Chapter 3: More Fresh Air

"Yes, Miss O'Brien, we have persuaded the Ministry of Justice to expedite its investigation into your case. They are arranging for the police to interview people at the hotel and verify the possibility of your public nudity being not entirely voluntary."

"Not entirely! What are they talking about? Who in their right mind would volunteer to be frozen half to death at three in the morning? And how has it taken this long to get around to checking with the hotel?"

"Yes, I know young lady, but you have demonstrated these last few days a certain hardihood - an impressive ability to endure low temperatures. I'm sorry to say that this has tended to confirm their doubts about your story. They really think you like being naked in the cold. As for the delay - it's what you have to get used to here, I'm afraid. The Justice Ministry will keep us informed and as soon as I have anything more to tell, I'll be back to see you"

"When will that be?"

"Shouldn't be much more than another week or two. Unlikely to be less, I'm afraid" He tore his gaze away from the heart shaped mole on Katie's adorable left breast and the sweet nipples, hardened in the morning breeze. "You see there's a two day public holiday coming up and then the weekend. I'm afraid they lack our sense of urgency and things don't move too fast here!"

"What if they still don't accept my story?" said the once again desperate girl, thrown back once more into complete hopelessness. "What then?"

"Well, the last time a foreigner fell foul of the morality laws he was given fifteen days in jail and just before his release they caned him on the soles of his feet. That was a month ago. He's fine now. Won't need the sticks any more in a couple of months and he'll hardly be limping at all this time next year."

Katie went white and her diaphragm contracted convulsively. Her insides seemed to have acquired a life of their own as they churned and heaved. She gasped heavily for some minutes. " Quite a pretty sight!" thought the Consul. "There are times when life is truly good!"

"Don't worry, my dear." he said out loud. "You are a woman (and how, he thought!) and they won't beat your soles. Well - not quite as hard as they did that poor chap. You shouldn't get that long inside - in fact they'll most likely be content just to chuck you out of the country. There's a lot on the plus side, you've attracted plenty of publicity over this and many of your colleagues are over here covering the story. The authorities are bound to cave in sooner or later."

"Can't you get me moved inside, or even given something to wear. And this chain. It's so degrading, being shackled here like this. And I need a bath or shower. I'm starting to stink after over a week"

"See what I can do!" His nose wrinkled with distaste. She certainly wasn't any too fresh - to put it mildly!

And the Consular visit was over. Katie was left alone, still shackled and still nude, to consider the situation.

"Plenty of my colleagues over here covering my plight. Great! Not financial/economic analysts like me. Just tabloid hacks after a juicy story about a naked girl facing some kind of Oriental caning. Cheap sensational exploitation stuff, that's what they're printing about me!"

Her face went red at the very shame of it all and she sank back on the ground, the picture of hopelessness. She wriggled her toes and shivered at the thought of her feet being beaten on the soles. The Bastinado, they called it. The very thought made her flesh creep! She wondered how painful it was and prayed that she wouldn't find out!

Half an hour after the Consul had left, the Police Woman came out into the yard with a hosepipe which she turned on and directed full force at Katie. The pressure was intense and the water icy cold. It almost knocked her out. After ten minutes of this the hose was turned off and a shivering and soaking Katie was left sprawled and exhausted on the ground, trying to collect her thoughts.

"You stay out here" said the policewoman. "Cold and naked till you go. Plenty long time out here - plenty cold soon - winter come! Freeze dirty whore's tits off!"

The police Captain, stared down from his office window. For the thousandth time in the last eight days he smiled delightedly at the sight of those long limbs and red hair and the chest rising and falling as the girl sobbed her heart out. "I wonder how much longer I shall have her to look at?" he thought. "I'll SO miss her when she's gone!"

"How much longer do you want me to keep her out there?" he asked the other onlooker.

"Oh! Couple more months! Maybe three! Keep her here till it gets really cold all day and all night. I'm nowhere near tired of this little game just yet! She's coping well and I think it would be a fascinating scientific experiment to test her hardihood to its limits and beyond!" said Charlie Ford, with a grin. "I'm off back home later today. Keep taking the pictures and don't forget to email them to me. See you in three weeks. This should be enough to see you right until then."

And he shoved a mouth-wateringly thick thick wad of high denomination hard currency into the greedy Captain's outstretched hand. The chubby fingers closed over the handsome bribe and the visitor left, chuckling delightedly at the way his hated rival was suffering.