Planet of Pain Read Online Free Page A

said.
    â€˜And?’
    â€˜You’ve heard all you’re going to hear.’
    Tucker nodded happily. ‘I was rather hoping you’d say that. Sergeant Clemens, take them to the interrogation cell.’
    Â 
    Â 
    Â 
Chapter 3
    Â 
    They all went out, with the sergeant leading the way, then Bel and Jo, the two troopers, and Major Tucker bringing up the rear. They went along the passageway, thirty yards or so, to another room. It was not unlike the brig, with the same utilitarian desk and chairs, together with a tall steel cupboard. There were no cages, however, just half a dozen thin steel cables, each terminating in a metal cuff, hanging down in a row from compact drum winches mounted on the ceiling. Directly beneath these similar shorter cables were fastened to ringbolts in the floor.
    There was one other object of note in the room: a chair, steel framed and thinly padded. It was the sort used by doctors for intimate examinations, except that this particular specimen had restraining straps in addition to stirrups for the knees. At the sight of the thing Jo faltered, till a firm push in the back propelled her forward.
    But it was to the cables in the middle of the room that the two of them were taken, not the chair. Cuffs were fastened to their wrists and ankles and the cables winched up, drawing the women’s arms above their heads, and by the time the motors stopped Jo and Bel were standing on tiptoe, straining upwards.
    Major Tucker went to the cupboard and brought out a flat piece of wood a hand’s breadth across, a couple of feet or so in length with one end shaped into a handle. When he slapped the flat blade against his open palm his intentions were only too plain.
    â€˜Tell me something, captain,’ he asked, ‘have you ever been paddled?’
    Bel didn’t deign to answer. In a leisurely fashion Tucker strolled back and took up station behind her.
    â€˜I’ll take that for a “no”, then, shall I?’ He chuckled. ‘It seemed unlikely. You’re not exactly the submissive type, are you?’
    It was clear he was in his element; and he wasn’t alone. The two troopers were grinning openly, evidently enjoying themselves immensely. Sergeant Clemens was the only one who appeared to be taking any of this seriously.
    â€˜Here we go, then,’ Tucker said. ‘Bottoms up!’
    He raised his arm and swung the paddle. It contacted Bel’s buttocks with a sharp crack, loud enough to make Jo flinch. Bel swayed a little, but made not a sound.
    â€˜Ouch!’ Tucker said. ‘Isn’t that what you wanted to say, captain? Feel free to give vent to your feelings; truly, we don’t mind a bit.’
    He struck her again, with the same result. He gave her six in total, then lowered the paddle and stepped over to Jo.
    â€˜Now for our timid little lieutenant. Will she bear it with equal fortitude, I wonder?’
    Jo clamped her lips shut, not wanting to let Bel down by crying out. There was a pause, then a swish, and the next instant a stinging pain exploded across her buttocks. It hurt a lot, but she managed to keep silent. He gave her six in all, the same as Bel, and Jo was most thankful when it was over.
    Except, of course, it wasn’t. The major moved across to Bel once more, and stroked his hand over her buttocks.
    â€˜Nicely pink, and just a little warm,’ he said. ‘Let’s see if we can’t improve on the effect.’
    He gave her another six, talking to her between strokes, mocking her in that same pseudo-jovial fashion. Then it was back to Jo, who found it harder to keep silent this time. Her buttocks were still smarting from the first six, and the slaps stung cruelly, but she hung on, determined to deny him the satisfaction of hearing her cry out.
    And so it continued, with Tucker moving back and forth from one to the other. It was on the last stroke of the fourth set that Jo’s willpower finally failed her, and