Victoria Eglin

Silvia Cornish tried her best to comfort Victoria and even tried to get in the shower with her but Victoria was not in the mood.

“Leave me alone Silvia. Make yourself useful and get me something for my cuts and bruises,” Victoria pushed Silvia away.

Victoria threw the filthy cum-stained clothing she was wearing in the trash and cranked up the water as hot as she could stand it and washed her filthy body, mindful of her black eye, split lip and bruised ribs. She cleaned her sex, douching several times and finally she washed her hair.

Silvia returned with salves and a cold compresses for Victoria’s eye and her ribs. She helped Victoria dry her hair and put on her makeup.

Silvia had brought in babydoll pyjamas for Victoria to wear and finally gave her some paracetamol.

Billy Brody had done a good job beating up Victoria. Her injuries were convincing and substantiated her story.

“I need a drink,” Victoria said when she was finally clean and feeling better.

“You shouldn’t drink whilst you're medicated,” Silvia said reproachfully.

“Get me a fucking drink Silvia. Pope hasn’t finished interrogating me and I’m going to need it,” Victoria slipped into sheer-to the waist pantyhose, full-cut satin panties and kitten heels and put on the babydoll pyjamas.

Silvia returned with a double gin and tonic in a highball glass and handed it to Victoria who supressed the urge to gulp it down. She’d need a clear head for what was coming.

“Pope wants to see you,” Silvia said forebodingly.

Silvia stood and gritted her teeth a little with the pain.

“Was it bad?” Silvia whispered.

“What do you think?” Victoria hissed and hobbled to the opulent, open-plan lounge room where Pope sat, still wearing his smoking jacket and sipping bourbon on ice.

“I should probably hand you over to my interrogation team but I prefer to hear what you have to say myself. If you're honest that won’t be necessary,” Pope said smugly and placed his mobile phone on the glass-top table.

“Take a seat. Get comfortable, this is going to take a while. Silvia, bring over the gin, a bottle of tonic and an ice bucket and a bottle of bourbon for me then get the fuck out,” Pope gave her a crocodile smile.

Victoria sat across from Pope and made herself as comfortable as possible.

“Why did they let you go?” Pope began the interrogation and hit voice record on his phone.

Victoria began her well-rehearsed tale. As with most good lies, her story contained elements of truth.

“Put simply the ransom was worth more to those scum than I was. Once they had all had a turn with me their leader knew that his men would continue to fight and squabble over me until I was useless to them,” Victoria whispered.

“They're just like you say they are: not much more than an organised rabble, one step above the scavengers,” Victoria’s timbre became stronger as she got into it.

She didn’t know where the Revolutionaries base of operations was because she had been blindfolded when she was taken there and again when she was transported to the ransom rendezvous. She didn’t know where she was held but it appeared to be a group of rundown buildings that the Revolutionaries had rudimentarily fortified, possibly in or somewhere near Odessa, she couldn’t be sure.

The Revolutionaries had a leader (of course she made no mention of the fact that their leader was a woman) but his control over his men was fragile and discipline was poor. Their equipment was old and poorly maintained and their raids into Durden City and on Pope’s convoys were opportunistic and not well planned.

When they attacked the television studio they had no idea that Victoria or the Comfort Girl were there; their goal was to try to knock out the broadcasting facility but when they found the two women the men had become undisciplined and disobeyed their leader, insisting on abandoning their mission and taking the women as prizes.

There was no doubt that the Revolutionaries were formidable fighters, there was plenty of evidence of that, but they were opportunistic hunter gatherers.

Victoria had to be careful. She couldn’t describe the Revolutionaries as a disorganised throng; there was too much evidence to the contrary but she played down their organisational and planning skills and reported their number to be a fraction of what they actually were.

“Also they are poorly supplied, that's why the fuel, ammunition, food and vehicles they demanded were worth more to them than I was,” Victoria explained.

Victoria extrapolated and elaborated her story, careful to ensure that what she said was based on the observations of someone who had been held captive in one room for most of time she was their prisoner and had spent most of her time on her back, servicing the sexual needs of a succession of men.

“What about the Comfort Girl?” Pope asked.

“Madeline? She was held in a room next door to mine. I could hear them… you know… using her. I only know her from The Mating Game and the time we spent handcuffed and blindfolded when we were captured,” Victoria sounded dismissive of the Comfort Girl.

“They knew that she would be virtually worthless to you so they kept her to… well you can guess why they kept her,” Victoria tried to sound flippant.

The interrogation went on for hours, Pope made Victoria tell the story over and over; trying to catch her out in a lie but eventually he began to believe her. Her story made sense and corroborated what Pope thought he knew about the Revolutionaries. She played to Pope’s vanity: of course everything that Pope thought about the Revolutionaries was true. His assessment of his enemies was astute and accurate.

“Okay, I’m going to send a doctor in here to see to your injuries and when you are well enough you can resume your duties,” Pope clicked off the recorder.

“Until then you won’t be much use to me. Silvia has been deputising for me here in your absence and will continue to do so until you are fit enough to take the reins,” Pope stood up and adjusted his jacket.

“Has she been deputising for me in the bedroom too?” Victoria tried to sound jealous, once again playing to Pope’s vanity.

“She’s not as good as you are in bed but I’ve taught her a few things. You will be performing those duties too once your cunt is up to it. I want to hear more about what those men did to you. You’re a whore of course so you probably enjoyed every second of it, just like you did in the breeding chambers. It would have been like old times for you I suppose,” Pope stroked Victoria’s cheek but his words were designed to be like acid poured on her wounds.

Pope loved Victoria in his own sick way but he couldn’t help hurting her emotionally and sometimes physically whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Victoria pretended to be hurt by what Pope said to her but she was secretly gloating. He had swallowed her story hook, line, and sinker.

Pope did send a doctor to tend to Victoria’s wounds but the doctor was also tasked with making a forensic examination of Victoria’s body to confirm that her injuries were consistent with her story. The doctor confirmed that Victoria’s injuries were compatible with someone putting up a struggle and being beaten into submission. The bruises on her wrists were consistent with her being cuffed for an extended period and her vulva and vagina were bruised in keeping with someone who had undergone rigorous intercourse possibly with multiple partners.

The doctor was unable to confirm this via a vaginal swab because Victoria had douched in the shower but her clothing was recovered from the trash and the lab technician described the stains on her dress, underwear and hosiery as ‘a primordial soup of semen and bodily fluids’.

When Victoria heard the results of the forensic report she was glad that Susan had been astute enough to get volunteer troopers to come to the ops centre barracks and masturbate into Victoria’s panties and nylons and over her dress while they watched pornography.

Victoria’s story was believable and verified by medical and scientific examinations. She was returned to ‘full duties’, as Pope referred to them, and she undertook them enthusiastically.

Unlike his grandfather and his father before him Pope realised that the world was slowly and inextricably recovering from the disasters of world war three, the civil wars and the ravages of SARS X. The new world would look nothing like it did before the pandemic of course but if history had taught men nothing else it was that empires fall and new ones take their place.

What was once the United States of America was a collection of city-states stretching across the land, most ruled by leaders like him; the citizens working as vassals for the common good. Trade between the cities was increasing, some cities were rich in commodities, they were farming, growing cereal crops and raising cattle and sheep. Other cities were rich in technology and manufacturing, whilst others preyed on the other cities taking what they wanted by force.

Durden City was a fortress where oil production and refinement was the main trading staple. Being one of the first cities to arise out of the Armageddon it was the most sophisticated and organised and traded petroleum products for what the city lacked in other staples.

What all of the city-states had in common was a dearth of females. Some had set up breeding programs similar to Durden City but they were late to the party; Durden City held the largest brood stock of females on the continent and females were the most valuable resource and Pope was willing to trade. A consortium of cities traded with one and other, with gold as the agreed standard under a system whereby nearly all cities fixed the value of their currencies and credits in terms of a specified amount of gold.

This made sense if the shattered nation was going to emerge from its current feudal archetype and Pope wanted to be the richest citizen of whatever new world was coming.

There were many secrets to Pope's success as a people smuggler. The first was absolute secrecy. Only a select few had access to the breeding program data and the mechanics of the program itself and everyone was kept compartmentalised. Access to the Breeding Facility was tightly controlled. Except for the Brood Mothers no one had access to the young virgin breeders except for the medical staff.

Even the Commissioners, who were permitted one-on-one dalliances with the female breeders, were not allowed anywhere in The Breeding Facility except for the bedrooms put aside for that purpose or the comfort chambers. The most trusted members of the City Guard, a small elite force called the Praetorian Guard policed the population and protected the Breeding Facility. They also guarded and escorted the Comfort Girls when they left the Comfort Palaces and as recompense, were given gratis access to the Comfort Girls.

The breeders themselves only had each other and the Brood Mothers to converse with. When they were providing sexual congress to the Commissioners they were strictly to forbidden to talk about the mechanics of the breeding program and the fact was that they knew little about it themselves. In the breeding chambers there was little opportunity to strike up a conversation with the men breeding them.

Anyone who became too suspicious was dealt with ruthlessly by Pope Durden; Harlan Cooter being a case in point.

Pope only traded females that had not yet entered the breeding program or had retired. While the females were in the breeding program they were to some extent public property. They were publicly advertised and some men had their favourites; their disappearance would be noticed. But girls not yet active in the program and women who were retired were sequestered away from the public.

But Pope couldn’t pull all of the strings himself. He needed people he could trust implicitly inside the Breeding Facility. Someone who selected which girls and women to trade, someone to keep the females disciplined, repressed and compartmentalised, someone who had unfettered access to Durden City’s data banks, someone to cook the books so to speak.

That person was Victoria Eglin and her accomplice was Silvia Cornish.

This was another reason that Pope was disposed to believe the story of her capture and release. Victoria was just too valuable to him.

Madeline Smith

Madeline lay on the bed dressed in a red satin chemise with matching bikini panties and black fifteen denier hold-up stockings and red fuck-me high heels. Her short black bob accentuated a face painted to perfection, her emerald green eyes framed by her bangs.

It was to be their last night together before they went back into Durden City. For over a year Madeline had been Virgil's concubine, mistress, paramour or courtesan; pick a label. Madeline didn’t have one. She was in love with Virgil Benning and he was in love with her. They were devoted to each other and Madeline wanted tonight to be special.

Virgil came out of the shower and found her lying like that on the big bed, her fragrance wafting across the room, exciting him. As soon as he saw her lying on the bed like that, smelling her, knowing that she was his and that she was ready to please him, he was instantly rampant.

He lay down beside her and kissed her tenderly, moving her hand away when she reached for him. Madeline was disappointed but sensed that Virgil had done so because he was on a hair trigger. She smiled to herself, knowing that she had caused him to be in that state.

He kissed her and tasted her sweet breath when his tongue slipped into her mouth and then he mounted her, rubbing his cock against hers as the kisses became more passionate. The feel of his steely rod pressing on her hard phallus shrouded in her red satin panties gave pleasure to them both.

Virgil followed her neck to the hollow of her shoulder with his mouth, kissing and licking her smooth creamy flesh, then he moved down to her breasts and licked around both of her areola until her nipples hardened and Madeline ached for him to touch her ripened teats. She guided his mouth to her teat and Virgil suckled it gently, taking it into his mouth, using the tip of his tongue to tease the engorged pink berry. Madeline threw back her head and moaned.

He circled his cock against hers, grinding it, feeling the heft of it through her panties. He could feel her panties becoming damp with pre-ejaculate and he smiled and moved on to her other nipple giving it the same attention. He alternated between tending to her sensitive breasts, to licking and nipping the hollow of her shoulder which he knew inflamed her desire and then on to her mouth where he kissed her fervidly and stifled her moans. All the time grinding his cock against hers, feeling the head of it poking above the waistband of her panties as it grew to full tumescence.

Madeline was in a paroxysm of bliss and her whole body was tingling but she felt guilty because her intention was to give Virgil her unfettered attention and to pleasure him until he released. He had turned the tables on her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and held him close; sliding her legs along his sensitive flesh knowing that he adored the feel of her nylons on his skin.

Madeline reached between their bodies attempting to take him in hand and guide his manhood to her puckered bud which was aching to be pierced but Virgil outmanoeuvred her. He hooked his forearms under her calves and pushed her legs back, forcing her ankles back up high. He shimmed down her torso and took the head of her cock which was poking proudly above her panty waistband into his mouth and lapped at it with his tongue and Madeline screamed with lust and delight as he took her glans into his mouth and suckled it, licking the underside so that the tip of his tongue tickled her fraenulum.

Virgil was rewarded with a flood of sweet, viscous pre-seminal fluid which he gratefully swallowed. Then he took the whole of her phallus into his mouth and began to fellate her. She twisted her fingers in his hair and rose to meet him, her breathing erratic, waves of pleasure radiating from her penis.

Virgil eased aside the gusset of her panties and shifted his attention to her freshly-shaved scrotum, licking the delicate wrinkled flesh, taking one and then the other of her testes into his mouth and gently sucked them causing Madeline to shake and shiver.

Her whole body was alive with pleasure, the centre of which was concentrated in her loins where Virgil alternated between sucking her engorged penis and lapping her scrotum, driving her ever closer to extremis.

When she and Virgil began to live together he had been reluctant to use his mouth on Madeline’s genitals but as they cohabited longer he had become more adventurous with his lovemaking. Whatever measures Madeline used to pleasure him he began to mimic, returning the favour until all his inhibitions had been swept aside.

He licked her perineum, causing Madeline to tug harder on his hair, the delicate ringlets of pleasure coming from her grundle were delightful but she wanted him to take her in his mouth and finish what he had started. She ached for release.

But Virgil moved on and he drove his tongue into her delicate pink puckered sphincter and Madeline screamed. He was holding her legs open, her feet high in the air, her pubis fully exposed and her lover was licking her sphincter and lapping at her taint and there was nothing she could do but lie back and enjoy his ministrations.

She thought that she would faint if Virgil didn’t give her release soon. He kept licking her sphincter, lapping her perineum and scrotum and softly sucking her penis, rotating his attention to each pleasure centre, sensing when she was about to climax and then moving on. He was edging Madeline ever closer to climax but never letting her achieve it.

Madeline was wriggling, moaning and whimpering; wrenching at his scalp almost painfully; trying to guide his mouth to her penis to induce her orgasm.

When Virgil sensed that she couldn’t take any more he sprang to his knees and without warning he thrust his cock all the way inside Madeline's slick anus.

She screamed as jets of scalding semen erupted from her trembling phallus as a massive orgasm overwhelmed her. She was trembling and crying and Virgil held her close and kissed her as his cock shuddered and planted his seed deep in her rectum. Madeline clung to him, feeling his body quake as he deposited his issue inside her, her own penis juddering between their bodies, spilling her seed onto her belly, Virgil’s belly smearing the viscous fluid on their flesh as he humped away at her.

They held each other tight, kissing as if there were no tomorrow, no words needed to be exchanged to express their love for each other. Madeline felt a little cheated because she had imagined herself edging Virgil to extremis until he begged for relief and Virgil, ever the attentive lover, had turned the tables on her and made her beg for her own climax.

Madeline lay in Virgil’s arms feeling the comfort and love that Virgil bestowed on her. She could hardly believe that her life had turned out to be like this: hopelessly in love with one man who was hopelessly in love with her. She had morphed from docile Comfort Girl to a warrior in Susan Solister's Freetown army. She had been given the callsign Battle Angel and she adored it.

And now she was going back to Durden City to her old life.

“It won’t be the same,” Virgil tried to comfort her.

“I don’t want to go back,” Madeline was close to tears.

“You know why you have to,” Virgil mussed her bangs with his fingertips.

“Yes I know why and I will do my duty but I don’t have to like it,” she whispered and Virgil kissed the corner of her mouth.

“I’ll be there with you,” Virgil kissed her lips.

“You’d better be,” she wrapped her arms around him.

“You're a warrior Madeline. You can take care of yourself,” Virgil consoled her.

“Yeah but I’ll feel so much safer knowing that you are there,” Madeline wrapped her legs around Virgil and held him close.

“Make love to me again,” she whispered and Virgil obliged.

Victoria Eglin

Victoria was like a spider in a web with access to every database, online information repository and inventory in Durden City. As a matter of course she had access to sensitive information available only to Pope and herself. It had been a relatively simple task to reactivate Virgil Benning’s personnel file. It had been suspended when he went missing from the City Guard because no one was sure if he had been killed in action, taken prisoner or deserted.

Victoria had reinstated him with the rank of Sergeant and assigned him to the elite unit, the Praetorian Guard so that he had unfettered access to the Breeding Facility and Comfort Palaces. She reactivated his bank account and filled it with credit. Not enough to draw attention but enough to live comfortably and to provide the necessary funds to complete his mission. She assigned him an apartment in an upper-class suburb. It was one of Pope’s new building projects, expanding the city’s infrastructure in anticipation of an ever increasing population and Virgil was the sole occupant.

Madeline’s personnel file had also been deactivated after she was kidnapped. Victoria reactivated it and assigned her to Comfort Place number three. Madeline had worked at Comfort Palace number one for the last few years but it was not unusual to assign Comfort Girls to different Palaces to meet the ebb and flow of commercial demands.

Madeline Smith and Virgil Benning

Virgil wore the full uniform of a Durden City Guard Sergeant and Madeline wore a simple black cocktail dress, hose and sneakers. She would put on her high heels once they were in the city proper. Her new shorter hairstyle was coiffed and she was wearing full makeup. Virgil carried a rucksack and Madeline carried a small suitcase, the contents of both would likely get them executed should they be stopped and searched.

They ran the rat-runs this time as passengers in an APC with a scout car leading the way. As they approached the kill zone around Durden City the vehicles switched off their lights and turned the interior lighting in the personnel carrier to red. The small convoy continued on slowly using the moonlight to find their way to the copse of trees where the vehicles pulled up using the thick growth to shield the heat signatures from their engines.

“I know I’m asking a lot of you Madeline but I wouldn’t send you unless it was absolutely necessary,” Susan surprised Madeline by hugging her and kissing her cheek.

“Take care of her sergeant,” Susan said gruffly to Virgil.

“Aye, aye ma’am,” he saluted her and she returned the salute and then surprised him by leaning and kissing the side of his mouth affectionately.

“You two troopers do your fuckin’ duty!” Major Billy Brody said gruffly to them both, but he was choked with emotion.

Both Virgil and Madeline saluted him and he saluted back but even in the red light they would see that he had tears welling in the corners of his eyes. The internal lighting was extinguished completely and Virgil and Madeline exited the rear of the APC, Madeline hanging onto Virgil's webbing because he was wearing NVG.

He directed them to the sewer entrance.

“I fucking hate this place!” Madeline hissed but she climbed gingerly down the ladder.

Vigil passed down the rucksack, her suitcase and his rifle and then he followed her, struggling to put the manhole cover back in place but eventually succeeding.

“I’ll lead and you hang on tight to my webbing,” Virgil said as they both picked up their luggage.

“I don’t see why I can’t have NVG,” Madeline whined.

“The rats are bigger at night so it’s best that you don’t see them,” Virgil couldn’t help niggling her.

“Fuck the rats! Get me to Durden City and don’t get me covered in shit doing so,” Madeline replied.

They both wore disposable facemasks with air fresher inside to nullify most of the stench. Madeline heard the squeal of rats and the splashes they made as Virgil kicked them out of their way into the sewer and she felt the crunch of cockroaches under her feet when they weren't quick enough to scurry away. The smell was offensive but at least it wasn’t as overpowering as it had been last time.

They made steady progress and eventually Virgil climbed a ladder and wrestled with a heavy steel manhole cover and managed to push it aside and they exited the tunnel into the crawlspace under the loading dock. They waited awhile and caught their breath and Madeline took off her facemask and sneakers and hoiked them away. She put on her heels and adjusted her clothing and picked up her suitcase. Comfort Girls did not wander the streets with suitcases without a valid reason.

In a purse inside her suitcase was her SIG Sauer M17 pistol. If she was caught with it she would have a lot explaining to do but Virgil’s Praetorian Guard shoulder patch and his rank should keep any nosy City Guards at bay.

Virgil shouldered his rucksack and his M4 carbine. He wore his M17 pistol in a thigh holster.

It was a long walk from the abandoned warehouse near the Durden City railhead through the industrial district and the housing precinct to downtown. They would have a difficult time explaining their presence in the industrial district and that was where they are most vulnerable. During the kidnapping, the van Virgil had used as a getaway vehicle had taken a long circuitous route through the city. Now at least they could walk directly towards the bright lights of downtown.

The lonely whistle of a railway locomotive pierced the night followed by the of clatter of turnbuckles and buffer stops, then the grinding sound of steel wheels on rails as a train pulled out of the railhead, the engine pulling a succession tank cars filled with petroleum products bound for other city states. A flatcar was connected in front of the engine, a twenty-five millimetre cannon and four 12.7 millimetre machine guns colloquially known as ‘fifty-cals’ were mounted on the car, manned by City Guards.

The Guards were on high alert because the Revolutionaries had been known to attack trains and sabotage railway lines but Virgil and Madeline knew that this train was safe. The Revolutionaries were keeping their powder dry for something bigger.

The huge steel doors in the protective wall around Durden City slid open to allow the train to pass. A platoon of City Guards was ready to repel any invaders that attempted to enter the city through the gap.

Virgil and Madeline hid in the dark and watched the train depart and the gates close behind it and then the platoon of soldiers left to take up their regular duties. Virgil led Madeline through the commercial district and they stopped only when vehicles approached, hunkered in dark doorways. There was no foot traffic until they entered the housing precinct.

Virgil took on an aggressive pose keeping Madeline ahead of him: a Praetorian Guard escorting a Comfort Girl to her place of employment. Madeline commanded some attention from the men they passed and a few whistled or made crude comments but Virgil ignored them and he knew that Madeline was immune to such taunts.

As they approached downtown the foot traffic increased. Men were busy entertaining themselves in the cinemas showing reruns of classic films, drinking in the bars and nightclubs, lining up outside the Comfort Palaces. The neon lights of the Durden City Casino competed with gaudy lights of Comfort Palace number one located adjacent. They continued past, Madeline looked at the building that had been both her home and her prison for many years but she had to admit that at the time she didn’t really think of the Comfort Palace as a prison. It was just a place where she lived and worked.

They continued through the city until they arrived outside of Comfort Palace number three. It was smallest of the Comfort Palaces and was located closest to the Breeding Facility. Comfort Girls from Comfort Palace three were often seconded to assist the Brood Mothers during the day.

“Ok this is it,” Virgil said grimly to Madeline and she nodded and smiled solemnly.

He would have liked to have taken her in his arms and kissed her but such behaviour would be unbecoming his station. Praetorian Guards might have free access to the Comfort Girls but they would never show them affection in public. Virgil gripped Madeline by the arm and took her to the entrance where a Praetorian Guard stood watch.

“She’s a bit old to be transferred between Palaces isn’t she Sarge? She’s either a great lay or she’s due to become a Comfort Granny and Brood Mother,” the soldier commented.

“She’s still a looker though and that body is hot. I might try her out when I finish my shift,” the soldier smirked.

Virgil resisted the urge to punch the man in the face. He knew that this was exactly how the City Guards talked amongst themselves, especially the Praetorians.

“She’s not a bad lay at all but I think her fuckin’ days are over. I think she’s being transferred here so she can start training to be a Brood Mother,” Virgil answered.

“Yeah but she still works nights right? She isn’t a granny yet is she?” the soldier countered and Virgil knew that he was right and to argue with the Praetorian would raise suspicion.

“What do I know or care about what they do with her? She’s just another Comfort Girl I was ordered to bring here from another Comfort Palace,” Virgil growled.

“Sorry Sarge,” the City Guard snapped to attention then he went back to checking the credentials of those men standing in line.

Virgil brushed past the Guard, pushing Madeline ahead of him. He made his way through the crowd past the Trade and Comfort Girls who were drinking, dancing and canoodling and pushed Madeline through the back door to the Trade table where a Comfort Girl was assigning Trade to the girls working that night.

“Is this the new girl?” the young Comfort Girl asked smacking her gum and casting a critical eye over Madeline.

“Her name is Madeline Smith. She’s been reassigned from Comfort Palace number one,” Virgil growled.

“She’s not bad for her age,” the young woman was wearing a nametag that read ‘Kylie’.

‘She is a fucking Kylie,’ Madeline thought to herself but kept schtum.

“She’s been reassigned here so she can understudy the Brood Mothers, she only has a few months left until retirement,” Virgil read a copy of the document that he was holding; Madeline’s transfer order.

Kylie was reading the same document on her screen.

“I don’t need you to tell me my job,” Kylie snapped and clicked her gum.

Quicker that lightning Virgil's hand shot out he grabbed Kylie by the throat.

“When I want to be criticised by a Comfort Girl just out of nappies I’ll ask for it. Shut your mouth you jumped up harlot and direct me to this girl’s quarters. I think I’d rather fuck a beautiful, mature woman like her than an upstart skinny baby-bitch like you,” Virgil growled and pushed Kylie into the wall.

Tears welled in her eyes. Kylie’s supervisor, a man named wearing a name badge that read Mike, looked alarmed but knew better than to intervene. He knew that Kylie’s big mouth would get her into trouble one day.

“She’s back here. The manager at the Breeding Facility, Ms Eglin, mandated that she be given a private room,” Mike said amiably, trying to defuse the situation.

“I’ll take her there myself. Maybe I’ll amuse myself with her for a while,” Virgil smiled wickedly at Mike.

“And get that whore to fuckin’,” he pointed his finger at Kylie.

“Kylie’s rostered off tonight and shouldn’t you just take her to a comfort room,” Mike replied, pointing his finger at Madeline and instantly regretted it.

“Kylie. Go and relieve Marcy in comfort room seven and tell Marcy to come back here and take over the Trade table,” Mike barked.

Kylie looked wounded and was about to answer back but then thought better of it and she stomped off in her fuck-me heels.

“Well that was quite the performance Sergeant,” Virgil looked around and saw a man in a suit wearing a purple sash identifying him as a Commissioner.

“And all for this woman who appears to be very close to retirement but is still an excellent specimen,” the Commissioner walked in a circle around Madeline and examined her.

“I’ll tell you what we are going to do sergeant. You’re going to take, Madeline is it? Madeline’s suitcase to her accommodation and I’m going to take her to a comfort room,” the Commissioner gave Virgil a sleazy grin.

Virgil knew that he couldn’t argue with a Commissioner. Both he and Madeline knew that she would likely have to tend some Trade while she was staying at the Comfort Palace, it was almost impossible for her not to. But they had hoped to keep too keep that to a minimum and now right here on her first night back in Durden City Madeline was about to be used.

Madeline could see the anger and frustration building up inside Virgil and she was determined to defuse the situation.

“I would be truly honoured to service one of Durden City’s Commissioners. I consider it a privilege. Give me the key to the VIP suite please Mike,” Madeline gave the Commissioner her sweetest smile.

She glanced quickly at Virgil and gave him a ‘don’t fuck this up’ stare.

Mike handed Madeline a keycard and she escorted the Commissioner into the Comfort Place.

“When I first started out I was fortunate enough to have Commissioner Cooter as my very first Trade; do you know him?” Madeline asked sweetly, hooking her arm through the Commissioner’s elbow and guiding him towards comfort room one.

The Commissioner halted in the middle of the dance floor and turned Madeline to him.

“Commissioner Cooter was assassinated by the Revolutionaries in this very Comfort Palace. Don’t you know anything?” the man hissed.

“I’m so sorry to hear that. I was at Comfort Palace number one until today and I don’t keep up with news much. How long ago did this happen?” Madeline attempted to cover her gaff.

“Over a year ago but I suppose a lowly Comfort Girl isn’t really kept in the loop,” the Commissioner smiled at her, his frown disappearing.

“I'm Commissioner Roy Braithwaite. You may call me Roy in the comfort room but not out here,” he began to lead Madeline to the VIP room.

Inside the comfort room Commissioner Braithwaite became a different man.

He took Madeline's hand and softly kissed it and then he circled her slowly and examined her critically.

“I can't believe that you were born a boy?” he said more to himself than to Madeline.

“Amazing! I never use the Comfort Palaces only the Breeding Chambers but tonight I was here on business and you caught my eye. You are absolutely stunning,” Roy lifted Madeline's chin and examined her face.

“I have never been with a special lady like yourself. You are so beautiful and delightful; I'm so looking forward to it,” Roy smiled at Madeline.

“Maybe you would be more comfortable with one of the breeders. Some men find Comfort Girls quite intimidating,” Madeline said respectfully.

“Let's not pretend you are here for any other reason than to have sex with me,” Roy pointed at the bed but Madeline didn't move.

He took her arm and guided her to bed and forced her to sit on the edge.

Roy stripped naked. Although he was a reasonably handsome man he was overweight and pudgy; that said he had very useful appendage poking out from under his belly.

Roy leapt on her and Madeline fell back on the bed with Roy on top of her. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her.

She tasted exactly as he thought she would: sweet but exotic, soft but resilient. Madeline didn't struggle, but she wasn’t responsive either. That angered Roy.

“Come on, you know what you are and what you have been bred for. Show some enthusiasm,” he whined.

Madeline threw her mind back to when she was working fulltime as a Comfort Girl and had to deal with clientele who she didn’t like. She let her mind go blank. She lay back and let Roy do whatever he wanted to her, she would let her body respond while her mind went elsewhere.

To Roy, Madeline seemed resigned to her fate and he marvelled at how her body seemed to meld to his as he kissed her, eager to explore her body but taking his time doing so. There was no rush.

Madeline tried her best to be non-responsive but Roy was a reasonable kisser and even the feel of his soft body and his bloated manhood pressing into her body could not suppress her excitement. Just like Commissioner Brathwaite said, Madeline was bred and trained to provide comfort to any man who paid for her services and her years of subjugation, training and servitude took control of her mind and body.

Madeline knew that she was vindicating her actions; justifying taking pleasure from this awful man even though she was totally in love with Virgil Benning.

There was something so incredibly compelling about being on a big bed with a man as powerful as one of the Commissioners and she decided to use her seductive skills to see if she could extract any information that may be useful.

Madeline put her hand to his face and returned his kisses, adjusting herself on the bed so that Roy’s cock was pressing against her body. Roy slid his tongue into Madeline's mouth and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to closer to him, if that was possible; enclosing her in his arms, feeling her breasts pressed into his chest and her heart beating through her dress.

Madeline's head was spinning; she felt like she was betraying Virgil but she felt so sexy and wanton, so womanly and so cherished. Roy whispered in her ear, telling her that she was adorable and beautiful. She felt his erection throbbing against her body; her own penis uncomfortably tucked under her groin was distended. She responded to Roy's kisses and they continued to embrace and kiss whilst enfolded in each other's arms.

Roy guided Madeline's hand down to his groin; impatient now, and she found his manhood hard and hot to her touch. Madeline ran her fingers lightly up and down Roy's shaft, gently brushing his fraenulum with a long manicured fingernail. Roy gasped and pushed against her, encouraging her to tighten her grip on his phallus and stroke it. Madeline wrapped her fingers around Roy's engorged member and squeezed a droplet of pre-ejaculate, which she massaged into his glans. Roy groaned into her mouth.

He eased himself away from her and slowly peeled Madeline out of her dress, removing her brassiere, marvelling at her creamy white skin, her pretty face, her perky breasts with berry-like nipples already erect in anticipation, her flat belly and those long, long legs.

“Magnificent,” he whispered and lowered his mouth to her breasts.

Madeline gasped and cradled his head while Roy suckled at her teats. He sucked and nibbled her nipples and Madeline felt wavelets of pleasure burst forth from her bosom. She stroked his head and entwined her fingers in his hair.

Roy's lips slid along her décolletage, along her neck and he found her mouth again. Madeline kissed him passionately, wrapping her leg over his and caressing his cock with her nylon-clad thigh, using the fingers of her free hand to stroke his glans.

Madeline was surprised when Roy slid his hand inside her tight satin panties and freed her erect penis. He had told her that he had never been with a Comfort Girl. She gasped and kissed him deeply and gripped his manhood; caressing and stroking it as she felt the pulse of his manhood in her hand.

Roy rolled on top of her and lay between her legs and instinctively Madeline opened them wide and she arched her back and wrapped her legs around his torso, raising her buttocks so that their cocks pressed together, delighting in the feel of their throbbing penises rubbing on her panties and pantyhose. They ground against each other, pre-seminal fluid beginning to flow freely, saturating Madeline's panties as Roy suckled on Madeline's bosom. They writhed together on the big bed, steadily building their pleasure and lust.

“Is this ok? Am I doing it right?” Roy seemed embarrassed.

“Perfect,” Madeline moaned.

“What do I do now?” Roy seemed a little bemused.

Madeline smiled up at him knowingly and eased the gusset of her panties aside and guided Roy's manhood to her puckered sphincter, only the gossamer of her pantyhose preventing him from entering her. Madeline relaxed. Roy's cock was quite large; she reached for the lubricant that she knew would be on the bedside table.

She secreted a gobbet of the slick slave onto her fingers and liberally coated Roy’s rock-hard phallus. She lifted her torso and pressed herself against Roy who pushed forward and his cock split open her pantyhose and his glans slid inside her. Madeline wrapped her arms around Roy's neck and kissed him with fervour as she lifted herself up and pressed harder so that Roy's long thick cock slid all the way inside her.

“Wonderful,” Roy gasped as he felt his erection filled her back passage.

The tiny nerves at the entrance to Madeline's anus were tingling with excitement and the head of Roy's phallus pressed on her prostate.

“Now fuck me Roy,” she looked up appreciatively into Roy's handsome face.

Roy obliged and began to thrust his penis in and out of Madeline's anus, extracting the tip of his glans to the very entrance of her channel and then burying it deep inside her, grinding his pubis into hers as his scrotum slapped against the valley between her buttocks. His soft belly rubbed against her penis as he fucked her, stimulating her.

Madeline locked her legs around Roy; her silken-sheathed thighs stimulating his sensitive flesh. They clung to each other, rutting, gasping and growling; their mouths locked as they kissed, nipped and fondled each other, building their passion to its peak.

Roy gripped Madeline by the hips and drove himself deep inside her as he climaxed; Madeline strove to meet him and cinched her heels behind his lower back, straining to hold him close as her anus spasmed and milked him. Her own member ejaculated hot semen onto her abdomen and Roy's belly smearing the viscous fluid their flesh as he continued to erupt inside her. He began to thrust again and his spend seeped from her sphincter and ran between her buttocks.

Madeline moaned as intense feelings of lust and gratification washed over her but she had to admit that she also felt some self-loathing. How could she give herself away so easily to this man? How could she betray Virgil so easily? Roy kissed her and held her tight as they both rode their climaxes to fulfilment but Madeline's self-doubt remained.

They lay on the bed kissing and caressing each other; Madeline naked except for her panties and pantyhose. Madeline slipped out of bed and brought a bottle of champagne and two glasses to the bedside table and Roy produced his cigarettes. They filled their glasses, lit cigarettes and snuggled under the satin-lined coverlet.

It was time for Madeline to try to get something useful out of the Commissioner using pillow talk.

Roy was proud of his position and boastful. He had been appointed to replace Commissioner Cooter and his remit was the Comfort Girl program. Everyone knew that Roy’s predecessor Harlan Cooter took a profound and unmoderated interest in his portfolio and indeed he seemed to think that his role as Commissioner was to sample every Comfort Girl in Durden City.

Commissioner Roy Braithwaite had taken a different approach to his duties, concentrating on predicting the required number of Comfort Girls needed to fulfil the future needs of the populous and conducting an audit and a cost benefit analysis of the Comfort Palaces. This was the first time he had sampled one of the charges for which he was responsible and now he knew what he had been missing.

He would certainly continue to exercise his right to service females in the Breeding Chambers but further dalliances with pretty Comfort Girls was not out of the question.

Roy had more to say about other things too, especially about what was happening in the Commission and about the City Commissioner, Pope Durden. Madeline realised what Roy was actually insecure and his inclination to impress a lowly Comfort Girl was a manifestation of that. He probably thought he could talk freely to this courtesan who was hardly likely to tell anyone of significance. As the champagne flowed his lips got looser.

Roy left Madeline with a lingering kiss at the door and as soon as he was gone Madeline cleaned herself up as best she could and dressed. She went back past the Trade desk and found her accommodation and Virgil waiting for her.

Madeline had been assigned a single dormitory, quite sparsely furnished with a single bed, a nightstand, a small sofa with a coffee table in front of it and a small video screen mounted on the wall facing the couch. There was a single throw rug on the floor and the walls were painted cinderblock but she had the luxury of an ensuite bathroom and there was fresh linen.

Virgil had unpacked her suitcase and her clothing was hanging up in a wardrobe, her shoes lined up underneath. No doubt he’d put her underwear and lingerie in the drawers. He’d placed her toiletries and makeup bag in the ensuite.

Virgil was sitting on the sofa staring at the blank screen; his weapons and his rucksack on the floor beside him.

He looked forlorn and Madeline’s instinct was to comfort him but not with lips that had recently kissed Roy Braithwaite, whose semen was still dribbling from her sphincter.

“I won’t be long,” she whispered, unable to meet his eyes.

She douched and showered and put on fresh makeup and perfume. She slipped into a new pair of pantyhose and shimmied into a pair of tight white nylon panties and put a simple white chemise over and padded over to Virgil who had taken off his webbing and combat blouse and put his feet up on the table.

Madeline dimmed the lights and sat down beside him.

“I’m sorry Virgil,” she whispered and tried to take his hand but he snatched it away.

This angered her.

“We knew I’d have to work. It was inevitable,” Madeline sniped.

“Do you think I liked what I had to do?” guilt swept over her but Madeline was not going to justify her actions.

“It’s what you were bred to do,” Virgil grumbled.

“Yes it is. But I’m not that anymore. I’m a Freetown trooper and I’m your beloved. I’m doing what I have to do for the cause, just like you,” Madeline tried to take his hand again but he snatched it away.

“I thought that I would be ok with it but seeing that fat fuck lead you away to the comfort rooms made me furious. Knowing what you would be doing only a few meters away from where I was waiting for you. You servicing him. You fucking him!” Virgil hissed.

“I did what I had to do,” Madeline tried to comfort Virgil but he sat rigidly with his fists balled.

“Well I don’t have to like it,” Virgil said angrily.

“Like you did when you gave me to Leon and Spliff in the barrack room,” Madeline spat and instantly regretted it.

“I heard you tell them that you used to spend most of your credits on Comfort Girls before you deserted because you were denied access to the breeding chamber. You're no different than the others,” Madeline hissed angrily and immediately regretted what she had said.

Virgil looked wounded. Tears were welling in his eyes. He raised his hand to her but stopped with it in mid-air.

Madeline took his hand and placed it on her lips and kissed it softly.

“Your anger shows me just how much you love me and I love you too but we’re here because we have to be. We’re here on a mission,” Madeline curled up into him and Virgil folded her in his arms.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed.

“As it turns out the Commissioner had information that is useful to us and he was all too willing to tell me. He’s a self-important prick with a little dick and no stamina,” Madeline used the truth and a smattering of lies to cover her guilt.

“You can’t stay here, you know that, so let’s make the most of our time together and I’ll tell you what he told me,” Madeline kissed him and then playfully nipped his earlobe.

Virgil picked her up and carried her to the bed where Madeline did everything in her power to make him feel wanted, pushing down her guilt as she made love to the man she adored.

Victoria Eglin

Victoria knew that Pope was becoming suspicious that someone was leaking information to the Revolutionaries. Someone high up, possible even a Commissioner.

The Revolutionary attacks were becoming more targeted and seemed to be intelligence based rather than opportunistic. Even worse, the Revolutionaries began to target the heavily guarded retinues transporting females to other city states. They had never done so before, even on the rare occasions that they had stumbled on one of the convoys. Pope thought, rightly, that when the Revolutionaries encountered the heavily protected vehicles transporting the females that the risk was not worth the reward. There were no trucks filled with valuable commodities being protected by all those men and their heavily armoured APCs so why attack them?

The Revolutionaries didn’t know that the precious cargo was breeding stock. They thought that most likely it was a gold shipment and the Revolutionaries had no use for gold.

That had changed recently and fierce skirmishes had broken out when some of the convoys carrying the females were ambushed.

“They likely hit one of the convoys by chance and found the women and girls inside the APC and decided to do it again,” Victoria tried to explain it away.

“I hate to think what those young girls and older women are being subject to,” Victoria tried to sound concerned.

“Well you would know. They took you and fucked you senseless but you probably enjoyed it,” Pope spat back at her.

He couldn’t help humiliating her even though he loved her.

“But why have there been no ransom demands?” Pope chewed the cuticle on his thumb as he often did when he was thinking.

“The Revolutionaries are probably trading them with the other city states or keeping them for themselves,” Victoria countered.

What Victoria knew was that the females were being held safely and securely by the Revolutionaries. Susan had promised that the females they captured would not be subject to any form of abuse. They would be held safely, surely and comfortably.

“The Revolutionaries have stopped attacking the other convoys and have not attacked the city for some time now. Even their acts of sabotage have declined. They’re up to something,” Pope pondered.

“I’ve sent scouting parties into Odessa, where you claimed that they have their stronghold but they found nothing,” Pope said accusingly.

“What I said was, they were in a group of rudimentarily fortified rundown buildings that was possibly in or somewhere near Odessa and that I couldn’t be sure,” Victoria countered.

“Anyway, I’m led to understand that once you doubled the guard on the shipments of females the attacks have ceased,” Victoria poured them both a drink.

“Maybe they have just given up or maybe their leader has lost control of them and they have mutinied,” Victoria suggested.

“Risk versus reward. If they’ve taken enough of my women to amuse themselves they’ve probably decided that the losses in combat aren’t worth it anymore,” Pope agreed with Victoria’s assessment.

The reality was the Revolutionaries had taken enough females to produce as evidence that Pope was trading them for gold.

Victoria had been leaking vital data to the Revolutionaries to substantiate such claims. Susan and her Revolutionaries were just biding their time so that they could present the evidence to the population of Durden City so that the menfolk would rise up and overthrow Pope Durden and his puppet Commission.

“This is for your ears only Victoria. My master plan is coming together. There is to be a meeting of the leaders of the most powerful city states. The time has come to stand united and take back what was lost all those years ago. A union of the city states will be all-powerful. We can wipe out the Revolutionaries. We can eradicate the scavengers and reunite and rebuild this part of America,” Pope’s eyes glazed over as he contemplated his dream.

“With you as the leader, the President, maybe even the King,” Victoria offered, handing Pope his drink.

“Alexander the Great conquered the known world, the Romans conquered Europe, Greece, the Balkans, the Middle East, and North Africa and Hitler would have conquered all of Europe if he hadn’t betrayed his Russian allies. Whenever there has been a void, a power vacuum, great leaders have emerged to conquer and to colonise,” Pope’s eyes gleamed.

Victoria had heard these rants before but now his nonsense seemed credible. The other great city-states were rich in commodities. They farmed, they manufactured; they produced goods of trade. The one thing they were all missing was a viable stock of females and Pope had the breeding stock. Only a select few people knew how many fertile females Pope had sequestered in the Breeding Facility.

“Lubbock, Abilene, Waco and Austin all have strongholds and systems of feudal government. You can guarantee that other towns and cities are rising from the carnage. An alliance will make us strong,” Pope continued.

“You will be the leader. Dare I say it; an Emperor,” Victoria fed Popes megalomania.

“And you will be my Empress,” Pope smiled at her and Victoria knew that he was lying.

If Pope ever became an Emperor, or whatever title he bestowed on himself, he would not take a woman in her midlife as his consort and certainly not a woman who had served in the Breeding Chambers. He would take a virgin and crown her and she would bear him an heir.

“Of course,” Victoria smiled back at him.

“When is this summit occurring?” Victoria asked.

“That my darling is known only to myself but soon,” Pope reached for Victoria and she obligingly fell into his arms.

Pope was mercifully quick. When he was in this mood; what Victoria called his ‘delusions of grandeur’ mood, he became instantly concupiscent and overly eager.

He rolled Victoria over and bent her back so that she was on her hands and knees on the white leather couch, her ass high in the air. He threw her skirt over her back, pulled down her panties and tore the crotch out of her pantyhose.

He gripped her hips almost painfully and slammed his cock into her maw. Victoria had got to the stage where she was ever ready for him, lubricating herself before every meeting because when his disposition was inclined this way he had no time for foreplay.

He rammed his cock into her, right up to hilt, making Victoria grunt; knocking the wind out of her. He jackhammered his cock in and out of her with no concern whatsoever for her pleasure but god help her she responded like one of Pavlov’s dogs. She had become conditioned to being used this way all of her life and her self-esteem was such that she believed that she deserved it.

She pushed back and ground her buttocks into his groin, knowing that the sensation of her shimmery pantyhose against Pope’s pubis and scrotum was a fetish he adored. Pope thrust harder and then pulled her ass back hard into his groin and deposited his steaming load deep inside her vagina and Victoria moaned like a slattern and began to shake as an orgasm erupted out of nowhere.

Pope held her tight, grinding his cock into her, inadvertently stimulating her clitoris which was tingling, almost stinging; goose bumps erupted on her flesh and ebullient warmth spread from her loins. She hated that he could do this to her but she relished the raw sensuality of it. Pope was using her and she was using him.

Pope ripped his still ejaculating manhood from her quivering quim and she felt the warm spatter of his spunk on her ass and lower back and she shivered as a final wave of licentiousness washed over her. She could feel the glutinous gobbets of semen soaking into her pantyhose, running down the small of her back.

She felt defiled but she felt that she deserved to be. The hated the man whom she had once loved and who she was now betraying. Providing him with carnal pleasure was the least she could do.

Pope pushed Victoria down into the plush leather.

“Go and clean yourself,” he growled, wiping his cock on her nylon-sheathed buttocks before he put himself away.

When Victoria returned, freshly showered, hair and makeup done, dressed in a bra and panties and pantyhose with a satin nightdress and heels, Pope was dressed in his smoking jacket and was sipping bourbon on the rocks.

Victoria went over to the wet bar and poured herself a gin and tonic.

“I’d like to take up our conversation where we left off,” Pope began.

“You mean about the summit or about you becoming the new Julius Caesar,” Victoria quipped.

She regretted it instantly when Pope leapt on her and spun her around and threw her on the sofa, her drink spinning out of her hand.

Victoria lay sprawled on the sofa, legs akimbo and her nightdress wide open.

“Ah. I see that I have you in your favourite position but I’ve no time for that,” he growled sarcastically.

“The subject I want to return to is about the traitor who is betraying me and leaking information about my convoys to the Revolutionaries. Plenty of the Commissioners know about our petrochemical shipment schedules and troop movements but an infinitesimal few know about the movements of the breeders; you being one of them,” Pope sat down beside Victoria and cruelly tugged on her hair, dragging her into a sitting position.

“Darling I’m the least likely person to be able to communicate with the Revolutionaries. I’m virtually a prisoner here in the Breeding Facility,” Victoria tried to soothe Pope.

She hooked a leg over his and leaned in so he could smell her perfume, her lips millimetres from his.

“Well if it’s not you; it’s someone you know. Keep your pretty ears to the ground. Maybe provide misinformation to the others and we’ll see if the Revolutionaries react to it; that way I can figure out who it is,” Pope’s anger dissipated as quickly as it had erupted.

“Of course you did spend time amongst them. Maybe they turned you?” Pope got up and poured Victoria a gin and tonic to replace the one he’d made her spill.

“Why would I help them? I would be the last person to do so considering the way they treated me,” Victoria took the proffered drink and took a sip.

“Maybe you liked it? Those filthy mercenaries taking you one after the other, lined up like men in the Breeding Chambers. You certainly used to like that,” Pope said cruelly.

“I didn’t like it! I was bred for that. It was my destiny, my calling, my life’s work! You should know. Your father’s father created the breeding program and invented the Breeding Chambers,” Victoria replied snarkily.

“Indeed he did and you wouldn’t exist without his foresight, none of us would! But let’s not get distracted,” Pope’s evil smile returned to his face.

“Find out who the traitor is or I will just have to assume that it’s you,” Pope stroked Victoria’s hair and took her drink from her.

Seeing her scared and unnerved always excited him. His hand began a slow journey up her legs as he began to kiss her full lips.

Madeline Smith and Virgil Benning

Virgil spent the night in his allocated accommodation in the apartment block in the upper-class part of Duren City. He would have liked to have spent the night in Madeline’s quarters but that was impossible. Because accommodation and commercial properties currently exceeded demand he had the block virtually to himself and Virgil began to formulate a plan.

He made his way to Comfort Place number three and picked up Madeline in order to escort her to the Breeding Facility so she could ostensively commence her training as a Brood Mother. Madeline was dressed in black spandex leggings, a white blouse and black high heels. With her short black bob and perfect makeup she looked sophisticated. She carried her Sig Sauer in her purse.

Virgil escorted her along the quiet streets on the short walk to the Breeding Facility and couldn’t help but admire Madeline’s ass in the tight leggings but there was business to attend to and he cleared his head of lecherous thoughts.

He showed his credentials to the Praetorian Guards at the walled entrance to the Breeding Facility and a guard checked a document on his device and allowed them through, radioing ahead to the guard who manned the doors to the Facility itself.

This guard double-checked their credentials and confirmed that they were on the list of approved visitors and let them inside. The entrance was opulent as befitted a place of such reverence: high ceilings, marble floors, marble columns, brocaded curtains and drapes and fine art decorated the walls and of course huge portraits of Michael, Stephen and Justin Durden looked down on whoever entered these hallowed halls.

To the left were the breeding rooms which housed the breeding chambers. Red guide ropes and carpeting guided men who entered the facility to breed to the breeding room. Praetorian Guards ensured that those men did not venture any further into the facility but during the day the chambers were vacant and the Guards absent. To the right were the bedrooms where the Commissioners took breeders of their choosing to lay with them. The Council was meeting today and these rooms were also vacant.

A marble staircase led up to the second floor where Victoria had her office and personal quarters. There were other offices on this level and Brood Mothers and breeders were busy attending to the day to day administration of the facility. The next five floors were where those women active in the breeding program lived and recreated. Above them were the floors where young breeders and immature Comfort Girls lived and learned their trade. Brood Mothers were also accommodated on these floors.

The floors above were where the most precious chattels were raised. A maternity ward, a crèche and nursery, classrooms for the children with dormitories and dining halls all situated together. The upper floors of the huge facility were open to the outdoors but a glass dome could be closed over the floors in the winter and during inclement weather. There was parkland, playgrounds and even a swimming pool for use by the inhabitants.

The breeding facility was enormous and viewed from the outside it appeared to the residents of Durden City that the breeding program was very successful. So successful in fact that a sister facility was under construction beside it.

The front desk was staffed by Brood Mothers and Virgil led Madeline to the counter.

“This Comfort Girl is to commence her Brood Mother training today. I believe she has an appointment to be interviewed by Victoria Eglin,” Virgil said officiously.

A Brood Mother looked Madeline up and down appreciatively as if assessing her abilities by simply looking at her. She pecked at a keyboard and studied a computer screen.

“She must be important if the boss is interviewing her personally,” the woman quipped.

“She is and I will take over from here,” Victoria Eglin appeared as if my magic and the Brood Mothers and breeders going about their daily tasks suddenly looked very busy.

The Brood Mother at the counter lowered her head in deference to Victoria.

“Of course ma’am,” she said reverentially.

“Come this way,” Victoria said curtly.

Madeline began to follow Victoria with Virgil in the trail.

“Ma’am, the Praetorian doesn't have clearance to proceed any further,” the Brood Mother said firmly but deferentially.

Victoria flashed her green eyes at the Brood Mother and pursed her lips.

“Check again please,” there was no doubt that Victoria's request was a command.

“Sorry ma’am, yes he does,” the Brood Mother lowered her gaze.

It was not unusual for the Praetorians to proceed above the ground floor usually when accompanying the tradesmen who came and went to maintain the building but a clearance was required. In this case Victoria herself had issued the clearance.

“Thank you Emily,” Victoria flashed a rare smile and the Brood Mother was flattered that Victoria even knew her name.

The trio walked past the bank of elevators leading to the upper floors and took the impressive marble staircase to the second level. As they ascended the stairs Silvia Cornish came out from behind one of the marble columns where she had been watching the proceedings and pushed the Brood Mother out the way and looked at the screen and smiled evilly.

Victoria checked that the corridor was empty and ushered Virgil and Madeline into her private quarters. Both Virgil and Madeline had never seen such opulence and were impressed.

Victoria too was wearing spandex leggings; hers pristine white with a flowing silk blouse and white pumps. Her glossy black hair framed a face that was heavily made-up, making her look almost severe.

“That short hair suits you. Do you still think we could still be mistaken for sisters?” Victoria commented to Madeline, walking over to the bar where coffee and a tray of appetisers had been laid out.

“I think so, yes,” Virgil replied when Madeline said nothing.

He might be in love with Madeline but he’d taken a peek at Victoria’s firm buttocks clad in the tight white lycra.

“Come here you two,” Victoria suddenly broke into a smile and wrapped her arms around them both and kissed their cheeks.

“Good to see you both after so long,” she said earnestly and Madeline and Virgil returned the hug.

Victoria seated her guests and brought over the coffee she had poured for them. They both politely declined the appetisers.

“Pope is busy at the Commission meeting but we still have no time to waste,” Victoria began.

“I’ll go first,” Victoria began.

“I asked Susan to send you here because I need your help. Pope is becoming more and more suspicious of me. Maybe I gave the Revolutionaries too much information, especially about the movements of the females he is smuggling,” Victoria explained.

“First and foremost I need you both here as security in case something happens to me. Secondly I know that Pope is about to summon the leaders of selected city states here for a secret meeting. He wants to amalgamate them under his control. He wants to be an emperor, as silly as that sounds,” Victoria stopped to sip coffee and Madeline interjected.

“That corroborates what one of the Commissioners told me. His name is Roy Braithwaite and he told me that something huge is about to happen. That he didn’t have the exact details but said that Pope had promised his Commissioners even more power; power that would extend beyond Durden City. He couldn’t help bragging about it,” Madeline said excitedly.

“When did he tell you this? How did he tell you this?” Victoria looked concerned.

Both Virgil and Madeline blushed and Virgil looked a little angry.

“They put to you work?” Victoria whispered.

“I’m sorry but I had to put you in a Comfort Palace under the pretext that we are assessing your abilities to become a Brood Mother when you retire but I never expected that they would make you entertain Trade,” Victoria was genuinely sorry.

“What else would they do with me? It’s ok Victoria, it’s not like I haven’t been doing that all my life,” Madeline took Virgil’s hand and squeezed it.

Victoria noticed the gesture and smiled.

“Ok. I don’t how long I have before Pope discovers that I’m the traitor. I think he has someone or some people in here watching me. Between ourselves and Susan we need to come up with a plan to take advantage of the upcoming summit,” Victoria said earnestly.

“You guys are the Troopers; I’m just the woman who is supplying you with intelligence so we need to work together and possibly topple Pope and his regime,” Victoria continued.

The three of them began to formulate a strategy that they could put to Susan. Now that Virgil was assimilated into the city and free to move around he would undertake communications and reconnaissance while Madeline would move into the Breeding Facility as an apprentice Brood Mother and provide Victoria with security. She would essentially become Victoria’s bodyguard.

They talked and strategized for nearly three hours before they had what they believed was a workable plan. Virgil relayed the plan to Susan Solister through the Telegraph Hill relay and the next day Susan sent a message saying she agreed with the plan and added some meat to the bones of what was basically a very bold, audacious, decisive, risky and dangerous strategy.

TEN DAYS LATER

Billy Brody

Major William Brody watched the largest convoy of vehicles and profusion of City Guards that he had ever seen travelling west along the I-20. Work gangs from Durden City had recently cleared all the wreckage from the road. Over half of Durden City’s guards and nearly all of their armour were heading to Odessa.

From his vantage point near the intersection of the I-20 and highway 250 Billy watched the procession. He had four Troops of Revolutionaries supporting him, not nearly enough to take on the army of City Guards. But he had no intention of doing so. His objective was to pin them down and prevent them returning to Durden City with their precious cargo.

Said cargo was the leaders of the city states of Lubbock, Abilene, Waco and Austin who were travelling with their own smaller armies converging on Odessa. Once they had congregated together Pope Durden’s City Guard would escort the leaders to Durden City, guaranteeing their safety. Pope was adamant that the leaders leave their own armies in Odessa. He would not allow foreign troops into Durden City.

Pope thought this most emperiorial, something Julius Caesar himself might have done.

As soon as the convoy passed the intersection and were out of sight, Billy ordered his men into action. They brought up heavy machinery, some of which they had constructed themselves; heavy trucks fitted with plow blades and winches. His men quickly went to work pushing, dragging and stacking wrecked automobile chassis across the cleared section of the I-20. When they had completed that task and the highway was completely blocked with no way around the barricade they took up defensive positions and waited.

When the convoy returned from Odessa, travelling east with their precious cargo, the City Guards are at first surprised and then outraged when they found the highway blocked. At first they thought it just an opportunistic stratagem by the Revolutionaries but as they came under withering fire and were pinned down in their vehicles they realised that they were under a coordinated attack.

Billy Brody knew that he couldn’t defeat the army of City Guards who would soon call for reinforcements from Odessa. The combined might of the allied forces would force his men to retreat and the Guards wound clear the road and continue on to Durden City.

But Billy didn’t expect to win the battle. It is merely a delaying tactic to keep the ambassadors and most of the City Guard out of Durden City while the rest of their audacious plan was executed.

Virgil Benning

It was somewhat ironic that Pope Durden’s highly successful construction program would play a defining role in his downfall. Being the sole occupant of the apartment complex Virgil was able to house men, rations and munitions smuggled into Durden City through the underground network of sewers. Susan Solister and most of the Troop Captains of the Revolutionary army had been smuggled into Durden City over the preceding nights. The Troop Captains, dressed as City Guards, had been able to move around Durden City and identify the strengths and weaknesses of their objectives.

Also smuggled in were four of the captured female breeders who, aware that Pope was going to trade them for gold, had become willing accomplices. Commander Susan Solister called her Troop Captains and Virgil Benning into her apartment for a final briefing. The rest of the Revolutionary army, except for those left behind to guard Freetown and the four Troops assigned to Major Brody, were in hiding just outside Durden City and ready to move at a moment’s notice.

“Two Troops will lay siege to the barracks and armoury. Your mission is to keep the City Guard reserve pinned down not to actually take those objectives. We can do that later if the City Guards don’t surrender,” Susan explained.

“Four Troops will take control of the television studio which will be heavily guarded. Be ruthless. We will take down as many City Guards as necessary but try to keep civilian casualties to a minimum. We must take the broadcasting facility intact otherwise its mission-fail,” Susan said grimly.

City Commissioner Michael Durden had announced the Leaders Summit only a few days earlier, proclaiming himself a messiah for bringing together the leaders of the nearby city states so that they may form an alliance, with Pope of course appointed as the leader of the allied Cities.

It was a great honour to host such an historic event that could possibly be the beginning of the resurrection of what had once been the United States of America starting with the great state of Texas. The opening ceremony was to be broadcast live from the Durden City television studio with all of the Commissioners and selected auspicious entrepreneurs and impresarios present in the audience.

“Sergeant Benning; your role is crucial. I want Michael Durden taken alive at all costs. Confirm that Trooper Smith is with Victoria Eglin at the Breeding Facility?” Susan looked earnestly at Virgil.

“Like white on rice ma’am. Madeline reports that the City Commissioner's retinue and personal Praetorians are corralled outside the Breeding Facility waiting for him. Pope wants to be filmed leaving the Breeding Facility and being escorted to the Leaders Summit like some sort of conquering hero. Troop Captain Ferguson with the rest of my Troop will take out Pope’s bodyguards. I will join up with Madeline and make sure that Victoria is kept safe and brought to the studio. Captain Ferguson will bring Michael Durden,” Virgil recapped the plan.

“Timing is crucial. Major Brody can only pin down the other delegates and their armies for so long. We must have accomplished our mission before they arrive at Durden City,” Susan reiterated for the hundredth time.

There was a sudden bark of static followed by a transmission on the HF radio and the radio operator nodded at Susan.

It was Billy Brody reporting that he had blocked I-20.

“Ok, it’s showtime!” Susan barked and the grim faced Troop Captains and Virgil Benning hit the bricks.

Their first objective was the main entrance gate to the city. The City Guard was depleted because the majority of their number were assigned to the security detail that had gone to Odessa to escort the summit leaders. Most of the remaining Guards were protecting the television station and broadcasting facility. The road and railway entrance gates were undermanned, but in any event no one was expecting an attack from inside the city walls.

The sound of gunfire and munitions exploding echoed through the streets near the city wall as Susan’s small force wiped out the Guards at the city gate and opened them to allow the main force of the Revolutionary army to enter the city. Susan went with four troops to engage the Guards at the television station while two troops surrounded the barracks and armoury but there was little resistance, the men in the barracks were under siege. Virgil had gone to the Breeding Facility straight after the briefing and the remainder of his troop under the command of Captain Ferguson were on their way.

Pope Durden

The sense of exhilaration that Pope Durden felt as the summit approached was directed into sexual energy. The term concupiscent was insufficient an adjective to describe how he felt. His lust was primal and he was expending his sexual energy the best way he knew how.

But not with Victoria Eglin.

Pope had Silvia Cornish kneeling on the bed dressed in a pink chemise, black holdup stockings and red high heels. Her stockings were laddered, her makeup was smeared over her face, her hair was a bird’s nest and she was sweating profusely. She was nearly exhausted and her vagina was numb. Pope had made her climax three times and he had ejaculated twice himself but his libido was still not expended and he pounded away at Silvia, gripping her hips, ramming himself in and out of her bruised quim.

Pope roared and finally orgasmed then he pushed Silvia away and lay on his back panting, staring up at the ceiling. Silvia lay beside him grateful that he was finally finished.

“I suspected all along that Victoria was betraying me but I just didn’t want to believe it,” Pope reached for his cigarettes.

“She hasn’t been the same since she was held captive by the Revolutionaries. They did something to her,” Pope blew smoke at the ceiling.

“I think her love for you was starting to wane even before then,” Silvia lit her own cigarette and stared at the same spot on the ceiling.

Pope turned to Silvia, his eyes flashed with ire.

“She hated me even before she was kidnapped?” Pope hissed and Silvia knew that she had taken a step too far.

Pope’s vanity and pride were colossal and the idea that the woman that was once his beloved didn’t love him unconditionally in return was unthinkable.

Silvia realised her mistake, she didn’t need to throw more fuel on the flames.

“I think that fucking Comfort Granny is in cahoots with her; in fact I’m sure of it,” Silvia diverted the conversation away from dangerous ground.

“They have been passing tactical information onto the Revolutionaries and accessing and downloading sensitive information about the breeding program,” Silvia twisted the knife.

“I know! You told me a hundred times but I needed to confirm it myself. But that traitorous bitch will get hers today. I’m giving the opening address at the summit and Victoria will be standing beside me when I do. She thinks that she is going to be my queen. I’m going to expose her as a traitor on stage and execute her myself right there,” Pope’s breathing became laboured.

“The act will express to the delegates and the audience that Pope Durden will not tolerate rebelliousness,” Pope sneered.

“You will be my First Lady, my Queen, my Empress; I haven’t decided on a title yet,” Pope mused and Silvia face lit up at the thought of it.

“How certain are you that the other leaders will form an alliance with you?” Silvia asked, once again playing to Pope’s vanity.

“The other city states need more females if their populations are to grow. I’m going to lift the restrictions on the breeders. They're going to work those fucking chambers as soon as they become fertile right up until menopause. There will be no time off to recover from childbirth; they’ll be like battery hens spitting out children,” Pope’s eyes glazed over as he imagined the future.

“I’ll build breeding facilities in every city. The other city states haven’t figured out the utility of Comfort Palaces yet so I’ll introduce them too. Men who are unable to fuck a female are more than happy to substitute a ladyboy,” Pope sniggered.

“The brood stock and the Comfort Girls will come from Durden City initially but once the breeding programs are in full swing they will become self-sustainable. Any pretty boy can be turned into a pretty girl, whether he wants to or not,” he chuckled.

“And I will be the grand master of it all. I’ll leave the leaders of the other city states in place as City Commissioners but they will serve me. I will amalgamate their armies and we will wipe out the Revolutionary scum and the scavengers. We will conquer other cities and if they do not bend to my will we will destroy them, killing every man and taking their females,” Pope was almost shrieking.

“Once word of my power spreads across the state and then across the country, cities will open their gates and welcome me. I will show them how to establish breeding programs and how to turn boys into girls for their pleasure. I will no longer need to trade females for gold because all will be mine,” Pope’s laugh became maniacal.

He reminded Silvia of historic footage she had seen of Adolf Hitler addressing the masses at Nuremburg Germany before world war two. Pope had risen from the bed and stood naked and rampant; his cock a steel rod poking out in front his body. But it was not lasciviousness that ignited his lust; it was the expectation of dominion.

He would publicly execute Victoria Eglin for betraying him but Silvia Cornish would not take her place. Silvia knew too much. She might enjoy being locked in a breeding chamber in some other city far enough away from Durden City that she would no longer be a threat, Pope pondered. He’d already selected a beautiful young virgin to be his Empress.

Pope showered and dressed in his full ceremonial uniform knowing that Victoria was dressing in her finery in anticipation of being presented as his consort on the stage at the summit. If only that dumb bitch knew what fate awaited her. He would give her co-conspirator, the Comfort Girl named Madeline, to his Praetorians to ravish and ravage and finally dispose of. He had no little time for Comfort Girls and exposing her publicly would serve no purpose.

Pope had showered and was dressed in his ceremonial uniform and was just putting on his gold sash when he heard sporadic gunfire erupt in the distance. The sound of gunfire intensified and was joined by the muffled thunder of munitions.

“The fucking Revolutionaries!” Pope roared and reached for his sidearm.

When the fighting erupted on the main streets of Durden City Madeline was dressed in her ACU and webbing, her pistol drawn, Virgil Benning beside her, his M4 across his chest, keeping guard outside Victoria’s quarters in the Breeding Facility.

“Ok, here we go,” Virgil assumed a combat stance.

Two of the Brood Mothers came running down the corridor, their faces a picture of terror. Madeline stepped in front of them and stopped them.

“Get all the other Brood Mothers, breeders and juvenile Comfort Girls and take them to the rooftop gardens. Keep them away from the edge of the building. Tell them that that they are safe; no one is going to hurt them,” Madeline said.

The Brood Mothers were astounded to see a woman dressed in combat clothing and carrying a weapon. They stood there slack-jawed.

“Just do it!” Madeline physically shook one of them and she nodded and they continued on their way.

Pope Durden came around the corner with his pistol drawn and a look of grim determination on his face. He was in his dress uniform and was not wearing body armour for his forthcoming appearance at the summit. He knew that Victoria was behind the insurrection. He mistakenly believed that the Revolutionaries were carrying out a disturbance and harassment raid in the city to tarnish and disrupt his summit. He did not know that it was a full-on coordinated attack on Durden City.

He would kill the bitch responsible right now. It wouldn’t be as dramatic as shooting her in the head on stage but he would drag her bloody corpse in front of the cameras waiting to film him outside the Breeding Facility for all to see what happens to those who would betray him.

He saw the Revolutionary and the Comfort Girl that Silvia had told him about. She was dressed as a soldier and looked ridiculous. He lifted his weapon and emptied his magazine in their direction, one of his rounds hitting Madeline in the shoulder above her body armour driving her into the wall where she slid down to the floor.

Virgil was tempted to empty his magazine into Pope Durden; a round had clipped his upper arm and it stung. But Virgil kept his cool, even knowing that the love of his life had been hit. He raised his rifle and shot Pope through the right thigh.

Pope dropped his pistol and began to wail like a girl.

“You shot me! You fucking shot me!” he squealed as he fell to his knees and held his thigh which felt like it was on fire.

Virgil ran up to him, lining up before he even got there and kicked Pope Durden in the head and Pope saw stars before he blacked out.

Virgil ran back to Madeline who was sitting upright holding her shoulder.

“I’ll take you to a medic. I’ll drag a doctor out of the clinic,” Virgil said, his voice full of concern.

“You will do such thing Virgil Benning! It’s a through and through. You put a field dressing on it and we complete our mission. That’s what you would say to any other trooper,” Madeline winced with pain but she was adamant.

Victoria came out of her quarters dressed in the grey power-suit that Pope had ordered her to wear for the summit.

“Oh my god has Madeline been shot? Is that Pope?” her attention was drawn to the man dressed in his ridiculous dress uniform and gold sash lying prone on the floor.

“Yes and yes but we continue as planned,” Virgil said through gritted teeth.

At that moment a cacophony of gunfire erupted outside in the courtyard. Captain Ferguson and his troop were engaging Pope’s entourage. Victoria helped Madeline inside her room and sat her on the bed.

“Take this and press it against the entry wound and tie it tight then do the same with the exit wound,” Madeline grimaced as she ripped field dressings off her webbing and handed them to Victoria.

Virgil dragged Pope’s unconscious body into the room and locked the door. Every nerve in his body told him to draw his pistol and finish the job he had started but his Commander wanted Pope alive so he put a field dressing on Pope’s thigh and then trussed him up tight.

He went to the window and saw that his troop had annihilated Pope’s bodyguards and were pouring into the Breeding Facility.

He opened the door and ran to the staircase.

“Up here sir and send a medic if you have one,” Virgil screamed down at Captain Ferguson.

Ferguson’s men fanned out through the Facility and there was the report of isolated gunshots when they encountered City Guards who failed to surrender but most of the Guards realised the futility of the situation and surrendered.

Captain Ferguson and a field medic came through the door and surveyed the scene.

Sergeant Benning had a flesh wound to his left upper arm, Trooper Smith had what looked like a serious wound to her shoulder and Michael Durden was lying trussed on the floor bleeding profusely from his right thigh despite the field dressing. Victoria Eglin looked like she was dressed as an executive ready for a day in the office, although her grey suit was purple in places from Madeline’s blood.

The medic went straight to Madeline.

“She needs a medevac,” the medic said without even examining her.

“Fuck that. See to him. Our Commander wants him alive and at the studio asap,” Madeline winced through the pain, pointing at Pope Durden’s trussed body.

The medic looked at Captain Ferguson who nodded and the medic went to work on Pope.

“You have five minutes and then we’re off to the studio,” Virgil barked and then he went over to Madeline and gently held her.

“Stop that! We’re on a mission. Plenty of time for that later when I’m high on morphine,” Madeline smiled wanly at Virgil who refused to let her go and held her gently in his arms.

“Turn on the television,” Victoria said which sounded so incongruous given the circumstances that everybody looked at her like she was mad.

She strode over the occasional table and snatched up the remote and turned on the huge flat screen which commanded most of one wall.

In the television studio all was quiet after the fierce battle that had taken place outside. Heavy casualties had been taken on both sides before the City Guards defending the studio and broadcasting facility surrendered. Susan’s troopers entered the studio while other specialists entered the broadcasting facility. Using access codes provided by Victoria the Revolutionary’s information technology experts accessed the city’s internet servers, and the COMTEL cellular phone network.

They sent text messages to everyone who owned a mobile phone telling them to find shelter indoors immediately and to turn on their television sets. They sent the same message on every media carrier over the internet.

Meanwhile a troop of Revolutionaries entered the television studio and found all of the Commissioners and the auspicious members of the audience cowering in their seats. They were ordered to stay where they were, soldiers put guns to the heads of the cameramen and the sound and lighting technicians and told them to stay at their posts and do exactly what they were told.

Revolutionaries entered the control booth and a smarmy man in an expensive suit stepped forward and held up his hand.

“You can’t be in here!” he growled self-importantly.

A Troop Captain shot the man in the head and asked the rest of the production team if they felt the same way and there was silence. The Revolutionaries had the producer bring up a message on the screen that read: STANDBY FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.

Susan Solister strode onto the stage and addressed the assembled audience.

“Anyone who leaves their seat will be shot,” she stood with her legs wide and her hands on her hips.

The assembled dignitaries could not believe that a woman was talking to them this way, even if she was wearing a combat uniform.

One of the Commissioners, feeling bold, got to his feet.

“What is the meaning of this outrage!” he shouted.

Susan nodded to one of her Troop Captains who took careful aim and shot the Commissioner dead.

The others remained silent and seated.

In Durden City most of the City Guard had surrendered, including those holed up in the barracks and armoury. Those City Guards who had surrendered fully expected that they would be executed but hoped vainly that they might be spared. The Guards were disarmed and corralled in the barracks on the parade ground, crowded together, defeated but still hostile. The Revolutionaries had heavy machine guns mounted to cover them. The City Guards were surprised when a large screen TV was wheeled onto the parade ground and switched on.

They all turned to look at the screen and saw a static message the read: STANDBY FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. The Guards began to murmur and talk amongst themselves but none of them tried to escape. That would be fruitless and suicidal.

The doors to the television studio burst open and Captain Ferguson lead Victoria Eglin to the stage followed by Madeline Smith and Virgil Benning who were holding a now conscious but trussed Pope Durden between them. He struggled to walk on his wounded leg but his cries were muffled by the gaffer taped wound around his mouth. Tears stream down his face.

The Commissioners were shocked and several of them rose in their seats in protest but quickly sat down when weapons were raised and pointed in their direction.

A chair had been placed centre stage and Pope Durden was led to it and bound to it securely. The bandages on his leg were red with blood but most of the bleeding had stopped. Virgil’s bullet had miraculously missed Pope’s femur and femoral artery.

Virgil and Madeline were about to leave the stage; their mission completed.

“Where do you two think you are going?” Susan barked in a commanding tone.

“Stand over there next to Victoria,” she ordered and they did as they were told.

Across Durden City every television set, computer and mobile device suddenly came to life. The summit was being broadcast live for all to see and the populace were amazed to see an imposing attractive woman with a flowing black mane, brilliant green eyes and lipsticked lips dressed in combat attire commanding the stage.

“My name is Susan Solister and I am Commander of what the citizens of Durden City call the Revolutionary Army but we prefer to call ourselves freedom fighters,” Susan began, looking directly into the camera.

“The woman standing beside me is Victoria Eglin also known as the Brood Matron of the Durden City Breeding Facility,” Susan put her arm around Victoria’s shoulder and was aware the Victoria was shaking a little.

Susan turned to Madeline and called her forward.

“This woman is Madeline Smith once known to you as a Comfort Girl. This woman has bravery, tenacity, intelligence and loyalty that I truly envy and am constantly astounded by,” Susan announced and Madeline blushed.

“Born and raised to spend her life to do nothing more than to pleasure men, given the opportunity, she turned her life around and became a fierce warrior who has been instrumental in bringing down a regime that is corrupt, has lied to the people that it was meant to serve, and exists only to gratify its own desires,” Susan said solemnly.

There was a murmuring in the audience and some of the men had the audacity to cry out and the Revolutionaries actioned their weapons but Susan made a gesture indicating for her troopers to lower their guns.

“You will all be given a chance to justify your actions. All of you have been lied to and most of you are likely innocent,” Susan spoke directly to the assembled audience then once again looked into the camera.

“That’s right citizens of Durden City, three women have been instrumental in the downfall of your corrupt and ruthless despot,” Susan pointed directly at Pope Durden, whose eyes were bulging with fear, hate and disbelief.

The murmuring in the audience flared up again but quickly dissipated.

Susan nodded at one of her men and he led out the four breeders that the Revolutionaries had taken during raids on Pope’s trading convoys. The younger two who had not yet served in the breeding chambers were dressed in virginal white, the two retired breeders, women in their late thirties, were dressed in conservative skirt-suits

Susan motioned them forward and handed a microphone to one of the mature women.

“I am Olivia Steenbright and this is Constance Williams, Delia Prentice and Louise Summers. We were in a convoy bound for Austin because we had been traded for gold by Michael Durden. Of course we didn’t know that we had been traded, we were told nothing, just that we were going away… forever,” Olivia tried hard to control her emotions but she began to cry.

“Myself and Constance have provided you with ten children each, fourteen of them female, believing that our role in life was to help repopulate Durden City, hoping someday that our daughters or possibly our granddaughters might leave the breeding chambers and have families but that was never going to happen under the regime of that man,” Olivia pointed at Pope Durden whose face was becoming red and puffy as he got angrier, the pain from his leg adding to his discomfort.

The four breeders stepped to the back of the stage. The studio audience was silent. In the houses, apartments, bars and restaurants where the citizens of Durden City were staring at their television screens or portable devices there was silence. No one could believe what they were seeing and hearing.

“You are a city that has been duped and manipulated by three generations of Durdens. When Justin Durden established the breeding and comfort girl programs his intentions were honourable even if the means by which he hoped to achieve them were dubious,” Susan began to speak again.

“For three generations the Durden’s have traded your future for gold. Thousands of females have been sold to other cities and to individuals and despite the propaganda to the contrary, because of this, the breeding program would likely never succeed,” Susan said and nodded to Victoria Eglin.

“I stand before you guilty of deceit and treachery. As Brood Matron I was Michael Durden’s partner in crime. I selected the breeders to trade with other cites, hundreds of them. I helped manipulate the data to cover it all up. I lied to the Commission and to you, the people of Durden City,” Victoria began.

“The extent of Pope’s treachery is being uploaded right now to this website. Those of you watching this broadcast on personal devices will receive a link. The full degree of Pope’s betrayal and corruption and my part in it is available on the website, including the names and numbers of the breeders traded and the amounts of gold received for each and the dates the transactions took place. Right at this very minute Susan’s troops are at the City Commissioner’s residence breaking into his vault,” Victoria looked directly into the camera.

A banner scrolled across the bottom of the television screens advertising the website and at the same time a link was sent to every mobile device via text directly from COMTEL.

Pope struggled and rocked around on his chair but he was securely bound.

Susan stepped forward and put her arm around Victoria and raised Victoria’s bowed head.

“Victoria Eglin was once exactly what she says she was; a traitor to you all. But long before I kidnapped her and took her to Freetown she was done with Pope Durden and she was his unwilling accomplice. Without her help I would not be standing before you today. She is a hero,” Susan hugged Victoria.

“I’m declaring myself temporarily in charge of Durden City and I’m issuing Victoria a free pardon. Michael Durden will stand trial in front of a jury once free and honest elections have taken place,” Susan made her first edict.

“Once you have examined the evidence you can make your own decisions. Any City Guards who wish to join my Troopers may do so. You will be given amnesty provided you prove your loyalty. Those who chose otherwise will be taken into the Badlands and released,” Susan made her second edict.

“Any citizen who wishes to leave the city may do so, you will be released with the City Guards who choose to leave,” Susan continued.

“I am placing the city under martial law until the elections are completed but there will be no curfew, no areas declared out of bounds, no restriction of privileges. The city will continue to function as it always has with these exceptions,” Susan took a deep breath.

“The breeding program will continue however the breeders will decide with whom they wish to conjugate. Said conjugation will not occur in breeding chambers unless the woman makes that choice. Breeding rooms will be used instead,” Susan announced.

“The Comfort Girl program will also continue but the Comfort Palaces will be run by the Comfort Girls themselves and profits will be shared equally amongst them with a portion going to the city for upkeep and utilities. Comfort Girls will have complete discretion as to which Trade they elect to see,” Susan declared.

“My leaders and I considered releasing all of the women and children into the population but we decided that would cause mayhem and misery as most men would not be blessed with a partner and that would likely cause a riot possibly leading to a complete breakdown of society. This way men will have access to women but women will have the power to say no,” Susan sounded very satisfied with that statement.

Captain Ferguson appeared on stage and whispered into Susan’s ear.

“I have pressing matters to see to. I will see the Commissioners at a Commission meeting as soon as I have dealt with my pressing matters. The city is open, please go about your day,” Susan left the stage.

At the barricade at the intersection of the I-20 and highway 250 the gunfire had ceased and a temporary truce had been declared. Communications were established between the conflicting parties and Major William Brody made the following transmission.

‘Durden City has fallen and is the hands of the freedom fighters that you call Revolutionaries. The population is safe although martial law is in effect however the citizens are free. City Commissioner Michael Durden is being held prisoner and will have to answer for his crimes. The City Guards protecting you have a choice to make: join our Troopers and serve an honourable cause or turn around and never return,” Billy announced.

“To the leaders of Lubbock, Abilene, Waco and Austin; you are to return to your cities. If you advance any further down this road the consequences will be dire. Legitimate trade between our cities will continue should you so wish but there will be no more trade involving women,” Billy continued.

“For the City Guards; make your way to Telegraph Hill and turn on your mobile devices and follow the links and decide individually if you wish to return to Durden City or take your chances elsewhere,” Billy shut down commutations.

He and his four troops of Revolutionaries returned to Durden City and manned the walls in anticipation that the combined force of City Guards supported by soldiers from Lubbock, Abilene, Waco and Austin might counterattack.

The attack never came. Billy and Susan watched the bulk of the City Guard who had been sent out to escort the summit delegates come forward under a white flag and lay down their arms. They corralled their armoured vehicles outside the city walls with their guns unmanned.

Their leader came forward and Susan and Billy laid out the terms of surrender and then they shook hands all round.

Durden City had been taken by the Revolutionaries at a considerable cost but nowhere near the loss of life that would have occurred from an outright frontal attack. Pope Durden was in prison awaiting his fate, the Commission waited to be addressed by Susan Solister and the stunned male population went about business as usual.

Victoria returned to the Breeding Facility and called the Brood Mothers together and they came up with an interim plan to instigate a breeding program under the guidelines laid out in Susan’s announcement. The doctors were to immediately begin DNA testing so that mothers could be reunited with their children.

In the Comfort Palaces not much changed except that the male managers were dismissed and the Comfort Girls appointed managers from amongst themselves and then they returned to business as usual with the exception that girls had the power to say no to any Trade they didn’t like.

Silvia Cornish was captured attempting to flee the city and held in the same prison as Pope Durden.

ONE YEAR LATER

Durden City had been renamed Midland City and Pope Durden languished in prison serving a life sentence. Silvia Cornish was banished and sent out of the city with the few citizens and City Guards who had declined Susan Solister’s offer of amnesty.

They were given arms and ammunition to defend themselves and supplies to last a month. Four weeks after they left the city a patrol of troopers found what remained of the little band of refugees in Odessa where they had tried to settle. All of the men were dead, their arms and stores stolen. There was no sign of Silvia Cornish but her fate was obvious.

Susan Solister had been given the nickname ‘The Saviour of Midland’, which she hated, and had been elected City Commissioner in free and open elections. Those Commissioners found to be free of corruption were restored to their posts because the city needed to function. Those found complicit were exiled.

The city was peaceful and a sense of normality had returned. The breeders were free to choose those who they wished to cohabit with in comfortable, well-appointed rooms. They were allowed to raise their offspring but still had to serve as brood stock. The production of children, female children in particular was essential if a balance of the sexes was to be achieved.

The goal was that in one or two generations men and women and their children would live together as family units as they had before SARS-X devastated the world.

The Comfort Girl program continued. There was still the need to satisfy the desires of men while there were not enough females to do so. Boys were to be given the option to transition to girls should they so please, when they were of an appropriate age to make such a life-changing decision. It was surprising how many elected to do so.

Silvia Eglin was appointed to the new position of Commissioner for Women. She oversaw the Breeding and Comfort girl programs assisted by her Brood Mothers. Breeders and Comfort Girls still resided in the Breeding Facility and Comfort Palaces but were free to move around the city when not working. Of course they were always chaperoned, the appetites of men being what they were.

At first it was decided to abandon Freetown but Billy Brody, now the Commander of the City Troopers, convinced Susan to keep Freetown as an outpost stronghold guarding the roads and railways, ensuring that commerce and trade was conducted safely. There still scavengers and bands of raiders roaming the Badlands.

Madeline Smith and Virgil Benning

Major Virgil Benning was in command of Freetown assisted by Captain Madeline Smith. They lived in the Commander’s house and were content. At Madeline’s suggestion a small Comfort Palace was opened in Freetown to service the needs of the trooper stationed there. The half a dozen Comfort Girls who worked the Palace made lucrative earnings and denied none of the troopers the pleasure of their company. The troopers were handsome fit young men who showed them respect and adoration so why would they?

Madeline lay on the satin sheets dressed in a red satin shift, shimmery silky holdup stockings, red satin panties and high heels. The heels served no purpose other than to excite her beloved.

Virgil had finished for the day and was freshly showered and naked, standing at the foot of the bed looking down at Madeline with both lechery and love.

“We don’t have long. I’ve invited the other Captains and four of the Comfort Girls to dinner,” she smiled up at him.

“You spoil them,” Virgil smiled down at Madeline.

“They deserve it,” Madeline said earnestly.

“And I deserve you,” Virgil leapt on the bed.

“Prove it,” Madeline giggled reaching for the man she loved.

The End

EPILOGUE

Pope Durden paced his cell. He still had a limp from where he had been shot in the leg by Virgil Benning but he wasn’t thinking about his aching limb. Pope was thinking about his son. Pope was thinking about the future.

Galveston Texas, being an island, was the perfect place to establish a thriving city-state. It was a formidable fortress with a large military force and Pope Durden had been secretly communicating with the Governor of New Galveston, as the city had been renamed, for many years. Not even his closest confidants knew. When Victoria Eglin gave birth to her first son, Pope’s heir, Ethan Durden, Pope had secretly sent the child to Galveston a safeguard against the possibility that Pope might find himself in the circumstances he was now.

Twenty-one year old Ethan Durden was negotiating with the Governor of New Galveston, promising him a continual supply of breeding stock, should the Governor provide Ethan with a military force strong enough to capture Midland City and return to his father to his rightful place as City Commissioner.

The Governor of New Galveston was considering his options.

Author’s Note: I spent considerable time writing, editing and rewriting and reediting this story, interrupted by two overseas holidays. One of these holidays involved a six week sojourn across the USA (I live in Australia) during which I spent a week in Texas. For this reason I decided to set this tale in Texas (although I didn’t visit Odessa I had two wonderful days in Galveston) but I’m sure the nit-pickers will pick out my deliberate errors (for example: Midland, as far as I know doesn’t have a commercial rail service).

This is after all a work of fantasy. My research led me to the conclusion that although the circumstances which led to the decline of world’s female population and resulting catastrophic events described in this story are infinitesimally unlikely, it is not impossible .

Thank you for reading this opus and once again I implore you to leave your comments.

xxx
Michele Nylons
July 2023