Agent Undone

by Cassidy Reyne

  They all had to strip and were forced under the lukewarm water to clean up. Clothes were laid out on the bench for them to wear, and the girls followed the women’s orders without protest. Madison cringed at the outfit she was made to wear. It was a short, clingy dress in bright red with a deep scoop at the front. She also had to strap a pair of high heeled shoes to her feet and pulled her damp hair up on top of her head. The others wore similar outfits but also had to wear makeup, and their hair was dried for them. Once everyone was deemed ready, the women herded them down another corridor and out through a tall set of double doors. A large van waited outside with the engine running, and one by one they were forced inside. The van smelled of sweat and grime, and they had to sit on the dirty floor packed tightly together. After a twenty-minute drive, the van stopped, and the doors were pulled open.

  Madison’s ex-boyfriend and evil personified, Konrad Peeters, sat behind a large desk in a richly decorated office. His leather chair creaked as he turned away from the big window to face her.

  “You can leave, Hugo. I don’t think Vanessa is going to do anything stupid.” His voice was clipped and flat.

  Vanessa. She hadn’t heard that name in nearly two years. It was the first thing she’d shed when she escaped. Now, it was like stepping into the costume of another person and with it, their thoughts, feelings and experiences. All the things she had tried so hard to either forget or at least lock up in the darkest recesses of her mind came crashing back. Madison stood with a straight back and faced her abuser. Every cell in her body told her to run, but she knew it was useless. She wouldn’t even make it to the door. She raised her chin and met Konrad’s stare with a defiant gleam. Konrad rose slowly from the chair and stalked around the desk until he stood right in front of her. She could feel his breath on her skin and it made the hairs on her arms stand on end. His strong jaw was clean-shaven, and a faint whiff of cologne reached her nose. He’d always known how to dress well and look good. It disguised the monster hiding inside.

  With a finger, he lightly traced her cheek, down the side of her jaw and then along her collarbone till he stopped in the hollow in her neck. Like a snake striking its prey, his hand whipped up and closed around her throat. He slammed her back against the wall and squeezed hard. She tried to pry his fingers loose, but they were like steel claws and she was fast running out of air. Pain suddenly erupted in her head and made black spots dance in front of her eyes. Konrad smashed her head against the wall again and she cried out in agony. His other hand came up and slapped her across the face so hard her head flew to the side, A distant part of her brain noted the sensations as she struggled to deal with excruciating pain radiating through her body.

  “You. Belong. To. Me!” He punctuated each word by slamming her head back repeatedly. “No one leaves unless they’re sold — or dead!”

  Madison felt the blood trickling down the back of her neck as her head connected again and again with the wall behind her, making a dent in the plaster. Shards of agony bloomed in her skull and went shooting down her neck and spine.

  “I will make sure they all see what happens if they try!” Spittle flew from his mouth and she could see the rage burning in his eyes. The pain in her head and the lack of air to her lungs made her head spin, and she knew she was about to lose consciousness. She closed her eyes and waited for the next blow. Then, the grip around her throat lessened and she desperately dragged some air into her lungs. Her throat throbbed as the air filtered past the bruised and swollen tissue, and her lungs hurt from the lack of oxygen. No longer being held up by Konrad, she slid down the wall and fell in a heap on the floor. With her chest still heaving, she felt herself mentally resign to never being able to get out of his clutches again. The tiny spark of hope she’d kept hidden in her heart flared brightly for a brief moment. Carter’s twinkling eyes and lopsided grin cartwheeled through her mind before the flare dimmed and died out. Hope was pointless. She’d never have another opportunity to leave, Konrad would make sure of that, and all she could wish for was for death to come quickly.

  Konrad stared at her half naked body for a full minute before going back to his desk and taking something out of a drawer. When he returned he grabbed her jaw and forced her to look at him. His eyes bore into hers and she could see the cruel streak in his heart fighting to come out. He lifted her right arm and before she knew what was happening, he’d tied a rubber band around her bicep and the needle of a syringe plunged deep into her vein. Her mouth opened to form a protest, but the drug hit her bloodstream hard and fast, and a warm fuzzy sensation spread through her body. She found herself floating in a calm and warm ocean. All the pain fled her body and she felt safe, comfortable, and happy. Madison allowed herself to drift away on the still waters and just stared up at the blue sky. A few white, fluffy clouds drifted lazily across the expanse and the sun shone brightly. Everything was wonderful and she could forget all her worries and fears as if they’d never happened. A familiar scent of spices and pine filled her head and she felt enveloped in a haze of love and tenderness. She no longer cared about anything except being right where she was. Whatever this was, she wanted more. She wanted to stay in that place forever.

  Chapter Twenty

  The following week, Carter went back to Overdrive on his own. He was immediately invited into the VIP lounge where he spent most of his time at the bar. Gary, the barman, was just as talkative as he’d been on the opening night, and Carter took the opportunity to hint at being in the market for some ‘extra fun’, especially as he had some big events coming up. Gary narrowed his eyes and stood quietly watching him for a few seconds, clearly debating whether he was serious or not. Carter stayed where he was, just sipping his scotch and looking the bartender straight in the eye. He could almost see the cogs turning in the man’s head and knew the exact moment when he decided that Marcus Henderson meant what he said.

  Gary polished the glass in his hand and held it up to the light to look for smudges. He hung it up on the rack and leaned with his hands against the bar counter, returning Carter’s stare.

  “If you’re serious, Mr Henderson, I suggest you ask for the owner next time you’re here. Konrad Peeters is well known for being very accommodating with his regular clients.”

  “Thank you, I will remember that. This seems exactly like the kind of club I look for in the cities where I establish new divisions of Titan Industries. The company is well known for its generosity towards the local community, and I’m more than willing to take a look at the homegrown talent. I like keeping my clients happy.”

  Gary gave him a curt nod before diverting his attention to a couple who had sat down at the other end of the bar.

  Carter decided it was time to check out the main part of the club and walked out into the large room with a spacious dance floor where the music was thumping and men and women were grinding against each other to the rhythm of whatever track was being played.

  He slowly circled the crowded room before returning to the private lounge. He still had his drink in his hand, pretending to sip it every now and then. This was not a night for heavy drinking. He just needed to establish a reputation and be remembered for next time. He leaned against the bar and watched the people on the much smaller dance floor and the surrounding tables. Several women came up to him and he smiled, exchanged a few words, but politely declined any offers to dance. He wanted to be seen talking, flirting and drinking with beautiful women, irrespective of the fact that he supposedly had a girlfriend, but couldn’t afford to take his attention away from what was going on in the back of the room. He watched the security guards keep an eye on those that were drinking too much and were getting raucous and removed a couple when they were getting too frisky near the bathrooms. They stopped a celebrity from shouting at his girlfriend and nearly hitting her in the face when the alcohol, or drugs, went to his head and he lost his temper. Carter was impressed with how the bouncers dealt with every situation quietly and efficiently. It was clear that Peeters had strict rules and
wanted the nightclub to be a respectable establishment. So, where was he dealing the drugs? And where were the girls he supplied to those who were depraved enough to ask for them? Carter’s skin crawled at the thought that he would soon be one of those depraved men. He knew it was only part of his cover but still felt tainted by the same stench they were all covered in. A shudder went through him at the thought.

  “Hey handsome. Wanna dance?” A tap on Carter’s shoulder accompanied the shrill voice close to his ear.

  “Thanks, but I don’t dance. Two left feet.” He gave the drunken woman an apologetic smile.

  “S’okay. We can just talk… or go somewhere more private.” The woman slurred her words and leaned unsteadily towards him. “My place is nearby.” She batted her lashes in an attempt to make herself look seductive and sexy. An arm snaked around his neck and she tried to pull him closer. Her other hand settled on his chest and gripped his shirt — mostly to stop herself from falling over. Carter looked around and tried to get the attention of one of the security guards but none of them was looking in his direction. With a sigh he removed the woman’s hands and steered her towards some empty seats. She flopped down on one of the chairs and tried to drag him down next to her, but he managed to stay upright.

  “Why don’t you wait here and I’ll get you some water to drink. Are you here alone?”

  “Make it vodka, please. My asshole of a boyfriend is around here somewhere. He didn’t wanna dance. No one wants to dance, you’re all boring.” The woman sighed heavily and slumped back in the chair. Her eyes were closing, and Carter had a feeling she’d soon pass out if he didn’t get her some water. He quickly stepped over to the bar and waved Gary over.

  “Glass of ice water for the lady over there. Seems she’s had a bit too much.” Carter tipped his head towards the seats where the woman was half lying down.

  “What are you going to do?” Gary asked.

  “No fucking clue. I have no idea who she is, but she said her boyfriend is here somewhere. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see if he turns up.”

  “I think I saw her earlier with a blonde guy in a blue shirt. He had his sleeves rolled up and tattoos on his left forearm. There was a dagger and a skull, I think. If I see him, I’ll point him out or send him over.” Gary’s gaze swept over the busy dance floor and the booths around the edges.

  Carter nodded in thanks and went back to the girl who had straightened up but still looked pretty out of it. Quarter of an hour later, a blond guy turned up claiming to be her boyfriend. Not wanting to get involved, Carter left them to it and continued building the reputation of Marcus Henderson — hotshot businessman with expensive tastes and lots of money.

  After another hour of smiling, giving compliments, chuckling at sexual innuendos, flirting and generally living up to his cover, he’d had enough and called for the limo to pick him up.

  Back at the house, he gave a full report to Nathan and Caroline to keep them up to date and they spent another hour coming up with ideas for their next move.

  “Do you think you’ll be remembered at the club?” Nate looked up from his tablet, reaching for his drink on the coffee table.

  “The barman, Gary, he’ll definitely know who I am next time. Quite a few of the people I spoke to said they’re regulars, but you never know if they’re just pretending. I think one or two will remember enough, though, with the amount of cash and free drinks I was flashing about.”

  “Let’s hope it was enough to catch the attention of one of Peeters’ men so he mentions it and keeps an eye out for you next time,” Caroline mused. Carter nodded in agreement and said he couldn’t have done more without raising suspicion.

  It was nearly two in the morning when Carter felt too tired to function and went upstairs to collapse in bed. His last thoughts before falling asleep were of Madison and what had happened to her. Where was she? Had she left voluntarily or had someone taken her by force and if so, why? What would anyone want with a blogger and writer for women’s magazines? Whatever she’d been hiding surely couldn’t have been so horrific to make someone want to kidnap her? Like every other night he found no answers, only more questions. His dreams that night were different from his usual nightmares of Mira’s death and instead featured a petite brunette with emeralds for eyes. He woke up with a raging hard-on that he knew only one thing would alleviate. Standing under the hot spray in the shower he braced himself with one hand on the wall and started stroking himself with the other. Madison’s luscious body with firm breasts, long legs and toned ass flashed before his eyes in a flood of images until he came with a shout and emptied himself against the tiles. It was such an intense orgasm stars zipped through his vision, and his legs went weak underneath him. A deep sigh escaped his lips and he berated himself for still having such a visceral reaction to a woman he hadn’t even seen for six months. He wished he could get the her out of his head so he could just get on with his life.

  The three of them spent the rest of the week keeping up their covers. Carter and Nathan filled their days with business meetings and working out of their offices in Seattle’s business district. The new branch they were establishing for Titan was legit and had to be set up properly. Titan was owned by a former Director of the DEA, Armando Reyes, who was happy to lend his company’s name and resources to the mission, but in return he needed the work that was done as part of their cover to be real and as thorough as possible. They had support from the head office of Titan in the form of lawyers, accountants and managers who made sure Carter and Nate didn’t fuck up too badly. No deals were made without being scrutinized by at least ten other people first, but that was a common occurrence in business. The fact that Carter had grown up watching his parents build their multimillion dollar business from the ground up was standing him in good stead. Nathan also had some experience in the shipping industry from a previous undercover assignment so they could both at least walk the walk.

  A week later, Carter and Nathan paid another visit to Overdrive, this time with some clients from out of town. They’d both discussed whether to ask for Peeters while they were there but decided against it as Carter didn’t want to come across as too eager. They were a party of ten and went straight into the VIP Lounge and settled in a large booth in the middle of the room.

  “Ladies, can we have some drinks, please? I want champagne, whiskey — single malt scotch only — and the best tequila in the house.” Carter waved a couple of the scantily clad waitresses over. Both he and Nathan pretended to undress them with their eyes and got big smiles in return. These girls seemed to be genuine employees of the club, and their eyes lit up when he passed them 500 dollars each to ensure their glasses were never empty and to keep them company whenever they weren’t serving anyone else. As soon as they’d hustled off to bring glasses and bottles, Carter settled back in the comfortable booth and surveyed the room.

  “Busy this early on a Friday evening, but I can’t see any girls who look like they might be here against their will.” His eyes flicked back and forth across the dimly lit lounge.

  “Maybe Peeters only brings them on demand, or on certain prearranged nights. It would be too risky to have them here all the time in case there are people like us among the guests. Too easy for one of them to ask for help from someone they thought could be trusted.”

  “You’re probably right. These girls look more like regular employees than trafficking victims. I guess we’re going to have to wait until we can make contact with the scumbag before we have a chance at finding out how many he’s holding — and where.”

  “How many do you reckon he’s got?” Nathan kept his voice low and sipped his drink. His eyes were constantly moving around the room, taking note of how the security guys moved about and where all the exits were. Standard behavior for any field agent.

  “Not sure, but no less than twenty I would think. He could have more if he has a good place to keep them.” Carter stopped talking as he spotted the two waitresses making their way back to their table.
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  The young servers returned with trays full of bottles and glasses. Both girls were only too happy to make sure they had everything they wanted and even hinted at being available for other things as well. Their guests were happy to help themselves and were soon clinking glasses and toasting each other. It didn’t take long for two of them to get up on the dance floor and find a couple of women to dance with. The noise level in the lounge rose steadily as the alcohol flowed, but both Nate and Carter only sipped their drinks. Out of the corner of his eye, Carter saw Gary watching them, and he turned to give the barman a nod and a smile before concentrating on keeping up his wealthy businessman image. Carter felt slightly nauseous at the amount of money being spent, and he had to keep the mission objective at the forefront of his mind. If this saved even one young woman from being sold to some pervert, it would be worth it.