Chapter 12: Francesca Plots

"The helicopter is fine, Commander. All it needs is a bit more fuel in the tank and we're away to the mainland."

Angela nodded and thanked her deputy. "I hope you didn't forget to wet the ropes, Francesca."

Francesca assured her leader that Annie was trussed as tightly as she had ever been and her arms and legs should be half way out of their sockets in a day or so.

Angela looked serious. "I just hope it teaches her not disobey orders. Of course, I guessed she would speak to Esterhazy, but I wanted to be sure. I must go over and have a word to her in a few days time. I really I can't do without her for so long time after time after time. I'll try to reason with the girl and get her to see where her future lies. I think you are getting to see the light, aren't you, Lieutenant!

"In the meantime, you two can have the rest of the day free. Take her somewhere out of sight Francesca and I hope you both have a great time!"

"I think we can do that, Frieda, don't you"

The two had wandered off completely out of sight, in the direction Francesca had taken during her recent solitary walk.

"Do what, darling Fran?

"Have a good time, you goose, like the Commander ordered us to!"

"Oh, sure! I keep thinking of those two. I hope our love would prove that strong under such pressure. It must be so wonderful to have a bond like that tested and found to be strong as steel. Let's just lie together, shall we - no rough stuff for a while?"

"Anything you say, Frieda, but get nice and close so I can feel you near me so lovely and warm and soft and you smell so gorgeous. MMMMM!"

Francesca did as Frieda asked and merely lay by her side drinking in all the warmth and softness of the girl by her side. She ran her hands through Frieda's long red hair a few times and stroked her back, almost healed by now, as was her own. An hour must have passed like this, full of calm and serenity, when Francesca tightened her arms around Frieda and kissed her. Then she got to her feet.

"Come on my love, I've something to show you. But first you've got to promise to keep a secret."

And so she led the other girl up to the top of the hill and pointed to the beach below.

Frieda recognised what she was looking at right away. She wandered that far down the beach a few times in her first few weeks before the battle.

"It's not a big island at all, is it, Fran? We've almost crossed it in this short time. Mind you, it looks a pretty hairy slope down to the beach. Have you tried it?"

Francesca shook her head.

"No. It was almost dark when I saw it last. Let's see how we go, shall we? There are times, Frieda, when I regret the lack of good sturdy climbing boots. That little Annie down there has a lot to answer for! Anyway, lets get on with it. Stay close, darling."

It proved not to quite the horror that Francesca had feared. Annie would have had no trouble. She recalled that amazing climb up the rocks to the spring. Yes! That was one agile little girl! She slipped and slithered a couple of yards, and only Frieda stopped her going even further. With her friend's help, she hauled herself up and they sat together, looking around for a better way down.

"I think we need to work our way around the hillside, dearest." said Francesca. "A mountain goat might make it straight down, or the wonderful Annie, but not I and not you!"

As they worked their way around they found themselves getting steadily lower down until they came to a broad and gently inclined ledge which they were able to walk along. Rounding a bend they came upon the spot where the cage was and its lone occupant.

"We'll have to creep past Jo, Frieda. If she's awake and sees us, we'd better hope she keeps mum about it. Don't look at her, darling."

They crept down past Joanne who appeared to be asleep, poor kid. Arriving at the beach they walked over to the helicopter and got inside.

"It's warmer in here, Frieda. Feel like a bit more activity after that nice walk? There's a lovely couch folds out. Come on!"

Francesca pulled out the couch and they both made themselves comfortable. At last, they fell asleep. It was dark when they awoke.

DAY THIRTY ONE

"We'd better wait until light," whispered Fran. "I don't want to back round the beach. We might bump into someone on their way over. We won't have to wait long for the sun!"

Soon the dawn came and Fran motioned Frieda to get up and make a start back to camp. As they passed Annie, they saw she was awake and had spotted them. Fran went over to her.

"How's it going Annie? Only nineteen complete days to go! The rope keeping you nice and taut? If not, we'd better make sure it is. Angela might be passing by to check you out."

"Yes, Francesca, you did a good job. I take it this not an official visit."

"No, Annie. Don't breathe a word about seeing us. If you want to help Joanne, that is. How's the back feel?"

"Pretty sore, still, but I get the feeling it's healing fast! I seem to heal remarkably quickly! What are you planning? " Annie, stirred painfully as she vainly tried to be comfortable.

"Joanne's finished here, Annie. Time for we three to be moving on. We can try forming a women's rebel group elsewhere. And Frieda here will join us. Stick it out for another week or two - shouldn't take any longer. Bye, sweetheart!"

"She won't go along with it, you know. I bet you anything she's determined to see it out!" said Annie.

"She's right of course", muttered Fran to Frieda as they made their way back. "Damned proud bitch that she is, I wouldn't have her any other way, though. But if Angela reneges as I feel she will, then we're leaving, OK?"

"OK, Francesca. I'll be right with you. How did Joanne seem yesterday when you and Annie went up there?"

"In good heart I thought. A damned sight better than I would be and I'm inches shorter and not so broad in the shoulders. How she's stayed sane, I'll never know. I'd love to bust her out, Frieda. I know you think she's asked for it and I agree up to a point, but I don't trust Angela, somehow. I'm coming back tomorrow night to see if I can at least free her for a few hours like she did for Angela."

"She'll refuse, Fran. You'll be wasting your time!"

They passed the cage and Joanne was seemingly asleep. Francesca told Frieda to go on ahead.

"I'll catch you up, sweetheart. Won't be long!"

As soon as Frieda was round the bend and out of sight, Francesca coughed.

"It's OK, I'm awake. I saw you pass by last night and climb in to the chopper with Frieda. Made a nice little love nest for you, I don't doubt!"

"Wasn't bad, Jo! Not half bad, actually. Bet you wished you could be that close to little Annie down there! I always preferred boys when I had the choice, but I was at school with loads of girls, so you could say I was adaptable and Frieda is so sweet, Jo! As you may have gathered we've been exploring and found a new way over - a short cut over the hills. Nearly broke both our necks, but we made it! I'll pop back now and again if you like. And I'm sorry about the cold douche yesterday, by the way. Poor darling, you must be cold enough anyway."

"I needed it, Fran. I was crawling with vermin - still am, but you managed to drown a few! And, yes - if you want to risk another flogging, come over by all means."

"I've still got some of that ointment left, Jo. I can always rub that in, and anyway they don't whip officers and Angela needs my piloting skills, which I won't make available if she steps out of line!"

Joanne looked concerned. "You don't need to use that ointment for a mild flogging, Fran. Just let it heal naturally. I know what the stuff is now. I read about it when I was a trainee archivist at the Castle. There are not too many tubes of that around. It was developed not long before Science was abolished. It's powerful stuff, but it hurts so much before it starts to work, you're best not using it for any kind of minor wound."

She was getting weak after her time in the cage and paused for a moment or two to get her breath and gather her wits together.

"It was developed to treat severe burns, Fran. Somehow it can regenerate skin and stop scarring. That's why I have my back almost as good as new and why Annie healed so quickly. It stays in the system somehow and will work time and again, only my last whipping was so severe that I needed another application, and so will my final one most likely be, so if you still feel anything for me, please don't use it all up unless you really have to!"

"Ok, Jo. I'll bury it. I'll make sure it's there for you when you need it, if you need it. And, yes. I still feel for you. You saved my life, you and Annie. I hate to see you here, but I'm glad she's back down there, because it's where she wants to be, as near to you as she can be."

Jo smiled weakly. "I don't know what that meant, Fran, about, 'if I need it' but if it means you're planning a rescue - forget it. I intend to stay until the last day of my sentence. Now run along with you and be careful. Remember Fran, Angela isn't that stupid and she could always get at you through Frieda by taking it out on her. Don't push your luck, and thanks for the chat - it's done me good!"

"Bye, Jo. See you later. Oh - by the way. I owe you a lot, the way you kept me at it around the clock in those very early days and I know Annie feels the same! You really helped us find out how much we're capable of. You really oughtn't to reproach yourself as you do. Think about that as you rot in there when you could be doing so much that's useful!"

She rejoined Frieda, hoping that her words had been of some help. Then she thought about their conversation. What Joanne had said about the ointment and its amazing properties reminded her again just how far the world had declined this last hundred years of rule by madmen. Joanne knew such a lot more than she about all this kind of thing. She looked forward to discussing it with her later on when she came back after dark.

The day was spent gathering materials for a new and rather better built raft. Under the pretext of carrying out further surveys of the ship, Fran and Frieda had a few hours in the water, to Frieda's great delight and less so to Fran, who was still finding it hard going.

By the end of the day, they had accumulated enough suitable wood. In the morning it would be possible to make a start with construction. Among all the stuff they had salvaged from the wreck was several reels of wire which could be used to bind the pieces of wood together, although cutting them up into lengths was going to be a bit laborious without wire cutters. One or two manicures were going to be ruined over the next day or two!

Angela wanted to talk to her in the evening and it was very late before she could get away. She lay down to get a few hours sleep before getting up and going over to see Jo with some extra food and drink for her. She awoke and it was light. Damn. Joanne wasn't the only one who'd failed in her duty.

DAY THIRTY TWO

Francesca spent the day directing her little band of helpers. She got the impression they'd all sooner be on a training run or route march, now that their feet were hardened up. It was none too warm, what they were doing today. And the prospect of spending a few days in the sea going to and fro was obviously in all their minds. Listening to their chit chat, it came as a surprise to see just how much Angela was establishing her influence over them. It was as if Joanne had never been, except for one remark which enraged her so much she had to fight hard to control her anger.

"Wonder how Sleepyhead's doing. Nice frost last night for she and her little pet Annie. Bet that kept Annie awake - not sleepyhead, though. She'd sleep through anything."

"I wonder how you'd have coped in her position, Forster. Do you know that girl had just been whipped by the Inspectors, even worse than what she was given by Angela? She was driving herself and trying to do too much. We all make mistakes. Let her pay for hers and fall into line behind her when she comes back to us!"

"Even worse than the one Angela awarded her? Pull the other leg, Ma'am. She didn't have a mark on her before that - mind you - she doesn't now, does she. How's that? I've still got the scars from ten lashes I got from the Inspectors months before they sent me here. She IS a remarkable lady! Well - she's in there for a lot more than sixteen weeks! The only way she comes out of there is when she's due for burial at sea! It's tough at the top, Ma'am! But, then - you know all about it, don't you as the Number Two?"

No, I bloody don't know about it, thought a shocked Francesca. That settles it. I won't risk another visit to Jo just yet, but I'll change the roster a bit. That Forster cow doesn't get to go near either Annie or Jo from now on, and nor do Smith or Von Rosenberg. I think the rest are a bit more kindly disposed.

As soon as she had finished the day's work, she sent Frieda around to see to the prisoners and told her that she and Josephine would be responsible on alternate days from now onwards.