“Would you like to see Joanne, Annie?”  The trio were well on the way to the helicopter.

“Oh, yes, Ma’am. I’d love that.”

The supposedly hardened Annie, veteran of a flogging and a marathon staking out was close to tears at the thought of seeing Joanne again.

“Right. You can come with me. I have to check her out.  I warn you, Annie. Don’t say a word. If you do, it’s sixty lashes and sixty days back on the beach. Think you can trust yourself to keep your trap shut in front of your beloved?  I warn you, I‘ll lay them on properly this time, not like before!”

 “I’ll try.”

“Let’s get up there, then!” she looked down at the eager little thing, her eyes bright with anticipation “Oh, Hells, bells!  I know I shouldn‘t be taking you. There‘s no power on Earth would stop you talking to her is there?”

 “I don’t know, Ma’am.  She did wrong and it‘s right she is where she is, but she is my friend from a long way  back. You can‘t do much about things like that.”

Francesca put her arm around the brave little girl and guided her up to the cage. She fed the prisoner and then opened the door and asked her to try to rotate herself around to be examined. It took a while, but Francesca was pleasantly surprised that the Joanne could manage it at all. “I see the back is almost healed, Esterhazy. That’s good. All things considered, are you well?”
 
“As well as can be expected, Francesca”

“I’m an officer, now, Esterhazy. That’s another ten lashes on top of your hundred and twenty more days in there. Be very careful to give respectful and brief replies to my further questions. Understood?”

“Yes, Ma’am”

“Good”

“I will allow you to ask one question and then I’ll brief you on a few things. The Commander wants you  kept up to speed.”

Joanne’s voice was a little husky, and she cleared her throat.

“How’s Annie? No ill effects, I hope. Hearing her suffer was a million times worse than what they did to me.”

“I’m fine, Jo. Just fine and I love you more than ever. Keep your spirits up, my dear. I think of you every second of every day! I better be going now. I‘ll tell Frieda to do the necessary, shall I Ma‘am?”

“No, Schwarz. Just wait at the foot of the path.  I want to see she does a proper job on you!”

Joanne’s face dissolved into tears.

“Brave Annie!  She’ll pay for that, of course.  Get on with the briefing Fran. And then leave me in peace!”

Francesca told Joanne of her ability to pilot the helicopter.

“I guessed as much, when I saw it take off and land the other day. Sly little bitch aren’t you?  Thinking of doing a runner, I‘ll be bound!”

Francesca grinned. “Now I must clean this area up and give you a shower. Commander’s orders.”

Having doused the poor girl with icy cold water on the coldest day of the winter, Francesca prepared to leave.

“Bye, Esterhazy. I will make a full report to the Commander regarding your insolence. I wonder if you’ll ever get out of there, the way you’re going!”

The wink that Fran directed at her gave Joanne a gleam of hope. This girl was up to something, the deep and devious little bitch! 

………………………………......................................................................................................
Back on the beach, a stern faced Francesca prepared to make Annie pay for her disobedience.

“OK Annie. I’d like to report that you said not a word, but there’s no way Angela would believe me. Joanne’s a very lucky girl to have a loyal friend like you! Tie her up to the post Frieda and let’s get this dirty business over with!  I think there‘s a spare whip in the helicopter.  I‘ll fetch it while you secure her.”

Frieda took the whip from Francesca and delivered the stipulated sixty lashes. She was a hard little bitch after her experiences in the rebel army. At Annie’s age she had been given equally harsh punishments, and in her time had been ordered to lay on many lashes to other unfortunates.  She took pride in her work and sent the lash whistling through the air with every stroke making deep cuts in the quivering flesh. Annie made not a sound through all this, her worst beating yet. Frieda could see from the way the young girl’s little hands were tightly clenched above the bonds that she was going through hell.  As she finished and dispassionately gazed at her bloody handiwork, she suddenly became aware of the love for Joanne that had caused the little girl willingly to put herself in this position. At that moment the hardness went from her and she felt shame at her action and huge admiration for the gallant Annie.

Fifteen minutes later the couple, sombre and subdued,  were on their way back to report to Angela, leaving the sore and trussed Annie to her next and rather longer sojourn on the beach. The two had so placed her that she would be able to see up to the cage and her friend. They guessed this was what Annie wanted. As long as Joanne was up there the loyal little girl would keep finding ways to be as near her as she could, whatever the cost in pain and discomfort. Both of them were close to tears and  had trouble speaking for a time.

“That’s true friendship, Fran” sobbed Frieda. “It’s really beautiful.  Would you do that for me?”

“I’m offended you should ask, Frieda. Of course I would. I hope so any way. I’m not entirely sure I’d have Annie’s guts, but I hope I would!”

………………………………....................................................................................................................