My Angel of the Dawn (WomanxBoy, ManxBoy, Sci-Fi + Romance)

***32***

One of Holloran's thugs grabbed Nelsa by the elbows and hauled her on her feet, and she stopped thinking altogether. Every single thought had been wiped out from her mind, leaving only hot fury behind. She disliked being touched by anyone; she absolutely hated being touched like this: immobilized, helpless, with a man's body almost pressed to hers, so that she could smell stale sweat and fresh alcohol on him. It made her want to puke her guts out. Her teeth begun to clatter, and her vision went tunnel. She tried to keep control, keep still, not show her fear and desperation, but failed.

She screamed her lungs out and tried to break free. The mercenary grabbed her by the throat and squeezed, but it didn't help any. She kept jerking and kicking like crazy. Holloran came closer, took careful aim and punched her in the face. Then in the stomach a couple of times, and she suddenly found herself on her hands an knees, staring at his shiny boots in dull stupor.

"Come on, save my time and just spill everything," Holloran said almost pleasantly. "You know, I'll make you talk eventually. This is just a warm-up. You are a sensible woman, Mistress Thorn. You could earn a relatively easy death. I don't need too much, really. Only your client's name and your account numbers. With passwords, of course."

Nelsa had to spit out the blood before answering. She still had all her teeth, but that would change after a couple blows like that. She pushed herself up into a more dignified position, not risking standing up yet.

"Let the lad go, and I'll give you access to my secret account. Thirty thousand creds. You'll buy yourself a whole harem of boys."

Holloran went around her to Ariel still lying on the floor. Nelsa watched him warily. The mercenary smirked. God, she hated that smirk.

"And what if I just blow your pet's brains out, huh?" He hauled Ariel up, making him kneel, and pressed his blaster to the back of his head.

Ariel's gaze was fixed on Nelsa, but it was blank, expressionless, as if he was completely frozen with terror. He couldn't be, though — he'd kept his courage under fire enough times. That's probably fear that Holloran wouldn't pull the trigger. They both knew he wouldn't, not until he'd had his fun.

"You are bluffing, Holloran. Or would you prefer to fuck his corpse? Tell me you don't want his tight little hole. I made him serve some of my clients, they were more than content."

"You're right," the mercenary admitted, all too easily, and holstered his weapon. "Let's make him serve us all at once. The entire crew, in fact. With you watching. Do you like porn shows, Nelsa? It'll be worth watching. And what's left of him, if any, we'll throw out of the airlock."

He was still bluffing. He must have been. Surely, he wouldn't let his thugs anywhere near his prize. He wouldn't share, he'd take the boy for himself — for the first few weeks anyway, until he got bored. There was something in Holloran's eyes two yeas ago on Cendar, when he offered money for one night with Ariel. As if he cared for him a little, in his beastly way. Maybe he wouldn't even treat him badly. He still didn't hit him even once — that must count for something. Now he was playing with a loose strand of Ariel's hair, waiting for her answer. There was so much sensuality in that gesture, even tenderness. He must have been bluffing. He wouldn't even rape him in front of the others, or he would have done it first thing.

But Ariel didn't know that. He suddenly turned his face, trying to look Holloran in the eye, and said in a tense voice, "Maybe you would prefer to negotiate with me?"

Uh-oh, the boy is pushed to the limit. He is scared and loosing control.

"Lad, let the grown-ups talk, don't interfere," she said in a sharp voice, trying to make him come to his senses.

"It appears our sweet little cherub wants to live." Holloran grinned. He didn't seem surprised. He probably thought something like that would happen.

"Let's make a deal, I know a lot, almost everything she knows," Ariel continued in that tense, almost shrill voice.

Nelsa snapped, "Shut up, lad! They won't hurt you, just shut up!"

"Of course we won't 'hurt' you," Holloran drawled, making a quote gesture. "We'll tear you to pieces, kitten. Slowly, and with great pleasure. Believe me, kitten, we are experts at tearing people to pieces. You've heard plenty about mercenaries, haven't you? It's all true, every juicy bit."

That was the moment when the boy tipped over the edge.

"I'll tell you everything, please don't kill me!" he squealed trembling all over, with his eyes tightly shut.

Nelsa was bewildered by his sudden outburst. She hadn't expected bravery worth a Christian martyr. But such an easy and quick surrender? Weird. Stupid. Didn't he understand he was making them focus on him instead of Nelsa?

"You bloody coward!" she yelled, with fury bordering on desperation. "They haven't even touched you yet, and already you are squealing like a puppy! Shut up or I'll rip your throat out! Holloran, don't listen to him, he doesn't know shit!"

Holloran chuckled, looking pleased as a cat that ate a canary.

"Wow, Nelsa, did you really believe your kitten would be loyal to the end?" He hoisted Ariel up to his feet and pinned him to the wall. "Tell me you are sick-tired of her, or it will be me who rips your throat out."

Ariel was breathing heavily, his teeth bared, and his pretty face twisted in a snarl.

"I don't want to die because of this ugly old hag," he said slowly and then yelled, "I'm tired of pleasing this greedy bitch every bloody night!"