Contumacy, p.1
Contumacy, page 1
part #5 of Veiled Eliminators Series
Turnabout is fair play when death is the hand you have been dealt.
Thirty-three has no past—at least none that she can remember. Raised by the Institute from infancy she has been through hell and back due to a training incident that took her limbs and almost killed her.
Paired with her cybernetic tiger, Belle, Twenty-three is selected to eliminate the terrorist, Dominic Durant, and his men, and regain control of the refueling station on the planet Zahiria. Things go awry when instead of following orders meekly, she retaliates against the one man she hates most.
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Contumacy
Copyright © 2019 Taryn Jameson and Gabriella Bradley
ISBN: 978-1-4874-2209-7
Cover art by Martine Jardin
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc
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Contumacy
Veiled Eliminators Book 5
By
Taryn Jameson and Gabriella Bradley
Dedication
This one’s for Debbie.
Chapter One
Thirty-three hurried to the infirmary for her six-month evaluation. She hoped to hell Schmidt would be the one examining her. The idea of Schultz poking and prodding at her again made her sick to her stomach. The older she got, the bolder he became.
I could be so lucky.
She almost grimaced when she opened the door to the clinic. Schultz stood in the examination room wearing white tights and shirt, his hands gloved, and a stethoscope hanging around his neck. The leer on his face made her cringe.
“Thirty-three. Excellent. You know what to do.”
Of course she did. The routine was the same each time. First, she’d undress under his scrutiny, then his hands would be all over her body. Trying to ignore his beady little eyes, she took her shoes off, then stripped out of her training pants and top. Spreading her arms and legs, she stood before him, while nausea pooled in her stomach. The twisted fuck made her want to vomit.
Schultz scanned her from head to toes and back again, twirled her a few times, then began his examination. Bending her arms several times while feeling her wrists, elbows, and shoulders, he nodded. “Perfect. Now the legs.”
He smiled at her, approval in his gaze after he had finished inspecting her legs. “Your cybernetic limbs are flawless. There is no need for further alterations for the time being. Now your soft tissue scan.”
Thirty-three walked to the long tube and lay on the narrow table that would slide her into the machine. She rested her arms by her side, closed her eyes, and waited. This would give her an hour respite before Schultz continued his examination. An hour for her mind to dwell on what was to come next. Trying to wipe the thoughts and thinking about more pleasant things, like exercising with her tiger, helped a bit.
The beeping of the machine told her the scan was finished. Her stomach twisted. God, how she hated this part. Maybe, for once, she’d get lucky and the bastard would leave her be. Her body shuddered in revulsion, and after climbing off the table, she stood before him again, legs and arms spread.
Schultz stepped close, breathing heavily and reeking of whiskey, his hands grabbed each breast, then began kneading them, pinching and twisting her nipples until they became hard. Without fail, his grubby fingers started with her breasts. He had always been infatuated with them and told her how much larger her nipples were than those of the other girls. It made her feel awkward, even more different from the other trainees. If she had any say in the matter, she’d have the damn things cut off, especially if it quelled his fascination with her.
He continued his ministrations much longer than normal, his breathing became heavier, bathing her skin in moisture as his face neared her nipple. She closed her eyes, steeling herself against this invasion of her body.
The door startled her, a welcome voice interrupting Schultz’s advances.
“John, what the hell?” Schmidt gave Schultz a withering stare.
Schultz let go of her breasts and stepped back. “What do you want?” He turned his head to look at his partner.
“I need some lidocaine.” Disgust filled Schmidt’s voice.
“You know where it is.” Schultz waited until Schmidt left to go into the dispensary, then continued his exploration of her.
His hands were all over her body, stroking, feeling, pinching, and prodding. It was the same with each physical, his penchant for touching her everywhere got worse with each examination.
Thirty-three stood there and took it. She had to, or it would not go well. The one time she had denied him access to touching her intimately, he had punished her severely. On the practice range the next day, she had stepped on what should have been a dummy bomb. Later, after her extensive surgery, she concluded the incident had not been an accident. It was meant to kill her. She was lucky to have survived it. What was left of her body had been repaired and her limbs replaced with cybernetics by the mad scientists. If she pushed him away again, it would be the death of her. She felt it to the marrow of her bones, and she was not ready to die.
“Your skin is perfection, like polished ebony. Thanks to Bruce’s scar serum, there isn’t a flaw anywhere.”
His raspy voice grated on her nerves. Not bothering to answer him, she tried to think about Belle. The only one she could talk to... the tiger they had paired her with.
“Bend over.” He pushed her forward. “Touch the floor with your fingertips but keep your legs spread.”
Oh, my God. Just get it over and done with. Get your damn jollies so I can go back to Belle.
He parted her buttocks and felt between them, running his fingers up and down. Then suddenly, his fingers entered her between her legs and pushed roughly into her vagina. She tensed when he forced another finger in and began to rotate them within her. Her body stiffened, her mind railing against the invasion. Schultz had never been so bold previously—he had stroked, touched, felt, but not this. He was going too far, and she knew it, but if she protested, it would be the end of her for sure. She felt the sting of scalding tears in her eyes. Confiding in any of the staff was not an option, and Schmidt seemed to turn a blind eye. There was no one to whom she could talk, to whom she could report his inappropriate behavior.
The fingers continued to invade and pushed deeper.
“You’re still intact. After all that training it always amazes me that a girl retains her virginity,” he muttered, his voice hoarse. “And you’re so baby pink between those smooth lips, such a contrast to that luscious skin.”
After puberty, all her body hair had been removed with laser technology, along with some of her genitalia. For hygienic purposes, Schultz had told her.
Thirty-three fought the tears. Soldiers do not cry... soldiers do not cry... The chant sounded over and over in her mind, blanking out the bastard’s heavy breathing. God, she just wished he’d hurry up.
“John, for Christ’s sake. Contain yourself!” Schmidt slammed the dispensary’s door.
Relief poured through Thirty-three’s body when Schultz pulled his fingers out and stepped away from her. She straightened and turned to see him quickly pulling up his white tights hiding his gross erection.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Schmidt glared at Schultz, disgust riddling his features.
“Mind your own business. I wasn’t going to—”
“I’m not interested in anything you have to say on the matter!” Doctor Schmidt snapped, then gave her a brief nod. “Go and get dressed. The physical examination is finished.”
Schultz frowned, his face turning a darker shade. “Shut the fuck up, Bruce. I haven’t finished with her yet. You know very well we have to examine every inch of them. I was merely curious if she was still intact.” He turned to her. “Wait.”
Thirty-three held her breath and watched Schmidt ball his hands into fists. Schultz spun her around several times, looked in her ears, in her mouth, then felt her breasts.
“We need to feel for possible lumps. Breast cancer is a big killer on Earth,” he muttered.
She knew what that was, had learned about it in school. But really? Weren’t those lumps usually inside a breast? Not her nipples that he was rolling between his fingers again.
“Bend over.”
“You already examined that,” Schmidt reminded him.
“Not all of it. Now shut up and get out.” Schultz snapped, but Schmidt remained frozen to where he stood.
She bent again, and Schul
“Enough!” Schmidt bellowed. “Get dressed and leave, Thirty-three.”
This was the first time that Schmidt had intervened, and she was grateful for it. She whipped her clothes on quickly and exited the examination room. The yelling started as soon as the door shut behind her. She had never seen Schmidt so angry before, nor had she ever heard him raise his voice to Schultz. Schmidt always ignored Schultz’s proclivities. Had the man finally grown a conscience? Like that would ever happen.
She hated both men, but she utterly despised Schultz, and one day he would pay for what he had done to her. Though she loathed Schmidt, too, in a way she was thankful to the man for having come into the room and interfering. No telling how far Schultz would have gone this time.
Thirty-three sped to her room, yanked her clothing off, then jumped in the shower wanting to wash the filth of Schultz’s touch from her body. She scrubbed until her skin was raw, then turned the tap off. She needed her only friend more than anything right then. Oh, Belle... I wish we could get the hell out of this place. She toweled herself dry, donned a fresh training suit, and hurried to the training area.
Looking up at the high wall that separated the female division from the animal facility, she crouched, then jumped up to the top and down again on the other side. Belle was waiting for her. The tiger padded up to her and nudged her cheek with her cold, wet nose as if sensing the turmoil her mind was in. Thirty-three threw her arms around the big cat’s neck, stifling her sob. Crying wouldn’t change what Schultz had done, but at least she had Belle to console her.
Thirty-three had worked and trained with the beautiful Bengal tiger for nearly a year. It had come as a pleasant shock when Schultz had assigned her to train with the tiger. None of the girls had ever been allowed near the building or its grounds. She was the first to train with a real animal. It was separated from their training area by a tall cement wall about fifty feet high, and though they knew about the animal division, they didn’t have a clue what kind of animals were kept in the facility.
After Schultz had told her about Belle, Thirty-three studied everything she could about Bengal tigers. From what she had read, tigers were an endangered species. They were supposed to be protected by the governments of the world. It was illegal to keep one in captivity, much less experiment on one. How the doctors had managed to get their hands on the tiger, she had no idea. Then again, everything the two scientists did was top secret. World Leadership Organization, known as WLO, allowed the Institute to experiment on children and babies, so they probably sanctioned the animal facility as well.
Thirty-three grinned when Belle nudged her again, then licked her face. The cat was still young and could grow to be six-feet-eight-inches tall by eleven feet long. Right now, Belle was half that size. Still a kitten.
Thirty-three was thrilled to be working with the tiger and adored Belle. The two of them had become quite the team, and it was obvious that Belle returned her affection.
She stroked the fur along Belle’s jaw and giggled when the tiger made a low rumble in its throat that sounded like a purr. “Race you to the obstacle course,” she said when she straightened.
Belle took off in a flash. With the help of her cybernetic legs, Thirty-three swiftly caught up with the big cat. They had both been telepathically and cybernetically enhanced. Completing the obstacle course was mere child’s play. Their bionic limbs gave them the ability to run faster, jump about a hundred feet distance up or down, and they had superior strength and stamina. The microchips embedded in their brains allowed her to give Belle telepathic commands enabling them to work smoothly as a unit.
Thirty-three leaped to the ground from the top of the rock-climbing wall, Belle landing beside her. Ready for a game of hide-and-seek?
The tiger growled softly and padded into the forested area of the compound. Thirty-three waited long enough to give Belle a good lead, then entered the woods to track the feline. Closing her eyes and using her enhanced senses, she focused on Belle. The sound of her steps rustling the leaves, the wild scent of tiger carried in the cool breeze. She opened her eyes, a grin suffusing her face, then took off running, following the wild scent to a small clearing. She scanned the area and the wood-line, but there was no sign of the big cat.
Thirty-three cocked her head to gaze up at the tree limbs. “Come on, you sneaky cat. I know you’re here. I can smell you.”
From out of nowhere a large feline body tackled her to the ground. Thirty-three landed on her back giggling and Belle nuzzling her face. After a few moments of playful wrestling with the big tiger, she kissed Belle’s nose, sat up, and leaned against a tree. Belle lay beside her, resting her head in Thirty-three’s lap. This must be what it feels like to be free.
Right after breakfast, every morning, she trained at the animal division and returned just before dinner. Belle’s original trainer, Rob, had worked with them for the first two weeks. After that, she had been on her own with Belle. It was a boon she had never expected... an escape from prying eyes, and the freedom to roam the animal training compound that was restricted to the other girls.
She hated returning to her room at night and leaving her friend. At least out here she could talk to Belle with no one admonishing her, telling her to keep her mouth shut. Talking too much had always been a problem for her, and she had been punished for it many times over the years.
As far back as she could remember, she had lived in the Institute. After she’d questioned Schultz several times about her origins and if she had parents, he had finally revealed she had been a baby when he had chosen her for the program. That was it. He wouldn’t tell her anything else and had become quite angry with her persistence. Oh, how she detested him, with his poking and prodding and his intrusive hands. She closed her eyes and let out the breath she had been holding, then poured her heart out to Belle.
After she had finished, she stood, brushed the leaves from her pants, and looked up at the sky. The sun was just beginning to set. “It’s getting late. We better head back to the compound.”
They reached the high wall separating the divisions in no time flat thanks to their enhanced abilities.
Thirty-three took Belle’s head between her hands and kissed her on the nose. “I will see you tomorrow, my gorgeous girl. Thanks for listening to me.”
The tiger gazed up at her with her beautiful blue eyes and laid on the grass, her head between her front paws. Like Thirty-three, Belle hated when they had to part for the night. After another pat, she told Belle to stay. The tiger always obeyed her commands.
Thirty-three crouched down, then jumped and easily scaled the tall wall. She stood on top for a moment and peered down. Belle still lay in the same position but now looked up at her. Thirty-three knew after she jumped to the other side, the tiger would go to her cage. Belle was such a good cat. She leaped to the ground and ran. In seconds, she was back inside the Institute just as the dinner bell sounded. She knew she had cut it close and would have been punished had she been late, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Falling into line with the other girls, she headed for the mess hall.
She toyed with her dinner, which consisted of mashed potatoes that had the consistency of glue, a tiny piece of chicken, and some strange, chopped, green stuff. As always, the food was tasteless. Halfway through dinner, the com beeped three times indicating an announcement, and Doctor Schmidt’s voice sounded through the speakers.
“Thirty-three, report to Doctor Schultz’s office immediately after dinner.”
A pang of fear shot through her. Were they stopping her training with Belle? Had she done something wrong? Broken the rules? When Schultz had announced that the portal was open for time and space travel and they’d chosen twelve girls to go on missions to other planets, her number had been called. Maybe they were sending her on an assignment? Worry gnawed at her stomach. She pushed her plate away, unable to finish the food.
