It came from behind. Out of nowhere. Sudden and sharp. Jax dropped. He turned as he fell and saw the retreating foot. He couldn’t believe it was a foot. It had felt like a scud missile.

He had been kicked in the back of the quadricep. A full-blooded roundhouse just above the back of his knee. He’d had no idea a leg blow could drop a man so fast.

Two men grabbed him from behind, one by the scruff of the neck, and lifted him off the floor, like he was child. Too taken aback to get much of a look at them, Jax tried to regain his footing, hopping on his good leg and grabbing at his bad one. The muscle was still singing.

‘Spit it out,’ commanded the balding man with the leathery face as he spun Jax around to face him. ‘I’ll have that.’

‘Already gone, mate,’ Jax said.

‘Well, that was dumb.’

Knowing what was coming, Jax attempted to brace himself on his bad leg. He needed to know if he had a base from which to launch. His shoulder still busted, he couldn’t fight two men with just one arm and one leg.

He buckled as soon as his foot hit the floor.

‘Nah, you can’t get out if it that easy,’ the bald man growled as he caught Jax by the neck before thumping his head against the concrete wall.

Everything went dark for a split second. When Jax came to, the pain in his leg was subsiding but his head was still ringing. He attempted to size up his attackers. The bald man, not overly big but certainly hard, looked to be one of those guys that had powerful fast-twitch muscles; he wasn’t much to look at, but no doubt plenty strong. The other guy was chubby and of Mediterranean appearance – Greek, Jax guessed. He hadn’t seen either of them before, which meant they had just been transferred into the wing.

‘I don’t reckon he swallowed it,’ said the bald man. ‘I reckon you should take a look, Georgie.’ He put his hand around Jax’s neck and squeezed as the man he had called Georgie moved in.

‘Open wide, cunt,’ Georgie said.

When Jax refused, Georgie pincered his nostrils shut.

‘That’s it,’ he said as Jax opened his mouth to breathe.

Jax gagged as a finger went under his tongue and then down his throat. He wanted bite Georgie’s finger off, but thought the better of it, given the position was in. He would be smart, get his revenge later.

‘Nothing,’ Georgie said as he pulled his hand out and smacked it against Jax’s face. Jax grimaced as the open palm cuffed the bottom of his wounded eye.