The next night, Jimmy lost an ear.
There were no sharp objects in the prison, so Big Dog had bitten Jimmy's ear off with his teeth, chewed it up, and spat it out in front of him.
Jimmy howled like a madman, but the guards seemed unwilling to provoke the Mexico gang. Or perhaps Amanda had instructed them not to concern themselves with the lives of these ordinary criminal inmates. Other than the sound of someone knocking twice on the bars, Jimmy heard nothing.
Bandage Killer sat coldly on his bed and watched it all unfold. He watched Jimmy break down, weeping and screaming, endlessly cursing every name he could think of, before curling stiffly into a corner as though he had gone completely numb.
"This kid's pretty lucky." Big Dog lounged on his bed with one leg crossed over the other. "He got friendly with a marijuana dealer at the border. The moment he came in, he wormed his way in with those drug traffickers and landed this cushy delivery job in Block A."
Big Dog spat on the floor. "His luck's run out. Golden Hand, the drug dealers' boss, specifically wanted you. He even gave him some good stuff to put in your water. What a fucking waste!"
Then Big Dog looked at Bandage Killer again. "If this is your first time in prison, listen up. Whether you look like Bruce Wayne or whether your face is ruined, your reputation means you need to find someone to back you up. Otherwise, unless you can go without food and water, sooner or later you'll get taken down in here."
"I've already been taken down," Bandage Killer replied.
Big Dog narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't tell me you don't plan on getting out? You don't want to live?"
Bandage