Chapter 14 – Kim's third punishment

Kim finally forced herself to turn on her cell phone, which was blinking with four messages from Victor Dukov. Instead of listening to the messages, Kim decided simply to return to Victor's office and tell him what happened in the park.

The moment Victor saw his wayward employee, he knew something was very wrong. He had the decency to hold off on berating her for the unauthorized break until he found out what was bothering her. In a frightened, broken voice, Kim told her story. It was obvious his employee could no longer work that day, so Victor told her that she was released.

"Kimberly, you understand that what you did was very foolish, first ignoring your duties to me and second, going into that policewoman's patrolling area. What did you expect would happen?"

"I…I wasn't thinking about her, sir. I just wanted to sit down a bit, maybe think things over. I didn't think I'd see her."

"Well, you did and here are my thoughts. You can't avoid what's going to happen to you next week. You're going to get hurt. There is nothing any of us can do about it. At least you know what to expect, but I would imagine that's no consolation."

"No sir. I sort of wish I didn't know."

"Well, you do, and I think that's for the better. Now here's some advice. I think what you should do is try to find out as much as you can about that police officer. Ask my nephew. I'm sure he knows her and perhaps can give you some insight about her."

"Sir, what good would that do?"

"Knowledge will always help you. Find out what you can."

"I guess so, sir. I'll try."

"Now, take the afternoon off and try to calm your nerves. I'll expect to see you the day after tomorrow, ready to make some deliveries."

"Yes sir."

Criminal # 98945 quickly went back to her Spokesman's house. She expected to find the residence empty, or at most with just Anyia lying in the back yard. However, she was surprised to see two police bicycles on the front porch. When she went inside, Kim heard Vladik and his partner talking in the kitchen. They were having lunch together, drinking wine and eating some leftovers from the previous night's dinner.

Vladik looked none too pleased that the young criminal had shown up precisely at that moment, and his partner seemed a bit embarrassed. Suddenly Kim wondered if she might have interrupted something between them. She quickly knelt on the kitchen floor and touched her forehead to the ground. Kim never knelt for Vladik when he was alone, but in the presence of other people, especially other public officials, she was expected to show the formal gesture of respect. Vladik quickly told her to get up and join him at the table.

For the first time Kim was able to get a close up view of Vladik's partner. She was not particularly attractive, not nearly as attractive as his fiancée. She had a tough tomboyish appearance about her, but at the same time she seemed to radiate an intense sexuality.

The fact that Vladik had a female partner was normal for his profession. Kim knew that in Upper Danubia, the National Police officers were roughly balanced between the sexes. Almost every police officer was assigned a permanent partner, and whenever possible that partner was of the opposite sex. The prevailing theory behind the custom was the Danubian belief that men and women see the world differently and have different forms of insight. The administrators of the National Police believed the differences between male and female officers complimented each other in the field, especially during investigations and interrogating criminals. Like almost everything else in Upper Danubia, the custom of employing female police officers went back many years, clear back to the judicial reforms of 1780.

As she sat at the table and poured herself some fruit punch, Kim was more convinced than ever she had interrupted something between Vladik and his partner, but she had to play dumb and pretend to be oblivious. Kim could tell that Vladik was making a real effort to hide his displeasure at her sudden intrusion. Well, it's not my fault you want to cheat on your fiancée and screw your partner, she thought to herself.

Vladik's partner finally excused herself from the table when it became obvious Kim had returned home for the afternoon. Vladik stood as well, and the two officers saluted each other before the police woman mounted her bicycle to go home.

Kim was quite happy to have Vladik to herself for a few minutes, in spite of the uncomfortable situation she had just walked into. She told the young police officer about her scary encounter behind The Temple of the Ancients. As she talked, her old fear came back. Her hands were shaking. Finally she got to the point, following Victor's advice about getting more information about her nemesis.

"Vladik, I need to ask you something. Do you know that woman…have any idea why she hates me so much?"

"Oh yes, I know her. Her full name is Malka Chorno. She hasn't spoken to me since Father introduced his legislation in the Parliament. What really set her off was when she found out I was behind the petition that most of the older officers signed. She's called me 'the traitor' ever since. But I do know her fairly well from our service together before all that."

"Well, what's her problem?"

"I think that's the best way to put it, Kim. She's a powerful and charismatic officer, but she does have a serious problem. If she doesn't watch herself that problem will ruin her." Vladik paused for moment. "She's one of those officers who will end up either a complete hero or a complete villain, depending on which path the Spirits of the Ancients choose to lead her. In a fire-fight or in combat you couldn't have a better partner. She's vicious with her weapon, and when she shoots, you can count on that shot hitting its target. I'll give you an example. We had a couple of bank robberies near the border last year, just before you were arrested. Malka and her partner were dispatched to a third robbery, one in which there were hostages and four criminals with automatic weapons. Within 30 seconds of sneaking into the building Malka shot all four bank robbers with her service revolver. Clean shot to the head for each one, no thought or hesitation…she just fired. Bang…bang…bang…bang. It happened so quickly that none of the hostages were hurt. That's her good side."

"Now for her bad side, and she does have it, as you are well-aware. She loves to dominate other people. She's a bully; there's no doubt about that. She bosses her partner around mercilessly, and she's humiliated him in public a bunch of times. With criminals she's a lot worse. She'll do whatever she thinks she can get away with. She especially loves to humiliate other women. There's nothing that she loves more than to bring a young woman to orgasm against her will before switching her, but she does it with the male criminals as well. She loves to hear criminals cry and scream. I know that she'd go way beyond the 50 strokes if she could. She'd gladly punish with a whip if she could. Now as for you…you're special because you're a foreigner and you're a drug user."

"Well, what does she have against foreigners? I never did anything to her."

Vladik got up from the table and went into his father's library. He came back downstairs with a folder of newspaper articles. Kim opened them up and read about a white slavery ring that had operated in central Europe and had been responsible for the disappearance of eight Danubian teenagers. The case ended when three members of the ring were captured in Danube City. The Danubian police had no hesitation torturing the ring members to find out what had happened to their victims. The interrogation team, which included Malka, tortured the traffickers to death, saying that such criminals were not worthy of a formal execution. As a result of the interrogations four of the missing teenagers were traced to Middle Eastern countries, liberated, and eventually returned to Upper Danubia. The other four, including Malka's younger sister, remained missing.

"The people who got her sister were foreigners, and they used drugs to get their victims to do what they wanted. So there's your answer, drugs and foreigners."

"But I didn't do it!"

"That doesn't matter. Officer Malka Chorno's inner peace is damaged. She can't differentiate between you and any other foreigner. And on top of everything else was the marijuana smoking…that really drove her nuts. You're damn lucky she didn't shoot you behind the Temple of the Ancients instead of arresting you. I think she almost did."

"Shoot me?"

"Yes, shoot you. My partner overheard her a few months back. From the way she was talking, it seems she was just about to pull the trigger when she saw what you were doing. The only reason she didn't was because at the last second she realized there were witnesses, a couple of civilians who happened to be watching."

Kim was left speechless. Vladik continued.

"It's for officers like her that we need to codify a standard of decent behavior for the National Police Force. Malka Chorno is a gifted and charismatic officer, but her soul is damaged. Her attitude towards criminals has been a bad influence on many of my classmates from the Academy and on the most recent class that just graduated. The result...well, your friends suffered for it in April, and you'll get it next week."

"Vladik...do you think you could help me...like you did Eloisa? Maybe get someone else to punish me?"

"There's no way, Kimberly. Father tried, and pushed so hard that he was officially reprimanded for attempting to subvert the authority of a police officer. It is officially Malka's duty to punish you, since she is the arresting officer. The only thing I can tell you is that Father will be watching to make sure you're not seriously injured and that there's no blood. Malka cannot make you bleed, if she does she'll lose her switch. That will help you some, because it puts a maximum severity on what can happen to you. But she will punish you up to the maximum standard. And you will cry, and you will scream."

"No, Vladik, not this time. I know better. I'm not going to scream. I won't give her the satisfaction."

"Those are brave words, Kimberly, but you have to be realistic. Malka will do everything she can to break you, and perhaps it is best that you not resist her."

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Criminal # 98945 spent the next week feeling as though she was facing a death sentence. She now had enough information to suspect the upcoming switching would in some way change her. At the very least it would be a horribly traumatic experience and would leave her devastated. Deep down she wondered if Spokesman Dukov really would be able to prevent her from being injured.

Kim continued living her normal life, working at the music store and delivering packages for Victor Dukov. She rehearsed with her band, preparing for a televised concert that would take place the evening following her switching. Her voice was off, but everyone understood why. Kim was facing the switch, and of course she was scared. The others kept trying to reassure her that the switching would have to end eventually, that by this time next week Kim would have it behind her. Kim said nothing. The others did not realize that Kim was to be switched by a tormented woman who had wanted to shoot her.

On July 1, Kim followed the Danubian tradition of shaving her pubic hair to announce to the world that she was facing punishment the following day. As she sadly made her way to the music store, Criminal # 98945 felt all that much more naked, her soul all that much more exposed, as the cool morning air blew against her clean-shaven skin. She spent the day talking to customers and confirming that yes, tomorrow she would be switched.

Kim spent the early part of the evening at the Socrates Club, but alone with Sergekt. She had no desire whatsoever to socialize with her friends or hear any of the music or poetry readings. She retreated with him to an intimacy room, and from there planned to go directly home to Dukov's house. She was in a very strange mood. Her dread had subsided into a numb sadness, but what mystified her was that she wanted to begin her suffering now. She didn't want Sergekt to treat her tenderly; she wanted to be treated cruelly. She knew that her boyfriend would never go along with hurting her, but she was not in the mood for normal sex. She wanted something different, something that would not be pleasant and yet erotic.

Sergekt spent a long time kissing and licking the clean-shaven area around her pubis. Eventually Kim rolled on her stomach and spread her legs to expose herself from behind to her boyfriend. He began kissing her bottom and the tender skin surrounding her bottom-hole. It was at that moment Kim realized what she wanted.

"Sergekt, if I ask you to do something...unusual, would you do it for me? Even if you think it hurts me or degrades my honor?"

"Yes Kim, I'll do what you want. You know that."

"Then I want you to get a towel and two of those thin cleaning cloths out of the bathroom."

Sergekt complied, while Kim took all the pillows and stacked them in the middle of the bed. Sergekt handed her the towel and Kim laid it over the pillows. Then Kim settled over the pillows, her bottom high in the air. She spread her legs slightly, completely exposing herself to her boyfriend. Kim's position was extremely erotic. Sergekt took a quick look at Kim's exposed body and had a furious erection within a few seconds. It didn't seem that Kim wanted anything out of the ordinary, just plain sex.

However, Kim shocked Sergekt with her next words.

"OK, now tie my hands with the cleaning cloth."

"What?!"

"You heard me. Tie my hands in front of me. Make sure you wrap them tightly, I don't want to be able to slip out."

The cleaning cloth was long, narrow, and made out of thin material, so it was suitable for tying Kim's hands in the way she was requesting. Sergekt wrapped her wrists in a tight figure 8 and made a firm double knot. She tested the knot by pulling on it. It was tight enough to keep her hands immobilized.

"Now, take the other cloth and blindfold me."

Sergekt complied, tying the second cloth behind Kim's head.

"When you enter me…I don't want you to enter me in the normal way. I…I want you to enter my bottom…and no matter how much it hurts or how much I cry, I want you to stay in. Can you do that for me?"

"No. I'm not going to do that. You're going to get hurt tomorrow, why do you want me to hurt you tonight? That doesn't make any sense."

"I need you to do this for me. I can't explain why, but I need it. You told me you'd do anything for me, and right now this is what I want."

Sergekt looked at Kim's bottom and her waiting bottom-hole. Finally he decided to give her what she wanted, partly because he was curious himself to see how it would feel. He reached in the dresser drawer and pulled out some medical jelly, which was kept among the condoms and other sex supplies. He dabbed some on his fingertips and gently massaged it around his partner's bottom-hole. He slipped a fingertip inside to lubricate her more thoroughly. Then he put on a condom and dabbed yet more jelly on the end.

In spite of his reluctance to hurt his girlfriend, the sight of her spread bottom, with its shiny target in the middle, excited Sergekt. It would be the only time in his life he ever would do this to anyone, a chance to try something different. He placed the tip of his penis against her bottom, repositioned himself slightly, and pressed down, using his bodyweight to force his way in.

Kim's voice broke as Sergekt pushed in and the intense pressure in her anus mounted. The feeling was far different from what she expected and not pleasant at all. She pulled hard on her tied wrists as she tried to break free. The muscles in her bottom tightened instinctually to fight this unnatural intrusion into her body. The pressure was awful, especially when he started moving back and forth inside her.

Kim did indeed feel degraded by the experience. She began to cry, which was what she was seeking. As Sergekt finished and pulled out of her, Kim's intestines ached and her bottom-hole burned and felt raw. She continued to cry for a long time as Sergekt gently wiped her off and tried to comfort her. However, when he reached for her wrists to untie them, she jerked her hands away. She wanted to remain tied and blindfolded. For the next few minutes she did not want to see him or anyone else.

Sergekt looked at Kim as her body jerked with sobs. Why had she wanted him to do this to her? Sergekt thought the matter over, trying to understand his girlfriend’s emotions through his own experiences. He and his friends already had been switched six times, so he knew what it was to face a switching. However, there was a huge difference between Kim's situation and that of the others. Unlike the other members of the group, Criminal # 98945 had to face her switching by herself. When the moment came for her to be punished, she and that crazy female cop would be alone. No wonder she was so scared.

Sergekt knew Kim well enough to finally figure out what she was trying to accomplish. She intended to resist her punishment tomorrow and not cry. She believed that if she could suffer and have a good cry tonight, she would be better prepared to face her switching in the morning. Sergekt was not sure if it would work, but he understood Kim's line of reasoning. It was a question of her criminal's honor.

Finally Kim's crying died down. Sergekt untied her wrists and took off her blindfold. She winced from her still-sore bottom as she made her way to the shower to get cleaned up. While she showered, he cleaned the room and tried to rinse off the towel they had placed over the pillows.

There was very little either of them could say on their way back to Dukov's house. Kim was enormously depressed, to the point Sergekt was worried about her. Finally, at Dukov's doorstep they hugged each other for a long time. Sergekt asked about seeing her after the switching.

"I'm not sure. I have no idea what condition I'll be in. When you get off work tomorrow you can call Spokesman Dukov. He'll let you know if you can see me."

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The following morning Criminal # 98945 went with Dukov to his office. For the third time in her life she followed the routine of going to the bathroom one last time and having a drink of water to calm her nerves. Then she knelt in the reception area, waiting for the police to handcuff her and take her downstairs. Spokesman Dukov stood next to her, his hands full of the usual folders and punishment certificates. He issued the usual orders to his secretaries to have a recovery table ready. Kim looked up to see her Spokesman's expression. He was enormously depressed, knowing full well that she was in for a very rough morning.

Officer Malka's partner showed up to handcuff Criminal # 98945 and escort her downstairs. He treated her roughly, jerking her up and grabbing her arms hard. Every time they turned a corner he jerked her to force her to change direction. Kim had the feeling that if Dukov had not been present he would have pushed her down the stairs. She descended the same two flights of stairs she had descended six months before, and was led into the same punishment chamber where she had received her second switching back in January. Once inside, the male cop unhooked her handcuffs and Kim assumed the kneeling position on the floor.

There was the usual formality of Spokesman Dukov presenting Criminal # 98945 to the judge.

Officer Malka Chorno and her partner faced Vladim Dukov and saluted him. He saluted back, releasing custody of his client. Once again she asked:

"Spokesman, are there any restrictions concerning the punishment of this criminal that I need to be advised about?"

Very reluctantly Dukov answered: "No Officer…no special restrictions."

Malka gave the Spokesman a slight, but very wicked smile. She was well-aware of Dukov's failed efforts to get Criminal # 98945 punished by a different officer and the resulting reprimand.

"Very well."

Malka touched Kim with her switch and Kim kissed her shoes.

"Criminal # 98945, stand up and face me."

Kim complied and quietly looked straight ahead. Malka moved in front of her, staring hard into her eyes. Kim did not avert her gaze from Malka's face. Instead, her dark eyes met Malka's, indicating that she had gotten over some of her fear of what was about to happen. Malka was somewhat disconcerted by the criminal's calm, fatalistic demeanor. The cop slapped her hard across the face.

"Don't you look at me with such arrogance!" She slapped Kim again, but the American did not stop looking into the officer's face. She had not been instructed to do anything else, other than stand and look straight ahead. The cop twisted back to slap Kim a third time. Dukov raised his hand and glanced at the court officials.

The judge interrupted. "Officer! You will stop striking that criminal across the face immediately! All she's doing is what you told her to do!" The judge paused, glanced at Dukov, and continued. “Officer Chorno and Spokesman Dukov, I am subtracting two strokes of the switch from this punishment, given that Criminal 98945 has been struck twice across the face. This punishment will end at the 48th, not the 50th, stroke.”

Malka clenched her teeth in anger at the rebuke. She signaled her partner to help her with the criminal. The two officers grabbed Kim's wrists and jerked her over the punishment table. Quickly the two officers secured her wrists and ankles with the leather restraints. Kim's heart raced with fear and her face still hurt from the slaps, but she was more determined than ever to not cry or scream during this punishment. She closed her eyes and put her forehead to the table. She then found herself doing something very unexpected, silently praying to Upper Danubia's Guardian Spirits to get her through the ordeal.

Malka was in a bad mood. She despised Dukov and was offended by his presence in the room. The rebuke from the judge angered her even more, as did her resentment that she had to exercise at least some restraint while punishing Criminal # 98945. This time she was somewhat impatient, desperate to break the American as quickly as possible. There would be no slow or calculated trickery like last time, just a series of hard strokes, delivered at maximum force.

Dukov watched the officer with disgust. She had lost her temper and her self-control. None of this was about Kim's discipline; it was about Officer Chorno's personal vendetta. This was precisely the type of behavior the Spokesman hoped to outlaw with his proposed reforms. Dukov had seen police officers lose their tempers before, and that was always when things went wrong and the criminal's punishment had to be stopped. Dukov was convinced that if Malka did not regain her composure, he would have justification to end his client's switching early.

Officer Malka Chorno looked at the silent criminal and her waiting bottom; her legs parted and body stretched in anticipation of her punishment. Kim's forehead was pressed to the table and her fists were clenched. She was breathing hard, trying to control her fear. Her knees were quivering slightly.

Malka's partner handed her the switch. Malka slashed it through the air and then lined herself up beside her victim. She touched the switch to Kim's bottom, readjusted her position slightly, and then struck full-force at the base of the culprit's buttocks. The blow was so hard that the girl's entire body jerked. A vivid reddish line quickly darkened across Kim's brown skin. She gasped and bit her lip hard, but managed to stay quiet.

Officer Malka was infuriated. Once again the American drug addict thought she was better than an officer of the law. This arrogant little bitch is going to pay. Malka clenched her teeth, and with every bit of her strength, savagely slashed at Kim's bottom eight times; four blows from the left, and the other four from the right.

Criminal # 98945 tensed up, her knees shaking violently and her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles went white, but still, the only sound coming out of her were her gasps of pain. She pressed her forehead hard on the table, as she suppressed her instinct to scream. At just nine strokes, her bottom looked like it had been struck nine times with a whip. She had been struck so hard that the welts already had risen and quickly were turning dark.

Malka then struck Kim's upper back four times, trying to knock the wind out of her and break her resistance. Criminal # 98945 held her breath each time the switch landed. She would resist. If it killed her she would resist. Somewhere, from deep inside her soul, came the force she needed to stay quiet, in spite of the severity of what was happening to her.

Malka should have waited and allowed the strokes to take their toll on the criminal's endurance before continuing. However, she was shocked and infuriated that Kim had resisted 13 of the hardest strokes she had ever administered during an official punishment. She backed away and slashed savagely at Kim, quickly laying additional strokes on the welts already marking her bottom. She stuck at Kim's thighs, and then returned to her bottom. Blood blisters were quickly forming where the strokes had crossed each other.

Just 15 minutes into her punishment, Criminal # 98945 already had taken 32 strokes. She gasped desperately as she suppressed her screams. Her whole body was shaking violently. Malka still was furious, but now she was horrified at the thought Kim might actually make it through her punishment without crying at all. No, that could not be.

Dukov looked at the growing mass of blood blisters on his client's bottom and thighs. Some of them looked like they were just about to break. He raised his hand.

When she saw the Spokesman's hand in the air, Malka snapped. Disregarding her training and the standards of court punishment protocol, she ignored Dukov and, with every bit of her strength, quickly struck Kim's bottom hard two more times. As Dukov had feared, several of the blisters broke. He jumped between Kim and the officer.

"STOP! STOP! You will stop NOW!"

Malka's foot flew into Dukov's stomach. He doubled over from the force of the kick, all of the wind knocked out of him. Chaos broke out in the courtroom. Malka managed to strike Kim one more time before Dukov recovered enough to grab her arm. She hit him viciously across the chin with her free hand, but he did not let go. The tussle between Spokesman Dukov and Officer Chorno ended as court officials piled onto both of them and pulled them away from the punishment table. Malka struggled savagely as a court guard grabbed the switch out of her hand.

"I'M NOT FINISHED! I'M NOT FINISHED!"

Dukov remained doubled over and gasped as he tried to regain his breath

"Your Honor! My…client is bleeding! I…insist, under…Item 18 of…the Judicial Code…of 1780, that this punishment…be terminated immediately!"

"That request is granted, Spokesman! Under Item 18 of the Judicial Code of 1780, I am ordering this punishment terminated and Criminal 98945 released back into your custody! That is effective immediately! You may remove her from this courtroom!"

Dukov, holding his stomach and still gasping for breath, snapped his fingers at a cop standing nearby to undo the straps holding Kim in place. Kim was in so much pain she was almost passed out. In several spots where her skin had broken the welts oozed blood, and a drop of blood was making its way down her left thigh. As Kim was released from the table, Dukov grabbed her wrists and helped her up. He put his arm around her waist and lifted her hands to his shoulder. Thus supported by her Spokesman, Criminal # 98945 left the courtroom, the third switching of her sentence completed.

Dukov paged his two secretaries, who came clattering down the stairs to help both the Spokesman and his client. As they took Kim upstairs, Dukov doubled over and threw up.

"Call the doctor. I…want him in the…office immediately. I need to see…how badly she's hurt."

"What about yourself, Spokesman? What about you?"

"It's just a kick. I'll be fine. Take care of Kimberly."

A minute later Kim was lying face down on the recovery table, as one of the secretaries gently wiped away the blood and put disinfectant on her welts. An assistant police doctor arrived a few minutes later with a medical kit. He cleaned her more thoroughly, applied some special ointment to prevent Kim's skin from scarring, and placed three bandages over the most serious cuts.

"She should fully recover with no marks if she doesn't move about too much and keeps the cuts clean. She'll have a small scar on her left thigh, but I think that'll be it. This ointment's pretty effective."

"Well, what happened is still a violation of Item 18, scars or no scars."

"Oh, most definitely it's a violation. I'll write a medical report this afternoon and send it up to you. When you present that in court, Criminal # 98945 will leave the courtroom with Officer Chorno's badge in her hand."

"You think it will be her badge? Not just her switch?"

"Her badge, Spokesman. She struck your client three times after you tried to pause her, and at least one time when blood was clearly visible. There's no denying that, it's on videotape. And then on top of all that, she kicked you while you were performing the responsibilities of your office. That's her badge, and a criminal prosecution for assaulting a public official. There will be a hearing as soon as your client can attend court, and we'll release her for court attendance on Friday, after the head doctor examines her to make sure she's healed properly. On Friday Officer Chorno loses her badge. I would guess she'll lose considerably more than her badge. She'll leave the courtroom with a collar around her neck."

"It's about time. She's been a problem ever since that occurrence last year with her sister. I feel sorry for her, but she's become a threat to the whole judicial system. I'll be glad to see the last of her. Maybe it will be a lesson to the others. I don't know. Maybe this will help with the reform we have pending in Parliament."

"Don't be so arrogant, Spokesman. The only result of this incident is that one policewoman is going to lose her job, and another criminal will be added to your case-load. Nothing more will come of this. Malka Chorno will wear a collar for several years and maybe will consider correcting the path in life she has chosen to follow. That's the most you can hope for."

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Kim was in a painful daze when her Spokesman was talking with the assistant doctor, so she only was partially aware of what was going on in the office. She tried to sleep, but couldn't. Dukov warned her not to move unless it was absolutely necessary. Dukov didn't need to tell Kim not to move; the slightest movement sent sharp pains shooting through her body. She spent the afternoon lying facedown on the table, her body horribly marked up and the three white bandages standing out on her brown skin. Finally, after about four hours lying motionless on the table, Kim fell asleep.

Sergekt called Spokesman Dukov as soon as his shift at the restaurant ended. Dukov decided to meet with Kim's boyfriend in Danube City's Central Plaza, and waited for him at the steps of the Central Police Station. As dictated by protocol, Sergekt knelt and touched his forehead to the ground as he greeted Dukov. The Spokesman quickly ordered him to stand up, and the two men looked for a place to sit down, finally settling on an empty bench near the National Parliament.

Sergekt knew right away that Kim's punishment had not gone well. That much was obvious when her Spokesman told him to meet outside instead of allowing him to go directly to his office. Dukov quickly summarized what happened and explained that the punishing officer was facing the loss of her badge over the abuse of his client. Sergekt sat quietly for a long time, wondering what to ask next. Finally he asked the one question that seemed to matter much more to criminals than to outsiders.

"Spokesman Dukov, if may I ask…how long was Kim able to stay quiet? During the switching, I mean?"

"She didn't cry at all, Sergekt. That's what truly amazed me. Kimberly took the worst beating I have seen in my career, and she didn't cry. She didn't make any noise whatsoever, except her breathing. I don't know how she did it."

"Spokesman…I ask because…when I was with her last night, I…it…that was the most important thing for her. She was completely obsessed with not crying today. So…she succeeded."

Dukov and Sergekt sat for a long time in the late afternoon heat, each trying to think of something significant to say to the other. The passersby glanced at the strange pair, a naked young criminal and a middle-aged professional in a business suit. Finally Dukov spoke.

"If you had seen her today…she faced her fears and her worst enemy with complete calm. Kimberly was terribly afraid, but she conquered her fear. She looked that officer straight in the eye. When the officer slapped her, slapped her twice, in fact, Kimberly straightened up and continued to look right at her. I believe that is why that officer became so unbalanced. That officer's soul is damaged, and a damaged soul cannot face the truth. I want you to understand Kimberly is an extremely courageous young woman, and I hope you are able to truly appreciate how lucky you are to be with her."

"Yes, Spokesman. I know that the Spirits of the Ancients have truly blessed me by placing Kim in my life. In my prayers I thank them every night for that blessing."

"There's something else you should know, that should put your heart at ease. The worst of her sentence has passed. Officer Chorno faces the loss of her badge over her treatment of Kimberly. Another officer will administer her final switching in January. Under the law, I have the right to choose who the replacement officer will be. Probably I'll ask my son's partner to administer Kimberly's final switching."

There wasn't much else to say. Dukov planned to spend the night at his office, catching up on his case-load and watching over his client as she slept on the recovery table. Sergekt knew better than to ask Dukov if he could see her, because he knew the Spokesman considered that improper. He would have to wait until she had recovered.

Sergekt knelt in front of Dukov to say goodbye. He then went to the Socrates Club to tell Eloisa about Kim's horrific experience and amazing courage.

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The next day Criminal # 98945 was up and moving about fairly normally. Following the doctor's advice she avoided bending or sitting to allow her cuts to heal. She carefully showered, replaced her bandages, and had breakfast in the office with Dukov, his secretaries, and Eloisa. Kim had to eat standing up. After breakfast the two criminals went to their jobs at the music store.

Once at the store, Kim followed the post-switching custom of placing her hands on the counter and allowing her co-workers to look at her punished bottom and back. The entire staff was horrified at how severely she had been beaten. Only once had any of them ever seen a fellow criminal who had bled as a result of his punishment. Kim's boss asked her if she wanted to have the day off or work a reduced schedule.

"No sir, I'll work a normal day. The whipping is over, and from what Spokesman Dukov told me, that officer won't be punishing me in January. Now I want to return to my duties. I want live my life with honor and not feel sorry for myself."

That night Kimberly Lee, with her horribly marked backside and three bandages, sang with her friends on stage. Her voice had returned, but Eloisa noticed a slight difference. There was more power in Kim's singing and a touch of anger. The lead singer knew what was going on in her friend’s mind. She was hoping that cop was watching her sing. She wanted to prove herself, to the band's audience, and to that cop, that no, she was not defeated. Not even that savage beating 36 hours before could stop Criminal # 98945.

Chapter 15