obedience.
Yet with every step, I glanced over at my former husband. He had become my owner, at least until I managed to find some way out of his clinic. I tried to plead with him using just my eyes. He had to understand that it wasn’t right for him to do this. Except in his mind, it probably was. Even I had to admit that using him for his money was wrong.
But enslavement?
In any case, I didn’t get to debate any of this with him.
We walked back through the clinic until we stopped at one of the day rooms. Tony opened the door for me, and I stepped inside, still silent because I hadn’t been allowed to speak.
Through the door, I paused when I saw a row of men in suits. Most of them had their phones out as they texted or read various news articles. Each man was young, probably somewhere in his twenties or thirties at the latest. They had nice haircuts, dark suits, and each one seemed to convey a hunter’s confidence. These men viewed themselves as predators.
And that made me the prey.
Adrian carried himself with the same sort of confidence, so I had little trouble reading these guys’ body language. Swallowing and feeling nervous, I was walked into the middle of the room.
On most days, this space would have been set aside for the patients who felt like walking around or talking to some of their peers. Today, the chairs and tables had been mostly collapsed or placed off to the side. Now there was one bare wall, a row of seats for these gentlemen, and nothing else.
Nurse Valerie held the tablet again. After a nod from Doctor Brent, she tapped in several commands. I didn’t realize what they would do until my muscles locked up and stubbornly refused any answer. The only thing I could control now was my breathing. Apparently they didn’t want me to suffocate while Adrian introduced me. At the same time, they wanted to make sure I didn’t make a fuss.
It wouldn’t look good for the investors if I tried to flee or started jumping up and screaming about my rights. So with a few computer clicks, they removed every trace of freedom.
“Hello and welcome to my facility,” Adrian strode forward. He stood straight and tall, impressive as always. He had on a dark red shirt. Silk and tight, it showed off his muscles from beneath his white lab coat. His shoes occasionally squeaked against the linoleum floor, but no sound could dwarf the clear, concise manner in which he spoke to the assembled investors.
These men could have been hedge fund managers or entrepreneurs. Their eyes shined clearly, every man alert as they took in every detail. Each one glanced over at me, at least for a moment. A few lingered longer, clearly taking in the appearance of this apparently docile woman who wore nothing but panties and a straightjacket. A couple of the guys glanced over at Nurse Valerie and nodded appreciatively as well.
“As you read in the initial prospectus, my goal was simple when founding this institution. Perfect behavioral modification.” He let those three words sink in. To me, they didn’t sound like much more than academic jibber jabber, but several heads nodded enthusiastically. More of the investors simply watched him, gauging his tone and body language. I had been pretty much forgotten, at least for the moment.
“Not just mind control or overt training. No, that’s been accomplished in one fashion or another. However, those efforts have all been extremely limited in their outcomes’ final utility. What I wanted to create here was perfect submission. Total control. I wanted to take a young woman and turn her from an individual into something to be used however the owner wishes.”
Adrian smiled, showing his teeth. It was charming; it was predatory. He held each investor’s gaze for at least a second. In some ways, this felt like watching wolves interact with one another. If wolves had venture capitalists.
“Now, let me introduce you to my wife. Perhaps some of you know her. Try to look past her hair and body.
Annette Lyon, G. G. Vandagriff, Michele Paige Holmes, Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore, Nancy Campbell Allen