by J. R. Ryder
“This seems suspicious,” Andy whispered as she lingered behind the bushes. “Why would they come back to your cabin. Do you know who did this to you?”
“I can’t remember.”
“Well, by the looks of it, there’s going to be quite a few people in there. A van and three sports cars. How did they even manage to drive all the way up here?”
“There’s a path. It’s overgrown but there’s still a path.” I said.
“Well, when I moved to the mountains, I thought I would leave all this drama behind.” Andy sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I wanted a nice, peaceful life, and here I am, back on the battlefield.”
“If you don’t want to help, then I understand.”
“Are you kidding? What kind of friend would I be if I allowed you to take this on by yourself? Especially with your head busted like that. Which, by the way, you should get that checked out as soon as we’re done here. It’s going to get infected.”
“Alright.”
We continued to watch the cabin for a while. Eventually, a slender young woman stepped onto the porch, holding a cigarette between her fingers. She took a drag before letting out a large plume of smoke.
Andy and I both looked at each other, thinking the same exact thing.
Slowly, we crept toward us, speaking entirely in silent signals. He went one direction while I went another. Step by step, we got closer and closer to the unsuspecting woman.
Suddenly, I sprang forward, covering her mouth with my hand and dragging her into the forest, where the thick foliage would muffle her screams if she chose to do so.
Andy was already by my side, prepared to help if she decided to give me a hard time. And, she was. The woman wouldn’t stop squirming. She practically stabbed me with her high heeled shoe. Luckily, Andy had taken hold of her ankles, restraining her with his powerful grip. His muscles flexed. Even though we had both retired from the Navy years ago, we had both kept up with the training regimen, as if expecting that something like this would one day happen to us. After all, danger seemed to follow us wherever we went. We had to be prepared.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
The woman screamed profanities, refusing to answer.
“They can’t hear you,” Andy said with a blank expression on his face. “ if you want to waste your breath, go ahead.”
“Go to hell.” She spat.
“What are you doing in my home?” I growled.
She laughed. “Oh, so you’re the billionaire that Keith kept talking about. How interesting. you’ve finally decided to save your precious little girlfriend?” She snickered. “Good luck. There’s ten Hitchcocks in that cabin. There’s no way you could get through all of us. Face it, your girlfriend is gone. She belongs to us now.”
“Girlfriend?”
“Oh, come on, don’t play dumb. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? You’re trying to play the role of prince charming, saving the damsel in distress. Well, I got a news flash for you: it’s too late.”
Chapter 23 (Mandy)
What I witnessed inside that cabin was worse than anything I could have ever imagined. For a long time, the police department had the Hitchcocks under investigation, believing that they were using their successful business as a front for illegal activity. Despite our best efforts, we were never able to figure out what exactly they were up to.
Now, it was obvious.
Human trafficking.
Sex slaves.
My heart froze the second I saw them. Men and women collared and leashed beside richly dressed individuals. They all smiled at me with viciously sharp teeth and looks filled with lust. I shivered. Was I to become one of these slaves?
No.
Please, god, no. I prayed in my mind, begging for mercy.
The victims all had a glazed over look on their faces like they had already given up their humanity. I wanted to save them but what was I supposed to do? With Keith’s gun pressed against the back of my head, I was helpless.
What could I do?
“Sit,” Keith commanded, pointing his gun at a nearby chair.
With no other choice, I sat down.
“ what do you think?” He asked me in a mocking tone. “Did you ever expect any of this?”
There was so much I wanted to say but my mouth had become incredibly dry. With so many eyes on me, I felt the heat rising on my cheeks. They were all looking at me like I was a piece of meat they could buy at the market. The thought sent a shiver running through my spine.
How was I ever supposed to get out of a situation like this?
I gulped.
Keith walked up behind me and ran his fingers through my hair, pulling it back so I was forced to look at him. “Welcome to your new life.” He said with an evil grin. “I think you might just like it and if you don’t, well, tough luck.”
***
To my relief, nothing happened for a while. I half expected Keith to pounce on me and take me right then and there but instead, various members of the family went around, bragging about themselves. They seemed to enjoy this.
At one point, two women started to bicker, nearly coming to blows with one another. The men in the group got up and grabbed themselves a drink.
The quietest of the group went outside to smoke.
I was once again alone with Keith.
He sat down across from me and smiled. “ what do you think?”
“This is sick.” I spat, finally finding my voice. “How can you live with yourself? Those people…” I pointed to the individuals chained to the coffee table. “… they’re not animals.”
He laughed. “Those two actually gave up their freedom willingly.”
“Willingly?” My eyes widened. “That can’t be true. No one would want to live like that!”
“That’s where you’re wrong. There’s a kink for everything. Some people like the feeling of being degraded. They get off on it.”
I shook my head.
“Why don’t you ask them?” He suggested.
He pulled the smaller of the two women onto his lap.
She looked up at me with watery eyes and in that instant, I knew it wasn’t true. She didn’t want this, and no one deserved this. I didn’t know how I would do it, but I vowed to help them – to make all this right – to stop their suffering.
Keith smacked her ass, telling her to speak even though there was a large red ball gag between her teeth. He seemed to get off on this cruel treatment.
“Stop it!” I begged him.
“You want me to stop?” He asked, turning his attention in my direction. “Are you getting jealous? Because I have no problem bending you over my knee and spanking that lovely ass of yours.”
Before I could react, he had already thrown the woman to the floor. He advanced toward me.
Quickly, my body flew into action. I sprung to my feet and rushed for the door.
He grabbed me by the hair. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
I rammed my elbow into his chest as hard as I could.
He groaned, doubling over.
I took my chance, swinging the door open. At that moment, a blur of fur rushed past. Barking loudly, Wolf charged at Keith, biting his arm, shaking his head, determined to rip it right from the socket.
“Mother fucker!” Keith swore, trying desperately to get the rabid dog off him.
Wolf growled even louder, biting down so hard that he nearly crushed the bones in Keith’s arms.
I was so shocked but this aggressive behavior that all I could do was stand there in horror.
Suddenly, there came a crashing noise from the kitchen.
“Who the fuck are you?” Someone shouted. “Don’t just stand there you idiots, do something!”
What was going on?
Now was my opportunity to run and yet, there I stood, unable to decide.
What was I supposed to do?
Just then, Wolf went flying across the room. Keith had managed to kick him – hard. The p
oor creature lay whimpering, spasming with pain.
No!
I was about to run to his side when Keith turned to look at me, hatred in his eyes.
Fuck.
I was in for it now.
it was time I stopped running.
Gathering all the courage I had, I grabbed a nearby lamp and held it like a baseball bat.
He laughed. “Do you really think a pathetic little lamp is going to be enough to stop me?”
I tightened my grip. I honestly didn’t know what would happen, but I was putting all my faith into this moment. All I needed to do was knock him out. If I managed then, maybe I could escape. I took a deep breath and planted my feet on the ground, preparing for the worst.
My heart was beating a mile a minute.
“You’re one stupid bitch.”
“And you’re all talk no bite.” I shot back.
Chapter 24 (Jasper)
Andy and I made quick work of the family members held up in the kitchen, pouring themselves a drink. The first few didn’t even suspect us. One second, they were standing, glass in hand, the other, they were unconscious on the ground.
eventually, they stopped us.
A large man dressed in a black suit aimed a gun at Andy. He charged forward, grabbed the man by the wrist and nearly broke his limb in the process of disarming him.
Andy had always been a killer fighter – the one man I’d never want to piss off.
The rest of them were easy, falling like flies.
When we were done, we looked at each other, a bit winded by the experience. Nonetheless, we advanced into the living room.
The second I saw her standing there, lamp in hand, trying to defend herself, it all came back to me.
Mandy.
The woman I loved.
Anger coursed through my veins. How dare this man threaten her. How dare this man destroy the sanctity of my home?
Without thinking, I ran forward, tackling him into the ground.
He wasn’t expecting it, groaning in pain.
I pinned his head against the floorboards, fingers tightening against his skull feeling like if I just squeezed hard enough I’d be able to pop it like a balloon.
He did everything he could to throw me off, flailing his limbs like a floundering fish. The carpet was already stained with his blood. “I should kill you.”
“You don’t have the balls to do it.” He spat.
“You know, killing you would be way too easy. You’d get a one-way ticket out of this mess. Instead, I think you deserve to rot – trapped inside a tiny jail cell. Think about it, with that cute face and slender figure, I’m sure you’ll be very popular among all the other inmates. Shower-time will become your favorite part of the day.”
“Go to hell.”
Not wanting to hear his voice any longer, I pinched the pressure point on his neck, knocking him out.
That was all of them.
Ten against two and we still managed to win.
I looked up at Andy with a smirk on my face. “Not bad.”
He chuckled. “Don’t get too full of yourself. We still have to figure out how to clean up this mess. They aren’t going to stay unconscious forever, you know.”
I was no longer listening to him. When I looked up I had locked eyes with Mandy. As soon as I got up, she flew into my arms, holding onto me, body shaking with sobs.
“Shh, it’s okay. It’s all over now. No one is going to hurt you. I promise.” Gently, I ran my fingers through her hair. “Please, don’t cry.”
“I was so scared… I thought you were dead.”
“I’m fine, baby,” I whispered, holding her by the cheeks so she could look into my eyes. “I promise.”
as soon as I said that, my vision began to blur. The pain in my temples that had faded into the background during the fight suddenly returned, more powerful than ever.
I gasped, chest tightening with a pain like fire. It became impossible for me to breath as I doubled over and collapsed onto the ground.
“Jasper!” Mandy screamed, falling to her knees beside me, trying to shake me back into consciousness but it was already too late.
The darkness settled into my mind and I blacked out.
***
When I next awoke, everything was white. Blinking, I saw a white ceiling above my head.
Beep, beep, beep.
What was that noise?
I turned my head and saw a heart monitor by the bedside.
Ah, I was in the hospital.
what exactly had happened?
I closed my eyes, the bright light of the room too painful to bear. Everything was foggy. It was like someone had taken my memories and scrambled them in a blender and then covered them up with a sheet.
As I furrowed my eyebrows in an attempt to remember, I felt a tightness on the side of my head. I reached up to touch it.
Stitches.
Quite a few of them.
Now, I was really curious.
Had I gotten into a fight?
For a moment, I thought that maybe, I was back in service. Had I failed a mission? where were all my comrades?
Suddenly, I felt a small, soft hand being placed on mine.
I opened my eyes and saw a beautiful woman sitting by my side.
“Jasper… you’re awake…” She whispered, voice like honey. “Thank god.”
Before I knew what was happening, she had her arms wrapped around me, head buried in my chest.
Even though I had a hard time remembering who she was, I could feel in my heart that she was someone important. I held her in my arms, enjoying the warmth of her body and her pleasant scent.
“I was so worried… I thought you’d never wake up.”
“How long have I been out?”
“A couple of days.”
I was quiet for a few moments, trying to process this information. Why couldn’t I remember? What had happened.
“Are you okay?” She asked, face full of worry. “You aren’t in pain, are you?”
“No. No. I’m fine… it’s just… I can’t remember.”
“What do you mean you can’t remember?”
I frowned.
“Jasper.”
“I don’t know who you are.”
Chapter 25 (Mandy)
His words cut through me like a knife.
What did he mean?
“Jasper… I don’t understand.”
He tried to sit up.
“No. Don’t do that.” I placed my hand on his chest, keeping him in place. “If you want I can call a nurse and she can help you get more comfortable.”
He nodded.
Even though I wanted to ask him a million and one questions, I decided to hold onto them for the moment. His well-being was more important.
I called the nurse who walked into the room with a smile. “How are you feeling?” She asked, already grabbing a few extra pillows to prop behind his back. “We’re happy to see you awake. When I’m done here, I’ll let the doctor know you’re up. He’ll want to see you.”
Jasper nodded but I could tell that he was in a fog. His eyes were glazed over, and his eyebrows pushed together in the desperate attempt to remember.
Had he really lost his memory? Had he truly forgotten about me? It pained me to think about it.
This was the man that I loved. The man that had saved my life.
How could he forget everything we went through together?
Eventually, the nurse left, promising to call the doctor and get Jasper something to eat.
The room fell into silence.
All the questions I had been meaning to ask became stuck in my throat.
He just looked at me, studying every inch of my face.
Before either one of us could say a word, the doctor stepped through the door. He carried a clipboard in his hands, glancing at it quickly before he placed it at the foot of the bed. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
“Any pain?”
; “No.”
