Page 2 of Tortured

He growls in some guttural language that I can now understand thanks to something they put in the back of my neck.

“By Venda! Why can’t you just behave, you stupid female!”

I stomp on his foot again, and throw my head back, hitting his hard head with a satisfying crack that makes me see stars as well.

“Someone grab a Hyden rod! Zap her!”

I struggle harder. I’ve already felt the electric touch of that particular weapon and there’s no way in hell I want it near me again!

“Let me go, dammit!” I shriek, my voice cracking and my body straining against his rough clinch.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see another one of the creepy aliens step toward me holding the slim silver tube. Flinching, I renew my struggle, desperation fueling my hysteria.

Jerking, pulling and kicking. The vicious alien holding me snarls as my foot connects with his shin but the other one darts forward and slams the metal tube into my stomach.

“Aaah!” I scream. My muscles contract painfully, convulsing and tightening until I’m bent double. I can’t move and go limp, blackness edging my vision.

The bastard holding me drops me to the ground painfully and kicks me viciously in the side. “This one is almost more trouble than she’s worth. Throw her back in the cell.”

My body shakes as the other alien grimaces but tosses me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

I struggle to breathe, sucking in air in painful, short gasps. My eyes won’t focus right and every damn part of me hurts like I’ve boxed about a hundred men.

We reach the cells and he presses his palm to the scanner. After the sizzling electric bars move back, he drops me unceremoniously to the cold floor. Without another word he steps out and re-locks the cage.

“Are you okay?” Alex whispers from the next cage.

I can’t even form a sentence to answer her. My brain and body feel like scrambled eggs or mush. It feels like every cell in my body has constricted. I’ve never felt so much pain. Not since the drunk driver that took my whole life from me.

Tears leak slowly from my eyes and my brain struggles to catch up. What the hell are we going to do? No help is coming for sure.

We’re on our own.

2

KOEHN

“What the granth is that space hauler doing this far from any loading ports?” I mutter under my breath.

“Varnak, do you see that Carvallian hauler?” I ask.

“Yes, Koehn. What do you think they’re doing this far out?”

“I’m not sure but that is the question I was asking as well.”

“It looks like they’re turning away from our ships. Does that seem suspicious to anyone?”

“I don’t know. There are no posts to offload cargo this far out or trade with, Gardon.”

“Seems like they are trying to avoid us, Captain,” Zaycor cuts in, his brusque voice cutting across ours. He’s always been a hothead so no one is surprised by the anger in his voice.

“Let’s check it out.” I feel my blood heat. Battle excites Arkadian warriors more than almost anything. Except for a willing female but the opportunity to partake of a female is few and far between as a soldier. We’re bred for war and revel in the hunt so willing females are often too boring for our males. We like a little spice to go with the sweet. Or at least I do.

I eye the view outside my fighter ship. This shouldn’t be a battle but it is a break in the recent monotony of deep space patrols. I push the throttle forward lightly and feel the sleek ship respond, jumping ahead. I look up and check my forward display.

“Where are you?” I grumble. The Carvallian trader ship can’t hyper-jump so it can’t have gotten far.

“Koehn! The ship’s signature disappeared.” Varnak shouts, excitement throbbing in his deep voice.

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