it had been used in the past. And never cleaned. It had to be crawling with pathogens.
Karil licked his lips as he inserted an ampule filled with red liquid into the device’s cartridge. He gazed at it a moment, his expression as warm as a devoted lover. He pulled up his shirt to expose a scar-covered abdomen. He jabbed the needle into himself, wincing only slightly as he sent the ampule’s contents into his body.
Bacoj stared in horror. This was how Karil took Elate? He assumed that was what the Nobek was injecting himself with. It was ghastly, and Bacoj went cold to think how addictive a substance must be for its victims to be willing to do such a thing to themselves.
A moment later, the injector clattered to the floor. Karil shuddered, a violent grin spreading over his face. His breathing grew quick, almost panting. “Oh yeah. That’s the stuff. Ancestors, how I missed this.” His avid gaze found Bacoj, and the screaming smile grew until Bacoj was sure his lips would split. “Want some? Sorry, I never learned to share. It’s all mine. And it’s good.”
He headed for Bacoj, his motions jerking like a poorly operated marionette. He stared at Bacoj, his eyes bugging from his crazed features. “Ready for some fun? I am. I’m overdue for real entertainment. Gonna fuck you up, lover boy. Gonna fuck you up and kill you slow.”
He punched Bacoj in the stomach. His insane grin stretched his lips at the Dramok’s hurt cry, so much so that he appeared a caricature of himself. He sat on Bacoj’s legs, keeping his prisoner from curling up to protect himself before hammering his fist into his gut again.
“Atta boy. Scream for me. You know, there’s a fine line between causing pain and giving you internal injuries. I’ll try to work up to the damaging stuff slowly, but Elate—aw man, it’s tough to pull your punches when that slice of heaven is singing through your veins.”
He hammered Bacoj again, and the bolt of agony made the Dramok scream. The sound was muffled by the gag, but Karil delighted in it. He laughed, the joyous sound ringing maniacally as he continued to punch Bacoj over and over.
It went on for several hellish seconds, maybe a minute, before Karil suddenly stopped. Still laughing, he shook his head. “Aw man, I’m sorry. I’m supposed to be vidding this to show Vax. Okay, let’s reset for take two.”
He got to his feet. In the depths of his misery, Bacoj noted how Karil leaned precariously, as if he would fall on top of him. Somehow, the Nobek managed to keep his feet, and he stumbled back to the bag he’d taken the injector and drugs from.
Bacoj inhaled his first breath since the beating had begun, and his stomach protested with howling anguish. He groaned, in too much agony to move.
Mother of All, let me lose consciousness quickly when he starts on me again.
Listing from side to side, Karil shoved the carryall’s contents around, searching. The clattering echoed in the chamber. “Don’t worry. I swear I’ll get it right, I’ll get it right. I won’t let you down, Huk. Here we go.”
He wrested a large bottle out of the bag and held it aloft with triumph. Bacoj’s heart stuttered when he recognized the label of a popular brand of sensitizing gel. It was the same kind he’d bought to enjoy with Vax.
Karil started for him. “I’m gonna strip you bare and cover you from head to toe in gel. Try not to get excited about that. Trust me, you’re not my type. This is for pain, not pleasure, fuckboy. Every last inch of you is about to wear my marks, and I insist you feel it to the fullest when I put them on you.”
He squatted on the floor, setting the bottle down. He yanked Bacoj’s shoes off, then struggled with the knots in the cord tying Bacoj’s ankles. He paused and regarded the Dramok suspiciously.
“Don’t entertain any ideas, shithead. You make a move to kick me or fight in any way, I’ll break both your legs here and now. Got it?”
Hardly believing his luck, Bacoj nodded. Karil was so stoned, it hadn’t occurred to him to simply cut Bacoj’s clothes off with the big blade he wore on his belt.
He was also too high to suspect Bacoj might agree from any inclination but terrified obedience. The Dramok had heard an effect of Elate was to fool its user into feeling unstoppable