Read Online Purge of Prometheus by Jon Messenger - Free Book Online Page B

Everything about Cardax was only relatively harmless; he would continue to pose a threat until he was finally killed.
    Standing again, after ensuring the leg straps were firmly attached, Adam checked the fluid bag that hung from a pole behind him.   The viscous yellow liquid dripped slowly into the tubing, which Adam traced down to the large bore intravenous needle he had placed into the artery running through the Oterian’s neck.
    Satisfied that everything was prepared, she gave the signal to wake Cardax.   Pulling a syringe from his small case, Adam injected a clear liquid into the fluid bag.   Almost instantaneously, the smuggler’s eyes began to flutter and his head rolled from side to side.   Snapping his eyes wide open, a muffled scream of surprise escaped from around the gag and he struggled, in vain, against the leather straps.   Cardax felt drained and not in full control of his muscles.   He tried to concentrate on his surroundings, but his thoughts seemed to flow through a sea of fog; they rose just long enough for him to grasp at coherent thought before sinking below the surface and out of reach.
    “The lethargic feeling you’re experiencing right now is due to the sedative that is being pumped into your bloodstream as we speak,” Keryn began in a soft tone, bending slightly at the waist so that she was eye level with the seated Oterian.   “You can continue to struggle against your restraints all you want, but it will be in vain.   You are now my pet, subjugated and calm.”  
    Keryn walked around Cardax’s back, running her fingertips gently over his broad shoulders and stroking the back of his head.   Leaning forward to whisper into his ear, she continued, “I will be asking you some very important questions over the course of this evening.   If you are cooperative, this will be a short and relatively painless experience.   If you lie to me or refuse to answer, I will discipline you as though you were a disobedient pet.
    “I want to ensure you have a full understanding of our version of discipline, I want to introduce you to Mr. Decker.”   She clenched his hair between her hands, forcing him to face toward Adam as he approached.   In his hand, he held a serrated scalpel, which he twisted to catch the dim bulb’s light.
    As Keryn spoke, her voice took on a violent and malicious edge.   “You will answer all of our questions tonight, one way or another.   Do you understand me?”
    Cardax stared at Adam with fearful eyes, feeling helpless so long as the sedative continued to run through his veins.   He shook his head futilely, trying to pull away from Keryn’s firm grasp.   Seconds ticked by as all the members in the room remained motionless.   Finally releasing a sigh, Keryn frowned.
    “That was a question, Cardax,” she said with a disturbing calm, “and you failed to answer.”   Looking up, she motioned to Adam, who stepped forward, still twisting the scalpel with surgical precision.   Cardax let out a muffled scream, his eyes wide with panic.
    Adam placed a firm hand against the smuggler’s chest, forcing his back firmly against the cold metal chair.   “If you struggle,” Adam warned, “this will be much more painful than it really needs to be.”
    Cardax twisted under the pressure on his chest, but couldn’t manage enough strength to break free of Adam’s restraint.   Adam placed the scalpel against Cardax’s muscular chest, slipping its blade underneath the thick fur and piercing the skin.   Flattening the blade, Adam moved the serrated blade in between the skin and muscle in the smuggler’s chest before applying a downward pressure to the handle.   The razor-sharp blade cleanly severed through connective tissue between Cardax’s skin and muscle, causing excruciating pain.   Jerking madly, the Oterian screamed and tried in vain to break free of his bonds.
    Keryn felt her pulse quicken, beating a maddening rhythm in her chest.   Her breathing became