by Ryan Gawley
‘He can’t do that can he?’ asked Lucy. ‘Besides, what would the Enforcers want with children? There aren’t enough resources to manage the streets as it is without raising kids in some special recruitment camp. It sounds more like he’s just trying to scare you.’
‘I don’t want to believe him but I can’t take the chance, my boy is only six and his father was sent to the prison farms just after he was born. He’s all I’ve got, I pay the old lady next door to mind him while I work and I have to try to make enough to feed us both and give him some kind of life. What else can I do?’
Lucy knew desperation forced people to things they would never otherwise consider and her own situation was no better. At least it would be only a few days for her, not years like some of the other poor girls. ‘I just need to get a message to Kathy them I’m getting away from all of this,’ she thought as she heard the muffled grunts from upstairs and the knot in her stomach tightened.
For the next couple of days Lucy tried to keep out of sight of the customers while she worked in each towering glass fronted mansion. The other girls had been in the job long enough that they accepted what Harper described as “special duties” and actually worked their bodies seductively vying for the attentions of the rich clients hoping for the additional income it would earn them. For this Lucy was glad as it meant she could keep in the side lines, work in areas of the homes that kept her from view and minimised her chances of being selected.
By the third morning Lucy had been accepted by the other girls on the team since they saw she wasn’t keen to move in on their racket. As long as they satisfied the customers Harper got his extra revenue and Lucy stayed safe by doing her usual excellent cleaning tasks and flirting with Harper when he made crude comments about her figure or suggested she should try to impress the clients. After two jobs had been completed and none of the girls had been selected Harper was anxious to up the game and make his earnings for the day.
As Harper drove the old van through the bustling streets the girls looked out at the exclusive boutique shops, the fine clothes and newest styles of the Elite society women. There were expensive salons, cafes, windows full of chocolate temptations and delicate fabrics in an array of colours and textures. The glamour of it all struck Lucy but she wasn’t seduced by the facade of riches, she knew happiness couldn’t be bought in a store but all the same she couldn’t help imagine herself meeting Sam wearing one of the gorgeous dresses she saw in a window as they stopped at a junction.
‘You’ll have to take on a few private sessions with the clients if you want one of those,’ said Harper glancing in the rear view mirror and noticing Lucy’s attention on the dress. ‘Even the old stock we get on the black market would cost you several weeks’ standard pay but you could earn that in a few days if you applied yourself.’
Lucy looked into the sickened soul reflected through the eyes staring at her in the mirror then quickly glanced down at her hands knitted together on her knees as she sat sandwiched between the other girls in the crew seat of the van. The glare from her new colleagues and the smell of bleach, damp mops and other cleaning materials brought her back to her current reality with a snap.
‘I’ll try Mr. Harper, I mean Andrew, I’ll try,’ said Lucy quietly hoping not to encourage Harper or antagonise the other girls.
‘Okay girls, it’s the big tower today,’ said Harper as the traffic lights changed and he turned onto a wide tree lined avenue with malls and stores even more grand than the other streets they had passed that morning. Lucy could see through the windscreen ahead the gleaming tower block, a massive vertical monument to decadence and she leaned her head toward the van’s side window trying to look to the top of the building. The big tower as Harper called it was the tallest most exclusive tower in the city and one for which Harper had fought hard against other pimps to secure the right for only his girls to work. Crowned with the massive penthouse where the Henderson’s lived it was where Lucy knew she would find her sister.
The bored Enforcer on sentry duty at the barrier to the car park beneath the tower took a quick glance at the ID cards of the girls and accepted the hundred dollar note Harper passed to him before raising the barrier and allowing them to pass. The guard was used to seeing the same old van arrive each week at around the same time and accepted the weekly pay-off which Harper handed over to ensure no questions were asked about work permits or about the paraphernalia some of the girls brought with them.
Harper parked the van in a visitor space and the girls stepped out onto the concrete floor, the clicking of heels echoing around the cavernous structure. All around were high-end sports cars and luxury saloons and Lucy noticed many were covered with white cotton tarpaulins she presumed to protect the near priceless vehicles from dust or perhaps just from prying eyes. Few of the cars were ever driven now as the Elites rarely left their cities for fear of outlaws beyond the city walls so much of the more exotic machinery sat unused.
Lucy quickly set about unloading her cleaning cart from the back of the van to avoid another jibe from Harper about her earning potential with the rich clients. As she tied her apron she adjusted the position of the hidden letter she had written for Kathy so it sat comfortably at her back and she felt excited to think she might be passing it to her sister in just a few hours.
When the girls all had their individual carts ready, some with a spare bag of additional equipment tailored to their client’s known fetish all made their way to the lift with Harper. He pressed the button for the first apartment on today’s rota and the doors closed sealing them in the cramped metal box but the lift didn’t move and instead a screen flickered to life displaying a hard, lined face and cruel eyes.
‘Yes?’ was the terse greeting over the intercom.
Harper spoke in a grovelling tone. ‘Ah, Mr. Madsen, it’s Andrew Harper for your weekly cleaning appointment. I have the girls with me if you could buzz us up.’
‘I can see you have a new girl Harper, anything I should know about?’
Lucy looked around as discreetly as she could and saw the small black dome of a security camera protruding from the ceiling. As with other Elite residential blocks the upper floors could only be accessed by outsiders if they had thumbprint authorisation or were permitted access after visual identification by an apartment owner. If there were any problems the lift doors would be sealed until an Enforcer patrol arrived and removed the intruders for processing.
‘Nothing unusual Mr. Madsen, just a new girl on the team but I can vouch for her, she has her papers and she passed screening as always,’ Harper replied nervously.
Without another word the screen went blank and the carriage began to ascend rapidly until six floors from the penthouse the lift stopped and the doors opened onto a magnificent entrance hall. A plush emerald green carpet lined with expensive mahogany stands of various sizes holding priceless antiquities greeted guests upon their arrival. Being careful not to disturb anything the cleaning girls sauntered into the apartment in an orderly line looking more like a cabaret dance troupe and as they passed the client each greeted him with a husky ‘Hello Mr. Madsen,’ before setting to work in various areas cleaning, polishing, and dusting, all but Lucy ensuring to pull necklines down and hemlines up while they went about their tasks.
As Harper talked with the client briefly and the other girls got to work Lucy followed the tactic that she’d used so far and made straight for the kitchen. She would be out of sight of the client where she was able to get on with her job and leave the other girls to compete with each other for the attentions of the man with the cash.
‘Harper, I’d like a little something extra today if you would be so good as to arrange it,’ said Madsen from his reclined position on the leather sofa where he was watching the girls.
‘Of course Mr. Madsen, and who has caught your eye?’
‘The new girl, where is she? I saw her come in; she seems shyer than the others, a quality it might be fun to explore. Bring her to me Harper.’
‘Ah you mean Lucy, she’s just been with us a few days Mr. Madsen, perhaps one of the more experienced girls would be to your liking?’ said Harper, uncomfortable with the thought of Lucy and another man together but knowing he had little influence over the request.
‘Bring the new girl,’ said Madsen in a voice that told Harper he would not tolerate having to ask again.
‘Yes Mr. Madsen, I’ll go and find her. Please forgive me, I’ll not be long.’ Harper knew the trouble he would find himself in for not complying with an Elite client wouldn’t be worth keeping his prize to himself and so walked straight to the kitchen where he knew Lucy would be hiding. ‘Lucy? Lucy? There you are my sweet. Come now, Mr. Madsen would like to meet you in person. This is your chance to earn something toward that pretty new dress.’
Lucy froze with terror, she couldn’t do this. It was one thing to be leered at and even groped, she could find a way to live with that if it meant finding her sister but not this, she wouldn’t have sex with a strange man for money, not for anything, not like this. Lucy had only slept with two other men besides Sam and she was even a little uncomfortable around him if the light was on.
‘I can’t Mr. Harper, please I can’t,’ she begged. ‘The other girls would be better to look after him, I can’t give him what he wants, please Andrew, ask one of the other girls.’
‘Lucy Mr. Madsen is our customer and he’s asked for you specifically, the customer is always right and he wants you. Now come on, just come out and talk with him, I’ll come with you, it’ll be fine, you’ll see.’
Realising she had to go through the main living quarters again to get to the exit Lucy knew she had no choice but to walk past the hard faced man who planned to do who knows what with her.
‘Okay, I’m coming, I’ll follow you out, please go first Andrew,’ she said trying to placate her boss. As Harper turned his back Lucy lifted a small kitchen knife from the sink and tucked it into a fold under the waist ties of her apron thinking at least it would allow her to fend off unwanted advances if she was physically forced to do things against her will.
Once in the main living area the other girls saw Harper leading Lucy from the kitchen and they knew she had been chosen by the client. Instead of the icy stares they had thrown before the girls now looked at her with sympathy knowing this would be her first time and remembering how hard it had been for them.
‘Mr. Madsen, this is Lucy,’ said Harper as matter-of-factly as introducing his mother to an old friend, completely unaffected by the implications of what he was doing and thinking only of the cash reward that Lucy would earn him.
‘Very pretty,’ said Madsen rising from the sofa. ‘Come with me Lucy, there’s something I want to show you,’ and he placed his arm around her shoulder to guide her toward the corridor leading to the master bedroom.
Lucy resisted, shrugging the arm from her shoulders and turning to face Madsen. She kept the knife rolled in the folds of her apron but spoke quickly and apologetically. ‘I’m sorry Mr. Madsen, I’m not feeling very well. Please, I can’t.’
Madsen grabbed Lucy’s wrist and pulled so as to drag her toward the bedroom despite her protest and she cried. ‘No, please don’t do this. No!’
Harper who was visibly nervous and afraid of what this powerful man would do to his precious Lucy suddenly found some small measure of courage and stepped between them keeping his back to Lucy and facing Madsen.
‘Please Mr. Madsen sir, as I mentioned this girl is new, she means no disrespect. Inexperienced and unwilling aren’t qualities to satisfy a gentleman of your standards. Please allow me to make amends,’ said Harper thinking fast and scrambling to find a solution he hoped would be acceptable.
Signalling to two of the other girls he called them over. ‘Janice, Leanne, please look after Mr. Madsen and make up for this disappointment. I’m sure you will both take very good care of him. Mr. Madsen, the girls will look after you personally and with my compliments while Becky finishes the cleaning tasks. I will see to it that Lucy is disciplined and I assure you nothing like this will happen again.’
‘I suppose on this one occasion I can overlook this outrage but see to it that this girl doesn’t come back to my apartment. I don’t suffer disobedience lightly,’ Madsen said as he was led away by the two girls both knowing Harper would pay them well if they treated their client to something special.
Lucy looked to Harper with tears in her eyes, relieved that he had saved her from Madsen but fearful for what he might expect in return. ‘I’m so sorry Mr. Harper, I tried to do a good job for you. You know I tried but I just can’t be with a man like that, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you, really I didn’t. Thank you for saving me, I really appreciate it, I’ll work extra shifts to make up for it, I promise.’
‘You can make it up to me by working double shifts with your old crew; I can’t have you working with the girls anymore. If it was anyone else but you Lucy I’d have let Madsen teach you a lesson but I like you so your pretty little behind belongs to me now, understand? When I call, you come running. We’re going to get to know one another very well.’
‘Yes Andrew, thank you, of course I’ll make it up to you,’ said Lucy thinking she’d never come back to work for this creepy bastard again, thankful for her narrow escape but her heart sank realising she had lost her chance to get a message to her sister.
‘Becky, finish off here will you and when the girls are done wait for us in the van,’ Harper said to the girl who was left behind half-heartedly dusting book shelves. ‘Now Lucy, while the girls are fixing your mess you’re coming with me.’
‘Where are we going?’ asked Lucy as she quickly felt around her waist to be sure the little knife was still hidden in her apron.
‘You’re going to work in the Henderson’s apartment on the top floor. He usually isn’t home at this time of day but arranges for his driver Mr. Stone to supervise while the weekly clean is done. He never takes a girl so you can work there safely for the rest of the day then make your own way home. I’ll arrange a space on your old crew so be there early tomorrow morning. Mr. Stone will keep an eye on you until you’re finished.’
Lucy gathered her things into her cleaning cart and followed Harper to the lift where he used the intercom to buzz the penthouse. After a few tense moments during which Harper impatiently kept buzzing the intercom Henderson’s guard answered with a grunt and checked the ID’s held to the camera before he granted access and the lift quickly rose again to the upper floor of the highest building in the city.
Stone greeted Lucy as Harper explained she would be working alone for the rest of the day and before stepping back and descending in the lift he reached forward and squeezed her bottom.
‘See you in the morning my sweet,’ Harper said with a wink.
CHAPTER 11
Derek Stone was well built, muscular and at forty-seven fitter and stronger than many men half his age. He may have been considered handsome at sometime in his life but a horrific car accident had left him disfigured with several visible scars, terrible burns and only one eye. When his predecessor couldn’t settle a gambling debt the local mob discretely but painfully disposed of him allowing Stone to assume his role with little effort. He arrived outside his new client Mr. Patterson’s executive club right on schedule and driving Patterson’s car. Stone rather boldly presented his credentials and security clearance documents informing his new boss that he could either accept Stone as his new driver or suffer the humiliation of being left stranded outside the exclusive private club. Patterson was taken aback for a moment but appreciated the ruthless professionalism Stone displayed and agreed to take him on although he conducted a secondary security check of his own as soon as he arrived home.
Patterson’s follow up checks confirmed the details Stone had presented that morning. According to records obtained directly from Central Control, during his time with the former police service Stone had proven himself a tough cop, although dedicated to the job and prepared to do what
ever was needed to close a case he had occasionally crossed the line. He had killed men in the line of duty but information suggested not all deaths were reported; most likely some back street interrogations had gone further than he would have liked. When Patterson questioned Stone about his less than perfect record Stone had joked. ‘Well, you can’t make an omelette without cracking a few skulls.’
Stone explained he had been close to serving his twenty years on the force and cashing out with a reasonable pension to compliment the bribes and protection money he had accumulated when the crash happened and he lost everything. No pension to claim, bundles of notes he had stored for years now less valuable than toilet paper, he was angry and bitter but knew how to survive. There were dirty jobs to be done, loose ends to tie up and Stone had a reputation as a man who got things done.
As it turned out Derek Stone worked for Patterson for only a few months when Patterson one day told him he had taken a new position which required relocation to another country and as such would no longer require Stone’s services. In an unusual display of gratitude Patterson recommended Stone to the head of the Upper Council, Victor Henderson who had been asking at the club if anyone knew a reliable driver and bodyguard as he had been having difficulty finding a suitable replacement since his long term driver had disappeared.
For over a year now Stone had been on the payroll of Victor Henderson as his personal driver, bodyguard and errand boy. The days had become routine, few dared to challenge Henderson’s authority backed as it was by the threat of the Enforcers and so Stone had been reduced to more of a chauffeur than bodyguard. An easy gig with reasonable salary allowed Stone to gather up some semblance of a retirement package and still enjoy a few luxuries so it suited him for now.
Today was typically monotonous and Stone silently and obediently carried out the weekly task of collecting Henderson at his apartment, driving him to his office tower then returning to supervise the cleaning staff while they worked in Henderson’s penthouse. It wasn’t so much the cleaning crews that Henderson worried about but rather keeping his daughter Kathy contained during regular maintenance visits. Stone wondered why Henderson just didn’t force his daughter to clean since he had refused to let her leave the apartment for over two years now but he supposed Henderson’s sense of elitism led him to consider cleaning as menial work beneath the station of his immediate family members. Stone was sympathetic to Kathy’s pleas to release her and although he showed no remorse about restraining her when necessary to ensure her compliance with her father’s wishes he was gentle and as much as possible treated her kindly.
