Page 8 of Freedom Mine
Her hand went to the back of her neck.
He frowned, remembering not only the pain she’d felt upon entering but the sense of hopelessness he’d seen on her face.
“I know the system zapped you when you entered, but it was necessary, to ensure you are fully registered as my property. That’s the last time you’ll be zapped, Blue, I promise.”
He sighed. His promises meant nothing to her. All he could do was forge ahead and hope that some of what he said would sink in.
“I had a hacker modify this section. Damn thief charged me nearly a year’s income, but it was the best I could do. The point is, the pylons still register the entry of any slave I buy, to finalize the sale and ensure that no one can legally challenge my ownership.” When he stepped toward her, blue eyes grew wide with trepidation, but she stood her ground.
“You’re free to come and go,” he said in a softer voice, trying to get through to her. “I know you’re registered as mine, but that’s a formality until I can change your chip status. Which reminds me, don’t even think of trying to cut that chip out. Without the proper tool, you risk paralysis and death.
If by some miracle you get it out without injuring yourself, the drones will get you. They home in on people that have heat signatures but no accompanying signal from a chip.
“If you want to leave, you can, but don’t try to remove that chip. I won’t track you either. You’re free to go. The lights on the pylons will remain green at all times, to keep up appearances, but your chip won’t shock you.”
He held a hand out to her, to join him beyond the property line, but she shook her head and backed up a step.
“Fine,” he said, harsher than necessary. “There and there.” He pointed to the right and left of the mountain behind his house. “Those are the property lines. Garitt—the man I caught hanging near my glider this morning—his property borders mine on that side. If you leave, stay clear of Garitt. He’s trouble. The other direction is a young couple, Fala and Yinnard. He has a shoot-first mentality, which I’m guessing is because he has a wife and women are scarce out here. If you decide to run, that direction is probably best. I’m guessing he wouldn’t shoot another woman on sight as he would a man.”
He stepped in front of her again, and her eyes drifted toward the ground. “Look at me, Blue.”
Blue eyes shot up at him, confusion mixing with fear. He took a deep breath.
“Remember how I said honesty matters more than manners? I’m going to apologize in advance, but this is the only way I know how to prove this to you.”
Kayo threw her over his shoulder and sprinted toward the entry pylons.
* * *
ALLI
Alli screamed, not because he tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of flour, but because he was running toward the green-lit pylons, the verylivepylons. He’d char her from the inside. She’d seen it happen once, and it was a very violent way to die.
“No! I’ll behave!” she screamed as he sailed through the pylons.
They crossed the invisible barrier. Nothing happened, except he set her down on her feet, outside the property line.
She rubbed the back of her neck, not that she could feel the chip embedded at the top of her spine. She hadn’t felt anything, not a shock, not even a minor vibration which was the lowest setting she’d ever experienced from a fence. She looked at the pylons again. They were green.
“Like I said, these will show green at all times,” he said, panting slightly, no doubt from having run with her on his shoulder the entire way.
She’d felt an odd tingle where he’d touched her arm earlier and now this, that strange exhilaration in his eyes. She should avert her eyes, not let them linger on his handsome face, noticing how the corners of his mouth kicked up with a hopeful glint in his eyes.
“You see, Blue,” he said, still a bit out of breath. “You can leave anytime.”
His smile turned cautious, as if he were losing confidence, which made no sense. He held all the control here. She’d seen owners play games with their slaves, telling them they were free only to chase them down, turning them into prey to be hunted.
“Can you say something? Anything?” He scratched the back of his head, messing up his hair. She almost chuckled at how lost he looked, like a small, innocent boy and not a hardened slave owner.
“I mean, I know you can speak. I heard you clear enough back there, but I’d like to get to know you, Blue, and it’s kind of hard when you don’t say anything.”
He waited patiently, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. What would she say anyway? That her mind was spinning, trying to figure out what game he was up to?
Kayo sighed. “Let’s go. We’re wasting my time out here, and I have plenty of stuff to do at the house.”
“If I’m truly free, then I can leave right now?” she asked, hoping he wouldn’t beat her. He’d been trying to get her to talk for a while now, but what if he didn’t like her question or the way she’d asked it?
A tenuous smile crossed his face. It was rather a nice smile, lifting his eyes, making him seem younger, more alive. All in all, a nice smile. . . for an owner. She found herself relaxing a bit, though that was dangerous.
