Jax lifted his head when he heard the familiar buzz of an electronic lock being opened. He turned towards the protection wing and watched as the door swung open and two men – an inmate and a guard – stepped out onto the path that led to the cages. The prisoner was in front, followed by Rogers. Of course. Jax might have known. The inmate was the actor. The paedophile. The child rapist who had been attacked from the yard on Jax’s first day. He hadn’t seen him since – the prison authorities were obviously determined to avoid another such clash.

Jax felt a mix of terror and relief on seeing the man emerge and walk along the path. Terror because this meant it was happening – there’d been no hiccup, no delay. It was on. And relief because if Jax had to do this – and he did – then better it be to this kind of man, one who had committed the worst of crimes. A man the world would be better off without.

Nikki’s life was worth more than that of a paedophile. That was his only justification. That and the fact that it was essentially an order, one he had to follow, just like when he’d been in the army. Thinking too much about the target was counterproductive – it was best to just get into work mode and simply get it done.

Jax flexed his muscles, pumped his fists and gritted his teeth as he watched the actor walk across the yard, head held high, well-groomed for whoever it was he thought was visiting him. Jax felt his breathing level out and everything sharpen into focus, the same feeling he used to get when on a mission. The rest of the world receded and it almost seemed to him that he was watching the scene – and himself – from a distance, his physical body a puppet he controlled.

He saw the actor stop at the first gate – the one leading to the cage where the protection unit inmates normally waited – and then Rogers come up behind him and give him a rough shove to keep him moving. He saw the actor’s mouth moving, but he blocked out the sound. As Rogers escorted him to the next cage, Jax crouched down low in the wall’s shadow, lying in wait. If he could use the element of surprise, he would have an advantage.

The actor kept arguing, gesticulating angrily to the guard, as they continued down the pathway. Sure enough when they arrived at the gate to Jax’s cage, Rogers pulled up. The actor, busy challenging Rogers, didn’t notice Jax. Rogers unlocked the gate and manhandled the actor in, closing and locking it, then disappearing in an instant.

The actor physically jumped when he turned around and saw Jax. ‘Who are you?’ he said. ‘You shouldn’t be in h—’