He nodded in agreement and stood, turning his back to me and walking slowly away. He stopped halfway down the sidewalk and turned to look over his shoulder.
“The first sale is in three days. We’re talking high bidders. Be ready. I’ll get you the location and the pass code for entry.” I watched him fall into the bustle of the sidewalk behind me and stride away, then slid my phone from its place in my jacket and dialed our director.
“Davis! How are you?” Grant answered excitedly.
“Pretty good, sir. How are you?”
“Oh, stop calling me sir. You know better. I’m good. I just sat down with Lauren for lunch, need something important?”
I ran my fingers through my hair, glancing over my shoulder to make sure I was alone.
“There’s an important buy in three days. I need the funds available. This is big, sir. We might get the chance to take down the Dragons.” There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. I waited until Grant was able to answer me.
“Okay. I stepped away. Are you sure it’s Dragon?” He pressed.
“They have a lot to be shipped out soon. My contact told me the first sale is in three days.”
“Fine. Tell me how much, I’ll have it wired to the clean account.”
“I’ll let you know.” I stood and started walking toward the office.
“Sure. Anything you need.” There was another small pause before Grant spoke again.
“How are you doing, Davis?”
My heart skipped a beat and a flash of blonde silky hair skittered across my memory. The memory of Amanda in my arms, swaying back and forth to slow melodic music.
“I’m fine,” I stated firmly, fisting my hand in my pocket, grabbing the locket I had given her on the night of our engagement. I heard Grant’s sigh on the other end.
“Maybe you should take some more time off, Davis. With everything that happened…”
“I’m fine, sir. I’ll call you later.” I quickly ended the call, shoving the phone in my jeans pocket, and crossed the busy street, heading into the park. I miss you. I rubbed my hand across my tightening chest, holding back the emotions from my flooding over my face. Every day.
Amanda was my fiancée. We met working for Corinth. Nearly a year ago, she decided to take on a mission from the northern part of the country. I got the call late one night that she had been taken. I tried everything I could to get to her, but before I arrived, the team found her body, beaten and lifeless.
I stepped away from the job, then. Took half a year to really focus on healing and my relationship with God. I wasn’t angry anymore, but the absence of her was still overwhelming at times. She was my everything, and her heart for rescuing these girls became mine. Together we saw many girls released and sent to safe houses in the area.
I know she died in the name of doing something; not many people can say they did. She devoted her life to bringing redemption to these girls, and after letting myself mourn, I returned to complete her work. I knew I had to move on and live my life, and I finally felt like I might be able to do that a few days ago. Now the horror of what could be happening to Nova, the same things that happened to the love of my life, terrified me.
A few hours later, I found myself walking into the cafe and up the dark wooden stairs to the office. I stood at the entryway and glanced around the room, taking in the sight of my busy team and their hard work. Piles of documents had begun to fill the large meeting table and more information had been added to the whiteboard.
Nicole walked up to me, handing me a styrofoam cup filled with steaming black coffee. “Here, sir. Take a seat, we have some information we need to give you to bring you up to speed.”
I nodded, thanking her for the cup and bringing it to my lips, letting the heady scent fill my senses. I pulled out a rolling black chair from the table and took a seat across from the board. Nathan walked in with a pile of folders in his hand and set them down in front of me.
“Here you go, sir.” He motioned to the stack. “These are financial records on both girls, time-line breakouts of their arrival to the moment of capture, and background checks on family.”
I pulled the first folder into my hands and began to flip through the paperwork.
“As you can see,” Nicole continued, “Everything is pretty much in order until around five o’clock on the suspected day of capture. We’ve narrowed it down to the southeast area of town.”
Nathan piped in. “There were no charges at any restaurant or shopping center in the area, which can only mean they were taken before they arrived to their destination, but what we did find was a paid taxi fare to the south side. We traced the charge back to Taxi Blue, the taxi company that services most of the resorts.” He slipped me a piece of paper with a name on it. “This was the cab driver. We could start with him.”
I nodded in agreement, tucking the paper into my shirt pocket, and looked up at Nathan.
“Good work, Nate.” I glanced at Nicole. “You, too. This information is crucial. I guess we should start going through everything before we meet their families.”
I tucked a few of the folders under my arm and moved to my office. Stepping around my desk, I slid into my cracked leather chair and dropped the documents in front of me. I flipped through the papers until I found the taxi company’s contact information, then picked up my phone and dialed.
“Taxi Blue. How can I help you?” A pleasant female voice answered through my speaker.
“Hello. May I speak to…,” I pulled out the paper in my pocket with the taxi driver’s name on it, then continued, “Perry Jacobs?” I slipped the paper into the file and picked up a pen on my desk, pulling a fresh legal pad in front of me.
“Perry is out on service right now. Can I give him a message?”
I chewed my lip as I contemplated what I would say.
“Actually, I’d like to schedule his service.”
“Well, we can send out a taxi to you whenever you’d like. We have many other…”
“I’d like Perry, please.” I firmly commanded her compliance.
“Certainly, sir. The earliest I can have him available is two hours. What time were you needing him?”
“Two hours is fine. Please have him pick me up at 17 Mariner Court. I’ll be waiting outside.”
“Good, sir. I’ll page him right now.”
“Thank you.” I hit the off button on my desk phone and scribbled a few notes down while I waited for my time to be up.
Chapter 3
PRESENT DAY
(Unknown location)
NOVA
The guards tossed small clean dresses at each of us. I held it up and inspected the garment, a simple gray cotton gown that fell just past the hips and held on by strings at the tops of the shoulders. We all took turns securing them for each other before the lights flooded on and we were commanded to stand in line once again. When we all had taken a place, the door opened and Demon stepped in, taking his time inspecting us. I avoided eye contact with him because I couldn’t stand the feel of his dark eyes peering into my soul. He marched up and down the line of girls, pulling our faces closer and yanking on our hair as he decided who was worthy of going forward. My eyes cast downward as I saw heavy boots stop in front of me.
“Look at me, girl.” He roughly ordered.
I raised my face to his but looked above his head to avoid having to stare directly at him. His fingers gripped my hair until my eyes watered and I was forced to look straight into his eyes. A second later he spitonto my chest.
“Remember this. You are nothing other than what I say you are. You obey me. As long as you comply and are continued to be wanted by my customers, you will live. If you do not…” He smirked as he glanced at the girls around me, and then his gaze traveled back to my face. He lowered his voice, making his words ominous and terrifying. “You will die.”
He released me and stepped back, moving to address the entire group once again. “Today, you will prove your worth to me. Should you want
to survive the day, I expect you to make the clients happy.”
He motioned to the guards, and they opened the door and pulled the first girl by the hands, leading her outside and back to our prison cells. Each of us followed silently, and a tear fell from my eye and left a wet path down my freshly scrubbed face. I quickly reached up and wiped it away in hopes that none of the men would notice. Am I dreaming? Is this a nightmare?
Demon walked beside me the entire time. When we reached my door he put a key into the bolt and twisted the knob, stepping inside and pulling my plastic-bound hands with him. He stepped outside momentarily and yelled down the hall to one of his minions.
“No clients in this cell today. She’s mine.”
Fear rippled through me and I almost crumbled to my knees. I could not do this again. The introduction to this life was bad enough, I couldn’t handle another one. He slammed the door closed and turned to look at me.
He bent by my feet and unlocked the chain around one of my ankles. The relief was momentary, as I felt him tug me closer to the wall. My heart raced and started to pound in my chest, and my gut wrenched in fear as he secured the end of the chain to a heavy looped bolt in the wall.
“Your defiance will kill you, girl. I cannot give you to another client unless I know you’re obedient. So this will be a lesson. You will obey, or be punished.”
He pulled another chain from the corner of the room and threaded it through another bolt in the wall, a few feet from the other one, then secured it around my other ankle.
“Raise your arms.” He commanded in a dark tone. My hesitation was only a moment, but his fist ricocheted across my cheek at the brief infraction.
“Now.” His breath, hot and angry, settled over my skin, making it crawl. I raised my arms above my head, and he reached, pulling them around a hook hanging from the ceiling. I was a prisoner.
I didn’t know what he had planned, but he stepped back a few feet and looked me over. I closed my eyes and turned my face away from him. I couldn’t watch. This time, he didn’t stop me. I heard his knife flip open and my heart tried to jump out of my chest.
“Please… please don’t do this.” I cried out, whimpering, feeling the cold steel on my thigh.
“You do not get to decide here. You are mine. No one is going to save you.” The metal pierced through the skin on my inner thigh and he dragged the tip, slicing his way down a few inches toward my knee.
I cried out in pain as the warm blood poured out of the wound and down to my feet. He repeated the process on the other leg until my body went numb. He was preparing me for something else. I knew it. I had to force my mind to close out what was happening. For now, I was his. There was no use in fighting. This was my fate.
* * *
THREE DAYS AGO
(Sydney, Australia)
NOVA
The sun moved swiftly toward the edge of the water. Lines of purple and pink danced across the sky as the crowds on the beach began to thin. Evie was asleep on her towel, lying next to me. I sat up, resting my arms across my knees, and watched the magnificence of the sunset before me.
A few seconds later, a Frisbee landed at my feet and my gaze popped up into the face of a smiling man with golden skin and light brown hair. His smile was bright and his eyes were hidden by dark sunglasses. I found myself wondering what color they would be.
“Sorry about that.” He smiled, picking up the disc and tossing it back towards his group of friends.
“No problem.” I blushed from head to toe, smiling nervously.
“My name is Davis.” His grin grew even more as he offered me his hand in a friendly gesture.
“Nova.” Sliding my fingers across his calloused palm, I couldn’t keep my smile from matching his.
“It’s nice to meet you. Would you like to join us?” I glanced back at Evie, still asleep with her headphones plugged into her ears, and decided a little fun wouldn’t hurt.
“Sure,” I consented, feeling eager and carefree in the moment. He pulled me up, keeping a hold of me for a few beats as I steadied myself in the sand. He released me and stepped back, motioning in the direction of his friends.
“Ever played extreme Frisbee before?” He questioned as we made our way across the sand.
“I can’t say that I have, but I’m pretty decent at sports.”
“Great. You can be on my team then,” he said with a laugh. “Hey guys, this is Nova. She’s going to join.”
“Great!” Yelped a tall scraggly-looking man as he jogged over to me, offering his hand. “Charlie Scott. Nice to meet you.”
“You, too.” I nodded and glanced around the congregating group. An awkward silence suspended in the air for a few awkward moments before Charlie broke into it.
“This is my beautiful wife, Megan.” He pulled a tall brunette closer to his side and nuzzled his face against hers. She giggled and pushed him off, rolling her eyes at his obvious affection.
“Nice to meet you, Nova.” She seemed warm, friendly, and welcoming. The introductions took a few minutes more, and it seemed as if Davis was the odd one out in his group of friends. Everyone was coupled off, and it was obvious they were filled with curiosity at the sight of me standing next to Davis.
After a quick explanation of the rules, Davis directed me to a spot on the sand.
“Okay, when I get close, I’ll toss it and you need to take three steps then toss it back to me. I’ll run as fast as I can.”
The game commenced and it was hilarious to watch the girls cheat their way through the game. They persisted in jumping on their opponent’s backs to steal the disc from their hands. Finally, Davis intercepted the disc and took three huge strides in my direction, then turned his arm in and back out, releasing the disc in my direction.
My eyes widened as it flew toward me. I leaped as high as I could and gripped the edge of it as it flew above my head. The girls sent up a cheer. I took three large steps toward the end of the marked area, eyes darting about wildly to find an opening. Davis was there, waving his arms wildly in the air. Charlie stood in front of him, attempting to block the throw. I calculated my aim, waiting until Charlie’s arms had moved to the side, and tossed the Frisbee high above his head. Davis folded his legs under him and pushed off from the sand, arms outstretched, and barely caught it in his fingers. He then raced the few steps down the field to score.
“Ha! I knew you would be good luck!” He screamed as he ran toward me, lifting me up into his muscular arms and twirling me in the air before setting me back down.
“That was pretty amazing. I’ve never played this before, but it’s a lot of fun.” I said with a laugh.
“So we’re all going to grab some food.” He paused and fidgeted with his hands. “Would you want to come with us?” He was almost blushing with shyness as he waited for my answer.
“I’m sorry. It’s our first night here.” I motioned to Evie across the sand. “I promised her a girls’ night.”
His shoulders sagged a bit, but his smile was genuine. “Sure.”
I impulsively grabbed for his hand. “But, if you’re free tomorrow for lunch, that’d be nice.”
He grinned and stepped a little closer. “It just so happens that I could spare an hour or so. What did you have in mind?”
“Maybe lunch on the water? I saw this place coming into the resort, it’s nearby.”
“Yeah. White Sands. What time would you like to meet?” He pulled out his phone, waiting for my answer.
“I could probably meet you around noon.” I watched as he typed a few notes into his phone and then glanced back at me, slipping the device into his pocket.
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Great. Well, I better go wake her up. We need to get ready for tonight.”
“Sure. Have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He lingered as I walked back to Evie and bent down. I glanced back and he waved at me before he turned to catch up to his friends.
“Evie. Wake up.” I pushed her shoulder a
bit.
“I’m awake.” She grinned and turned her face toward me, cracking open one eye. I blushed and shook my head.
“You were awake the whole time, weren’t you?”
“Of course. I had to make sure you got some attention. You deserve it.” She sat up and readjusted her messy hair.
“So did he ask you out?” She questioned with a suggestive grin.
“Sort of. He wanted me to go eat with the group, but I told him I couldn’t. I promised you a girls’ night.”
“Nova, you could have gone. I would have been fine.” She pushed herself up and started tossing her items into her beach bag.
“It’s not a problem. I’m meeting him for lunch tomorrow.” I laughed, reaching for my own bag and doing the same.
“All right!” She hollered and stood up, dancing around and pumping her fist in the air like a teenage cheerleader. I couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled from my chest, and shook my head, sliding my bag over my shoulder. We made our way back to the bungalow and tossed our gear by the door so it would be easily accessible through the week.
“So where do you think we should go for dinner?” I probed Evie for her thoughts while shaking out the sand from my hair.
“Well….” She eyed me nervously and I waited for her response. “The taxi driver gave me his number earlier. I thought I’d call him and see if he could recommend a place.”
“Evie…” I sighed at her ever-flirtatious smile, relenting because I knew she just wanted to have fun. And who was I to get in the way of that?
“Nova, it’s no big deal. We’ll just get a name of a place.”
“Fine, but he’s not eating with us. It’s girls’ night.” I said as I walked into the bedroom.
“Deal.” She hollered through the room.
After a quick shower, I felt refreshed and energized. I pulled on a pair of tan shorts and an oversized white t-shirt. It was casual, but I pulled a black belt from my bag and secured it around my waist. This should work.
After running my fingers through my hair, I pulled out the blow dryer and proceeded to dry most of my wild mane of blonde hair. The rest of it, I would let air dry through the night. I found Evie dressed in jeans and a flowing top when I stepped into the living room. Her hair was pulled up on top of her head and she had her phone tucked between her shoulder and ear.
Redemption (The Restoration Series Book 1) Page 3
