The doors swung open to reveal a scene from Hell. Chairs, benches, even kitchen utensils were now flying through the air, as the inmates engaged riot police in a pitched battle. Odds on the prisoners had by now forgotten what they’d been anxious about in the first place. Years of pent-up anger, frustration and despair were being released and it was a terrifying sight to behold.
Benjamin Proud stood on the threshold, his hand clamped over his mouth and nose. The air was thick with teargas. This made it hard for Proud to see, but even harder for him to breathe, the bitter, pungent vapours crawling up his nostrils. Each breath increased his agony – it felt as if someone were holding a naked flame to his larynx – and for a moment he considered retreating. He had the safety of his staff to consider and, besides, what use could he be here, when his head was spinning and his eyes streaming with tears? But even as the thought presented itself, he dismissed it. The chaos was all-consuming in B-Wing – if ever a prisoner was going to attempt an escape, now was the time.
As soon as he’d left the mortuary, he’d gone to the Governor’s office. Bassett was nowhere to be found of course, but her loyal PA had opened up their systems. There were only a handful of elderly prisoners – the so-called Golden Girls – and only one whose charge sheet specifically mentioned adrenaline. Proud had silently cursed Dr Khan – he had missed the injection marks on Leah Smith and it was only thanks to Helen Grace’s endeavours that they had realized the importance of the high adrenaline readings. Still, it was pretty much an open-and-shut case now – so long as they could find Sarrington.
But where to look? The whole wing was in tumult, inmates on all levels battling those who sought to contain them. The situation looked hopeless, with no sign of an end in sight, but Proud had no choice. Swallowing down his agony and clamping his jacket over his mouth and nose, he moved forward. Amid the chaos and bloodshed playing out in front of him, he was hoping to find a killer.