The building was bare. Spartan. Then they were at another door, waiting.
A moment passed, and there was a beep and then a click, like the door had unlocked, and the other man was pushing it open. This time the hallway was carpeted and dimly lit and far more opulent.
More in line with Peter’s taste.
It looked like a suite of offices with a visiting area outside, with a small couch and even a coffee table. Behind the couch was a wide window, but it was dark on the other side and other than the high ceilings of the warehouse, she couldn’t make anything out. Next to the window was a doorway that led out to the warehouse, but that wasn’t where they directed her. Instead, she was taken to the end office.
“Please, have a seat,” Peter said and waited until she sat on a long leather couch that ran against one wall before taking a seat behind a massive desk. “I’ll only be another minute.” He picked up the phone, leaving her to look around the room.
Classy. Dark cherry furnishings, leather couches and chairs. It was like a fancy home office or den. A home office or den that dealt in selling human beings. Behind the desk was another window, the blinds drawn, with a long credenza underneath. The window was against the same outer wall as the one outside the office. Looking at the same scene. But like the other window, it was too dark to make anything out from her vantage point.
“Is everyone on? Who do we have left?” Peter paused as he waited for the response. “They know the rules. We start promptly on the hour. No exceptions. Particularly tonight.” He waited again nodding. “Good. Oh, and run the feed right away. I want a peek.”
Peter hung up and spoke to the guy still waiting at the door. “Tell everyone to stay sharp. I don’t expect trouble, but the heat’s coming fast on this one. Have the merchandise sent directly to the trucks after each sale has been confirmed. We don’t have time to wait on this one. Especially for number nine. Hell, if we hadn’t already listed it as the last in the lineup, I’d push it first. Stay on that one, okay?”
The other man nodded and left the office. She heard a door open, and for a brief moment she thought she heard crying before the door shut and all was quiet again.
“So pensive and quiet, Meredith. That’s unlike you,” Peter said and leaned comfortably back in his seat. “Tell me, what do you think of the place so far?”
“I’m thinking that so far the whole experience is seriously…underwhelming. It’s as if you’re running a sleazy strip joint, not a high-end auction for select clientele.” Her tone was snotty and confident—not at all reflective of her true horrified emotions—but she sold it well, if the quick anger on Peter’s face was any indication. She smiled. “What kind of clientele comes out to a barn in the middle of nowhere to look at your reputed quality goods?”
Peter drew a cigar from his desk drawer and quickly sliced the end and lit up. He took a draft and stared at her, his eyes still flashing, before he spoke. “You’re thinking too small, Meredith. In this day and age of online video cameras and chats, satellite phones that can reach every corner of the earth, in-person purchases are a thing of the past. Now my clients can sit back in the comfort of their own homes and conveniently watch the show from their computer or television. They place bids directly online. It saves us all the hassle and risk of hosting a larger-scale auction, like we did in the past. Those might be infinitely more fun, but they also draw too much attention with the comings and goings of our higher-profile guests. You know, for tonight’s little presentation we’ll be hosting two sheikhs, a general from a South American country, and European royalty.”
He waited for a response from her, but other than shrugging her shoulders, she was determined to look unimpressed. The thick acrid cigar smoke was almost suffocating, though, and she blinked her eyes. The phone on Peter’s desk rang, and a second later the intercom beeped in. “We’re online.”
“Well, let’s see if we can work on piquing your interest as the show progresses, huh?” Peter said and pushed a button on the desk. A screen descended from the ceiling across from them. He took another pull from his cigar and blew the smoke out. The heavy scent of tobacco became stronger, and she fought nausea.
The screen remained dark for a moment and then flashed on, and she found herself holding her breath, growing anxious, the panic nearly overwhelming her until she realized Peter was watching her. She hated the idea of giving him anything more to get excited about and focused on relaxing, practicing her breathing again.
She closed her eyes, trying to block out Peter and the room and the smell.
Better. When she opened her eyes again, Peter still watched her, amused. He propped his cigar in an ashtray and stood to grab a glass from the credenza behind him. He spilled some bourbon in it and walked over to take a seat next to her.
Right next to her. Close enough she could smell the bourbon on his breath. He took a sip, then offered it to her, but she shook her head.
They returned their gaze to the screen. Lights flashed on in three corners of the screen and she realized that in the center, once standing in the dark, was a covered figure, now lit by the spotlights.
A man entered the frame and in a quick movement pulled the long covering from the figure and swept back out. Meredith gasped, forgetting about practiced indifference when she realized it was a young girl who stood under the lights. Her eyes were vacant and glassy as she looked about her, her feet unsteady in four-inch heels.
And she was completely naked.
“On behalf of your host,” a man announced in a clipped British accent, “I’d like to thank you all for participating in our event tonight and hope you’ll find the wait well worth it. Without further delay, we’ll start with item number one from your catalog. A seventeen-year-old certified pure with dark chestnut hair and brown eyes. English-speaking with some Spanish. The bidding starts at fifty thousand.”
At the bottom corner of the screen, Meredith could see a flag appear. Followed by another. Bids. Somewhere, somehow, there were people actually bidding on this young girl. Horror rose in her chest, and she brought her hand to her mouth.
“Ah. So you’re not as impervious as you pretend.” Peter chuckled. “You sure you wouldn’t like a drink?”
“You are such a vile, disgusting man. Hell is going to be too good for you.”
He laughed and rested his hand on her knee. “There you go again. Right into the dramatics.” This time she shoved his hand from her knee and tried to scrunch up against the farthest end of the couch.
“The bidding is now at one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars,” the voice on the screen said. “Two hundred. Two twenty-five. Do we have any final bids? Item number one is sold.”
The man from before returned to the screen and guided the wobbly teenager from the light. Another man appeared with a new cloaked figure. With relish, the man pulled the cloak, once again revealing another nude girl, this time blonde, but with the same vacant look. The brief introduction followed, telling her the girl was only sixteen years old.
“This is a new experience for me,” Peter said and set his glass on the table next to him before closing the space between them. “I don’t normally entertain guests during the show, and I have to say, I love sharing this moment with you.” He leaned over, his hand caressing her cheek. “Usually I jack off alone, imagining what will take place in a few short hours while my own bank account swells. But I think tonight I might treat myself to a little more salacious entertainment. You have, after all, been whetting my appetite for many years, Meredith. I’d hate to miss my opportunity to experience the wonder of what sliding between your thighs feels like.”
Meredith held completely still. His fingers slid down her cheek, her jawbone, and then her neck, sending her skin crawling. He leaned farther over, his breath reeking of tobacco and bourbon, and she fought the urge to gag. She kept her eyes ahead, refusing to flinch.
“You’re taking this ice maiden act to an all-time high, Meredith. Come on, where’s the fight?”
�
�What would be the point? We both know that would only excite you further.”
He smiled. “You do know me well. But I’m sure I can manage a little excitement, with or without active resistance on your part.”
He’d been so slow and purposeful in his attentions, it took her by surprise when Peter suddenly pressed her back against the couch and settled himself between her thighs. On the screen, the bidding continued. And she waited.
His pants loosened, Peter grabbed the top of her gown and pulled it down with force, ripping the fabric across her shoulder. His hot mouth bent down and bit her nipple, finally earning a cry despite her efforts. “Don’t worry. I can’t leave any permanent marks on you, as that would decrease your value. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun.”
His hand went to the front of his pants, his attention focused on drawing himself out. She was grateful for the distraction as she slipped her hand down the outside of her thigh, searching.
Her hand reached the handle, and without hesitating further, she pulled the knife from the sheath Travis had wrapped around her leg earlier tonight.
She settled the edge of the blade against his neck.
The look of surprise as his eyes widened made his groping almost worth it.
Chapter Eighteen
Having stealthily circled the perimeter around the warehouse, Travis counted five men, all armed, outside the building. Six if he included the driver of the black limo, who still remained in the car. One man standing guard outside the front entrance, three sitting inside the delivery trucks at the back of the warehouse, one guard waiting outside the loading dock.
He had no idea how many might be inside. Nor did he know where the hell Meredith was. But the limo was Peter’s, which meant she was here somewhere.
“Where are we, Meems?” he asked her again, his microphone and earpiece back in place. “I’m not waiting much longer. With or without access to their security footage.”
“Give me a minute…”
He kicked into the ground, not wanting to alert anyone to his presence but needing to let off some frustration.
Damn. What the hell had Meredith been thinking? Putting herself at risk like this?
She had to be alive.
“I’m in. Okay, looks like it’s started. There’s a feed that’s being broadcast right now. Oh my God. It’s disgusting. You’re going to have to hurry.” He heard her take in a long, even breath before continuing. “Too much activity in the back. Go through the front. There are two men at the door, but then there’s a stretch as you go through two hallways where it’s clear. Meredith’s in an office in the back. Close to the auction.”
“Copy,” he said. “You’re sure you’ve got a line on the girls? They’re in there?”
“You have no idea,” she said, sounding sick.
“I’m going to give you a phone number. Detective Johnson. Tell him what you relayed to me. Tell them to get their asses out here before it’s too late,” he said, pulling the card out from his pocket and relaying the number.
He made it to the front door with a quick stop at the limo, where he knocked out the driver. Inside the building, the rush of adrenaline of finally doing something made neutralizing the two men easy work. He stopped at one of the bodies and bent over it, taking out the guy’s earpiece and slipping it in his own ear. The chatter on the other end told him no one was wise to the breach yet, too occupied with the events at the back.
Voices came through the earpiece. The first two packages were being placed in trucks. A third was on the way. The back-and-forth conversation told him that one truck was heading to St. George. Another would be heading to the private landing strip. They were awaiting further direction.
Shit. He didn’t have time to wait. He was going to have to delay those trucks from leaving in any way he could.
…
“Don’t move another muscle, or I’ll shove this blade into your throat.” Meredith leaned forward, and Peter followed her movements until his back was pushed against the couch.
“Now that I have your complete attention, I’m going to tell you what you need to do. And don’t try anything, Peter. You have to realize I don’t give a shit what happens to you, so if I feel the least bit anxious about your intentions, I’ll have no qualms about killing you. None.” Aware of his sharp eyes watching her every movement, looking for some weakness, she pushed the blade against his skin until she saw a trickle of blood. Then she slipped her hand into his front pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Now, I want you to call whoever you need to and tell them you’ve received an offer on Darcy—who I’m guessing is your item number nine—and you want her delivered to your limo right away. I’ll wait.”
His gaze remained on her, only broken for a moment while he made the call. “Yes, Nick. Change in plan. Number nine won’t be included in tonight’s show. Yes, I know, and don’t forget who you’re talking to. Payment has already been secured. Just have her delivered to my limo. All right. Call me when it’s done.”
He hung up. “Done.”
The smug smile tugging at his lips made her uneasy, but from what she’d heard from him as well as the other voice she’d been able to make out, he’d done what she said.
“And our final bid now stands at two hundred and fifty thousand…and sold.” The young girl was whisked away, and another girl stood in her place a moment later.
“What happens to all these girls you’re selling? Do you even know? Or care?”
“Like I explained, this is business. It’s not my concern what happens to the merchandise once it leaves my possession.”
“They’re girls. Human beings,” she almost yelled. “With families who love them, with dreams and a whole life ahead of them. Don’t talk about them like they’re anything less.”
“Of course,” he said. “But what am I really taking them away from any of them? A life of uncertainty? Of heartache and angst? Poverty? I’d bet half of these girls would be turning tricks in six months’ time even if we hadn’t intervened. Let me share an interesting fact with you, Meredith, about the girls I have with us tonight. All of them desperate and in need of some love and attention. With the exception of your daughter, not one of them has been reported as missing by their parents. Can you believe it? Many of them are runaways, living on the streets. The only thing saving them from this fate and the fate of the other girls that you might have seen at the house last night is that they managed to keep their virginity intact. The truth is, no one wanted these girls. I’ve found a place for them.”
“But Darcy is wanted. You know that now.”
He had the nerve to smile. “That’s the funny thing. Even though I hadn’t realized Darcy was part of our lineup until the other day, if anyone had asked me, I would have thought you’d have been relieved to have someone take her off your hands for you. Come on, Meredith. You’re not exactly the most nurturing of mothers. I always got the impression she was more a thorn in your side than anything.”
Meredith’s hand shook, wanting to throttle this smug bastard for saying the same things that had been haunting her these past few days. Her daughter was everything to her, and she’d make sure that no one—Darcy included—ever doubted that again.
She worked to keep her voice even. “And now you know differently. You don’t have to do this. You could have two million dollars now if you just let us go.”
“I already explained this. I’m a businessman, and you don’t go jerking the chains of your clients. You say a girl is part of the lineup, she stays part of the lineup. Otherwise I lose their trust.”
“But I can pay you. Right now. What’s the difference between my money and theirs?”
“The difference is there’s a system. All clients are registered and follow with some interest who bids on each item, who goes home with merchandise. You’re not in the system. How are they to know that I didn’t lie about this girl’s availability? You’re not in the system, they can’t see you bid. The bid won’t be legitimate in their eyes.
Like I said, I’m willing to lose whatever you can pay me to keep their goodwill.”
“But all these girls, you’re taking away their freedom. Do you give them any choice in this life you’ve set up for them? Or from what I can tell by their doped expressions, you drug them so they can’t fight you. They can’t say no.”
“The drugs just take the edge off. Makes things much easier for everyone involved. They may even come to enjoy it. The majority of these girls, if they play their cards right and don’t screw things up, will have an easy life. They’ll live in style, with nothing to worry about.”
“At least until they’re no longer wanted.”
He shrugged. “Like I said, if they play their hands right, they’ll possibly be given something for their time. Something to help them get started.”
Peter’s cell phone rang, and he looked at her with amusement. “Shall I answer it, or you?”
“Take the goddamn call.”
He brought the cell phone to his ear. “All set? Thanks. No. Let me worry about that. Tell the driver to be ready to go.” She pushed the blade against his neck again and watched as he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “My guest, the woman, will be joining her shortly.”
Darcy was in the car. She was safe. Waiting. Now Meredith just had to get the hell out of here and fast. Then she could get to the nearest phone and call the police. Save the rest of them before it was too late.
Peter hung up and stared at her.
“Now we’re going to stand and ease our way to the door.” The door creaked open under her hand, and she stayed close to Peter, making sure he didn’t try anything as they stepped outside the office.
If she hadn’t been so focused on Peter, she might have noticed the figure waiting behind her in the shadows before the crushing pain in her skull sent her reeling forward. She saw blackness but fought against it.
She blinked against the pain, willing herself to focus on Peter’s face.
She was gripped tightly and lifted, but the force of the hit had her still trying to clear the fog for her to put up much of a fight. Intense nausea hit her as she was brought back in the room, caused by either the reek of cigar smoke, the pain in her head, or both.
Love You Madly Page 19
