Any comments, suggestions etc much appreciated.
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3. The Transport Cage
Maria heard the calls and came, untying Jessica and Kate from the whipping post. "You're like twins," she joked, "both of you in handcuffs and the same cane marks on your asses!"
"How's my backside?" Kate asked Jessica later as they paddled ankle-deep through the lapping surf.
"Five thick lines on each buttock. And mine?"
"The same! Hope it doesn't hurt too much, Jessie. for what it's worth, I think it looks sexy."
Jessica shook her head in disbelief. "You say the strangest things!"
As if to prove the point, Kate asked: "Do you play football?"
Jessica was puzzled, thinking of gridiron for a moment. "Oh, you mean like soccer?"
Kate, who didn't know much about sports, wasn't sure. "I think so. We usually play in the morning. Sometimes volleyball, but that wouldn't work for us today."
"It certainly wouldn't," Jessica's sighed, tugging angrily at her handcuffs. Her eyes followed Kate's to where the other bunnies were kicking a ball on the beach by way of warming up. She liked to exercise daily so was happy to join in.
"Hey Jessica, can you kick a ball?" asked Hannah holding a ball nonchalantly against her provocatively cocked hip.
"Sure. I guess," answered Jessica with a disingenuous shrug. She was part of the soccer generation and had played right through high school and college.
Hannah, the unofficial sports mistress took charge. "Listen up everybody! We have eight players today. Jessica will play with Rachel, Juliette and Sumi... usual rules, first team to score five. Rewards for winners, forfeits for losers."
The goal posts constituted small branches stuck in the sand. The ball, lighter than a regular soccer ball, was no problem for their bare feet. After brief team talks by the respective captains, (Hannah and Rachel) the game commenced with neither an offside rule or goalkeepers. Jessica would soon learn there very few rules at all. In fact the only firm rule seemed to concern unspecified reward for the winners and forfeits for the losers.
Hannah kicked off, passing straight to Kate, who kicked ahead for Kelly down the right side, who passed inside to Maria, who tapped the ball past Juliette and between the sticks.
Jessica despaired. Her team was a goal down without even a touch of the ball!
Rachel kicked off passing straight to Jessica going down the left. Jessica skipped Kate's attempted tackle with little more effort than it took to giggle. Hannah was a different proposition, shoulder charging Jessica so she tumbled face-first in the sand, her cuffed hands useless to protect her. By the time Jessica spat out the sand and looked up, her team were losing by two.
The low-minded tactics of Hannah were just the incentive Jessica needed. Before the restart Jessica had a quiet word with Rachel to make a plan. They stood just a couple of steps apart. Rachel kicked off with a tap of the ball to Jessica, who gave it a mighty kick. The ball soared over their opponents' heads and straight through the posts. Her team-mates cheered, the others gasped, whilst Hannah was muttering about the legalities of such a long kick.
"That's a hell of a kick you have Jessie!" said Kate by way of congratulations, and others echoed the compliment.
In the end Jessica's team won 5-3. Reward, whatever that might be, was hers; although not losing to Hannah felt like reward enough.
-oOo-
Two men sat watching on a cliff above as they often did in the morning. They enjoyed watching the soccer skills of the new bunny, and how she ran so well with her hands chained behind her. Ponygirl drivers tended to notice things like that.
One handed the other a $20 bill. "All thanks to the new girl" said the recipient, kissing the note and sticking is straight it his pocket.
-oOo-
Lunch at the bunny cabin consisted of fresh fruit, the only midday food option; their diets being strictly controlled along with much else they did. Kate and Jessica needed hand feeding, and Maria was happy to oblige, knowing the favour might need to be returned.
In the afternoon Kate offered to take Jessica exploring in the woods and along the beach. With no better offers or prior appointments, Jessica agreed. Her concern that they were both in handcuffs was dismissed by Kate with a shrug. "What's the worst that could happen? We've already been kidnapped by evil slave traders and taken to their remote hideaway!"
"So you were kidnapped too?" Jessica asked.
"Well, yes and no. Firstly my boyfriend, henceforth called the bastard, sold me to some chap who acquired me for a billionaire oil guy, but that didn't work out so they had me shipped to Thailand. I ended up in Charlie's hen house."
"I've heard of that place!" said Jessica.
"Yeah, Sumi passed through there, so did Kelly and Maria. This Charlie, a Chinese fella, runs a kind of clearing-house for slave trading. It's okay if you don't mind being in a cage."
"And if you do mind?"
"Then, you'll find it a little cramped. But the food's good. Charlie's a great cook!"
Jessica rolled her eyes in disbelief, something she seemed to do a lot in Kate's company. "Then you came here?"
"Yep. Master Alex bought me and had me shipped here."
"Master Alex? I've heard that name before too. Must have been at the lodge. Who is he?"
Kate smiled, as if her spirit lifted by the mere mention of his name. "He's one of the managers. You'll meet him in due course. He's away at the moment, but someone told me he's returning soon. I can't explain it exactly, but it's not quite the same here when he's away."