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Mia coughed and tasted blood. It would have been dramatic to spit it on the shiny black boots under her nose, but maybe not such a great survival strategy. She swallowed instead and sat back on her heels, trying to keep her breathing shallow enough not to set her bruised (broken) ribs off.
‘You gave my men quite the run-around, Ms Clayton,’ Monroe said pleasantly. Thing was, Mia had worked for the Republic for a couple of years now. She was hardly one of Monroe’s close, personal circle of friends, but she’d seen him around. He was always pleasant, even when giving the order to burn a rebel stronghold to the ground with every man, woman and child inside. ‘If you’d just come quietly in the first, none of this would have been necessary.’
She stretched her mouth in an empty smile for him. ‘Yeah, because people go into your prisons and come out all the time, right?’
Strausser knotted his fingers in her pony-tail and wrenched her head back, pressing the cold edge of a knife against her throat. ‘Keep a civil tongue in your head, Miss,’ he said. ‘Or I’ll get rid of it for you.’
Monroe raised a hand. ‘Nothing that could be seen, Sergeant.’
The knife went away and Strausser threw onto the floor, kicking her hard enough to lift her off the cold stone. Mia tucked herself in, wrapping her arms around her head and pulling her knees up to her belly, and waited it out. She didn’t bother trying not to scream or cry. They wanted to hurt her, the sooner they knew they had the quicker this would stop.
Finally Strausser stopped and stepped back, waiting for her to struggle back to her knees. Mia wiped her mouth on her shoulder and gave the watching Monroe a flat look.
‘What do you want?’ she asked.
Strausser cuffed her round the back of the head. ‘Address him as General Monroe.’
She gave a tired snort, but whatever. ‘What do you want of me, General Monroe.’
‘Your sister is Nora Clayton,’ he said. Mia’s stomach turned to ice and dread. ‘She’s become a thorn in my side. That’s not a good thing to be, is it Mia?’
‘No,’ she said.
He took her chin in his hand and made her look up at him, standing so close it made her cringe. She could feel the heat of his body, see the evidence he’d not...objected...to seeing her
hurt. Sick.
‘But I don’t blame, Nora,’ he said, smooth and convincing. ‘It’s Miles’ fault. Do you remember Miles?’
Yeah, and he’d been bad news then. He’d cost Mia a commission in the militia and Nora her heart and good sense if she’d hooked back up with him.
‘He was-‘ a list of suggestive to rude options flicked through Mia’s head. She felt the memory of Nora’s fingers pressing her lips against her teeth and digging into her cheeks. Be safe, shut up. ‘-the co-founder of the Republic.’
‘He’s a dangerous man.’
‘Uh huh.’
Monroe rubbed his thumb along her jaw line. ‘And he’s got something I want. If you get me
that, I’ll be willing to forgive your sister’s offenses.’
‘If I don’t.’
His thumb scraped over her lower lip, tugging it roughly to the side. ‘Then I give you to Strausser, and he can use you to practice for her.’
Mia closed her eyes. ‘OK,’ she said. ‘If you let us go afterwards. I get you this thing you want, me and Nora get free passage to Texas.’
If they didn't agree, she'd agree and then make a run. It wasn't like she had a problem lying.
‘Deal.’ Monroe said. He abruptly lost interest in her and stepped back, tugging his gloves out of his belt. ‘Clean her up, Strausser. Not too much, then head to the bridge. Miles and his little gang will have to cross there.
****
The rough hemp of the ropes scraped Mia’s wrist as Strausser wrapped he tight. He stood too close to her as he worked, hips pressed against her ass. She kept her muscles relaxed and her fingers unclenched.
‘I will miss you,’ Strausser murmured in her ear, sliding his hand between her legs and digging his fingers in. She hissed air through her nose and scrambled onto her toes. ‘But cows like you and your sister, you’re creatures of habit. You’ll be back here sooner or later, and then Monroe will give you to me.’
‘I’d tell you to go fuck yourself,’ Mia said sweetly. ‘But it’s not like anyone else would.’
He punched her in the kidney, twisting his knuckles, and gestured for the men to pull her up. She dangled, sweating in the heat of the fire and her shoulders aching.
'I hope your sister loves you,' Strausser said, running his fingers over her stomach. 'If you die, it would be such a waste wouldn't it?'
Nora would come through, she ran the thought through her head like a mantra, then they’d go to Texas and make sure never to catch the eye of the militia there. Nora would come and it would be ok. Just like always.