Authors: Natasha Knight
“I don’t believe you,” she said, her face an expression of shock.
One of the jets then trained its weapons on the grounded aircraft and unloaded on it, causing another explosion to rock the ridge. Two more jets joined in leveling the plane to near dust. He looked at the girl who watched quietly, her face falling, tears filling her pale green eyes. He almost felt sorry for her; no, he did feel sorry for her. She was as much a victim as he. Maybe more so.
The last jet circled the area. He noticed she wasn’t trying to pull herself free anymore. “Do you want to go outside? Call to them? Tell them your location so they can
rescue
you?”
She met his gaze, her expression wounded. She didn’t say a word.
When the jets opened fire on the area around the downed aircraft, he pushed her against the wall and once again covered her body with his. The scent of her filled his nostrils, her hair smelling fresh, clean. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, memory flushing his senses. When it was over and the jets retreated, only when he was sure they were out of sight, did he release her. He stood, hauling her to her feet. She turned her face up at his, looking smaller than she was. She was of average height, 5′5″ he’d say, with a petite build. He stood a foot taller than she. Her eyes searched his face and the look there was quite simply one of a lost child. But she wasn’t a child; he’d felt that beneath his hands when he’d spanked her. And what the feel of her stirred in him was something he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
“They probably thought I was dead,” she said.
“It didn’t seem to me like they were taking any chances on you remaining alive,” he replied.
“Because you hid me here. They would have picked me up if they’d seen me.”
“Why did they flatten the carrier then?”
“So you wouldn’t be able to get information or use any parts.”
He nodded. “Very likely. And why carpet bomb the area?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped. It took her a moment to continue. “What are you going to do with me now?” she asked.
“Well, I’m not going to hurt you, if that’s what you’re afraid of. Do you have any other weapons concealed on your person?” he asked.
“No.”
He must not have believed her because in the next moment, she was turned and pushed up against the wall. She struggled, but it was useless.
“Put your hands against the wall and spread your arms and legs. I need to pat you down.”
“What? Why? Hey!”
He had to hold her pressed to the wall in order to search her. Not finding anything but her softness beneath the stiff uniform, he let her go. “What’s your first name?”
“You didn’t have to do that. You’ve already ripped my uniform and I told you I didn’t have anything,” she said, holding together the spot he’d torn just above her chest. “And I’m not afraid of you, if that’s what you think.”
“Of course not. You’re too stubborn. I asked you a question.”
“What’s
your
name?” she asked back.
“You may call me Commander or Sir, as you please. I’m the leader of the resistance fighters in this region.”
“Resistance fighters?” She wasn’t even going to address the former comment.
“Yes, the ones you hunt to kill along with the civilians. The women and children. Name.”
“You’re contaminated. You’re mutants who would destroy us, our cities, expose us to the poison in the air.” With that, she covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve as if realizing for the first time that she was breathing in the “poison.’” He almost laughed.
“Your name. Last time I’ll ask nicely. Remember what I promised a little while ago?”
Her eyes grew wide as she searched his face, obviously trying to figure out if he was serious. He hoped she’d test him actually. He hadn’t had a woman in a long time and there was nothing he’d like to do more than bare her bottom and spank her. Well, that and fuck her long and hard.
“Airwoman Olivia Jenkins. Almost. This was my last training mission.”
“Well, then count yourself lucky, Olivia. And stop covering your nose and mouth. There are no contaminants in the air. It’s a lie your leaders tell you. It’s the only way to keep you contained within your bubbles which is where the true poison is.”
“You’re lying. You’re a liar.”
“Let’s go; the Jeep’s a fifteen-minute walk. If we leave now, we’ll make it to camp before midnight.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said.
“What’s your alternative?” he asked.
She sat back down. “I’ll wait here. Stay here until they come back for me,” she said. “Besides, I know what you do to women back at your camp.”
“Well, we don’t brainwash them, if that’s what you mean. Get up.”
“No.”
“You’re wasting time and you’re trying my patience. Get up. Now. I will not repeat myself.”
She looked straight ahead, ignoring him entirely, and folded her arms to hug her knees to her chest.
* * *
Her heart was racing. What was she supposed to do? She should resist, shouldn’t she? He was exactly the target she was trained to destroy, after all. She was a part of an elite group of hunters.
If you were so important, why didn’t they even try to find you?
She wasn’t going to think about that. It was an accident, an oversight; they’d send more people out to find her. A whole search party. They’d found her brother, hadn’t they? Had retrieved his body, at least. Her family was important; her sister had even been chosen as a Contributor, which was one of the greatest honors.
His hands closed around her arms and lifted her like she weighed nothing. When she was fully off the ground, he carried her outside. She kicked and punched, resisting every step of the way, but it didn’t make an ounce of difference as he sat down on a rock.
“I gave you a chance, Olivia. I hope this will teach you to obey the next time I tell you to do something.”
“Let me go!” she said when he pulled her body face down across his lap. She had to put her hands on the ground to keep from falling forward when he strapped one leg over the backs of hers and hugged her waist tight to his chest. “You can’t do this!”
Without a word, he pulled her pants down to her knees and she froze. She stiffened her back and hauled her torso up, squeezing her legs together tight. He couldn’t do this. He wouldn’t.
“Watch me,” he said, his fingers sliding into the waistband of her panties.
“No!” she wriggled and fought, trying to slap his hands away, which was impossible from her awkward position.
He gripped her wrists and held her arms behind her low back. He then pulled her panties down to her knees. She realized when she bent her knees to resist, she’d only be exposing herself further to him and stiffened once again. Nobody had seen that part of her. She’d barely looked herself. She kept her body straight as a board when he rested the flat of one huge hand on her now bare bottom.
“You will do as I say, Olivia,” he chastised. “I’m your new commander; as far as Magnus is concerned, you’re dead. You no longer exist for them and they don’t exist for you. I’ll help you, but you will obey my rules, the rules of the camp.”
“Never!” she cried out. “Let me go! I’m part of an elite group of hunters. I’m a trained soldier. You have no right! Ow!”
The first spank landed across both cheeks at once and she called out with the sharp sting of it. She struggled to free herself, but he held tight, keeping her hands together in one of his while he held her against his belly. He brought his hand down hard, rotating, first her left buttock, then her right. He didn’t let up for what felt like an eternity. The sting grew hotter, more painful as the blows fell. Sharp, loud slaps reverberated off the walls of the deserted ridge, followed by her yelps and screams.
“Stop!” she called out. “It hurts.”
“It’s meant to hurt. To teach,” he replied.
He wasn’t even out of breath even as her own breath came short. Tears fell from her eyes and were swallowed up by the dry earth. She lost track of the count and was almost grateful for when he’d stop to rub her swollen, tender buttocks except that when he’d start again, it hurt worse.
When he began on her thighs, she lost all control of herself. “Please stop. I’ll do what you say. You’re hurting me. I’ll…please.”
“Relax your body. Stop fighting, take your punishment, and it will be over.”
She mewled, trying to soften her muscles, to give him what he wanted. He continued to spank her as she did and she tried hard not to struggle, but when the flat of his hand hit that most tender, most private place between her legs, she gasped and stilled instantly, shame flushing her already hot face a dark shade of pink. She wasn’t sure if it had been an accident. He’d hit her
there.
“Good girl. How do you address me, Olivia?” he asked, striking two more times.
Her response came short. “Commander.” Another breath. “Commander, Sir,” she said. She needed to get out of this position; this was too much to process.
“One or the other will do,” he said with a small chuckle. He straightened her up and she immediately reached to rub her bottom.
He shook his head and put her hands at her sides. “You don’t get to rub out the sting,” he said. His glance traveled to the little triangle of neatly trimmed dark hair between her legs. She could do nothing to cover herself as he held her wrists on either side of her. Her body began to shake, small tremors as if she were cold. He looked up at her. “I’d stand you in a corner, but we don’t have time,” he said.
Corner? Shame would devour her if he made her do that.
He pulled her panties and pants up and stood, his body inches from hers. He took her shoulders in his hands and squeezed while looking at her. It wasn’t a painful squeeze, more reassuring if that were possible, and it caused tears to fall from her eyes as the full shock of what she’d just been subjected to settled on her mind. She dropped her gaze to the ground, too embarrassed to look at him. He pulled her to him and rubbed her back.
“Shh,” he said. “It’s going to be ok, Olivia. Punishment is over, shh.”
Was he expecting her to put her arms around him? To allow him to hold her? He was contaminated, a mutant. He was her enemy. And he’d just spanked her bare bottom. Hard! Rebellion bubbled up inside her, pushing her shame aside to make way for anger. His guard was down; he’d thought he’d won. She raised her hands up to his arms, slowly holding at first, but when his hands on her relaxed even more, she gripped his arms and brought her knee up to his crotch as hard as she could like her brother had taught her to if ever a man tried to hurt her.
“Fuck!” he yelled, letting her go to grab his crotch.
She stumbled backward, looking at him. She’d never actually done it before, didn’t realize it would work so well. He was doubled over in pain. Good. He deserved it after what he’d done.
“Fuck you!” she spat, turning around to run. But she stopped short. Run where? The shadows were growing longer, signaling the end of daylight, and an animal howled somewhere in the not too far distance. She glanced back at him to find he was looking back at her, although still crouched over. His eyes told her to run, not to stick around to find out what he’d do to her if he caught her. And so, she ran. She headed back down the hill he’d dragged her up, not sure what she was going to do, where she was going to go or hide. He wasn’t going to stay down forever.
The animal’s howl sounded like it came from closer now and Livvie searched around her. This was useless, stupid even.
“Come back here, Olivia. Don’t make me come after you.”
She looked at the wreckage of her plane, at the nothing that was there. Tears of frustration clouded her vision just as his hand fisted her hair and yanked.
She put her hands back to capture his wrist. “Let me go,” she said more quietly this time. “I…”
He turned her to him, still pulling just hard enough that she had to turn her face up and lean into his hand to alleviate some of the pain.
“That wasn’t a very smart thing to do, Olivia.”
“I don’t want to go to the camp with you,” she said, the sensation in her chest, her belly, new to her. Was this how her body reacted to an enemy attack, to real danger? She’d not felt anything like this during training sessions, even those where actual one-on-one combat was required. “Please let me go.”
“Let you go? Think for a minute. What are your options?” he asked, still holding onto her. “Where will you go if not with me? How will you survive out here?” He was calm, patient even.
She only stared at him, knowing he was right.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you at camp; you’ll have my protection.”
“
You’re
hurting me now.”
“I can’t help you if you don’t let me.” He released her hair and took her arm instead. “Are you finished? Ready to go? I’m starving and could use a shower. You too, from the look of you.”
She was hungry, that was true. Besides, maybe she could gain information to lead Magnus One to their camp, destroy the fighters. Be a hero.
“Are you going to punish me again, spank me, for what I did to you?” she asked.
“That will depend on your behavior on our way to camp.”
“Am I your prisoner?”
“I believe you’re as much a victim of Magnus as we are; you just don’t know it yet.”
“So you’re going to brainwash me into thinking it.”
He shook his head. “The brainwashing has already been done. Let’s go.”
Chapter Two
Darkness came fast as they made their way to the Jeep. Unused to such cool temperatures, Livvie wrapped her arms around herself. Her uniform, a button-down navy shirt and matching pants with combat boots, didn’t do much to protect her from the elements. Within the domed cities, the climate was controlled and kept at a constant, comfortable temperature. The countryside was also new.
The air smelled good, clean, different from the air within her city. In fact, although she liked the scent, the freshness of it almost burned her lungs, it was almost too cool. She brought her sleeve to her nose again. The burning was likely the poison. Her body wasn’t used to it like his was. She wondered if she was going to get sick, wondered how long until she began to change, to succumb to the poison. To die. No one had ever returned to the cities after leaving the enclosed safety of Magnus One. They’d all died out here.