Chapter 24: Xara Arrested

I’m starting to worry by the time Drax returns home about seven o’clock in the evening. I’m fully aware that both Drax and Xara socialise in circles that aren’t exactly risk-free. Xara takes the greater risk by entering the Red Dragon’s gang house each Sunday to visit her father and her brother, Nate. Normally her father and Nate would ensure nothing untoward happens to Xara, but they can’t always prevent trouble. Drax’s news isn’t good. There was a fight involving several of the gang members. Nate was badly injured and in need of hospital attention. The local ambulances won’t go near the gang house, so Xara had to transport her brother to the Emergency Department on her bike. The police were called, and both Xara and Nate have been detained for questioning. Xara called Drax, and he arranged for their lawyer to go to Xara’s aid. So far no charges have been laid, but the police would undoubtedly love to charge both Xara and Nate with some offence, even if it is only littering.

“Nate needed surgery, so he’ll be in hospital for a few days,” continues Drax. “Xara is being held in the police cells. They’ll either charge her with something in the morning, or let her go. The lawyer said he’ll call me as soon as he knows.”

“Can I visit Xara in the morning?” I ask.

“You could. But not while you are wearing your chastity belt. The police will search you, and I dread to think what they’ll do when they discover your belt. Don’t forget, they have you in their records now, and they have probably labelled you as a Red Dragon gang member. That makes you fair game for rough treatment.”

“Will Xara be alright?” I ask, genuinely worried about her.

“It isn’t the first time she’s been detained by the police,” replies Drax. “She’ll be more worried about Nate than what might happen to her. There’s not much the police can charge her with without concrete evidence.”

Drax’s words give me a sense of relief. Unfortunately that relief is short lived. An hour or so later we receive a visit from two police officers carrying a warrant to search the house. There isn’t a lot in the house to search and the officers are soon satisfied there are no stolen items or illegal substances hidden here. It’s me that attracts their greatest interest. As Drax said, they have labelled me in their records as a probable Red Dragon gang member, along with Xara. My flimsy dress, along with my collar and cuffs gains a lot of attention. As soon as it’s clear I’m wearing a chastity belt their interrogation of me takes on a whole new level of interest.

“Who put the chastity belt on you?” asks the senior officer.

“I did,” I reply. “Xara likes me to wear it. I like to wear it.”

“What about the collar and cuffs?”

“The same. I wear them around the house as part of our living arrangement. I work around the house in exchange for a roof over my head.”

“So that makes you a prostitute, doesn’t it?”

“No. I don’t sell sex for money.”

“But you do have sex with the owners of this house in lieu of paying rent. That means you are a prostitute.”