Chapter 12: Release and Catch

Jackson followed them to the offices, holding the door for them. Anderson went behind his desk while el-Azizi took her seat on the floor, with Jackson resting a hip on the filing cabinet.

“Sir, this isn’t a regular jail, but that was the best move you could’ve made. Pearlina will pass the word around to the other cooks, and since they’re now a mixed group from the first three barracks, all of them will know what the two of you discussed by tonight. The ones in Four and Five will get it tomorrow, at the latest.”

“Of course. That’s why I didn’t lie to her. Oh, and let the guys know that tonight is Mel Gibson night. It’s time for a little more flag waving, with The Patriot. That ought to cause more conversation in the barracks, when they see black free men fighting beside whites to actually found this nation.”

“And if they happen to consider seeing Tavington burn a church full of people and think about the riots in their own communities, well, that’s just a coincidence, right?” Jackson said with a smile.

Anderson shook his head. “No, I’m going to tell them the truth before the movie.”

Jackson frowned, puzzled. “Why would you do that, Sir?”

“You don’t lie about something that could easily get disproved. Remember, just because some of our guest are from the lower socioeconomic class, not all of them are. If you’re going to lie about something, make it something believable. Or, better yet, don’t lie in the first place, so that way you can’t get tripped up later on cross-examination. Isn’t that correct, Counselor?”

“That is correct, Sir. Something many witnesses never did quite manage.” She snorted then in a suppressed laugh. “Sorry. Unless you’re a politician. Hillary could lie with a straight face and did so many times, I thought it was acceptable behavior.”

Jackson nodded. “I never did like that bitch. But listening to you both this morning and just now tells me the Captain did right. He chose you for what’s between your ears and not between your legs. FUCK! I’m sorry, Sir. That was out of line. I apologize to both of you.”

“Sergeant Jackson, I’m well aware that I’m not the most physically attractive woman in this camp. More than half the women here are both considerably younger than I am, as well as more ... aesthetically ... pleasing to look upon.”

“That depends, Zuhra. Beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder.” Anderson sighed. “Is whatever kind of personal relationship that develops between Miss el-Azizi and myself going to cause you any trouble, First Sergeant?”

Jackson stood up. “No, Sir. I’m ... I’m not exactly a tactful man. You know that from my records with ODOC. I’m used to guarding prisoners, to being the authority over them. This whole psychological experiment thing ... this isn’t what I thought it was going to be, not in the least. And please don’t take this the wrong way. You are an attractive woman. We’re just in a combat situation, but with women that are running around without clothes on.”

“And you’re a man, which means you’re trying to avoid having a perpetual erection. I do understand, Sergeant. However, you’ll pardon me if I don’t offer you relief. If I may suggest something? You’ve both mentioned that you’re rather ahead of the schedule, so far as my participation, the second sorting of the rest of the women, and even with Pearlina doing the cooking now. I’m quite certain that at some point or other, there were plans – probably several more weeks down the road – for the women from the first three barracks to help provide you all with relief. Not necessarily in exchange for favors, because one thing you want to make sure is to not set up a sex for sale environment. Too many of these women are used to that. Remember that even those like Blankenship that are married are going to still want to have sex. You’re not the only ones aroused by women running around without clothes on. Hell, for some of them, this is probably a fantasy come to life! Just flirt with them a little, and see what happens,” el-Azizi said.

Jackson and Anderson were both quiet for several seconds, then Jackson took in a breath. “Damn! You chew ass like an officer. I feel both dumber than I did before I shoved my size eleven into my mouth, and ashamed of myself, too. I ... I’m not going to say why I thought the Captain actually chose you. I was wrong, very wrong, and I’m man enough to admit it.”

“Well, First Sergeant, since you admitted it, and since Zuhra has given you an idea about how to proceed, I think you ought to get together with the rest of the men and go over how you plan on not fucking things up too much when you’re actually fucking.”

“Yes Sir!” He started to leave, then said, “Sir, I really did think you were out of your mind. I was ready to cut her down if she’d moved your pistol even vaguely in your direction. I think I’ll leave the thinking about how things need to go around here to the both of you, and just concentrate on making sure I implement your plans to the best of my ability.” He nodded at el-Azizi before he left.

“Do we need to run back to my quarters, or would you just like to sit on the edge of my desk while I take care of you?”

She rose from the floor, her wetness flowing down her legs, then sat on the edge of his desk while he licked her to multiple orgasms. After that, he wiped her clean, they went to the bathroom as if nothing had happened, and he returned to work.

At the movie that night, Anderson kept his word, as well. “Ladies, tonight’s movie stars Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger!” There were some whistles at that. “I figured that was coming. Like the movie you saw last night, some of what you are going to see tonight is true, based upon real events. Some of the people portrayed really existed. So did some – most – of the brutality. Some of it is pure Hollywood. I hope you’re able to figure out which is which, and if you’re not, please discuss that with your guards later.”

Even though he’d told them in advance, Anderson was surprised to actually hear a few soft cheers from some of the women during the final battle, when Gibson carried the American flag back up the hill.

That night, while he was making love to her, Zuhra moaned, “Oh, Yes! Mel! That feels so good!”

Anderson stopped thrusting, looking down at her. She looked back up with him, a twinkle in her eyes. “You said I can’t use your name during this, so I have to call you something other than Captain Anderson!”

He laughed, which made her twitch as he was still deep inside her. “Charles. And only my parents ever called me Charley!””

“Shut up and kiss me, Charles!” He did.

The next afternoon, Zuhra began making trips to each barracks to meet the women. As Jackson had said, all of the women knew she was the liaison between them and the administration. Her unique attire, or lack thereof, also brought questions from some of the women.

“Are you being gang-raped by the guards?”

“No, Sienna. The guards here are all men, and they do have needs, just as we as women do. I know some of you are trying to take care of that yourselves, or with each other. The Captain told me the first night that he is not a rapist or a murderous thug. While we have all seen him kill ... did you realize he handed me a fully loaded pistol, so I could put Epps out of her misery? He is not an evil man. None of our guards are. They are men who served in combat for this country. This nation that...” She lowered her head. “This nation that betrayed them, as much as it betrayed us.”

“Oh, you been watching Fox News?” another woman in that barracks asked.

Sadly shaking her head, el-Azizi replied, “No, Cynthia. What did I do before I was brought here?”

“The girls in Five said you was a prosecutor, and while you let them go, you couldn’t get the cops that killed their man charged with a crime.”

“Of course they do. They were part of the group that helped burn down parts of the city five years ago, and again three years ago. What they don’t tell you is I was being paid to let them go, even after all the hurt they caused our community. Or the reason their ‘man’ was killed was because he had a trunk full of guns, and when the police stopped him, he shot at them, and at a bus full of school kids?”

Sienna asked, “So, why do you say the nation betrayed us?”

“We’re prisoners of a civil war that was started by the government. They didn’t win the election, fair and square. And we were too fucking stupid to notice it!”

Cynthia nodded then, which surprised el-Azizi. “We’ve been talking, you know. About why we’re here, and in the group we are. We were all a bunch of stupid cunts!”

The next several days went by rather quickly, as things seemed to fall into a routine. By the end of their second calendar week in captivity, corrections for the first four barracks had fallen to zero, while most of the inhabitants of Five continued to proceed in a path of self-destruction. Several of the women were giving, and getting, relief with the guards that were off duty, and things were progressing. The audiences at the movies were paying more attention, having watched The Alamo, Shenandoah, The Horse Soldiers, Gettysburg, Sergeant York, and The Lighthorsemen.

After breakfast that next morning, Anderson called a meeting of the senior NCOs. “Good morning, men. I want some input, because while I have to make a decision, one of the things I learned is, when you’re not getting shot at, it’s okay to ask the NCOs.”

“I thought that’s what officers did even when we were getting shot at.” Wiley said.

“No, that’s when we make the decisions, and just tell the First Sergeant to carry it out, even if it doesn’t make sense,” Anderson responded, which got some laughter. “Okay, in all seriousness, am I the only one who thinks we need another barracks?”

“Split up Five, before they kill each other?” Hawk asked. “Definitely.”

“Agreed,” Sergeant Gleason said. “It’s not been that long since we moved them around. I know we planned on having room for two hundred, and I don’t want to make it look like we’re punishing the ‘good’ barracks by overcrowding them based upon what they’re used to now, but I don’t see much of a way around it, at least temporarily.”

“How many of Five do you think are salvageable, Sir?”

Anderson shook his head, replying, “I don’t know, Corporal Orbrero. We’ve got the morons that want to kill Zuhra that are going even more over the top in their hatred, not just of her, but of all authority. Then there’s the Latina Lesbian Gang. Oh, I know that’s not their own name for themselves, but I’m not sure what else to call them.”

Corporal Serrano chuckled. “Si, Jefe. We had some like them in our barrio. They liked to tease us when we were younger, tell us we would never be good enough to deserve what they had to offer.”

His accent was thick, and the damage to his mouth exacerbated it, making it hard for el-Azizi to understand the Hispanic NCO. “Never good enough? Because you were men? That is stupid. At the same time, you don’t need them for relief, so the question is, do you think the experiment might work for them? If not, then I suggest they simply get sent to whatever passes for an actual women’s prison here, to rot there.”