Surviving incarceration at the infamous Trois-Rivers prison was no small accomplishment. Built in 1822, it was one of the harshest institutions in the province of Quebec, a foreboding limestone fortress where prisoners lived in grayish light, each in a single cell with a wooden bucket for the elimination of human waste. Inmates there were systematically dehumanized, and only the strongest maintained their sanity. The most effective way to survive years at Trois-Rivers was by receiving and inflicting pain, and one man was better at that than any other. His name was Robert LaRue, a well-known Montréal loan shark with unattractive facial features and a darkly evil demeanor. He left Trois-Rivers thirsty for revenge.