“Really?” the Warden said, arching an eyebrow. “Then we’d better go to the conference room. Mr. Burnside, I’m sorry, but I need you to stand again. We’re moving this meeting into the back room.”
“Sure, no problem,” Ray said, ignoring the pain as he stood.
“This way please,” the Warden said, gesturing to an open doorway behind the desk.
Burnside stepped through the doorway into a large room dominated by a long, narrow executive table surrounded on two sides by rows of chairs. Burnside chose the closest chair at the end of the table and sat down. The pain still continued to burn, but he ignored it. The Warden shut the door quietly and sat directly across from him. The other man sat next to the Warden.
The Warden leaned forward and spoke in a deep, low voice that was almost a whisper.
“Mr. Burnside, I’m Steve Mackey, the manager of this facility. I must admit, you are something of an enigma to us. Due to your special circumstances, this meeting is considered completely confidential. Feel free to speak your mind. Nothing said in this meeting will ever leave this room.”
“I appreciate that,” Burnside said, diplomatically, leaning forward in the comfortable office chair and listening intently.
An almost euphoric feeling entered Ray’s mind at the thought of sitting across from a normal human being, having a heart-to-heart conversation. It seemed an extraordinary opportunity and he was going to use all his powers to utilize it to the fullest extent.
“Let me introduce my associate,” the Warden continued in his near-whisper. “The gentleman sitting beside me is Matthew Johnson. He is in charge of our facility’s Internal Affairs department.”
At the mention of his name, the young, suited man with the slicked-back black hair and horn rimmed glasses nodded almost imperceptibly at Burnside.
Now it all makes sense. These guys are doing an internal investigation of their own people.
The Warden continued, “Mr. Burnside, as you may have surmised, Mr. Johnson and several other trusted personnel in his department are undertaking a rather painstaking and controversial investigation into alleged corruption within our facility.”
Chapter 15
The Plan
The Warden paused to let the information sink in. Burnside stared back, choosing to remain silent until he obtained more information.
“We are aware of your…..special status,” the Warden said. “It goes without saying that your former occupation makes you an atypical prisoner. I know about your trial and I know that you proclaimed your innocence,” he said, staring at him intensely. “If you are telling the truth, then a monumental injustice has been perpetrated. Personally, I’m not concerned if you are guilty or not. I’m more interested in the skills you acquired at your former job.”
Warden Mackey finished his speech and turned to his colleague. Johnson picked up the cue. “Mr. Burnside, the bottom line is that we are willing to help you if you help us. Warden Mackey and I have connections that are not to be underestimated. If you help us, we can arrange to have you transferred to a medium, or even minimum, security facility. But you must understand, this is a confidential meeting. If you reveal any details of this meeting to anyone, no matter how trustworthy you may believe they are, we will consider our agreement null and void and you will return to your status as a typical prisoner,” he paused, glaring intensely at Burnside. “You know as well as we do what your chances of survival are if that happens.”
“Yes, I do. Minimal,” Ray interrupted.
“You just put two of the Skinhead’s best enforcers in the infirmary,” the Chief continued. “We’ll back you up as much as we can, but keep in mind that this operation is off the books. If any of our superiors find out what’s going on, we will deny any knowledge of it. Think about this, Mr. Burnside. If you have the will to help us out, we can drastically improve your status in our facility in the short run, and eventually have you transferred out in the long run. Are you interested in our proposal?”
Burnside allowed a lopsided grin to cross over his impassive face.
“I’m very interested, Mr. Johnson,” Ray said. “I agree with you that accepting your proposal is integral to my survival. I’m not sure how much you already know, but my current status here is…..tenuous at best.”
The Warden and the Internal Affairs Chief glanced at each other briefly before returning their gaze to Burnside.
“We are aware of some of your unfortunate circumstances, but we don’t know the full story,” Warden Mackey said. “If we are going to be of any help to you, and you to us, you may want to enlighten us.”
“Certainly, Warden,” Ray agreed. “I’ll be honest with you. You and your colleague seem like stand-up guys. I consider the risk I’m taking trusting you to be far less than the risk I would be taking if I was on my own in this place. If nothing changes, I’m not going to last another week here,” he paused and flashed them another half-grin. “So that makes my situation very simple. Cooperate with you or die. As a rational being, my only choice is to cooperate. You have my word of honor that I will help you, confidentially, in whatever way I can.”
The Warden and Internal Affairs Chief exchanged another glance. The Warden turned to face Ray. “We need to know what you have experienced so far. Then, we will tell you everything we know. Does that sound like a fair deal?”
“Deal,” Ray stated with conviction. “As you probably already know, I didn’t waste any time getting into trouble in this place…..”
Burnside related his entire story to the two officials, omitting nothing. The Warden looked shocked when he told them about the forcible rape in the shower. The Internal Affairs Chief’s face paled and he looked like he was about to throw up. Ray appreciated their stunned reaction and calmly continued his narrative. He ended with his meeting in the Deputy Warden’s office. When he finished talking, he calmly awaited a response from the prison officials.
“That’s absolutely horrific,” the Warden stated, gravely. “I personally apologize for the corruption in the facility, which led to your abuse at the hands of other inmates. I want you to know that Mr. Johnson and I will do everything we can to punish those responsible for the deed.”
“I appreciate that, Warden,” Burnside replied, coolly.
The Internal Affairs Chief picked up from there.
“Mr., Burnside, as you know firsthand, the corruption in our prison is formidable. Warden Mackey inherited this system when he took over from the previous Warden two years ago. As you have probably already figured out, the gangs in our prison have an extraordinary influence over the other inmates and, worse yet, the guards. Warden Mackey shook up the organization as much as he could when he started. He was able to convince his superiors to give him permission to replace some of the guards, who we suspected of corruption, with some of his former associates from other facilities. But, he couldn’t replace them all. Some of the old guards have strong political connections and they’re not so easy to replace. Unfortunately, the Deputy Warden was one of them.”
“Yeah, I picked up on that already.” Burnside interjected.
“I’m sure you did,” the Internal Affairs Chief agreed, smiling grimly. “We now have indisputable evidence that the Deputy Warden has been showing extreme favoritism toward the inmates who are members of the prison gang known as the Aryan Nation or Skinheads. It has long been suspected, but never proved, that the Deputy Warden was a former member of another Midwestern white supremacist organization. His recorded statements to you today are the icing on the cake. By tomorrow, he’ll be looking for another job.”
“Well, that’s a good start.” Burnside said.
“Yes, it is. But, it’s only the first step of a much larger anti-corruption initiative. The Aryan Nation still has sympathetic guards working at every level in the prison. Our goal is to identify them, gather evidence against them, and eventually give them their walking papers.”
“Sounds perfect,” Burnside said.
The Internal Affairs Chief i
gnored his comment and continued his monologue.
“As you can probably guess, gathering evidence to implicate corrupt guards is a frustrating and time-consuming process. No one here wants to “rat out” their fellow officers for fear they won’t back them up when there’s trouble. In addition to our investigation into guard corruption, we want to strike at the heart of the Aryan Nation. That’s where you come in,” the Chief said, pausing briefly to gauge Burnside’s reaction. “We need you to infiltrate the Aryan Nation.”
Burnside was surprised, but not shocked. He figured it would be something like this. He didn’t know how they intended to pull it off though. At the present, he wasn’t in very good esteem with the Skinheads after biting the nose off one of their elite enforcers.
“I can see from your expression that you are skeptical about this idea,” Johnson said.
“Well, it does seem rather challenging given my current situation,” Ray said.
“Well, my friend, you’re not factoring in our secret weapon. We already have someone infiltrated into the gang. He’s one of the top guys in the Aryan Nation and he’ll make sure you get in. All you have to do is apply for a job, so to speak.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Burnside commented, sardonically.
“The bottom line, Mr. Burnside, is that you’ve already made an impression on the Aryan Nation hierarchy. Our inside man has convinced them that it was a mistake to go after you without knowing if you have sympathy for their cause. He suggested that the gang would be better off with you on their side, rather than fighting against them. You’ve been in this prison for a week and a half and you’ve already incapacitated three of their most reliable enforcers.” The Internal Affairs Chief leaned forward intently. “The guy whose nose you bit off will take months to recover, and when he finally does, he will have lost the respect of the gang. Not to mention being marked for life. Your other attacker suffered permanent brain damage caused by lack of oxygen. He’s also marked for life. When he gets out of the infirmary, he’ll be lucky if he can form a complete sentence.”
At this point, the Warden stepped in, “Ray, the bottom line is the Aryan Nation hierarchy is trying to figure out a way to replace their losses. That’s where you come in. Our man has already put a bug in the Skinhead leaders’ ears, suggesting they can recoup their losses by recruiting you. You won’t even have to go to them. They’re going to come to you. The first thing they will do is feel you out to see if you’re sympathetic to their cause.”
“And by their cause, I’m assuming you mean the cause of white supremacy?” Burnside asked.
“Absolutely. You’re going to have to make your prison debut as an actor to convince them you are a true believer in the cause of white power,” the Warden said.
“That shouldn’t be too difficult considering the heterogeneous population in this place. There are certainly plenty of minorities to target,” Burnside commented.
“Just make sure none of them suffer any permanent injuries,” the Warden said.
“Like brain damage?” Ray asked, grinning.
“Exactly,” the Warden agreed without returning his grin.
The Internal Affairs Chief interjected. “You will need to use all of your abilities and faculties to put up a convincing front. If they don’t believe you, they will figure out a way to eliminate you. You have to quite literally ‘become the role.’ If you don’t do it convincingly, you don’t have a chance. If you do it successfully, you will eventually be transferred out of here.”
“I understand,” Burnside said.
“We will try to give you as much support as we can from the guards who remain loyal to us. Our inside man will also do what he can to assist you. His identity will remain confidential for his safety and yours. We will be checking in with you periodically via loyal guards in order to measure your progress and formulate further plans of action.”
“Okay. Then, that’s it?” Ray asked.
“Do you have any questions?”
“Actually, yes. Are you gentlemen aware that my cellmate is an African American? I’m not sure how it’s going to work out if I’m supposed to act like a white supremacist?”
“Yes, we are aware of that fact and it has been factored into the equation,” the Warden said, glancing over at the Internal Affairs Chief. “Mr. Johnson has a plan to deal with that.”
Chapter 16
Indecent Proposal
“My cellmate and I get along,” Burnside said. “But I’m guessing that has to change if this ruse is going to work.”
“Absolutely,” the IA Chief stated, firmly, as if he had already prepared for the contingency. “You need to be separated. Do whatever you need to do to gain the Aryan Nation’s trust. We’ll back you up as much as we can from our side. For example, if you were to start a fight with a minority inmate in a public place like the cafeteria tonight, we’ll make sure you get sent to solitary and your victim receives a slap on the wrist, which is standard operating procedure anyway for an inmate acting in self-defense.”
“That’s a swell policy. So how do you explain them throwing me in solitary when I was acting in self-defense?” Burnside asked, chagrined.
“Your experience was an unfortunate exception; it was a result of corrupt guards working with the Aryan Nation. We’ll make sure they are reigned in during the operation,” Johnson said.
“Can you do that without raising suspicions?” Ray asked.
“It’s already been worked out,” the IA Chief said. “If you initiate this theoretical attack in the cafeteria tonight, we will assign guards to the detail: men loyal to us. It won’t be a problem. After the racial incident in the cafeteria, you and your cellmate will have to be separated.”
“Mr. Burnside, this plan has been well thought out. You’re going to have to trust us,” the Warden interjected. “There’s one more thing. You have to shave your head.”
“Just the look I always wanted.”
“We’re sending you to the infirmary, so you can have it done there. Just say you need it done for hygienic reasons. Any more questions?”
“Do I get a pedicure with the haircut?” Burnside asked.
A short while later, Ray lay on a cot in the infirmary, ruminating about the meeting. He thought it went well. If he followed their plan, he might survive the week. He was enjoying the solitude in the infirmary’s isolation room. It gave him time to think. What he did in the next 24 hours was going to be vital to his survival. Like the IA Chief said, he had to put on a convincing act to make the plan work. He had to live and breathe the role. He had to become a true believer.
Fuck it. Anything is better than my current situation as a man marked for execution.
Burnside had always hated skinheads. He thought they were the lowest form of life on earth. But this time, he had to fake it. He hoped he would be convincing. Maybe his desperation would give him the edge he needed to pull it off.
The infirmary personnel gave him something to ease the pain, a narcotic. Whatever it was, it worked. He didn’t feel the burning sensation in his ass anymore. His body felt numb and his mind was relaxed for the first time in days.
A prison doctor checked him out, confirmed that he had been raped, and gave him some anti-biotic ointment to apply to his torn ass. He was glad there were no nurses present during the examination.
Ray was grateful to the Warden for sending him to the infirmary. He wouldn’t have a problem returning the favor. The Warden and the IA Chief didn’t know it, but they had just hired the most fanatical employee imaginable. When he was a police officer, his sense of duty was far stronger than any temptations thrown his way. That was one of the reasons he ended up here in prison. For some of the other cops in his department, the temptation to make a quick buck far outweighed any sense of duty. Ray planned to track down his former colleagues and get them all eventually. He was in no rush.
The ex-cop believed that his future vengeance would be as inevitable as fate. It was a fury that was not going to diminish wit
h time. He would take the Warden’s assignment all the way. He was going to grab hold of this opportunity and squeeze everything he could out of it. Least of all at stake was his transfer out of this hellhole, which was incentive enough to do the job.
Those skinheads don’t know what they are in for.
Burnside closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, grinning.
A male nurse, who resembled a Neanderthal man wearing a white coat, woke him up. The neander-nurse shaved Burnside’s head at his request. It took under three minutes. He was back in his cell less than an hour later.
Ray’s cellmate, James, appeared nonplussed by his new appearance, eyeing him with only slight apprehension. Burnside simply nodded at him and lay down in the bottom bunk without saying anything. He didn’t know how he was going to reconcile his relationship with his cellmate with his new role. He might have to tell him the truth.
Or at least some of it.
“Nice haircut, Cellie,” James commented from his seated position in the corner where he was reading a book.
“Thank you.”
“You do realize that it could be misinterpreted by certain people,” James said, leaning forward and raising his left eyebrow.
“Actually, I’m counting on it being misinterpreted,” Burnside said, moving to a seated position on the side of his bunk. He glared at his cellmate. “Listen, Sean, I appreciate the heads-up and all the advice you gave me so far. That’s why I’m giving you fair warning about my future behavior. You may be surprised by some of the things I do or say during the next week. I need you to understand there’s a method to my madness. It’s like Hamlet said in Shakespeare’s play; I am not mad in reality, but mad in craft.”
“Damn, Cellie, that’s some pretty heavy shit. You mind telling me in English?” James asked, grinning.
“Sure. I’m going to trust you to keep what I’m going to say confidential. I won’t survive a day if word gets out.”
American Criminal Page 11