Chapter 9

Renee sat cross-legged on a teal bedspread, watching the door. She had been there since arrival, heeding Katie's warning that she shouldn't move.

She was nervous.

At the opposite end of the room, a muscular man with two knives at his sides leaned against the wall. He had given her a cursory evaluation as he entered, then stared at the door. Waiting.

Neither Katie, nor the man, had said a word- not to her, and not to each other. He must have been the 'brother' Emilee had spoken of, but they looked nothing alike. Where Katie had black hair, he had blond, nearly white. Her skin fair, his a deep tan.

"So..." began Renee. "What are we waiting for?"

Katie sat at the foot of the bed, and had been examining her hands, clenching her fists until her knuckles were white. She tilted her head at Renee's words, but didn't otherwise acknowledge them.

The man was silent.

Renee surveyed the room again. Besides three large trunks, there was little to distinguish it from any of the other quarters. Thanks to the bots, it didn't even look like it had been lived in.

Her fingers itched to open the luggage- just a peek. What she found might only frighten her more, but at least she would know. She could prepare.

You think you can 'prepare' for amputation? said a cynical voice in her mind.

She pushed it aside. Just because Emilee had a reputation for it ... that didn't mean Claude would have let it happen.

Hopefully.

"Katie?" Renee knew she'd get no answers, but speaking helped keep the fear at bay. "What does Emilee usually do to new syns?"

The girl ignored her and the door clicked open.

"Whatever I want. Anything I want," answered Emilee as she strode in. She must have timed the entrance. "And you had best learn some manners when speaking of your betters."

She didn't give the girl a chance to apologize.

Renee collapsed on her back as every muscle in her body relaxed. She couldn't even turn her head, and only saw Emilee move out of the corner of her eye.

"Claude was right," said Emilee, settling on the bed. "Pretty, innocent, and just a shade too rebellious for your own good." A cold hand reached under her shirt and stroked her side. Tickling. "He picked some nice attributes for you, girl. They'll certainly keep things interesting."

Renee wanted to tell her to shove off, she'd not be intimidated (even if she should be), but her vocal chords were as unresponsive as the rest of her body. She settled for glaring.

"Oh, yes, and there it is now." Emilee grinned. "Leo, please bring me Jeffrey. I think we'll need his help."

Jeffrey?

Emilee never broke eye contact, even when she took the knife and held it in the girl's rather limited view.

"Jeffrey, this is Renee."

The blade vanished and the cold edge kissed her throat. Renee stilled, if that was possible, even more.

"He is wonderful teacher for undisciplined syns," continued Emilee. "Something you are, most definitely." She giggled. €œThough cutting your throat for it may be going a tad too far."

The pressure on her neck ceased, then her shirt rose. A second later, she heard a soft ripping as the knife cut through it, until it was held to her body by only the sleeves. Her skirt went next, chilly metal wedging between it and her hip for a split second before the woman tore it apart.

Emilee used the knife to flip the twin flaps of fabric, inadequately protecting Renee's chest and hips, aside.

"And not a mark on you." She clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "Well, we can fix that."

Renee felt a sting as the point ran along her stomach, and the warm trickle of blood. Her mind was screaming, now, to get away, that she was in more danger here than she had ever been with Claude. She was going to end up like Katie, a syn that even the other syns pitied.

Emilee straddled the paralyzed girl's hips. "What next, love? Should he take an ear, for you do not listen. Or a finger?" a twisted smile, "for you don't obey." She tapped each part, back and forth, undecided.

Renee's heart beat hard against her throat, as if it were trying to escape, even as its owner could not. She tried to say, I will, I will obey, just don't do it, please don't cut me, but the most she could produce was a sigh.

"I suppose," said Emilee, "that you only have two ears, as opposed to ten fingers. We might want to save the ... less common parts for last, yes?" The woman lifted Renee's unresponsive hand, held it by the pinky, and readied the knife next to it.

She's going to do it, she's actually going to do it. You need to run, you have to, laying here is not an option!

Get up!

Move!

Even thoughRenee's mind shrieked at her to get away, the signals her brain sent to the limbs may have taken a summer vacation, for the results they brought her.

Then speak!

Beg!

Do something, her mind sobbed. You need to.

Emilee twitched the tool, slicing the thin web of skin between the two fingers.

A loud pounding on the door broke through the tension. Emilee paused, eyes blazing, and her grip tightened, almost crushing the girl's digit.

Then she let go. The hand flopped to Renee's chest bonelessly. The woman swung herself off the girl, set the knife carefully on the naked stomach, and walked to the entrance.

The thumping continued unabated until the door was thrown open.

"What?" said Emilee tightly.

"We had a deal, Em, said a calm voice. "Do you remember our deal?"

Renee could practically see the woman rolling her eyes.

"Yes, I remember the goddamn deal, Claude." The fierceness in her voice was gone. She almost sounded sullen. "I was- I was scaring her, alright? Look. She's just fine."

She wasn't just 'scaring' me, Renee tried to say. The thoughts came shakily into focus. She was going to do it. She was going to do to me, what she did to Katie.

"While she does look frightened-" he started.

"Exactly, now if you'll excuse me-"

The slam was blocked by a shoe.

"Not good enough, Em. I'm not going to have her back to me in pieces."

A wave of relief ran through Renee. She didn't want the feeling to have been caused by Claude, but if his- what had Simon called it?- 'jealousy' made him protect her ... she wasn't going to reject it.

"For fuck's sake," said Emilee. "Great. You see that? You see what you did? I'm not going to get anything out of her, now."

"What made you think I'd even let you keep playing?"

"She's still down, and you haven't brought her back. You obviously just came to warn me. Consider it received. No more stabbing, okay? I'll be good. Cross my heart."

" ... fine. But Em, I'm going to keep watch-"

"Whatever."

No shoe blocked it this time.

Emilee stood there for a moment, breathing hard.

"Killjoy."

She stalked back to the bedside. The knife was tossed to the floor. Renee heard her open a trunk and begin rummaging through it.

"I know, I know," said the woman. "You're feeling pretty good, aren't you, hon? Safe?" The woman come into view again. "Rescued?" The cold hands moved Renee's useless arms and legs, so she was spread-eagled. "But you know what they say, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Or break a syn."

Something cool and plastic was pushed between her legs. Emilee tested the hole with a finger, first, and shrugged. "You're a bit dry, but that'll change soon enough." She shoved the whole length of it in at once, until the head hit the end.

A tear trickled from Renee's eye at the tight fit, but she wasn't in any kind of agony- she could bear it. Her hips were lifted from the bed and the remains of her skirt; when she was lowered again, it was onto a chilly object she recognized all too well.

"A bit of an ancient tool, for most tastes, but I say, you can't beat the classics." Emilee locked the the chastity belt. "And while it is quite good at keeping things out, it is so much better at keeping them in."

The belt forced the dildo to remain deep in Renee, just a fraction too much for her to ignore it.

She tried to anyway.

"Yes," said Emilee. She busily removed the sleeves from the girl's arms, until she was completely naked, completely helpless. "I think you will make a superb toy, once we're finished." She pulled Renee into her lap, and held her so that their faces were less than an inch apart. "Only a few modifications. Just to give you a taste for it."

Renee's muscles suddenly came to life- too weak to move effectively, but tiny twitches told her she was doing something.

Emilee's smile was gentle, the madness in her apparently gone. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against those of the girl. Her tongue gained entrance with ease, and began its exploration.

The woman tasted of a cool mint.

Renee feebly pushed away, with her mouth and her hands, but the mistress just hugged her closer, kissed her harder. A fluttering in the girl's stomach, one that had little to do with fear, began to grow. Emilee's probing tongue, with every stroke, made it swell.

It was the lack of fear, ironically enough, that made Renee afraid.

This isn't me, she thought, I should be terrified. Why ... why am I enjoying this?

"Mmm," said Emilee, breaking the kiss. "You're delicious." She stood up and Renee didn't have a chance- she fell unceremoniously to the floor. "Now that that's set-" she held up a circular remote, it had two buttons, and a dial. She pressed one, and the rod inside the girl began to buzz; a dizzying tide of pleasure burst through her.

Oh, thought Renee. Nothing else- she couldn't formulate the words. She reached for the thing causing the sensations, wanting to control them, and was blocked by the belt.

Emilee grinned. "You like it, don't you?" She twitched the dial, earning a moan. "Of course you do. You can't help yourself." She crouched, and pet her hair. "I've changed a few of your settings, just so you know. A syn made for pleasure should want to please others.

"Do you want to please me, Renee?"

"Oh, yes, mistress," answered Renee breathlessly. "Anything. I'll do anything." The words shook her, but the feelings behind them - she did want to please Emilee. Half of her was horrified- but that didn't matter.