The seasons flashed past these three long black metal rods. Against a backdrop of car engines, the pungent smell of gasoline from the petrol station next door and a hint of honey from the trees. Gabriel Simon enjoyed the sweet sensation in his nostrils.
He was resting on a single bed, pressed up against a cold concrete wall that seemed to protect him from any possible penetration or escape. From time to time, to change his position, he touched the half-white, half-brown toilet at his feet. They had bothered to install a washbasin directly opposite. Gabriel would only have to head three steps to reach it.
He moistened his fingertip and turned the page of the newspaper. His eyebrows lowered at the description of the front-page headline.
Her husband had bitten her jugular.
Apparently, the funny situation happened last week. On a crazy night, the guy had had a lot to drink and bited his wife until she bled.
"People are going mad these days."
A grumble came from Gabriel's throat.
"Why do I keep reading this thing?"
The newspaper was dated 12 January 2023. Gabriel had had it for a day, and normally the guards were in time to bring him the daily paper. But only silence had permeated the prison walls since that morning.
Gabriel looked up at the three metal bars he had as windows. A few rays of sunlight crossed the empty space, warming his cold heart.
"Dawn is breaking. It's strange."
The guards would be outside the jail gate at dawn. Ready to serve breakfast in the cells. Even if they were used to seize their time, they should already be there.
A feeling of apprehension rose in Gabriel's heart. But his rationality grabbed the better of his fear.
"Maybe they got drunk last night and bit each other."
A sardonic laugh crossed his lips. He stood up and walked over to the bars of his cell to see if he could spot a figure.
"Hey, anybody here? Guys?"
A distant male voice broke the quietness. It belonged to a prisoner in the same corridor as Gabriel.
Hearing no response, the man continued calling.
"Dude, leave us alone."
A muffled growl silenced him for a few seconds before he started again.
"No, no, listen. I got a bad feeling about this. They're not there. Something's wrong."
"Yeah, and I'm trying to scrape some sleep, so leave me.
Gabriel, who eavesdropped to the conversation, placed both hands on the cell bars. The cold bars began to vibrate. The doors slid aside. At the same moment, several shots rang out.
Gabriel stepped behind. He thought of an error. The guards would come any minute, armed to the teeth, to push the inmates back into their cells. Under the shattering silence, a shrill sound burstthrough the prison.
"This is Brigade Commander Brian from Montana State Prison. We're under attack, I repeat, we're under attack and we need backup!"
A man's panicked voice echoed under the piercing noise. He was recurring the same sentence over and over under a sequence of gunshots. No one answered his call for help.
"Shit, they don't want to die! Jess, grab the keys to corridor B and go to the armory to get the rest of the weapons!"
A faint voice resounds.
"What about you, boss?"
Gabriel believed this guard possessed great compassion. In the desperate situation they seemed to be in, thinking of each other was the least thing to do.
"Hurry up!"
Shouts immediately rumbled out over the loudspeaker. Only the siren remained.
Gabriel swallowed. They were in a highly protected prison, housing extremely dangerous criminals. With their equipment, even if a heavily armed gang tried to break into the prison, their possibilities of winning would be reduced to one percent. The police were in the area, and a military base was hidden ten kilometers away.
The prisoners gradually emerged from their cells.
"Guys, did you hear those voices in the background? I'm not crazy, am I?"
Gabriel recognized his voice. He was the very first prisoner to break the silence. Unfortunately, no one paid him any attention.
"This is our chance to escape guys."
A tall, dark-skinned muscular man raised his lips in a barbaric grin. He was holding a makeshift knife made from a razor blade wrapped in scraps of cloth pressed together.
Two teams formed.
Those who wished to wait, and those who wanted to make a revolution.
Two members composed the first group. The one who kept saying something was wrong and Gabriel.
The other fourteen prisoners stepped through the first armored security gate with various makeshift weapons in their hands.
"You're mad! It's the apocalypse, guys. You're all going to die, he told me…"
The man shook his head. He turned to Gabriel and held out his hand.
"My name's Henry, thanks for believing me."
"Gabriel."
Gabriel shook Henry's hand. Despite the thinness of his body, his iron wrist left a great impression on Gabriel.
To tell the truth, Gabriel didn't consider him, but something bothered him.
"Who were you talking about when you said, 'he told me'?"
His body stiffened, as did his hand. Gabriel widened his eyes at the two words that exited his mouth.
"The angel."