He took out a collar and leash.
The realization hit Rona like a splash of cold water to the face. This room wasn’t for cargo; it was a holding cell, adungeon. The Mercs were killers for hire, but sometimes they might need to take prisoners too, and this room was where they would keep them, leashed to those metal rings Rona had noticed all around the walls.
The floor rumbled beneath her feet. The ship was lifting off.
Now she was well and truly trapped. Even if she could somehow slip past Murdok and get through the door, there was nowhere for her to go.
The armory, she thought.I could get a gun. Kill them all…
And then what?
Even if she somehow managed to slay a trio of elite mercenaries—which she wouldn’t—but even if she did, she didn’t know how to fly a ship like this one, let alone land it properly. The end result would be dying in a fiery crash.
Maybe that was preferable to letting the Mercs have their way with her?
No.
Rona was a survivor. She would get through this. She would endure. And when the opportunity finally presented itself… then she would make her move.
She tried her best not to shiver as Murdok stepped forward and placed the leather collar around her throat. His fingers were massive but surprisingly nimble as they fastened the metal latch and locked it with a magnetic key. Then he connected the chainleash to one of the loops on the wall and locked it in place as well. Rona was now completely at his mercy.
Who am I kidding?she thought.I’ve been at his mercy since the moment he carried me onto this ship. Since the moment we left the Common Hall. Since Aeron first laid eyes on me on that stage.
Murdok towered above her, staring down at her with hunger in his dark eyes.
“Take off your boots.”
“There’s nothing in them,” Rona said.
“I didn’t ask if there was anything in them. I told you to take them off. You’re starting to make me angry, woman. And I don’t think you would like me when I’m angry.”
I don’t like you at all, Rona thought, but she kept her mouth shut and did as the Merc told her.
“Give ’em here,” Murdok growled once she had finished taking her boots off. Rona handed them over, and the Merc peered inside each one as if searching for contraband. Then he tossed them away into the corner of the room.
“Turn around.”
Rona turned.
“Put your hands on the wall and spread your legs.”
Again, she did as she was told. She had no choice but to stand there and take it as Murdok crouched and patted her down, starting with her left ankle and working his way up her leg.His huge fingers came perilously close to her center before he stopped and repeated the process with her right leg.
Rona could feel her heart slamming hard inside her chest. It wasn’t excitement that was making it do that. It was fear. She didn’t like this man touching her that way. Shedidn’t.
Behind her, Murdok rose.
“Take your hands off the wall and put them down by your sides,” he commanded.
Rona obeyed. In one quick motion, the Merc grabbed her jacket and dragged it off her body.
“Hey!” Rona shouted as she whirled around to face him. “What are you doing?”
Murdok ignored her. He rifled through the pockets of her jacket, then tossed it in the corner with her boots.
“Lift your arms.”
“But—”
