Chapter 31: Marketing my Charges

I felt exhilarated by the morning's court proceedings. Bill indicated that he had a couple of things to discuss with me so he and I adjourned to a cozy little bar not far from the courthouse. As soon as we had received our drinks and were getting comfortable he began.

"Steph, I must say that I think the sentences you handed down this morning were fair. More than fair! In some cases even kind considering what these terrible people had put you through."

"Thank you Bill. I appreciate that vote of confidence. But I am very much disappointed that Zigler wasn't there to hear his sentence and may well escape punishment. I gave him the harshest sentence of all because I consider that he has no remorse for his actions. He lives by no moral code whatsoever. Other people are just things he can use for his convenience and then discard. Like toilet paper. In Jenkins case I talked to many people who knew him in a purely business context and they all said he was honorable in his business dealings. With him at least I felt that this was a man who had some kind of moral code but his sexual sickness caused him to betray his own code."

"I hear you Steph", Bill responded. "What you have laid out is essentially the difference between an 'amoral' person and an 'immoral' person. And I think you have pretty well nailed the difference between these two men."

"What I don't understand", I replied, "is how Zigler is able to just be a no show. Will they find him soon Bill?"

"Well you heard the judge say a warrant will issue for his arrest. That means an 'All Points Bulletin' will go out to police officers in every state containing his citizen ID number, his driver license photos and the license numbers of any vehicles registered in his name."

"What does that actually do?" I inquired.

"Steph, there are cameras at all major traffic intersections in nearly all the states. These cameras capture the license plate numbers of every car passing through these crossings. They are also able in most cases to capture a photo of the driver's face."

"Bill, do you mean there is some huge database where information about everyone's travel is accumulated?"

"Not at all. You see there is a law establishing the "Matching Image Capture System" (MICS) which mandates these cameras can only transmit a license plate or a photo of a driver to a central computer if the camera's software first detects a match between that plate number and one sought in a court issued search warrant. Otherwise all images are automatically scrubbed at the source within seconds of the photos being taken. This law is designed to protect the privacy of all Capitallia's free residents."

"What if he is riding in a car not registered to him and someone else is the driver?"

"Then he will not be apprehended by the intersection cameras. But if he is pulled over for any traffic offense he will have to show his citizen ID and the officer will see on his computer that he is to be arrested on the outstanding warrant. Also if he has to present his citizen ID for any official purpose — such as obtaining a passport — he will likely be arrested."

"But will any police officers be actually out looking for him, following his trail?"

"No. In Capitallia, where the APB is for an adult who is fleeing a civil action or a private criminal prosecution, such a search must be initiated and paid for by the private plaintiff. That means you, Stephanie. You are the one who stands to profit if he is apprehended."

"I want him found Bill. This could well be the most evil man I will ever encounter in my lifetime. I will call my attorney and authorize him to hire a private detective. Now let me hear about your life."

"Well, I went to Boston on Tuesday to see about a business possibility. An outfit called Prostitution Services Unlimited invited me to come up to their headquarters and tour the place. Then they put this proposal in front of me that could have enabled my agency to grow and make a lot of money in the process".

"Are you going to take the deal?" I asked.

"No", he replied.

"Why not?"

"They wanted me to bring debt proceedings against only young attractive women, then frighten them under the guise of 'plea bargaining' into signing away their rights. Most of these women, if they went to trial, would probably draw nonsexual indentures of five years or less. Some might even be acquitted. But I was to tell them they would surely draw twentyyear sentences and be transported hundreds of miles away from their homes, husbands and children. All this would be to make them 'volunteer' for a threeyear sexual indenture."

"I am proud of you for turning them down Bill! Will this be a hardship for your business?"

"Probably not. I am in process of working out another deal with Greg Masterson. The new law you inspired will make it necessary for him to divest his business of quite a few indentured servants and hire free employees to do those jobs instead. He has asked for my help to market all those he has to let go to other employers. I will be sending him a proposal soon."

It wasn't lost on me that the law, about to be passed, bearing my name, was going to have a very large impact on the practices surrounding indentured persons. I felt a certain satisfaction that so many would be spared rape and sexual humiliation by my unfortunate experience. All was not lost.

"Steph, I am really worried about all the signs of post traumatic stress I have been noticing in you lately. Sometimes I catch you with that million miles away look — like nothing mattered to you anymore. When Masterson told us in that meeting that he was legally liable to pay for therapy for you I breathed a sigh of relief. I was afraid you might not get around to researching the available therapies so I did a bit of research for you. I hope you don't mind."

"What did you find out?" I replied.

"I checked out Henderson Trauma Clinic on a tip from a professional therapist. I had a chance to interview the Director there and actually meet one of the couples he is currently working with. When I told him what you had been through, he recommended supervised one on one therapy with a partner, encounter group therapy and a six week self defense course taught by someone already well known to you — Susan Coxwain."

"Susan!" I shouted. "I have often wondered what became of her after she retired from the New York State Police force."

"Steph, I think you really should go over and have a talk with Dr. Henderson and see if his program might work for you."

I thought of what Ralph the doorman had said to me about how I, like other raped women, "looked like a hunted animal". Perhaps this Henderson Clinic was something I really should look into. I promised Bill I would at least consider it and kissed him goodnight.

When the day of the auction finally rolled around I decided I didn't want to miss that either. I made my way into the fenced in auction area near the courthouse where my lawyer had taken me prior to my own trial. I noted they were checking ages of very young people and not admitting those under 18 unless accompanied by a parent. The nudity and sexual humiliations that so often happened here were thought not suitable for children, notwithstanding the exception that had been made for punishment day.

As I got inside I saw that there were reserved seats up close to the auction platform for the sellers and the serious buyers. Behind this roped off area was a more general seating area mostly filled by gawkers and voyeurs. These were, for the most part, people who had not the means to buy a slave but enjoyed coming here as spectators to enjoy the sexual humiliation of other people as they were vended from the platform.

I had a word with the auctioneer beforehand to make sure the sale would be humiliating for Duncan and Ms. Clifford. Both would be auctioned naked, as was the custom. When it was Duncan's turn I had him lightly whipped on his buttocks to arouse him so that he would erect and ejaculate before the crowd. There were many hoots and hollers from the voyeur section. The crowd could see that he was vital and bidding was brisk. I had a mobile electronic device that enabled me to keep track of the bids and to know the nature of the business each bidder nominally represented.

The seller informs us that Mr. Duncan is being sold under the provisions of the new "Custodial Slavery Act". That means any who bid will be expected to submit background information and proposals for the type of work the slave would be doing for them and concerning any rehabilitation and education they are committing to provide the slave. The seller will evaluate your bids on all these factors and not on bid price alone."

Reactions from the crowd were mixed. Some applauded while there were mostly groans from the voyeur section. They found auctions more exciting when the whole process played out in front of them and they could see whose bid won.

"Now do I have some bids on this handsome ejaculator?" the auctioneer called out, manipulating Duncan's genitals with his long pointer stick.

Someone signaled $50,000, then someone else said $70,000.

"I will bid $95,000", said a female agent that I recognized as the rep for Cunilingus Bars of New York.

The vindictive part of me would love to award Duncan to this bidder. This company was famous for providing overweight middleaged women an oral sex experience where they could remain anonymous. If I awarded Duncan to them he would be getting a face full of sticky juices several times a night for the next twenty years. He would never see the faces nor learn the identity of any woman he would be forced to service though they would surely see his face and learn all they cared to know of his past. But of course I had to consider the merits of all the bids before deciding.

There were no more bids. The three who had bid entered their bid prices and personal information into their laptop computers for transmittal to the auction house computer.

"Next up we have a very attractive young family. A young woman is being auctioned — also under the "Custodial Slavery Act", but she comes with two young daughters ages 8 and 11. The lucky bidder for the woman must assume responsibility for housing the woman with her children, who will remain free, in a licensed residential facility that is in compliance with the new "Children Of Slaves" (COS) law. The financial costs for the children's board and room, their medical care and their education through the 8^th grade will be borne by the godparents of these children. In a moment you will all meet this attractive young woman and her daughters. Out of respect for the sensibilities of these innocent girls I must insist there be no jeering or hooting or rude remarks of any kind while the children are present. Would the Clifford family come on the platform at this time!"

I saw a modestly attired Cheryl Clifford climb the steps to the platform holding on to two thin preteen waifs who were also modestly attired. She was directed to come to the front and center and face the audience. She looked scared and her two children seemed shy and nervous. Her crime was detailed and information was presented about the two children. The auctioneer entertained questions from the audience for perhaps ten minutes, then the two young girls were escorted off the platform and disappeared from sight.

"Time for modesty is now over", the auctioneer yelled at Miss Clifford. "Every article of clothing must be removed. Now!" He punctuated his demand by cracking the whip against the floorboards.

She very timidly stripped until she was quite naked. Then her hands were cuffed behind her. I had instructed the auctioneer ahead of time to lightly whip her ass. He was to do this until her nipples erected and juices ran down her inner thighs. She tried to hide her face but the auctioneer made her stand up straight and make eye contact with bidders in the crowd.

"Now this young lady as you can see is in fine physical condition. I understand she works out regularly. Surely there is someone in this crowd who could put her to use dancing for customers in a strip bar!"

There were guffaws at this. Then a couple of bids, one for $90,000 and one for $135,000.

"I will bid $165,000 for her!" said a male agent I recognized as the rep for Fantasy Showgirls."

There were no more bids and the bidders again entered their bids in their laptop computers for transmittal to the auction house computer. The high bid for Cheryl was almost twice as much as for Duncan even though her sentence was shorter and the buyer had to assume certain responsibilities for her children.

In the days that followed the wouldbe buyers submitted all the required information and proposals electronically.

For Ted Duncan I had three bid proposals:

(1) $50,000 bid. Proposal indicated that the bidder, a male escort service, was interested in acquiring Mr. Duncan to service its customers. He would spend 40 hours a week doing that and, to ensure that he remained physically fit, would spend another 15 hours a week working out nude in the firm's gym.

(2) $70,000 bid. Proposal indicated that bidder, a reputable manufacturing firm, was interested in acquiring Mr. Duncan mainly for his knowledge of human resource issues. The company was just setting up a Human Resources Department and wanted to use an enslaved professional to manage it. Using a slave in this position would give the company better ability to keep its proprietary hiring practices a trade secret. Duncan obviously would not be free to go work for their competitors. Mr. Duncan would work 30 hours a week as Human Resources Manager. This employer expressed a desire to treat Duncan as respectfully as possible but, to comply with my sentence conditions he would do all his professional work for the company nude and spend another 30 hours per week as a compulsory prostitute, providing sexual services, not to the general public, but to an elite clientele of male and female executives. They would also comply, reluctantly, with my requirement that he be taken to the public whip master for a public whipping once every three months.

(3) $95,000 bid from "Cunnilingus Bars of New York". This was an establishment, as the name suggested, that provided cunnilingus services, mostly to unattractive, middle aged, fat ladies. Duncan would be trained for work as a nude male dancer and stripper and divide his time between dancing, stripping and more intimate work for customers who liked his dancing or strip act and wanted a more intimate service. The anonymity of customers was carefully protected so that Duncan would never know whose cunt he was licking, but the customer using him would have seen him dance first and would know all about his former work as a Human Resource Manager and the crime he committed to land in this job.

For Cheryl Clifford I had three bid proposals:

(1) $90,000 bid. Proposal indicated that bidder, a public brothel serving male customers, would use Cheryl as a prostitute 40 hours per week. They would arrange to board Cheryl's two children at a nearby licensed residential facility in compliance with the new Children of Slaves (COS) law. Cheryl could be with her children during all her off duty hours. The kids would socialize with children of other slaves and would be sent to a nearby school for education through the 8^th grade. Arrangements would be made for them to choose between several different apprenticeship programs once they reached age 13.

(2) $135,000 bid. Proposal indicated that bidder, a female escort service, would train Cheryl to be a highly skilled escort who would accompany her clients to restaurants, theaters or sporting events and also end each evening by sexually servicing the client. Similar arrangements would be made to board Cheryl's children in a COS compliant facility and see to their social and educational needs.

(3) $165,000 bid. Proposal indicated that bidder, "Fantasy Showgirls", would train Cheryl to be a highly skilled erotic pole dancer. All her dances would be in the nude and would be sexually suggestive. She would perform in various erotic dance bars all around the five boroughs of New York City. When any customer expressed a desire, she would go upstairs with that customer for a fee and provide any sexual services requested. This firm employed over 500 showgirls rotating among 21 different strip bars and had its own COS compliant facility and school for the children of their showgirls. The kids would receive an education through eighth grade. Upon reaching age 13 the kids would be offered various apprenticeship opportunities — including the opportunity to apprentice for six years as a 'junior showgirl' with the company. This work would entail dancing nude with Cheryl in a motherdaughter act. From age 13 to 16 the girls could dance but not go upstairs with customers. From age 16 on, if they accepted apprenticeships, they would be expected to do it all. The company was offering, if the girls accepted apprenticeships with them, to include training in showgirl management, so that the girls could eventually become part of management when they were too old to dance.

I had another meeting with Judge Morelock who introduced me to a Miss Bixby, the slave advocate he had assigned to also participate in evaluating these proposals. She and I discussed all the above bids. She readily agreed with me that the escort jobs offered Duncan and Cheryl were too good for them and would hardly constitute punishment. While I had been initially tempted to give him to the chain of cunnilingus bars which would have been degrading and also gave me the highest price, I realized that this work would be pointlessly degrading and a total waste of his talent and experience. So, in the end, we had little difficulty reaching agreement that, for Ted Duncan, the most appropriate placement would be with the manufacturing firm that wanted to use his Human Resources experience. The work would be humiliating and punitive, yet it would use his abilities and allow him to stay current in this field so that he might obtain employment as a free man after his time was served.

In the case of Cheryl Clifford we had to agree to disagree. Miss Bixby wanted to place Cheryl in the public brothel because she thought that would be less degrading work than sexually suggestive pole dancing plus going upstairs and providing sex to customers. She kept talking about how 'obscene' pole dancing was. I thought obscenity was in the mind of the beholder. At least with the brothel job, Miss Bixby maintained, Cheryl's children could be kept innocent of any knowledge of how their mother was being punished. I wanted to give Cheryl to "Fantasy Showgirls" because I thought it would be less humiliating than the brothel job. At least she could take pride in her skills as a dancer and performer. Also because I believed her kids should not be kept in the dark about their mother's punishment. In this job they would talk to children of other showgirls and would inevitably learn what their mother had to do every day. Probably they would pester their godparents for permission to watch their mother dance for the customers. They would see a highly erotic performance by a selfconfident dancer and quite possibly develop an itch to do that type of dancing themselves. I honestly believed that the apprenticeships that would be offered Cheryl's girls could be a good break for them. Also, of course, their bid was the highest. I was allowed to consider that as well.