Drugging the Untouchable
I was drugged. And I wasnt alone.
The red pinpricks of high-definition cameras in the corners confirmed the nightmare: a live feed, streaming right now, straight onto the darkest corners of the internet.
The viewersthousands of them, the digital leeches of the dark webwere buzzing, placing bets on how long we could hold out.
I had two choices laid out for me in this agonizing space. I could let the drug burn me alive from the inside out, a fever of chemical torture. Or I could sacrifice every shred of my dignity, and put on a show for the anonymous masses with the man standing a few feet away.
1
Heh heh, welcome, everyone, to How Long Can They Last?
Tonight, we feature the famously aloof artist and the notoriously untouchable CEO!
Weve been planning this event for an entire year! Hope you enjoy the show!
The synthetic, electronically processed voice echoed off the concrete walls. With a sharp clack, the enormous screen mounted on the wall flickered to life. Four brutal, industrial spotlights immediately skewered my vision with blinding white light.
The searing pain made me hiss in discomfort.
Awake?
The mans voice was rough, like gravel had been dragged across his vocal cords.
I turned my head and my breath hitched, then stopped completely.
It was Ethan Rhys.
The heir to the Rhys BioPharma empire in Boston, known for his utterly impenetrable aloofness. Wed only met twice before, briefly, at a gallery reception for the new packaging illustrations Id done for his companys latest drugan approval Id just secured. We hadn't exchanged more than three complete sentences.
Mr. Rhys, where are we?
An abandoned warehouse. And were being streamed, live.
He spoke, then immediately shuffled backward, retreating into the farthest corner he could manage, his breathing heavy.
Does it feel hot in here to you? I fanned myself nervously, taking in the scene.
He shot me a look of pure, mortifying awkwardness, his lips moving as if to speak, but he said nothing.
Odd.
But he wasn't wrong. It was a broadcast. HD-800 modelsa dark web favorite, meaning the transmission distance wasn't great, maybe a couple of miles.
A peculiar, unwelcome heat was beginning to rise under my skin. I forced myself to breathe deeply, trying to distract my mind from the intensifying sensation.
Mr. Rhys, how did you get caught up in this?
It was easy enough to target an independent artist like me, with no security. But Ethan Rhys? Surrounded by security and corporate muscle? Taking him down would have required a massive operation.
Why us? Why the two of us together?
A suppressed groan of agony escaped Ethans throat. Someone set me up
Whos the bankroller? The person behind the curtain? Anyone who could pull this off against him must have invested a fortune.
I dont know, Ethan ground out, each syllable a struggle to escape his gritted teeth. But I will.
2
On the massive screen, a dense, frantic scroll of comments flashed.
[WTF! Isn't that Sienna the Illustrator? The one they call the Untouchable?!]
[Heard half of Bostons A-list has chased her, and shes shot them all down.]
[Yep, notoriously hard to get!]
[And the other one is the Hermit CEO, Ethan Rhys? Theyre playing for real stakes!]
[Holy hell, Im so stoked!]
[Dark web is killing it! They managed to snag these two for a live stream!]
[Rumor is, they planned this for a year!]
[The Ice Queen meets the Hermit. Perfect pairing!]
[Heh heh, I love watching the prim and proper finally get down and dirty...]
Those comments felt like dirty, invisible hands, stripping me bare and tossing me onto the street.
Let us out of here! This is illegal! I instinctively curled my body inward, but my voice still came out in a terrified tremor.
The synthetic voice gave an exaggerated, mocking laugh. Help me! Im so scared!
Heh heh, friends, guests! The countdown starts now: 30 minutes! Place your bets! Lets see how long they can resist the urge. And who gives in first~~~
The comments grew more brazen, more vile.
[Oh, spare us the high-and-mighty act. When the drug hits, youll be crying for him.]
[Theyve been locked up for almost half an hour. Why hasnt the show started yet?]
[Is this a fake?]
[I bet twenty minutes! The girls dose hasn't fully kicked in.]
[Both of them are total smoke shows. Worth every penny.]
[Stop messing around! Get on with it! Im putting $200k on them not lasting.]
The drug? The drug? The one Id only read about in trashy romance novels?
I risked a glance at Ethan Rhys. He was in far worse shape than I was.
Cold sweat beaded on his temples. He was propped against the wall with one hand, his knuckles white and protruding. The muscles in his exposed forearm were taut and subtly shaking, like he was wrestling a silent, invisible beast.
I finally understood the meaning of his earlier, hesitant look. He couldn't speak. He was beyond opening his mouth for a casual chat.
I ran to the heavy iron door and started beating on it like a maniac.
Is anyone out there? Open up! Open the door!
Stop, Sienna that will only make the drug take hold faster. Ethans voice cut through my panic.
It was raspy, yet possessed a dangerous, compelling magnetism. His breathing was ragged and hot. In this suffocating, drug-fueled situation, his voice was like a lethal aphrodisiac.
A mortifying thought flashed through my mind: If he lunged at me, would I fight him, or
I shivered, realizing I had already started spiraling into the forbidden thought. I kicked the door harder.
Its been welded shut Ethan spoke again.
I spun around to face him, my heart hammering in my chest like a runaway train. Then what are we supposed to do? Wait to be burned to death by this chemical torment? Or couple like animals in front of a thousand people?
The words were out before I could stop them, and I instantly regretted it.
The bloody redness in his eyes flared, but he bit down hard, turning his face away. His Adams apple convulsed violently, almost tearing through the skin. He was clearly struggling far more than I was.
My words sounded like an accusation that he would take advantage of me.
Im sorry, I looked down, my voice catching on a sob. Im just terrified.
Dont worry, Ethan said, his fists clenched so tight his skin stretched white. Sweat was pouring down his forehead, soaking the back of his shirt. I will not touch you.
3
Too loud! Hmm, seems like my hospitality was lacking. I didnt give you enough of the good stuff!
The electronic voice was cold and sinister.
The next second, a cloud of rose-tinted gas hissed from the ventilation duct. It smelled sickly sweet, like melted honey and a chemical burn, snaking its way into my nostrils. My fingertips immediately started to tingle with a terrifying, delightful numbness.
Ethan spun around violently, his eyes fixed on me, pupils contracted to pinpricks.
My heart seized. My body trembled uncontrollably, and I felt a surge of utterly shameful anticipation.
Dont inhale!
He roared and lunged, moving so fast he was a blur. His hand, burning hot, clamped over my mouth and nose.
His touch was scalding. The calluses on his thumb grazed my lips, an act of sheer, terrifying aggression.
I instinctively recoiled, but ended up driving my head straight into his chest.
His face was inches from mine. His breath, erupting in ragged bursts, was a fiery, medicated inferno.
The comments section exploded:
[Finally! Mr. Rhys, hold her tight!]
[Look at his hand! Hes about to crush her face!]
[Get on with it! Stop pretending to be a gentleman!]
Ethans fingers suddenly tightened, and I let out a sharp, muffled cry of pain.
Sorry.
He seemed to snap out of a trance, abruptly releasing me. He stumbled back a huge step, his body slamming violently against the iron door.
BAM!
A low, guttural moan of pain ripped from his throat.
A shard of sharp, upturned metal on the door sliced a deep gash into his forearm.
Blood instantly gushed out, streaming down his arm and dripping onto the pale concrete floora shocking, aggressive red.
I gasped in horror.
Dont be afraid!
He retreated to the corner, and I watched, paralyzed, as he dug his own fingers into the fresh wound on his arm. He let out a suppressed roar, a sound of pure, tearing agony.
He was using the pain to force himself awake, to force himself away from me.
The comments instantly turned crueler:
[Oh, look! Hes actually bleeding! Is he trying to look pathetic? Trying to make the girl pity him?]
*[Get her to lick the wound! And get it on!] *
[He's about to blow, but hes still playing the saint. Give it up, Romeo!]
4
My own condition was no better.
The earlier struggle, the panic, and now the second dose had sent the drug racing through my bloodstream. It was a waking beast, consuming my will.
I bit down hard on my tongue until I tasted metal. The coppery scent of my own blood filled my mouth, a feeble attempt to use pain to fight off the shameful, burgeoning desire.
Worse, my body had already surrendered. A million invisible ants seemed to crawl beneath my skin, urging me toward that specific source of pure, overwhelming male energy.
Ethans wound was still bleeding, staining half of his shirt sleeve crimson.
I gathered the last of my strength and ripped the lace trim from the hem of my cocktail dress.
Use this to tie it up.
My legs were jelly, my voice trembling and unrecognizable. I stumbled two steps and held it out to him.
Ethans body instantly froze. He turned, his eyes bloodshot and feral, like a beast on the verge of losing control.
His gaze dropped first to the scrap of fabric I offered, then slowly moved up, locking onto my face.
The intensity of his stare terrified me. I instinctively tried to pull my hand back, but he suddenly clamped down on my wrist.
His fingertips brushed my skin, sending a jolt of electrifying numbness up my arm.
My rational mind screamed at me to push him away, but my body was a shameful traitor. All I wanted was to burrow into his arms, to feel his heat.
Please I bit my lip, my nails digging into my palm, clinging to the last sliver of control. Dont, Ethan.
The comments section went completely insane:
[He finally put his hands on her! Pin her against the wall!]
[The girls melting! Whats with the act?]
[I bet they dont last 10 seconds. Wager: 0-000k.]
[Go! Go! Go! Stop wasting time!]
A sob escaped me, and a single, scalding tear rolled down my cheek, splashing onto the back of his hand.
He flinched violently, as if my tear had burned him.
He abruptly let go, gasping as he staggered two steps back.
Im sorry! He averted his eyes, a flicker of panic in his voice. Thank you, but I dont need the bandage.
We both knew the score. If we gave in to this physical need, we would be reduced to rutting animals, coupling under the jeers and scorn of countless strangers. The dark web would record our humiliation and sell it.
The price of a momentary surrender would be a lifetime of shame and regret.
5
Having been denied the spectacle they craved, the comments hissed like venomous snakes, dripping with malice:
[Oh, he actually refused? What a pretentious gentleman!]
[Loser! Cant even get a girl when shes doped up!]
[Look at Mr. Rhyss back! He must be rock-hard. Why the saintly act?]
[Damn it! Im out hundreds of thousands because theyre dragging their feet!]
[The girl should stop faking it! Her face is flushedshe definitely wants it!]
[Go jump him! Solve the problem for both of you! Well light up the rockets!]
Just then, the warehouse loudspeaker boomed to life. The same cold, synthesized voice spoke: Heh heh, now entering the Close Proximity Challenge segment.
Rule: Do what I say, or we will release more Pink Bubble Air.
Ethans head snapped up. Like an enraged bull, he bellowed into the speaker. Go ahead! Id rather die than let you scumbags get what you want!
And what about Miss Sienna? The voice was playfully taunting.
I was riding the peak of the drugs effect, fueled by the rush of male hormones. I could barely speak, using every ounce of my diminishing strength to hold myself together. I just shook my head violently.
The electronic voice suddenly turned chilling. It seems you two aren't getting the hint. Very well. Miss Sienna, they say a man pursuing a woman is like climbing a mountain, but a woman pursuing a man is like pushing aside a veil. How about you take the initiative?
Don't rush to refuse. Do you recognize this?
The image on the screen abruptly switched from our live feed to a close-up shota pink hair tie with a tiny, silver rabbit charm dangling from it.
My heart sank like a stone.
It was my sister Laylas hair tie. Id given it to her for her birthday last year, and she wore it every day.
The electronic voice carried an awful, malicious chuckle: If you don't want anything to happen to her, you'll kiss him. And don't tell me you don't want to kiss him right now.
The comments section went ballistic:
[Aha! Time for the big guns!]
[Kiss! Kiss! Quick!]
[Whose life is more important, your sisters or your virginity?]
[Hurry! Im betting on the position already!]
[Im betting $500k on the missionary position.]
6
Staring at that familiar hair tie, the blood ran cold in my veins.
Layla was the most important person in the world to me, second only to my father.
I felt like I was going insane. The last flicker of my sanity was being extinguished.
Who? Who paid you to do this? Ethan ground out, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscles twitching.
The synthetic voice remained cheerfully indifferent: Thats none of your concern, Mr. Rhys! We take peoples money; we deal with peoples problems.
Im starting the countdown now. If you don't complete the task in ten seconds, I will kill the little girl! Heh heh
I shuddered, my mind clearing slightly. Stop! That hair tie might look like the one I made, but there are similar ones! How do I know Layla is actually with you?
The electronic voice let out a sinister laugh.
The screen flashed, cutting to a new image: a familiar figure tied to a chair, gagged with cloth. Seeing the camera, she shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face.
Layla! I screamed, trying to rush forward, but Ethan pulled me back instantly.
Ten Nine
The screen instantly returned to the live feed, and the synthetic voice started counting.
Ethan! I pleaded, my voice choked with sobs and completely shattered. Please
I had broken. Under the dual torment of the drug and the threat, I abandoned my last shred of struggle.
Ethan looked up at me sharply, his eyes wide with shock, and a trace of barely concealed heartbreak.
The comments section was in a frenzy:
[Shes finally come around!]
[Mr. Rhys, stop standing there! Kiss her!]
[Kiss her, then go straight for it! No holding back!]
[Go! Go! Go!]
Eight
But Ethan didnt move. He turned his head away, biting down hard, trembling slightly.
We both knew what that one kiss would lead to.
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