Page 4 of Fighting Gravity
I darted to the other side of the cell. “Nah, screw that. You’re not touching me.”
The gek moved toward me so I tried to run to the other corner. That time, his arm jutted out, grabbing the back of my jumpsuit and nearly knocking me off my feet. I screamed, the sound broken and raspy. Before I could even pretend to fight him, the chain wrapped around my wrists and my arms were lifted upward. I was so disoriented that I didn’t really become fully aware again until I was locked against the wall, my wrists bound high against a magnetic restraint.
With all the strength I had left, I flailed and kicked and groaned against the pain around my wrists.
“Fuck you!” I screamed.
The gek approached and I launched my feet out in front of me trying to shove him away. He swatted my legs to the side with one hand and without warning, backhanded me right across the jaw.
A blow like that really launches you into another world for a second. I felt like my breath was sucked out of me.
My head was swimming.
I felt hot blood trickle over my half-numb lip from somewhere in my mouth. I wasn’t sure if he’d knocked out a tooth or just split the inside of my cheek, but that coppery taste never got old. Once I gained a little feeling back, I spit a mouthful of blood on the ground and groaned, lifting my head.
“That make you feel big and tough, asshole?” I mumbled.
The gek pulled something else from his belt and tossed it at me. When the small object landed on the floor, I realized it was my Buddy. All recruits on the Nexus had them. They were virtual aids that held all the information we needed as an employee in that giant space city. That meant it wasfullof intel, but nothing particularly sensitive.
“I’m assuming you didn’t find anything useful?” I said. “Figures. You captured yourself a peon. What the fuck are you gonna do with me now, huh?”
I probably shouldn’t have been taunting him, but I wasn’t very smart when it came to my anger. I tended to let my mouth run wild and out of control.
The gek moved closer, his hand jutting out and grabbing my hair. My scalp screamed as he tugged my head back and stared down at me, his head cocking one way and then the other like a curious animal. It was horrifying having him that close. I could see my face in his black eyes. It was bloody and covered in sweat, my eyelids heavy with exhaustion.
But I was still pissed.
I did exactly what I shouldn’t have and I hocked another mouthful of blood on the guy’s face, watching proudly as the red spit slowly dripped down his cheek. But he barely even flinched. Instead, with my hair still tangled in his fingers, he wiped the bloody spit off with his other hand and let out a low snarl.
Or rather a vibration. One that came from deep inside his chest.
“You gonna just torture me for fun?” I said. “Because you haven’t even asked me anything yet.”
He leaned in close, his nostrils flaring. “Quinn Liu,” he said.
I froze at my name. Seems he’d hacked my Buddy after all.
“He speaks,” I muttered.
“Why are humans being so heavily protected by valerians?” he asked, every word barely understandable behind his strange accent.
“We have an agreement,” I said. If I could shrug, I would have.
“What agreement?”
“We just have an agreement.”
Snarling again, the gek grabbed my throat with his free hand and squeezed. At first, I wasn’t too alarmed. But then he kept squeezing. He slammed my head back against the metal, his eyes on me like he was almost enjoying himself, seeing how long I could go without panicking.
Closing my eyes, I tried to accept my fate, but my body really didn’t like that idea. I kicked at the wall, writhing against his grip when the air was too far gone. I’d been there before, pinned under someone stronger than me. I watched their eyes light up with excitement as mine paled from lack of oxygen.
This guy was my nightmare. Only, instead of excitement, I just saw myself in his onyx stare.
Finally, he released me and I sucked in a strained breath through my nearly collapsed windpipe.
Furious, I began kicking at him and screaming, so enraged over my situation that I didn’t care how my struggles made the restraints cut into my wrists.
“What agreement?” he repeated.
