Chapter 31: Independence

A couple of days later, when Jacqui could walk more or less normally, thanks to Violetta and the repair cream, Martha called her into the office.

"Have you decided to stay here?" she asked, knowing that in the end if the girl would not stay she could escape, even if it was only by suicide.

"No, Madame, there is no question of my staying" said Jacqui apologetically, "but I've been saving up to open a BDSM house of my own where really kinky people can come and do whatever they want to the girls. I'll be able to charge a fortune for that and it won't hurt your business at all, because you don't allow anybody to do things like that."

"And I suppose you intend to filch the girls from here?" asked Martha.

"No, Madame," said Jacqui, relieved that Martha would even allow her to discuss it, "We would buy them off the ships, like the other sadists do. Didn't you hear about the junior managers at Outpost Mine who have a joint fund to buy one woman each trip just so they can torture her over the next few weeks? When she dies, they just buy another at the next auction. They are our market niche, and I will use the proper treatment to keep our girls alive and repaired after each session. Of course, we'll lose some, but they would only be in the dormitories, or at Outpost otherwise; We won't need to buy pretty girls if they are just to be used as whipping posts."

"We? You said 'We'll buy them'. Who is we?" Martha asked, already guessing the answer.

"Well... " Jacqui broke off, embarrassed.

"Go on," said Martha.

Jacqui winced.

"Well ... Greta has some savings as well, but don't punish her; it was my idea," Jacqui said in a rush.

"So are you partners, or what?" Martha was very probing.

"I'm to be the Madame, and she is lending me her money."

"Borrowing the money from her to buy her from me with her own money so she becomes one of your slaves? I've heard of some scams in my time but that takes the biscuit," Martha laughed aloud.

Then she asked "What does Hugo say about this?" and Jacqui winced again.

"I did ask Kim to ask him about it when she went to his place the other day, but she said that he wouldn't talk to her about it. She claimed that he said it was up to me to talk to you," she admitted.

"That's what he told me he said to her, but it means he approves," said Martha, "Have you found anywhere to make your little nest?"

"No, Madame. How would I ever be able to go looking for a house?"

"I'll send Peter," said Martha, "How big would it be?"

"I thought four or five girls at most, with each girl working alternate days and charging a hundred and fifty a night. That would bring in over two thousand a week," explained Jacqui.