Green Light

Chapter 1
IT’S A MAN’S WORLD

Slowly, Henry arose from his cot in the tiny six by eight cell. What he once considered a closet was now his home for the next twelve years. His back was sore from lying down on the small cot all night. At six foot seven and over three hundred pounds, Henry’s lack of comfort was understandable. Henry was actually grateful that he only received twelve years. The small cell almost became his home for life, at least according to his rap sheet.

Luckily, the twelve panel jury felt differently. None of it really mattered now. Henry knew he couldn't just pick up where he left off once he was released. Honestly, how many ex-cons actually get out and make something of themselves? Sure some do, but the odds are greater at winning the lottery. Henry stared at himself in a small six inch plastic mirror while he brushed his teeth, and could not believe he was actually an "offender." Not long ago, Henry was investigating inmates and now he was one.

Henry stared at the walls around him. They were covered with graffiti inscribed by previous inmates that wasted their years in the very same cell. Everything was on the walls, from gang affiliations, drawings of women to calendar dates bringing the passing years alive.


It's amazing what a woman will drive a man to do. Seven months before, Henry had a successful job and loving family. Now, he was stripped of everything, including his dignity. Henry never really realized how humiliating strip searches could be when he worked on the other side of a prison fence. But, now he dreaded even stepping out of his cell for fear of being strip searched again.

Apparently, Henry was labeled as a "danger to the security of the institution" because he was once a prison gang investigator. So, now the prison administration deemed him a threat and feared he would use his knowledge to beat the system, like getting in contraband and things like that. Which, Henry guessed, made sense. But, come on! Did they have to send him to the “hole” every time someone planned an escape, or riot, or anything? The hole was the ultimate form of control administered by prison staff. It was a cell designed to create total isolation from the rest of the inmates. The only sun light came one hour a day and the rest was twenty three hour lockdown.

The more Henry thought about it, the more he decided to just go against the system. The prison staff were a bunch of knuckleheads any way. If they were smart, they would use Henry to their advantage. He could be a great informant because he knew exactly what to look for and how to find it. Oh well, their loss, if they only knew how much.

Henry actually grew fond of his cell in segregation. He had his own room and he didn’t have to put up with the inmate politics like guys in general population.
Plus, the constant investigations he was under kind of gave him a new found respect among the other inmates. But, his peace and quiet ended the evening before, when he was returned to general population.

When Henry first arrived at the prison, he had a lot of explaining to do. The other inmates constantly questioned him about his crime and former career. But, Henry was straight up with them from the very beginning. He told them what got him locked up and he told them about his career in investigations. The other inmates must have respected him for it, because they didn’t bother him much. Not many talked to him. But, at the same time they weren’t trying to shank him.

Then, after he kept getting put in the hole for investigations, some of the “veteranos” slowly became sympathetic toward him. They didn’t think it was fair that he was sent to the hole all the time just because of his knowledge of investigations, and Henry was beginning to feel the same way. That day, Henry decided if he was going to the hole again, it would be for a legitimate reason.

Henry finished washing up for breakfast and stepped out into the corridor, as his cell door opened. Henry had grown accustom to the ways of prison life in a very short time, and immediately began to stake out his surroundings before he walked down the corridor. He had learned that inmates often used the element of surprise when they attacked you. So, Henry, and everyone else for that matter, were constantly on their toes.
As he began to move, Henry noticed a wiry prison guard staring at him. He had only been out of the hole for one day. But, the guard looked at him like it was one day too long.

For some reason, Officer Turner despised Henry. Maybe he was related to somebody Henry investigated in the past, or maybe Officer Turner just felt threatened because he was a dirty cop and he thought Henry would rat on him. Either way, Henry could see the hate in his eyes. So, Henry steered away from him. Even though Officer Turner was a puny piece of crap, cops would surround the place if Henry started anything, or if Turner just decided to make up a story and pretend Henry started something. But, Henry knew Turner’s time would be coming.

As Henry walked passed Officer Turner, he heard a familiar voice yell, “Hey, tuck in your shirt!” Without giving the guard satisfaction by turning around, Henry reached around his pants and tucked his shirt in as he continued to walk outside of the unit.

Henry was walking down the compound, toward chowhall, when Chino caught up to him. “Hey, homie! When did you get out?” Henry responded, “Last night. I guess they couldn’t find any evidence this time either.” Chino laughed then stated, “On the up and up, you need to quit using words like that. It makes vatos nervous, cause they aren’t sure where you are coming from.” Chino’s appearance was the portrait of a Hollywood convict. Tattooed from the neck down and in better shape than most men, Chino sent a cold chill through everyone he ran across.
“Like what words?” Henry asked, while staring into Chino’s eyes in order to detect any sense of humor. “Evidence, ese. Peeps don’t like to hear big words like that.” replied Chino.

“Oh! Es que sometimes my mind wonders off, and I think I’m reporting to my boss or something. But, don’t worry, it will go away like everything else with time.” stated Henry. “I know ese. Just try to be careful around the other homies okay.” Chino pleaded. “Simon que si.” replied Henry.

As Henry and Chino entered the dining room, Henry could feel everyone’s eyes pierce through him. Even though Henry had established himself with the inmates overall, he still had problems with the white inmates. They felt betrayed because Henry was white and he elected to befriend the Mexicans instead of the Whites.

His betrayal almost got him killed. But, Chino stepped up to bat for Henry and got the backing of the Big Homies, who told the Whites to back off. The Big Homies were Mexicans that were members of prison gangs. Usually they did not intermix. But, during racial conflicts, they would unite like killer bees, which was fortunate for Henry because the Aryan Brotherhood wanted his ass on a platter. Luckily, they did not want to risk a full blown race war over some white guy they didn’t really even know.


So, as Henry felt the piercing eyes upon his back, he also noticed three full tables of homies waiting to greet him. Henry only knew three inmates from the streets, and Chino was one of them. Actually, he had not even seen Chino since 1989 when he was seventeen, right before Chino got twenty-five for an armed robbery gone bad. Chino was nineteen at the time. So, he never really grew up in the free world. Chino’s only home was in prison, and it would remain that way for at least another nine years. Chino had all his early release time taken away during his first five years, while he proved himself to the carnales.

Whereas, Henry had moved up in the ranks as a correctional officer, Chino moved up in the ranks of the Texas Syndicate. Throughout his years in the system, Chino had pleased the heads of the Syndicate and risen to the rank of Captain. Now, the two inmates, one a Captain of a notorious prison gang and the other a former gang investigator, sat side by side in the dining room.

Henry dabbed at his food while he listened to Chino and two other inmates discuss a scheme to smuggle drugs into the prison. One of the inmates claimed he had a “mule,” an officer that was ready to work for them and bring in the contraband. Henry laughed as he heard the inmate’s scheme to pay the officer. Chino and the two other inmates angrily looked at Henry as he laughed.

“What’s so funny!?” demanded Chino. “Nothing will be funny when this fool gets caught and rats you guys out.” replied Henry.
“How are you so sure, smart ass?” asked Lobo. Lobo was a soldier for the Syndicate. Although, he was a small wiry Hispanic, Lobo was notorious for standing up to anyone. Not being much of a boxer, Lobo often resorted to using shanks in his fights with the skills of a swordsman.

“Look bro, you are planning to have money wired to this fool. That is the easiest thing in the world to trace.” replied Henry. “Pues explain it to us Huero.” replied Chino. “It’s simple, send the vato a money order. That way you keep a copy to threaten him with, in case he tries to burn you. But, at the same time, the person sending the money doesn’t have to show their face and be recognized later. Plus, you can put a fake name as a sender on the money order.” explained Henry. “The dude does make sense.” replied Chino. “And, another thing, don’t talk about deals over the phone. These fools can pull up calls from months back.” replied Henry.


“So, how do we send the message to our peeps?” asked Lobo. “Look, a new chain is arriving in two days. Just get one of the fish to mail a letter out for you as soon as he arrives. These placas don’t check out new vatos right away. But, make sure you explain everything in that one letter, and give your people code words to use on the phone. So, you will know how everything is going. But, don’t be freaking anxious about it over the phone either. Cause they will pick up on that even if you don’t say stuff straight out.” stated Henry. “Ok, I guess that part is taken care of.” stated Chino.

As they were talking, another inmate who was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood walked by and bumped into Henry. Henry slowly turned and stared at the inmate, who was known as “Little Wood.” Henry said nothing, but continued to stare the inmate down. “You better do something Huero.” replied Lobo. “I’ll take care of it later. Shit I just got out of the hole!” exclaimed Henry. “Ok. But, take care of that, cause we can’t stand up for vatos that don’t stand up for themselves.” replied Chino. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it tonight.” stated Henry. Henry truly did not want to get into any fights. But, he knew that if he didn’t stand up for himself this time. There would be no next time. The Mexicans would hand him over to the Whites like a sacrificial lamb.

That night, Henry went into one of the dayrooms to watch television. There he saw Little Wood and two of his buddies playing cards. All three stared at Henry with murder in their eyes. But, Henry did not care and sat down at one of the chairs in front of the main television.

After a few minutes, Henry slowly stood, walked up to Little Wood and wrapped his arm around Little Wood’s forehead from behind. Henry then pulled out a sharpened piece of metal, and began sticking Little Wood in the neck with it. Fwwt Fwwt Fwwt! Henry could hear the metal shank puncture the skin over and over.



Little Wood fell to the floor and Henry could hear him gurgling in his own blood. But, Henry knew he would live because no main arteries were hit. His target point was picked more for it’s gruesome effect more than it’s potential cause of death. Little Wood’s friends were in shock. The look of death in their eyes turned to a look of horror.
It had been at least two years since anyone was seriously stabbed at the prison. So, the numbness of such events had worn away. The two inmates quickly fled the dayroom, and Henry calmly walked toward the restroom area and began to wash his hands of the violent act he had just committed.

He then slowly walked out into the dayroom, sat down, and began to watch television again. About two minutes later, an officer walked by and noticed Little Wood lying on the floor. The officer stared in disbelief for a few seconds. Then he radioed for help. Not a minute later, the place was swarming with officers. Little Wood was carried away on a stretcher, and Henry, along with seven other inmates, were stripped naked and placed against the wall. Luckily, Henry was able to get the blood off his hands before anyone arrived. Henry didn’t notice the blood on his shoes. However, the gang investigator did, and he ordered Henry to be placed in segregation pending an investigation. It was a full two weeks before the investigator finally interviewed Henry. The investigator was a chubby middle aged Mexican with a witty sense of humor, but no investigative skills whatsoever. The segregation officer brought Henry into the interview room with his hands cuffed behind his back. When the officer asked whether he should leave the cuffs on, the investigator replied yes.

Henry never liked to leave the cuffs on when he interviewed inmates, unless absolutely necessary, because he wanted to see whether they were nervous during certain stages of the questioning. This was hard to do when their hands were cuffed behind their backs. But, if that was the way Lt. Martinez wanted it that would be fine with Henry.

The interview lasted about two hours, and toward the end, Henry had Lt. Martinez believing that he received the blood on his shoes because he had tried to save Little Wood. Henry had his version backed up by the first responding officer, because that was the officer who was going to bring in drugs for Chino and his gang.

Luckily for Henry, Lt. Martinez had waited too long to interview him. So, Henry was able to devise an alibi and send word to Chino through a letter. The main purpose of segregation is to keep inmates from having any form of contact with the general population. But, Henry had used an old con trick and mailed a letter to a fake address with chino’s name and information as the sender. When the postal service could not deliver the letter to its intended destination, the letter was returned to chino. Hence, Henry got his message to Chino with the help of the U.S. Post Office. Chino and the guys then approached the officer and talked him into claiming that he witnessed Henry trying to help the inmate.

Three hours later, Henry was back in general population. Little Wood lived through the ordeal. But, he was going to be out for about two more weeks.
No matter, because Henry gained the respect he needed to continue his survival. Henry hoped he would not have to resort to violence again.

Chino and the boys had set up a little welcome home party for Henry upon his release from segregation. Everyone chipped in their commissary and made a little fiesta dinner in the cell block. The issue between Henry and the white inmates had been squashed while Henry was in the hole. The white inmates now realized that Henry was not a timid pushover, and the Mexicans now gave him their full backing through thick and thin.

As Henry sat at his bunk and ate noodle soup, Chino went over and sat next to him. “So, Killa how’s it going?” “Ok I guess.” replied Henry. “You feeling kind of bad about that thing?” asked Chino. “How did you know?” asked Henry. “It was your first time. Everybody feels bad the first time.” stated Chino. “I’m not gonna do something like that ever again Chino.” stated Henry.

“You’ll probably never have to. You have proved your point and I doubt anyone will mess with you again. Especially, since you got off. That worries people cause they think you are untouchable now.” replied Chino.

“It still sucks.” replied Henry. “Yeah it does. But, I would be worried if it didn’t bother you homie!” exclaimed Chino, as he patted Henry’s back. “Now let’s enjoy this party ese.” Actually it wasn’t much of a party. Smack Ramen noodles combined with diced chili peppers did not exactly qualify as party snacks. But, for prison it wasn’t bad.
The next day, Lobo approached Henry, “Hey, that bus has been cancelled. There won’t be any new fish for about two more weeks. That’s too long, cause we want this deal to go down on Saturday. You got any other ideas?”
“Give me a day to think about it. I’ll come up with something.” replied Henry. All day, Henry thought and thought, until finally he devised a plan.

The next morning, Henry approached Chino, “Hey, I got a way to make this deal go off.” “How?” asked Chino. “Have this officer bring in a cell phone and calling card. Then you call your people from in here.” stated Henry. “Ok, but why the calling card?” asked Chino. “If you call your peeps from the cell phone using a calling card, their number won’t show up on his phone bill and he doesn’t have anything to hold you to.” replied Henry. “Damn homie! You are trucha!!” exclaimed Chino.

That evening, the officer came to work and Chino hit him up about the cell phone. During the officer’s break, he went to his car and retrieved the phone. Luckily, the officer already had a calling card in his wallet for emergencies, which he handed over to Chino as well. While Chino was busy wheeling and dealing, Henry was on the phone too, for the first time in three months actually.

Henry kept looking toward Chino, who smiled as he spoke on the cell phone. Just before Chino hung up, Henry slammed the phone on the hook and walked away.

Chino then walked toward Henry, “Hey! What’s wrong?” “Nothing. Make sure you don’t give back that calling card cause I don’t know if they can trace it if they get a hold of it.” stated Henry. “Ok. Whatever. But, what’s wrong with you?” asked Chino. “It’s my ruca. She won’t let me talk to my kids.” stated Henry.
“Oh! Sabes que, I learned to leave my family on the streets years ago. You can’t survive in here if you are always worrying about what happens out there.” exclaimed Chino. “You probably have a point.” guessed Henry. Henry then began to recall conversations that he heard between other cons and their families.

The first few words seemed sincere. They always asked how everyone was doing, and spoke to their kids for a minute. But, not two minutes into the conversation, the cons began asking for money, and they always tried to justify it by complaining about the prison conditions and small amounts of food they were served.

So, naturally their loved ones became sympathetic and would send a hundred bucks to help “mijo” out. Unfortunately, “mijo” never bought food. Instead, the chips were used to pay off drug debts. Henry suddenly felt ill just thinking about the constant manipulation that went on in prison. He was truly in the depths of hell. The most evil of evil surrounded him, and he wasn’t even including the violent convicts.

As Henry was lost in his own mind, Chino approached. “Hey, Huero! I was thinking that we need to get rid of this calling card, cause if we get caught with it we are screwed.” “Are you planning to use it again?” asked Henry. “I don’t know. It might come in handy cause it still has about forty minutes on it.” stated Chino. “Then just write down the phone number and code on a piece of paper, then cut up the card and flush it.” suggested Henry. “But don’t write it all obvious. Write it down in sections like birthdays of your family or something.” warned Henry. “Got it!” stated Chino.
Chino was truly impressed with Henry. Even though Chino had done a lot more time, and he knew the system, Henry was “trucha” and always thought ahead. Whereas, other cons only thought for the moment, Henry always seemed to weigh the options and tried to predict any unforeseen problems. Chino hadn’t seen Henry in years. So, he didn’t know how good he was as a gang investigator. But, Chino felt sorry for the guys that used to be up against him.













Chapter 2
SMILE NOW CRY LATER
As Chino went off on his mission, Joey Gonzalez came up to Henry’s bunk. Joey was a pain in the ass. He thought he ran shit because his father and uncles were in the Mexican Mafia. He always portrayed himself as a soldier. But in reality, Joey was only “esquina” for the Eme. Others actually seemed to be fearful of Joey. But, Henry knew he was a punk. “Hey Huero! Que ondas?”asked Joey. “Nada, just here kicking back.” replied Henry.

“I was wondering if you would be interested in making a little feria.” asked Joey. “How?” replied Henry. “”Hold some Chiva for me, and I’ll send you some chips.” stated Joey. “Why don’t you get your gente to hold it?” asked Henry. “Cause my peeps are hot right now.” stated Joey. “And you don’t think I am?!” exclaimed Henry. “I just got out of tha freakin hole fool!”

Joey was taken aback by Henry’s rashness. “Ese, just say you don’t want to do it. But, don’t get an attitude!” yelled Joey. “Sabes que? I got an attitude cause I think you want to set me up fool!” exclaimed Henry. “You know your gente don’t ever ask other peeps to hold their shit, and all of a sudden you are going to trust me, a white boy, to take care of you. Something’s wrong with that picture! Especially since the placas haven’t even jacked up our shit for a while. So, there’s nothing to be paranoid about. Like I said, I think you are trying to screw me.” stated Henry. “Your freakin stupid!” yelled Joey, as he walked away.

Shortly after, Chino returned and Henry explained the situation to him. Chino told Henry that Joey had owed a debt to Little Wood, and he had promised the AB that Henry would be taken out of the picture. But, Joey knew he could not literally take Henry out because Henry had an “insurance policy” through the Big Homies. So, Joey was going to try a cheap shot and get Henry to catch a case that would get him off the yard for a long time.

Henry asked Chino how a possession charge would get him off the yard for a long time, and Chino explained that Joey had given one of the ABs some bad Chiva, and the dude would probably OD by tonight. So, once the placas started hitting people up, they would find the stuff on Henry and lock him up. While Henry sat in the hole, Joey was going to spread the word that Henry was the one that sold the bad Chiva. Thus, putting Henry in bad light with the Big Homies and making him free game again. The rest would be history. Chino told Henry that he would have to bring this up to the familia, and let them know what Joey was trying to do. He told Henry that once everything went down and the dude ODed that Henry would end up having to take Joey out. “An eye for an eye.” Chino explained.

Henry felt uneasy and asked Chino how he found out about the plan if it wasn’t blessed by the rest of the Big Homies.


Chino explained that he was kinda tight with one of the ABs and he was forewarned. Henry then became angry. “If you knew all this shit, then why didn’t you warn me?!” asked Henry. “Cause it was a decision you had to make on your own without any influences. If you failed and made the wrong decision then you are too gullible to be helped anyway. But, you thought it out, like I knew you would, and you passed the test. So, once again you have our full backing” explained Chino. “Man this shit’s getting old!” exclaimed Henry. “I know.” stated Chino, “But it will be over soon enough.”
“What do you mean?” asked Henry. “After this, you will be blessed by the counsel and you can become a soldier for us.” stated Chino.

“After what? And, to tell you the truth I don’t want to be a soldier.” stated Henry. “You don’t understand,” exclaimed Chino, “You don’t have a choice. You know too much. If you don’t join you will be free game again.”

“That’s messed up!” exclaimed Henry. “Don’t worry.” said Chino, “You won’t be doing regular missions. I already spoke to the counsel and explained that you would better serve the family as a consultant.”

“What do you mean?” asked Henry. “You will help plan things, from dope deals to hits. So, we make sure that we cover all our bases and not make any stupid mistakes.” stated Chino. “I guess that doesn’t sound so bad.” stated Henry.

“Hell no!! It’s good!” exclaimed Chino, “You are truly blessed. I mean look at it this way. You are the first white dude to be let into the “Syndicato” since the early eighties, and the best part is you won’t have to get any blood on your hands after this.”

“After what?!” asked Henry. “After you take out Joey.” stated Chino. “Oh shit! I forgot about that.” Stated Henry, “Why can’t Joey’s people take him out?”

“Because they would be disrespecting the ABs if they took him out. The true beef is with you and the ABs. So, you have to finish it this way. I guarantee you this will be the last time you become a target.” explained Chino.

“How can you be sure?” asked Henry.

“I know because after this, you will truly be one of us and you will be off limits to the AB forever. Unless, we go to war someday. But, that’s another story.” stated Chino.

“Do I have to take him out for good?” asked Henry.

“You have to at least try to take him out for good.” explained Chino, “Whether you succeed will depend on the officers and if they save him or not.”

“Damn! This sucks!” exclaimed Henry.

“I know. But, look at it this way. If you don’t take him out, they will eventually take you out. So, in reality it is self defense.” explained Chino.

“Yeah right!” stated Henry.

“Look. I’m just trying to help you come to terms with this in your mind.” stated Chino.
“I know.” said Henry, “But, it isn’t helping much.”

Just then, an officer called out for chow. As Henry and Chino walked out of the cell block, Henry spotted Joey and saw the murder in his eyes. Henry decided self defense did best describe his mission, because he could tell Joey would take him out in a heartbeat if given the chance.

Henry sat and stared at his food in the dining room. He began to develop tunnel vision, as he thought of a plan. Then he had it. He knew how he could take Joey out without killing him. But he would have to make a call right after dinner.

Henry waited until the officers changed shifts. Then he approached the night shift Captain. Henry had heard how careless the Captain was and knew he could manipulate him into allowing Henry to make an emergency phone call.

Emergency phone calls were usually reserved for inmates that had no money in their accounts and were having a family emergency. The calls were always made in a staff member’s office, which was not recorded. So, Henry wouldn’t have to use code words.

“Captain Florez! Do you have a minute?” asked Henry, as he attempted to look as sad as humanly possible. “What’s up Jones?” asked Florez. “I need to make a phone call, and I don’t have any money. My mom is in the hospital having heart surgery, and I have been trying to get a call to see how she is all day. But, your officers don’t care and just blow me off.”

Captain Florez hated it when his officers were portrayed as cold hearted, and he always tried to correct problems when he believed they were not helpful. Captain Florez could easily be described as a “hug a thug.” He was a nice guy, but he didn’t belong at the prison. Captain Florez began his career in corrections when rehabilitation was the focus of the criminal justice system and politicians everywhere. Thus, inmates constantly manipulated him by feeding off his kindness.

Captain Florez allowed Henry to make the phone call, and actually stepped out of the office so Henry could have his privacy!! This was a major No No, and Henry knew Captain Florez would be fired if anyone found out. But, Henry made the call anyway, and the plan was set.

As Henry walked out of Florez’ office, he noticed Chino walking toward him. The office was actually located in the same housing unit where Henry and Chino lived. “Hey Chino.” stated Henry.

“What you doing Huero?” asked Chino in a very concerned voice. “I was checking on my mom and how her surgery went.” stated Henry, as they passed Captain Florez. At this point, Henry turned toward Florez and thanked him, adding that the surgery was a success.

“What tha hell you doing Henry?!” exclaimed Chino, “Your mom passed away years ago!” “I know. But, I ran outa phone time, and I had to talk to my kids.” stated Henry. “Pinche Huero, I told you to forget about that. You ain’t gonna survive thinking about stuff like that.” preached Chino. “I know what you said. But I got to talk to them.
So, now I can focus on what I gotta do. You know what I mean?” explained Henry. “Okay. Okay. But, you really need to let it go.” advised Chino.

Henry then walked into the Dayroom in order to watch some television and get his mind off of things for a while. Other inmates were already inside and they were watching “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Henry’s mind began to go back in time, and he thought about holding his wife, as they sat in their living room every evening to watch the very same show. He couldn’t believe how the simple everyday things had become so precious to him. Henry truly realized what it meant to have your freedom and loved ones stripped away from you.
As Henry returned to reality, the television show was just ending, and everyone was heading out the door to return to their cells. Just as Henry began to walk out, an officer ran by and secured the door, locking Henry in the Dayroom.

Seconds later, the cell block was infested with guards and Henry knew Joey’s poison must have flowed through its victim’s veins. A few minutes later, Henry saw an inmate being carried away on a stretcher. The slow pace of the officers indicated that the guy was long gone before anyone even found him. Henry knew he couldn’t back out of his plan now. It was show time.

At ten o’clock that evening the officers were relieved by the morning watch. Through the hustle and bustle no one ever heard the screams coming from Joey’s cell.

Joey was sound asleep when he was awoken by a soft whisper. The hair stood on the back of his neck, as Joey refrained from facing his attacker and death itself. “Your time has come.” whispered the soft maniacal voice. Joey could feel the warm breath next to his ear, just as a bed sheet was yanked over his head.

His screams must have gone unnoticed, or was he only screaming in his mind? Joey heard more undecipherable whispering, then a throbbing pain on the side of his head, and finally total darkness and serenity. Was this what death felt like? What happened to life flashing before your eyes?

Chapter 3
SLIPPIN INTO DARKNESS

Officer Jacobs hated working in Control Center. The night shift was bad enough, but Control Center on nights had to be the worst. A dark room with only security monitors for company. Six months of morning watch had taken its toll on him, and Jacobs couldn’t be alert right now if his life depended on it. Unfortunately, everyone else’s life depended on Officer Jacobs more than his own.

Officer Jacobs was so busy feeling sorry for himself that he didn’t even notice the grungy uniformed figure stroll across the screen and out the rear gate while pushing a laundry cart. Therefore, Officer Jacobs didn’t notice when the figure never returned either.

Two hours later, everyone was on high alert because headcount did not clear, and inmate Gonzalez, Joey No. 125793 was unaccounted for. Inmate Gonzalez had apparently escaped and a command center was established within the hour. Emergency plans were activated and search teams were split up into their respective quadrants.

A total of six hours had passed before the body was discovered inside one of the industrial driers of the Central Laundry Unit. The lucky officer that discovered the crime scene almost fainted but elected to vomit instead. The victim’s fingers had been hacked off with some sort of blade, and the face had been beaten and cut so severely that the identity was unknown.
However, the tattoo on the chest was unmistakably Mexican Mafia, as the “Eme” was known to be their patch. The victim was then determined to be inmate Gonzalez. According to his escape flier, Joey Gonzalez had the same tattoo on his chest. Unfortunately, DNA testing was not an option, as he was originally from Mexico, and his true family background was unknown. His “uncles” were actually relatives of a couple that took him in as a child. Some inmates have DNA file cards. But, those are usually sex offenders which were required to submit to DNA testing by law.

Instead of an escape command post, the Conference room of the Custody Complex Building now became a Homicide command post. Within hours, the prison was swarming with Crime Scene Techs and Investigators. It was like a series on Court TV.
After the first few interviews, every convict in the prison found out Henry was a made man. Even though everybody knew who was responsible, no one knew when it came to interviews with the cops. The code of silence was so thick that night you could cut it with a knife.

The facility remained on lockdown for two weeks after the incident and three officers along with their shift supervisor were fired for inattention to duties. Henry thought things were going to become easier for him after that incident. Boy! Was he wrong. Before he knew it, Henry was planning hits on guys in the free world. Actually the hits were already planned. Henry only gave advice on where and when the murders should take place. Business on the inside of the walls ran smoothly as well.
The drug trade was booming, and the Syndicate was reaping all the benefits. Henry had about five grand in his books alone. Not bad for giving advice he thought.

Six months after Henry “earned his bones” with the Syndicate, he discovered all the murders he helped plan were part of a power struggle between Chino’s crew and the current leadership. A total of seventeen murders took place over a six month period. To the average citizen, the murders were between drug dealers and addicts. Little did the free world know that a full fledged prison gang war was in the making.

Eventually, the heads of the other prison gangs put in their two cents because they feared Chino’s rise to hierarchy would cause distrust between the families and result in full blown gang wars again. This was not good for anyone, because the prison gangs were about making money now. Not like the old days where they just wanted to control the prisons.

The beginning of the end came one evening when Lobo approached Henry. “Hey Huero, I got another hit that I need you to plan.” This seemed strange because Lobo was only a soldier and Chino always planned the hits. “Since when do you call these shots?” asked Henry. “This hit is on Chino.” stated Lobo. “The heads of the families want him taken out because he is kicking up too much dirt, and they believe it will be a bad outcome for everyone.”

“I can’t do it. He is too close.” stated Henry. “Look!” stated Lobo, “Chino has a green light on him, and you will have a green light too if you don’t step up to bat.” There was that term again. Henry had grown to hate the term “green light,” because it was the code word used for the approval of a contract hit.

“Okay. Okay. Just give me some time to think about it. This one won’t be easy for me.” he said. “You have one week.” replied Lobo as he calmly strolled away. Henry knew Lobo would hold him to his word. So Henry had to act fast.

That evening, Officer Sanderson was working. Officer Sanderson was in deep with the Syndicate and he did anything they told him to do. So, for the first time in Henry’s criminal career, he took advantage of the situation. Within an hour of Officer Sanderson beginning his tour of duty, Henry was using his cell phone.

Two days later, forty inmates were transferred out of the prison, and Chino was one of the lucky ones that took the trip. Lobo approached Henry and told him to hold off on planning Chino’s hit, until Lobo could find out where he was transferred.

Henry was smiling from ear to ear. The transfer would buy him time until he could figure a way out of the situation. Henry began to reflect over the events that had taken place over the past fourteen months since his incarceration.

He had been involved in one assault, thirteen murders and twenty six drug transactions that included seven correctional officers, one who ranked as a Captain, and thirty two citizens in the free world. The numbers were unbelievable. It gave him a headache just trying to comprehend all of it.

The next day, Henry was called out of his cell. Henry was told he had a visitor, but it was a Tuesday and there was no visitation. Henry went with the officer anyway out of curiosity.

He was taken to the holding cell of the visitation room where he was strip searched. Then Henry was placed in an orange jump suit and shackled. “We are just following orders.” one of the officers explained, when Henry asked what was happening.

Henry was then escorted to the visitation room, where he waited for thirty minutes before anyone entered. Then two men in suits entered the room. One of them Henry recognized as Eric Holland, a federal agent with the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. Henry didn’t recognize the other agent, who identified himself as FBI Special Agent Hernandez.

“Henry, it’s time to pull the plug. We have enough evidence to go through with the indictments on this one.” stated Mr. Holland. “But it’s too soon.” stated Henry. “No, Henry it’s going to get out of control. They already have a hit out for Chino, and if that goes then there will be too many murders to handle. A full blown war could break out.” stated Mr. Holland. “So, how much time do I have?” asked Henry. “You don’t have time. We are pulling you out right now. We are going to get all the indictments by next week.” stated Mr. Hernandez.

This was it. Henry’s tenure as a convict was over. Now he was going back to being a regular agent for the OIG. All these months of work and now it was over in minutes. The agents escorted Henry to their vehicle and treated him like a criminal the whole way until they were out of the gate. Henry looked back at the prison as they drove away, and hoped he would never have to enter one again.

Henry’s mysterious “transfer” had both inmates and officers stumped. There were rumors that he had federal charges pending against him and he was taken to trial for that. Luckily, no one really knew and never speculated that he was an undercover agent. Hopefully they wouldn’t know until after the trial, as Henry needed to mend loose ends before he started his new life.

Henry was taken to the OIG’s field headquarters in El Paso, Texas where he endured a week long debriefing and forests worth of paperwork. The assault against Little Wood was substantiated as self defense because the agency intercepted letters where the AB had requested permission to murder Henry. The fact that Little Wood survived was a big plus as well because he decided to roll over against the AB. According to Little Wood’s statement, he was ordered to kill Henry the night that he was assaulted. Had Henry not gotten to him first, Henry would have been dead by morning.
As for Joey Gonzalez, he was alive and well at a federal facility in Florence, Colorado, where he would remain for the rest of his sentence. Even though Joey was under close protection, he was actually in the same facility as the head of the “Eme,” Heriberto “Herbie” Huerta. It was a very ironic situation. After his release, Joey’s will to live would depend on him alone. Until then, his life would be the government’s responsibility.

The body officers identified as inmate Gonzalez was really that of another Mexican Mafia member who was killed on the streets two days before. His mangled face and fingerless hands had made it easy for the feds to portray him as Joey, as the only positive identifier was the gang tattoo that both inmates shared on their chest.

The multiple murders that Henry “helped plan” were also discussed. Giving dates and times, only assisted the agency in their case and did not help the Texas Syndicate at all.
The drug deals were the best part, because Henry was able to contact his support team when calls were made with the cell phones and all conversations were recorded. Overall, forty eight Texas Syndicate members, thirty two private citizens and seven correctional officers were looking at federal indictments.

Henry had begun working for the OIG just a year and a half ago. He had joined the agency after he grew weary of prison investigations. Henry never had any idea that his career change would leave him stranded in a prison for another whole year.
But, the agency had joined forces with the FBI, who had already begun a RICO case against the Texas Syndicate. This seemed to be the trend lately, as federal cases had already been won against the Mexican Mafia, Nuestra Familia, Aryan Brotherhood and Aryan Circle in recent years.

The FBI had informants who were gathering information against the gang. However, they were not producing enough evidence needed to make a successful case against the Syndicate. Then along came Henry, a streetwise agent that had worked in the prison system for over a decade. The FBI believed they had their golden boy. But, the OIG wasn’t so sure. They did not want to risk endangering their newest agent on such a high profile case. But, Henry was made an offer that he couldn’t refuse. After “Operation Green Light” was over, Henry would be given his choice of places where he wanted to transfer and a six figure “job hazard” bonus.

Henry had discussed the situation with his wife, Patricia, who was concerned. But, she liked the fact that Henry would not have to face all the familiar dangers, once the mission was over. She also loved the fact that they could move anywhere they wanted and begin a new life with their children. So, with his wife’s support and eagerness to begin a new life, Henry accepted the assignment and spent fourteen months in prison.

After a week of debriefing, Henry was given two weeks to get his affairs in order, and plan the move to his new home and life.
Henry was not retired yet. But, his assignments would now consist of bribery of public officials and corruption cases, all a piece of cake compared to his old job description.