Inga didn’t doubt that the threat made against her family was real. She was on a ship headed to an unknown location with more than a dozen other girls like herself. Someone, or a group of people, would buy her, buy all of them, and keep them as slaves, sex slaves. Anyone proficient at abducting so many women at once would also be capable of killing to keep their operation safe. By threatening their families and loved ones, they ensured that Inga and the other women would give them little trouble.
Inga felt bad for Vicky Denton. By issuing threats, she had doomed her father. It made Inga wonder how many innocents had been enslaved or died at the hands of the evil bastards who were in charge of the operation.
The younger man appeared wearing rain gear and lugging along a hose. Before freeing their captives from their restraints, they had to get them to some semblance of clean. The spray from the hose was both chilling and painful as he used it on them.
When spray from the blast made its way into Inga’s nostrils, she had trouble breathing because of the ball gag in her mouth. The need to cough was intense but was stifled by the obstruction in her mouth. And despite the gallons of water being utilized, the women were still denied anything to drink. The use of the hose increased Inga’s level of misery. She already felt wretched after being bound naked to a hard surface in one position for so long a period of time.
The younger Frenchman was later joined by four other men holding machine guns. Inga was released from her bonds along with five of the other women, including Vicky Denton. They were handed towels to wipe themselves off, along with white coveralls to wear. Inga looked at the women who had yet to be released, both hoping and dreading that she would spot Regina among them, but the lights had been dimmed in the hold and she couldn’t make out the faces of the women still secured to the floor.
It was night when they made it up to the deck. The ship was larger than Inga thought it would be and was docked at an unknown port. They were told to climb into the first of three black vans that were parked near the ship. One man drove while another man holding a gun sat in the rear of the van with them. They were dark complected and appeared to be Mexican. Both the driver and the man holding the gun looked bored, as if ferrying abducted women around was something they did all the time. Perhaps it was.
As the van Inga was in drove off, she looked back at the ship in time to see another set of women being brought up to the deck. She strained to make out details, but she was too far away to tell if Regina was among them.
The van drove Inga and the other five women with her to a seldom used road that was bumpy and had cracked pavement. Inga had no idea where she was but could see that there were palm trees. It made her think that the ship they had been on had gone south and into Mexico. That impression deepened when she heard the driver talking to someone on the phone in Spanish. Inga was far from fluent in the language, but the three years of high school Spanish she’d taken did allow her to follow the conversation. It appeared that whoever they were there to meet was late.
With just the driver and one other man there, Inga was considering running off into the trees that bordered the road. She rejected the idea because the night was pitch black beyond the minor glow of the van’s parking lights. She’d be more likely to fall into a ditch or run headlong into a tree than she would be to find a safe path to take. Anyway, running in the woods in her bare feet would be painful and difficult, and the two men had guns and flashlights. She wouldn’t get far if she did attempt to flee.
Vicky Denton did make a run for it, and Inga was shocked to see how fast the girl was. Despite her speed, Vicky couldn’t outrun the man who chased after her, or the beam of the flashlight he held. He ran Vicky down and brought her back while maintaining a tight grip on her hair. Inga looked down at Vicky’s feet and ankles. They were bleeding from several small cuts she received from brambles in the woods.
The escape attempt resulted in all of them having their wrists bound behind them, to make it more difficult for them to run. Vicky glared at Inga and the others.
“You should have all run when I did. There’s six of us and two of them; they couldn’t catch all of us.”
“Shut up, bitch. Isn’t it bad enough that you got your father killed?”
Those words came not from one of their captors, but from one of the other women. She was Hispanic and built like a fashion model.
Vicky turned on her and began cursing. Her tirade ended when the driver took out a taser and used it on her, and Vicky collapsed to the ground. As she lay there moaning, another vehicle arrived. It was a limo.
The limo driver stepped out and opened a door. Inga was shocked to see a woman climb out of the rear compartment. She was attractive, had dark hair, and was only a few years older than Inga. There was also something familiar about her. It caused Inga to wonder if she had seen her somewhere before.
“You girls can call me Mistress. You’re coming with me now.”
Vicky had recovered from the taser blast and was making it to her feet again. “And where are we going?”
Mistress smiled at her. “There’s one of you in every bunch.”
“One what?” Vicky asked.
“I have three rules for you girls. One—do not speak unless you are asked a question. Two—once we get to where we’re going, you’re to keep yourselves clean at all times. And number three is the big one—if someone wants to touch you, in any way, you let them, and you smile while it’s happening. Follow those rules and life won’t be so bad for you and no one will be sent off to kill any of your families.”
“There was a Frenchman on the ship who said my father would be killed. He was lying, right?” Vicky asked.
Mistress laughed. “If he’s not dead already, your father soon will be.” The humor left Mistress and her face hardened as she walked up to stand before Vicky. She reached up with her right hand and gripped Vicky’s face. “We’re not fucking around here, understand? Talk again without being asked to do so and I’ll make sure that your ass is sent to a hell hole you can’t even imagine.”
When Mistress released Vicky, Vicky flexed her jaw but remained silent.
“All right then. You’re going to be blindfolded for the next part of your trip. I don’t want to hear a sound from any of you. When we reach our destination, you’ll be allowed to bathe and given food and drink.”
Inga was the first to be blindfolded by the limo driver. Afterward, he took her by the arm and guided her into the rear of the limo.
The next part of the journey took what Inga guessed was more than an hour, but that was just a guess. She had fallen asleep during part of the ride. She was exhausted and felt weak and light-headed due to hunger and thirst. She couldn’t ever remember wanting water as much as she did at that moment.
The blindfolds were removed as they were guided out of the limo. The home they’d been taken to was massive and built in the Spanish Colonial style. It had intricate stone and tile work, and arches over the entranceways.
Even the rear of the home, where they’d been taken, was striking, and there was a lawn the size of a football field. Near the center of the field was a large helicopter sitting on its concrete pad. Spotlights lit it up and Inga could make out the aircraft’s red and blue colors.
Mistress led the way down a set of granite steps that opened onto an underground room that was wide and secured behind a steel door that was an inch thick.
Inga was assigned a bed that was more like a cot and given a set of three red silk nighties to wear. The other women also received similar lingerie, but theirs were all in different colors.
Inga put on a nightie after a hot shower, and only showered after adjusting the stream to cold and arching her head back to drink her fill. Food was brought to the room. It consisted of a large bowl of scrambled eggs, hunks of cheese, a dark bread, and fresh fruit. There was also bottled water and strong black coffee.
Inga ate until she couldn’t take another bite and lay down on her bed. There were lights on and Inga didn’t see a
switch that could be used to dim them or turn them off. Being clean, hydrated, and fed had made her feel better physically, but she was terrified of what lay before her.
The women all looked at each other, but no one dared whisper a word in case there were microphones hidden that could listen in on them. They fell asleep while crying.
The auction was held the following night. It took place inside a ballroom and Inga had never seen a room inside a private home that was so big. Her parents’ house in Tallahassee could have fit inside that room. That included the front and back yards.
There were red marble floors, white pillars, and a massive crystal chandelier that was the size of an SUV. Inga and the others were escorted to the center of the room by Mistress, who was dressed in a white gown that made her look like a bride. The captives all wore the lingerie they’d been given. Along with Inga’s red, there was green, blue, yellow, and black. Vicky Denton had received the white lingerie. Vicky was no longer part of their group. There had been… an incident.
Mistress spoke. “From this point forward, you will be addressed as the color you are wearing. If I ask for blue to do something, the girl wearing blue will respond. It will be the same with all of you. Nod if you understand me.”
Everyone nodded.
Inga looked around. Armed guards stood at the exits and on a table were a pile of ball gags and handcuffs. Seeing those restraints made Inga want to cry. Her jaw still ached from having to endure a ball gag for so long.
Ornate seats that resembled thrones were set up in a semicircle nearby. Inga counted nine of them. All but one of them was filled by a man, and the lone woman was in her forties. Standing beside them were armed men, most of whom were white. Inga wondered if they were bodyguards.
The guests had arrived by helicopter. The girls had heard one take off and land twice before being brought upstairs.
There was silence in the room as those seated on the thrones studied the women before them. Their stares made Inga feel like a piece of meat.
Another man entered the room. He was an American of average height and dressed in a black suit with a black shirt and a black tie. Inga recognized him, or rather, his looks were familiar to her. He looked like an older version of Nick Duffy with dark hair. Earlier, she had realized that Mistress also resembled Nick. She wondered if the whole family was involved. She was closer to the truth than she knew.
The man’s name was Arthur Collins. He was the father of Nick and the woman calling herself Mistress. Arthur Collins walked slowly past Inga and the other women while looking each of them over. When he was done, he sent a nod toward Mistress. Inga saw Mistress smile and relax visibly. She seemed proud that her father approved of the women before him, women he was about to sell into slavery.
Collins turned to the bidders and addressed them.
“Greetings, my friends. I hope you are pleased by the selection we have for you tonight. This is but the first of three shipments we recently acquired. As you can see, they are all quite beautiful. They will bring you years of pleasure. Please, feel free to step closer and handle the merchandise.”
Inga tensed up. Mistress had told them that they would be handled “Like melons in a market.”
The woman rose from her seat along with most of the men. Three of the men went directly to Inga. Mistress had told them to keep a smile on their faces, and although she tried to do it, Inga couldn’t bring herself to grin. The expression on her face was more like a grimace.
Hands groped at her breasts, slid up her inner thighs, and squeezed her ass. Inga endured it. She felt that she had no choice.
Earlier, Mistress had staged a sort of rehearsal auction that involved the guards. They had also groped and fondled her. Inga had remained stoic, but that had not been the case with Vicky Denton.
One of the guards had cupped Vicky’s breasts and squeezed hard, so Vicky kneed him in the groin while calling him a bastard. Two other guards grabbed Vicky and bound her wrists behind her.
Mistress had walked over while shaking her head. “You disappoint me, White. I thought the death of your father might have taught you a lesson.”
“He’s not dead. That was a lie and just a way to control us. And my father will have people looking for me.”
Mistress spoke to a guard in too low a voice for Inga to make out. She was standing next to Vicky and silently wishing that the woman would keep quiet. Whoever these people were, they obviously didn’t give a damn about anybody but themselves. It seemed foolish to antagonize them.
The guard returned holding a laptop, which he passed to Mistress. Mistress opened it and began hitting keys. Her lips formed an evil little smile when she turned the laptop around for Vicky to see what was on the screen.
Inga nearly cried out but caught herself and stifled a gasp with her hand. On screen was the photo of a man in a suit. He was lying crumpled in the doorway of a private home. It was difficult to tell how many times he’d been shot but there were two distinct bullet holes in his face. It was a face that Vicky recognized, the face of her father.
She screamed and moved forward toward Mistress. The guards were faster and gripped her by the arms. In their grasp, and with her wrists behind her back, Vicky thrust her face forward and tried to bite Mistress as she snapped her teeth at her. She missed nipping the tip of Mistress’s nose by less than an inch.
Mistress closed the laptop and handed it back to the man who had given it to her.
“You spoke out of turn, White. You attacked a guard and tried to attack me. You were warned what would happen. If you had done what you were told, life might not have been so bad for you, but not now. I’m going to have you shipped off to a brothel in the armpit of Mexico where whores are destroyed within a year. I’m told they service upwards of a hundred men a day.”
Vicky spat in her face. “You killed my father. I’ll see you dead for that. I swear to God I will.”
“Shut that bitch up!” Mistress said as she wiped the spittle from her face. “And someone hand me a knife.”
Vicky tried to speak but couldn’t because her jaw was in the grip of a guard. The man’s hand was so large that his fingers nearly met at the rear of Vicky’s neck. Mistress held up the knife she had been handed. It was a stiletto.
“I’m going to give you something to remember me by. Where you’re going, no one will care what your face looks like.”
Mistress moved the knife toward Vicky, then paused. “Someone film this. Maybe if I show it to these idiots when they first get here, they’ll learn to behave.”
A guard brought out a phone and began filming. The knife flashed and opened up Vicky’s left cheek, then her right. There were more cuts, many more, but Inga hadn’t watched them being inflicted, she had clenched her eyes shut. Some of Vicky’s blood spattered her.
Vicky was dragged from the room as blood leaked from the gashes in her ruined face.
Mistress laughed as she watched her go, then turned back to address them. “That’s what happens to anyone who breaks the rules. If you don’t care what happens to your families, at least give a damn about yourselves.”
Inga was auctioned off to a fat, little man named O’Clery who was a head shorter than she was. O’Clery spoke English with an Irish accent. Inga was gagged, cuffed, and blindfolded during the plane ride to his home, but after a flight lasting several hours, she found herself in what most would consider to be an island paradise.
The sand was white and the water blue. As for the house, it was nearly as grand as the one she’d been auctioned off in.
Inga was the new girl. Her master, O’Clery, had three other women at the house. They were all older than Inga, with the oldest, Kelly, being twenty-two. Kelly was black and had green eyes that looked like emeralds. She’d been abducted in Los Angeles three years earlier when she went to audition for a part in an independent film. There was no film company. It was a front for a gang of sex slavers. Kelly was given the responsibility of explaining to Inga how things worked on the island. She did so
while the two of them took a walk along the shore.
“I understand what you’re going through. We all went through it.”
“It’s a nightmare,” Inga said while crying.
“It is that, there’s no denying it, but the abuse isn’t constant and we’re actually allowed a bit of freedom.”
“Freedom?”
Kelly sighed. “That’s not the right word, I know. We’re trapped here, but we’re not locked up and can wander the island. It’s not huge, this island, but it’s better than being locked in a basement somewhere or being forced to work as hookers.”
“Hookers? He could do that?”
“Did O’Clery buy you alone, or were there other girls too?”
“He bought another girl at the auction with me. An Asian girl, but I haven’t seen her since they blindfolded me.”
“She’s probably been sold to someone else for a profit. And whoever that is will pimp her out to get his money back. It’s bad here. There’s no denying that, but it could be worse.”
“How often does he… rape you and the others?”
“He wants me about once a month now. When I first got here it was more often. Elena, the Italian girl, he asks for her about twice a week. As bad as that is, the parties are worse.”
“What parties?”
“O’Clery throws parties twice a year on a yacht. When that happens, we’re all fair game for any of his guests. I won’t lie to you. It’s sheer hell, and it lasts for a weekend. We just had one a few weeks ago, so maybe you won’t have to deal with that right away.”
Inga’s tears increased. “This is like being trapped inside a horror movie.”
Kelly hugged her. “At least we have each other, girl.”
Inga endured life on the island for over three years. O’Clery’s yacht parties were orgies with alcohol, drugs, and occasionally violence. One of the eight guests Inga was forced to sleep with during one party liked to slap her. She wound up with a swollen lip and a loose tooth. At another party, three of the men ganged up on Kelly to take her at the same time. They were so rough with her that they broke her right arm. It was after that when Kelly was sent away. Inga learned from one of the other girls that Kelly was being shipped off to a brothel somewhere in South America. The woman had overheard O’Clery discussing Kelly with one of his partygoers. He said that Kelly was getting too old.
Sins of the Father and Mother (A Tanner Novel Book 42) Page 3
