Island IV – Meetings · Part 19 (19/21)
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m any day of the week.”
Barbara heard the knock at the office door. “Come on in, Les. We’re ready,” Ray called out. She wasn’t able to see who it was, but it was safe to assume it was Les Unger, the operations manager, number two at the brokerage. Senior executives involved, she realized, that underlined her conclusion this was no ordinary business transaction. She focused on her spot on the wall. No matter how curious she had to remain perfectly still. Anything less than the highest level of excellence would reflect badly on her master, and that must never occur.
Ray turned around to face the newcomers, while keeping one hand on Barbara’s back. He knew she’d remain in position for however long it was necessary. Even so he liked to indulge himself with little reminders he was in charge, especially when she was so helpless. Whether or not she objected was immaterial. He wasn’t about to ask her for consent, and for her part any show of defiance would be met with the severity it deserved.
Les and another guard, Mark, led the pair into his office. Both wore standard brokerage uniforms, with their hands bound behind their backs in handcuffs. When Les removed the hoods covering their heads Ray recognized the women. Penny and Sheila, he remembered their names from the business meeting at Jim Lassen’s home. He felt sorry for their owner, Virgil Sorenson, and his legal troubles. It wasn’t right, and he hoped Virgil would prevail in court. That didn’t affect his responsibilities as the temporary custodian of these two women. Based on Ray’s reputation, the judge had waived the possible conflict when he privately disclosed the investment syndicate of which both he and Virgil were members.
“Good afternoon, ladies. Would you be so good as to line up in front of the desk. Face forward, no talking, remain in position.” The two of them wasted no time, though he did catch the apprehensive glance the two exchanged as they got in line. Why did they risk that furtive move? Both wore the distinctive gold-tinged collar of Facility graduates. They know better, something must be wrong, he thought.
Taking hold of Barbara’s arm, he turned her around and steered her over to join the line. She’d heard his instructions and immediately took up the same pose. He squeezed her arm gently, to indicate he noticed. Barbara didn’t react, that wasn’t proper, but she got the message.
Ray paced back and forth behind the women several times, pausing as if he needed to examine them in closer detail. Walking around to his desk he leaned forward to continue his inspection. Their presentation was flawless, as he expected. Even so, effort had to be acknowledged, and from long experience Ray knew the best way to show it was a lengthy examination for the smallest detail that might be out of place. They were held to account and not found wanting.
When he sat down, he folded his arms and leaned back. Sheila was the leftmost in the line, with Penny in the center and Barbara on the right. Ray pointed to Penny. “You, your name is Penny, correct? Something is bothering you. Tell me what it is, now.”
“Yes, sir, I’m Penny.” She hesitated. “I apologize, sir, but Sheila and I have a special rule we are required to follow in all circumstances. We’re unable to comply and obey your instructions at the same time. This is one of those zero-tolerance rules, sir. We don’t know what to do.”
Ray held a low opinion of anyone who came between a man and his property. The fact she was inserting a “sir” with nearly every sentence told him she was scared to defy him, even though her owner’s orders were supposed to supersede all others. “We’ll have to fix that. Tell me how.”
The two of them exchanged a quick glance. Ray guessed it meant they were silently negotiating who would continue. Apparently, Penny won the argument. “Yes, sir. Sheila and I are right and left. By that I mean where we must be in relation to each other. I am to stand, sit, or whatever to the left of Sheila, and she should always be on my right. We don’t know why it must be this way, sir; master did not give us a reason, and we are not allowed to ask. No questioning, no exceptions, no discussion is permitted. As I mentioned, it is a zero-tolerance command, strictly enforced.”
Very original, Ray thought. I’ll have to remember it in the future. The women standing in front of him might be puzzled by what could be assumed to be a capricious order, but Ray knew better. He had to admire Virgil, their owner, for his creative approach. Far from being a spur of the moment whimsy, his directive served to focus them on a common task that required their constant cooperation, while at the same time building on their need to please.
He glanced over at Barbara and nodded his head ever so slightly. She knew all about zero-tolerance, every time she placed her hands over her knees while sitting down. I wonder if she has figured out the real reason behind her own inflexible rule. Not that it mattered; he was extraordinarily insistent when it came to that particular show of obedience on her part. Barbara never failed to deliver, a point he emphasized with his exaggerated scrutiny. I’d go crazy being forced to do something like that, yet she thrives on submission to authority.
“Les, help the ladies change places. My apologies, this was not in the information we were provided. I will personally ensure your owner’s requirement will be made known to everyone involved in your supervision.” If only all his problems could be solved so easily. How long could he keep their presence at the brokerage a secret? Once it got out, given the political overtones of the court case, he’d be besieged by media and pressure groups on all sides. What he didn’t need were internal distractions, which is why he had brought Barbara into the mix. With any luck she’d keep Penny and Sheila calm during their ordeal.
With the newly reorganized line now in front of him Ray was ready to deliver his prepared speech. “Now then, this is how it will be. Penny, Sheila, you will be our guests here at the brokerage. For the moment, your ownership status has not changed, but I cannot guarantee that won’t change, nor can I keep you updated. I want to reassure you that in no way are you here to be sold, or even receive any training. Being Facility graduates I’m not sure what we could offer in that respect.
“I regret I cannot provide you with any details of how long you will be here, or the efforts your owner is making towards your return. All I can offer for advice is to be patient and wait it out. I can tell you Madsen Brokerage will extend every possible courtesy to you. But please understand we also have explicit instructions regarding how you are to be treated while in our care. Don’t ask, I am not going to elaborate further.
“Barbara,” he gestured to her, at the end of the line, “will be your companion for the length of your stay. She can’t provide you any more information that what you already know. So you are aware, I have instructed her to treat any conversations between the three of you as private and confidential; she will not pass on anything to me or anyone else. Don’t think of her as a spy. Her purpose is to help you adapt to brokerage procedures. You will be monitored on camera, that’s mandatory for our arrangement about hosting you, but the microphones will not be turned on. Feel free to complain between yourselves all you want.”
That last joke brought a few smiles to the women. “Barbara will fill you in on how we do things here at the brokerage. Right now, we’re going to move you to your quarters. Les? If you and Mark will take charge of our guests? I’ll escort Barbara. You will have to excuse us for the necessity of covering your heads while you’re out and about in the brokerage. Your presence here is a secret.”
Les placed the hoods over Penny and Sheila. Ray took an extra hood from a shelf behind his desk, stood up and covered Barbara’s head. “Unless there’s an urgent problem, I’ll have to ask the three of you to remain silent. Don’t worry, you’ll be supervised every minute. We won’t let anything happen to you.”
Luxury Accommodations Ray led Barbara into her designated location first, positioning her on the floor mark, before he removed her hood. One look and she knew where she was. She sent him a questioning look but Ray just shook his head, silently telling her to wait. He followed up with Sheila to Barbara’s right, and Penny to her left. For the moment he left the restraints in place.
The newcomers took a quick look around before giving Ray their full attention. When they stood up straight, facing forward, feet as far apart as possible, Barbara quickly copied them. Facility training, Ray thought, when in unfamiliar surroundings rely on what they’ve been taught. Time for me to go to work.
“This will be your home away from home during your stay. There will be no contact with anyone else at the brokerage except for the three of us,” he swept his hand to include Les and Mark, “and perhaps one or two others if we run short of personnel. Under no circumstances will you reveal your names or your owner to anyone, and that includes the guards at the brokerage, unless you receive my personal approval first. I have been given the authority to enforce discipline as I see fit. While you are here both of you answer to me.”
He backed up, folded his arms, and began a close visual inspection of the line facing him. His purpose was to assert control and establish culpability for their behavior. Slowly he walked to one end, starting his review with Sheila, then Barbara, and ending with Penny. Each time he paused, doing his best to keep his expression passive, not showing approval or disapproval. Get them to concentrate on me instead of their own hardships. He made a second pass, behind them, again stopping close behind each of the women. To emphasize his power over them he carefully examined the handcuffs encircling their small wrists, running his hands over the steel bracelets to check for fit. It was a not very subtle way of reminding them he was in charge.
When he finished, he remained out of their sight. Several long, anxious minutes ticked by while everyone waited for Ray to announce if he was satisfied. This little scenario he had practiced many times. The longer he waited, the more nervous the women would become. Was something out of place? They would be frantic, trying to think of what had gone wrong. Was it just one, or all of them? Would he punish all three for the mistake of a single individual?
Les picked up on what Ray was doing and added his own contribution. Slowly he began to frown, as if he’d also spotted some fault on the part of the women. In fact, their display of submission was as close to perfection as possible. To the uninformed it might seem cruel, leaving them in suspense, but Ray was no bully. Penny and Sheila had been subjected to a major shock. They appeared as if they were handling it but he knew better. No one could go through that kind of emotional distress unscathed. He was attempting to redirect a portion of that upset to himself.
Barbara was more familiar with his methods. Even so, the scrutiny was real and the consequences of failure applied to her just as much as the other two. There was no leniency allowed for complacency.
Finally, he relented. Taking the key from his shirt pocket, he removed their handcuffs, but deliberately left on the ankle chains. Give them something tangible to complain about, a distraction from what has happened.
He came back around to the front and walked out the cell door. Turning around he closed and locked it. “The kitchen was stocked earlier, so I’m sure you can find something for lunch. This is pizza night. The dining room will fix your dinner. Decide what you want; someone will be back to put in your order.” With that the men filed through the outer door. It slammed shut with the finality of being alone and isolated.
“Stay where you are,” Barbara whispered, “in case they come back. I’ll let you know when it’s okay.”
Inside the Gilded Cage Barbara stood at the stovetop, watching the eggs cook. “One large mushroom and egg omelet coming up. Breakfast and lunch, brunch.”
Penny was setting the dining room table while Sheila was fixing the toast. “This isn’t what I expected,” Sheila said. “At the Facility we heard all these horror stories about North Island, especially the brokerages. Bad food, dirty cells, filthy guards, mostly illiterate, thugs who were likely to assault you at any moment.”
Barbara laughed. “Makes for a good TV show, but it’s all fiction. Okay, I’ll admit we’re getting the royal treatment, but even those unfortunates who wind up here under the worst circumstances are treated decently. I can’t speak for other brokerages but this one doesn’t deserve the outside reputation. I know from firsthand experience. When I arrived here, I was just another addition to the inventory. In fact, it was the start of my life as a man’s property. I’d never worn a collar until the day I stepped off the ferry onto North Island.”
“I suppose that applies to us as well,” Penny added while walking back into the kitchen. “I had only a vague idea of what to expect when I arrived at the Facility.”
“What have I done?” Sheila said. “That was my reaction the first day at the Facility. Too late to do anything about it, though. We were past the point of no return. I can’t count the number of times I would have walked away, if it had been possible. The times I was singled out to be the object of Mrs. Yates disapproval left me shaking, convinced I’d never make it. In retrospect the isolation turned out to be a good idea. I had no choice but to do better.”
“Mrs. Yates?” Barbara asked.
“Men have those army drill instructors you see in movies,” Penny started to explain. “We had Mrs. Yates, the senior woman on the Facility staff. Nothing was ever good enough to satisfy her. We all had to start by being perfect, then do better next time. We lived in terror of her morning room inspections. A towel hung crooked in the bathroom, a pillow slightly off center, anything no matter how trivial would set her off.”
Barbara slid the last omelet onto a plate. “I think we’re ready to eat.” She handed out plates to Sheila and Penny before carrying her own to the table. “Listening to you two I realize how easy I’ve had it in comparison. My first day here I met someone who I later found out was a Facility graduate. She helped me out right from the first. Then Mr. Madsen decided I should belong to him, and here I am.”
“Funny how guys seem to just sweep in and carry you away. After Sheila and I told the Director we’d agreed to the change, both of us going to one owner, it turns out Mr. Sorenson had already claimed us and had collars ready.” Penny shrugged. “I suppose it’s fate. One minute you’re on your own, the next you’re waiting to find out what’s going to happen to you.”
Juggling a Timebomb Back in the office Ray and Les were deep in a discussion. “Geez, Ray, you like to live dangerously. What next, juggling grenades after pulling the pins?”
“Yeah, the media circus is already gearing up. Penny and Sheila’s pictures are all over TV and the Internet, thanks to that Alliance group. So far, we’re still under the radar. The Public Administrator is saying they’re at an ‘undisclosed location’, which works in our favor. I’m sure it’ll leak out eventually. Maybe we’ll be lucky and the court case will be tossed by then. If not, be prepared to act quickly once the media jackals are baying at our door. Our position is no comment, neither confirm or deny, etc.”
Les shrugged. “You really think that’ll satisfy anyone? And what are we supposed to tell our customers? I have no idea how this is going to break, pro or con, with public opinion. We may take a financial hit.”
Ray sighed. “It’s a risk. Thing is, I met Virgil Sorenson. He’s a decent man, and his women are not being mistreated. You’ve seen them, you know the signs, and in their case there’s no indication of any kind of abuse. No, this is pure politics. I’m gonna do whatever I can for him, short of violating our contract with the Public Administrator.”
Les leaned back in his chair. “I see what you’re doing. It won’t work, you know? First of all, Barbara isn’t going to buy your inflexible bully act. And second, those are Facility women. Oh, they’ll concentrate on you, but only because you are the authority figure. I doubt there’s anything you can attempt that’ll make them dislike you. They expect men to take care of them. No matter how harsh you try to come off, they’ll only assume you know best. If you come on too strong, it’ll backfire when they start blaming themselves for angering you.”
Ray stood up and began pacing back and forth. “You’re right, Les. I’m trying to buy a little time to think. They are depending on me, for what I’m not sure. How do I keep them occupied? I don’t want them dwelling on how bad off they are.”
“You have more issues to contend with. Barbara can’t handle this all by herself. She needs help so she can take a break now and then. You’re asking a lot from her. Remember what it is we do? No stress, or as little as possible.” Les folded his arms. “Do you know of anyone we can call on?”
Ray halted in his tracks. “Maybe I do…” He paused, working out how he would approach a certain someone to ask a difficult favor. “I’ll make a phone call. If her owner goes along, I have the perfect solution to that problem.”
As always Les wouldn’t let the immediate problems go unsolved. “Day after tomorrow is a movie night, to reward all our well-behaved guests. I’m not sure what’s showing, but the selections are tailored to the audience. There’s even a small snack bar. I’m told it’s quite popular. It’s an opportunity for our special guests to get out of their cage, avoid a case of cabin fever. What do you think?”
Ray nodded. “That’s a good idea. Except how do we keep them incognito in the middle of an audience? By now everyone knows what they look like. We can’t very well have them sit through the movie with bags over their heads.”
Les laughed. “No, that’s kinda pointless, and all it would do is draw attention. So how do we hide them in plain sight?”
There was something nagging at Ray. “Of course!” He slammed a hand down hard on his desk. “Les, there is a way, and we have the means to accomplish it. It will draw attention, but not for very long, and even then, it’ll be for all the wrong reasons. This is how we’ll hide the needles in the haystack…”
Preliminary Hearing Across town in the North Island courthouse Virgil had his first opportunity to find out what was going on. Ralph Welk had explained the filing and the motions. He had warned Virgil not to expect anything to change today. This was just a hearing to rule on motions.
Virgil and Ralph sat at the defendant’s table. Across from them was the Plaintiff’s lawyer, a South Island attorney named Piet Van Rijn, and two representatives from some bogus “Alliance” Virgil had never heard of.
The first motion was the change of venue, to move the case to South Island. Van Rijn argued the legal violation concerned South Island law, and therefore it should be heard there. Ralph countered with the argument the violation was not a proven fact. Since Virgil, the owner, was a long-established resident of North Island the current court should hear the case.
It didn’t take the judge long to rule. “Motion denied. Plaintiff did not establish or even claim the two women were residents of South Island, at the time of the alleged incident The claim is based on irregularities which may have occurred in transit, therefore by Plaintiff’s own admission the women in question were never residents of South Island. Sorry, Mr. Van Rijn, you shot yourself in the foot on this one.”
“That’s one for our side,” Ralph whispered to Virgil.
“Now, the next motion is to transfer custody of,” the judge looked at a paper, “Penny and Sheila. Sorry again Mr. Van Rijn, you have no basis to make such a request. Mr. Welk, your motion to return them to Mr. Sorenson’s custody I must also deny. The Plaintiff’s claim, which includes a challenge to the Defendant’s ownership, is sufficient to require a finding of fact at trial. Until then, the two women will remain in the care of the Public Administrator.”
The rest of the motions were legal housekeeping. Virgil tuned them out. Today’s hearing was a mixed bag of results. That wasn’t much of a consolation.
He stared at the group at the Plaintiff’s table. He’d never heard of any Alliance for Humane Treatment, nor did he recognize the men trying to take away the most important part of his life. Why were they going after him? More and more he suspected they regarded him as collateral damage on their way to a loftier goal.
Setback “That’s just great,” Donna practically screamed at Angela. “We’re going to have to fight this on North Island? Half of us can’t even cross the Channel. Any idea of how we’re supposed to get noticed if we don’t show up? No way we can get the rent-a-mob across the Channel either. We lost on every point that matters.
“This was all your idea, Angela. You and Piet cooked up this hairbrained scheme, and now it’s starting to unravel. What next? Maybe claim that defendant guy is a space alien, here illegally?”
Angela could barely contain her anger. Seeing her about to lose it Piet stepped in. “We didn’t win everything but we certainly didn’t lose. We got in two crucial points. The first one, the judge stated our claim required a finding of fact. That means he’s not going to dismiss the case. And second, he didn’t release the women from custody. That keeps open the question of ownership. Our lawsuit is still very much alive.”
Donna gave out with a sarcastic laugh. “A few more wins like that and we’ll be back to square one, only poorer. This was supposed to be a media event, Piet. How are we going to manage that now?”
Piet nearly lost his temper with Donna too. “Is that what you planned, Donna? Showing up in the courtroom, disrupting the procedures, staging a protest against oppression? Sorry, no histrionics thus time, unless you plan to ask one of the single men here if you can wear this collar? That’ll get you into North Island.”
“Screw you, Piet!” Donna yelled. She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Angela frowned. “That was rough, Piet.”
He shrugged. “She isn’t helping. I have enough to worry about without her interference. Anyway, the next stage is an evidentiary hearing, about what the judge will allow in and what he’ll exclude. We’re in good shape there. I have the video recording from the terminal, plus testimony from Clancy Yates, the Facility Director.”
Angela looked puzzled. “I don’t get it. Yates is going to be a witness on our side?”
Piet smiled. “Yeah, I pre-empted the Defense. I have some very interesting questions lined up for him. This is a golden opportunity to reveal how the Facility works. Once he appears you’ll have plenty to protest.”
Four’s A Crowd Barbara, Penny and Sheila were sitting in the Gilded Cage’s living room, having a conversation about what living at the Facility was like. Barbara’s practiced ear heard the outer door start to open first. She immediately interrupted Sheila, rose up and gestured for the two Facility women to follow her. When she stopped at her mark on the floor the other two immediately caught on, joining her on either side.
Ray came in first, leading a woman who had on a hood, and hands bound behind her back. Barbara didn’t recognize her, although she wasn’t wearing a company uniform, which meant this newcomer was a visitor. He halted in front of the bars, as always carefully scrutinizing Barbara and the others to ensure they were following proper procedure. Satisfied with his inspection, he removed the hood from the stranger.
None of the three showed any visible reaction, even though they all recognized her at once from the TV news weeks ago. Sandra the “millionaire heiress”, that was the media nickname given her. She was reputed to be worth a sizeable fortune, or rather her new owner was. What was she doing here? Barbara wondered.
“Sandy will be joining the three of you for an extended stay,” Ray began. “No discussion is permitted regarding the reason she is joining you. Do not ask her about the news concerning Penny and Sheila, or anything else that’s happened since they first arrived here. If you do, Sandy won’t answer, but all of you will answer to me for violating explicit instructions.”
Ray released Sandy’s wrists, opened the gate to the Gilded Cage, and motioned her to enter. She went to the end of the line, next to Penny, turned around and joined the rest in silent attention. He closed the gate, took a step back and slowly walked back and forth, once again putting the women on notice they were being judged.
