‘You’re such a girl, Kilgour,’ Lanier said, rushing back towards Marc’s bed. ‘Remember at Easter, the last time Tomas really caned into you? You were practically crying then. And you were going on with this big rant about how you were gonna get Tomas back and how you were gonna run away. But nothing happened, because you’re all mouth.’

‘I’ve thought about running,’ Marc said. ‘You never know, I just might some day.’

‘Full of crap,’ Lanier shouted. ‘Stick to crying for Sister Madeline.’

Everyone laughed except Marc and his loyal bunkmate Jacques.

‘We’ve all thought about getting out of here,’ Jacques said. ‘But there’s no point running away. Everyone gets busted and Tomas batters them and puts them on bread and water.’

‘I know that,’ Lanier said. ‘But it’s the way Marc goes on about it all the time, like he’s some Mr Big or something.’

‘You’re lucky I’m injured, Lanier,’ Marc shouted. ‘Remember when you were down in the grass begging me to stop pounding your weak arse?’

‘I’ll fight you right now,’ Lanier shouted, as he clambered over the mattresses.

A couple of jeers went up and Jacques summed up the mood. ‘I could beat Marc up, the state he’s in at the moment.’

But the other boys backed away as Lanier crawled across the mattresses. He ended up kneeling across the tiny gap between Marc’s bunk and the next with his fists bunched. Marc was in no state to fight, but Lanier clearly wasn’t in the mood to show mercy.

As Lanier wound up his first punch, Marc kicked out. His foot connected with enough force to knock Lanier off balance, while at the same moment he grabbed the frame of his bunk and threw his weight to one side with enough force to shift the metal bed off its feet and several centimetres to one side.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to dislodge Lanier and he crashed helplessly into the narrow gap between beds, his knees hitting the floorboards with a bang.

‘I’ll kill you,’ Lanier screamed, scrambling up as Jacques dived away in fright. Marc kicked out at Lanier’s head, but it was only a glancing blow and before Marc knew it Lanier had grabbed his ankle and twisted it around painfully before dragging him down on to Jacques’ bunk.

‘Now you’re mine,’ Lanier smiled, as he swung his knee over Marc’s waist.

Marc would have dodged easily if he’d been fit, but his body ached from the caning and before he knew it Lanier had his shoulder pinned to the mattress.

‘Now what you gonna do?’ Lanier gloated, as he slammed Marc’s nose with his fist.

Marc wriggled, but couldn’t break free as hard punches rained on his face and chest.

‘Leave him!’ Jacques shouted, as he bravely tried to pull Lanier off.