Section X

Chapter Two

Written by S. M. Wolf and B. D. Foxx

Copyright © 2000 by S. M. Wolf and B. D. Foxx for BondoFox, all rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution of this work by any means without the expressed written permission of the author, or hotlinking from another website without the expressed written permission of the author and BondoFox, is expressly forbidden. Similarity to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.

Author's Disclaimer: This is a work of adult fiction. Under NO circumstances are minors to view, purchase, possess, or be offered this work. The author assumes NO responsibility in this matter. The author also assumes NO responsibility if the reader is offended by work of this type, as it does contain elements that may offend some readers, including bondage and domination, and in some cases, severe discipline. Consider yourselves warned, so there.

Chapter Two - Train Ride

In a billowing cloud of steam and smoke, the train pulled into the station. Through the open door to the platform, Tricia and Candy could see a large steam locomotive and the front end of a passenger car.

From within the passenger car sauntered a fox officer. Unlike the other fox soldiers the girls had seen, he wore a black coat trimmed with silver. His pistol was securely holstered on his wide black belt. He casually tapped a riding crop against his thigh as he walked to the edge of the platform.

Whereas the other soldiers had stripes, bars or pips on their collars to represent their rank, this officer wore the symbol of his rank, a pair of bars, upon his left breast. Instead, on his collar, he had a large red rectangle with a white circle centered within it. A highly stylized Gothic black "S" completed the officer's service branch symbol. This fox was an officer of the dreaded Schutzstaffel special forces.

The officer also wore a black cap. Just above the brim was a large silver fox's skull with two bleached white bones running horizontally beneath the skull. In the eye sockets of the skull, two small rubies were set, giving the skull burning red eyes. Stylized orange and yellow flames erupted behind the skull. As the girls would come to know, this insignia made all the difference. Not only was the officer Schutzstaffel, he was a member of the extermination camp system charged with cleansing the conquered lands.

Close behind him, over a dozen large fox soldiers disembarked down the stairs and assumed guard positions around the platform. Each wore uniforms similar to the officer's, but they had the helmets of battlefield soldiers and were armed with submachine guns. They were the grunts of the Schutzstaffel, hand picked for their physical prowess and mindless obedience to orders.

The arrival of the train also brought a staff car from within the village to the train station. An old, gray muzzled fox officer got out of the car and walked over to the officer from the train. When the Schutzstaffel officer saw the newcomer, he sprang to attention and saluted the officer crisply.

Colonel, this is an unexpected honor. I was not aware that you were here," the Schutzstaffel officer said.

The Colonel casually returned the Schutzstaffel officer's salute.

"Good morning, Major Bond. Well, Major, I always like to be were the fighting is. We just cleared out the town, and I wanted to be personally sure we got rid of the last of the rabbit vermin. Are you ready to take our prisoners?"

"Yes, sir. We can pull out as soon as the prisoners are loaded and the train serviced."

"Shall we inspect the filth we're sending away, Major?"

"As you wish, sir!"

The sergeant in charge of the detail guarding the prisoners overheard the conversation as well. As soon as the officers turned to enter the station, the sergeant ordered his men to force the prisoners into a single file line ready to be marched out the door. The two officers casually walked down the line of rabbits. Three more rabbits have been brought in during the night, bringing the total to thirteen female rabbits and two male rabbits. The sisters still did not recognize any of their fellow prisoners. They must have been other refugees snatched from the surrounding countryside.

The officers would stop and make derogatory comments about each prisoner. When Tricia’s turn came, they looked her over from the tip of her ears to her toes, pointing out every real and imagined flaw. The major used his riding crop to emphasize every point. Candy was next and received a similar treatment. When she began to fidget under their scrutiny, Major Bond brought his riding crop down smartly on her ass. Smarting from the sting, she endured the remainder of their inspection quietly. The girls in the line could not help but notice the prominent bulge in the Major's pants as he walked by them, though.

Tricia could overhear the officers calling the only two males among the prisoners eunuchs and worse. It was obvious they had a complete and total disdain for the male rabbits. After all, they had lost their country in a single week. What good could they possibly be? For their part, the two males could only bow their heads in shame.

Upon reaching the end of the line, the officers turned around and walked back to the loading platform.

"Major, good luck with your mission. I'm sure you will be successful. Now I have to go back to my hunting. If there are any more rabbits out there, we will get them for you."

The Major smiled at the Colonel's remarks. Then his face took on a slightly dreamy look.

Sir, have you reconsidered an appointment in the Schutzstaffel? I heard they have made the offer to you again."

The Colonel smiled and shook his head no.

I am a warrior first. Until all resistance has been destroyed, I cannot take a noncombat position. I’ll leave the Schutzstaffel in your capable hands, Major Bond."

Once again the Schutzstaffel Major snapped to attention and saluted the older Colonel. With a wave of his hand to acknowledge to salute, the Colonel returned to his car and drove back into town.

One of the Schutzstaffel guards mustered up his courage and asked the Major, "Who was that, sir?"

The Major glanced at the guard in surprise. "Don't you recognize him, son? That was former Field Marshal Himmler, the designer of our entire military assault on the rabbit vermin. When it became obvious that we were going to go to war, he demoted himself so he could command a combat brigade. He has been twice offered command of the Schutzstaffel."

Major Bond paused.

“He is also my father-in-law.”

The prisoners could see several of the Schutzstaffel guards suddenly craning their necks for a look at the Colonel rapidly disappearing back into town.

The Major signaled the guards to bring the prisoners out of the train depot. Using their rifle butts, the soldiers roughly forced the prisoners out the onto loading platform and off to their left. The rabbits were surprised to see that behind the first passenger car the remainder of the train up to the caboose was made up of cattle cars. The door to the first cattle car in the train was open, and several Schutzstaffel guards were station near the steps leading up to the door.

Confused, the rabbits began milling about at the foot of the steps, unsure what to do. The Major gave a loud exasperated sigh.

Addressing the prisoners, he exclaimed "Do we have nothing but idiots in this group? Get up the steps and into the car! Guards, I want you to shoot any rabbit that is not in that car in one minute!"

The Schutzstaffel guards level their submachine guns at the prisoners. Realizing that their lives were in danger, the rabbits rapidly scrambled up the steps and into the cattle car. Tricia and Candy were among the last to get into the cattle car.

Inside the car, they found a thin layer of loose straw scattered about the floor. In one corner at the front sat a large wooden barrel with a hinged lid. A ladle hung at the side of the barrel from a leather strap. One of the male rabbits walked over to the barrel and lifted the lid. Inside was drinking water.

"At least they're not going to kill us with dehydration," he commented.

At the back end of the car, a small bucket sat next to an open top metal drum. One of the Schutzstaffel guards stuck his head in and sneered at the prisoners, "Drinking water is up front; the toilet is in the back."

The guards closed the door the cattle car. Unable to do anything else, the rabbits found clean places in the straw and sat down. Outside the rabbits could hear the sound of several large padlocks being closed. They were securely locked into the car.

The September sun rose higher in the sky, rapidly heating the air. Inside the cattle car, the heat became stifling as there were no breezes to cool the rabbits. Outside the rabbits could hear the soldiers moving about and the occasional sound of hammers striking metal, but they couldn't tell what was going on. By 10 A.M. several of the prisoners lay panting in the straw, but still the train did not leave the station.

One of the two male rabbits made a trip to the water barrel. After taking his drink, he flopped down hard, striking the wall of the cattle car solidly with his shoulder. A surprised look flashed across his face. Turning around, he carefully inspected a four foot by four foot panel of old boards that made up a section of the side of the car.

"Robert, come here quick!" he hoarsely whispered to the other male rabbit.

As the other rabbits watched half interested, the second male rabbit stood up and walked over to where the first rabbit was sitting. Candy and Tricia could overhear them whispering back and forth.

"Robert, push here against these boards. Feel how they move?"

"Yes, James. But what good does it do us?"

"When I hit them I thought they were going to break. I bet if we both hit them at the same time we can go right through the side of the car and get out of here."

"And then what? Brother, I want to get out of here as badly as you. But the foxes have armed guards out there who will shoot us!"

The rabbits put their heads together and continued whispering too softly for the girls to overhear them. It was obvious though that several the other rabbits had overheard with the two males were talking about. Their faces showed excitement at the prospect of getting out of the cattle car. The male rabbits appeared to settle on a plan. They moved tot he other end of the car and sat down. Excitement showed on their faces and the females could catch a faint whiff of fear from them.

Candy thought it was around 11 AM when the train whistle blew again. Outside the could hear booted paws running up and down the length of the train as it prepared to leave the station. A conductor called out, "All aboard!" Inside the cattle car, the rabbits could feel the train suddenly jerk and begin to lurch forward.

Before the train could get moving more than a couple of miles per hour, the two male rabbits stood up and ran together shoulder first at the loose boards. The nails holding the boards gave way with a high-pitched squeal. Several of the boards shattered under the sudden assault as well. The boards landed on the ground beside the train followed closely by James and Robert. They rolled along the ground before coming to a stop. Momentarily knocked breathless from the fall, the two male rabbits nonetheless quickly gained their feet and began running away from the train and into the surrounding fields.

The other rabbits including Candy and Tricia pulled themselves up and moved to the opening. They could hear several of the guards yelling for the train to stop as they converged on it. Their cries were quickly covered by the squeal of the train brakes. Quickly the train came to a stop.

The other rabbits were too slow to take advantage of the escape attempt. Within seconds regular fox soldiers that had been standing guard near the train appeared at the opening and leveled their rifles at the remaining rabbits in the cattle car. Unable to do anything else, the female rabbits cheered the two males on as they continued running for their lives.

From behind a small building a fox soldier ran out and tackled Robert. James looked back, but Robert yelled, "Keep going! Don't look back and don't stop!" Several guards raised their rifles as James scaled the fence surrounding the train station. They fired their weapons, but could not hit the rapidly weaving rabbit.

From the passenger car at the from the train Major Bond appeared. He watched with obvious disgust as the Fox Army soldiers failed to stop the escaping rabbit. James had made it into the adjacent field and was running erratically through the wheat. Bullets were tearing up the plants near him, but so far none had struck him.

Exasperated, Major Bond walked over to the nearest soldier and ordered him, "Give me that rifle! The rest of you, cease-fire!"

By now James was close to two hundred yards away from train. When the bullets stopped flying, he risked the look back over his shoulder. He saw the Major raise the rifle and fire twice. From within the cattle car, the other rabbits could hear James' scream of pain and see him fall to the ground. The Major had creased his thighs with the two shots leaving painful but not life threatening flesh wounds.

Major Bond ordered several of the guards to go and pick up James from where he lay writhing in pain. Another guard had joined the one that captured Robert and was helping bring him back to the train. The Major motioned them to take Robert around the train to the cattle car door. He also sent off several of the other Fox Army guards on errands after talking to them in a low voice for nearly a minute.

When the guards reached James, he was trying to drag himself toward the distant woods. They grabbed him by the elbows and roughly dragged him across the field and back to the train, ignoring his squeals of pain whenever his legs were jostled.

Once James and Robert were back at the door to the cattle car, the Major had the door unlocked and opened again. Several guards entered the car and roughly pushed the females to the back and held them there with rifles held crosswise. The angry major entered the car and motioned the guards to throw James and Robert in after him. Robert tried to get up, but the booted foot of the Major placed against his throat forced him back to the floor of the train car. James was only semiconscious because of the extreme pain he was in. Several other guards entered the car as well and stood surrounding the two male rabbits.

Addressing the two males but speaking loudly enough for all the car to here, the Major told them, "It seems you developed fast feet. We're going to have to do something about that. Let's see, what can we do, what can we do?”

Seemingly lost in thought, Major Bond began pacing back and forth, lightly tapping his muzzle with his riding crop.

“Cut off your feet?”

The Major paused and looked down into the frightened faces of the two male rabbits. Instinctively they knew this fox was perfectly capable of doing exactly what he proposed.

“No, you might die, and I have orders to make sure you reach where you are going. Break every bone in your legs and feet? No, you would not be able to walk off the train then. I cannot afford to have my soldiers soiling their hands by carrying you off the train.”

The Major began pacing back and forth again. After several seconds he seemed to come to a decision.

Turning back to the male rabbits, Major Bond exclaimed “I know! Why don't we tie you up and hang you from the ceiling by your fast feet?"

The Major motioned to the soldiers that had entered the car with him and ordered them, "Strip them!"

With obvious relish, four of the soldiers tore off the clothing of the helpless males and threw it out the open door. They turned the rabbits over onto their bellies and forced them to lay with their legs spread wide and their arms behind their back with their wrists crossed. James was laying closest to the females. They could see the blood flowing down his legs from the bullet wounds. The rough handling he was receiving caused fresh blood to begin to flow from his wounds.

The soldiers sent off on errands returned with a ladder, several lengths of rope, wire cable, a couple of four foot long 2x4s, turnbuckles and tools. As the female rabbits watched helplessly, the wire cable was drawn about the ridge of the roof of the cattle car through some of the many cracks between the ceiling boards. Using the turnbuckles, the ends of the wire cable were secured together to form loops.

Next, the helpless males had their hands tied together. More rope was used to pull their elbows together. Both squealed in pain as the soldiers pulled the rope mercilessly tight. Next the soldiers placed a 2x4 against the back of each male’s ankles. They bound the boards to the rabbits’ ankles using many loops of rope.

"Hoist them up!" ordered the Major.

The foxes dragged the rabbits under the wire loops. Two ropes were passed up through the loops and down to where the prisoners lay. One end of each rope was secured to their ankles. The soldiers heaved on the other end of the rope and lifted both rabbits up of the floor. As the helpless males dangled from the ceiling with their legs spread painfully wide, the soldiers secured the loose end of the ropes to the center of each 2x4. Both were now hanging upside down in the center of the car like two sides of beef ready for butchering.

Reaching down and grabbing Robert by his ears, Major Bond roughly pulled the rabbit’s head up so he could look him in the face.

"Be glad I have orders not to kill you and cannot delay leaving any longer, or I would take the time to properly punish you for trying to escape. As is, I will let you make the journey to the next station like this."

Major Bond released Robert’s ears and allowed his head to fall back. Robert’s body swung back and forth for several seconds. The Major turned to the female rabbits clustered in the back of the cattle car.

"No one is to give them the slightest bit of help. No water! No comfort! Nothing! If I even think anyone helped them, the entire lot of you will make the rest of the journey to the camp trussed up like them. Is that clear?"

The Major accepted the quick yeses and hurried nods from the huddled, frightened females. The soldiers quickly left the car and closed the door behind them. The rabbits could hear the Major ordering someone to repair the side of the train car and be quick about it. They also heard him order the person responsible for checking the train before it left the last station to be publicly flogged for missing the loose boards.

Soldiers appeared with tools and fresh lumber. They quickly covered over the opening. Inside, the females lay and sat down again. Tricia and Candy found themselves staring at the two males hanging from the ceiling and silently wondering what they would do if it had been them hanging there.

Around noon the train departed the train station. The movement of the train brought a welcome breeze through the cattle car, but James' and Robert's bodies swayed back and forth adding to their torment. Robert tried desperately to keep up James' spirits, talking to him constantly. James' pain was so great though that he was barely aware of anything else, drifting in and out of consciousness throughout the afternoon as the train moved eastward through the countryside.

Looking out between the cracks in the walls of the cattle car, Tricia and Candy could see the countryside as it rolled by. All about them was evidence of the war. Here a field torn apart by the passage of the treads of tanks; there a house reduced to ashes by fire. Nowhere did the see any rabbits. It was as if they had never existed.

Near six P.M. the train entered another small town. The squeals from the brakes seem to rouse James and Robert. For the first time in a couple of hours they both began to look about them with some degree of coherency. The rabbits could hear the distinctive voice of the Major ordering the train engineer to pull up until the cattle car was even with the door to the station. The maneuver completed, the train came to a stop finally. All the rabbits could the hear the loud sound of the steam in the engine being vented.

Several soldiers disembarked from the train and made their way onto the loading platform. The Major ordered the lights on the platform to be turned on and cattle car door to be opened.

As the door was rolled back, the rabbits within the car blinked their eyes against the bright light. Outside the could see a train station much like the one they had left earlier that day. A nameplate next to the door read simply "Krakow". From their studies, Tricia and Candy knew they had traveled closed to 120 miles eastward that afternoon.

From within the station a bedraggled line of rabbits was roughly shoved forward towards the waiting train by several wolf guards. All were female, several with young children and babies. They stopped and gazed with horror at the sight of the two male rabbits hanging from the ceiling. James' wounds had bled throughout the afternoon. Long streaks of dried blood ran from his thighs down to his chest. Beside him Robert was little better off. His weight had forced the ropes into the tender flesh of his ankles. Blood matted the fur of his calves.

Major Bond appeared at the doorway and walked into the car. Standing beside the two male rabbits, he turned and addressed the new prisoners.

"Some of you may have had thoughts about escaping. I think this illustrates quite nicely why those thoughts are misguided. If I did not have orders to deliver these males in reasonably good condition I would have killed both for trying to escape. As it is, they have had a pleasant journey here hanging upside-down from their feet for the past six hours. Trust me, I will not be so kind to the next rabbit that attempts to escape. I suggest you take a close look at them as you pass to make sure you do not make the same mistake."

One by one the hundred or so prisoners were forced to walk past the male rabbits as they were taken to a cattle car further back on the train. Several of the youngsters asked what was happening, but their mothers quickly hushed them. For some unknown reason, Major Bond singled out a handful of rabbits to go into the first cattle car. When all were aboard the train and the other cars securely locked, the Major and four guards entered Tricia and Candy’s cattle car.

Taking out a wicked looking knife, the Major reached up and cut the ropes holding up the males. The fell hard to the floor of the car and lay still, barely conscious after hitting their heads hard. The Major gestured to the guards to pick up the male rabbits.

"Take them inside and let the medic clean them up and tend to their wounds. Tell them they only have fifteen minutes before we leave, though."

Fifteen minutes later, the soldiers returned with the two male rabbits. They dropped them in the center of the cattle car. The blood had been cleaned out of their fur. James' wounds had been bandaged. They had apparently given him something for the pain as well. He was asleep as soon as he lay down in the straw. Robert soon followed him into the oblivion of slumber.

As soon as the male rabbits were on-board, the door was closed and locked. The train resumed it’s interrupted journey eastward. It chugged down the tracks in the increasing darkness of the late evening.

Tricia and Candy found themselves separated by a young mother rabbit with two small daughters. The doe was barely older than Tricia and Candy. The oldest of the daughters appear to be about two years old. The youngest was a newborn, suckling at her mother' s bosom. The mother had a strange, intense look on her face, and she grasped her youngest daughter tightly to her breast.

The older daughter clung to her mother's left arm with her muzzle buried in her mother's sleeve. After half an hour, she began to cry softly. Without thinking, Candy reached out in began to stroke the younger girl's back and ears. Unable to contain her tears anymore, the young girl turned and threw herself into Candy's open arms. Candy hugged her tight against her, muttering soft words encouragement and comfort. The mother rabbit silently thanked Candy with her eyes before turning back to her younger daughter and bowing her head. Overcome with sympathy, Tricia reached out and placed an arm over his the mother's shoulders. She could feel the young doe’s body shaking as she silently cried. Pulling her close, Tricia comforted the doe while her twin sister comforted her daughter. Almost an hour went by before the doe could speak.

"Thank you."

Tricia allowed the doe to shift away from her to a more comfortable position. Her youngest daughter stirred against her breast but remained silent.

"What is you name?" asked Tricia.

"My name is Carla."

The doe pointed to her oldest daughter.

"This is my daughter Susan."

With her chin, Carla pointed towards her youngest daughter. "And this is Cheryl."

"My name is Tricia, and that's my sister Candy over there."

Candy looked up from Susan and said, "Hello." before returning her attention to the toddler.

Tentatively, Tricia asked Carla, "What happened to you?"

Carla sat in silence for several minutes, Then through the gathering gloom inside the cattle car she began to speak.

“When the war started, we thought we would be okay. We were just a little village, barely 500 people. Nothing important was located in Krakow. Some took everything they could carry and left. They must have hoped to make it to safety. God only knows where that would be in this war.

“But the wolves came. They fought a battle not far from here. They claimed they just wanted a place for their wounded to stay until they could be taken home. We had no weapons. We could not resist. So we let them take over the city hall and some other buildings.

“Then the wolves and foxes in the black uniforms showed up. Even the wolves soldiers were afraid of them. You could smell their fear it was so bad.

“They started ordering people around. Suddenly we were all forced to move out of our houses and into some large barns. The Schutzstaffel troops took our homes for their own. We spent the nights huddling in the straw while they partied, drinking our liquor and eating our food.

“We didn’t know it at the time, but the real horror started three days ago. In the morning the Schutzstaffel troops had the wolves gather all the males in the town square. There were still close to a hundred males left. The Schutzstaffel officer in charge announced that Krakow would become a major staging area for the Wolf Army. As a start to preparing for the anticipated soldiers, each male would be required to assist in digging a trench to be used as a latrine.”

Carla practically spat out, “He made a big deal about the need to get rid of ‘excrement’. He must have said it two dozen times. At the time we could not imagine why he had such a look of hatred in his eyes when he said that word.”

Carla paused for a minute. The twins could hear sniffles as they waited for her to continue.

“For two days our males dug. Each had to dig a section six feet deep, three feet long and seven feet wide. They were very specific about that. The Schutzstaffel guards even got in the trench and measured the progress each day. Anyone not making suitable progress was stripped, tied to a tree and whipped ten times or more with a bullwhip.”

By now Carla was close to openly crying from the intensity of her memories.

“This morning, they lined all the males up in the town square. They even went through the entire village building by building to make sure all the males were there. The Schutzstaffel officer in charge praised the fine work the males had done. He said they were to be commended for their hard work and would receive a special reward today for all their hard effort.”

Despite her best attempts to hold back her crying, tears began to stream down Carla’s cheeks.

“We watched them march off with our males. Our men and boys were laughing and joking. They thought – they thought they were going to get a reward.”

Carla bent over almost double, clutching Cheryl close to her chest.

“They lined them up beside that damn ditch. And then they shot each one in the head and let their bodies fall into the ditch.”

Throughout the cattle car gasps of horror could be heard.

“Then they came along with a bulldozer and shoved the dirt back into the ditch, burying the bodies of our beloved males together in an unmarked mass grave.”

Unable to contain herself any longer, Carla began to wail at the memory of watching her husband and son being shot; their blood and brains flying through the air as the bullets struck their heads. And then the yellow monster callously dumping the dirt on their bodies.

Tricia hugged Carla close, trying to comfort her. None of the rabbits had ever suspected the foxes and wolves would do something so horrible.

Almost half an hour later as full darkness settled on the prisoners Carla was able to complete her story.

“The wolves in town must have known what was going to happen. When the shooting began we tried to go help our men, but they were waiting for us. We could only watch helplessly as one by one our males were slaughtered. When they were done, the Schutzstaffel troops came back and ordered all of us to be moved to the train station. Some tried to resist. They were beaten into submission, lined up against any handy wall and then executed by firing squad.

“They marched everyone else including me and my daughters to the train station. We were told when the train showed up we would have to get in and be relocated to the east. There were guards everywhere. We couldn’t get away.”

Carla paused again.

“Now they have us on a train heading God knows where, and I doubt any of us will ever return home alive.”

Tricia could feel Carla’s body convulsing with silent sobs. Whispered conversations could be heard between the other prisoners as they discussed what Carla had told them.

Eventually though fatigue and emotional numbness combined to force the rabbits to sleep. Tricia left Carla holding her two daughters and sought out Candy. Wordlessly they lay down beside each other to try to get some sleep in the cold night.

And both wondered as they fell asleep where this train journey would take them.

Contact S. M. Wolf