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SAMIR

The sergeant left and came back with the major. By the time they arrived, the beer cans had disappeared and all traces of vomit had been wiped away. But the major was suspicious. The first thing he noticed was the door, which we hadn't been able to bend back into shape.

'How did this happen?' he demanded, studying our reactions carefully.

'I've only just started my shift and that was how I found him,' the sergeant responded, thinking that the major was referring to Samir.

'It was already like that from before,' said Chino. The major was no fool, so there was no point in pretending that we hadn't seen the door. He then moved forward to check Samir. The first thing he did was to touch Samir's shirt, which was wet where we had wiped it. Then he smelled his breath.

The major paused for a moment, considering what to do.

'This prisoner is sick,' he announced, standing up to his full height. 'Call for a doctor.'

'I already have, major,' said the sergeant, cowering.

'Well, then, what are all these prisoners doing in here? Get them out of my sight.' When the sergeant had his back turned, the major pointed to Chino and Chapako and said, 'You and you, fix this other problem here.' He meant the door.

Samir had got away with it. Luckily, that major was one of the men he stole cars for. The next time, however, Samir wasn't so lucky.