Chapter 6

Joanne's Guilty Conscience and Disgrace

It had been remarkably easy to capture the helicopter, but Joanne's hope of capturing the pilot and forcing him to fly them to the mainland deep into rebel territory had been thwarted by that gentleman's bellicose response and yet more deadly accurate shooting from Frieda. So they were still stuck on the island and with the threat of a replacement helicopter full of armed men, or of a landing from a Government warship. She guessed neither of these possibilities was imminent. The authorities might well decide to cut their losses and let the girls starve over time.

The food supply would last only a few months. There was plenty of protein swimming about in the sea, but for the rest of their diet, the outlook was not promising. They would have time to build a raft to cross over to the mainland in at the most, four months time...

In the meantime they were stuck here. As soon as the helicopter had been secured, and Francesca had switched off the engine, Angela was released from the cage. The ever trigger happy Frieda did this by shooting off the padlock, much to Joanne's annoyance. How was Annie to be locked in now? Francesca eased her concern by pointing out that it should be easy enough to devise a simple catch, which a person on the inside would be unable to reach. That made Joanne happy, although not Annie.

With Angela at her side, Joanne addressed the newly liberated women and explained the code which she, Annie and Francesca had agreed of total nudity as a condition of belonging to her rebel faction. Some of the new arrivals agreed at once, but most asked for time to think it over, eying the clothing left by the deceased guards with much longing.

Angela, who had endured so long stuck in the cage day and night felt able to go along with it, despite some reservations. She liked Joanne and wanted to serve with her. Frieda was also enthusiastic - a tough little girl, she relished the physical challenge and she wanted to make a good impression on Francesca. Josephine also agreed without hesitation and without enthusiasm either. If Frieda could do it, then so could she!

Those who accepted the no clothing rule followed Joanne around to the other side of the island and under her direction, started establishing themselves, using the cave as the main living quarters.

Over the next three days, the rest of them agreed to join up and a ceremony was held where all swore to uphold the main rule through thick and thin and no matter what the conditions. There was not one of them who did not feel a tremor of excitement mixed with fear as they took on board the extremity of hardship they were likely to suffer before the struggle was over.

Joanne posted a three woman guard over the stranded and useless helicopter. It was to be set on fire in the event of an attempt to land on the island. In the meantime, Joanne decided to let it stay where it was. Francesca agreed with her. She had her reasons for this - of which more later.

Thirty years ago there had been a fleet of these helicopters, as well as winged warplanes, at the disposal of the government, but the State's obstinate rejection of technology had resulted in a steady fall in their number. Now there were very few left. The regime must have fallen long ago had it not been that the opposition forces were every bit as lacking in what was once called modern weaponry.

Angela had replaced the original pair of Francesca and Annie as Joanne's right hand woman. Frieda and Josephine had to live with the fact that Angela was once more in authority over them, but with Joanne in overall command, the former prisoner was less of a pain in the neck than she might have been.

None of the women seemed anxious to try making the rather dangerous crossing to the mainland, and the sight of a light aircraft patrolling the sea made them even more afraid. They would be sitting targets on a makeshift raft. Joanne decided to wait and see. If they could defeat an attempt to take back the island, they might then have the means of escape. With the large amount of weaponry at their disposal, they would have a fair chance.

It was a week after the deaths of the four Inspectors and Joanne had time to take stock of her own position. Annie was due to be sent to the cage in a day or two for her disobedience but Joanne knew that her own guilt in falling asleep at such a vital time was a far worse offence, for which she was paying no penalty, save that of being eaten up by inward shame. Finally she had had enough.

She knew that she must confess her offence and pay the penalty for it. What Angela had said about her own unit, where an officer could be reduced in rank for a time and punished like an ordinary soldier was making more and more sense. She would step down in favour of one of the others and submit herself to the new commander's punishment.

Francesca was her first choice. This young woman was far cleverer than Angela and impressed Joanne more and more each day. But she was young and too close to her. Because of her obligation to the girl who had saved her life, the others might feel that she would be less than fair in any decision she made.

Annie was out for the same reason. More than that she even closer to Joanne and far too young. In any case, she was shortly to be punished herself. No! The only choice was Angela. She wondered how that tough, inflexible lady would act. Pretty harshly; that was for sure. But she would have to be the one.

One day, Joanne ordered all the women around to the other side. She and Angela walked behind the others and Joanne prepared to put her fate in the other woman's hands. As soon as they were all within sight of the helicopter, the cage, the stakes and whipping post, she turned to Angela. Now was the moment of truth!

Angela's Savage Sentence and Jo's Ordeal

DAY ONE (Of Jo's punishment)

"Angela! I want you to take over for a while."

Angela looked up in amazement. She had got used to working under Joanne, respecting her intelligence as well as her energy. What was the girl playing at?

"As you know, I was about to punish Annie with six days in the cage. She disobeyed an explicit order and I can't let that go, much as I love the girl. The thing is..."

The normally articulate Joanne was lost for words. She went deep red and looked deeply ashamed. She swallowed hard and continued. Her voice betrayed the fact that she was close to tears.

"I was guilty of a far worse offence, Angela. I fell asleep on watch. I don't know for how long, but Annie walked right up to where I was and touched me on the shoulder to wake me up. If she had been an Inspector doing a search, I'd have been done for and so would the other two.

"That's why I want you to take over for a while. I deserve punishing far more than Annie. If you take command, then you can decide how I should be dealt with - I'll abide by your decision and so will Annie and Francesca. I think they both guess how bad I feel. I daresay you will have me staked out, so I won't be much use until I'm free again. Maybe you ought to take over permanently!"

Angela shook her head at the last suggestion. "No, Joanne, you are the leader in the long term, but you ought to be punished, and pretty ferociously - you're right about that. I can hardly believe what you've just said - I really can't! One or two of our conversations suddenly make a bit more sense! So! - OK, I'll take over, but you must understand that you won't like it one little bit! An Army is a very hard place to be when you step out of line as badly as you did. What I will do to you will make you wish you'd never been born. Feel up to it? Sure you want to go ahead? If you want to back out, I'll forget this conversation ever took place and no one will ever know a thing about it."

Joanne nodded. "I trust you to do the right thing, Angela. I'm in your hands."

"Fair enough, Joanne. I see why you have brought us all over here. We'll have a meeting and then you can hand over. I will immediately put you and Annie under arrest and we can have an impromptu Court Martial for you both. I further suggest I be the one and only member of the Court!"

Joanne agreed, feeling her guilt beginning to lift already. A meeting was hastily called. With the girls all standing in a circle, Joanne explained the situation. She shook hands with Angela to signify the temporary change of command. Angela wasted not a second in opening the proceedings. Things were moving fast, now that Joanne had decided to do the decent thing.

"The two accused, Esterhazy and Schwarz will remain standing to attention throughout the proceedings. The rest of you may be seated. I will summarise the indictments against both accused. Do you, Esterhazy, admit to having fallen asleep on duty, thereby endangering the lives of your group?"

"I do"

Angela nodded curtly. She turned to Annie, poor, frightened little Annie, with her pale face. Joanne could only hope and pray that the girl would not wet herself and add that disgrace to her catalogue of woes. She should have warned her, but it was too late for that now. She could both feel and smell the fear in the girl by her side. She wasn't feeling too good herself, despite the choice she had made.