EnforcersCraving Read Free

inner door whooshed open and Tarkan’s
nerves calmed between one breath and the next. The mission was on whether he
liked it or not and for them to have their best chance, every Enforcer needed
to be absolutely focused and totally on point. He made eye contact with Ari and
after a quick nod they both flipped their visors down to cover their faces.
     
    When the guards came this time, Chelsea’s anxiety escalated
into stomach-clenching fear. Helpless to do anything but fall into line with
the other women, she walked the endless maze of corridors until her group came
to a halt in a nondescript hallway. When they didn’t move off for a while,
Chelsea and Tansy peered over and around the line trying to work out what was
going on. It appeared they’d joined the back of another line of women but more
than that they couldn’t tell.
    Their group shuffled forward about ten meters then held for
a while, then they trickled forward again. The pattern repeated until they
entered a large holding room manned by guards in blue leather uniforms and
black helmets.
    Tansy was a good ten centimeters taller than Chelsea and she
tiptoed to see over the group at the front.
    “I think it’s an elevator of some kind,” Tansy said. “It
fits about twenty-five women at a time.”
    Chelsea wiped her sweaty palms on her tunic. “I wonder where
they’re taking us now.”
    The next wave of women moved forward and Chelsea’s unformed
fear took shape when she shuffled into the room. Two enormous windows sat on
the opposite wall, showcasing the dark expanse of space. Stars twinkled in
unfamiliar patterns and when a shuttle of some kind came alongside to dock the
full reality of Chelsea’s situation came crashing down.
    Aliens who looked human but weren’t, a spaceship big enough
to double as a detention center, and a shuttle that was even now disgorging
more of the blue-clad soldiers. Tansy and her, kidnapped and captive. The
nightmare kaleidoscope flashed faster and faster and Chelsea’s lungs became too
small for her to take in enough oxygen.
    Nausea swamped her, her vision blurred and bile rose in her
throat. In a failing attempt to keep control of her body, Chelsea fell to her
knees, gasping for air in a desperate bid to stop herself from vomiting all
over the floor.
    She almost had herself under control when a pair of large,
polished boots stepped into her field of vision. A rough hand grabbed her
shoulder-length hair and dragged her to her feet.
    “Get up, slave. Don’t even think about dirtying my floor.” He
twisted her hair and craned her neck back so far she had to get on her toes to
relieve the pressure. The guard leaned in, his breath humid on her cheek. “The
correct response to any instruction I give you is ‘yes, Sergeant.’ Do you
understand?”
    Chelsea blinked against the tears blurring her eyes and it
took her two attempts before she finally forced the words past her throat. “Yes,
Sergeant.”
    He grunted, easing the pressure but not releasing her. “You
need a bit of work, but I don’t mind taking on some training here and there.” He
shifted and when his free hand clamped hard and tight on her breast, Chelsea
was so shocked her arm flashed forward before she stop the reflex. Her palm
struck his cheek, the crack of flesh on flesh echoed through the room and in
that moment she knew she was dead.
    In a single, swift movement she was dragged out of line and
thrown facedown on the hard floor. The sergeant still had hold of her hair and
he used the leverage to force her cheek against the laminate while he swung
down to place his knee in the small of her back.
    “Scan her.” A second pair of hands captured her wrist and a
short beep sounded. After a moment the Sergeant spoke again, his voice heavy
with satisfaction. “Hello, 28-517. Welcome to your new life.”
    He pressed himself forward until his lips skimmed her ear. Chelsea
didn’t struggle, despite the fact that his hold on her and his weight was
making it hard