“So, Haran, looks like it’s just us. Anything you’d like to say?”

He cracked one knuckle with the other hand, and shrugged.

“Thanks for saving me time, guys.”

He didn’t wait, throwing himself at the nearest, wrapping his huge hands around his throat. As he squeezed, he felt the first blow land on his back, and his smile widened. If that was the worst they had to offer, this would be quick. The shit he was strangling had given up trying to get his hands away and was kicking him instead, his boots slamming into his shins. It hurt, but not enough to stop him from digging his thumbs in.

The kicking stopped and his eyes rolled back. When the body was limp, he spun around and used it to hit the guy behind him, swinging it across and slamming it into him, both of them falling in a heap. Haran realised that the third one was hanging back, watching. His eyes had widened as he realised his mate was dead, but he still hadn’t stepped up, which suited him just fine.

The one he’d knocked over, got up and came at him, quicker than he expected and then it was a fist fight. Haran never bothered much with the finer details, but he could block ok, and did so now, fending off the blows as best he could, then leaning in to land the occasional jab, or hook. Each time he got him, his attacker swayed, but he came back and went at it again.

Haran got him into the corner and went to work, ignoring his blows now and concentrating on punching him as much and as hard as possible. The stupid twat put his hand in the way and Haran felt it shatter as he punched through it. The guy screamed and the next punch took half of the teeth from his mouth. That brought the blood, streaming from his wrecked jaw and onto the floor. He pulled back for another, when he felt the blade slip into his side.

He let fly anyway, but the power was gone and the guy staggered. He was far too busy worrying about his mouth to do anything, anyway. Haran spun around, feeling the blade dig in sideways as he pulled it from the guy’s hand. He put his own hand to it, grabbing the handle. It felt deep, pulling it out might not be the best plan. Fuck it.

It came out as easy as it went in, and he winced, then felt the warm flood of blood as it soaked his shirt and ran down into his waistband. Knife guy was smiling at him, like he thought it was over. How did these guys manage to kill Mohamed? Then again, the little man probably didn’t put up much of a fight. He held up the knife, watching his blood drip off it, then moved his eyes to the face of the smiler, waiting for the look to change. It did, quick, and Haran went for him.

Things were so much simpler with a knife. Haran slashed, cutting his knuckles open as he tried to block, then jammed it between some ribs. The pain in his side was getting worse, and the haze came down again. He stabbed again, and again, dimly aware that he was now covered in blood, and that the third guy was very much dead.

He stood up from where he had been kneeling on him, and turned to look at the cell. The first man, the one he had strangled, was open-eyed, on his back like a fish. The second was in the corner, eyes wide and hands held out in front of him. He grabbed one of them and yanked him to his feet, then slammed him against the wall.

“Where’s the book?”

The man just shook his head, eyes getting wider.

“Where’s the fucking book?”

He banged his head back against the concrete, leaving a red hand mark on his forehead.

“Uhh, uhh, I think he stashed it in his cell, I think.”

“Who?”

The man nodded down at the blood-soaked body on the floor. Haran nodded, then looked back at the man cringing before him. Why stop at two, when you could have the whole set? The knife slipped in easy enough, between the ribs, then out and in the eye, just for good measure.

He was sat in the corner when the door opened, absent-mindedly wiping his fingers with a piece of the strangled man’s uniform. Mathis’ eyes widened, then he stepped back and the door closed again. Iso lasted a long time, and when he came out, the book was gone, stuffed into a bag with the other belongings and sent off to the loved ones.

When he got back to his cell, the sight of piggy lying, somewhat foolishly, on the bottom bunk, brightened his mood.

Final Installment, Friday 2nd August (Tomorrow is publishing day!!!! Woop)