I grinned and dropped my bag at my feet, waving to get her attention. It took her a moment to notice me and when she did she tripped over a small plastic bin at her feet and fell onto her bed.
“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry!” She laughed, pushing herself up from her bright yellow bedding and pulling her headphones out of her ears. Her eyes sparkled with humor and I couldn’t help but laugh.
I reached out my hand. “Hi. I’m Nova.”
She pulled my hand into hers and smiled. “Wow. That’s an awesome name. Is it short for something?”
“Nope.” I chuckled.
“Well then, my name is Evie. And that is short for Evelyn.”
“Nice to meet you.” I slipped my hand out of hers and reached down to lift my large sports duffel, tossing it onto the unmade bed on the left side of the room.
“Need help getting more stuff from downstairs?” She asked me, sliding the plastic bin she had just tripped over underneath her bed.
“Yeah. That would be great. Thanks.”
We chatted the whole way down the stairs and out to the parking lot to my car. It seemed we had a lot in common and I was excited to find someone who I felt instantly connected to. I piled a few bags into Evie’s hands and grabbed the large box from my backseat, avoiding the top of the door frame as I lifted it into my arms.
“So, what are you studying?” Evie asked as we headed back toward our building.
“I’m an education major.” I smiled.
“Oooh! That sounds like fun. I haven’t decided what I want to do yet, so I’m just getting the basics out of the way for now. What is your schedule like? Are you looking forward to any classes? Do you know anybody here?” Evie fired question after question, and I answered each one as we pushed our way through the large glass door.
“I have classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Practice for the swim team on Tuesdays. I’m looking forward to my ‘Teaching Diverse Populations’ class. And I know exactly one person here, you!” I joked and she cackled beside me.
“Oh, we’re going to be such good friends. I can already tell.” Evie slid her key into the dorm room door and held it open for me. I slipped past her and set the box down on my small oak desk before taking a seat in the cushioned chair beside it.
“So are there any plans for campus tonight? Required freshman attendance?” I prodded, hoping we could do our own thing.
“There is a quick hall meeting at five, but then we’re free I think. Why?”
“Let’s go explore the campus!” I hopped up, snatching her fingers and pulling her out the door with me.
We pushed through the glass doors that lead to the sprawling green lawn behind our building and started walking toward the center of campus. There were crowds of students sprawled everywhere across the lawn. As we walked down the path, the trees parted to reveal a pebbled trail.
“Let’s go!” Evie slipped her arm through mine and pulled me closer. We pounded our feet across the pavement and found a posted sign at the entrance of the trail. VICTORY LAKE. She squealed and kept moving with me attached to her side as if I were a doll and she were a toddler. We worked our way down the path and watched as the line of trees cleared and a sprawling lake glistened before us. There were a few picnic areas and a small beach that allowed swimmers to spend the day in the water. A boating dock floated a few yards to our right, and boats were flying across the top of the water.
“Now this is a place I could see spending a lot of time.” I gasped at the pure beauty of it, letting the peace of nature fill my senses and the rays of sun kiss my face.
* * *
PRESENT DAY
(Unknown Location)
NOVA
The man left, and the door shut before I could move. At least there weren’t any lasting injuries this time. I reached for the dry rag underneath my bed and continued to clean myself, rubbing my skin raw in some places. Suddenly feeling sick, I rushed over to the trash can and emptied my stomach of the little sustenance that had taken its place inside.
I set the can by the door and moved myself to lay on the mattress again, making a cocoon with the blanket around me. Just as I was about to find sleep again, the door opened and in walked the old woman, carrying a small canvas bundle in her hands. She placed the carefully folded material on the foot of the bed and waited for me to sit up, motioning with her fingers to look. I let the blanket fall to my waist and pushed myself over to see the items she presented.
Her knobby fingers gently unfolded the cloth to reveal a navy blue nightgown with white lace embellishments. I didn’t know what she was trying to do, but there was no way I was going to put that on. I shook my head, eyes wide in fright. She just nodded and attempted to speak.
“Safe,” she said as she pointed to the nightgown and then to me.
How could a nightgown make me safe? I kept shaking my head and she insisted again.
“Safe.” Her voice was firm as she reached for the gown on my body. I tried to move away from her, but she stopped and stared at me intently. I looked back at the silk and then to her.
“Safe?” I questioned. She nodded her head.
“But how? How is that going to make me safe? I don’t understand. I don’t want to wear that!” Sobs choked in my throat, and I had to struggle to keep my voice down.
She took my hand and reached up to wipe the tears from my eyes. “Safe,” she said again. I relented, sighing in resignation, and reached for my dress, pulling it above my head. She gently prodded the sore area on my ribs with her fingers and then handed me the blue nightgown. I quickly slipped it over my body, letting it pool around my hips on the mattress. She nodded and grabbed my old clothing, shoving it into the canvas and hiding it out of sight. She stood and knocked on the door, waiting for it to open. Demon pushed it open and allowed her to walk outside, eying me with a sinister glare.
“We will get a lot of money for you, girl. Stay silent and do what you’re told.”
Hours passed before I heard any sign of commotion outside my cell. Sadness and fear rippled through me as I waited for whatever was planned to come next. How am I going to survive this?
My eyes closed and I let my mind think about my parents, wondering if they would have been informed of my missing status, and if they were headed this way. Having no idea where I was being held, I prayed to whatever I could think to pray to that authorities were looking for us and that my parents had hope instead of despair.
There was a light tapping on the door and a few seconds later the doctor walked in. My fingers gripped the quilt and pulled it up to my chin, hiding my nearly bare body from his view. He kept his eyes trained on my face.
“Hello, Nova,” he whispered, shutting the door quietly behind him.
I was afraid that he’d strike me if I spoke, so I stayed stoically silent. He moved closer to the edge of my mattress and crouched down on his haunches so to be closer to my eye level.
“It’s all right. I’m not going to hurt you. I promised you last night that I wouldn’t, but I need to check your wounds.” He waited patiently for me to lower the blanket and move it from my legs. I closed my eyes tightly, letting my breathing stay calm and even as he pulled the white medical gauze away from my leg and gently prodded around the stitched wound. I peeked through my lashes, watching him as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white tube. Dabbing an ample amount of clear gel on his finger, he gently lathed my wound and applied a new dressing. He repeated the process on my other thigh. When he was finished, he tossed the old bandages in the trash and stood by the door. His face was somber and I could see the regret in his eyes.
“Why are you helping them?” I whispered, pulling the blanket back around me.
“It’s the only way,” he said with resignation.
“What do you mean?”
“Listen, Nova. There’s a group of people who are working diligently to get you and Evie out of here. But they have to do it carefully and safely. Do you understand?”
I stra
ightened and my eyes went wide. “You mean they know? Someone is coming? My family?”
“Shhh. Nova, stay quiet.” He stepped forward, bracing a hand on the door as he listened intently to see if anyone had heard my outburst. I immediately quieted down and strained to hear. After a few beats of silence, he sagged against the door and looked at me.
“Yes, Nova. Your family knows, and we’re working our best to try and get you out of here safely, along with Evie. There’s going to be a sale tonight. A big one. All the girls will be led into a showroom of sorts.”
Shivers went up my body and I whimpered at the thought. The doctor took a few steps toward me, but kept his hands to himself.
“Don’t worry, Nova. We have an inside guy. But you have to act your part.” I nodded, waiting for him to continue.
“Nova, this is serious. You have to stay quiet, and try to hold it together. These men…these men are very horrible creatures. They are here to bid on you and take you home. They want to own you and treat you however they see fit. Our goal is to purchase you before any of the other kings can buy you. If we are successful, and we have never failed yet, you’ll wait beside him as he settles up, so to speak. Once finished, he’ll lead you out and bring you to your parents. But you can’t react in a way that’s suspicious. Do you understand?”
Hope began to blossom in my chest and I held his gaze fearfully. “What happens if you aren’t successful?” Fear crept through me and made its way out of my mouth.
“We won’t let that happen, Nova. Even if it does, we’ll try to intercept you somehow. Just, be careful. Keep your head down. Help is coming.” He took a few steps toward the door.
“Why can’t you just take me with you now?” I stood and slowly approached him.
He shook his head. “I can’t, it’s too obvious. This is how it works. I stay undercover, which allows me to help more and more people.”
I understood, but I wanted to run. Fear of what could happen raked through my body, and I sat down on the mattress again.
“What’s your name?”
“It’s better if you don’t know it. You can’t slip up and call me by my name out there if you see me. The guards can’t know that we’ve spoken. Do you understand?”
I nodded and turned my face as tears formed in my eyes.
“It’s almost over?”
He breathed out a deep sigh. “I hope so.”
With that, he gave me a quick smile and headed out the door. For the first time in days, I felt a little bit of peace inside. But an hour later, Demon walked into my cell, his face devoid of any emotion.
“It’s time to go. Stand up.”
I obeyed, my sore legs trembling as they struggled to hold my weight.
“I will not be chaining you. These men do not want to be reminded of how you came to me, but do not forget who is in charge and how you should act. You know the consequences, and you better pray that you get sold tonight.” He chuckled. “Then again, if you don’t, that just means I get to keep you.”
The fear trickled down my spine as I nodded. I followed him out of the door and took my place in the hallway. The line was smaller than usual, which I took to mean that not all of the girls were going to be sold tonight.
The line began to move, following Demon down the long dark hallway, opposite the direction of the showers. The end opened to a large concrete room. In the middle of the space rested a wide wooden platform, covered in red silk cloth. Placed around the platform were large wooden high-backed chairs covered in red leather. Each seat sat empty for the moment, as Demon instructed us to stand in line by the far wall in the darkness. There were six girls ahead of me, each in a different colored silk gown. I reached down and grabbed the hands of each girl beside me. They glanced at me with tears in their eyes before turning at the sound of the large wooden door creaking at the opposite side of the room.
We all watched silently as a line of men in suits walked into the room, taking their seats. We couldn’t make out their faces, but we knew they were wealthy men. They waited for Demon to begin the ceremony. I watched as Demon stepped up onto the stage and began explaining the rules of the bidding process.
“Gentlemen, welcome. We have picked the best batch of girls for you tonight. Remember, these girls will be sold individually. We’ll bid on the rest of the collection afterward for those of you who decide to participate in that war. Now, for our first.” He motioned to a tall, skinny, dark-skinned girl at the front of the line. She stepped forward, visibly shaking in fear. Walking in between the chairs, she stepped up onto the platform with Demon. She wore a dark violet slip that was held on by thin straps over her shoulders. It fell to her thighs and she stood there in the middle of the men, waiting for her fate to be sealed.
“Bidding will begin at ten thousand,” Demon initiated. A hand flew upward, followed by a few more.
The bidding lasted for about five minutes as the price skyrocketed up to nearly twenty-five thousand. Finally, Demon declared the girl sold to a Spanish-looking gentleman wearing a green silk shirt and black suit. We couldn’t see much of their features from our viewpoint, but it was clear he had an aura of danger around him, languidly relaxing in his chair as if he was a predatory cat that knows its prey.
With every few minutes that passed, another girl was put on display and purchased for obscene amounts of money. I waited with baited breath as Evie was marched up to the stage. She squared her shoulders and stood tall, attempting to gather her courage and keep from shivering in fear. The bidding began and I caught her eyes with mine, and held her gaze as seconds passed by until Demon finally closed the bidding with a winner. I couldn’t see the man she was sold to, but I hoped that I’d somehow get to stay with her. We couldn’t be separated, even if that meant giving up my chance to freedom.
Demon’s voice interrupted my thoughts as he boomed to the group of men.
“Our next girl is prime for your pleasure. Beautiful, rare, and American.”
He turned his face to me and his cold hard eyes found my gaze, freezing me in place. My hesitation to move darkened his expression, and he took a step toward me. I didn’t want to find out what would happen if he reached me, so I forced my feet to move toward the center of the platform. He reached my arm and pulled me the rest of the way, pinching the side of my bicep, and leaned down and whispered in a deadly voice,
“You better hope that you get sold, girl.”
Tears formed in my eyes as I nodded and took my place at the center of the stage. I kept my eyes trained downward and prayed that I’d find myself with Evie. She couldn’t be left alone.
Chapter 6
(PRESENT DAY)
DAVIS
My phone alerted me to a text. Rolling over on the dark green cot that rested in the small corner of my office, I snatched the device off the chair next to my head and swiped the screen with my fingertips.
JARED: 9PM, 3657 CHESTNUT. COAL DOORS. PASSCODE: SILVER
Checking the time, I realized it was nearly six in the morning. I must have crashed last night after getting back to the office to run all the scenarios with the team. I pushed myself up and stood, stretching to release the tension in my shoulders. After I felt more relaxed, I stepped over to my desk and sat, flipping open the laptop and hitting the power button. I pulled up my email account and opened a new document to Grant.
Sir,
Buyout is tonight at 9pm. 3657 Chestnut-Coal Doors. There will be two known retrievals and an unknown amount of rescues. I imagine it’s going to get a bit excessive on cash, so if you could make sure there’s enough for two plus a little extra, that would be great. I’ll touch base with you before the event and coordinate with the local authorities.
-Davis
I hit send and closed out the program. If I was going to pull this off, I’d need to take care of a few things before the time came. Giving a quick call to Officer Morrison, a local detective, I informed him we’d need to have an informational meeting and set up a raid for tonight. He agreed to meet
me at the office with his men in three hours. It gave me enough time to begin my day properly. My truck waited for me outside of the shop, and I bounded down the stairs and out of the shop, hitting the button to unlock it before I gripped the handle. Slipping inside, I roared the engine to life and glanced at the traffic around me, waiting for the right moment to pull away from the curb and head in the direction of my first stop.
I pulled my truck to a stop on the single lane paved path that twisted across the hills of the cemetery. Fresh flowers rested on the leather seat beside me, and I wrapped my fingers around them as I moved out of the cab, shutting the door softly behind me. This was my routine. For every girl I saved, I renewed my promise to Amanda.
My feet pressed into the soft green grass as I stepped through the trees and into the area of her grave. Emotions filled me as I held back tears, letting myself remember her image. Her blonde hair sweeping across her shoulders as she turned her head to glance at me over her shoulder, her smile growing wider, eyes dancing merrily as we ran down the soft sand in one of our early morning jogs. I missed her.
I came to a stop at her headstone, white granite with two angels etched on the front.
Amanda Salori
Daughter, Friend, and Fiancée
June 14th, 1982 – May 5th, 2013
I cleared my throat as I bent down and pulled the old dead flowers from the small metal holder by the front of the headstone, and placed the new fragrant bunch inside. My fingertips smoothed across her name as I spoke.
“Hi, gorgeous. I miss you. There’s so much more I want to say and I don’t even know how to begin. Life just isn’t as full without you. I know you’ve been gone for over a year, but since you’ve been gone, I feel as if my heart is missing. I thought maybe I might have had a chance to feel again, but I don’t think that’s going to work out. I’m going back in tonight. I promise to make it out and to pull this set of girls out with me. Ask the big guy up there to make a way for me. I love you, forever.”
Redemption (The Restoration Series Book 1) Page 6
