“Well I would love to stay and watch this, and I hate to leave women wanting…but I am afraid it is time for us to attend to some other business,” Salam raised his eyebrows to me.
I nodded and mumbled some regrets to my partner. I adjusted myself, ran my hands through my hair and buttoned my jacket.
“I’m ready when you are,” I said.
I looked down at my watch and wondered when in the hell the agents would bust in.
Norah
“Come on Norah, I have been more than patient. Don’t you think it’s time for us to move on to the main event,” Nick panted in my ear.
“No, I don’t,” I tried to push him off of me but he wouldn’t budge. “Nick, I said stop,” I raised my voice. His weight was still on me and he was still pawing at my clothes. Thankfully I had worn pants tonight.
“Nick! Stop it now!” I yelled. He leaned back and had an angry look on his face. He moved to a sitting position and ran his hands through his hair and then over his face.
“Dammit, Norah! I know you said you needed some time, but we have been together every night this week.” He let out a deep breath and stood up so he could pace back and forth.
“The Opera on Sunday night, that French restaurant on Tuesday, the casual movie night here in my home theater Wednesday, the kite thing in the park, the wine festival!” As he named every event we had attended together his voice got louder and louder.
“Fuck! I even stood in that pet store for 45 minutes with you watching while you played with all the puppies! When is enough, enough?” he looked back at me.
“Well I’m sorry. I didn’t realize courtship would be so annoying,” I snapped back. “You know, I have always thought you were more controlled and patient than Liam.” I lied. “I guess I was wrong,” I picked up my purse and started out the door.
“Just how long did Liam wait for you?” he asked before I made it out. I turned back to face him.
“Three months,” I smirked.
“Three months!” he yelled. I had to give him some hope. I held up my hands.
“I’m not saying I want to wait that long with you,” I stepped closer to him. “I was a virgin, and Liam had held me against my will for a long time,” I added the ‘against my will’ part, even though it wasn’t true. “I was scared. This time is different. I don’t want to over think it, but I do need more time,” he walked over to me.
“Don’t go, please. It’s early. I apologize. Please let’s have some dessert,” he moved my hair from my shoulder and ran his fingers over my collar bone.
“That sounds wonderful,” I smiled but I needed him out of the room. I cleared my throat. “Can I get a glass of water, please?” It was the only beverage he didn’t have on his little bar in the corner.
“Sure, I’ll be right back,” he said.
“I’ll meet you in the dining room. I need to use the rest room,” I smiled. He walked out of the room and I headed to the bathroom.
As soon as he was out of sight I headed down the hallway to where Holly was being held. The door was shut but I grabbed the door knob and it wasn’t locked.
The room was dark again. The only light coming from the hallway.
“Holly,” I whispered. She moved around in her cage. “Holly,” I said again and walked toward her. She was laying down but moved her body so I could see her face. Her eyes were bright blue.
“I have a plan,” I said. “But we don’t have a lot of time.” I looked back over my shoulder and paused to see if I could hear Nick moving around. “There’s a storage room next to this one with a window. The other night I moved the boxes around and now you can reach the window if you stand on them. Tomorrow night I will be here again and unlock the window and open this door again. When you see the light from the hall you make your way to the storage closet and climb out the window.”
“Don’t you think if I could get out of this cage, I would do it? It’s locked! Or has that escaped your attention,” before I could address that, she went on. “Also, I’m naked and we are miles from anywhere. You expect me to run down the road naked just to be brought back here and beaten to death?” her voice was urgent but she kept it at a whisper.
“I think I know where he keeps the key. He keeps it in the drawer of his desk in the study. I just need to get it. And tomorrow I will insist that my driver bring me here. He will be outside the window waiting for you…with clothes.”
“I’m not getting into the car of another strange guy,” she whispered.
“He is a good guy. You can trust him.” She didn’t look convinced. “Do you think I would be doing this if I wanted to hurt you, Holly? I don’t even know you and I am risking everything to save you. You have to trust me!” She lowered her eyes.
“I have to go. I’ll get the key and leave the door cracked for you. Tomorrow night,” I stepped out of the room and walked back down the hall holding my stomach.
I walked in the dining room and Nick was on his cell phone but quickly ended the call and stood up.
“Is everything ok? I was going to send someone in after you,” he laughed.
“Actually my stomach really hurts,” I held on to the back of a dining room chair. “I think I need to call it a night,” I said. He nodded and looked very disappointed but didn’t object.
Chapter Ten
Liam
We went up another five floors in an elevator. The ride was quiet. I wanted to break the silence because it was making me nervous.
“Would you be interested in selling Amber?” I asked. Salam cleared his throat and laughed a bit.
“Really? Amber? You want to buy her?”
“She was very entertaining. I would like to explore her as an option, if that is possible. Will she be participating in the auction?”
“Amber is mine. She belongs to me, a part of my personal collection.” He looked offended. I was happy I had offended him. He talked about my wife, now I could get back at him about his girl.
“Well I can see why you would want to keep her. She was lovely. Her mouth felt like velvet,” I rubbed my chin and watched his face. “I would still make another purchase from the auction as well. If that would make it easier for you. Just name your price,” I boasted.
“Well let’s see how the auction goes and then we can discuss Amber,” he smiled.
When the doors opened the scene looked a lot like the scene the night I bought Norah.
There were a few groups of men standing around all pretending not to see each other. Salam and Amir went straight to a doorway and Salam used a gold card to unlock it. As we walked in another man had come out and was giving the same speech I had heard the night of Norah’s auction.
“We aren’t new to this. So I thought we would side step the instructions,” Salam held out his hand and gestured to my room. I walked inside and he handed me a card. “This is to place your bets,” he said.
I wanted him to say something incriminating. So far he was just a guy who had a friend of his give me a blowjob and now he lead me to a room. We hadn’t talked about the girls involved in the auction much at all. He handed me a menu and I started flipping through it.
“So where did this flock of girls come from?” I asked before he left the room.
“Some are from my place in Mexico and others from all over Europe.” He still hadn’t said anything incriminating.
“That’s where they were taken from, right? I meant where the girls are actually from?” I tried again.
“Well it’s all in the catalog,” he said. “Some were taken from the United States, some from Europe and others from Asia. We may even have a Russian in this group. Are you looking for something particular?” he paused.
“I don’t know. Maybe,” I shrugged. “I guess I was just wondering the amount of training I would have to provide.”
“How much training would you like to provide?”
“Well on one hand, training is fun. Having a woman fight, argue and defy me keeps me on my toes. On the other hand, I am getting older. Having
a girl who is a willing participant would be easier.”
“I hate to disappoint you, Mr. Hastings, but none of these girls are willing. But like I said, we can discuss Amber after the auction.” He winked and walked out.
I sat in the big leather chair and again looked down at my watch. I didn’t think I would have to participate in this auction. I thought they would be here by now. I rolled my watch over my wrist. I had just given them enough evidence. He admitted he had taken these girls from various places and that they are not willing.
A voice came over the speaker and started explaining the rules again. Place the card in the slot provided. To make a bid push the button. If the button is green you hold the current bid, if its red, someone else holds the bid and you may bid again. If the light turns blue you have won the bid.
It was all too familiar to me. I remembered hitting the button many times to purchase Norah. She was very special and I had to have her. I wasn’t even sure how high the bid was because it didn’t matter. The money didn’t matter. Having Norah mattered and it was the only thing.
I prepared myself for the auction by rolling my neck and cracking my knuckles. But before the auction began the lights went out. All the lights. Everything was black. I heard loud voices, shouting, screaming and doors slamming.
There was a loud stomp outside my room and the door burst open. Three men in black all wearing lights on their helmets and holding very big guns stormed in the room.
“Get on the ground!” one of them yelled. I raised my hands but felt a hand on my shoulder pushing me to the ground. “Get on the fucking ground!” He shoved my face in the floor and put a foot on the back of my head. Another man pulled my hands behind my back and zip tied my wrists together.
They yanked my arms and raised me to my feet and I was escorted or as I like to call it, shoved out of the room to the hallway. Other men that had been in the group were all sitting on the floor with their hands zip tied as well. I was shoved to the ground and forced to sit with the group.
I looked around at the all the agents running around trying to see a familiar face but I couldn’t. Then I saw Agent Shaw walking from the other end holding Rashad Salam by the arm. He didn’t make eye contact with me. Neither of them did. Rashad had his head lowered and Shaw was shouting at other men walking around.
Shaw handed off Rashad to another agent who was waiting on the elevator and he looked at me just before the doors closed. He didn’t have one emotion on his face. He looked blank.
I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall. I wondered if he thought I was responsible for this. I wondered who of his organization would survive this bust and if anyone would come after me and mine. I shook my head. At this moment none of that mattered. It was over. It was finally over.
Norah
“Are you sure you want to do this?” John asked me with his eyes in the rearview mirror. I nodded but didn’t say anything. “I wish you would reconsider,” he added. I shook my head.
“You know Mr. Hastings is going to fire me when he returns, right?” the car stopped in front of Nick’s house.
“No he won’t. I won’t let him, I told you that. I take all the blame. All of it. I’ll tell him I told you if you didn’t help me I would fire you,” I said. I took a big gulp and then a deep breath and held it in for a minute.
“How did you convince him to let me drive you tonight?” he asked.
“I told him he had to trust me,” I laughed. “Now remember,” I got serious, “At 10 o’clock, be outside the side window. It’s small on the side of the house and the glass is blue. I’ll unlock the window and get the key by then,” I said. I held up the bag of clothes and he nodded. I took another deep breath and he got out of the car. The door opened and he helped me out.
“Mrs. Hastings,” he said and I hiccupped.
“Excuse me,” I said.
“Stop holding your breath,” John said.
“I’m nervous.” His hand touched mine and he placed something the size of a keyless entry button in my hand. I started to look down.
“Don’t look down.” I looked back up. “It’s a panic button. If something…goes wrong,” he paused, “push it and I will be inside in 30 seconds.”
“You think of everything,” I smiled.
“Well by the way you are dressed, you are probably going to need it.” I tapped his shoulder and headed to the door.
He was right. I was dressed a little over the top tonight. But I needed to get his attention and keep it. I was wearing my black tube dress. It was tight, came down to my mid-thigh and was strapless. Liam hated it. He said it reminded him of the dress I wore the night he bought me.
Nick and I slow danced before dinner. He held me close and kept running his hands over my body.
“You look amazing in that dress, have I mentioned that?” he asked as he gave a butt a squeeze.
“Only about a million times,” I exposed my neck.
“That tattoo is very sexy. I think you should get more,” his voice was suave. I almost said that I always wanted more but Liam wouldn’t like it if I got another tattoo. So I just bit my lip instead. I tried to get away several times but he kept changing the subject and pulling me closer. I kept looking at my watch.
8:12
8:35
8:49
Time was moving so slow. But it didn’t matter. I couldn’t get him away from me long enough to go down the hall anyway.
“How’s your stomach?” he asked during dinner.
“My what?” I was distracted and couldn’t hide it.
“Your stomach? You didn’t feel well last night,” he prompted.
“Oh right. Yeah, well I got sick when I got home and I slept in today, so I feel better,” I said and I looked down at my phone again.
“Are you expecting a call?” he asked. I shook my head. “You keep looking at your phone.”
“I’m sorry. The Yankees are playing the Red Soxx tonight and I have money on the game,” I put my phone on the table.
“Oh, well in that case, let’s go in the den and watch it,” he stood up, wiped his mouth and gestured to the den.
He turned on the game and I tried to look like I cared.
9:10
9:12
9:18
I had to make a move now. I couldn’t waste any more time.
“Oh, did I leave my glasses here?” I asked. “I think they fell out of my purse last night. I’m going to go check the study,” he barely even looked up from his phone when I left the room.
I ran into the study and went straight for the desk. I figured a man like him would keep the key to the cage in his desk. Well I hoped really. Maybe a man like him would keep it in his bedroom. I didn’t want to travel up there.
I tried to pull open the top desk drawer but it wouldn’t budge. I looked around and saw a letter opener in a holder on his desk. I grabbed it and tried to pry it open. It wouldn’t budge.
“Fuck!” I said way too loud. I put the opener down and looked around the room again. I noticed a new vase of flowers sitting on the corner of his desk. They weren’t there last night. They looked funny and out of place to me. He wasn’t the kind of man who picked flowers from a garden. I didn’t remember seeing a garden. The flowers weren’t in this room last night and now here they were on his desk. I reached out and touched them. They were fake. Fake flowers. Again, Nick didn’t seem like the kind of man to have fake flowers in his house.
Just as I began to think I was over thinking the flowers, I noticed something. The water was real. Why would fake flowers require water? It didn’t make sense. Then I saw it. A key was in the water. I smiled at myself. I hoped like hell this was it. The brass key that would unlock Holly’s cage was sitting right in the water.
“Hot damn!” I leaned toward the vase and put my hand in the water. Just as my fingertips felt the key I hiccupped again and dropped the vase. It shattered all over the floor and of course made a very noise.
“Dammit!” I said to myself.
I would never make it as an international spy of any kind.
“Norah?” Nick shouted from the other room.
“Ahh….sorry. I’m ahhh….” I ran around the other side of the desk and kneeled down. Before I could grab the key Nick walked in the room.
“What happened? Are you ok?” he walked closer to me. I stood up very fast.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just clumsy.” I looked over at the desk. “I was looking for my glasses and lost my balance. I’m so sorry,” I kneeled down again, but he grabbed my arms and pulled me back up.
“No don’t worry about it. I don’t want you to cut yourself. It’s fine. One of the girls will get it.” I didn’t want to leave the room. I knew if he got someone else to clean it up the key would be gone. I had to think of a reason for us not to leave this room. But I didn’t have to think of anything he had plans of his own.
He leaned me back on the desk and took my mouth. His hands were on my thighs. He moved my butt to the desk and spread my legs apart so he was between them. I didn’t know how to react. I didn’t want to shut him down but I didn’t want to lead him on either. My dress was enough of a tease, I didn’t need to actually tease him.
“God, you feel good.” He was kissing my neck and his hands were moving up my very short skirt. “Let’s do this, Norah. Let’s do this now, baby,” he was breathing hard.
His lips grasped my earlobe and his tongue licked my ear. His breath was hot. I tried to seem a little interested. I moved my hands to his chest.
“Doesn’t this feel good? It’s right. The time is now,” he said. He kept talking and all I could think about was the time. Time was ticking by and I still hadn’t opened the cage yet.
“I think it’s time too,” I said. “Let me go freshen up a little, and then I will meet you in your room,” I panted. I thought I could lean over to fix my shoe and grab the key. While I was pretending to freshen up I could still make it to unlock the cage. While Nick was upstairs in bed alone, I could be out the front door and Holly out the back.
Surrender: Keeping Her in the Dark Vol. 4 Page 11
