“I am yours to command,” she whispered. She waited what seemed hours, although mere seconds passed. She knew he was contemplating what action to take.
“You will eat with me,” Seth told her, rising.
Her tortured breath escaped in a huge gasp. She was relieved he did not seem inclined to strike her.
She followed him, knowing she would be commanded to partake in food. Whether she wanted to or not.
When they reached the leisure room, Carrie was
dismayed to see several other men present. Usually Seth dined with her and Tyr alone or she and Tyr had dined in his own room while she served him. Carrie hung back, fearful of the huge men. All wore various weapons. All were dressed in tan colored fatigues, and wore large, brown, heavy boots. All eyes were on her with interest. Carrie stood motionless, like a frightened rabbit surrounded by massive, hungry wolves. She had a frightful image of her being dessert.
“Come to me, Carrie,” Seth demanded, as he prepared to settle himself onto the cushions for dinner.
Even if she had heard his command she could not
move; her body remained paralyzed with fear. Her wide, terrified eyes rested on an immense, dark- haired, dark-eyed man whom she knew was Seth’s first in command. She had been told by the other women once Seth felt satisfied with her she would be given to him next. He possessed as much, if not more patience than Seth, she had been informed.
Maggie had taken great pains to tell her he would not harm her, but he was larger than Tyr. He was a mountain of a man, who was at that moment looking intently at her, his interest more than apparent. She remained frozen to the floor.
* * * *
Seth was annoyed at Carrie’s disobedience when she disregarded his order and moved to discipline her. When he reached her he noted her chalk-white complexion and her rapid breathing; her fist was tightly pressed to her chest as if she were in pain. Seth could tell she was terrified; her large frightened eyes were centered on Ace.
Angrily he remembered Tyr’s insistence not to
expose Carrie to the others, as she would be in too much distress. Seth had assumed she had become accustomed to his men just by noticing them around the compound. This was her first time in such close proximity with them.
Seth pressed his lips together grimly. Tyr was not
doing her any favors by sheltering her. If one of his men happened on her by accident and decided to take her, Seth felt certain she would expire from fright whether or not the man handled her gently. He was going to have to keep a careful eye on her.
“Come sit with me, little one,” Seth said. He gently pried her arm from her chest and, taking her hand, propelled her towards the low table.
He no sooner settled himself down when Carrie
plopped beside him and pressed as closely to him as was humanly possible without actually sitting in his lap. She still gazed wide-eyed at the six huge men settling around them. Her petrified gaze seemed to fixate on the largest man, who was regarding her with
interest. Her terrified eyes remained wide, frozen onto the man.
“With Tyr gone, will you require my aid with her?”
the powerful man asked, indicating Carrie.
Carrie pressed further still against Seth, clasping his shirt. Her cheek pressed against his arm. Her knees were drawn up tightly to her chest. For a brief moment she cast her imploring gaze to him. Seth could see her terror. She clung to him in fright as she had once clung to Tyr in her great fear of him.
For a brief moment he thought to wrap an arm
around her in reassurance as Tyr would have, and decided against it. She was not being threatened, nor frightened on purpose. She would have to learn to accept his men, fearful or not. He had told her he was now in charge of her training. It began the moment she awoke in his care. He had promised Tyr no one would be allowed to take her fully. The promise had been given grudgingly, but there were other ways to teach obedience and acceptance.
“I am afraid Tyr is quite enamored with his little treasure and has asked our indulgence for the time being. We will keep our distance,” Seth informed the man with an air of annoyance.
“Why would he not encourage her training?”
another man asked.
“It’s not her training he wants to suffer. Tyr hates to share,” another snorted. The others laughed in agreement.
“Look at how frightened she is. If he were to let us use her she would come to understand none will harm her,” the first in command said with concerned sympathy.
Seth took in Carrie’s still wary features; her face
remained pale. She was cuddled up to his side closely for protection, half-hidden behind his arm. He sighed, feeling a certain degree of sympathy for the tiny little thing, hopeful she would soon settle. He felt perhaps some progress was being made, as she had no need of her inhaler; though her fear was palpable, she seemed to be handling it well enough.
He lavishly buttered a white doughy roll, knowing
she had expressed delight over them, and handed it to her, commanding her to eat. She took it, but only nibbled at it. Seth battled a frustrated urge to demand she comply readily. He could make her eat, but he couldn’t choose her pace or she might vomit.
She kept her eyes downcast, appearing to concentrate on her food. She dutifully choked it down. Seth handed her a large bite of butter-dipped lobster tail, then mushroom-stuffed snow crab, oysters, pheasant and caviar. She ate mechanically. Each time Seth ate from his large, overflowing plate he would offer her a succulent small taste of his wares. His actions were well practiced after many years.
Seth and his men began talking about detailed
business, not bothering with the fact that Carrie was
listening. They had nothing to fear; she wasn’t going anywhere, she was well-guarded. This was to be her home for the rest of her life. They spoke of other women situated about their many numerous compounds.
Though this was his home-base, other women were captured and moved to various places on different continents, numerous countries world-wide. Their practice was extensive. Seth had contacts everywhere; some were reputable men with families and deeply involved in community work, government, police force, churches, and relief aid. Seth and his men were making an astronomical fortune on slavery.
“Six were taken from China this morning,” one of the men commented. “All without family or any known ties. They were moved to your island in the Pacific. Medical exams are being preformed as we speak; they will be ready to move in a few weeks.”
“The order was for five,” Seth replied, frowning. “One we had thought to be the sister of a young
woman; they were together when we grabbed them, but it turns out she’s her kid. Cute little thing, tiny, younger than we first imagined. The mother had her when she was barely fourteen. The mother is terrified for the child’s life. From what I gather they had been in hiding. From whom I’m not sure, but I have a suspicion.”
“How old is the child?” Seth asked.
“Not old enough to give to the contact who wants
them. You know what he’s into, and she’s only eleven. He wants the girl. He’ll take the mother, even though she is older than what we had perceived her to be. Obviously someone screwed with the records and I don’t think we should deal with them anymore. Perhaps it’s someone’s attempt to get rid of a dirty little secret. I told him you wouldn’t sell a kid to him.”
Seth pondered for a moment. “Tell him we will
acquire another, in the age category we agreed upon. In the meantime bring the woman and her child here. Cut our ties with our contact in China for now; there will be another. I won’t do business with liars. Make it clear I am not happy with the ruse and make it perfectly clear I do not deal in child slavery.”
Seth handed Carrie a piece of kiwi.
“Please no more, Seth, I beg you. I do not feel well,” Carrie pleaded.
Seth looked down into her drawn and tired features. She looked si
ck. Her face had paled and Seth realized their openly spoken words had distressed her. He relented, knowing she had still yet to recover from Tyr’s absence.
“Do you wish her guarded for the evening?” the
first in command asked Seth.
Seth had decided before Tyr left he would keep the girl with him. He would not put her with the other women, knowing Sergio would seek her out, feeling she would be unprotected. The man would ruin her if
he got his hands on her. Carrie would not know how to remain submissive for him while he hurt her, and Sergio would no doubt punish her severely for her disobedience; he would cause irreversible damage. Again Seth realized he needed to be rid of the man.
“I am keeping her with me, although I may have need of you. All of you are to keep Sergio from her,” Seth commanded.
“That bastard doesn’t belong here,” another
raged in disgust. “I came across his woman cowering naked behind a tree in the garden. She begged me to kill her, for Christ's sake! Her mouth and nose had been bloodied and she could barely move. She’s covered with bruises. She fainted in my arms from pain. I had to carry her to Maggie.”
“Damn him!” Seth yelled. “He was warned about her. He will turn the girl into a mindless zombie. Replacement or no, we will deal with him in the morning. In the meantime make certain every woman is occupied tonight, including Sergio’s girl. She will no doubt need to recover. I had best send for the doctor if you feel it’s bad,” Seth said, glancing at the man who had found her. The man nodded in agreement.
“When I took her to Maggie, she looked concerned
as I placed the girl on the bed. I checked her breathing and pulse. She wasn’t moving. She’s alive, although just barely. It’s like the bloody bastard has a toy he could care less if he breaks because he can just go get another one.”
Seth heard the anger in the man’s undertone. He was scowling. Seth gritted his teeth; the discord must desist!
“I could deal with him tonight,” the first in command stated calmly. His meaning was clear and Carrie’s head snapped up from Seth’s arm to look up at him, terrified. Seth ignored her.
Nodding to Ace, approving of the idea, Seth concurred. Sergio would prove to be dead weight if ousted. He would no doubt be angry. But, Seth reasoned, in his line of work he could not have a man in his employ who damaged his property and cost him a financial loss. If he was not obeying Seth’s commands, then he had brought disciplinary action upon himself. Ace would be more than capable of handling Sergio.
“Ace, I want you to pick two others and take care
of our problem permanently,” Seth demanded. “You know what is expected.”
“Of course,” Ace said. “There will be no more
problems.”
“Well there is one other small problem, very small,” another chuckled.
“Oh?” Seth asked.
“It would seem your friend's little treasure has fainted,” the man said, indicating Carrie’s slumped form.
Still pressed closely to his side, Carrie had
succumbed to her fear of the men and their talk. Her
hands languished in her lap, her head nodding forward. The kiwi she had begged off lay on the floor before her. Sighing, Seth realized he had forgotten she was huddled closely beside him. As the men continued to chuckle, Seth pulled Carrie’s still form into his arms and, rising, took her to bed with him.
Chapter Eleven
Carrie woke slowly. A gentle light was filtering in through the skylight and she realized she was in Seth’s bed. She looked about, concerned, but felt relieved when she discovered she was alone. She wondered at that. Very rarely was she ever left alone.
She remembered the conversation from the night before and wondered if the man Sergio had been murdered by Ace. She shivered with the thought. Rising, feeling sudden apprehension, she made her way to the bedroom door. She screamed as it burst open and the huge man, Ace, stormed in, heavily armed. Unnerved, as she had just been thinking about him and the execution he had plotted, she spun about and ran from him, terrified.
“Stop!” he commanded.
Carrie froze instantly. She turned, shaking. Maggie had warned her above all else she was to obey no matter what was asked, no matter how frightened she was. Ace strode to her and grabbed her by her arms, pulling her to him.
“You will listen to me or you may be killed,” he warned.
Her eyes widened further. She was panic-stricken.
She wondered where Seth was. Why was he not protecting her as promised? Carrie heard a loud thundering of noise in the distance and realized at once shots had been fired, explosions sounded.
“What’s happened?” she whimpered, unable to
remain silent.
“You will come with me and stay close,” Ace demanded. He gripped her wrist. As they exited, Carrie screamed, startled and frightened by a man who appeared before them suddenly, gun drawn, aiming in her direction. Ace shot him between the eyes. The man dropped to the ground silently.
Ace strode through the halls, dragging Carrie, who
was hard-pressed to keep pace with his long, determined strides. Upon reaching the women’s quarters, Ace tossed her through the door, leveling a commanding look at her, telling her to stay put, then slamming and locking the door behind him. Carrie raced to Maggie, who was trying to console her frightened children.
“What is it? What is going on?” she cried out. “Sergio has gathered his own men and has waged
war on Seth and the others with some new men. God help us all if they prove victorious. They will sell our children. We will be used without mercy under Sergio’s rule. He does not feel we should be offered any compassion,” Maggie said with a great deal of fear. “I was ruled by a man like him once before. I would rather end my life than belong to another such
as him.”
“We need to hide,” Sergio’s young girl whimpered.
Carrie saw the girl huddled on a bed, her tears streaming from her horribly bruised face. She realized if Sergio gained command, she and the others would no doubt look like the battered girl, or worse, before the end of the day.
“Hide where?” another spit out. “Where could we
hide, the desert? We would die slowly of dehydration and starvation, which would be a kind mercy. What if Sergio captured us? You know he would make an example of us. He would peel the flesh from our bones and take great sadistic delight in doing so.”
The door to their room burst open, the doors
flying from their hinges from the force. The women screamed and took flight in all directions as four of Sergio’s men came for them. Carrie could see Sergio’s young girl being scooped from her bed as she howled in terror. A baby was ripped from her mother’s arms. The woman, terrified for her child, followed the man docilely. Maggie had grabbed up her son and daughter, racing to Carrie as the other women and children were chased and captured.
“Take Hannah, Carrie, hide her please. If Sergio is victorious or comes across her he will not kill her; she is female and valuable. But he will kill Seth’s son if the opportunity presents itself, out of spite. I need to hide him,” Maggie cried out, clutching the frightened
boy to her chest. Both women raced off through the long winding hallways, though their situation looked bleak.
Carrie stopped as the corridors veered off into two different directions. Deciding on a route which would take her to Tyr’s room, she ran as quickly as she could with the frightened child sobbing against her. She came to a halt as she saw with dismay Ace and another man battling not far from her, blocking her way.
Carrie crouched, huddled protectively around the
child as the two huge men slammed each other against solid stone walls. Ace threw a hammering punch, sending the other man’s teeth flying in different directions. The man rebounded off a massive statue that teetered and fell on top of him, crushing him.
Ace was at Carrie’s side, lifting her to her feet. “You disobeyed
my direct command to stay,” he shouted angrily.
Carrie, who had been shaking in fear, trembled at his furious words and narrowed, piercing glare. “Sergio’s men came for us. Maggie said they will kill her son. We ran, Ace. Please, punish me later, I need to hide the child,” she begged. She rested a placating hand onto his massive arm.
Ace glanced towards the petite girl wrapped protectively in her embrace. “Where do you head?”
“Tyr’s room. There is a small place in the closet a
man cannot fit. I will hide Hannah there,” Carrie told him. Her heart pounded against her chest.
Nodding, Ace once more gripped Carrie by the
arm, dragging her along. Once reaching Tyr’s room she was again locked in and commanded to stay. She raced to the closet and, pushing the huge doors aside, she stepped in, pulling them closed behind her. She wove her way through the many turns in the intricate closet; it had been designed to accommodate all kinds of items.
The closet had fascinated her and Tyr had
chuckled, eyes twinkling in indulgence, when she had returned to explore it again and again. It was how she had found the small space Tyr claimed could hold luggage. Carrie pulled the clothing apart after setting the child down and slid the wooden panel back. After placing Hannah inside, she arranged the clothing in front of the hole once more and climbed in after her, pulling the wooden panel back into place.
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