​     "And now, I'll ask you one more time," ​Valtair said, his voice silky smooth. "What is the code word that will allow us to take control of those missiles?" And he knew it would be the last time because, by then, Livia was almost unconscious beyond reawakening. Her body was now thickly coated with her own sweat. Her eyes were now so rolled back into her skull that her pupils were no longer visible. Valtiar had to hand it to her. She'd held out much longer than he'd thought she would, but now...now... 

     "P-Please." 

     "Stop begging. Yes, I will take the agony away. Yes I will kill you, I promise, but first you must TELL ME THE CODE!" 

​     "It's...It's...my voice..."

     "It's a voice recognition code?"

​     "Y-Yes."

     "Say it, then. Say the code." 

​     "Samantha."

     "That's it? That's the code?" 

​     "It's the name of my cat when I was a child. It was the only thing I ever really..."

​     "And my saying that name will allow me access to the missiles?"

​     "No. I just opened the way by saying the name myself. You are now free to enter."

     Valtair didn't waste another second with her. He held a force blaster in the palm of his hand. He used it to slam Livia bone-crushingly hard against the cement wall of her "safe" room. The blast ripped her clothes from her body.   

​     Good, Valtair thought. She deserved nothing more than to die naked and broken. 

     Miraculously, Livia managed to stay on her feet, at least for a couple of seconds. "Uh...Uh...I...I..." 

     "Those are going to have to be your last words," Valtair said. The second blast was much stronger than the first. It blew Livia entirely to pieces, leaving behind only blood and gore splatter all over the floor and walls. 

     The most powerful woman in the world. Hah! 

     And, now, to launch the missiles. 

CONTINUE