by Ward, Vivian
Convict Blood
Vivian Ward
Copyright © 2020 by Vivian Ward
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For my Aussies! I fucking love all of you convicts and this story is for YOU!
Contents
Untitled
Vivian Ward Newsletter
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Victoria
Vivian Ward Newsletter
About the Author
Also by Vivian Ward
Vivian Ward Newsletter
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The smell of piss is thick in the stale, dry air today and I can’t wait for transport to pick us up. It’ll be a chance for fresh air, the first I’ve had in nearly a month since the sentencing.
“Henry,” I whisper to my husband as we sit in our crowded cell filled with three other people besides our infant daughter.
“Yeah, Vic?” He asks, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
“I’m scared,” I confess.
The conditions here in Exeter Castle have been harsh while we’ve been locked up, but the fear of the unknown is beginning to settle in.
“What are you scared about?”
“They say the Marines are tougher than these prison guards. What’ll I do if we get separated? How will I take care of Lizzy?”
He cups my hand, lending me reassurance. “You’ll do fine. You’re a good mum, Vic, and you’re resourceful.”
For our crime, we were sentenced to eight years. Lizzy will be almost 9 before our time is up. I pray to God that we—Henry, Lizzy, and I—are all put on the same ship. When we were in jail, Henry and I got to share a cell for a brief period. I told him how scared I was and that I was worried about taking care of Lizzy in the horrid conditions everyone talked about. The Marines are there to do one job—to watch over us—and give little care as to whether we make it alive or not. They don’t care what we do or what happens to us as long as we stay quiet and no prisoners try to take over the ship.
“But what if we get separated? Who will protect us if you’re not there? “
A long sigh slips through his dry, cracked lips. He’s aged since we’ve been here. Hell, I probably have, too. I’d like to say that Lizzy’s grown a bit, too, but she hasn’t. Our daughter has hardly grown at all since birth. She’s such a tiny little thing since she doesn’t have the nutrition she needs to thrive and grow.
It’s been almost two months since we’ve gotten to properly bathe. Lice and bugs are running rampant throughout the jail, but I do my best to groom myself and daughter.
“If we get split apart, just do your best to keep your head down and stay off their radar. Don’t draw any unnecessary attention to yourself—don’t even look at them. Don’t even talk to them. Just blend in with the rest of the convicts.”
He’s right. I nod in agreement and plan to do exactly as my husband says. As long as I do what’s expected of me and keep quiet, the Marines will have no clue I’m even there. I’ll make myself invisible. And I’ll make sure that Lizzy stays quiet, too. The last thing I need is for her to attract unwanted attention or annoy others.
“Convicts! Shut your mouths,” the guard shouts at the lot of prisoners that I’m chained to.
There are four of us shackled together and two of the women, Mary and Emily, won’t stop arguing. They’ve been at it for days as we’ve marched through the scorching heat towards our new destination. It’s too hot for bickering and I wish, just for once, the guard would whip them. Nothing too harsh, maybe five lashes each—just enough to make them shut their traps for a bit.
We’re all shackled from our waists down to our ankles, chained together in small groups. Luckily, I’m locked up next to Daniel, who is just as sick of their arguing as I am. His eyebrows arch as the women finally quiet down, surprised that they listened. But this guard, Simon, won’t tolerate much from the prisoners. He’s the toughest one I’ve seen yet, but I’ve heard rumors that the Marines who will watch over us on the ship are even tougher.
The stench from all of us convicts assaults my senses. Men and women are lined up, waiting to be put on various prison hulks. Everyone is covered in sweat and I thought that being near the water would be a bit cooler, but it seems more humid. This is about the only time that I’ve been grateful for the holes in my ragged clothing and that it’s falling apart. At least it allows for some air to flow.
Some of the other convicts are still wearing pants with long-sleeved clothing because they were locked up during the winter months and have had nothing to change into. A few were fortunate enough to have families that brought them clothes during their incarceration, but not many. Those of us who weren’t that fortunate are wearing tattered garments that are beginning to fall apart.
A slight breeze blows past us, stirring up the stink in the murky water before us. It reeks, just like our future. During our stint in jail, there were talks about these old warships; complete horror stories. None of us has any idea what to really expect but we’re all about to find out. The prison guards said that it’ll take at least eight bloody months to transport us to Botany Bay where we’ll finish serving the rest of our sentences.
Botany Bay, I laugh to myself. It might as well be called no-man’s land. Nobody knows exactly where it is but since the prisons are completely packed, they have to put us someplace.
I hate myself for stealing to feed my family but with my husband, Henry, out of work for so long, I couldn’t see any other way but to take the food that was necessary to keep us alive. We were both growing so thin and weak, and I had to find a way to keep up my milk supply so I could feed our baby, Elizabeth. My poor girl was hardly growing because I couldn’t nurse her properly, and now she has to endure whatever is thrown our way.
Nestled in my arms, I’m glad that she’s sleeping through some of this heat. I know she’s miserable and it looks like things are only about to get worse as we settle along the shoreline.
Even from a distance, I can see how beaten and battered the old warships are. If the smell was bad before, it’s worse now. The green, slimy wood smells of rot and sewage. Surely, they aren’t going to put us there, I think to myself. But I know better because they’re bringing in small rowboats to transport us from the bank to the ships. It’s anyone’s guess which of the four ships we’ll be put on. I just hope they’ll unchain us while we get in the rowboat to go across the water.
Other groups of prisoners soon j
oin us and, for the first time in days, I see my husband, Henry. We were separated when they broke us into smaller transport groups, but I’m holding onto the hope that we’ll be lucky enough to be put on the same ship. Shackled to three other men, they’re all sunburned and look sickly—probably heat exhaustion and lack of food, as many of us look the same way. Even my little Lizzy’s cheeks are flush and I can tell she’s dehydrated. I’ve tried nursing her as often as I can but when you have to travel for days in the sweltering heat and move as the guards tell you to, there isn’t much time to properly care for a little one.
My biggest regret is involving Henry in my crime spree of stealing food for our family. If only I would’ve listened to him, I wouldn’t be in this mess. And if he wouldn’t have been with me when we were hiding food in Lizzy’s stroller, he wouldn’t have been caught with me. If I’d acted alone, he could’ve been back at home, taking care of our sweet, sweet baby girl. Now all three of us are suffering for the wrath of my mistake.
I try to get my husband’s attention by waving at him but he doesn’t see me through the sea of people and the guards are keeping a close eye on us. They don’t want any unnecessary commotion and I remember what Henry told me. He said to stay off their radar, and that’s exactly what I intend to do. When my waves go unnoticed, I focus my attention back to the guards who are ordering us to quiet down.
They begin moving groups of people around, shifting clusters of us from one spot to another as they decide which ships we’ll go on. I lose sight of my husband as I’m pulled closer to the bank with my lot.
One by one, they begin putting small groups of us in the boats; chained still, of course. They won’t even unchain us to transport from one boat to the next? I think to myself.
It’s so inhumane and degrading. They treat us as though we’re wild animals—and, by the looks of some, I’m sure there are some bad seeds among the bunch.
My eyes light up when I hear my husband’s voice and turn around to see him near my group. I think we’re going on the same ship!
The guards are busy loading groups of prisoners into the small rowboats and I want to take the opportunity to tell Henry that I love him, but there’s no time for that. They’re moving us as quickly as possible while ensuring order among all the prisoners.
“Convict!” One of the Marines snaps at me, motioning for me to come closer. “What is your name?”
His tone is demanding but I’m too scared to move and even more scared to talk. I pull my daughter closer to my bosom and put my head down.
Stay invisible Vic.
“Oh, I see we’ve got a smart one in the lot,” his thick, husky voice says as he smiles down at me.
I glance up at him and notice his uniform is a bit neater than the rest of the Marines who’ve come to shore to speed up the loading process, but there’s something about him. His deep-set eyes can see right through me and there’s no doubt that he knows I’m afraid.
“One last time, convict! State your name and crime, and give us your baby’s name, too.”
My jaw drops. Why does he need to know Lizzy’s name? Fearful that they may take her away or whip me while I’m holding her, I bite my lip and spit out my name—but only my name.
“Victoria Easton. Theft,” I quickly reply and begin moving forward with the rest of the lot that I’m chained to.
“Not so fast,” his fingers dig into my arm. “No one told you to move just yet!” His spit lands on my face when he emphasizes the word yet. “What’s your baby’s name?”
I don’t want them knowing a thing about my daughter. If I had a way, I’d make her invisible so they couldn’t see her because I know they’ll use her against me in any way possible. My arms pull her closer to my body despite the brutal heat.
His face draws closer to mine, mere inches apart, and his rancid breath is almost as bad as the rotting sewage that’s filling my nostrils. “Give me your baby’s name or I’ll take her from you,” he threatens.
I glance around, fervently searching for my husband. He’s at least twenty people back now and there’s no way that he can see or hear what’s happening. If he heard the way I was being spoken to, he’d put a stop to it—even if it meant a public lashing. Henry’s always been very protective of me.
“Are you looking for someone? You think someone’s going to come to save you, convict?” A hideous laugh escapes his throat. “No one is going to come to your rescue. Now, give me the baby’s name.”
Stay invisible. I’m doing an awful job! All I wanted to do was fly under the radar but now I’m in the very center of it—and I’ve put my baby there, too.
“Please,” I beg him, clutching Lizzy so tight that I’ve woken her and she begins to cry.
“The baby’s name,” he demands. His hardened jawline tenses as his dark, deep eyes narrow.
“You don’t need to know her name,” I whisper, kissing the top of her head, avoiding eye contact with him. “Please, just let us be.”
His nostrils flare as his fingertips dig harder into my arm, pinching my skin. Towering over me, he leans down and whispers, “One day, you might need something for your precious baby and I might be the only one who can help you, so I’d do as I say.” His words are everything but soothing and calm. They’re sinister and laced with sexual innuendo.
He quickly stands up and calls out to another Officer, “Digby!”
Even though we’re surrounded by a sea of people, I feel alone and isolated. This man—this Marine—is a monster. He’s over six feet of pure muscle and terror. Digby rushes over to us like an obedient dog, eager to please….what is his name, the Marine who insists on knowing Lizzy’s name? It’s only now that I look at his shirt and see ‘Kent’ embroidered on it.
“Yes, sir, Officer Kent,” the man, Digby, halts at his side.
Keeping his fingers dug into my skin, he shakes my arm. “Please unchain Miss Easton and put her on a rowboat with you—and ONLY you!”
“But, sir, that’s not—,” Kent cuts the man off before he an utter another syllable.
“Do as you’re told,” Kent demands. “And when you reach the ship, put her down in the prison hulks straight away. That’s where thieves like her belong.”
As the man named Digby kneels and begins undoing my shackles, Officer Kent has a few last words for me before we part our separate ways.
“I’m not finished with you yet,” his deep voice growls in my ear. “You’re no different from any other convict and I’ll see to it that you’re the first one I break.”
Digby stands up, unaware of Kent’s threats to me. “All ready, Sir,” he beams at the monster who’s fingernails have cut into my flesh. Either he’s unaware of my bleeding arm or he doesn’t care—either way, I realize that I’m completely at their mercy.
“Good,” he smiles at me. “Make sure you get her baby’s name and add it to the manifest so we have accurate records of everyone on board and we know how many mouths we’re feeding.”
As Digby leads me to a small rowboat, I look back over my shoulder and see my husband standing amid the crowd. A small smile tugs at my lips, but it’s then that I see Officer Kent leering in my direction. My half-hearted smile quickly fades and is replaced with a dry lump in my throat.
That man is dangerous. I can feel it in every bone of my being and something tells me that he meant every word he said before I was carted away. If he would’ve just told me why he wanted Elizabeth’s name, I would’ve given it to him. But now, I’m on his radar which sends icy chills down my spine despite the hot sun beating down on us.
The waste buckets in the prison hulks are overflowing with urine and excrement when we finally make our way down the darkened stairs. I’m surprised to find many other prisoners already down here who appear to have settled in some time ago.
Judging by the looks on their faces, they’re not happy to have new company, but I’d give anything to go back up on deck where there is fresh air and sunshine. I’m sure all of us would, and while I’m worried about
my own health, I’m more worried about Lizzy’s. This is no place to keep a baby. I can practically feel diseases crawling up my legs. All it would take is one big virus to wipe out more than half of us.
Their sunken eyes watch us like hawks as they size us up. Too bad for them that most look too weak to do anything about us newcomers, so at least we have somewhat of an advantage.
Why do they look so weak? Surely, they’re eating about the same as what we were served in jail, right?
Cradling Lizzy in my arms, I settle down along one of the wooden bench seats that lines the walls, keeping my distance from the others. A lot of the prisoners who’ve been down here for God knows how long have a horrible cough, and the last thing I want to do is expose Lizzy to whatever they have because it could kill her.
Over the next couple of hours, I watch more prisoners file into the stink hole that we’re all stuck in and quickly pick up on the fact that the men are being kept separate from the women. I wonder if this is on purpose—to keep down on sexual activity; either rape or unwanted pregnancy—or if it’s to help keep down on violence amongst the men if they were to fight over the women. Either way, I just want to see Henry. The last time I saw him, he was in the same line that I was, just many, many people back.
I have to know if he’s on this ship and find a way to talk to him.
I have noticed that some of the women are talking to the male prisoners through the wooden slats in the wall that divides us, so I move over to that portion of the wall and try to see if I can find my husband.