The Courier Ch. 10

"No matter what happens during your sentencing hearing, next Monday you're gonna be switched and this is where you'll have to recover. A week from now this is gonna be you."

Maria Elena looked at the man, studying the painful welts and blood blisters that covered his backside. She had known being flogged was going to be part of her punishment, but to actually see it up close...

"Your Spokeswoman had to go through this three times. She told me that it feels like you're being ripped apart, like it's gonna kill you, like it's never gonna end. When the cop is whipping you, it'll be the longest hour of your life. You'll want to scream, but you need to resist and stay quiet because that's part of a criminal's honor. You're gonna have to show courage when you're on the switching table or else your fellow criminals aren't gonna respect you. That's the reality you're facing. But it's the same for everyone who gets convicted. Everyone who wears a Ministry of Justice collar goes through the same experience. You'll go through it and you'll survive, just like everyone else."

Maria Elena stood in horrified silence as Cecilia continued:

"In one way you're a lot luckier than most of the foreigners that come through this office. Most people go on trial the day after they're arrested and really don't have a clue what's going on...and you can imagine how scary that would be. You're lucky because the Ministry had to wait to put you on trial. You've had a chance to get used to things here. You know what it's like to be a criminal, you know what to expect, and there won't be any surprises. Most prisoners don't have that opportunity."

The two women passed into the back office, where Kim was organizing a folder with her client's information. As usual, Cecilia stood at attention while Maria Elena knelt and put her head to the floor. Kim told her client in Danubian:

"Please rise, Prisoner # 101025, and take a seat so we can fulfill our Paths in Life."

"Thank you, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna."

Tiffany, now in the final weeks of her pregnancy, struggled to move about the office as she served glasses of blackberry punch and buttered dinner rolls. Maria Elena and Cecilia were grateful for the snack, because the trip downtown would force them to miss lunch. As the prisoner and her translator ate, Kim laid out what was going to happen the following week:

"I think you're going to be in luck next Monday. The Inspector seemed concerned that he and his crew roughed you up too badly. He doesn't want the details of what they did to you coming out in the trial, for obvious reasons. So, your corporal punishments are going to be cut way back. At most they're gonna ask for only two switchings per year, and I'll argue it should be less than that, at least later on in your sentence. So, getting whipped is not something that you're gonna have to worry about all that often."

Kim waited for Cecilia to translate and continued:

"Anyhow I've got another piece of good news. Because of the information you gave us, the Germans arrested 'El Flaco'. That's the first time they were able to act on anything we gave them that we got from someone working at your level. For once we actually managed to mess up the bad guys' day."

Maria Elena was less than elated, because her old fear of retaliation came back to her full-force. There was no question that "El Flaco" would want to come after her. Kim picked up on her nervous reaction.

"El Flaco's not going anywhere. He's got major problems right now. You know that he's not really a cocaine trafficker; he just did that on the side. His group was focused on running a white slavery operation. What they've been doing is to get women to come into Europe as cocaine couriers, then they take their documents away and sell them."

"Sell the documents, Spokeswoman Lee Dolkivna?"

"No, not the documents; the women. They sell the women, you know...to brothels, strip joints, pimps, that sort of thing. From what the Germans told us, El Flaco's specialty was moving Ecuadorians, Colombians, and Peruvians into and out of Germany. Their investigators traced a couple of your fellow couriers to a brothel in Bucharest and some others to a place in Istanbul. Those are the only ones they found so far. They don't know where the others are, but the Frankfurt police recovered 42 passports from his apartment. That's at least 42 women that have gone missing, because the records show them entering Germany but not leaving. Now they know who's responsible."

"...and they all flew out of Panama City...to Frankfurt..."

"Yes, for some reason Alex and 'El Flaco' liked moving their women out of Panama...the Germans will have to figure out why that was. From what I know about these groups, I'm gonna guess 'El Flaco' had customs officials paid off in both airports to let you guys through. I suppose that's why it was always Panama City-Frankfurt."

As Cecilia translated, her expression clearly read: "I told you so..." Maria Elena's heart sank at hearing, for certain, what she already suspected. There was no way El Flaco would have simply paid her off and allowed her to depart for Spain. She now understood that it was not the kilo of cocaine that she was transporting, but herself. Had Maria Elena's flight not been diverted to Danubia, she would have delivered herself right into the control of a white slavery ring.

Kim waited for her client to fully understand the significance of what she had just said. Judging by her sick expression, it was obvious that she did understand.

"Prisoner # 101025, I want to ask you something. Knowing what you know now, about what was waiting for you in Germany, do you still regret having landed here last week?"

"No, Spokeswoman, I don't regret it. I'm sorry that I got on the plane in Panama. That I'm sorry about."

"You getting on that plane was inevitable. You were obsessed with a dream, and nothing was going to stop you from chasing it. Alex promised you quick money and an escape, and you didn't have the common sense to see that you were getting into a trap. You had no way of knowing because you were ignorant. You didn't even bother to find out why they were giving you so much money or why you were flying alone. Nothing could have stopped you."

"I suppose that's true, Spokeswoman."

"I want you to understand that is was not luck that saved you. The Creator chose to save you. The Path of your Life led you here to Danubia and the Path of your Life is to stay here and serve our country. You need to ask yourself, why you and not the others? Why were you spared? You cheated Death, but why?"

Maria Elena did not know how to respond to Kim's deeper question. However, her narrow escape from horrific enslavement and a likely early death gave her the courage to comply with her duty to report her relationship with Victor. After a long silence she said:

"Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna, last night I slept with Victor Dukov. I slept with him because I love him."

Kim glanced at Cecilia:

"You were aware of this?"

"Yes, Spokeswoman, I was. But I thought it would be better for Criminal # 101025 tell you herself."

Kim pondered how to proceed. She knew that both Cecilia and Maria Elena were expecting her to simply say that the relationship needed to end immediately. However, because of her suspicion that her client had come to Danubia for some special purpose, the Spokeswoman was reluctant to pass judgment on what was going on between her and the man she used to work for.

"You do understand that, by the standards of our society, what you two are doing is not proper at all?"

"Yes, Spokeswoman, I understand that."

"Now for another question. Why did you do it? And why with him? Why Victor?"

"Because he needs me, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna."

"And what about you? What are you getting out of it?"

Maria Elena thought for a moment. "I...I guess it's because I'm tired of being with people I'm afraid of. I'm tired of living my life in fear. When I'm with him I don't feel that way; I'm not scared. When I'm with him I feel different."

Kim contemplated her client. Maria Elena's expression was perfectly calm: she was not ashamed of what she was doing with Victor, nor was she proud or defiant. It was clear that she saw the relationship as part of her Path in Life, even if she didn't understand it in those terms yet. As improper as Maria Elena's behavior might have been, Kim did not feel that she was in a position to simply prohibit her from spending time with Victor.

"Right now I can't tell you how I'm going to handle this, Prisoner # 101025. I'm going to have to go to Victor's office this afternoon, talk to him, and see what he has to say about his feelings towards you. If he's as sure about you as you seem to be about him, then I will have both of you submit written statements about your relationship and your intentions to the Ministry. Once I get them approved, they will go in your criminal file. Then I will have to grant you provisional permission to continue seeing him. But there is something that you'll always need to remember."

"What is that, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna?"

"As a criminal, the Path of Your Life is to serve the people of Danubia. If the Ministry of Justice decides that it needs to move you to better serve the Danubian public, then you will have to obey, and your feelings for Victor won't matter. That's the reality of being a criminal in this country. Your life belongs to the Ministry, not to Victor or anyone else. I'm sure he understands that, but I need to make sure you understand as well."

"Yes, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna."

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A few minutes later Cecilia and Maria Elena returned to the university. Cecilia went to her office to make some phone calls to Chicago, while her prisoner barely had time to make it to Danubian language class.

Meanwhile, Spokeswoman Kimberly Lee-Dolkivna went to Merchant Victor Dukov's office to deal with the uncomfortable situation of trying to determine if her former boss would receive permission to have a relationship with one of her clients. She was sure that she had no choice other than to tentatively approve the relationship, because she had worked for Victor Dukov when she was a criminal herself. He had not been particularly nice to work for, but she later understood that Victor's personality and behavior did not reflect what he really thought of her. As her months working under him passed, she acquired more respect for him.

In theory the Spokeswoman was legally above Victor Dukov, because he was a private citizen while she was a public official. However, in no way did she see herself as his superior. Kim always considered Victor as her former boss and never would she see him in any other manner. The thought that he owed her any deference never entered her mind, no matter what she might have said to her client. Even the mere thought of forcing him to justify his relationship with Maria Elena made the Spokeswoman cringe. However, because of her position and her client's legal status, at the very least she would have to go through the formality of talking to both partners before filing a report about the relationship.

Kim took a deep breath and entered Victor's office. As soon as she saw him, her doubts about interfering with his relationship with Maria Elena were confirmed. He looked better than he had in years and his normally dour expression had softened considerably. He knew why she had come to his office, and also could tell that she was uneasy about what she was doing.

Kim began the interview by asking about some other clients who were working for Victor's company and he responded with honest assessments about their performance. Following that, Kim asked him to tell her how Prisoner # 101025 was doing in his house. Victor replied:

"Well, Spokeswoman Lee-Dolkivna, you must know what's happened between us, or else you wouldn't have come to see me."

"Yes, I do know, Merchant Dukov. Prisoner # 101025 came to my office and reported her relationship with you, which was her duty as a prisoner and as my client."

Victor tried to think of a response, or something he could say that would somehow justify his behavior, but Kim continued:

"The only question I have for you is this: do you love my client?"

"I think so...You know, it's been such a long time...married so long, and widowed...I've loved one person over many years, but I've forgotten what falling in love felt like...and I saw her...and she loves me..."

"If you love a person, you will always want the best for her, is that not so?"

"Yes, Spokeswoman, I do want the best for her."

"...and you think you can do that for her? Provide guidance to her and do what you can to ensure that she properly fulfills her Path in Life?"

"I can try. I will seek the guidance of the Ancients and I will try."

"Then, Merchant Dukov, there is something else I'd like to ask of you. Prisoner # 101025 will go on trial next week on Monday. I need you to take that day off from work so you can be here to comfort her. I don't want you in the courtroom; but I want you here in the office when I bring her up. I want you to attend to whatever injuries she might have, and wipe her tears and stay with her. Can you do that?"

"I would be honored, Spokeswoman."

"Very well, Merchant Dukov. I am not going to ask you about your relationship because I know you are a man of honor. But you do understand I need you to fill out a report for the Ministry of Justice and I need to put it in Prisoner # 101025's file. You understand that?"

"Yes, Spokeswoman."

Kim stood up and Victor saluted her. Out of respect for her former boss, she saluted back.

"May the Ancients protect you, Merchant Dukov."

"and you, Spokeswoman...may the Ancients protect you."

With that Kim did a sharp about-face and left his office. Undoubtedly she would see him soon enough at a Dukov family get-together and she could drop the formality and talk to him normally. However, because the meeting involved an official discussion over her client, both Victor and Kim felt that it was necessary to exercise proper protocol, even though they were alone in his office. Anyhow, it was done. Victor knew from Danubian protocol that Kim would recommend approval of his relationship with Maria Elena. He was relieved about that, but at the same time he knew that she fully expected him to be supportive of her. He was taking on a responsibility with the Ministry of Justice, because he was caring for a person who was considered public property.

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Later that night, once Cecilia and her nephew were asleep, Maria Elena entered Victor's room with a cup of tea and knelt. He took her hand, asked her to stand up, and kissed her. With that the couple spent their third night together.

Both Victor and Maria Elena knew that there was no way they could know how much time they would have. Most people either live in the future, thinking about their plans and what they are going to do, or they live in the past, pondering what was or what might have been. In life most people either look forward or backward, but neglect where they are at the moment. Victor and Maria Elena were different, because they had only the moment at hand. For each of them, the past was nothing but regret and missed opportunities, while the future seemed bleak and ominous. They knew that the only choice they had was to live in the present and enjoy whatever time the Creator would allow them to share.