But I know that tonight we will kill you. Erefaan's face is covered in tattoos. The tattoos are an expression of loyalty. The men cut the emblems of their allegiance into their skin. The Number demands not only that you pledge your oath verbally but that you be marked, indelibly, for life.
Facial tattoos are the ultimate abandonment of all hope of a life outside.
The Numbers gangs have their origin in the violence of white rule. The 28s are the oldest gang. They were founded in 1906 as a revolt by 28 black prisoners. It developed its own military-style hierarchy, its own elaborate codes of punishment and reward, and its own sexual mores. For what distinguishes the men of the 28s is sex.