Southwest Shipping - Part 17

[ElJefe]

The long arm of the law...


Southwest Shipping

The next morning brought Natalie her introduction to jail life: up too early, breakfast in a bowl, line up for enema (no talking!), shower (most slaves were returned to their cells, either showers were reserved for new inmates or there was some sort of rotation for certain days of the week), then medical complete with butt inspection (still healing nicely). It was an old jail that could have housed many more, but since justice moved much more swiftly now, she had a space to herself that was originally intended for four. She had just returned from being cleaned inside and out, when a jailer came for her again.

"63 28, Back Hands!"

He did the finger-in-the-butthole trick to steer her where he wanted her to go, pressing her face first into the back of the elevator while he pressed unnecessarily against her. And although pre-slavery Natalie would have found her handling annoying at best and an assault at worst, current Natalie found her nipples harden when she became a cunt on a finger, manipulated like a puppet. He took her down several floors to what must be a little interview room, complete with a table and chair for a free person and a mat on the floor for her to kneel and a ring to hold her tether. He left her alone and she waited.

She knelt, wondering how long she would be in this little room, when perhaps 15 minutes later, the door opened. Being a slave, the first thing she noticed were the woman's feet: loafer heels, probably real Guccis, hose peeping through on the parts of the ankles that weren't covered by the charcoal-gray trousers of her pantsuit. She sat wordlessly, and crossed her legs.

"So, you're the slave in question." It wasn't a question, or a command, simply a statement requiring no response. "First, I have to determine if you're competent. Have you ever heard of slave mind?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"How do I know that you're not suffering from slave mind?"

"Mistress, this slave was awarded an MBA from Harvard before she was enslaved, and has only been enslaved for four days. This slave understands that slave mind is a function of time, the slave's mental resilience, and the stress it is subjected to, and although the last four days have been stressful for this slave, this slave possesses a resilient mind."

"Spoken like an Ivy League graduate. I had to settle for UT, not that it was that big a step down." She paused. "I don't have all day. Look me in the eye and drop the slave speak. I want the facts, I want them quick, and if you lie to me you will get a circle star brand on your other cheek. Is that clear?"

Natalie lifted her eyes to take in the DA. Middle aged, orange-white-and-gold silk scarf draped down her lapels, well-tailored pantsuit, short hair in a half updo. Not an unkind face, but one that brooked no nonsense. And a circle star brand would ruin her; slaves generally weren't responsible for their actions, but being convicted of a crime as a slave would sentence her to years of misery. A lifetime if she was sold overseas, a real possibility for a judicial slave.

"Very clear, Mistress. And I don't think I have a reason to lie, even if I thought I could get away with it."

"We'll see. You are 713-54-6328, formerly known as Natalie Johanna Mortellaro, is that all correct?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Let's see your lip tattoo." She reached to peel down Natalie's lower lip.

"...six three two eight. Very good. Who owns you?"

"Mistress, I am not sure, since I have been sold several times in the last few days. I believe my current owner is Southwest Shipping, a company of which I was part owner prior to my enslavement."

"And how do you know that?"

"It was on a document my master showed me two days ago, late Tuesday night."

"What document was that?"

"Mistress, this is difficult. My Master told me I would be punished if I ever revealed it to anyone."

"Who is that master?"

"Will Stoudemire, Mistress."

The older woman shifted in her seat. "Mr. Stoudemire has been a guest at this facility for the last two hours. If this does not go well for him, he will join you in wearing a collar. If the information exonerates him, I would think he would want you to divulge it, and if it does not, he won't be in much of a position to punish you. On the other hand, I can have you whipped until you tell me, or I could just ask him. I can't have him whipped until he is convicted, but I can make him watch while you are whipped. Still think you have nothing to tell me?" She gave the half-smile of a woman who had someone by the short hairs.

"Mistress, this slave would respectfully ask you to ask him first, since if he answers you it saves us all the trouble."

"Unfortunately, he's lawyered up, and even if he hadn't, I like to compare answers between co-conspirators. So, do you want to tell me about this document, or do I set up your torture? We'll have to take care to spare the left side of your ass. It's still healing, and I don't want to ruin your resale value. I do try to take good care of the state's assets. But between your back, thighs, and right keister we should still have plenty of canvas, don't you think?"

"Yes, Mistress." She thought for a moment. If Will wasn't talking, he might not know that disclosing the manumission document might help him. And if that would hurt him, she was taking a chance that he was dishonorable enough to be guilty of whatever they were accusing him of, but noble and kind enough to reward her with her freedom for concealing the document. "Mistress, before I answer, will you tell me what he stands accused of?"

The half smile broadened into a full one. "Theft of your estate. Concealing it from due legal process."

Natalie's brow furrowed. "My estate? Um..."

The DA took on a patronizing air. "Legally, you died the moment the gavel fell. Now, if it had been an indenture, you'd have kept your property, well, at least whatever didn't fall to someone else through abandonment. But you suffered a full enslavement, which meant that all your property goes to slave probate. That's usually academic, for a judicial enslavement the state just confiscates everything, and debtors lose everything to their creditors. It's quite rare that someone who is enslaved has much property, but the law does account for it. Oh, and since you do seem to be mulling over your options, I have noticed that your contract permits overseas sales. So, there's no need to preserve your domicile if you end up wearing our brand, too. Just something to think about."

And that would be forever. That would mean a sale someplace that didn't recognize time-limited contracts, someplace where nobody gave a fig that in the US, convicts could be manumitted after serving a term of years. She might end up as some sheik's plaything, something to sate his lusts until she grew old and was banished to the scullery. The best she could hope for was to be a concubine, and possible freedom at her master's death...if she could bear him a son while he was still interested in her.

"Mistress, it was a document of manumission. It was unsigned. He said he would sign it after I performed certain tasks, and that he would destroy it if I told anyone about it."

The woman stared at her. "Cunt, and I do say this with respect, if I were kneeling on your mat, I'd have been tempted to keep my mouth shut as well. What kind of tasks?"

"Mistress, he was having the other slaves train me. How to kneel, how to walk in chains, how to give head, that sort of thing. Each slave had a different task. He called them the seven labors, I guess because we had seven other slaves. And after each one, I had to orally satisfy the slave and let two other slaves use my, uh, other holes. He said that I'd finished two of them, I was working on the third task when I got word that they took Master Will to the hospital."

"And which task was that?" The woman seemed amused, Natalie thought she wasn't really asking as part of the interrogation.

"Uh, sucking. I had just sucked off Master Mike."

The DA snickered. "I'm gay. I'd be a terrible slave."

"Well, Mistress, I always thought I was straight...ish...but I've eaten more pussy in the last few days than I could ever contemplate."

The DA wore a smug expression. "I hope you like the taste of it, because if it turns out that you lied, I guarantee that you'll be eating mine. Now, where did you see this unsigned document of manumission?"

"Mistress, it was on Master Will's tablet."

"Interesting. And where did he keep this tablet?"

"Either on his person or in his office, Mistress. At least, I don't ever recall seeing it anywhere else. Um, he visited my apartment before he enslaved me, but I don't remember if he had it with him then."

"And why did he visit your apartment?"

"Uh, I wanted to have good block moves at my grading, so he came over to train me. And then we fucked."

She smiled again. "Was the fucking part of the training?"

Natalie blushed. "I'm not sure. We started out with block moves and ended up in bed."

"We ended up in bed..." The DA prompted her for more.

"Um, and he spent the night, Mistress."

The woman looked cross. "I said drop the slave speak, I didn't say speak to me as an equal."

"Of course not, Mistress. This slave apologizes, Mistress."

"So he was your lover, too?"

"Yes, Mistress, although most of our time together he was just my business partner. We only started fucking the last week before my enslavement."

"Hmm." The woman stared off into space. "Let's talk about your enslavement. So he took your to HCI Monday for a grading, is that right?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Did he tell you anything was going on besides a grading?"

"No, Mistress."

"You signed over a power of attorney to him, is that right?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Why did you do that?"

"Mistress, he told me it was for my own protection."

"Well, it looks like he protected you right into a collar, didn't he?"

"Yes, Mistress, it certainly seems that way."

"Did you know that a power of attorney is not needed for a grading?"

"No, Mistress."

"That without it, he wouldn't have had the power to sell you?"

"No, Mistress."

"When did you first understand that you were to be sold?"

"Mistress, at HCI I was placed on extended display. During a break, a wrangler told me that I was going to be sold, but I didn't believe him. A manager came into our cage, and I got his attention, and he let me type on his tablet, I was devoxed. And I told him why I didn't think I was supposed to be sold, and he agreed to look into it. But they said I still had to go to the block, and if there was something wrong, my sale would be canceled. And after I was sold, they came back and told me the sale was final, and that they were shipping my ass to Dallas."

"Wait...you're telling me, that a manager at HCI let a devoxed girl who was headed to the block type on his tablet, and that he actually came back after you were sold to give you an answer?"

"No, Mistress. He sent word back, another wrangler told me."

"Would any of these people have a name?"

"Mr. Murdoch was the manager. The first wrangler was a Hispanic guy, I think he was Miguel, he was the one who graded me, and I don't think I got the second wrangler's name. She was a woman, about my height, dark hair, brown eyes."

"Hmm...you know who Morning Services is?"

"Mistress, I have no idea. Are they in Dallas? I think they were my first owner."

"VIP Beauties?"

"Mistress, the same. Is that the place in Huffman that bought me next? I don't even know where Huffman is."

"It's on the east side of Lake Houston."

"Lake Houston? But isn't Southwest up by Lake Houston? Mistress?"

The DA just smiled again. "So many mysteries in life. And sometimes, if you ask just the right questions, sometimes you get to solve the mysteries. So, why were you getting graded?"

"Mistress, I understood that I had to be graded to enter into a FINO contract."

"And who were you going to enter into a FINO with?"

"Mistress, that's complicated. I wanted to contract with my own company, with Southwest."

"You wanted to fuck and suck everyone in the whole company?!"

Natalie shook her head. "No, Mistress. The whole reason we owned slaves was to be guinea pigs for some technology we were building. And they were useful for form and function, basic stuff like that. But when it came to giving feedback on it as a user, it's like everyone forgot they were human beings with brains and didn't pay attention to anything they said. I thought if I wore a collar and used the technology, too, that when I took it off and met with the team that they'd take me more seriously than the slaves."

"And Will Stoudemire parlayed that into full slavery with power of attorney over millions of dollars in assets." The DA seemed incredulous, she thought she'd seen everything, but this was a next-level con.

Natalie shrugged, seeing no need to answer. She wondered if she would get her possessions back when this was over; it seemed like Will really had conned her. How could she have missed it?

"Just one last thing. Slave, Gratitude!"

Natalie bent to obey, it was getting easier and easier to move without thinking. She had to slither partway under the table to take the position in the tiny room.

The DA uncrossed her legs, and those expensive shoes bobbled inches from Natalie's nose. The woman stood, and walked around the table, one side at a time, until she was standing behind the slave.

Natalie gasped when first one finger, then a second invaded her womanhood. I should have expected that; she did say she was a Lesbian. The fingers moved in and out, stroking every woman's favorite vaginal location. Oh, she was good, must have been doing this for a long, long time. Then a thumb started massaging Natalie's clit, and it was time to hang on for dear life.

"Is my little slave going to cum for me?" She toyed with Natalie, in more ways than one.

"Yes, Mistress." It was getting hard to answer.

"When I do an atonement, I bring two strap-ons. I have a vibrating one that rubs you right...here, for good little girls. And I've got a big, big, big one that I use on bad little girls. You haven't lied to me about anything, have you?"

"No...Mis...tress..."

"Last chance to retract anything you've said to me. It would be a shame to have to cane that cute little bottom of yours, we'd have to keep you in the jail until that pretty little butt healed from two brands. I usually ask for two dozen hard ones with a big, thick cane. The butt swells and swells from that, and doesn't go back down for days. I call those my 'fat bottomed girls'. Ever heard that song?"

"No, uh, Mistress..."

"Cum, cunt. The long arm of the law is upon you."

Natalie thought she heard snickering, but she was beyond caring. She'd had many orgasms since becoming a slave, but this one was as humiliating as any. Just as her cunt issued forth its last contraction, the fingers withdrew, and a hand jerked her head back by the hair. A heavy weight settled upon her hips, driving her knees deep into the mat. The woman smeared Natalie's own juices all over her face, poking even into her nostrils to ensure she smelled herself.

"Absolute last chance, cunt. If you're lying, we'll find out. It's not worth becoming state property. You lie to me, I get pissed. I swear, I'll sell you to Japan like that last perjuring cunt."

"Mistress! This slave isn't lying, I swear it!" Eight years. Eight years would be bad, but it wasn't a lifetime, a life thrown away until she was old and wrinkled. She tried to think of something she might have misremembered, but couldn't.

"Open!" Natalie could taste her juices on the woman's fingers as she licked, cleaning them off. "Remember this moment. If you were truthful, this is the moment you saved yourself from a world of pain. But if you lied, this is the moment you sealed your fate. Lick your cunt juice and tell me later if it tasted sweet or bitter. Or maybe I'll tell you in court."

The weight lifted, and from her vantage point on the floor, all Natalie could see were shoes, stocking-covered ankles, and the hems of well-tailored trousers as the woman approached the door, opened it, and walked out closing it behind her. The heavy latch made the same sound as the cell doors, the no-nonsense finality of being locked away from the world.

Natalie lie panting on the floor. She was shaking, much like in that interview years ago, before she had left John Pierpont, shaking like she had in the ULD that day she thought she was being stolen. But the fear wasn't as deep, wasn't as consuming as it had been those days. She tried to collect her wits, even as her arousal began to return. Damn horny juice! Then it came to her, the reason why she no longer feared the worst, the end of her life as a human, quite so much.

She had already fallen so far, there wasn't that much farther to go. And the wonder was, it had only taken a week.

————————————————————

Back in her cell, there was little to do. She mulled over the situation. It seemed ridiculous that Will would try to steal all her wealth. As the DA lady had said, it would all have to go to slave probate, anyway. How could he have thought to divert even a sizable chunk of her portfolio to himself? It didn't make sense.

She also wondered who might have turned him in, or if nobody, how he could have been caught. She couldn't think of any unpaid bills that had become due in the last four days, but who knows what a record of her transactions would show? Still, having someone reported as enslaved would be much less likely to drive a law enforcement response than simply reporting them missing or dead. She wondered if her family had become involved, or that something about the level of her wealth had piqued someone's interest.

Lunch was another communal serving of kibble, again in enforced silence. She glanced up and down the row of slaves, all head down and presenting their posteriors for whatever the officers wished to do with them: observe, fondle, fuck, or flagellate. There were no takers, apparently Harris County's finest had slaked their appetites in other ways. There were less than a dozen of them, apparently most misbehavior was addressed by the owners instead of the justice system. She wondered if all the other slaves were material witnesses, too, or if they were in much deeper trouble.

She was struck by how much time simply slowed down to nothing. She had no idea whether she'd be crated up and shipped out in the next few minutes, or if her stay would last for months. There were no clocks, and nobody to talk to, nothing to read. The sparseness of it all was overwhelming. She marked time as much by the shadows of passing jailers as by anything else, nothing else really happened save the evolution of her own thoughts.

So it was that she jumped when a key was inserted into her lock, and the door opened. "Back hands" once, again, and again a finger graced her anus as she was steered downstairs to another small room. It seemed like a different one than the one she'd inhabited earlier in the day, yet she couldn't be sure. Again she waited, kneeling. At least she had a mat to kneel on. Slaves should be grateful for small favors.

When the door opened, she saw pumps, and hose-covered legs that reached up to a black and white knee-length skirt decorated in a tiny floral pattern.

A cheery voice asked, "Are you 63 28?"

"Yes, Mistress."

Instead of sitting at the table, the woman strode to Natalie's side. Her wide hips were evident. Even if presented perfectly, she thought the woman would struggle to grade Choice.

"And you're Natalie right? Can you give me your full name?"

"Mistress, this slave was known as Natalie Johanna Mortellaro."

The woman squatted beside her. An attractive face, long brown hair, a black sleeveless v-neck top, almost but not quite dressy enough for court. And pearls, a triple string of them. She gave a kind smile and began rubbing Natalie's back.

"Your nightmare is almost over. I'm Lindsey Bowman, and I'm your new owner's attorney. Slaves don't usually have representation, but their owners can provide counsel if they so desire."

Natalie knelt without uttering a sound, as slaves are seen and not heard.

"Look, I'm really here to help you, so why don't you ask me a few questions? I hear you're going to be freed before too long, so I don't mind if you don't use slave speak."

"Mistress, who owns me now?"

Lindsey eased her ample bottom on to the mat beside her, curling her feet behind her. "So, you were at Southwest, and you thought you were owned by VIP Beauties, and maybe you found out you'd been sold to Southwest?"

"Southwest, Mistress. I did learn that, the first night I was back there."

"So, when Mr. Stoudemire became incapacitated yesterday, there was an emergency board meeting of Southwest."

A meeting I should have been at, as a board member, not a slave. But Natalie held her tongue.

"So, Ms. Midlothian held 60 percent of the shares that were voted at the meeting, with you abstaining and of course Mr. Stoudemire abstaining. And everyone agreed that the company needed you back for day-to-day tasks, and that you couldn't do many of them while wearing a collar. So, a sale was made from Southwest to Ms. Midlothian, who will keep you and safeguard you until all the legal issues are settled. We estimate it will be about a month until you can be cleared to work as the COO, although the legal issues might play out for a year or more. So, she says, in about a month you can be free and uncollared, and you can stay with her at her home in California until then."

"Mistress, did the other shareholders all agree to this?"

"More acquiesced than agreed, as I understand. I wasn't on the call and my client did hold 60 percent of the voting shares. I think they had some alternate plan involving one of the senior employees as a caretaker, but nothing came of it. I should clarify that I specialize in slavery, false enslavements, indenture contracts, that sort of thing. Although I was on retainer, I represent her just in the matter of your ownership and custody, and any similar matters. Of course, she has other attorneys who advise her on other legal matters."

"So...Mistress...Miranda owns me now, and you're working for her as sort of my slave lawyer, right? And I have to live with her, naked and collared, for a month and then I'll be free. When do I get released from here?"

Lindsey nodded, smiling. "That's right. We expect to have you out of here within a week, maybe as soon as tomorrow, and another few weeks with her, and then you're a free woman again."

"What happens...Mistress, what happens to all my stuff? My portfolio, my interest in the real estate in Connecticut...?"

"That could take a long time to work out. Since your estate hasn't gone to probate yet, we'd have to work that out with the executor."

"Oh, crap, that would be my uncle Arnold, and he's dead."

Lindsey nodded. "I understand that many people your age don't even have a will, and revising it from time to time is easily overlooked. But the important thing is to deal with getting you out of here. Ms. Midlothian told me that she'd be willing to give you a stipend if you didn't want to work for Southwest Shipping any more."

"Mistress...why am I being kept here? I'm a material witness?"

"Right. Mr. Stoudemire stands accused of well, trying to steal all your stuff. Call it fraud, embezzlement, you could even make a case for false enslavement or slavenapping. But in Texas, most property crime is just theft. And the amount is over $300,000, so it's very difficult to get a manumission date for that big a theft."

Closer to three million. But as much as it would serve him right, she had a hard time imagining Will slave naked and wearing a collar.

Lindsey continued. "Until Mr. Stoudemire's case is resolved, the state wants to keep you as a potential witness. I can't review your testimony with you, but I would advise any person, free or slave, to simply be truthful if you are required to speak."

"Mistress, the DA I spoke to yesterday threatened...legal consequences if I lied. I don't want to tempt fate."

"Right, and those legal consequences can be severe. A falsehood that would be a misdemeanor for a free person can be a felony for a slave, and although it's rarely invoked, overseas sales is a possibility. Just be truthful and we'll get you through this, and you'll be watching the waves at Ms. Midlothian's home from under a blanket, even if she can't allow you clothing just yet."

"Mistress, what happened to Will? I mean, I heard they took him to the hospital. Is he physically ok?"

Lindsey glanced at the floor. "I can't give you any information about the case. You're not a defendant and you're a slave, so I can't legally prepare you for a court appearance. If I went into much detail, that would constitute witness tampering." She faced her again. "I'd be happy to explain what I know after Mr. Stoudemire's case is resolved, but until then, I can't say much. And there may be others who could do a better job of explaining it all to you."

"Ok, then, well, thank you, Mistress. I'm sure that if I ever see you again, I'll have more questions, but I think that does it for now."

Lindsey scooted over and gave the kneeling slave a warm embrace. "Natalie, I know this must have been horrible for you, but it's almost over. You just have to be strong. I have the best record in Texas of getting false enslavements overturned. But it looks like that won't even be necessary. You have a new owner that is very interested in your well-being, and who has pledged to free you soon. Hang in there, ok?"

It was more human kindness than she'd seen since, well at least since she and Jordan had given the whole slave system the middle finger at that rest stop. She didn't know this woman, but she seemed kind, and it was a relief to know that it would be weeks instead of years until it was all over. Natalie slumped against her and let the tears fall.

"I will. Thank you."

Lindsey let her have a good cry before taking her leave, and promising to see her in court the next day.

[ZeeChromosome]

The plot thickens. Answers create more questions. Natalie thinks it's all going to be over soon, but I'm skeptical. Somehow, her new owner will try to maintain control over her. Also, I predict additional pussy-licking.

[jeepster]

Wow! That is one twisty road Natalie is on

[ZeeChromosome]

At this point, I'm wondering how Ms. Midlothian caused Mr. Stoudemire's "medical emergency" so she could demand an emergency board meeting. Also, the lawyer that she suspiciously had on retainer is working awful hard to jolly Natalie into a false sense of security.

It would be interesting if Will beats the charges, proves that she poisoned him, and ends up owning her and all her property, including Natalie.

I'm running out of characters to cheer for here.

[mikey22]

I been watching this thread all day, can’t wait to finish work so I can take the time to read it.

[Johnny Lawrence]

Yeah, at this point, I'm convinced Ms. Midlothian is behind it all.

My guess -- Will was intending on giving Natalie the full slave experience, always with the intention of releasing her. He knew that she was becoming obsessed with the idea of being a slave, and wasn't going to be satisfied with anything except going all the way. So he set up a full treatment package with his friends at HCI, including a temporary branding to convince her everything was real. She was probably even bought with her own money. Ms. Midlothian found out about the arrangement, perhaps through a mole in the company (the pretty new accountant?), and used it to seize control of everything.

Hoping by the end we see the California investor, and whoever worked for her (this new attorney perhaps?) wearing a slave collar.

[Johnny Lawrence]

Prediction #2 -- Maybe there is no "happy juice" hormone cocktail. It's purely a psychological trick. Every bit of arousal Natalie feels is simply a product of her own needs.

[mikey22]

It’s definitely interesting! Loving this story!

[jeepster]

I'm with Johnny! Every time she curses the happy juice I think nah that's all you girl!

[ZeeChromosome]

I'm with Johnny! Every time she curses the happy juice I think nah that's all you girl!

I'm usually on the "It's all you" bandwagon, but I'm inclined to think that in this case it's a real thing. The reason for that is because the explanation came from the vet at the Big D.

However, the Big D vet explained that the problem was caused by an "error" at the previous auction house where Will has friends and influence. So I'm inclined to believe that this is more of Will's skulduggery, and not an actual error. He had them do this on purpose to make Natalie easier to manipulate and he did it in two phases in an attempt to cover his tracks. Which also explains the multiple sales.

[jeepster]

Forgot about the "error"!

[Belinda]

This story is so well written. The ultimate Perils of Pauline tale. Just as you think she is being from the tracks of the oncoming train she is moved to the clutches of an even more villainous character. Just love it. Well done.

Regards,

Belinda

[Cwelst72]

Great story I look forward to its continuation

[timerider]

Amazing story

[reddbunnz]

Ah, sweet revenge is about to occur. Or is it. Will her new mistress be better or worse?