Rachel was taken to the local jail. She saw the sign hanging over the entrance and knew enough Spanish to understand ‘Prisión de Los Condenados’ meant ‘Prison of the Damned’. She sincerely hoped the name was not an indication of what was ahead. She was gravely wrong!
Inside the constable in charge ordered her to remove her clothing. Rachel refused at first, claiming her American citizenship and she should not be treated that way. The constable leered at her and sternly says “Senorita Swaley, Santa Diablo is a poor country because of having its resources stolen by criminals like you. We cannot provide prison garbs because of this. As for being an American citizen, you are now a prisoner of Santa Diablo. Though you have not been sentenced yet, you are under my control. I again tell you to disrobe, or would you prefer my guards take care of that?”
Rachel slowly took off her clothes, going slower as she lost the last of her garments. The smiling constable said “Much more appropriate… Guard prepare Senorita for questioning.”
The guard took Rachel to a cell and began to push her in the door. Rachel exclaimed “I am not going in there. I have rights!”
“You have no rights, Miss Swaley. I suggest you us the facilities before your questioning begins. Most prisoner wish they had once the questioning begins” she says as pushes Rachel in the cell and slams the barred door shut. She adds “They will come for you soon. I suggest you use the baño now so you don’t soil yourself while you are being questioned.”
Rachel does as suggested but try as she might, she cannot purge herself with the guard staring through the bars at her.
Less than half hour later, Rachel is taken to the jail’s basement, a warm, dark place where her feet were placed in wood shackles and her arms tied over her head. As she lies on her back wondering what is happening to her, a well-dressed woman walks in and looks over her spread naked body. In clear English she tells Rachel the judge wants a signed confession from Rachel acknowledging her crimes. Rachel belligerently says “I broke no laws! Your leader signed the contract with Proton Automotive!”
The woman shrugs and says “Our former leader. I’m sure he will be tried and shot for accepting a bribe. So, are you going to sign the confession?”
Rachel stares at her restraints and says “I have nothing to confess!”
The woman says “Then the questioning will begin. You
will sign the document.”
The well-dressed woman leaves the room and a huge guard named ‘Bull’ comes in and turns a wheel lifting Rachel to a near standing position, reclining somewhat against a rope-gridded backing. He looks over Rachel’s body, held extended but not drawn taut. He lights up a cigarette and says “You would have done better to confess. It only gets worse.”
He leaves the dark room, leaving Rachel in a sort of standing position. Alone in the dimly lit room, Rachel tugs at the ropes tied to her arms but they do not give.
She leans against the rope backing wondering how long she will be there and wishing she had been able to use the toilet.
Another woman comes into the room followed by the guard Bull. She asks Rachel if she wants to sign the confession. Rachel says “I have nothing to confess!”
“Pity” the woman says. “You could have spared yourself the pain.”
“Your confession would make the judge’s decision much easier. Bull, stretch the prisoner.”
Bull took delight in stretching Rachel till her arms were pulled tight and her toes barely touched the ground. The woman says “Joan Arbor will be in later you see if you have changed your mind.”
They leave Rachel stretched in the most uncomfortable way. Alone in the room, Rachel begins to realize how their questioning works. Time passes slowly and as each minute passes Rachel feels the agony of the rack tearing at her body.
On the rack only an hour, Rachel begins to wonder if she should have confessed and avoided the pain.
After two hours on the rack, Rachel is yelling “I’ll sign the document! I’ll sign anything just get me off this thing!”
Still another half hours drags past before Joan Arbor comes in the room. She is dressed in a physicians gown and leans over Rachel. She asks “You wish to sign the statement?”
Rachel pants “I’ll sign whatever you want! Just get me off this thing!”
Joan Arbor says “I’ll leave you here for another hour just so you are sure.”
Rachel pleaded to be freed as Joan left the room. It was less than an hour before Rachel was taken from the rack. She is brought to an office where the neatly dressed woman who had warned her about the questioning handed her a thick document in a binder. Rachel asks where she is to sign and the woman tells her on the last page. Rachels flips the binder to the last page and asks for a pen. The woman asks “Aren’t you going to read it before you sign it?”
Rachel grabs the quill pen and leans over the document. As she signs the paper she says “My Spanish isn’t that good and I said I would sign it.”
Rachel did not want another trip to the rack. The woman says “I will see the judge gets this. I’m sure it will make his decision easier…”
Messa think that a good crucifixion is the ideal way to put someone to death: it is calm, gentle; the condemned person takes his/her time to die, the nails secure him/her and thus he/she cannot fall; what's more, it's done outside, in the fresh air and, "the icing on the cake", he, especially her, can be admired by the crowd passing by and..... Messa loves it!
