Five men sat in the back of the prison van for transportation between jails. There was no conversation between any of them even though two of them knew each other well and had been close friends.
The vehicle went over several potholes and one of the men grunted angrily as the slight bumps were felt.
"Bloody bastards! Making a point of hitting every hole in the road are ya!" he yelled angrily even though he knew the guards in the front of the van couldn't hear him.
The handsome black haired guy at the front of the vehicle glanced towards him with an amused grin before looking out the small window once again.
A filthy un-kept drunk opened bleary eyes and glanced around before closing his eyes once again.
The oldest of the prisoners pulled a packet of smokes from his pocket and helped himself to one before offering the packet to the man beside him.
"Thanks mate." He said as he took one and put it between his lips before fishing a lighter out of his shirt pocket. He lit his own smoke then passed the lighter to the guy who had offered him a smoke.
"Not going to share?" The black haired guy asked with a charming smile.
The guy who had had the lighter in his pocket looked at the guy who had spoken with an angry look on his face. "Isn't enough I'm sharing this van with you?" he asked bitterly.
"Hey come on, it aint all my fault." He protested as he pushed his black hair back out of his blue eyes.
"Don't start that shit with me Hawk." The guy warned as he put his lighter away.
"Jake..." Hawk started.
"Shut the fuck up or I'll shut you up!" Jake snapped.
The other three men watched them warily. A fight in the enclosed space of the van would not be a pleasant thing.
Hawk looked away from Jake and turned his attention to the scenery outside the van. They were passing through a town or city and it was getting toward late afternoon; surely they would reach the overnight stop soon.
"Ah, Grafton. Great town." The guy beside Jake remarked as he looked out the window.
"It's about time! I'm getting sick of riding in this van," The guy who had sworn about the potholes said as he shifted in his seat.
"How far from here is Brisbane?" Jake asked curiously.
"Depends where abouts you heading," the guy beside him said.
"To the central courthouse day after tomorrow," Jake answered.
"About a six and a half hour drive in this thing. They'll probably send you tomorrow, hold you overnight at one of the stations and take you to court from there. I'm Todd by the way," Todd said.
"Jake."
The vehicle began to slow and it turned sharply. Shortly it came to a halt. The engine became silent and the five men turned their attention to the door they would exit the van through.
There was the sound of voices outside for a few minutes then the door was unlocked and opened.
"Alright! Everyone out. Do it orderly, no mucking around," a prison guard said as he stood in the doorway before moving aside so the men could do as they were told.
The five prisoners climbed from the van and stood in the bright sunshine for a few moments to let their eyes become accustomed to the light.
"Let's get a move on. You'll have a few minutes to settle into your cells before meal time," another guard said and led the way into a large brick building.
Jake walked along in the line the prisoners had formed; he looked around with faint interest as they walked through hallways and corridors.
"Hawkings, Lantry, wait in this room." The guard at the front of the line ordered indicating a room that had a wooden bench along one wall.
Jake and Hawk walked into the room and sat down on the bench. Jake sat as far away from Hawk as he could get without leaving the room.
The guard shut the door and locked it leaving the two men inside.
"Looks like we're in the shit, hey." Hawk commented to Jake but Jake ignored him.
Hawk was silent as he looked around the room. He couldn't understand why Jake no longer talked to him or have anything to do with him. He knew that it all went back to Sky somehow just as the trouble they were in at the moment did, but surely Jake wouldn't turn his back on him over a sheila.
"On your feet!" A tough looking guard ordered as he unlocked the door and walked into the room. "No time for dilly dallying! We don't like rapists here so watch your step! Get in the hallway now!"
Jake got to his feet and did as he was told quickly; he had no intention of giving a guard any cause for irritation. Behind him he could hear Hawk taking his time and the guard erupted into a torrent of swearing at Hawk.
Hawk walked out of the cell trying to ignore the inventive flow of abuse the prison guard was directing at him. He suspected it was an attempt to anger him enough to talk back and let himself in for punishment.
"Get moving you two or you will miss out on your meal," The guard ordered gruffly.
Hawk and Jake soon found themselves in a small cell with the barred door locked behind them. Two guards stood outside the cell talking.
"You two will eat separate from most of the other prisoners. There are some in here who would rip you a new arsehole if they had the chance. Most of 'em in here don't like rapists or men who beat women." One of the guards sneered.
Jake sat down on the edge of one of the bunks without reacting to the taunts from the guards. After a few minutes the guards grew tired of baiting the two men and left the area.
"It's a real shit hole of a place," Hawk remarked.
There was no reply from Jake and Hawk began to pace the cell angrily. His steps were uneven and he limped slightly, the after effects of a kick to the groin he received from a one-time friend. He stopped at the cell door and tried to look along the corridor.
"When the hell do we get fed around here?" he yelled in demand. When he realised there would be no answer he turned and moved to the unoccupied bunk.
