Unsure of what he was supposed to do, he just waited at the unmanned counter. Finally a thickset woman approached from behind the cage. “Name?” “Hi, nice to meet you too.” Jack smiled, just to piss her off. There was never any need for rudeness. “Just give me your name and number, wise-arse.” “Jackson Leonard Rich, 166293. What’s your number?” He grinned again. Without a word she disappeared into another room and was gone for several minutes. Eventually she returned carrying a cardboard box with Jack’s name and number scrawled in thick black pen across the sides. She dropped the box onto the counter and then slid it through the hole in the cage towards him. Jack opened the lid to examine the contents. His total life possessions consisted of a wallet, watch, belt, pants, shirt and shoes. The stocky woman finished writing on a piece of paper attached to a clipboard. She shoved it through the gap. “Sign.” Jack gave her a salute before he obeyed her orders. “You can put your clothes on in there.”
