Chapter 34: Traitor
He glanced toward the prison, a cold smile forming on his lips. In the center of Sing Sing Prison, a group of hardened men with cruel faces gathered in the open yard, laughing loudly as they passed around bottles. Over a makeshift barbecue, chunks of unknown meat sizzled on the flames, filling the air with a greasy, smoky smell. Nearby, several women, their clothes torn and exposing their private parts, were pushed around by the men, their hollow eyes full of fear. A few vehicles were parked nearby, loaded with firearms and ammunition taken from the prison's armory. Among the weapons were heavy arms—machine guns, rocket launchers, and even a large Gatling gun, still partially covered.
Inside one of the prison cells, where inmates had once been kept, a group of survivors—men and children with pale faces and thin bodies—sat huddled together. They nervously shifted their gazes, avoiding the sight of the women who had been dragged out to be violated. They knew what was happening was wrong, but there was nothing they could do.
"Boss, with this stash of weapons, we'll control all of NYC!" shouted a man with burn scars on his face, speaking to the gang leader beside him. This man, known as Scorpion, was one of Arthur's most loyal thugs.
Arthur leaned back in his chair, one arm possessively draped around a young female student, his fingers digging into her chest so hard she winced. She bit her lip, knowing better than to cry out—she had seen what happened to those who resisted: burned or beaten to death, then thrown onto the grill like cattle.
"Control NYC?" Arthur chuckled coldly, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Scorpion. "Did you forget how you got those scars?"
Scorpion's face darkened at the mention of his burns. The scars were a reminder of a failed raid against another survivor group in the city, led by a fierce red-haired woman named Erza. Despite their numbers, her group had humiliated them and forced them to retreat.
"Boss, we're different now," insisted another man, stepping forward with a sly grin. His name was Tommy, nicknamed Yellow Dog.
"You said that last time, Yellow Dog," Arthur sneered, his eyes gleaming dangerously.
"But boss, we didn't have these back then!" Yellow Dog said eagerly, rushing over to one of the vehicles and pulling back a tarp to reveal an impressive stash of weapons. "Heavy machine guns! Rocket launchers! And look at this... well, I can't even move it, but there's even a Gatling gun in here!"