Chapter 24

Next morning.

Time: Wednesday, January 16, 2019 11:41 AM

Mark’s phone rang as he and Toshi were coming out of Banana Republic, the last Red Mall store before the central hub. He answered it and found Jada on the line. She and Akiko were calling from the coin store at the Black Mall sky bridge.

“I have something to report,” Jada said without bothering to exchange hellos. “There’s a large crowd of Party Five personnel coming up the spiral. They’re about four hundred meters from Rabbies Dram now. I would guess about twenty people. I’ll know better in a few minutes. I also have Emily and Kiyoko on the line.”

“Hi, Mark!” Kiyoko added cheerfully from the Red Mall home library.

The day had been very peaceful so far. Emily was keeping Kiyoko company as Kiyoko began her first day of janitor training. Jada and Akiko were spending the day monitoring Black Mall, and Akiko in particular was experimenting with the monitoring system, probing how the sensors were linking with each other. Everyone else was scheduled to spend the morning in Green Mall and the afternoon in White Mall, expanding their Mall monitoring network.

“You feeling okay up there, Jada?” Mark asked. Jada could hear the tenderness in his voice.

She gave a quick laugh. “You mean as in, lo, the enemy approacheth? Yes, Akiko and I are fine.” Jada paused for a moment and then tried to give a completely honest answer. “It is a little scary watching this, but hell Mark, they’re still twenty-five kilometers away, we’re locked in nice and tight with the sky-bridge elevator just a few meters away. And as a final backup, we have a bike and a side car. Yeah, we’re fine. How’s the sensor installation coming?”

“Up and running without a hitch. Green Mall objective is complete, everything from 700 meters to 19,240 meters is buttoned down. The rest of the crew is working both directions from the White Mall sky bridge now. They should be finished in time for dinner.”

“Uh huh. Where are you now?”

“I’m here at the hub with Toshi, the last store in Red Mall, you know, the Banana Republic.”

“Right. While you’re there, why don’t you ask her to help you pick out some new shirts?”

Mark laughed. “I had a thought this morning, all six terminal stores have elevators. What about the stores at the hub end?”

“Wow, that’s an interesting thought. Find anything?”

“Not yet. But this might be our last chance to explore the hub area safely, so Toshi and I plan to spend the afternoon here.”

“Okay, sounds good. How did things go with the arctic clothes?”

“Just fine. We ported a huge assortment of stuff over to Barnes & Nobel.” Mark was referring to the entrance store to the home complex of Aggie’s Green Mall. “Amazing stuff. I look like someone going out for Halloween dressed as a hot water heater.”

“Say again?”

“Thick cylindrical clothing, incredible insulation. I can’t imagine the climate will get so cold that we’ll need this.”

“Hmmm ... Well, we’ll see. It got down to -11C last night and hasn’t recovered a bit. Mark, the Party Five people are almost at the sensor now. I count eighteen people, I think eight guys and ten women. All of the women are in decent clothes, and ... I don’t think any are wearing ankle chains. Uh, I’m not sure, but it looks as if four of the women are herding the other women who are dragging sleds. I’ll let Akiko take over reporting from here.”

“Hello everybody,” came Akiko’s voice. “I’m using the zoom now to get a closer look. Jada is correct. All four of Uno’s taskmistresses are all here, Brandi, Jessica, Tiffany, and Nadine.” They’re driving six slaves who are dragging two sleds.” Akiko spoke for another minute until the group stopped just short of the locked area of the mall and began working.

After several more minutes she reported, “It looks as if they’re going to turn the store two doors from our last sensor into a supply depot. I’m referring to the store next to the last store that’s open to them on the outside arc. The sleds are filled with containers, I would guess food and drinking water.”

Mark was confused. “Akiko, are women being forced to make other women work?”

“No, not forced. Three of the women are as bad as the men, even worse maybe. They’re the girlfriends of, uh, let me think, Alfredo, Alfonso, and Gilberto. And then there’s Brandi. Brandi isn’t too bad. She’s Chico’s girlfriend. The others though are the cruelest people imaginable. Seriously, Mark, they’re horrible.”

“Uh huh. And the four guys you mentioned?”

“Those are Uno’s top people. Chico is second-in-command, and with Santos gone, Gilberto might be the new third-in-command. All four of these men are here now, plus two more compadres and two muchachos.”

“Okay. And the women they’re herding?”

“We should probably show this recording to Fatima, but I think they’re all women that the frat boys picked up as quick dates when they were standing in line on December 21^st.”

“Ah, I see. And the remaining four women who aren’t here?”

“More long-term girlfriends of the men. But they’re not cruel. Uno didn’t trust them and threw them into what they call the pussy barn with the rest of us slaves. They were worked as hard as we were during the days. The only difference was they didn’t have to do night shift rotations. They got to sleep with their boyfriends.”

Mark grimaced as he realized what sort of night work Akiko was referring to. It suddenly struck him what Uno was doing. “Let me guess. The four women who aren’t here, their boyfriends aren’t here either.”

Akiko nodded as she watched the monitor. “Correct. You’re thinking the same thing I’m thinking. With an unknown enemy at his doorstep, Uno decided he was a bit heavy in the pussy barn department.”

Mark felt himself blushing but couldn’t stop himself from asking, “The pussy barn?”

Toshi was standing quietly by Mark’s side. She brushed the back of her hand against his to get his attention. “It’s a mattress store two doors down from Jacob’s Bar and Grill. It’s where they would lock us up after they were finished with us for the night. Forgive us for being crude, but that’s what they call it.”

“Oh ... So you weren’t forced to sleep with them overnight?”

Toshi shook her head no. “Mark, think. The men need their sleep too. Would you allow yourself to become that vulnerable, to fall asleep with a woman you just raped?”

Mark looked chagrined. “No, I guess not. Forgive me, Toshi.”

“Huh? For what?”

“For not appreciating the horror you women went through.”

Toshi reached up and gently touched Mark’s cheek. Their eyes locked for an instant. “We shared our minds last night,” Toshi thought, “Shared the measure of our souls. Your apology is completely unnecessary.”

Mark let out a deep, sad sigh, breaking the eye contact. He spoke into his phone. “And now they’ve isolated the missing four women and are trying to sweet-talk them into returning as loyal members of the team. Think it’ll work?”

“It might.” Akiko answered over the phone. “Don’t judge the women too harshly, Mark. Rape is a really horrible experience. This is their only way out.”