LITMIR.BIZ

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diseases or infections. I have him scheduled for the decontamination chamber after lunch. I want him bug-free before I bring him to the infirmary.”

      Melita listened to every word Nigel said. She had no idea what his purpose was here at Despotiko, but she knew he wasn’t simply a doctor who kept her father’s guards healthy.

      “Remove your shirt, Mr. Paxton.”

      Melita saw the prisoner’s shirt fall to the floor at Nigel’s order, but before she could see much else, Nigel blocked her view.

      “I read your file. It was impressive. Surviving what must have been a living hell has made you quite valuable.”

      “I imagine you know all about survival living with that face,” Paxton said.

      Melita heard Holic laugh. “That’s probably the only thing we’ll ever agree on, Paxton.”

      Nigel lived with constant ridicule over the way he looked. Melita felt bad for him, although, she had to admit his appearance was unusual.

      The blood sample taken, Nigel kicked an empty beer can. “There will be no more alcohol. From now on you’ll be on a strict diet to get your weight back up. My orders are to have you at one hundred percent in two months. That’ll take work on both our ends. Now your pants, Mr. Paxton. Drop them, please. I need to examine your phallus and scrotum for the surgery.”

      Surgery? Melita wondered what kind of surgery Nigel would be performing on that part of Paxton’s anatomy?

      A few seconds later she had her answer when Nigel said, “I have orders to castrate you.”

      When the prisoner didn’t move, Holic stepped forward and shoved the barrel of his handgun underneath his chin. “Drop you pants, Paxton.”

      Melita saw Holic take a step back. Saw the prisoner’s pants drop to his ankles. Nigel moved forward, blocking her view once more, then suddenly he moved left.

       Buy a ticket to the circus?

      Paxton’s words popped into her head, but she wasn’t witnessing any freak show. What she was viewing was more like a peep show, and worth every penny.

      She heard Barinski mumble something to himself. Finally, he said out loud, “I’ve never done this kind of operation before. But it can’t be too hard.”

      Paxton was in the process of pulling up his pants when out of nowhere the smell of mold on the floor climbed up Melita’s nose. Unprepared for it, she sneezed.

      “What was that?” Holic turned to stare through the bars into the empty cell where Melita hid. She squeezed her eyes shut, sure she would be discovered any second.

      She heard something that resembled her sneeze, and her eyes popped open just as Paxton said, “I’ve been sneezing all day. There must be something down here that I’m allergic to.”

      Holic laughed. “I’d be more worried about Barinski tickling my crotch with a knife than allergies, Paxton.” To Nigel, he asked, “What’s the reason behind castrating him?”

      “After he’s been reprogrammed we don’t want him thinking about anything but the job he’s going to be trained to do. Our last attempt at reprogramming an agent misfired because her lust factor got in the way.” Nigel scratched his head. “I suppose a practice run on one of my rats is in order. I can’t afford to screw up again.” Nigel picked up his medical bag. “See that he’s brought to the infirmary after he’s been disinfected.”

      Sully jerked the zipper up on his pants and damn near neutered himself without Barinski’s help. He winced, then gave an empty beer can a hard kick, sending it into the wall.

      He heard Melita dragging herself out from under the cot in the next cell, and turned to see her getting to her feet.

      When she came out of the cell, he said, “Get me out of here.”

      “Me?”

      “Who else would I be talking to?”

      “Why would I help you? I don’t even know you.”

      “Because I just saved your ass, and it’s time to return the favor.”

      “By the sound of it your ass isn’t what’s in jeopardy. What did he mean reprogrammed?”

      “How the hell should I know? What I do know is that sticking around here to find out is going to—”

      “End your partying days.”

      She looked away, but Sully saw a glimpse of a smile. It pissed him off, and he said, “You wouldn’t think it was so funny if you were in here and I was on the outside looking in.”

      “I suppose not. Lucky me. If you’re thinking of breaking out of here, it won’t happen. Minare is heavily guarded, and there’s no easy way off the island.”

      “That guard with the crazy doctor has the key to this cell. Get me the key, and I’ll worry about the rest.”

      “He’s not a guard. That’s Holic Reznik and there’s no way I’m going near him.”

      “What do you want for helping me out of here? Name it, and it’s yours.”

      She thought a minute, then asked, “Do you have a boat?”

      “Stashed under the cot?”

      “That’s what I thought.” She shrugged. “No boat, no escape. Goodbye.”

      “Wait!”

      She didn’t stop. She was gone, and with her, Sully’s last hope.

      Starve him. Strip him naked. Beat him until he couldn’t move. He’d survived all of it and more. But turning his brain into mush, and—

      “What’s your first name?”

      Sully spun around to see that Melita had come back. “Why?”

      “You know mine.”

      “Why does it matter? I plan to hang myself before Reznik comes back.”

      She gave him a frown. “Suicide is overrated.”

      “What would you know about it?”

      She turned to leave.

      To stop her, he said, “My name’s Sully.”

      She turned back. “No one is named Sully.”

      “It’s short for Sullivan.”

      “You have an accent.”

      “I’m Irish.”

      “Paxton isn’t Irish.”

      “It’s a long story,” he said, trying not to scare her off again. “Maybe if you got me out of here, we could discuss it over a beer and dinner a few thousand miles away.”

      “Were you serious about giving me whatever I wanted if I helped you, Sully Paxton, even though you don’t have a boat?”

      “Dead serious.”

      She took a step closer and lowered her voice. “What if what I want is for you to take me with you? What if we left the island together? Would you agree to that?”

      “Done.”

      “Just like that?”

      “I’m a man with few options, honey. Be my angel of mercy and I’ll not only get you off the island, I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

      “Without a boat?”

      “I’ll swim you out of here on my back if I have to.”

      “Some men would promise anything to get what they want. Especially a man in your position. How good is your memory?”

      “My what?”

      “Do you remember what you say? More importantly,

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