Adele grabbed Shazza’s arm with both hands. She swiftly wrenched the arm over her thigh, bending it against the joint. The sudden movement took Shazza by surprise. Adele applied pressure. Then she heard a satisfying snap as the arm fractured.

Shazza let out an agonised scream. As Adele released Shazza’s arm it flopped down to the ground, distorted and unnatural.

Adele got to her feet, just in time as Denise and Louise rushed through the door. She was primed for action, her defensive kickboxing stance automatic.

‘You fuckin’ want some?’ she yelled at them.

Denise took a quick glance at Shazza, writhing and screaming on the floor. She shook her head frantically. But Adele was still raging. She stepped towards both of them and aimed a sharp punch at Louise, who backed away.

‘No, please!’ yelled Louise, and her frightened peal brought Adele to her senses.

She stepped over and slammed the cell door shut, then glared at Denise and Louise.

‘Right, this fuckin’ ends here! Do you hear me?’ she fumed.

‘Yes,’ they both replied.

‘I said, do you hear me?’ she yelled again, staring at Shazza on the floor.

‘Yes,’ Shazza wept.

‘Right, you saw nothing. OK?’ she demanded.

‘Yes, we just walked in and found her like this,’ Denise gushed. ‘We don’t know fuck all about how it happened.’

Adele didn’t press Shazza any further for an answer. She knew Shazza followed the code and wouldn’t grass on a fellow inmate. Besides, her pride probably wouldn’t let her admit how she had sustained her injuries. But Adele wasn’t finished yet. There was something else she needed to say to all of them.

‘From now on, you leave Anna alone, and Cheryl, and anyone else you’ve been picking on,’ she said. ‘If I ever hear of you tormenting anyone else ever again, I’ll be back to finish the fuckin’ job off!’

‘OK,’ groaned Shazza, and Denise and Louise nodded in agreement.

Satisfied that she’d done what she had to do, Adele then left them and made her way back to her own cell.

*

‘Oh my God! What’s happened to you?’ asked Anna when she took in Adele’s dishevelled clothing and tatty hair.

‘Let me get tidied up first,’ snapped Adele, the adrenalin still pulsing through her veins.

Anna did as she was told. Then, once Adele had calmed down, Anna asked her again what had happened.

‘Let’s just say you won’t have to worry about Shazza and co any more,’ said Adele. ‘But if you do have any problems, make sure I fuckin’ know about it!’

‘What have you done?’ asked Anna, staring wide-eyed at Adele.

Adele smiled enigmatically. ‘Enough,’ she said.

‘You’ve not killed her, have you?’

‘No, Anna. I just hurt her enough to make her see sense, that’s all.’