brackets and did not pivot toward them, but remained pointed into the enclosure beyond the fence. She also noticed the towers had no stairs or ladders.
Lucy breathed in through her nose. Ah—that wonderful, dry, dusty smell of dead people. This was a much better place, clearly.
She saw CJ out of the corner of her eye, raising his hands. “Hey, just me, guys,” he called to the guards in the towers. “CJ. From the dock.”
“Hey, CJ,” came the reply. “Long time no see. Whatcha got?”
“Smart one,” CJ answered. “Quick too. Thought you guys would be interested. Should be perfect for patrols. She can use tools, weapons. Some crazy hill person had her as a pet. Hardly needs any training at all.”
“Really? Tiny little thing. Doesn’t look like she’d be up to it.”
“Oh, no, she’s a firecracker. Lot of fight in this one.”
“I don’t know, CJ. She doesn’t look it.”
CJ laughed as he came around in front of Lucy. He pulled on two big leather gloves. “You guys,” he said. “Always make me work for it. And it’s just the city’s money! You’d think you’d just hand it over and be glad to have another one for the patrols.”
Lucy eyed him without lifting her head. “Come on, sweet thing,” he said, leering at her. “Show the man what a crazy, fucking bitch you are.”
Lucy gave a low growl. Fuck him. She wasn’t going to put on a show so he could make some money. What the hell did he need money for, anyway? Everyone here looked pretty well-fed and spoiled, as far as she could tell. What the fuck more did they need?
CJ backhanded her across the face. Lucy lifted her head up part of the way and glared at him, but didn’t make a move or another sound.
He squinted at her as the men in the towers laughed. “Not looking good for you, CJ,” one called. “She’s just somebody’s pet. Leave her alone!”
CJ took a step toward her and slammed his left fist into her stomach. Didn’t really feel like much—just a rough sort of pressing into her, not a real pain. But then he grabbed her chin and pushed her head back. She’d have a mouthful of gristly, crunchy thumb right now, if it weren’t for those damned gloves.
“No more fucking around,” CJ whispered to Lucy, his mouth next to her ear. “If you cost me money, or embarrass me, I’ll snap your fucking neck, bitch. Fuck the money.” He pulled back a little, so he could see her eye. “Blink, you cunt, if you understand me, or I’ll do it right now.”
A few more days of humiliation and pain? Or end it now? That is, if the little weasel had the balls and muscles to do it. Lucy half closed her eye. She knew it’d feel good, to have it over with. Real rest. That seemed like the nicest, most desirable thing imaginable. And not having to be pushed around by all the pricks in the world? That’d be incredible, too, better than anything she could imagine. But Lucy also knew she was just like Rachel—or probably like most everyone else who’d faced this kind of decision. She couldn’t let go, even of this ugly, vicious semblance of life. It was just human nature not to. Nothing to be done about it but give in to the weakness.
She brought her eyelid down all the way and raised it back up.
“Good,” CJ said, smirking. “You’ll always be somebody’s bitch.” As he stepped back, he also pulled her kerchief off, just to make sure she’d put on a good show.
All Lucy’s shame—at how she looked, at what she was, at how she couldn’t even will herself to die—erupted into a howl of rage and pain. She swung her manacled hands—once to the left, then back to the right—catching CJ in the face both times, first with her fist, then with the metal band and her other fist. She would’ve lunged straight forward next, would have tackled him with the metal pressing into his throat, but the man holding her collar finally brought her around, pulling her off balance and keeping her from moving forward.
CJ stepped back, wiping his
Lucy breathed in through her nose. Ah—that wonderful, dry, dusty smell of dead people. This was a much better place, clearly.
She saw CJ out of the corner of her eye, raising his hands. “Hey, just me, guys,” he called to the guards in the towers. “CJ. From the dock.”
“Hey, CJ,” came the reply. “Long time no see. Whatcha got?”
“Smart one,” CJ answered. “Quick too. Thought you guys would be interested. Should be perfect for patrols. She can use tools, weapons. Some crazy hill person had her as a pet. Hardly needs any training at all.”
“Really? Tiny little thing. Doesn’t look like she’d be up to it.”
“Oh, no, she’s a firecracker. Lot of fight in this one.”
“I don’t know, CJ. She doesn’t look it.”
CJ laughed as he came around in front of Lucy. He pulled on two big leather gloves. “You guys,” he said. “Always make me work for it. And it’s just the city’s money! You’d think you’d just hand it over and be glad to have another one for the patrols.”
Lucy eyed him without lifting her head. “Come on, sweet thing,” he said, leering at her. “Show the man what a crazy, fucking bitch you are.”
Lucy gave a low growl. Fuck him. She wasn’t going to put on a show so he could make some money. What the hell did he need money for, anyway? Everyone here looked pretty well-fed and spoiled, as far as she could tell. What the fuck more did they need?
CJ backhanded her across the face. Lucy lifted her head up part of the way and glared at him, but didn’t make a move or another sound.
He squinted at her as the men in the towers laughed. “Not looking good for you, CJ,” one called. “She’s just somebody’s pet. Leave her alone!”
CJ took a step toward her and slammed his left fist into her stomach. Didn’t really feel like much—just a rough sort of pressing into her, not a real pain. But then he grabbed her chin and pushed her head back. She’d have a mouthful of gristly, crunchy thumb right now, if it weren’t for those damned gloves.
“No more fucking around,” CJ whispered to Lucy, his mouth next to her ear. “If you cost me money, or embarrass me, I’ll snap your fucking neck, bitch. Fuck the money.” He pulled back a little, so he could see her eye. “Blink, you cunt, if you understand me, or I’ll do it right now.”
A few more days of humiliation and pain? Or end it now? That is, if the little weasel had the balls and muscles to do it. Lucy half closed her eye. She knew it’d feel good, to have it over with. Real rest. That seemed like the nicest, most desirable thing imaginable. And not having to be pushed around by all the pricks in the world? That’d be incredible, too, better than anything she could imagine. But Lucy also knew she was just like Rachel—or probably like most everyone else who’d faced this kind of decision. She couldn’t let go, even of this ugly, vicious semblance of life. It was just human nature not to. Nothing to be done about it but give in to the weakness.
She brought her eyelid down all the way and raised it back up.
“Good,” CJ said, smirking. “You’ll always be somebody’s bitch.” As he stepped back, he also pulled her kerchief off, just to make sure she’d put on a good show.
All Lucy’s shame—at how she looked, at what she was, at how she couldn’t even will herself to die—erupted into a howl of rage and pain. She swung her manacled hands—once to the left, then back to the right—catching CJ in the face both times, first with her fist, then with the metal band and her other fist. She would’ve lunged straight forward next, would have tackled him with the metal pressing into his throat, but the man holding her collar finally brought her around, pulling her off balance and keeping her from moving forward.
CJ stepped back, wiping his
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