Read Online The Benders by Katie French - Free Book Online
Authors: Katie French
Tags: Young Adult
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at the door. Plus the guards at the tower by the main gate. I can’t escape, but I can’t go in there. Maybe if I can distract them—
A hand on my bicep urges me forward. “You’re next,” the guard says.
When I don’t move, Nada whispers from behind. “It’s okay. You can trust Doc.”
I stumble ahead like someone waking from a dream. The door on the left is ajar and a small electric light burns from a desk inside. I pause at the threshold, my pulse beating into my brain.
“In,” the guard says, shoving me.
I stumble in, and the door clicks shut behind me.
Doc sits on a stool beside a waist-high exam table. He wears a heart-listener thingy around his neck and rubber gloves on his hands. He nods at me and offers a reassuring smile.
“Sorry for the rough treatment,” he says, standing and gesturing to the table. When I don’t move, he tries again. “I’m not going to hurt you. Please, take off your clothes and have a seat at the table.”
I shake my head, crossing my arms over my bound breasts. “I’d rather not,” I say, my eyes floating down to his gloved hands. If they don’t know I’m a girl, there’s no way I want them to find out.
He frowns, runs a hand through his hair, and tries his smile again. “Please, I’m just going to examine your body and make sure you are healthy. Then it’ll all be over.”
I shuffle toward the door. “I can’t,” I manage. “I can’t undress.”
He sets his clipboard down. “Look, if you don’t, I’ll have to call the guards, and you don’t want that.”
“No, I don’t want that,” I murmur, trying to think. Should I jump him? He doesn’t have a weapon.
He strides toward me and I reach out to strike, but he snaps a handcuff on my wrist before I can twist away. He pulls me by my cuffed hand toward the exam table. I drag my feet, go limp, but he’s stronger than I thought. He cuffs my wrist to the metal loop at the end of the exam table. I sink to the concrete floor.
“This is ridiculous,” he says, panting as he stands over me. “I’m trying to help you.”
“If you wanted to help me,” I say, “you’d let me go.”
He glances away. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” I ask, tugging against the metal cuff. It clangs with the solid sound of captivity. “Why help them?”
He sighs deeply and slumps down on the exam table. Up close, I can see dark bags under his eyes and wrinkles on his forehead. I took him to be an obedient lapdog, but maybe he’s not.
“If I don’t do this job, they’ll get some sadistic bastard in here,” he says, nodding toward the closed door and the hallway. “You think I like watching them get beaten, get…” He stops and shakes his head. “I take care of them.” He lifts green eyes to mine. “I’ll take care of you.”
The words hit me hard in the chest. Nada’s reassurances echo in my head. Maybe I’m just exhausted. Maybe I feel friendless, alone. But for some reason, when I look into the eyes of this bender, I trust him. Slowly, with one trembling hand, I tug up my shirt, revealing my bound breast. It’s a raw and desperate act, but I raise my eyes up to the bender’s, pleadingly.
“I’m a girl,” I whisper, my lips burning as the words slip over them. “I’m a girl and you have to help me keep that secret.”
Shock registers on his face as he stares, but that crumples into concern. “How—”
“The Breeders don’t want me,” I say, tugging my shirt back on. “It won’t do you any good to sell me back.”
Doc rubs a hand over his face and stands. “Lord Merek doesn’t sell women to the Breeders.” He walks over the desk and rummages for something under papers and files.
“What does he do with them?” I ask, standing up as much as my cuffed wrist will allow.
Doc looks at me, but says nothing. He pulls what he was looking for out of the pile of papers. A walkie-talkie.
“What’re you going to do with that?” I ask, pointing.
Doc thumbs down the receiver, and
A hand on my bicep urges me forward. “You’re next,” the guard says.
When I don’t move, Nada whispers from behind. “It’s okay. You can trust Doc.”
I stumble ahead like someone waking from a dream. The door on the left is ajar and a small electric light burns from a desk inside. I pause at the threshold, my pulse beating into my brain.
“In,” the guard says, shoving me.
I stumble in, and the door clicks shut behind me.
Doc sits on a stool beside a waist-high exam table. He wears a heart-listener thingy around his neck and rubber gloves on his hands. He nods at me and offers a reassuring smile.
“Sorry for the rough treatment,” he says, standing and gesturing to the table. When I don’t move, he tries again. “I’m not going to hurt you. Please, take off your clothes and have a seat at the table.”
I shake my head, crossing my arms over my bound breasts. “I’d rather not,” I say, my eyes floating down to his gloved hands. If they don’t know I’m a girl, there’s no way I want them to find out.
He frowns, runs a hand through his hair, and tries his smile again. “Please, I’m just going to examine your body and make sure you are healthy. Then it’ll all be over.”
I shuffle toward the door. “I can’t,” I manage. “I can’t undress.”
He sets his clipboard down. “Look, if you don’t, I’ll have to call the guards, and you don’t want that.”
“No, I don’t want that,” I murmur, trying to think. Should I jump him? He doesn’t have a weapon.
He strides toward me and I reach out to strike, but he snaps a handcuff on my wrist before I can twist away. He pulls me by my cuffed hand toward the exam table. I drag my feet, go limp, but he’s stronger than I thought. He cuffs my wrist to the metal loop at the end of the exam table. I sink to the concrete floor.
“This is ridiculous,” he says, panting as he stands over me. “I’m trying to help you.”
“If you wanted to help me,” I say, “you’d let me go.”
He glances away. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” I ask, tugging against the metal cuff. It clangs with the solid sound of captivity. “Why help them?”
He sighs deeply and slumps down on the exam table. Up close, I can see dark bags under his eyes and wrinkles on his forehead. I took him to be an obedient lapdog, but maybe he’s not.
“If I don’t do this job, they’ll get some sadistic bastard in here,” he says, nodding toward the closed door and the hallway. “You think I like watching them get beaten, get…” He stops and shakes his head. “I take care of them.” He lifts green eyes to mine. “I’ll take care of you.”
The words hit me hard in the chest. Nada’s reassurances echo in my head. Maybe I’m just exhausted. Maybe I feel friendless, alone. But for some reason, when I look into the eyes of this bender, I trust him. Slowly, with one trembling hand, I tug up my shirt, revealing my bound breast. It’s a raw and desperate act, but I raise my eyes up to the bender’s, pleadingly.
“I’m a girl,” I whisper, my lips burning as the words slip over them. “I’m a girl and you have to help me keep that secret.”
Shock registers on his face as he stares, but that crumples into concern. “How—”
“The Breeders don’t want me,” I say, tugging my shirt back on. “It won’t do you any good to sell me back.”
Doc rubs a hand over his face and stands. “Lord Merek doesn’t sell women to the Breeders.” He walks over the desk and rummages for something under papers and files.
“What does he do with them?” I ask, standing up as much as my cuffed wrist will allow.
Doc looks at me, but says nothing. He pulls what he was looking for out of the pile of papers. A walkie-talkie.
“What’re you going to do with that?” I ask, pointing.
Doc thumbs down the receiver, and
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