When the lights came up Kelli was wide awake. Like the others in the cell she got up immediately and began folding the bedding. They had to be ready when the cart came by. No one appeared in the corridor outside so she joined the rest of the women as they lounged against the back wall.

She was still stiff and sore from her punishment a few days ago. There were marks on her wrists and ankles, but none of her companions remarked on it. She knew why; it wasn't allowed. They must have known she'd been taken away yet not one of them even hinted at what had happened. She wasn't about to break the rule either. A return trip to that chair from someone's nightmare was right at the bottom of her list of places to visit. No matter what the subject she hung on every word in class now.

Kelli was still confused about her own reaction to what had happened. By rights she should be angry at the way she had been treated. Instead what she felt was more akin to relief. The only was to describe her lapse was laziness; she couldn't avoid it or rationalize it away. Everything in the school, from the regulations to the classes to the sometimes overzealous enforcement of those rules, it all had to serve some purpose. She was sure of that, even if she couldn't understand the reasons. That might be the answer, let them do their job, the men who ran the school, let them teach her what she needed to know in the manner they wanted instead of trying to analyze it all.

Her practiced ear caught the sound of the corridor gate opening. Along with the others she lined up to present herself to the approaching warden. Out of the corner of her eye she looked down to make sure her knees lined up with the woman on her right. She was responsible for her own bearing, but they all shared equal liability if any one of them was out of position. One of the recurring themes in the lessons was that they all cooperate and help each other meet the high standards demanded of them.

Kelli recognized the warden that stopped in front of their cell. It was Robert Kincaid, Cathy's husband and master. They had met once briefly in the cafeteria after she and Cathy had eaten lunch together. She felt his eyes examining her carefully.

"Kelli will collect the bedding. Stand up and approach the door." The tone of his voice gave no indication he recognized her.

Warily she stood up and walked toward the cell bars. Mindful of the usual boundary in approaching the cell bars she stopped at arm's length. He hadn't been specific as to where she should stand.

"Turn around and take a step back toward me." She complied, waiting for his next order. Instead he knelt down and reached through the bars to fasten leg chains on her ankles. "Now face me," he told her.

Kelli turned to look at Robert. She glanced up at his face once before quickly dropping her gaze. It only took one look to convince her there would be no special consideration from him. Turning around gave her the opportunity to stand facing him with her feet apart, lifting the chain off the floor. She had almost forgotten that particular requirement. When standing still all students must keep their legs apart to the limits of their restraints.

She watched as he unlocked the door with the set of keys on his belt. So much for her theory that the cell doors weren't actually locked shut.

"Step out into the hall." He stood to one side to let her pass. "Go to the far wall and wait. Do not turn around." Kelli heard the door shut behind her. There was no cart in the hallway. She had never been assigned this chore before and wasn't familiar with the procedures.

Just as he took hold of her arm a commotion broke out at the far end of the dorm section. "What the…?" He started to ask. It sounded like an argument, or a fight. Kelli couldn't believe anyone would be so foolish as to fight right in front of a warden. She risked looking up at him, unsure what she should do.

"C'mon," he told her as he pulled on her arm. She trailed behind as he headed toward the cell where the noise came from. Inside two women were in the middle of a fight, while the other two knelt in one corner, obviously terrified at being unwilling participants. Kelli saw Robert reach behind his back and take out a set of handcuffs. She thought he would use them to subdue the women inside but instead he fastened one cuff on her wrist and pushed her back to the adjoining cell, where he locked the other cuff to the bars. "Stay here and keep out of the way."

This cell had three women, all kneeling in a perfectly straight line. They had to be scared as well, Kelli realized. She held onto the bar with her shackled hand.

"Enough!" Robert yelled. "Stop this right now! I want quiet!" Kelli couldn't see but it must have worked since the yelling ended abruptly. "You!" She saw him pointing, "Diane, stand up and come to the door, now! Don't look at her, do as I say."

Diane? Was it the same Diane who had been assigned to her for orientation? Kelli couldn't believe she would do something like this.

Robert's belt had two carriers in the back. She saw him reach back and take out his other pair of cuffs. She knew from Matt's uniform that all wardens carried two pairs. Now she could see why.

She still couldn't see if it was the Diane she knew. "Stop! Turn around, put your hands behind your back, take a step backwards." That was a familiar routine Kelli had gone through herself many times. She heard him fasten one cuff on a wrist. The surprise came when he pulled Diane's hand through the bars. He reached in and brought out her other hand and locked her wrists together, immobilizing her against the cell bars.

At that moment the hall door behind Kelli flew open and four wardens came in at the run. When he saw the reinforcements Robert unlocked the cell door. As the men passed they looked at Kelli but didn't stop. Her heart leapt when she recognized Matt at the end of the line. There was a moment of surprise on his face as he followed the rest of the team.

It didn't take them long to clear the room. Kelli watched as they took out all four women in handcuffs and leg shackles. Every one of them was blindfolded. The last one, escorted by Matt, did look like Diane. Kelli hoped they would go easy on the bystanders. She had no such sympathy for the other two. The wardens would find a suitably severe punishment for both of them.

Robert shut the cell door and returned his extra set of cuffs to his belt. "Do you know anything about this incident?" He asked Kelli the moment the corridor was clear.

"No sir. I am acquainted with the female you restrained but I do not know the others."

He pointed to the floor in front of her. "Stance." Looking down she realized she had forgotten the chain between her ankles. Quickly she corrected to the proper position.

"Don't forget next time." His warning sounded pro forma, as if he wasn't paying attention.

"Yes sir." She had to be more attentive to details, no matter what was happening.

He was still staring at the far exit. Robert must be getting an update from the control room. Kelli knew about the earplug radios since Matt had one. He had warned her never to mention them under any circumstances. She waited patiently.

He went to a point halfway down the hall and stopped. "Everyone here, listen to me. There has been an incident. None of you will discuss it or mention it to anyone else. You will not talk about it among yourselves either. The students involved will be discouraged from exhibiting such poor behavior in the future. Unless you wish to join them you will forget what happened here."

He walked back to Kelli. "Your cart is ready." He released the cuff fastened to the bars but didn't free her wrist. At the same time he examined the occupants behind Kelli. None of them had moved a muscle.

He used the cuff as a lead chain, dragging Kelli after him as he went to the same door the crash team had used. He never let go of her while he retrieved an empty bedding cart waiting in the outside hall. Not until the door and security gate were closed did he take off the handcuffs.

"You know the routine. Start at the far end, collect the bedding. Do not turn around. If you see anything that doesn't belong stop and tell me immediately." He gestured for her to proceed. Kelli took hold of the cart and began pushing.

At the cell where the fight had taken place she had to fold up the bedding herself. Robert watched her work but stayed out in the hall, where he could keep an eye on the rest.

It was nice to be doing something, even if it was simple housekeeping chores. The leg cuffs had a shortened connecting chain which made it more difficult to walk. She had to take short, halting steps to make any progress. At least she didn't have to kneel on the hard floor, waiting for the morning collection to finish.

Mindful of sore knees she tried to work as fast as possible. The entire time Robert stayed behind her. Twice he stopped her so he could inspect blankets. She had to fold them again when he was satisfied there was nothing hidden inside. Kelli had no idea what he was looking for. None of them had any possessions at all. She couldn't imagine how anyone could smuggle anything larger than a speck of dust into the cells.

What had driven Diane to lose her temper? She must have known what would happen. Kelli's own infraction had been minor and they had put her in that horrid chair for days. Fighting was a serious offense. The consequences were ones Kelli hoped she would never have to face. Mindful of Robert's warning she was careful to keep her feet apart while she piled the bedding on the cart. Details , she told herself, don't forget the details .