Scarlet Vendetta (Book #4)

Callie looked at Maria, who nodded once in agreement with Karen. Callie looked from one to the other between them.

"What do you know that I don't know?" She asked them carefully.

Before Karen could respond, Lainey's voice came over the intercom on Karen's desk.

"Doctor Moetz for you."

"Thank you Lainey." Karen sounded prim as she smiled at Callie. Callie squinched her eyes at her as Karen picked up her phone and punched the blinking button.

"Thank you for calling me back so quickly." Karen spoke and waited a moment. Callie could hear a voice on the other end of the call but couldn't make out the words.

"Tulip Mee. She's at County Medical. I need an evaluation within the hour as to whether you can help her or not." Karen abruptly hung up the phone without waiting.

Callie looked carefully at both of her friends before speaking. Karen only acted imperious when she used her special position and authority to command club members. As she'd just done over the phone with Doctor Moetz.

"Scarlet, right?"

Karen just smiled back at her.

"Fine! Keep secrets from me. Go ahead, see if I care." Callie hugged Karen even as her words scolded her friend.

Karen hugged her back. To her, Callie was special and deserved everything Karen could do for her. To ask Chasandra to evaluate Tulip was nothing. Releasing Callie, Karen turned back to the work they'd forgone to deal with the issue. They had an hour before Chas would let them know anything. Callie gave Karen one last kiss on the cheek before letting her go.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Awhile later, Callie was shocked when there was a knock on Karen's door right before it opened and a woman entered without Lainey announcing her. Callie immediately sprang to her feet between the intruder and Karen before her mind had even fully comprehended what was happening. Who? What?

"You're real!" The words burst out of her even as she stepped into a defense stance. She'd

come to believe that the shadow in her fever dreams when she was sick was just something produced by her imagination. Yet, here the shadow was. Alive! Standing right in front of her! She was real! As she took up her defense, the shadow from her nightmares bowed to her.

"Kida," the shadow spoke softly as she bowed, hands flat on her thighs. Her eyes holding Callie's as she bowed. Callie recognized her Krav Maga style. "Peace child. I am here as commanded, I obey the will of Scarlet. I am not here to harm her."

"It's ok Callie. This is Chasandra, Doctor Moetz." Karen's voice sounded amused as she introduced them to each other. Not that Chas didn't know Callie already. She'd tended Callie while Callie was ill during those months when she'd thought she'd lost everything.

No one else had seen it that way when she'd punched Maria without warning. But Callie had known what she'd done was wrong. Maria had been refusing to obey Karen's directive to take time away from her duties. Karen had ordered her to take a vacation after she started overworking herself. When Maria refused, it had caused a rift between them which tore at the very fabric of their bond with each other. Callie had stepped in to stop them from hurting each other the only way she knew how. The only way she could, given her promises to Karen.

So she'd punched Maria. Hard. She'd run away after Maria had angrily rejected her attempt to apologize. It was the rejection and emotional pain which caused her to run herself into exhaustion. That and exposure had contributed to the mental anguish and made her so sick she was feverish and wanted to die.

Chasandra spent many days talking to Callie, whose rambling incoherency made no sense to anyone. Chasandra had needed to piece together what had happened in Callie's mind from individual bits and pieces. Days turned into weeks as Callie's mind fought Chasandra's subtle suggestions and probing. Callie wanted to die. She'd promised to protect Karen, even if that meant she had to protect Karen from her own wrongdoing. Her honor compelled her to do something to keep her friend safe from harm.

Eventually, Chasandra had hit upon a combination of things which triggered Callie's will to live. Her will to fight. Her desire to love. Once Callie recovered, Chasandra had disappeared from Callie's life completely. This was her way with most of her patients, Karen being inapposite since Karen, as Scarlet, controlled her obedience. Chasandra, as a member of Scarlet, had to submit and obey whenever Scarlet commanded her. Or she'd be banished from Scarlet forever. So, Chasandra did Karen's bidding and evaluated Tulip as best she could under the limited time she'd been given. Everything else she'd had scheduled was postponed until she was available after Scarlet released her.

"I don't know if I can help her or not. The C-T scans and x-rays are conclusive as to the amount of organic tissue damage to her brain." Chasandra was discussing the medical findings from Tulip's accident and injuries. "We can see the parts which are scarred and damaged, but what was in those damaged tissues and now lost is the problem. Some of it was obviously her self identity."

"That's immaterial unless you can't do anything with the behavioral issues." Karen steepled her fingers together. "She appears to have full cognitive function. It's her delusion which is the problem."

"It is not only her delusion in believing she is you. Her anger and frustration are both driving and being driven by that delusion. She is very dangerous to herself, and others, at the present."

"But, can you help her?" Callie wanted to know the bottom line. Was her sister eventually going to be ok?

"I don't know." Chasandra looked directly at Callie. "In your particular case, I was challenged to try things I hadn't thought of before. For your sister, I may have to step beyond what is allowable. Ethically, medically, socially. And, it still may not fully, or even partially, help her. It is a very large risk to both her and myself. Depending on the circumstances, it may also breach a promise I made to myself a long time ago."

"What promise?" Callie needed information.

"I will not say. If you insist upon knowing, I will not help you or your sister at all."

"Chas . . ." Karen growled.

"No. Please, forgive me Scarlet, but no." Chasandra bowed her head in submission even as she refused. No always meant no, even to her premier dominant mistress.

Karen stood up. Her eyes blazed as she tipped Chasandra's face up with a finger under Chasandra's chin. She looked into Chasandra's eyes and considered.

"There is nothing to forgive. You have my apology." Karen's voice was steady as she released Chasandra and reseated herself. "I am sorry."

"Thank you Domna." Chasandra's words were formal and very sincere.

"Continue with your evaluation." Karen wanted to know more. If there was a chance, then for Callie's sake, she would do whatever she could.

"Your parents will have to be advised of what I'm going to try to do. They will have to understand it will not be pleasant for Tulip. It will be cruel. It will be intended to be cruel. They cannot interfere. Once this process begins, it must be followed to the end. Any break or deviation will only reinforce her delusions and anger. There will be no second chance."

"Ok and then what?"

"In order to do what I think I must do, I will need full custody of your sister. She will have to become my ward. No longer your sister or your parents' daughter. She will be, must be, mine fully and completely. Legally, physically, morally and emotionally. The part you must understand, the most difficult part, is that you will lose your sister either way. Either give her to me, or commit her. Either way, you will lose her. Your parent's will lose their daughter. Forever."

"Isn't there some other way? Some sort of compromise?" Karen was all business about what Chasandra had outline for them.

"There may be, but I do not know of any other possibility. And, even this may not work. If there is some other possibility you have in mind, I suggest you try it instead of what I think I may have to do."

"There is no one who is even willing to try. They all say to just commit her and forget about her." Callie was numb. She would not ever forget about her sister!

"Then, we need to discuss this with your parents. To see what they believe is possible and what is not allowed."

Eight

"I KAREN! NO STUPID FLOWER!" Tulip screamed in her anger. She was tired of being detained against her will. She wanted to go home. To Scott. Her son needed her!

They'd transferred her to some stupid private hospital earlier. Where they said a new doctor would be taking care of her. She'd tried to throw a chair earlier but everything was bolted to the floor to prevent that sort of thing. That left only kicking the walls and the metal furniture to express her anger.

"You are not Karen Harper." A new voice intruded into her anger. Tulip whirled to see someone she didn't know enter the room.

"You are Tulip Mee." The woman told her calmly.

"NO! I Karen Harper. No keep here!"

"No one is keeping you here. You are free to leave."

"Lie!" Tulip challenged the huge, muscular, black woman facing her.

"No lie. Remember this, I will not ever lie to you. Not ever.

"No do this!"

"I have every right. I am your doctor. What I say is what others will believe when it comes to you and your treatment."

"No believe. No."

"If you feel that is necessary, then you may believe whatever you wish. However, that doesn't change the facts. You belong to me now. What I say is what you do. Understand?"

"No."

"The Courts have made you mine. To do whatever I want with. Your family gave you to me! They don't want you around because you are dangerous. You proved that when you hurt those two hospital aids and the doctor. You are dangerous and everyone is afraid of you. There is no one who will stop me from doing anything I choose to do. No one. I own you."

"No!" Tulip repeated her denial as she screamed in anger.

Chasandra shrugged. Callie watched the whole thing while holding on to her mother. T Rose had her hands clamped over her mouth. All three of them had tears in their eyes at what they were witnessing.

Chasandra had explained what she proposed to do with Tulip. It was harsh. It was, as she'd said, cruel. No one liked the mental images of what was intended. But, there was no real option otherwise. Chasandra had to make Tulip her slave, teach her what it meant to be worthless. Punish her severely when she misbehaved. Then, reward her and give her privileges when she behaved. So she'd understand she wasn't allowed to rage out of control and that obedience was pleasant. And, that she couldn't hurt others if she felt like it or just because she wanted to.

She'd proposed a combination of deprivation and a variation of ECT, Electro Convulsive Therapy as a treatment plan. Known as shock therapy, common in the early years of mental health treatment in mental institutions. The reality of those types of treatments were that they didn't work. However, behavioral modification based upon punishment does work. It is how children learn to not stick paperclips into wall sockets. The shock and sparks teach them to not do that again. This was what Chasandra proposed to do. For Tulip's sake, they all hoped it worked. If it didn't there was only one option left; sedation with drugs. For life.

"Shut up and sit down. In the chair." Chasandra commanded her new servant while pointing at the closest chair and table.

Tulip refused. She kicked at the chair. Chasandra merely walked over and grabbed Tulip by the neck.

"I said, sit down!"

Chasandra threw Tulip into the chair, Tulip's slight weight and Chasandra's muscle mass making it easy for her. Reaching into a pocket of her white lab coat, Chasandra drew out a nylon dog collar. She tossed it to the table in front of Tulip.

"Put that on."

"No." Tulip knocked it off the table and kicked it away.

"If you don't put it on, I will put it on you myself. You will not like how I do it."

"No." Tulip jumped up on top of the table before kicking at Chasandra this time.

Chasandra grabbed Tulip's ankle, tripping her to land on her back on the table top. Grabbing Tulip by the hair she pulled her down off the table, dragging the much younger woman across the floor to where the collar lay. Slamming Tulip face down on the floor, Chasandra put a knee into Tulip's back. Tulip tried to fight her off, but Chasandra easily held her down with just her weight on her knee, freeing both her hands. She picked up the dog collar and threaded it around Tulip's neck adjusting it so the metal studs were against Tulip's throat. Tulip shrugged off the straight jacket and immediately tried to remove the collar. Chasandra reached into her lab coat pocket again and touched the button on the shock controller. Tulip jerked as the collar jolted her.

"No," Chasandra told Tulip quite calmly considering the events which were happening. "You may not touch the collar. Every time you try I will shock you again. Understand?"

Tulip screamed and reached for the collar again. And again. And again. And again. Each time she tried to remove it, Chasandra calmly pressed the control button. Eventually Callie lead her mother away. Watching Tulip get brutalized was just too much. Ohiro was sobbing as she walked, supported by her daughters, out of the hospital.

"No do this!" Tulip eventually cried as she lay on the floor in a pool of her tears and saliva. She didn't even try to touch the collar again. She learned her lesson; try to touch the collar, get shocked.

"Wrong. I do not want to do this to you."

"Lie!"

"No, I don't want to but I will because you will not control yourself. Not cannot, will not. So someone else must. I am that someone else. Now, get up off the floor and sit in the chair." Chasandra pointed at the chair as she spoke.

"No." Tulip refused.

Chasandra once again touched the button. Tulip screamed and jumped off the floor to sit in the chair.

"Good. Very good. You are learning." Chasandra praised Tulip.

"Kill you." Tulip's voice was raw as she threatened her tormenter.

Chasandra shrugged again carelessly. "That is why you wear the collar. Until you no longer act as you do now, you will wear it."

"Sleep time. Wait, sorry."

Nine

Tulip sat on the floor watching Chasandra. Chains, running from the shackles on her wrists to a ring on the wall, prevented her from moving more than a few feet in any direction. She'd tried pulling on the ring, but it was well anchored in the concrete wall and wouldn't budge. The chains were solid, heavy, and thick. She'd had no luck trying to break them or scrape them against the floor or wall to grind them away. The shackles were equally as unyielding. She was captive until released.

Chasandra calmly turned the page in the book she was reading. Tulip's tormentor had a chair to sit in and a lamp on the other side of the room. Tulip was naked and had only rags from the blanket she'd been given to sleep on. She'd ripped it to shreds shortly after being imprisoned in the room. Chasandra had not replaced the blanket and Tulip had to sleep on the bare floor. At least it wasn't cold, Chasandra kept the room temperature comfortable.

They'd been in the room together for nearly two weeks now. Chasandra occasionally leaving the room to return with food or water. Often Chasandra was freshly showered and wearing clean clothes when she returned. Tulip was filthy and smelled horrible. Her hair was a mat which would eventually need to be cut off.

Once each day, Chasandra unchained Tulip from the wall and made her pick up the bucket in the corner which Tulip used to relieve herself. They walked out of the room, down the hall to the bathroom where she emptied the bucket in the toilet. Then she cleaned the bucket and they returned to the room. Where she was chained once again.

She'd flung the contents of the bucket at Chasandra once. Once. Chasandra had beaten her with a leather whip in response. The beating had gone on for a very long time. Her back, legs and ass had been sore for days afterward. It had been very painful for her to sit or bend or do anything afterward.

She'd still had to clean the bucket and clean up the mess once Chasandra had finished beating her. She'd learned her lesson. Do not anger her Mistress, the one who owned her, by throwing shit at her. It doesn't change anything, won't get her freedom back, and makes more work for her to do. And, it hurts!

"Mistress?" Tulip's voice was hoarse. She licked her lips. Her tongue was dry and she was thirsty.

"Yes?" Chasandra responded without looking up. She turned a page in her book.

"Water?"

"Do you deserve it?"

"No." Tulip hung her head. She'd screamed at Chasandra earlier before she could stop herself.

"Then, why should I help you?" Another page.

"Please?"

Chasandra looked up at Tulip's request. It was the first time Tulip had said "please". Since being chained in the room, Tulip had barely spoken except to scream invectives and threats. Chasandra looked at Tulip, assessing her condition. Tulip wasn't in any danger physically. She might be thirsty but she wasn't dehydrated.

"No." Chasandra looked at Tulip's posture and demeanor. This was probably another false submission attempt. Tulip didn't want to be good. Not yet, but soon.

Tulip's face turned wrathful. "Kill. HATE you!"

"I imagine that being chained like you are is uncomfortable. However, I imagine that being a young girl, kidnaped and sold into sexual slavery for old men to use to satisfy their lust whenever they want, is probably more unpleasant. I even imagine that being used and used and used again until you bleed each time you are used would be extraordinarily painful. Maybe it might even mean you'd never have children, should you be lucky enough to regain your freedom. Be thankful, I choose not to do that to you. All I ask of you is to be good and control yourself." Chasandra returned to reading her book.

"Fuck you!"

Chasandra touched the button on the shock collar. "No cussing. You do not swear at me. Understand?"

"Bitch!"

Another touch to the collar control.

"No cussing. Bad girl."

It took several repetitions before Tulip's throat was so raw she couldn't do more than whisper. At that point she stopped and just sat on the floor with her head down. There were stages whenever someone was forced to submit to another. Tulip was nearing the end of the final stage before submission. Chasandra had learned those stages as a victim of human trafficking in her native Somalia. She'd been kidnaped from her village when she was eleven. Too young for it, but still sold into slavery anyway. Slavery where she'd been repeatedly raped. Young and sexually undeveloped, the repeated nightly rapes had meant that she'd never have children. Her uterus had been damaged and scarred beyond any hope of repair.

She'd found a stick. Hiding and sharpening it by carefully nibbling the end to a point she planned her escape. One night she'd stabbed that stick into the chest of the man who 'owned' her as he thrust himself into her yet again. He'd gasped and exhaled. Shuddering on top of her until he was still.

She'd run away. Living as a street urchin, stealing whatever she'd needed whenever she could. Always hungry, she lost weight and looked like death would be an improvement of her condition. Sick with diarrhea and malnutrition she'd eventually collapsed in the street. Of the many people on the street, only one man had stopped to help her.