Chapter 1

She ran her tongue over her broken teeth, the tip gently probing the newly emptied gaps, cautiously running over the sharply fractured remnants. The salt tang of blood seeping from the torn tissues filled her mouth with each touch - but there was no pain.
No pain, because, in part, the tissues were so swollen that the enraged nerves could no longer function, leaving her mouth numb and almost functionless - but in greater part because she had long ago learned that she need have no part of this pain - or any other - and there was nothing they - or anyone else - could do would or could change that, she thought smugly.
She would have grinned at the thought of her hard-earned knowledge being used in this way but a smile would have started her cracked lips to bleeding again and she was already dehydrated enough as it was. Pain, she reminded herself, could be blocked; thirst, however, was another thing entirely. And it was better to keep the smile inside anyway, she warned herself sharply; her captors tended to respond badly when they thought she was mocking them.
Then again, they were responding badly to almost everything of late, she added, wondering how they were explaining their repeated failures concerning her to their superiors.
Probably equally badly, she decided, wondering if that had been the cause for the new faces that had been sent to meet with her and the abrupt disappearance of the old ones.
She was unable to hold back her grin at the thought of their demise - but dropped the smirk instantly as she heard the metallic groan of the hallway door opening. Someone was coming, she realized - someone new, judging from the unfamiliar footsteps - and meeting them with a grin was not going to bode well for her, she knew.
Just because she could block the pain didn't mean she wanted to endure any more. At some point, she reminded herself, there would be more pain than her limited strength could handle - and when that happened.
She shook her head. The outcome was already decided, she reminded herself; now it was simply matter of when.
Hearing the footsteps draw near, she started to struggle to her feet - but a wave of excruciating pain stopped her instantly, reminding her of what they had already done.
It was one thing, she reminded herself as her mind sought out to control the pain, not to be able to feel two broken legs; it was quite another to try to stand on them.
Still, she levered her body from the position they had left her in, craning her head so she might see the door and her new jailer - but what little vision the last beating had left her was not enough to clearly make out his form as he entered her cell.
He was tall - that much, at least, she could make out from the shadowy figure - tall but not big, certainly not as big as the last one they'd sent to her. And not as strong, she added, hearing the slight panting of breath. For a moment, she was amused - until she realized that his ragged breath meant he had been carrying something.
Something intended for her.
Despite her certitude about her abilities, she felt a twinge of panic. Did they know? Had they found a way around her discipline? Would they break her at last?
Heart racing, she squinted, trying to make out the blurry figure before her.
The man studied the shattered woman lying on the floor, then set down his burden, carefully balancing it on the floor, then released it, watching as it slowly maneuvered its way towards the broken body of the woman - and smiled as she began to scream.