The Bomb and the Cage: Doree Anne (4 page)

“Are you okay Officer?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing. I am so sorry; I didn’t even see you coming.”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t paying attention either. I got distracted by that explosion out there.” He pointed towards the smoke that was coming into view. I handed him my information for insurance purposes. He took it and wished me luck. I got in my car, stepped on the gas, and took off down the road the half mile towards the smoke, towards the prison.

Chapter 7

09/18/2004 0911 Hours

Sgt. John Williams

I checked my watch and it was 9:11 A.M. It was my
smoke break
. At least that’s what I called it anyways because I didn’t smoke. Smokers may get lung cancer and die a slow and painful death but because they smoke they always got more breaks, and that just wasn’t fair. So every day I would make sure to go outside and take a deep breath of fresh air while enjoying a fruit of some kind. Today was an orange day.

In front of confinement was a set of stairs that went to the second floor. At the top, there was a large metal cage. Once that cage opened, there is a large metal door had two locks. Inside was an area where we kept spare mattresses, linens, and a few inmate uniforms. Directly across from where you entered were stairs that went to the attic. The attic stretched the entire length of the dorm and had wires and pipes that sprawled across the floor which made it hard to walk. There was also the pitched roof made of solid concrete. The area just past the stairs that led up was directly above the
control room
for the dorm. A hatch led to the control room so you could get in or out in case there was an emergency.

I looked towards the front gate.
Only seven more hours left until I will be passing those gates
. I finished peeling my orange. There was a knot in my stomach, a twisting pain as if something terrible was about to happen, then it did. There was a large explosion at the main control room. Black smoke blanketed everything near and around it, followed by bright flames. The blast threw metal and concrete in all directions. It was so large that it looked to have taken out half of
Bravo Dormitory
. A moment later, the side of the dorm started to collapse. The metal roof started to bend and fall, probably trapping inmates in the wreckage.

I dropped my orange and turned the volume on my radio all the way up. I already knew I wasn’t allowed to assist because the confinement staff was not permitted to leave their posts under any circumstances. So I stood there waiting for the emergency to be called. After thirty seconds of silence, I depressed my radio microphone button and began to call the emergency but a beeping sound cut me off. I didn’t need to look at the radio to know that the beeping was caused by the lack of signal. The radio tower was on top of the main control room. I saw a few people running towards the explosion and I wanted to be running there with them. I wanted to help save the day as well. I wanted to be there when the whole world watched, watched as I became a hero.

I turned around to go back inside and tell my crew what had happened. I waited by the door for several seconds and when it didn’t buzz open I knew the power must have been knocked out by the blast. I went to the stairs, used my keys to get through the gate and door, and then I locked them back. I used the emergency hatch and entered the control room where Jacobs was standing with Roberts.

I couldn’t remember hearing any stories about the building losing power. Apparently, when we lost power all one hundred cells unlocked. It was a failsafe in case there was a fire and power outage. It may be a great idea in the civilian world but in prison, it was a very bad thing. We had keys and could unlock each door manually. There was also a breathing apparatus just outside the wing so if we needed we could do so safely for fifteen minutes.

“I was on the wing when I heard the explosion.” Jacobs said. He was shaking and smoking a cigarette. “First it went pitch black, couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. Then I heard the mechanical grinding sound of the doors unlocking. I was at the end of the wing and I’m lucky there wasn’t anything in my way because I ran as fast as I could straight down the middle.”

“Did you lock the wing door behind you?”

“I made sure of it.”

“Williams what happened out there?” Both of their faces looked concerned.

“There was a large explosion. I can’t tell if it came from the control room or the parking lot. It took out the main control room and half of Bravo.” They were shocked.

I looked to the wing. I couldn’t see anything passed the Plexiglas window, but I knew it was far too dangerous to even begin to get the inmates back in their cells.

“Come on lets go outside. What’s the harm?” They agreed and we all went through the hatch and into the caged area just outside.

It hadn’t taken long for the chaos to spread. The inmates were pouring out of Bravo and gathering around the dorm. They looked to be fighting, but it was hard to tell through the smoke that was drifting from the control room.

“I’m glad I’m here, never thought I’d say that.” Jacobs said.

“Not me, I wish I could be out there helping.”

“You can’t help if you’re dead; chances are Williams if you weren’t here you’d been sitting where the control room used to be.”
Was it fate
?

“You’re probably right.”

“So what’s the plan now?” I scanned the wreckage.

“I go back inside, make an announcement to the inmates, and let them know what’s going on. Maybe we’ll get lucky and can restore order and get them back in their cells.”

“I doubt that Sarge.”

“Well you don’t know until you try.” Maybe I could still be the hero that saved the day. I might not be on the frontline but sometimes you have to turn lemons into lemonade. 

Chapter 8

09/18/2004 0911 Hours

C.O. Carlos Mendez

I made my rounds, conducted an outside check of the medical unit, and went outside for a smoke break. The back of medical faced the two perimeter fences and a metal caged in track. If you went out and made a left when you got to the end of the building there was a bench and a metal coffee can, this was where we took our smoke breaks.

The caged in track was used to transport inmates who were high custody and were an escape risk. The track went from the
Control
Room to Confinement. 

Nurse Janis was sitting on the bench smoking.

“So, did you call the control room about that van parked in the handicap spot?” Janis asked. I had hoped she was over it by now but I should have known better, she was a stubborn person. She would continue to talk about it until I finally gave in to her request, which honestly wasn’t that big of one.

“Yes, I called up there and told Sgt. Fender.”
I lied
. Her face lit up with pleasure.

“Good, I hope they tow that van away.”

I pulled a cigarette out and placed it between my lips. I lit my cigarette while taking a long drag off it. I really should quit smoking. It’s a bad habit and an expensive one at that. Trouble with quitting always seemed to be the same. I’d go through pack after pack thinking,
this is going to be my last pack
. This normally happened about halfway through the pack. I’d smoke the rest so I didn’t waste them, then by the end I’d said I quit. Well it would last until I stop for gas or get a drink on my way to work. I’d be standing in line looking at the rows and rows of different cigarettes. The large variety of colorful boxes of addiction, boxes of disease. Before I knew it, I had bought a pack of my favorite full flavored cigarettes.  

I watched the main gate at the control room opened and let the first group of inmates in for visitation. The way visitation worked was the inmates would come in through the first gate and make a right, walk around the outside of the control room, and enter through a side door where they would be strip-searched. After the strip search, they’d enter the visitation room where they could visit with family. There were tables, chairs, and a canteen where visitors could buy food for the inmates. Then when their visitation was over, or at three in the afternoon all the inmates were once again removed, strip-searched a second time and sent back to their dorms.

I always thought it was a bad idea to bring inmates to the front gate for visitation. Why not just bring the visitors further into the institution? They could build a metal caged track like we already for the visitors to an area deeper inside. If I were trying to escape, I’d do it when I was at the visitation, with only two doors and one gate to get out it was the best shot at an escape. 

I watched the gate close as the inmates walked to the backdoor that was open. As the last, one stepped inside there was blinding light. I shaded my eyes as the light turned black, and then red. It engulfed the side of the control room. The roaring sound of thunder followed. Bricks and pieces of metal from the fence ripped from their places and were thrown. It was an explosion that had to have come from the parking lot. Then the realization hit me, the explosion had come from the van, that same stupid van that Nurse Janis was complaining about.

“Oh my God!” I yelled but I couldn’t hear my own words over the sounds of the explosion. The blast had taken out most of the control room and part of
Bravo dorm
. Smoke started pouring from the site and I dropped my cigarette and ran back inside.

I got to the door and got inside with Janis right behind me. There was one long hallway in medical with doors on both sides. At the end of the hallway was the exit door that led to the medical lobby then one more door that left the building. As I flew through the first exit door, I heard a thud followed by a scream from behind. I turned around to see that Janis had fallen, she must have tripped over her feet and I wasn’t surprised. I was surprised that she had kept up with me up until this point, maybe it was time I quit smoking.

“Go without me Mendez! I’ll get the emergency room ready!” She didn’t have to tell me twice and I ran out the door. 

Chapter 9

09/18/2004 0915 Hours

E.M.T. Bruce Howard

The first three hours of our shift had been uneventful. It was days like this that I was thankful for. Sure when you first start your career, it’s all about the
rush
you get from each call. After a few years things change, you start to dream of
dull
and
mundane
.

Our first call was to the turnpike office. There was a report of a homeless man complaining of chest pains. We knew it was just another
taxi call
, what we call when a person uses us for a taxi. They call and complain of something like chest pain, we’d pick them up and once we got within a mile or so from the hospital they would
magically
get better and deny all medical treatment. After signing a waiver, they were free to go and we couldn’t charge them a dime. There is only a charge when there was a completed trip from point A to B.

We pulled into view of the turnpike office when we heard the explosion. Linda who was driving this morning slammed on the brakes. We all waited for the
emergency tone
.

“Linda, let’s just head towards the…” I was interrupted by the emergency tone followed by the message to report to the prison. Linda did a U-Turn as John in the back handed us our gas masks. In cases like this when you didn't know the cause of the explosion we used gas masks.

Just after pulling onto
Highway 27
we saw an accident involving a police car. After confirming that the officer was okay, we continued towards the prison. In small towns like this most cops don’t know how to handle emergencies. They get tunnel vision and panic. I knew from experience that there is a
rush
to get somewhere fast, but it’s not worth it to die on the way.

The smoke was billowing from the place. You could probably see it fifteen miles away.

“Bruce, are you sure it's safe to pull all the way in?” Linda asked from behind the wheel.

“Park five hundred feet from the main gate.”

“Damn, it's a bad day to visit the prison.” John said from the back.

“You aren’t kidding.” We pulled off
Highway 27
and onto the twisting road that led to the prison. The road was about an eighth of a mile from the front of the facility and it was as far as we were going to get today.

Linda pulled off the road in front of the lake that hugged the road. We opened the doors and got out. We each carried a bag of medical supplies and started jogging at a brisk pace towards the prison making sure to keep out of the smoke. After all, they were only gas masks not scuba tanks. They would filter the air but not provide any. The firefighters would have been better equipped to handle this situation but they were working a wreck closer to
Main Street
. Sometimes you have to do the best you can with what you have and hope it good enough.

The prison housed around five hundred convicted felons in three housing units. There also were four separate buildings. The first building when you entered was the
Main Control Room
. This building was where visitation was held. There was a hallway made up of crisscrossing twelve-foot high fences covered in razor wire, which led to the compound. The two of the three housing units were in a row. The buildings were called
open
bay.

Each unit housed one hundred and forty eight inmates. If there was a
chemical weapon
used that meant there could be two hundred-ninety-six inmates to move. The max unit was on the complete other side of the prison and would be okay for now. I prayed we wouldn't have to worry about that side. The emergency plans in affect for the prison was to open up the units and move all the inmates to another section. Luckily, it wasn't my job to take care of that. The
Correctional Officers
would do all the hard work; we would just patch up anyone who might be injured.