Ariana became aware of her surroundings very slowly. She could make out two voices, male and female, speaking in low tones nearby. She was conscious of a growing sense of unease as she struggled to concentrate on what was being said.
"I hope that she meets with your approval, Delenor. We just acquired this one today."
"Yes indeed, Herasta. The creature appears most delicious," an oily voice replied.
"She has been dosed with agawe and prepared as you like. Once you are finished with her, send a servant to fetch me. Her companion might also please you - he is a fine specimen," Herasta chuckled evilly.
"Excellent!" said the oily voice. "Leave us now. I will send for you when I am finished with this morsel."
Ferretti and Sloane eased the unconscious guards to the ground. They made quick work of gagging and tying them up. Neither man wanted any interference when they left.
The two men entered the building cautiously, leap-frogging down the corridor, guns at the ready. Talina had been correct; the hall did lead to the brothel's private rooms. There were no doors on the rooms, only curtains, and they passed by several empty ones. They stopped to listen at the closed curtain of the next room.
Ferretti and Sloane smiled at each other in relief as the sound of muttered Spanish curses reached their ears. They pushed the curtain aside to see a slightly battered Gutierrez struggling to free himself of his chains. The lieutenant looked up in confused surprise at their entrance.
Sloane unlatched his teammate, bringing up a hand to steady him as Gutierrez swayed alarmingly. "Whoa there, Jesse. Take it easy."
"Gutierrez, where's the doc?" Ferretti asked.
The lieutenant focused on him with some difficulty, eyes wide with panic. "Oh god, sir! We've got to find her. They're gonna let that guy rape her!"
Sloane sucked in his breath and Ferretti said, "Focus, Lieutenant! What happened? Do you know where they took her?"
Gutierrez stumbled over his words. "They surprised us. Woke up here. Farrell let them drug her when they threatened to shoot me. She told them not to drug me - said I had a concussion. They took her away for a 'special customer.' I don't know how long ago."
Ferretti blanched. "Right. She's probably in one of the other rooms. Let's go."
Ariana opened her eyes a crack when she heard Herasta leave the room. She was lying face down on a bed in a room very similar to the one where she'd left Jesse. She flinched involuntarily when the oily voice spoke from somewhere behind her.
"Come, my pet, sit up so that Delenor may see the rest of your delectable body."
Ariana tried to jerk upright and failed. The room spun crazily as she realized with some alarm that she was completely unclothed. She raised herself slowly to a sitting position to stare at the man at the foot of the bed.
The owner of the oily voice was a gruesome sight. The man was huge, easily weighing over three hundred pounds, most of it muscle. His greasy black hair and long mustaches were and eerie contrast to his deathly pale skin. Ariana cringed away from the lecherous gleam in his pig-like black eyes.
Delenor shoved his bulk from the stool on which he'd been sitting. He removed a wicked looking stiletto from his belt sash before coming to sit on the edge of the bed. As his eyes roamed her body with lascivious intent, Ariana struggled for control of her drug-induced haze. She had to think - do something. Ariana was jerked back to the present when she felt the cold blade of the stiletto caress her cheek.
"Be still, Precious, or Delenor will have to punish you."
Ariana forced herself into immobility as the stiletto made its way down her cheek, grazed her breast and caressed her stomach. When a hand reached up to painfully grab her breast, she acted instinctively, knocking it away. Delenor grabbed her hair, pulling her head back in a painful grip. Ariana struggled for breath as her lips were ground against her teeth in a bruising kiss. She gagged as Delenor's fetid breath swamped her senses. When he lifted his head Ariana spit in his face. Her moment of satisfaction was short lived, though, as fierce pain suddenly bloomed in her middle. Looking down, she saw that Delenor had plunged the blade of his stiletto into her belly. The man smiled at her evilly before twisting the blade and pulling it out.
"I told you to be good, Precious. Now it's time to play."
As Delenor reached for her again, something inside Ariana snapped. She didn't hear herself scream, "No!" All of her instincts and training guided her actions. She twisted the knife from her tormentor's hand and threw him to the floor. Somehow Ariana found herself straddling the man, fingers crushing his windpipe, his own knife in her hand. She saw the fear that flashed in his eyes as she spoke the last words he'd ever hear.
"Play time is over, Precious."
Ariana jabbed the stiletto into her attacker's heart, sliding the blade between his ribs with surgical precision. She watched the life fade from Delenor's eyes as his blood poured over her hand.
Ferretti, Sloane and Gutierrez had just entered the corridor when they heard a woman's voice cry out from a room at the end of the hall. Without looking at each other, they ran down the hallway and barged into the room. A sight that would haunt their dreams for months to come greeted them.
Ariana was standing over the body of an enormous man, a bloody knife in her hand. She was naked and covered in gore, swaying unsteadily on her feet.
Ferretti lowered his P-90 and said softly, "Doc?"
Ariana whirled on them, face wild with rage, knife poised for attack. When she saw who was standing before her, she blinked. She stared down at the knife in her hand for a moment as though seeing it for the very first time. With a shudder of revulsion she flung it away from herself. Ariana looked back at the silent, stunned men. Ferretti heard her whisper his name before she crumpled to the ground.