Captured
Chapter Five
Guys, listen! Whatever you think your orders are, they’re not! You’ve been hypnotized into—”
“We’ve been hypnotized? Val, you’re the one who’s been running around the jungle by herself.” Jesse remained frozen in place, arms still crossed, hands loosely gripping her elbows. She glanced at Oaks and Sars, who nodded and moved to the entrance as a pair.
Val saw them move, too. Her eyes widened. Fuck. This is it, Val. Any moment they’re gonna come for you. Her back was to the wall, allowing her to keep track of the four women in the room. Maria was still examining the device, Oaks and Sars had their hands on their sidearms, and Jesse... “I’m the one person in this squad who’s immune to that crap, and you know it. Jesse, something’s not right here. The fact that we’re here. She held up her arms for emphasis. “The fact that you guys missed the rendezvous boat. The fact that you don’t know what that thing on the desk is. The fact that you think I’ve been compro—“
“VAL! Calm. Down. That’s an order, Val.“
As terrified as she was, Val obeyed instantly. She closed her mouth, her teeth pressing nervously against her lower lip.
Jesse looked around the room. “Okay. Everybody out. Now. Wait outside until I give the all-clear.”
“But Jesse!” Maria hovered over Val’s metal case, tools in hand.“I’m in, and I think if I can just get a couple more minutes I can—”
“Out, Lopez. Now. Sars, Oaks, Lauren, all of you. Out. Val and I are going to talk and work things through, and then we’re all going to get back to getting the fuck out of here.“
Val and Jesse both waited patiently as their teammates slowly and reluctantly filed out of the room. As Maria disappeared through the doorway, Jesse held up a hand. “One, two, three, four, five…”
“What are you counting up to?”
“...eight, nine, ten.” Jesse lowered her hand. “They should be out of earshot now. Okay. What the hell is going on, Minelli? You come stumbling in here with some wild accusations about my team, and I want answers. First off, where the hell have you been?”
“The bastard’s still alive, Jesse.” Val leaned against a wall and sighed heavily. “We didn’t do it. We didn’t get him.”
“Fuck.” Jesse kicked a chair, which wobbled before toppling to the ground. “Fuck fuck fuck.”
“I got grabbed. I slugged a bitch and got out. They chased me halfway across Descanso, but I ambushed a patrol and got away. Chances are, they’re looking for us down at the Point.”
“You got grabbed?” Jesse tensed, her muscles instinctively curling. “What happened?”
“El Víbora tried to do the hypno-whammy thing on me,” said Val. She was well aware that her story had put her superior on alert. “But he couldn’t. Remember what Doctor Clark said? I’ve got that… whatever gene marker that some people have. So when he couldn’t hypnotize me, he took me down to this lab.”
“Of course he’s got a secret lab.”
“I know, right? So he left me down there with a lackey. This hot scientist he’d brainwashed. When she turned her back, I clobbered her. They had the device on the table in the lab, so I grabbed it and ran like fuck.”
“So if you’re fine,” said Jesse, still tense and ready for anything, “then what happened to us?“
“They’re fighting. Again.” Maria collapsed in a heap on the beach, sifting handfuls of warm sand between her fingers. “Val thinks that everyone’s been hypnotized or some crazy shit.”
“Hmmph. Typical Val.” The medic rolled onto her side and propped her head up on one hand. “Jesse will talk her down, Maria. She always does. Did she kick you all out?’’
The brunette nodded.
“Well, let’s hope that she can put her under Master’s control, then. Did you carry out your orders?”
”I...” Maria slowly lowered her head. “I was interrupted. Jesse kicked us out, and... I’m sorry, Ellie. I wanted to obey. I was trying to obey. If I can get back in there, I can finish the job! I can—”
The medic placed an index finger against Maria’s lips. “Sssh, it’s okay. If we have to, we can use more persuasive methods.” She glanced at her backpack and the wicked-looking sidearm that rested on top of it. “We will obey.“
“Yes. We will obey. I love you, Ellie.”
The medic leaned in for a long, deep kiss, her tongue pushing past Maria’s unresisting lips. ”You love our Master, slave. We all do.”
“Mmmmph,” the brunette responded. She wrapped her arms around Ellie’s small, fit body and squeezed tight. “Mmmmff mmmrse.”
“Tanya?”
“Yes, Tanya! She got cut off from the rest of us. What if he got to her first? What if he got to her and Ellie on their way back to the Point? They’re not immune like me. We know he can put people under like that.” She snapped her fingers, and the sound, unexpectedly loud, caused both women to twitch in surprise.
“Even if that were the case, Val, and I’m not saying it is, because it’s bullshit, but...” She ignored Val’s exasperated sigh, and continued. “Even if that were the case, they can’t hypnotize people. And they’ve got no control over the extraction team or me. They’ve carried out every order I’ve given them. So if you think for one second that we’ve been compromised? No. It’s not possible. I’ll keep an eye on those two, and I won’t give either of them anything critical to do, but Ellie’s our medic and we have to at least trust her to do that. Okay?“
“Hey you guys, have you seen the boss?” Tanya shouldered her rifle and yawned. “Ugh. I just want this day to be over! Anyway, the perimeter’s still clear.”
Ellie and Maria shared a glance. The medic stepped forward. “Tanya, I have a question for you.”
“Shoot.”
“Do you remember his eyes, Tanya?”
Eyes eyes eyes eyes eyes “I... what are you talking...” He eyes fluttered as she stumbled backwards. Her heels collided with a root and suddenly she found herself tumbling backwards, awkwardly breaking most of the fall with her hands. The shock seemed to break whatever spell she’d been under, and she looked up at her teammates in confusion. “What’s going on?”
“Look into his eyes, Tanya. You’re looking deep into his eyes. Look into them. Deeper and deeper.”
Eyes. Serve. Obey. Slave.. “His... eyes... what’s...” His eyes. She was looking into his eyes. They were impossibly deep and beautiful. Like a deep, deep pool on a hot summer’s day, so refreshing and relaxing, so deep and endless, pulling her down and down and... and... wait, something’s... something’s... not... right? “M-maria?” She stretched her arms, brushing her hands against Maria’s legs, hoping somehow that the brunette would take notice and help her to her feet. “Maria, what’s... Ellie’s doing... something to...“
“You will look into his eyes.” Maria’s voice was as flat and empty as her expression. “You will obey our Master.”
Obey. Sleep. Hypnotized. “Oooo...” His beautiful eyes. Impossibly beautiful eyes. They offered themselves to her again, and she blissfully fell into them.
“You will do exactly as you are told, Tanya.” Ellie bent her knees and grabbed the blonde with both hands, hoisting her to her feet. “You will obey.”
“I obey my Master,” Tanya agreed. “I will listen and obey.”