Angela’s every nerve seemed to be screaming out its message of pain and it took all her training and toughness to stay sane.  She sobbed uncontrollably for hours at a time, only keeping her composure in front of the sneering Inspector Van Reisen.  She was damned if she would let that cow see how awful she felt! Angela had been   captured and severely tortured  a year ago.  After four ghastly days, during which she had bravely told her captors nothing, her comrades had rescued her .  But at least then there had been frequent respites, when her tormentors had rested from their work. This hideous body-breaking confinement was different and much, much worse.

It was fifteen days since Joanne had been along to ease her distress, and although she accepted that she would have to endure this worsening misery  for maybe several more days, she prayed that it would not be for too long. Already there were  times when all she wanted was to die so that at last she might be free of this incessant agony. The good Inspector, with an evil smile and an even more loathsome laugh,  had told her she so liked her pretty little cage-bird that she had decided to keep her here for ever. It had sure been a bad move to upset that lady!

Thirteen new girls had now been landed. The final three had arrived five days ago and the helicopter was landing  supplies daily. There was a permanent guard on the island, now, and they had made their base at the foot of the pathway leading up to her cage. Joanne would not be able to visit her as long as they  were around, whether she wanted to or not.

The system at night seemed to be that three rested and one stood guard over the sleeping women. Right now, the nights were getting less dark, with the waxing moon. Surely Joanne must try something before long?

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

“When should we move, Joanne?” asked Frieda. The elusive little redhead had slipped up to give her daily report.

“The day after tomorrow, I think.” replied Jo. “You and Josephine should be here this time tomorrow, please. We need to prepare a surprise for those good ladies down there - a terminal one!  Tell Josephine, she‘s in for a swim - as are you!”

Frieda let out a subdued yelp of delight.  Poor old Josie! Never mind, it would do that stick in the mud a power of good to get into that lovely sea!

Francesca crept up to Joanne as soon as Frieda had left.

“I want to be on this little expedition, whenever it takes place, Jo.”

“Nonsense, Fran! We’re going to creep up on those Inspectors and kill them with our bare hands. Since when have you been into that kind of thing?”

Francesca sighed patiently. “And since when have YOU been into all that kind of thing, come to that?”

“I have been trained” replied Jo. “I know what to do, which is more than you do!”

“Yeah! Well, I’ve been trained too!” replied Francesca. “The daughters of the upper elite get to learn a lot of things, believe me! I come too, and don’t argue!”

Joanne was about to say that this was no way to speak to her, but held her peace. Francesca was very definitely no Annie. Sometimes she wondered if this slim blue eyed young lady with the imperious tilt of the head and the confident self-assurance of a woman beyond her tender years might not be a better leader than she!

The next night was cloudy and they did not have the benefit of the moon as Frieda, Joanne and Francesca crept down to the sea and  swam round the headland towards the beach where the thirteen new captives and their guards were sleeping.  Josephine was not with them. Joanne had decided it was too risky for two to steal away from under the Inspector’s nose.  She was awake and ready to act if needed.

By the time the three swimmers had reached the other end of the beach and swum silently ashore, Francesca and Joanne were half dead with cold. Frieda, alone,  was happy.  They had all had ample time to work out how they would approach the sleeping three, making use of the rock-strewn shore to get within a few yards of them.

“I think you’d better stay behind in reserve, Jo” whispered Francesca. “Frieda and I will do the necessary. Be ready to come to our help if anything goes wrong.”

Joanne never knew why she assented to this. Who was in charge anyway? But she nodded, her gesture scarcely perceptible in the near darkness. As the other two stole up on the three sleeping Inspectors, she soon realised what an incredible combination they were. It was the work of seconds for two to be despatched , so silently that the third heard nothing. Then it was her turn to have her neck broken.

As she saw the two perform their grisly task with such cool efficiency, she was sick. She had been trained for this kind of thing, alright, but never before had she done it for real. Wiping her mouth, she joined the others.

“Well done, you two! I guess we get behind the rocks and wait for the guard to rejoin her three mates. One of you grab a gun - Frieda, I think. Now we wait!”

A little after sunrise, the fourth  Inspector walked back towards her three colleagues. “Time to rise and shine, you three!” she shouted.

When she got closer she saw that something was very wrong, and  cocked her rifle.

“That’s enough, Inspector” shouted Joanne.

Van Reisen, for it was none other than she aimed for the source of Joanne’s voice. Before she had a chance to fire, she was lying dead, thanks to an expertly aimed shot from Frieda. By this time the other women had been roused. Advised by Josephine that they were now free they came running towards Joanne and co, obviously delighted.

“Calm down, you lot!” shouted Joanne. “We must get organised. Four of you get dressed in these Inspectors‘ uniforms. Then we wait for the helicopter. If they suspect anything and fly back to the mainland to get reinforcements, things could get very hairy.  Get these four stripped and then bury them.”

By this time Annie had made her way down to join the others and introductions were exchanged between all and sundry. Jo could see right away that the majority of the new arrivals were not very promising material. Francesca, Frieda, Josephine and the caged Angela were the only ones who had been trained, or were committed to the struggle.  The rest were rather like Annie, just unlucky enough to be mixed up in things they didn’t understand.