Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Lone Cell
Gabriel’s POV
Without much delay, I was moved to a solitary cell. This cell was far from the one they had taken me to earlier. It was isolated in its own corridor and so small that if I stretched my arms while standing at the center, my fingers would touch both walls.
The heat inside was unbearable, as if I was boiling my own skin just by being here. But, of course, it was still better than getting raped.
I sank my head onto my knees in the corner of the cell. There was a bed, but I couldn't bring myself to sleep on it.
I had seen bedbugs crawling on the mattress. And from what I knew about those tiny bloodsuckers, they were like vampires—feeding on me until morning. Sleeping curled up in a corner was the better option.
The Next Morning
“Hey! Seen the motherfucker who got saved last night?!”
A muscular prisoner taunted me, poking at me the moment we stepped into the yard.
I didn’t know what this yard was for, but the moment the bell rang, the cell doors automatically unlocked. Then, a voice echoed through the prison’s speakers, loud enough for everyone, no matter which cell they were in:
“To the yard, everyone!”
So, we all went.
I sat on a cement bench against the wall, staring at the barbed-wire fence. Beyond it stretched an endless desert.
I found myself trapped in my own thoughts, staring at the golden expanse of sand. If I tried to escape, would it be better to die under the scorching sun, lost in the desert? Or should I just accept my fate—rotting in prison with a life sentence?
“BOOM!”
Luke suddenly appeared beside me.
He didn’t seem bothered by anything happening here. In fact, he had a smile on his face, his eyes gleaming with amusement—like he loved this place more than the outside world.
“Cheer up, man,” he said.
“We’re gonna get out. And when we do, I’ll help you take the shot at Rebecca for free.”
Then his voice changed, turning sharp and cold.
“And by the way, you still owe me.”
His sudden shift from joking to dead serious sent a chill down my spine. I turned to look at him, but by the time I did, his expression had darkened. The smile was gone.
He frowned at me before rising to his feet and placing a firm hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t make me fucking come after you before you do the necessary thing,” he murmured, his voice low and menacing.
Then he walked away.
Even though we were outside under the open sky, I felt suffocated. My body broke into a cold sweat.
My heart raced.
I knew what Luke was capable of. He was a proud, ruthless criminal. And being locked in here with him, where prisoners could kill each other and no one would lift a finger?
I was in deep shit.
I glanced to my right, then to my left. There was no way to reach my phone. It had been confiscated the moment I was arrested. Since then, they hadn’t given it back.
What was I supposed to do? How did I even get myself here?
I was still battling those thoughts when the muscular prisoner and his cellmates approached me.
They mocked me as they walked up.
“Smack!”
One of them slapped the back of my head.
“Do you not know you should stand up for the president?!” one of them sneered in disgust.
The moment I heard that, I knew if I didn’t stand, something bad would happen. I didn’t want that, so I rose to my feet and quickly apologized.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured.
I started stepping away, but one of them yanked me back. Another kicked me behind the knees, forcing me to kneel.
I glanced around the yard.
No one interfered.
Everyone minded their business. Some prisoners even laughed at me from a distance.
“Look at him. Weak like biscuit bones. He even said he’s sorry,” one of them mocked.
Then, the so-called “president” stepped closer.
He grabbed my face, squeezing my jaw.
“I, Gomelo, promise to make your fucking life a living hell until you do as I say.”
He spat in my face, shoving me so hard I nearly hit the ground.
I panted like a dog, my heart slamming against my ribs.
Then, before I could recover, Gomelo grabbed my face again, forcing me to look at him.
“Come to the mess hall bare naked if you want to see the sunrise tomorrow.”
His words sent ice down my spine.
I was done for.
Not only was Luke a problem, but now I had Gomelo and his entire crew after me.
And no one cared.
Not even the guards, who simply watched from their posts, doing nothing.
I realized then—this yard wasn’t just for fresh air.
It was a place where prisoners ruled. Where they did whatever the hell they wanted, even if it meant killing someone.
Suddenly, the bell rang again.
Every prisoner, without needing to be told, fell into a long queue.
“To the mess hall!” the system’s voice blared.
My heart pounded.
Should I obey Gomelo and go naked?
Or should I refuse and face whatever punishment he had planned?
I didn’t know what to do.