Gladiatrix by Linda Mooney
Author:Linda Mooney
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Linda Mooney
CHAPTER 20
REALIZATION
âHow l-long are these fu-fucking games going to l-last?â Pettijohn asked, his voice breaking from the stress. âDonât these assho-holes take a break?â
âI think they do,â Rylee softly replied. âWescomti told me theyâd been here three days. I should have thought to ask how they were able to mark the passage of time, and if they had to fight all three of those days. But he did say something about getting some rest. We wonât be given any food or water, but weâll get the chance to rest.â She attempted a useless laugh. âThis is just our first day.â
There were seven of them remaining: her, Beck, Harding, Pettijohn, Starcher, Silvero, and Borodingham. But Silvero and Borodingham had suffered serious injuries, and she doubted if theyâd survive much longer.
All of them bore wounds and bruises of varying degrees of severity. Rylee didnât know the extent of her own injuries until Beck pointed them out to her.
âWant me to bandage that?â He started to take off his shirt when she stopped him.
âIt doesnât hurt,â she confessed, looking down at the scratches on her left leg running from her thigh to her knee. Like his uniform and the othersâ, hers was shredded, and splotches of different colored blood peppered her from neck to toe.
Beck reached out and lightly touched the tip of her nose. âYou got a nasty looking cut there, too.â
âI do?â Gingerly, she placed her index finger where it stung. When she drew it away, the tip was red with her blood. âHow bad is it?â
He frowned. âIt runs from the bridge to your cheek. If you leave it alone, itâll probably scab over on its own. Might leave a scar, but, heyâ¦â He smiled at her. âIt can only improve your looks.â
âOh, you think?â she teased back.
âYeah. Itâll make you look more badass than you already are.â
If she could have kissed him for that remark, she would have. But she had to remain stoic for the sake of the remainder of her crew.
She checked her thigh again. âThink thatâll scab over?â
âThe bleeding seems to have stopped. Maybe.â
âWhy doesnât it hurt? Why donât any of these cuts and all hurt?â The question was rhetorical. She already knew why. However, Beck answered her.
âIt's because your bodyâs in shock. Itâs gone into defense mode. Survival mode. When you finally come out of it, youâre going to hurt like hell.â
âIf I come out of it,â she corrected him. âSeems like itâs the only thing keeping me alive at the moment.â
âCaptain?â a voice croaked.
Lifting her face, she looked over at where Borodingham lay prone on his back. His blood continued to puddle underneath him, and his face had taken on an unnaturally pasty hue. The manâs eyes were wide as he stared back at her.
âGo get those fuckers, Cap. Show them who theyâre messâ¦messing with. Donât let âem win. Donât letâ¦âemâ¦â He stopped. His face went slack, his mouth left open. His eyes faded. Harding went over to double check, then swiveled the manâs
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