“Yeah…” She giggled. “That sounds great!”
I sat down in front of her and waited to hear what she was going to say.
“Mmmhmm.” She continued, eying me warily. “Sure. Okay. Let me call you back in a few.”
She tossed her phone on the couch and smiled. “So, I have great news.”
“Evie…”
“Seriously, it’ll be fine.” She exasperated. “Perry - that’s his name - is going to be here to pick us up shortly. He’s going to drive us down to a nice little restaurant on the south side. He says it’s the best food in town.”
My gut clenched in worry. I normally wouldn’t mind her making these types of plans, but something about this guy made me nervous. Earlier, It was evident he was interested in Evie, but I didn’t miss the guarded look behind his eyes, as if he were hiding something. I know it seemed odd, but I just couldn’t let it go. Something was off, I felt it.
“Are you sure we can trust him?” I cautioned Evie.
“We’ll be fine. He isn’t even going to stay, he’s on service tonight.”
“Fine. I guess that’s okay.” I relented and grabbed my wallet and phone from the small kitchenette counter where I had haphazardly tossed it when we came home earlier. Evie followed me out the door, locking it behind us.
When we exited the large glass doors of the resort, Perry was waiting for us. He had the back door open and was leaning against the side of the car, tapping his fingers quickly across his phone. He glanced up and saw us, smiling widely.
“Good evening, ladies! You look beautiful!” He smiled wolfishly as his eyes roamed over us. I shivered at his attention and moved behind Evie, following her to the car, where he held the door open for us. We slipped into the back seat and waited for him to secure it.
Perry and Evie chatted back and forth as he drove through the city and I watched as the scenery began to get darker, shabbier. The further we moved away from the resort, the more worried I became. This neighborhood didn’t seem to be very well populated or even well kept. I nervously tapped my fingers against the door handle and glanced at Evie. She didn’t seem to notice the oddity of the situation. She was relaxed and comfortable as her eyes were solely trained on the man in the front seat. I forced myself to relax, trusting that if Evie she felt safe, then I so should I. She would know what she was doing.
* * *
PRESENT DAY
(Unknown Location)
NOVA
At some point, I passed out. My eyes were heavy, I was shivering from the cold, and I couldn’t feel my arms. They were still above my head, hanging from a small hook. My whole body sagged from that hook, all my weight pulling down on my bound wrists. My eyes were swollen. I tried to open them but could only see out a small slit. The room was empty and dark and my thighs were screaming in pain. My body was sore and bruised from being used for Demon’s sick enjoyment.
I didn’t know what time it was, but there was no light coming through the small crack in my wall. I heard nothing, so I assumed the girls must be asleep. I gathered as much strength as I could and planted my feet firmly and then pushed off the ground, attempting to jump high enough to free my bound hands from the hook above me. It took a few tries but eventually they cleared the hook and fell in front of me. My ankles were no longer attached to the chains on the wall. I cried out as I collapsed to the mattress, pressing my forearms between my legs where the cuts still trickled blood. I sucked in a deep breath before reaching under the mattress to grab the cloth I had hidden just a few days before. I pressed each leg firmly until the bleeding stopped, then wiped up the still-wet liquid that had trickled down my legs.
I could feel my resolve to fight weakening. I just need to survive, however long that may be. Maybe he’s right. No one will find us. My parents probably don’t even know we’re missing, or where to look. I spent the next few hours crying softly into my pillow so the guards wouldn’t hear me.
There was a soft knock on my door before the bolt slid back and a younger man stepped inside, carrying a small bag. I cringed and frantically scurried to the back of the mattress and covered myself with the blanket. His eyes went wide and he held his hands up, palms facing forward.
“Shhh. I’m not here to hurt you,” he whispered quietly and stepped forward. I winced in pain and cowered away from him.
“It’s okay. I brought some supplies to help clean your wounds.”
I peeked through the curtain of my hair, taking in his face and for the first time since being here, I didn’t see evil. I saw worry, concern, and hope.
“Please don’t touch me,” I whispered pleadingly.
“Okay.” He set the bag down and used his foot to push it toward me.
“I’ll just talk you through what you need to do, okay?” He sat down on the ground and pushed his back against the opposite wall.
I hesitated only a moment, then nodded in agreement and tugged the small leather bag closer. Inside were sterile pads, a few small unmarked bottles, one larger bottle of clear liquid, a small black folded cloth, and a clear syringe.
“I can’t do anything with my hands tied like this,” I spoke softly.
He watched me and nodded. “I know. If you let me, I can cut those off. I was sent in here to clean you up and make sure you would be ready for tomorrow. I won’t touch you though. I’m not like them.”
My eyes dimmed and tears fell down my face. “But you work for them?” I spat out angrily, keeping my tone quiet so as to not wake anyone else. My jaw clenched so hard it hurt.
“I have to.” He bent his head and buried them in his hands. “I don’t want to, and I can’t tell you why just yet, but I have to. It’s my purpose, for now.”
“Can you cut this plastic off?” I asked, still not understanding, but noting the painful defeat in his voice.
“Yes.” He focused his eyes and pulled a pocket knife from the back of his jeans. I immediately tensed up and closed my eyes, waiting for the knife to pierce me in some other way.
“Nova…” he whispered. “I won’t hurt you, I swear it.” I didn’t have time to think of how he knew my name. He gently tugged my bound and damaged wrists toward him and slid the cold blade under the plastic. A few moments of pressure and the bindings were removed. The steel blade was flipped closed and shoved back in his pockets.
I fingered my wrists, gently prodding, hoping nothing had been dislocated. They were rubbed raw and painful to the touch, but everything was in place.
“H-How…” I winced as I moved my legs in front of me. “How do you know my name?”
He paused for a second, face flushing as he suddenly realized his mistake.
“Your friend. The one down the hall with dark hair. She asked me to check on you.”
“Evie?!” I yelped.
“Shhh!” He commanded, then paused to listen at the door for any motion in the hallway.
After a few moments of silence, he looked back at me and nodded.
“Yes. I treated her face a bit ago. She wanted me to tell you that she’s okay.”
She was okay. I sighed in relief. “Will her face heal?”
“She’ll have pretty significant scarring.” He sighed and shoved his fist into his pockets. He was tense and his eyes were full of pain and regret.
I finally broke the silence, shifting both of our attention to the task at hand. “Tell me what to do.”
He glanced up and nodded, pulling his hands free as he took a seat against the opposite wall again, and pointed at the bag.
“Inside is a large bottle of clear liquid. Pull that out.”
I plunged my hand into the bag and gripped the largest plastic bottle. “Okay.”
“Now, aim the nozzle as close to the incisions as you can and squeeze. The saline has to clear it out to make sure you don’t have any dirt or anything else. This will sting a little, but it’s necessary.”
I scooted off the mattress as carefully as I could and settled on the cement floor. I pointed the tip as close as I could m
anage, my hands trembling. Saline flooded the wound and red water poured across my thigh and onto the rag I had tucked underneath my leg. I repeated the process on the other leg, biting my lip. After it was cleared, I tossed the bottle back inside the bag, whimpering.
“I know it hurts, Nova. Just take a deep breath.” I did as he instructed, my jaw clenching with the effort.
“Can you keep going?” He watched me carefully, waiting for my response.
“Just give me a second.” I rested my head against the wall and waited for the discomfort to pass. When it did, I wearily glanced back at him and nodded for him to continue.
He sighed, holding my gaze steadily. “This next part is going to be really painful. Are you sure you can do it?”
I stared at him with vacant eyes. “I have to.”
He nodded in understanding as he pointed at the syringe.
“Okay. Take that syringe and pull the plastic cap off.” I did as he instructed. “Now, take one of those glass bottles and guide the needle in through the rubber top.” It took me a few tries, but I finally pierced the rubber skin that sealed the bottle.
“You’re doing great, Nova. Next, pull back the plunger from the syringe and fill the tube.”
The syringe flooded with a clear liquid until the plunger was fully extended. I pulled it away from the glass bottle, hand trembling slightly at the thought of sticking myself with the needle.
“Push the plunger until you see a bit of the liquid drop from the needle.” He instructed me as I tapped the flat end of the plunger.
“What am I going to do?” My voice trembled in fear as I questioned him for the next step.
He studied me warily. “You need stitches, Nova. This is going to knock all the feeling out of the area so you can stitch yourself up.”
I swallowed and nodded, knowing that if I couldn’t do it, he would have to, and that would mean he would have to touch me. The last thing I wanted was another man’s hands on my body. “Okay.”
“We’re going to put a few pricks around each wound. Get as close as you can to the opening. Just stick yourself and push the plunger slightly until you feel tingling.”
I held the needle above me, hands shaking. Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and stabbed the needle into my thigh. I slowly tapped the plunger and as the liquid entered my muscle, the burning began. Tears filled my eyes, and I whimpered in pain and bit my lip to keep myself from screaming out.
“Nova, you have to focus. I know it hurts, but you have a few more to go. One more on this leg, and then the next one we can do in a bit.”
I pulled out the needle and aimed it again to the other side of the wound, repeating the process again. I gasped loudly, my chest heaving. When I was done, I tossed the syringe on the floor beside me.
“Good. Has the burning stopped yet?”
A few moments later I nodded. “Yeah. I can’t feel anything.”
“That’s a good sign.”
“So, now what do we do?”
“Now, you have to pull out the black cloth. It has a curved needle and the stitching thread.”
I unfolded the cloth and saw the crescent-shaped needle with thin black thread attached. I pulled it gently into my fingers. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Yes, you can. I will do it for you if you want me to, but I know you don’t. So you really have to do it.”
He continued the instructions. “Take the skin and hold it together. Thread the needle through the skin and pierce it through both sides, pulling tightly so the thread holds the skin flush against each side of the wound.”
I did as he instructed and pushed the needle through the wound. It didn’t hurt but the sight of the needle piercing my own skin made me feel lightheaded. It didn’t take long before my grip slackened and I was falling back. I briefly felt hands catch my head before it could hit the concrete. Soft, gentle hands. Caring hands. It was a reprieve, just before I found the darkness.
Chapter 4
PRESENT DAY
(Sydney, Australia- Corinth Relief)
DAVIS
The wind whipped my hair as I stood in front of the house, waiting for Perry to show up. Clouds had moved in off the water, dimming the sun’s brightness, bringing with it a chill wind. I buttoned my suit jacket, grateful for its warmth.
A light blue taxi pulled up to the corner of the street. I fiddled with my tie and pushed up the sleeve of my stiff white dress shirt to glance at my watch. This was my role, businessman on the prowl. The address belonged to a rental house we owned for cover purposes. We used it solely for missions.
My briefcase gripped firmly in my hand, I tapped my foot impatiently. Perry, the young blonde Australian boy, eagerly jumped out of the taxi and rushed around to the back passenger door.
“Good afternoon, sir.”
“You’re late,” I stated huffily.
“My apologies, sir. I was on service.” He glanced behind me at the huge beach house.
“They told me you were good, Perry. Don’t disappoint me.” I slid into the backseat and waited for him to close the door. He did, and then hurried to the front and waited for my direction.
“I have a meeting on the south side of town near Ricky Lane. I was told I could trust you, Perry. Is that true?” I questioned him.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Your discretion is appreciated and you will be promptly compensated. I was also told you might be able to help me.”
“Sir?”
“I’m looking to have some fun. Find some…. girls. If you know what I mean.”
Perry’s face looked wary, analyzing, before he grinned. “I think I can help you out, sir.”
“Good. Now, take me to my meeting. 2400 block of Ricky Lane. Then we can go find those girls.”
“Yes, sir.” He pulled away from the curb and began the drive across town. We arrived at the block I was targeting for the possible abduction of the girls. The last taxi charge was pinpointed to this block.
“We’re here, sir. Where exactly do you want me to drop you off?”
“This will be fine. Please wait here, I’ll pay you for your time.”
I opened the door and stepped out, briskly walking down the block. I turned the corner and found a small cafe. I slipped inside, buying a cup of coffee and sipping it for about ten minutes. When I was finished, I headed out the door and back around the corner. Perry was leaning up against the hood of his car, brows scrunched as he furiously tapped his fingers across his phone’s screen.
“Everything okay?” I asked as I moved closer to him.
His eyes popped up in surprise. “Oh. Yeah. Just confirming some details.”
“Great. So, tell me. Where can I go for some fun around here?” I watched as Perry glanced from his right to left, in an effort to make sure no one else could hear him.
“Well, sir. There’s a place just a few doors down, actually. If you go in and ask for Laruso, you’ll find what you need.” He pointed to a small worn brown cellar door. It rested between a barber shop and a small antique store.
“Make sure you tell them the entry word.” He pulled his phone out and checked it again.
“Tell them you’re looking to buy some antique china.”
“Thanks again, Perry. You be sure to wait right here. Consider yourself booked for the rest of the afternoon.”
I walked steadily toward the dingy cellar entrance and pulled open one of the doors, quickly making my way down the dirty stairs, letting the wooden slat slam behind me. A light flickered on and a man with a rifle strapped to his shoulder stood, blocking my view of the hallway behind him.
“What do you want?” The gruff voice asked me.
“Are you Laruso? I’m looking to buy some antique china,” I stated calmly but confidently, expecting him to comply. The guard shuffled to the side but kept his eyes trained on me. I saw another man at a rectangle table. He looked me up and down, and I couldn’t help but notice his dark face was scarred on either cheek
“
And who told you we sold china?” He asked me.
“I believe his name is Perry. Said I could find you here. He’s outside, should I go get him?” I turned to walk back, but the man stopped me.
“We have what you need,” he sighed. “Sorry about that, but you can never be sure these days.”
“Agreed. No problem.”
“So, what are you looking for?”
Images of Nova passed through my mind. I didn’t want to come across as if I were looking specifically for her, but I wanted to see her. “I like them small and blonde. Preferably with blue eyes, but I could settle for something else.”
“I don’t know…. something like that might cost a bit of money.”
“Money is not an object.” I pulled out a wad of cash and tossed it on the table, drilling the man with a pointed stare. “Do you have what I need or not?”
“Of course. Follow me.” He stood up abruptly, scooting his metal chair away from him, and turned down a concrete hallway, with flickering lights above. We pass a multitude of doors on the right and left of me. Each one signified another girl taken and used. The emblem of a black dragon had been painted on each door. This was it, I was here.
I watched as Laruso stopped at a wooden door, hesitating for a moment, glancing at me, then back at the door. A few moments later he moved on to another door a few feet down the hallway.
“This one should work for you. Not everything you asked for, but pretty close.” He pushed open the door after unlocking the bolt. Inside was a sliver of a girl sitting on a tattered mattress with her knees curled into her chest. Her long blonde hair curled around her, dirty and tangled, with spots of matted blood trickling throughout.
Her face was covered in bruises, her brown eyes darkened by the purple skin around them. Her adolescence was evident in her tiny frame; she couldn’t be any older than eleven or twelve. She immediately shrunk back in fear, waiting for whatever was about to happen to her, soft whimpers escaping as her eyes slammed shut and she buried her face in her arms.
Redemption (The Restoration Series Book 1) Page 4
