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}                                           FAMILY BOND\par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs32\kerning28\par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs18\kerning28 Execution
\par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs18\kerning28\par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     Joyce
 jumped when the door bell rang. She had been waiting for a visit and it appeared
 to have come. Now she would know at last. When she opened the door her attorney
 was standing there with three other men. All had grim looks on their faces and 
Joyce\u8217\'92s heart fell. The news had to be bad. She went through the motions
 but within seconds she knew. Fred Buckley was a good lawyer and had been in this
 situation before more often than he liked but he never had found a good way to 
say it so he fell back on the blunt truth. \par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     \u8220
\'93 Joyce the court had made its ruling and its not good, in fact its about as 
bad as it can get. You were found guilty and the judge imposed the maximum. You 
are to be executed. As I warned you the case was overwhelming and I just couldn\u8217
\'92t mount any real defense. There\u8217\'92s nothing to base either an appeal 
or a plea for mercy on. I\u8217\'92m afraid its all over except the execution. The
 only good thing is that the judge extended your family bond so you can spend your
 last little time at home with your family. These men are here to make sure you 
understand what will happen and to tattoo you. I\u8217\'92m sorry Joyce that things
 didn\u8217\'92t work out better. I thought we had a chance at saving your life 
at least but all we can do now is try to get it over with as painlessly as possible
.\u8221\'94\par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28      The 
older of the two men spoke. \u8220\'93Mrs. Gunther. My name is George Wells and 
I\u8217\'92m here in the capacity of the representing the state in general and the
 department of corrections in particular. Since you have opted to continue your 
family bond and have expressed an interest in a delayed surprise execution I must
 explain your options and make sure everything is both understood and provided for
. Right now you have four basic choices to choose from. You may choose to surrender
 for immediate execution. This will release both you and your family from the bond
 provided you do so before the end of the day today. I thing that we can stretch
 the end of the day to about nine this evening. The second choice is to continue
 the bond and commit public suicide by hanging no later than nightfall the day after
 tomorrow. The third choice is to pay the fees, continue your bond and be killed
 by one of our roving executioners at a time and place unknown but public. The last
 choice and one that I truly hope you do not even think about is for you to break
 your bond and run. You must understand that your having placed your family up as
 your bond places then in the situation of being personally responsible  for your
 actions. If you were to break your bond and run your husband and both of your girls
 would become hunted escapees along with you. Any citizen that finds you would be
 free to do anything they wish with any of you as long as you are killed when he
 is done. Your girls are what, twelve and fourteen are they not? Would you risk 
exposing them to the kind of treatment that they would receive from some of the 
hunters out there. Trust me there are those who make a hobby out of hunting down
 bond breakers and their families and what they do to those they catch is not pretty
 with rape being perhaps the lesser of their evils. The delayed execution option
 is expensive since you must pay for all expenses but it does allow you more time
 with your family. The other drawback is that you must spend at least eight hours
 a day in public places and you must do so nude and tattooed. How much this bothers
 you is of course something I cannot judge but you will be both nude and tattooed
 no matter what choice you make. The only real difference is the public exposure
. I assume you have discussed it with your family. I will need your choice before
 I leave but since Mr. Paul here has to tattoo you and do a few other things you
 have a little time for last minute thought. Is everything clear?\u8221\'94\par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     Joyce
 was unable to answer him but there was no need anyway. She had already made her
 choice. Even an extra day of life to share with those she loved was worth any price
 and they could afford the cost. Fred had already explained how the whole thing 
worked. Most likely she would be shot at some point from ambush by the executioner
. The usual practice was to observe her for a few days before killing her. There
 was an implied gift of at least a week extra in the deal and for the most part 
it was allowed. As long as she played her part life would continue. Since she had
 minor children there would be an effort to carry out her execution when they were
 not around as long as she did not try to hide behind them. The idea of going out
 in public with the big red Cs tattooed on both cheeks. Between her breasts and 
on her back was kind of scary but other than look and make comments as long as the
 kill by date under the C had not passed nobody was allowed to harm her.\par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     \u8220
\'93Mr. Gunther, I need you to disrobe please\u8221\'94 the younger man requested
 as he laid out his equipment. \u8220\'93 I need to measure you, tattoo you and 
take pictures of you once you are prepared\u8221\'94 \par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     Within
 a few minutes she was stripped and suffered the pain of several large tattoos. 
The red Cs each had a date under them. A date two weeks from now. By then she would
 have to be dead. There was also a number that was her own identifier so the executioner
 would be sure he had the right one. A last indignity was the injection of a locator
 beacon into the muscles of her ass. A series of full body pictures taken from all
 sides finished the preparations. It was time for her to decide when and how she
 would die. \par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     Within
 a few minutes her fate was sealed. A scribbled name on a line or two of  forms 
and her future was settled. At some time within the next two week she would feel
 the impact of a bullet and she would die. Fred had offered what support he could
 but other that a few useful suggestions all hat was left were well meaning but 
empty words. \par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     The first
 week flew by. Knowing that her time was short she tried to cram in everything but
 of course nothing worked. Everybody tried to act normal but it was just a poorly
 carried out fake. The girls really did not understand the whole thing and were 
apt to break down in tears at any time. Her husband tried to love her in an effort
 to make some kind of last memories but she was left cold and unable to respond. 
Finally they decided it was best if he took the girls away for the week. Tearful
 goodbyes were better than seeing mom dead in a pool of blood or wondering if today
 was the day mom would not be there when they got off the bus. It was heart wrenching
 but at last she watched her family drive away to leave her to face death alone. 
\par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     Following
 good advice she had been given she had already picked out the place where se would
 be killed. There was a small park within walking distance of her home. A small 
meadow with trees around two sides it was nestled in front of a small hill where
 kids would sled in the winter. Across the grass from the hill was one of the wooded
 sides. Allowed to grow wild it would make a prefect place for her executioner to
 hide until he fired the fatal shot. The hill behind made it safe for others since
 the slug would end up burying itself in the dirt instead of traveling on to be 
a danger. During the week there was almost nobody there until after school. Joyce
 spent her days sitting or laying in the soft grass reading and listening to music
. \par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     She had
 gotten so used to the sounds of birds and small animals in the woods that when 
they stopped she noticed right away. Laying her book down she studied the brushy
 area. Was that something rustling the leaves of just the breeze. No, it was not
 the wind. Something told her it was time. She stood and turned to face her death
.  Something inside of her demanded that she meet death standing and facing it head
 on. What was her unseen killer seeing? Was he enjoying the sight of her nude body
? Watching her still firm breasts rise and fall with what would soon be her last
 breaths. Was he excited by looking through his fine scope and seeing every part
 of her body up close as if he were her lover? Or was he just checking her numbers
 and getting just the perfect shot lined up? She never knew.\par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     The shot
 rang out. She saw the flash but by the time she realized what it was the bullet
 had already struck her. A hammer blow landed between her tits and drove the air
 from her lungs.  \par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28 The hollow
 point bullet exploded through her breastbone and sent a shower of bone fragments
 spinning away into her chest cavity. The slug tore the right side of her heart 
open before exiting her back in a red spray of blood, bone, and flesh. As it exited
 it cut her spine in two. The breastbone fragments added to the carnage. The soft
 lung tissue offered no resistance to their flights. Her lungs were shredded. \par
}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28    She found
 herself on the ground. How had she gotten there? Why did her chest hurt so bad? 
Why couldn\u8217\'92t she catch her breath. Was it really that late? It was getting
 dark, she had to get home and make supper. Everybody would be hungry. So tired, 
I\u8217\'92ll just rest a second before I get up. \par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     By the
 time her executioner rode the recoil and got back on target she was down and breathing
 her last. There was bright red lung blood running from her mouth as she coughed
 weakly. There would be no need for a second shot. Each breath was slower and weaker
 that the one before it. She was running down. There, the final soft shudder and
 the sudden limpness. It was over. \par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     The small
 park was busy with people for a while. Her body was checked for any signs of life
 and when none were found she was declared dead. The corpse was removed for the 
post mortem.  The blood and flesh was cleaned up and the fatal bullet recovered. 
When the last of them left there was no sign that a life had ended there except 
for a wet spot in the grass. \par}

\pard\nowidctlpar\nooverflow\sl240\slmult1{\f0\lang1033\fs24\kerning28     Her killer
 was the last to leave. As he stood where she had died he realized she had known
 where he had been and had acted to make his job easy. She had picked a perfect 
place to both of them and faced her death bravely. Too bad others often failed to
 make the same choices. He would send flowers. }}