In less than an hour, my backside is a mess of burning welts. I tell myself that the women won’t keep this up forever — that eventually their fury will be sated. Already several of them have stopped; the others pick up the slack, but eventually they won’t. I still don’t blame them wanting payback for the pain I’ve caused, but I do wish they’d get over it sooner, rather than later — especially Jacqueline. Once she stops, so will everyone else.
She doesn’t though. Once our lunch break ends and Reed puts my gag back in, she puts her head down for an afternoon nap.
“Bitch, get up!” Byron barks, marching into the center of the room. “Everyone, stop what you’re doing. We have a visitor.”
The room quiets immediately. Are they bringing in a sponsor? That’s what I’m wondering, and I assume everyone else. But we wouldn’t be here in the workshop if that was the case, would we?
After a few minutes, I’m proven correct, though I wish I wasn’t: the guest is Darren Prescott.
“The lot of you haven’t made quota in a week, but I get it now,” he says, raking his eyes over my nude form. “Byron told me about his little play to get Ms. Harris in line, and yeah, I’d be distracted too, but my quota isn’t a fucking suggestion. You make it, or you pay. If I wasn’t here with a major announcement, I’d give you all a serious beating.”
Prescott saunters over to me and runs his hands over my bruised rear. I try to shake him off, but I’m too effectively bound to really fight back. He traces the imprints left by Reed’s whip and grins.
“I’m kidding. Look what you’ve done to Quinn. It’s fucking beautiful. You must really hate her, huh? And with good reason, though not as good as mine. You remember what she did, right? Do you think she’s paid enough? No, so I can’t stay mad at you.”
“Thank you, sir,” says Jacqueline.
Fucking kiss-ass.
“That’s my girl,” Prescott replies, giving her a wink. “And Reed, you must be having the time of your life, having your way with that sweet ass.”
I don’t know how Reed keeps his cool. He nods and says, “It’s a great ass.”
He’s playing you, Quinn. It’s how he breaks us.
A week ago, I’d have assumed Reed was just playing along with Prescott’s spectacle, but Amber’s warning echoes in my mind. She’s wrong, though. She has to be. I’m not broken — not even close. Reed’s telling Prescott what he wants to hear. He’s got to keep his cover until we can escape.
“Anyway, I meant what I said about the quota, so let me get to the point,” Prescott says, climbing up on a chair for height. “Walker Work Center is expanding. I’ve worked out a deal with one of my colleagues out west to start receiving undocumented migrants — hard workers with no one who’ll care if they go missing. I’ve combed my entire prison system, recruiting guards for a transfer here. They will also serve as the construction crew for this new wing. They will arrive soon and begin within a few days.”
Wow. Holy shit.
“That’s going to mean a lot of changes in the next few weeks, which will be good for all of you. There will be new amenities — some temporary, some permanent. Construction work isn’t easy — they’ll need to eat well, so we’re getting new kitchen equipment. That means better food around here from now on. More importantly, all of you are going to help with the construction: you’ll move supplies, you’ll bring the workers drinks and you’ll clean the site. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be different.”
I hate to admit it, but after nearly two months of sewing, a change in routine does sound nice. Of course, everything about Prescott’s new venture is totally fucking evil — I shouldn’t be excited by the prospect for any reason at all. It’s amazing what people get used to, under the right circumstances.
“Now, fair warning, ladies,” Prescott continues. “The new workers know what we do here at Walker Center, and they’ve been promisedextra benefitswhile they’re on the job. All of you will be expected to obey them as if they were any other Walker staff or visiting sponsor. Make them happy to be here, alright? You’re going to be stuck with them either way, so won’t it be easier on everyone if you all like each other?”
I glower at Prescott so hard, if I could kill with just my mind his head would pop right off.
You’re going to pay for this, motherfucker. This is too far.
“Oh, look at Quinn,” he says. “She’s pissed. Shocking, right? Thank you, Quinn, that’s a great lead into my last point: the number one thing for you all to remember is that you willallbe on your absolute best behavior during the construction. If you doanythingto cause trouble, you will fucking regret it. From now on you’ll all be a lot more replaceable, and we’re going to be pouring a lot of cement floors and foundations. Hiding a few bodies won’t be much of a problem. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir,” we say, more or less in unison.
Prescott smiles. “Good. Now Reed, Edwin and Hunter, come here a second.”
The guards approach him, and he waves them into a huddle. I can’t hear what they’re discussing, but it doesn’t take long.
“Okay, get to it,” he says after a moment.
Reed approaches me while Edwin heads for Jacqueline and Hunter takes Amber. They unlock us while Prescott and Byron move a couple of tables to the front of the workshop.
“Ladies, during this period there will be heavy consequences for even the slightest infractions, as you’ll see now.”
While Prescott talks, the men remove us from our current restraints, strip Jacqueline and Amber, then help us up onto the tables. Working on us one at a time, they position us on all fours and lock our limbs into each tables’ manacles. With our limbs all securely bound, all we can do is watch.
It’s hard to imagine I’m at the point where this is not the worst thing that’s happened to me in the last week.