Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Akane in Chains
Chapter Eight: Hard Labor
"Put your backs into it ladies!" A guard bellowed as she paced the line of prisoners. "Anyone caught slacking off will be disciplined!"
Akane stabbed her shovel into the ground for what felt like the millionth time, lifting it up and dumping the mound of dirt and rock into a waiting wheelbarrow. While she wasn't using her bare hands, her earlier prediction about her work assignment hadn't been too far off the mark. The prisoners of D-Block were digging a drainage ditch next to the road that lead to Fujimi Women's Prison. Most of them stood in a rough line digging with picks and shovels, while a few carted wheelbarrows to dump the excess earth out of the way.
They had been digging for hours now, aside from a few water breaks that only lasted about ten minutes each. It was close to midday and the summer heat was almost unbearable. Practically all of the prisoners had shed their long-sleeved jumpsuit shirts due to the intense heat, wrapping them around their waists. The undershirts they wore underneath felt far more comfortable with the temperature over thirty degrees Celsius.
Heavy legcuffs secured around their ankles limited their movement and their weight was felt with each step. Akane's strength allowed her more ease, but it was a definite reminder that she was a prisoner. At least her hands were free this time.
"You're holding up well for your first day," Sayoko commented next to her. "Most new girls can't keep pace. Some even pass out from heatstroke and would be in the infirmary by now."
"Comes with years of training and building up endurance. Still, I can't believe they just force anyone to work out here for hours in these conditions!"
"Only our Block is given the really brutal work. When other Blocks are assigned to work outside, they only have to pick up trash. Since we're the maximum security prisoners, they make us do hard labor as extra punishment."
"They make us dig like this every day?"
"Only when we work outside. Some days we're assigned an indoor work detail. Of course, they find ways to make those tasks harder for us too."
"How so?"
"Whenever we're assigned to cleaning duty, they give us more rooms to clean. On our laundry days, there are always more clothes and sheets that need washing. They always find a way to make the work more demanding. And also," Sayoko made a show of raising her right foot to jingle the chain of her legcuffs, "because we're the maximum security prisoners, whether its inside or outside we always have to work while chained."
Akane paled as Sayoko relayed these facts about life on D-Block to her. It wasn't enough they had to work, but they were intentionally given the hardest tasks! And they chained them up too, making the work even harder!
"And what are you two chatting about?" an irritatingly familiar voice called out. Akane turned to see Officer Yamada standing there with a smug expression.
"Nothing, sir," Sayoko answered, "I was just complementing Prisoner Tendo on keeping up with the rest of us."
"Indeed, I suppose there are some upsides to being all brawn and no brains. That's how you ended up here, using that strength of yours without thinking. Isn't that right, Tendo?"
"…Yes, sir," Akane answered through gritted teeth.
"Now, now, don't get upset. You may have the strength and mind of an ox, but you certainly don't look it." His eyes panned down for a second to her breasts. His smirk only widened at the menacing scowl on her face. "You are very cute, probably the only reason you ever had a boy interested in you in the first place. Even the dirt and sweat works for you: it's certainly a better fragrance than delousing soap. But, this isn't social hour ladies. You can talk during your lunch break. Back to work!"
"Yes, sir," both answered as Yamada continued patrolling the line of prisoners. Akane's scowl did not leave her face and she rammed her shovel into the earth.
"I know it's hard, but remember what I told you," Sayoko whispered once Yamada was out of ear-shot.
"I know and I promise I won't do anything stupid, but nothing's going to change the fact I want to beat his face in!"
They would have lunch at their work site due to the time it would take to move them in and out of the cafeteria. They received a bag with a thin sandwich and a bottle of water for their meal. Sitting near the roadside, the prisoners were given thirty minutes to eat and rest before they'd have to resume their work.
"How much longer are they going to keep us out here?" Akane asked Sayoko as she took a bite out of her sandwich. Like her breakfast, it was bland, only a few slices of ham and two pieces of bread.
"Our work detail lasts from seven in the morning to three in the afternoon, eight hours total. Its noon now, so another three hours to go."
Akane sighed in exasperation. Even in as great shape as she was, she was still going to be completely exhausted after spending most of the day digging under this hot sun.
"At least we'll be able to relax after we get back," Sayoko continued. "We'll get to wash up before dinner and have free time for the rest of the day."
"Only to wake up to another long day of labor," Akane lamented.
"Well, we do have one day off work each week," Sayoko tried to cheer her up. "On our free days we can-"
"Akane Tendo!" A voice cried out with rapidly approaching footsteps. Akane froze in shock at the voice; there was no way it could be him. But there was no mistake as when she turned she saw Tatewaki Kuno rushing toward her.
A Few Minutes Earlier:
Kuno stared out at the barren landscape as the car sped toward Fujimi Women's Prison. He drummed his fingers in agitation. "Drive faster!" he ordered his ninja butler at the wheel.
Sasuke Sarugakure frowned. "But, Master Kuno, we are already exceeding the speed limit."
"I said drive faster!"
"Y-Yes, Master." Sasuke complied, accelerating the car.
Kuno had tried to help Akane out after her arrest. He'd tried his hardest to get the charges against her dropped, but the fact that she'd attacked a child in front of so many witnesses made it impossible. He'd also offered to pay for her defense attorney, promising to hire the best in Japan, but Akane herself rejected his offer with the intention of pleading guilty. The only light in this mess had been that the judge sentenced her to Fujimi Women's Prison. He knew his mother's old friend, Noriko Matsushita, ran the prison and hoped she'd be willing to grant a request for him as well. He was currently on his way to see her to make such an arrangement.
He hoped Akane had at least been treated well. The idea of one of his loves being locked away with hardened criminals enraged him. If anyone had touched one hair on her head, he'd make them pay!
"There it is, Master Kuno," Sasuke spoke up as they drove around a bend and the prison complex appeared in the distance. Kuno looked up in acknowledgment, but his eyes were also drawn to the large crowd of people alongside the road just ahead. Seeing most of them dressed in identical grey clothing and with shackles clamped around their ankles, it was clear they were prisoners brought outside to work.
Did his eyes deceive him? No, there was no question. She was covered in dirt and sweat, chained and dressed like a convict, but there she was, Akane Tendo. Kuno bristled with anger at the sight. One of his two beloveds was chained and forced to perform such mundane labor!
"Stop the car!"
Sasuke had no idea why the master wanted to stop here, but knew better than to ask when he sounded this insistent. He slammed on the breaks and forced the car to a halt. The vehicle hadn't stopped moving for more than a second before he threw open the door.
"Akane Tendo!" he cried out as he ran towards her.
All conversation stopped as everyone looked up from their meals, their attention drawn to the strange man dressed in a blue and black kendo robe running toward the prisoners. Akane didn't know what to think. Kuno had always been an annoyance, but part of her was glad to see him. Even if he was irritating, he was something familiar, a piece of her old life she desperately missed.
Overcoming their initial shock, the guards on watch sprang into action. Two moved to intercept Kuno, while the others kept an eye on the prisoners as a guard against distraction.
One of the guards held out her hand. "That's far enough, sir!"
"Out of my way!" Kuno barked, moving to sidestep the guards. He was brought to a halt though as the corrections officer grabbed his arm, pulling it behind him in a hold and forcing him to the ground. "Unhand me, you foul fiend! Don't you know who I am! I am Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan!"
"It doesn't matter who you are," the female guard replied, "No one is permitted to approach the prisoners during work detail! If you don't leave right now, you will be arrested!"
"Kuno!" Akane cried out in alarm as he struggled with the guard. He might be a jerk, but she didn't want him to get hurt on her account.
"Unhand the Master at once!" Sasuke cried as he jumped out of the car. No matter what he thought about Kuno's actions, he was honor bound to protect him. However, his intervention would prove to be unnecessary.
"Hold on," Officer Yamada said, waving for the other guards to calm down, "this man is a friend of the warden. It'll be on your head, if something happens to him."
The female guard seemed unsure, but released her hold. Sasuke pocketed the smoke bomb he'd been about to throw after seeing his master released. Though he stayed on guard just in case. Kuno stood, rubbing his arm vigorously as he glared at the corrections officers.
"I'm sorry if she was a little rough, but we have a strict procedure for dealing with suspicious individuals who try to interfere in our operations," Yamada explained. "For all we knew, you could have been trying to engineer an escape."
"I came to see Akane Tendo and I demand to see her now!"
Yamada glanced back at Akane, seeing the anxiety on her face. A subtitle smile formed on his lips, but it quickly vanished. "I'm afraid that's impossible. If you wish to see her, you'll have to wait till a scheduled visitation day and then it will depend on if she is permitted to have any visitors.
"I will not be denied seeing my beloved, not by you or anyone! And I refuse to tolerate this barbarity I see before me! How can you possibly force such a beautiful maiden like the fair Akane Tendo to dig in the hot sun like some peasant wench, and in chains no less?"
Akane could feel everyone's eyes move to her. A few suppressed snickers reached her ears, no doubt from the absurd way Kuno was talking. She wished she could just curl into a ball and disappear.
"Look, I understand your feelings," Yamada explained, "but I don't make the rules. We are required to bring prisoners out here to work and we have to chain them as a security precaution. If you have a problem with this, my advice is to take it up with the Warden. Maybe she'll listen."
Kuno glared at the man, clearly not satisfied with his response. "Very well, I shall. And you can be sure when I do that anyone who has mistreated or harmed a hair on Akane's head will pay for it!"
He stormed back to his vehicle with Sasuke. Surely, once he spoke with Noriko everything would be resolved. He paused before opening the door, looking back at Akane. "Fear not, Akane Tendo! I will see to it that this foul travesty is ended immediately!"
No one said anything for a few seconds as the car continued up the road toward the prison. Everyone was still trying to make sense of the strange incident that had just occurred. Once more, attention settled on Akane, causing her to shift uncomfortably. Why did Kuno have to be… well, Kuno?
Officer Yamada was the first to break the silence as he walked back over to her. "So, the Kuno family? Trying to sleep your way into money, Tendo?"
"N-No!" Akane shouted, absolutely appalled at his insinuation, "He's not my boyfriend and I'm not doing anything with him!"
"Then why did he refer you as his beloved, hmm," he asked mockingly. The exaggerated way he said it was too much and several other prisoners laughed out loud. Rather than punish them for their outburst, Yamada was delighted at the way they made Akane even more uncomfortable.
"He just thinks we're in a relationship, but we're not."
"Oh, you're leading him on, then? My, my, you are a bad girl."
Akane bristled, "That's not what I-AHH!" She was cut off as another guard came up and smacked her with a truncheon.
"You will not raise your voice to an officer, Tendo!"
She held her side as she glared at the guard. Why was this happening to her? She just wanted to serve her sentence in peace. Instead, she was being constantly harassed by some damn pervert and getting in trouble for just trying to explain herself! She hadn't done anything to deserve this!
"Alright, ladies, I think we've had enough excitement for one day," Officer Yamada raised his voice so all the prisoners could hear. "Your lunch break is officially over! Back to work!"
"What? But it hasn't been a half hour yet!" one of the women cried out.
"Yeah, we get a full half hour to eat!" another dissenter spoke up.
Emboldened, a couple dozen other prisoners began to protest as well. They'd been working all morning long and were understandably not happy to have their lunch and longest break cut short.
"All of you shut up!" a guard bellowed. "Next one to speak out of turn gets a trip to hole!"
That threat brought an instant end to their shouting, but they still glowered at their jailors.
"You can thank the disruption caused by Prisoner Tendo and her boyfriend for the loss of your break," Yamada elaborated. "Now, move it!"
Akane stared in open-mouthed shock. It wasn't even her fault Kuno had shown up! He was going to punish everyone for something she didn't even have control of and say she was to blame!
The other prisoners grumbled, but slowly retrieved their tools and returned to digging. Several of them spared rather hateful glares in Akane's direction as they passed her. One of them, a butch woman with cropped black hair roughly elbowed her. "Thanks a lot, bitch," she sneered before moving off.
"Come on." Sayoko placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Let's get back to work before we get in anymore trouble."
Akane nodded and returned to digging. Several of the other prisoners still scowled at her whenever the guards weren't looking. She wanted to say something, but couldn't think of what. The only thing clear was that Officer Yamada was out to make her life a living hell.
Next: Kuno meets the Warden.
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