You walk into the jail fresh off the bus with a guard behind you monitoring your every move. As you step into the Cell Block you notice a hundred eyes dart your way.

"Oh shit, this will be interesting". 

You walk to your cell noticing the thugs, degenerates and rapists all assesing you, planning a move to take advantage. In this type of environment everyone needs friends, no matter how high or low their social status is on the outside.

"You're in this one" 

The guard points to your cell. 

“Its cold, dark and smells like piss, im sure you'll love it" 

The Guard gives you a vile smile, before leaving you to your new home.

You lie down on your bed thinking how the fuck you managed to get in here.

"Hey you"

You look up to see a behemoth of a man standing over you.

"You're connected right?"

You nod your head, still wondering what the hell he was doing here.

"Good. My name’s Jimmy.... uhh here... Henry_Cooke told me to give you this"

He hands you a shank.

"That's for your safety, anyone tries to fuck with you, you air hole them right here"

He points at his side.

”Now if you’d follow me, I'd like you too meet the guys"

The man notions you to follow him. Out of curiosity you do.

As you walk with Jimmy you notice the other prisoners who were previously eyeing you up back off.

You approach a large cell block occupied by members of various organized crime families. They all gathered around different tables, laughing, joking and playing cards.

Your companion leaves your side as Henry approaches you. He goes in to shake your hand.

"There you are! We we're wondering how long you'd be”

“Hey Jimmy! Get us some drinks yeah... sorry about him, he’s a grumpy old fucker lately”

Jake lights up a smoke before continuing to speak.

"Hey man listen, I know who you are, everyone does, but the reality is in jail it doesn't matter what family or city you come from, we're all tied in together somehow and in here well, numbers matter, if you catch my drift"

Jimmy brings over two drinks and hands one to you and Henry, he grumbles something under his breath before walking away.

"Like I said, he’s a grumpy fucker”

Henry glares at Jimmy before turning his gaze back to you.

“Anyway! I'd like to welcome you to the Irish-Italian Connection! We have no ranks, no leader, we are all the same, we look out for each other and make sure that no one tries to fuck with us here in prison. Otherwise we uhh... introduce ourselves to them”

He points at the large crowd behind him who lift their cups of full of liquor and let out a hearty cheer!

"There's a reason we named it the Irish-Italian Connection"

Henry gives you a sly wink.

"Anyways before you go, introduce yourself to Joe Adonis. He’s the guy here if you want some work to pass the time. He’s good people, tell him Henry sent ya”

Henry checks the time before looking back up at you.

“Shit I’m late. Well I’m gonna let you get to it, just know that we’ve got your back and hopefully when the time comes, you’ll be there for us.

He finishes his smoke and heads back to the table where all the other Mafiosi are sat playing cards. You return to your cell, empowered by the new feeling of brotherhood behind bars.

You spend the walk back to the cell thinking about what just happened. Irish-Italian Connection? Henry Cooke? Joe Adonis? You enter the same piss corner of the prison block you were told would be your home away from home during your time here.

Before you can gather your thoughts, you notice a figure laying down on your bed.

"Don't fret, I'm not here to tear you a new asshole. Well, mostly not."

Joe lets out a chuckle as he gets up and steps towards you. You figure that present Jimmy gave you might come in handy right about now. Air hole in the side, was it?

"I'm Adonis. Henry said to see me, but I figured I'd get in first."

His hand reaches out, just as yours slips back into your pocket and eases up the grip on the shank.

"Nice to meet ya. Cooke said you were in need of some friends."

A hesitant shake follows, yet a handshake none the less. Must be the guy Henry was talking about.

"Come, let's take a walk. These piss buckets ain't the best place to spend time in 'ere."

Joe gives you a hard pat on the shoulder before walking by you and out of the cell. He doesn't turn back around, just keeps walking, expecting you to follow. Fuck it, he was right about this cell, and so was the guard who introduced you to it. It smelt like piss.

You walk next to him and keep up with his slow pace. Not hard, as he didn't seem to be in a hurry to get anywhere. Most in this place didn't, and you notice that as you both walk throughout the various hallways, catching glimpses of people in their cells keeping themselves busy with various activities.

"So, before you give me the low down on who you is, we'll explain a few things to ya."

Adonis nods at a prison guard as the two of you round a corner. There is an open gate, which seems to lead somewhere beyond the normal confines of the cell block.

"First, you need to prove yaself."

Joe stops walking and turns to face you, just as you near what seems to be the opening to a shower block, on account of the running water heard and the tiles that differ from the concrete you've been treading on till now.

"Cooke will tell you 'bout the second thing after you do the first."

Joe smirks as he nods toward your hand, which has been in your pocket the whole time, just in case.

"You'll need that. There's a guy in there who needs a little talking to. The why doesn't matter..."

He somehow predicted what you were thinking. Maybe this isn't the first time this has come about. Maybe you're not the first guy to go through this. It seems quite clear now what he means about talking to.

"...all that matters is how you handle this request."

Joe gives you a strong pat on the shoulder and leaves his hand there a moment, squeezing it as he does.

"See Henry tomorrow morning in the yard, either way. You don't need to do this. But it would be very helpful if you did."

His facial expression was quite serious. His tone of voice more assertive than it had been before. The open ended request seemed less open ended than he was making it out to be.

Joe walked away with the same casual pace as you two walked in here with. You eyed the entrance to the showers and began questioning if this brotherhood was really worth the effort.

For a minute you just stand there. So far you’d had a rough time but only been convicted of minor crimes. The decision you will make right here, yeah right now, in this shithole will be a defining moment of your life.

 “Fuck man”

The words passed your lips before you realized it. More on edge than you thought huh? What will you do? You around and nearly dropped the shank you’d been clenching in your sweaty palms when you heard a voice out of nowhere;

“Just fuckin go in already!”

It’s the prison guard you’d passed on your stroll over here. The man doesn’t even care to pretend as to care about plausible deniability. You feel his eyes burning a hole in your back as you go on..

Wrong choice! As soon as you step in to the shower block you realize something’s off.. There’s no water running! Then the sudden sharp pressure of a shanks pressured into your back.

“Yeah sorry pal, the element of surprise was gone there. Next time you’re hired for a wacking job you’d better get straight to it. Not gossip with the guards about it”

A lesson you’d take with you for a lifetime. However short that life may still be.. You felt how the unidentified pressured the sharp object deeper into your flesh..

“Tell me! What bastardo send you in here to come after me?”

Now that’s the true sense of a prisoners dilemma. There’s no safe answer to the question your asked. Either you snitch on Henry and Adonis and die by their hands OR you don’t answer at all and die right here. The man notices the hesitation.

“The choice ain’t that hard pal, live for now or die right now. Your call”

Defiantly you keep your mouth shut. For some reason after a long while the man starts bursting out in laughter.

“Hahaha, good call my man. Too many man would have flipped right there. Your silence is respected here. Now turn around so I can properly introduce myself.

You nod in relief, as you turn around. The man offers his hand and you eagerly shake it.

“Much better to look one another straight in the eyes. The name’s Joseph Savastano. Well that’s the name my parents gave me anway, around here they call me Joey Gunz”. You offered your name in return. A smile curled up his face again.

 “Now let me guess.. Henry or Adonis sent you after me? Classic test. I bet they had somebody give you one of those fake blunted shakes too”.

As you look at the shank you’d dropped previously you realized that you never tasted the sharpness of the object. It’s almost as if I’m back in school you figured with all the lessons learned today. Then again, however much you hated going to school.. This was worse.

Joey turned around shouting “YO JIMMY, you around? Spying on this poor kid, you twisted sicko! haha?”

When the absurdity of the situation dawned on him Joey switched to more of a comforting role in the conversation.

“Now, don’t be too hard on yourself kid. You did well. These guys know how to mess with the fresh meat. Don’t fret though! I’ll let them you know you passed the rat test. Now go get yourself some rest. I heard Henry & Adonis got some big plans for tomorrow!”

With that he send you back-off to your cell. As you walk back you see both Jimmy and the prison guard look at you with a sheepish grin on their faces.

"I wonder if horses get musical melodies stuck in their head" the cell door slid open and broke Henry's intelligent train of thought.

"Get the fuck up and get out. Go get some exercise you limp bastard!"

Henry had been laying down on the bottom bunk before the guard opened the cell. He stood up, stretched upward before making his way out. The guard smiled as Henry gave him a stern look the whole way past. Henry didn't like authority figures, especially those barking orders. Jail probably wasn't the best place for him and his aggressive tendencies.

After making his way outside into the yard Henry took a seat on a bench. The pain from in his leg, from an age old war wound, made him feel a little weaker than he would've liked. Henry hoped no-one would try and fuck with him today.

Henry leaned back on the wooden bench and looked around the yard, hoping to notice something more interesting to take his mind off the pain.