start a fight [muke af]

iv

iv

"What am I gonna find in here?" Ashton asked an inmate, giving him a smile.

"Everything, fuckin' everything," he responded, looking down at his toes.

Ash picked up their clipboard, stepping inside the cell. "I sure hope not, Healy." Luke followed quickly, ready for another week of cell clean out.

Luke gave Inmate Healy a quick look, the smaller man glaring at the officer.

Inmates always found ways to bring in things they weren't supposed to. They'd be out cleaning rubbish from the highway or beg deliveries to bring them their addiction.

That's the main reason cell clean outs were thorough and often.

Luke crouched on the ground, digging under his bed and flashing lights along the border to catch anything that shines that wasn't supposed to shine.

Ashton picked up the inmate's papers, reaching between the books and flying open the covers. "You never know what you're gonna get into, Lucas."

"Yeah, I bet," he responded with a groan as he got up from the ground.

"I've seen crazy, impressive shit right here in these cells."

Ashton was a tough guy, inside and out. He spoke in a deep, loud voice regardless of the event. Luke looked up to him. In a way, he wanted to be like Ashton. He wanted to walk into a room and let the silence take over. He wanted to intimidate.

Luke and Ashton cleared the room, checking off and letting the two inmates go back in their unit.

Michael stood outside his cell, a smile on his and his inmate's lips. "Good morning."

"What're you hiding?" Ashton picked up their clipboard, as if he didn't already know what they were and were not allowed to have.

"Nothing, Sir," Michael said.

Sergeant looked up, radiating his lack of impression. "I don't trust your smile, or you."

Mike shrugged his shoulders, "That sounds like a you problem."

Ashton brushed past him, his broad shoulders barely making it through the doorway. He turned around, watching Luke step through. "I've never truly hated an inmate until he came around a decade ago," Ashton said with a low voice.

Luke gave him a half smile. "I have a lot in for me with him, don't I?"

His boss gave him a pat on his back. "You already know that answer." He leant down, taking the sheets off their mattresses and flipping the seams. "Start digging through Clifford's journals, he always hides shit in there."

"Isn't that kind of personal? Luke asked, picking up a leather bound journal. He opened the first few pages, finding messy handwriting and drawings.

"He has to turn it in every week to the psychologist so they know he's not trying to kill himself." Ashton spoke as if it was all a normal thing. Luke knew none of this was normal.

Luke flipped through more pages, mentally admiring the pages. It was messy, but it art-type of messy. The drawings of dark figures matching with his words of his darkest confessions. Luke hoped he was okay.

He put down the journal, picking up the next. There was a lump half way through and Luke's heart felt. He didn't want it to be anything bad, he didn't want to bust Michael, he didn't want to turn him in.

Luke pulled out a wrapper, unfolding it to find a serine. He could feel his heart beating in his throat as he sighed.

"What'd you find?" Ashton asked as he began to turn around.

Luke had a second to make up his mind. He could hide it and save Michael, or show it and save his job.

His mother raised him a well. "I think it's a serine." Luke handed it over, letting Ashton look at it in the light.

He called another officer, leaning in to whisper.

Luke watched Michael around the corner, scanning the room. His green eyes landed on the book in Luke's hand and then rose to Ashton's turned back.

His eyes met Luke's and the younger boy could physically feel Michael's heart drop, too. Luke watched his light green eyes turn a ten shades darker as he turned back to the outside wall, knowing he was already caught.

As fast as the other officer arrived, he left. This time, though, he got his cuffs out, pressing Michael against the wall before he could react.

"This is stupid!" Michael yelled. He didn't bother to fight back: it was as useless as a speed chase.

"We'll talk in isolation."

"Fuck that!" He swore as he was turned around. "I will fucking kill you," he screamed, looking straight at Luke.

Luke bit his lip and took a step back, suddenly fearing his own safety. He didn't like any form of any threat—he was in the wrong career.

Ashton wiped dust off of his chest, standing next to Luke. "Don't let him bother you, he's just angry."

"Did he not realize he was going to get caught?"

Ash shrugged. "None of these guys ever think they're going to get caught. That's why they've ended up here."

It was hard for Luke to get through the day without checking behind him every few seconds. He was scared.