Vanished Read Online Free PDF Page B

straightened, ignoring the grabbing pain in her midsection. It all made sense. A man couldn’t have hurt her, no, but a woman… there was no genetic barrier to keep a woman from hurting her.
    “I had to. They swore that they’d… kill my son if I didn’t trick you, corner you, make you break.” The tears slipped down the woman’s cheeks, and her words dropped to a near whisper, the tone begging for forgiveness. “I don’t want my daughter to grow up in a world where she’ll always be less than her brother.”
    “So you sacrifice one?” Fresh anger nipped through her, but some small part of her knew she’d have done the same. Of course, the thought didn’t ease the suffering.
    “To start a revolution? Yes. I’m sorry, I’m sorry it was you, but the world will change, our people will rise up. ” She straightened, her dark tech garb stretching taut. In that moment, the woman reminded Papria of her father, and the woman ached more.
    “ Men protect us, what do you think will happen now? The whole world needs to protect you now.” The woman’s beseeching voice didn’t snag Papria’s thoughts like the words did.
    A revolution. But at what cost?
    “Get away from me.”
    The woman nodded and hurried to the door. An odd thought popped into Papria’s mind. “Wait… the whole world? How?”
    Features twisted in terror shone back at Papria. “Uh…”
    Papria crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. The urg e to dismantle this woman in a most disturbing manner rose up in her, but she stifled it. “Out with it.”
    The woman’s glance skittered to the floor, then tagged the walls, before focusing on the ceiling above, as if in silent prayer. Trembling hands flattened to her belly, while she spoke.
    “They televised your trial. I told them it would make an example of you, but the idea was to make sure the world knew, to spark the hatred of our people, to begin a change.”
    Papria stalked forward a step, rage boiling in her chest.
    The woman cowered back, her terror so thick it tainted the air between them. “Please, I’m sorry. I swear, if there were any other way…”
    Cold crashed over her, before pinpricks of fire danced over her skin. They’d raped her by proxy and let the world watch. Tears sprang into her eyes, and she faltered. The wall caught her shoulder, keeping her on her feet. Horror settled in, and her arms darted across her chest, hands gripping her shoulders.
    She shook her head. “No… they couldn’t. They wouldn’t have. There are laws, rules, privacy.”
    The door opened again. Papria’s blurring eyes shifted to the stranger, a fiery redhead with great green eyes and an attractive, feline-esque face. She approached with a brisk pace and stopped before Papria. The new face, full of concern, shifted to the look of one hiding something.
    “I’m Farali. You’ve been placed in my care. We will proceed to the facility immediately.” The woman turned, as if expecting Papria to follow without question.
    Papria hesitated, frozen with fury. “Let me get this straight. Not only did this tech have me raped, but it was televised to make an example, and I’m also to be taken to the facility like a criminal?” The desire to strike this woman welled up, but she pressed it back. Losing her temper while her mind was consumed by anger and hate would lead to something she couldn’t undo. Given enough reason, the council might decide that euthanizing her was a better choice.
    The woman paused, not even bothering to turn around. “You executed two members of your team. Even though it was a simulation, your intent was clear.”
    Papria’s hands began to shake, her body trembling with rage. Sweat tickled down her spine and belly, dampening her suit. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she waited a moment before answering. 
    “What about the intention of the tech who had my team attack me?” The words hung in the room, and she noticed the tech studying her shoes. Farali, her