: Fending for Herself
Akane's body was on autopilot after fleeing the showers. In the changing room she quickly dressed in a clean uniform, keeping her head down to ignore the looks of the other prisoners. Snatching up her laundry bag with her dirties and her toiletries, she hurried back to her cell. Only once she was inside the small space that passed as her living quarters did she start to cry, hugging herself as she collapsed onto her bunk. The barred cell gave no true privacy, but she had no other refuge.
How could he possibly get away with that?! That bastard!
It had taken every ounce of her willpower not to defend herself. Only the warden's threat of extending her sentence gave her the restraint to not beat him to within an inch of his life. She needed to do something about Officer Yamada. She couldn't live like this for an entire year! But what options did she have? She remembered what Sayoko had told her the other day: the warden and the guards wouldn't care. They wouldn't tolerate a scandal damaging the reputation of their prison. There was no one in authority who'd be willing to help her.
And not only did she have the undivided attention of this sadistic pervert, but she'd somehow managed to piss off her fellow prisoners. Some of them had even threatened to kill her! Junko had only needed to apply a little more pressure to slit her throat! Sure, she'd managed to fight them off, but as strong as she was she wasn't invulnerable.
And she had to sleep sometime.
She could hear footsteps outside her cell of other women heading back from their showers. She could practically feel them staring at her, lying on her bunk as she cried. She knew she was breaking her promise to Sayoko to stay strong and not show weakness, but it was all too much. She was caught between hardened criminals with no compunction about killing her and an asshole pervert who was free to have his way with her! How was she going to survive in here?!
Eventually, the sound of the procession of prisoners from the showers ended and a loud voice cut through the air.
"Prisoners, present yourselves for roll call!"
Wiping her eyes, Akane got up and stepped outside her cell, joining the other inmates in line. Glancing around, she noticed that all the others were holding their laundry bags with the dirty uniforms they'd just changed out of. Was she supposed to have her laundry with her? Should she go back into her cell and get it? But, she'd been warned about being tardy for roll earlier that morning; she was going to get in trouble no matter what! Not knowing what to do, she waited nervously until the guard taking roll reached her, hoping that maybe she could explain.
"Excuse me, ma'am, I..." Akane began, but was immediately cut off.
"During roll you give your number and name in that order, Inmate!" the guard cut her off. "You will not say anything else unless addressed by a guard, understood?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am," she stammered. Seeing the guard waiting impatiently, she quickly replied, "Prisoner 797455. Tendo, Akane."
"Inmate, where is your laundry bag?" the guard asked, not even giving Akane time to try and explain again.
"I-I didn't know we were supposed to..." she began.
"I asked you where it was Tendo?" the guard repeated.
Akane's face turned red as she heard several audible snickers from her fellow prisoners. Once more, she was in trouble and had the attention of the entire cell block on her. "In my cell," she resignedly answered.
"Can I at least assume you've put your laundry in the bag, Tendo?" the guard asked, annoyed.
"Yes, ma'am," Akane answered quickly, hoping to ward off any further admonishment. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the case.
"I guess its nice to know you at least know what its used for," the guard commented sarcastically. More snickers from some of the other prisoners. Akane lowered her eyes, feeling very small. "Well, don't just stand their wasting my time! Go grab it and get back out here! The longer you dawdle, the less time you and your friends have for dinner!"
For the third time that day, Akane was on the receiving end of dozens of cold glares from the other prisoners. Her mouth opened in shock and she fought hard not to scream in frustration and protest.
"Stop gawking and move it!" the guard ordered.
Hurriedly, she rushed back into her cell. Snatching up her laundry bag with her dirty uniform, she raced back out and rejoined the line.
"I know it's your first day, but given all the trouble you've caused already you're about out of second chances, got it!"
"...Yes, ma'am," Akane dejectedly answered. What else could she say? It wasn't her fault! She was new and didn't know! But she'd already learned such things didn't matter to the guards. She was a prisoner and was expected to follow the rules, no matter what.
The roll continued after that until all D-Block was accounted.
"Prisoners, right face! Forward march!"
Exactly as that morning, the denizens of D-Block were led through the halls of the prison. On their way to the cafeteria, the line passed an open counter window in the wall of a hallway. Filing by, they passed their bags through the window into the waiting arms of several other prisoners. As she handed her bag off, Akane could see that behind the counter was a large room with rows of industrial washers and dryers. Their laundry would be kept overnight and washed tomorrow morning during laundry detail. The clean clothes would be waiting in the prisoners' cells late tomorrow afternoon when they returned from work.
The cafeteria was already packed by the time the D-Block inmates got there. Akane kept her head down as she got in line for her tray. She could see others looking her way and whispering. No doubt the story of her encounter with Junko was spreading.
Taking her tray, she looked for a seat, only to meet the unwelcoming stares and glares of the other women already sitting there. No one seemed to want her. As she desperately scanned the cafeteria for someplace to sit, she caught sight of Junko sitting at a table along with her friend who'd helped ambush her and several other tough-looking women. The Yakuza also happened to catch sight of her and gave a menacing grin.
"What's the matter, sweetie? Looking for that rich boyfriend of yours?" she jeered. Her friends and even the women at several nearby tables all snickered. Akane glared back angrily before walking away, their mocking laughter seeming to follow her.
She ended up at the far end of the cafeteria at a table by herself. Sitting down, she began to pick at her food. She kept her hand down as she ate; only looking up when she heard a voice call out to her.
"I take it things haven't been going well for you, Akane."
Akane raised her eyes to see Etsuko taking a seat next to her. Her ever-present bodyguards behind her.
"That's putting it mildly," Akane grimaced. "I take it you've heard about what happened between me and Junko."
"Word travels fast," Etsuko gave her a sympathetic smile. "You seem to keep drawing unwanted attention to yourself. First that business in the fields, and now tangling with Junko."
"It wasn't my fault that bastard Yamada decided to punish everyone just 'cause Kuno showed up!" Akane growled angrily. After everything that happened, having to try be respectful and submissive to the guards, she needed to vent. "And Junko was the one who started that fight! All Sayoko did was help me, yet she was the one who got punished by that perverted sicko!"
"Relax, I'm not blaming you or anything," Etsuko smiled. "Just pointing out you seem to keep attracting enemies, whether justified or not."
Akane couldn't really dispute that. It seemed like almost everyone was out to get her every since she got here. Officer Yamada, the Chief Matron, the Warden, and now Junko and her gang!
"You really need to watch out for Junko though," Etsuko continued. "As I'm sure you already guessed from her tattoo, she's Yakuza. The sister of a family boss, in fact. She was in charge of a number of rackets the family was running. Then, a new round of anti-Yakuza laws was passed and the police started targeting the family's operations. Someone had to take the fall to get the cops off their back and it fell on her. Still, just 'cause she's here doesn't mean she isn't dangerous, as you've already discovered."
"Yeah, you can say that." Akane absently rubbed her neck.
"Ever since she got here, she's been able to attract bodyguards and henchwomen very easily. She gets cash to pay them from her family on the outside and they are all too happy for the connections when they get out. They'll be more than happy to hurt or even kill you, if it gets them in good with her and her family on the outside. And if that fails, the guards aren't exactly above corruption, here. Officer Yamada is proof enough of that."
Akane listened to Etsuko with mounting dread. It had been clear from her earlier encounter with the Yakuza woman that she'd meant business. The sharpened shank against her throat certainly hadn't been for show. She unconsciously trembled as she thought again on how she could've been killed, how this person was willing to kill her!
"What am I going to do?" she moaned, all her earlier rage gone. "To fight her would mean I get in more trouble, but I can't just... I don't know what to do!"
Etsuko gave another sympathetic smile. "Well, have you thought about my offer from this morning about helping me out with my little business?"
Akane looked at her in surprise. "W-What?"
"We have a bit of an understanding, her and me," Etusko explained. "I don't interfere with her and she doesn't interfere with me. Naturally, those who work for us are also protected by this little understanding. If you agree to help me out, she won't be able to bother you. Whatever reason she dislikes you, I doubt she'd break our truce over it."
Akane almost said yes on the spot, but the word died on her lips as she remembered her cellmates warning about Etsuko. She really didn't want to get involved in peddling drugs or other filth! But, still... if it kept that bitch from fighting her again...
"I still need to think about it," she answered uncertainly.
"After what happened today, I figured you'd jump at the chance to get Junko off your back. But if you need more time, then you need more time. Just don't take too long. You wouldn't be the first one to wind up dead in the showers." With that, Etsuko got up and walked off, her bodyguards trailing behind her.
Akane stared after Etsuko. Should she have accepted? She knew Sayoko warned her about Etsuko, but if she could provide some protection maybe it'd be an acceptable price. Joining her could be the answer that could get Junko off her back without having to fight and risk punishment from the guards. Still, why did it feel like she'd be making a deal with the devil?
Next Time: Visiting Day