Chapter Five-

"Booms, go tell the girls it's time," said Bea.

"And make sure Charlie and Em aren't included," added Franky. Boomer grinned and left, leaving to distribute shivs around the women.

"Kim's gone to her parole hearing. Hope it goes well for her," said Liz.

"You ready for this Red? You weren't involved last riot we had; this should be an experience and a half for you," said Franky, ignoring Liz.

"It's gonna be interesting to say the least," replied Bea.

"How's it going down this time?" Asked Doreen.

"Exercise yard. We're gonna take down those Wilson bitches and their crew," said Franky.

"Franky, it's on," said Boomer, stepping inside the unit briefly.

"Let's go. Bea, you're my right hand bitch now. Don't fuck it up," stated Franky. She started marching out of the unit, Bea close behind her, Boomer, Liz and Doreen bringing up the rear. As they paraded down the corridor, more women joined them. They headed outside, then spread themselves across the yard. Em and Charlie were sitting together on a table, Lexi sitting on a seat near them, Simmo just behind them. Megs was with them too. Charlie took the lead for her tiny group, Emily close behind her.

"What's up Franky? Finally realised you may not be at the top anymore?" Sneered Charlie.

"I see you need to use the Holt name to get you places; I just need my reputation," shot back Franky.

"Little Francesca. Aunty Jac talked about you a lot. I think she called you a clitty licker. Maybe you should get together with Lex here. Sure she'd appreciate some loving," said Charlie.

"She's not my type Charls. And she's already been used and abused by someone else," said Lex disdainfully.

"Have to admit, she's not my standard," bantered Franky.

"You don't have standards. Jacs always said you couldn't have had standards; you'd fuck anything that walked," jeered Emily. Boomer took that as the final straw, and started her attack. The others quickly followed suit. With bodies moving everywhere, Franky watched as Charlie and Emily walked away from the fray. She pulled a shiv from her pocket and travelled around the corner, waiting and biding her time. The adrenaline was pumping through her body, making her tense.

This is what she was good at.

She heard a single female voice coming around the corner, and jumped out in front of her, thrusting the shiv forward. As her eyes met the victim's, her own grew large as she realised the implications of what she had just done.

"Shit. Shit," she swore. She pulled the shiv out and sprinted away, knowing that this would be one memory to haunt her forever.

How could you?

"Break it up!"

"Back to your units, now!" Each woman fled the scene, leaving the wounded behind for medical to deal with.

"What will happen now?" Asked Bea as the rushed back to their unit.

"Count, then lockdown. They need to be able to deal with the injured and to look at footage, and interview us as to what happened," said Liz. She stood in her doorway, and glanced up to see Franky standing in the middle, covered in blood.

"Shit. Franks, are you okay?" Asked Liz. Franky proceeded to peel off her bloody shirt in the middle of the room before rushing to her cell to be sick.

"Franky, what happened?" Asked Bea. Franky didn't trust herself to open her mouth, and instead shook her head.

"You need to hide these now, and get cleaned up. Hurry up, count starts in five," urged Bea. Franky allowed herself to be pulled to her feet, and between Liz and Bea, they shucked her pants and helped her into a clean pair. Bea grabbed a clean singlet and passed it to Liz, who pulled it over Franky's head.

"Stand in your door, and don't say a word," ordered Bea. She crossed the unit and stood in her cell, and watched as Mr Jackson took count.

"Where's Kim?" He asked.

"She had parole hearing this morning," replied Liz. Mr Jackson pursed his lips, then pulled their unit gate closed and locked it.

"We'll bring meals around later. For now, you're in here," he stated. The women nodded, then headed for the lounge and chairs.

"Franky, what happened?" Asked Bea.

"I hurt Kim," she whispered.

"What do you mean?" Responded Liz.

"She was coming round the corner, I thought she was part of the Wilson crew, and I jumped her. I left her bleeding in the corridor!" Exclaimed Franky.

"Which corridor?" Asked Bea.

"Why does it matter?"

"Which corridor?" Growled Bea.

"The one near H4," responded Franky.

"The camera isn't working in that hallway," replied Bea, sighing with relief.

"How do you know?" Asked Doreen.

"Cause I heard Mr Jackson and Mr Fletcher talking about it yesterday, and they won't have had a chance to call out the company to fix it. You're safe for now," assured Bea.

"But I knifed Kim!" Exclaimed Franky.

"I think she'd understand Franky. She loves you," replied Doreen.

"Not after the way I treated her yesterday," replied Franky despondently.

"Well, you'll just have to suck it up," responded Bea.

"Harsh!" Exclaimed Boomer.

"She's got to learn, and I think she'd agree with me. That was the first lesson I learnt in here, aye Franky?" Said Bea.

"It was Red. Second is to stick with your crew."

"And that's exactly what we're going to do. No one knows anything if they question us. Got it?" Ordered Bea. The group nodded collectively.

"Get some rest; we've got a long haul ahead of us."

"What's the damage?" Asked Joan resignedly.

"Four women are in medical with lacerations, one prisoner dead, and one who needs to be transported to the nearest hospital for emergency surgery," said Vera, glancing through her notes.

"Have we worked out who started it?" Asked Joan.

"Not yet, but none of the women are talking. There's not a lot more we can do," said Fletch.

"I want random spot checks for all units from A block to H block. I want you searching for potential weapons and evidence, and I want to know who stated this, so I can end it," stated Joan fiercely.

"Yes Governor. In the past Franky has been the one to start such mass riots," suggested Vera.

"Is there evidence?" Asked Joan.

"No, but her history indicates..."

"Indicates nothing Vera. Spot checks, random drug testing. Now."

"I told you, I can't get them in," replied Lexi.

"You've gotten them in before. What's different?" Asked Emily.

"The Freak is here. She does... She does terrible things. I had the mother load to bring in, and she found it," answered Lexi.

"How much are we talking?" Asked Charlie.

"Enough to keep you off your face for five years. We've been dealing in stronger stuff since last time we met up," sighed Lex.

"Can you get more in?" Asked Emily.

"I can, but it'll cost you," said Alex, her lips curving into a smile.

"What?" Asked Charlie.

"I want a cut. If you sell, I want a cut of whatever you get. Not much, but enough to keep me from going insane," responded Lex.

"Deal," chorused the Wilson sisters.

"Ladies, I believe we have a fine thing going on here."

"Kim's been transferred," Liz announced when she walked into their unit.

"What do you mean? She survived?" Asked Franky incredulously.

"Yep. She's had surgery to repair the wound, and now she's being transported to Barnhurst to finish out her last weeks before she's allowed out on parole," added Liz.

"But why not here?" Asked Franky.

"Something the possibility of her being in danger," remarked Liz.

"So we're not going to see her again?" Asked Franky. Liz shook her head.

"Fraid not. I'm sorry Franky," said Liz remorsefully.

"We can be stronger than ever in here Franky. You just have to trust me," implored Bea. Franky looked up at Bea, and for the first time in her life, put her trust in someone else.

"I trust you." Bea nodded.

"Good. We will win."

Doreen traversed the halls towards the Governor's office, then stood outside after knocking.

"You may enter," called Joan. She glanced up to see Doreen enter her office.

"Doreen. How can I help you today?" She asked, placing her papers down.

"I'd like to talk to you about peer worker," she started.

"What about peer worker?" Responded Joan.

"I know I've been peer worker with Liz for a month now, and I just don't think I can handle the job. Liz loves her job, and I'm not as good at it. I don't want to do it anymore," said Doreen, dropping her head to look at her hands in her lap.

"Are you sure about this Doreen? Once I take peer worker away from you, I can't give it back to you," said Joan sternly.

"I'm positive Miss Ferguson. Miss Davidson only gave me the job because she thought Liz couldn't do it anymore after her breakdown, and I wasn't very good at it," said Doreen sadly.

"Understood. You are relieved of your position as peer worker." Joan pressed the intercom button on her desk.

"Suzanne, can you contact Mr Fletcher and ask him to return Miss Anderson to the compound?" She asked.

"Of course. He'll be here in a few moments."

"You've done the right thing Doreen," assured Joan.

"I haven't told Liz that I'm doing this. She'd tell me I'm being stupid," responded Doreen.

"You're doing what's best for your unit. Elizabeth Birdsworth is very capable of handling H Block herself," said Joan kindly.

"Thank you Miss." Fletch appeared at the door, and motioned for Doreen to head out in front of him. As Doreen left, Joan smirked to herself.

The plan was working.

Destabilise the unit, and you would earn the power you needed to survive.

"You did what?" Asked Liz incredulously.

"I stopped being peer worker. I can't do this anymore Liz. I can't help people the way that you do, and you're better at this than I am. I'm sorry Liz, I just can't do it anymore." Doreen let the tears streak down her face, her inadequacies catching up with her.

"You were doing fine Dor. You really were," said Liz desperately.

"Well, it's all been done now. You're the peer worker for H Block, and you'll do a fantastic job," said Doreen.

"I would have done better with you," replied Liz sadly. Doreen shrugged her shoulders and returned to her cell, laying on her bed and staring at the ceiling.

Nothing was going right anymore.

"What the hell has happened to us?" Asked Bea.

"What do you mean Red?" Responded Franky.

"When did we start to fall apart like this? You were one of the tightest units I had ever met when I first started here, and look at us now. We're falling apart at the seams, and we won't survive!" Exclaimed Bea.

"You've become depressed amongst yourselves. Franky, you're upset about Kim, which means Boomer's upset. Liz, you're frustrated because Dor has stepped away from peer worker, and Doreen, you're upset because you didn't think you could do the job. If we're going to take down the Wilson sisters, we need to pull it together. Got it?" Ordered Bea. The women nodded.

"You're doing pretty good at this taking charge business," commented Franky. Beas hugged her shoulders.

"You've got to get good at it or die."

Joan looked at the paperwork in front of her, and scanned through it. They were due for another intake to fill Kim Chang's spot. Lex had been thrust upon them with no warning, and Joan was angry about that. She was a little bit of a control freak, and she hated when Mr Channing rocked up and told her what was going to happen.

Not this time though.

This time she was organising the transfer, speaking to Dyllwynia Correctional Centre in Sydney. They had a prisoner who wasn't coping with their programs, and was spending more and more time in the slot. Her last chance was to be transferred out of state into Wentworth, in the hopes that she could better be rehabilitated there.

It would test the women's patience.

She picked up the phone, dialling the Sydney number.

"Mary? It's Joan Ferguson. I've got some approved transfer request paperwork for you, for prisoner #271-288."

"You're happy to take her? Good luck to you; she's been in the slot here for nearly eight weeks."

"We've got some of the best programs available, and I believe she will thrive," responded Joan.

"She's yours. I'll organise transport in the morning. Should be there by Wednesday."

"We've already organised her cell. Processing will be ready and waiting for her arrival," answered Joan.

"I warn you, she has been difficult to handle. She needs to see a counsellor once a week, and she's been working on her HSC."

"Not a problem. We've just employed another education advisor, and we have two counsellors on staff. What age bracket are we looking at?" Asked Joan.

"She as transferred out of the Reiby Juvenile Justice Centre four months ago, and she's spent three of her months here in the slot. She's not coping well with the group she's been placed in, and we're already over capacity. Any way you can help is greatly appreciated."

"Not a problem. Anything else we need to know about the prisoner?" Queried Joan.

"Nothing. Good luck Joan."

"Thanks Mary. We'll see her Wednesday."