Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 42969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
There was a collective gasp and all the women shrank away as Manlow shouldered his way into the small, dim tree trunk room.
“You.” he pointed one stick-like finger at Lorna. “Come.”
“Me?” the goat-woman shrank back against the wall. “Please, no—it’s not even my turn!”
“You come now!” Manlow insisted. Charging forward, he gripped her by the arm and dragged her out the door.
The last thing Sylvie heard before it slammed shut was the sound of the other woman crying pitifully. The sound made her heart ache and her stomach clench.
Oh God, what was she going to do? How could she possibly get out of here?
10
KROSS
Kross didn’t eat the fucking mush they gave him. It tasted as bland as paper and he couldn’t stomach it—not when he was so worried about Sylvia. Several more times he’d tried getting through the pain barrier, but it was no use. He finally had to admit to himself that he was exhausting and hurting himself for no reason. There was just no way to get past it—not without passing out from the pain.
Shortly after his last attempt, a hole appeared in the wall of his jail and a round silver droid floated into the room. It ordered Kross to extend his arm for “specimen collection.”
In answer, Kross kicked the fucking thing as hard as he could. It ricocheted off the wall, making a mechanical wailing sound like a siren. At once, the screen on the far wall turned on and Barbarous appeared, frowning.
“I suggest you cease abusing my droid and allow it to take your blood and any other specimens it asks for,” he said, glowering at Kross.
“Like hell I will, you fucker!” Kross growled. “You can have my blood when you tie me down and take it!”
“That can be arranged you know,” Barbarous said coolly. “Or I could give the punishment you just earned to the lovely lady you came here with. Sylvia, I believe her name is. Would you like that, Mr. Kross?”
Kross felt sick with fear and rage.
“Leave Sylvia alone!” he roared at the screen. “Leave her the fuck alone!”
“I will…if you cooperate. Now will you give the collector your samples or not?”
“Fine. As long as you promise not to hurt her.”
“I give you my word as a gentleman and a scientist,” Barbarous said gravely. And putting one long hand over his heart, he made a little bow.
“All right.” Kross extended his arm to the silver droid, which hovered nervously at the other end of the room, as though it didn’t trust him. He knew there was no way to be sure the mad scientist was telling the truth or that he wouldn’t go back on his word. But there was nothing else he could do—no other way to protect the woman he loved.
The droid finally took some blood and a scraping from the inside of his cheek. Then it hovered through the air to the round hole it had come from and disappeared into the wall again.
After that, there was nothing to do but pace his cell and try to get through the pain cage again, even though he knew it was useless. He was aware he was probably punishing himself for not being strong enough to protect Sylvia. The pain felt good in a way—it was what he deserved. He never should have let those two tree-looking bastards sneak up on him…
Just as his thoughts were becoming a loop of guilt, anger, and anxiety for the woman he loved, the door opened again and two of the treetures entered. One of them stood by the door and the other held the arm of a sobbing woman.
At least, Kross thought it was a woman. She had breasts and was wearing a kind of short dress made of some kind of tan plant fiber. But she also had hair like wool and small, curling horns on her forehead.
The treeture holding her arm walked her right up to the closest hazy red pain shield while Kross watched, wondering what the hell was going on. Then, abruptly, the pain shield was gone.
It only lasted a split second and before Kross had time to react, the sobbing girl was shoved into his area and the red shield was reactivated.
The treeture by the wall must have hit the control button at the same time that the other one pushed the girl in, Kross thought. Either way, he had missed an opportunity. He wouldn’t miss again if he could help it.
But in the meantime, he had the crying woman to deal with.
“Hey, are you all right?” he asked her. “Did they hurt you?”
She looked up, taking her hands from her face and he saw that her eyes had horizontal pupils. They were also red from crying.
“Did they hurt you?” Kross asked again.
“No…but you will.” The woman looked at him mistrustfully. “They sent me here for you.”