‘Put your palms flat against the wall. Don’t even think about trying anything stupid, or I’ll be forced to punish you.’

The women assumed the position. He walked over to Rachel first. He pulled her shirt sleeve down from her wrist toward her shoulder, goosebumps popping to the surface of her skin at his touch. She flinched when the needle went roughly into her arm, like he couldn’t wait another second to do it. He stared at the back of her head for a second, breathing in deeply, taking in her scent, then turned and walked toward Sasha. As he got closer, Sasha started crying again.

Rachel heard a scuffle and Sasha cry out, ‘Get away from me!’

Rachel screamed, ‘Sasha no, just do what he says!’

She turned her head and watched as the man lifted the stun gun and zapped Sasha in the side. Sasha screamed over its loud electric buzzing and doubled over, falling to the ground, her body jerking on the floor. Rachel sucked in a breath and closed her eyes again, afraid of what could come next.

The man leaned over Sasha’s crumpled body and said, ‘Would you like another?’

Sasha vigorously shook her head back and forth. He lifted her sleeve from where she lay, and this time he was successful in administering the sedative. He then pushed Sasha’s upper body back against the wall roughly. When he turned around, his eyes landed on Rachel.

‘Did I say you could look at me?’ he growled. ‘Face the wall.’

Rachel jumped and quickly snapped her gaze back to the wall. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him pull a small key out of his pocket and walk over to her. Bending down, he unlocked and removed the chain that connected her shackles to the wall. Her ankles were still connected by a small chain but she was no longer anchored in place. Rachel’s vision wavered as a familiar dizziness set in, her limbs heavy and sluggish. He grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and shoved her face into the wall, her cheek pressed so firmly against it she tasted blood.

He put his mouth to her ear. ‘I’m giving you a pass on that one but if you disobey me again, there will be punishment,’ he spat out, droplets of his spit landing on her cheek.

He yanked her away from the wall and guided her from the room. She wanted to protest but her mouth wouldn’t form the words. It felt like she was sleepwalking, just coherent enough to understand what was going on around her.