Page 20 of Terror

I recognize the voice. Terror is here. I turn my head in the direction of the sound. My vision allows me to see a giant silhouette leaning against the wall. Has he been here the entire time? And where is here? Not in a hospital, for sure. Teleans don’t work in hospitals. I could be in the Stronghold or maybe even the big ship. I remember a man called for help, but I would think an ambulance would respond, and I’d wake—or die—in a hospital.

Fingers swipe the top of my hand. I blink my eyes several times, willing them to focus. I blink and blink until the dark blurry vision clears. Terror’s face swims into view, black eyes showing no emotion, no empathy.

He simply says, “I will rip off the hand that stabbed you and beat him with it.”

Since my lips are glued together, I stretch them into something resembling a smile. No, I don’t believe Terror has the capacity for empathy, but he sure knows what to say to make me feel better. I point at my mouth and make a sad puppy face, a clear sign I want him to remove the glue the Telean put on there.

Terror shakes his head.

Mad, I squeeze his hand.

He looks down at our joined hands, then back up at me. “You will injure yourself.”

I roll my eyes.

“Besides, I like you most when you don’t sass me.” He winks. “Quiet and cute.”

Asshole.I narrow my eyes.

He props me up on the bed by moving the back of the mattress and turns on the hologram projected on the wall. On it, the news shows the SDNU parking lot where one Telean, possibly General Dreikx and the Hordesman I met in Melanie’s house, stand and chat with the police. The man in uniform keeps shaking his head, stills, then steps back and pulls out his weapon. A blur of motion and the Telean disarms and restrains the officer. Other police officers surround the three, weapons drawn. Is it a standoff?

I glance at Terror, a question in my eyes.

He stares at me. He’s not even watching. “I will rip his arm out and beat him with it. Also, I haven’t fed my hound all day.”

Okay. There’s something strange in his voice, even his posture. There’s this…tension in the air and it’s making me wary. I turn back to the TV. Collectors in red capes, as if by magic, appear behind the police force. They’re unarmed, but that means nothing. The police officers aim their guns at the Collectors while the Hordesman and the restrained officer speak. General Dreikx leaves the screen.

One of the god-awful hounds the aliens ride comes running around from the back of the parking lot. As he nears the camera, the image of what’s between his teeth becomes clearer. He’s carrying a man. A live man, screaming and trying to free himself. The hound stops before the Hordesman and drops the man on the asphalt. The man’s head thuds against the hard ground, and he wails, pain evident on his face. I sit up, wiggling in the bed to get closer.

“This is the one who stabbed you,” Terror says.

I shrug. I don’t know who stabbed me. How does he know? I purse my lips at the same time as the Telean doctor walks back inside my room. After a brief nod at Terror, he turns to me. “I will now inspect your vocal cords,” he says. “If you speak, I will gag you for the duration of the night. Understood?”

Firmly, I nod. Telean Dr. Monster shall not be fucked with.

“Thank you, Omega. Let’s proceed quietly.” His lips quirk, and maybe that’s as far as his smile goes, so I stretch my lips too. Objects fly into view and hover in his line of sight. He gets something sharp and points it at my throat. I close my eyes. It’s best if I don’t know what the hell he’s doing.

Cold fingers peel the protective covering he’d placed over my neck, presumably after he operated on me. I barely feel anything, so he must’ve numbed the site.

“I’d like you to watch if you can,” Terror says.

After a deep breath, I open my eyes. The moment I do, I wish I hadn’t.

“The Omega is sensitive to violence,” the Telean remarks.

“Quiet,” Terror bites out. “Fix her and leave us.”

The Telean shakes his head.

On the screen, the Hordesman puts one foot on my attacker’s torso and grabs his arm. I know what’s gonna happen before it happens. The Hordesman rips off the man’s arm and proceeds to beat him with it. Blood spurts everywhere, covers both their bodies. The man screams so loud that the Telean winces, and Terror mutes the TV but leaves it on. The Hordesman throws the arm on top of the man and walks away as if nothing happened.

The camera, however, lingers. It lingers on the man as the hound approaches his meal.

“All done,” the Telean says.

I jolt, looking away from the screen.

He swipes a finger over my lips, leaving behind a jellylike substance. My lips part, and I lick them, then make a sour face at the minty taste.

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