King Diocletian
Magistrate
Rao walked along the lines. Roll-call was over but he was enjoying making them wait. They’d washed and were ready for bed and it was getting colder. Every now and again he would berate a prisoner for the slovenliness of their dress. But it was all about the white girls. There were only three of them, the blonde Australian missing, still in the infirmary 36 hours after she’d been flogged.
He stood in front of McCormack, laid a hand on her soft cheek. She almost flinched at the touch. “Stand up straight,” he said. “Shoulders back.” He looked approvingly at the way her breasts swelled beneath her shirt. He moved along to Stafford and straightened her shirt, letting his fingers probe the gentle valley of her chest. Then Harris. There was a bruise on her cheek, a slight swelling to her lip. “What happened?” he asked.
“Secpol, sir,” she said. The Secpol. Fuck. That complicated things. He weighed up his options. He had to be careful if the Secpol were interested in her. He wanted to have fun. He wanted to hurt her. He wanted to play with McCormacks’s tits and stroke Stafford’s flat belly. He wanted to use his belt on them. He wanted to have them screaming as he took his cane to them. But he would wait. He dismissed the lines.
*
Beth was woken by Rebecca talking to Bobby. She lay still, at first because she was tired and just wanted to sleep, but then because she wanted to hear what was said. Rebecca was explaining that the Secpol wanted her to spy on them, on Bobby in particular. She said that if she didn’t give them something by the following night they’d whip her. Bobby seemed baffled. Shit. This was bad. Rebecca went on to ask about the Rainbow Group. Fuck. This was her fault. What could she do? Should she tell them she was responsible? What would they think of her? But she couldn’t let Rebecca be whipped. She couldn’t let them torture Bobby thinking she was part of it.
In the end she compromised. She told them they’d asked her about the Rainbow, that she’d been part of it and that they’d asked her about Bobby. But they still couldn’t think of anything for Rebecca to tell the Secpol.
*
Narayan understood the orders. He’d done this many times before but this, he knew, was more important than any of the others. And he would enjoy it more than any of the others. Uppal had been clear on the phone: take Stafford and put her on the programme. Humiliate her, make her life uncomfortable, scare her but don’t hurt her. Not badly, not yet. Uppal would be away for two more days but when he got back he wanted her ready for him and it was Narayan’s job to prepare her.
He waited till they were asleep, then sent four men to get her. He followed at a slight distance. They were rough, of course, needlessly so, pulling back her blanket and yanking her up by the hair, giving her a couple of slaps before they cuffed her wrists and hooded her. She didn’t resist as they dragged her out of the hut, across the yard and into the Secpol building, but that didn’t stop them shaking her and prodding her. They dumped her in a cell. He would come back for her in a couple of hours. Let the tension build.
He summoned Harris, that terrified little mouse. She was visibly shaking as the guards removed her hood.
“What have you learned?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she whispered.
“What?”
“Nothing, sir,” she said louder.
“What?” he bellowed, enjoying how she flinched.
“Nothing, sir. I don’t think…”
“You don’t think what?”
“I don’t think she knows anything.”
“Liar!”
She closed her eyes. Her fear was an aphrodisiac to him. He wanted to crush her, like a sparrow in the trap.
“What do you think’s going to happen now?” he asked.
She said nothing. “I asked you a question,” he said.
“I think you’re going to punish me.”
“Take her to a cell,” he ordered. “I’ll deal with you later.” And he would enjoy it. He heard her whimper as they hooded her and watched her small frame being marched out of the room.
He had a drink, then sent the boys to get Stafford. This was where it really began. He settled back behind the desk. He had two days, two days where he was in charge.
*
He stood in front of McCormack, laid a hand on her soft cheek. She almost flinched at the touch. “Stand up straight,” he said. “Shoulders back.” He looked approvingly at the way her breasts swelled beneath her shirt. He moved along to Stafford and straightened her shirt, letting his fingers probe the gentle valley of her chest. Then Harris. There was a bruise on her cheek, a slight swelling to her lip. “What happened?” he asked.
“Secpol, sir,” she said. The Secpol. Fuck. That complicated things. He weighed up his options. He had to be careful if the Secpol were interested in her. He wanted to have fun. He wanted to hurt her. He wanted to play with McCormacks’s tits and stroke Stafford’s flat belly. He wanted to use his belt on them. He wanted to have them screaming as he took his cane to them. But he would wait. He dismissed the lines.
*
Beth was woken by Rebecca talking to Bobby. She lay still, at first because she was tired and just wanted to sleep, but then because she wanted to hear what was said. Rebecca was explaining that the Secpol wanted her to spy on them, on Bobby in particular. She said that if she didn’t give them something by the following night they’d whip her. Bobby seemed baffled. Shit. This was bad. Rebecca went on to ask about the Rainbow Group. Fuck. This was her fault. What could she do? Should she tell them she was responsible? What would they think of her? But she couldn’t let Rebecca be whipped. She couldn’t let them torture Bobby thinking she was part of it.
In the end she compromised. She told them they’d asked her about the Rainbow, that she’d been part of it and that they’d asked her about Bobby. But they still couldn’t think of anything for Rebecca to tell the Secpol.
*
Narayan understood the orders. He’d done this many times before but this, he knew, was more important than any of the others. And he would enjoy it more than any of the others. Uppal had been clear on the phone: take Stafford and put her on the programme. Humiliate her, make her life uncomfortable, scare her but don’t hurt her. Not badly, not yet. Uppal would be away for two more days but when he got back he wanted her ready for him and it was Narayan’s job to prepare her.
He waited till they were asleep, then sent four men to get her. He followed at a slight distance. They were rough, of course, needlessly so, pulling back her blanket and yanking her up by the hair, giving her a couple of slaps before they cuffed her wrists and hooded her. She didn’t resist as they dragged her out of the hut, across the yard and into the Secpol building, but that didn’t stop them shaking her and prodding her. They dumped her in a cell. He would come back for her in a couple of hours. Let the tension build.
He summoned Harris, that terrified little mouse. She was visibly shaking as the guards removed her hood.
“What have you learned?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she whispered.
“What?”
“Nothing, sir,” she said louder.
“What?” he bellowed, enjoying how she flinched.
“Nothing, sir. I don’t think…”
“You don’t think what?”
“I don’t think she knows anything.”
“Liar!”
She closed her eyes. Her fear was an aphrodisiac to him. He wanted to crush her, like a sparrow in the trap.
“What do you think’s going to happen now?” he asked.
She said nothing. “I asked you a question,” he said.
“I think you’re going to punish me.”
“Take her to a cell,” he ordered. “I’ll deal with you later.” And he would enjoy it. He heard her whimper as they hooded her and watched her small frame being marched out of the room.
He had a drink, then sent the boys to get Stafford. This was where it really began. He settled back behind the desk. He had two days, two days where he was in charge.
*