Determined not to be beaten this time, Adele fought back. At close range she swung a right hook at Shazza, landing the punch hard on her temple. Then she swiftly followed that with an uppercut. Shazza stumbled backwards. Trying hard to stay upright, she stared at Adele in stunned silence, her mouth agape.

Adele was about to follow through with a kick from long range when three prison guards swarmed them; Sly and two others. Sly threw herself at Adele, her bulky frame forcing Adele back. But Adele was fired up. She could taste victory and wanted to finish the job.

While Sly yelled at her, Adele pushed back, trying to get to Shazza. Her adversary had recovered her footing and was now yelling at Adele.

‘Come on then, you bitch! I’ll fuckin’ have you,’ she yelled.

For a few ferocious seconds the guards battled to contain the two irate women. Adele tried to tug herself free from Sly’s clutches and dart around her. But Sly held her firm. Adele fought until she had loosened her grip. She was pulling away when Sly snatched at her blouse, tearing the material and exposing the mound of her breasts.

Then Sly pulled her roughly back, sinking her nails into the soft flesh of Adele’s upper arm. Another guard rushed to Sly’s aid and they pinned Adele up against the wall. Still Adele fought to break free, powered by anger and hatred.

‘You stay where you are, Robinson, or you’re in big trouble!’ Sly shouted.

Adele glared at her. Their eyes met: Adele’s full of anger, Sly’s full of contempt. Adele continued to struggle. She felt the sting where Sly’s nails had dug into her flesh. For a brief moment, she was tempted to hit back. But then she thought about the futility of it all and her muscles relaxed against the pressure of the guards’ strong hold.

‘Right, Robinson! You’ve done it now, my girl. Just wait till the governor hears about this,’ barked Sly.

Adele stared back at her, incredulous. ‘But she started it!’ she said. ‘I was just defending myself.’

‘Try telling that to the governor,’ said Sly, her tone scornful.

Adele could tell from the sneer on Sly’s face and the contemptuous way she looked at her that this was about more than just doing her job. She had taken against her and had now become yet another one on Adele’s growing list of enemies.

‘Get back to your cell!’ ordered Sly. ‘You can wait there till we come and take you to see the governor.’

The two prison guards released Adele and she walked towards the door. As she turned to go, she noticed Shazza now hovering in the background. Adele tried to ignore the glowering expression on Shazza’s face, which told her this wasn’t over. She turned away and went to join Caroline, who was waiting to walk with her.

‘You alright?’ asked Caroline.