Messenger

by Diesel Jester

  Images of her being used sexually by men from nearby mining and lumber towns for the sole purpose of breeding ran through her head, causing her to shudder. It was like Gabriel said — this, at least, was a little bit better than that notion.

  The official chuckled. “Well then, you won’t have anything to worry about, will you?” he asked before moving on down the line.

  ***

  Prod. Shuffle forward. Stop and wait. Prod. Shuffle forward. Stop and wait. It had been like this for the past hour.

  The nineteen other girls in front of Lucy were auctioned off at a variety of sums. Listening in while they were in line waiting to be sold off, Lucy learned that their crimes ranged from petty theft to trespassing to flagrantly being out past curfew. One young woman proudly stated that she was busted for streaking naked out of her home into public and that she wanted to be sold off rather than be under the thumb of her oppressive family. Every so often, after the line moved and stopped, the others would try to engage her to find out what she’d done, but Lucy remained quiet as she was ashamed to even be in this situation to begin with. Her silence seemed to enhance the mystery around her and the girls started speculating what she’d done. Eventually, Lucy just tuned them out as they were prodded farther and farther along as each girl spent her time on the block.

  There were five more young women behind her, followed by the men who were convicted of a multitude of crimes ranging from burglary to minor fisticuffs. Where the women would be used for domestic work or pleasure slaves, the men would more than likely be heading for hard labor.

  When her turn arrived, her collar chain was disconnect-ted from the girl behind her and she was taken by her arm out into the main theater. Her eyes were assaulted by the bright lights that shined upon the stage, illuminating every feature she had to offer, and making it so she was unable to see the audience. The guard led her out to center stage where she stepped up onto a small platform. She stood there in wide-eyed fright and figured that she was quite the sight; standing there fully nude with her golden locks spilling down her back, her wrists manacled before her, causing her arms to press her breasts together to jut out, and her dolled up face with a mask of fear on it. Somehow, she managed to keep from shaking or fainting.

  The guard left and the auctioneer stepped up. “Lot five-twenty, folks,” he said in a clear, booming voice. “Former Theocracy noblewoman. Sentenced ten years. Pleasure slave with no domestic skills. Starting bid is one hundred gold.”

  Much to her surprise, the bidding for her exploded from the audience immediately. Bids were shouted so fast, and the auctioneer talked even faster. Lucy had no idea how much she was going for. One by one, the calls fell off as the price grew higher than the audience members could handle. After ten minutes of calling out bids, it came down to two people in the back row going back and forth.

  “A thousand five!” a man shouted. Lucy thought she detected some desperation in his voice.

  “A thousand twenty,” another man yelled out, sounding calm and bored.

  Lucy couldn’t help but blink in amazement. Her price was now in the thousands? Just for her?

  “A thousand twenty-five,” the desperate man countered.

  “A thousand fifty,” the bored man said without hesita-tion.

  “A thousand fifty-five!”

  “Eleven hundred.”

  The tennis match of bidding between the two continued with Desperate Man raising five every time Bored Man made a bid in increments of twenty to fifty.

  Finally, something snapped in Bored Man as he clipped out in a harsh voice, “Two thousand, five hundred. Beat it or go home to your little prison, Anderson!”

  Lucy gasped. Was that the same Anderson who had been at her trial? It had to be, as the Bored Man called him out on going back to a prison. Her breath hitched and she started to hyperventilate knowing that Desperate Man was actually Overseer Anderson and he was still bent on taking her back to that breeder farm!

  She wanted to scream, rant, and rave about the un-fairness of it all. How was it possible that she could fall into the same lot that Gabriel should have ensured that she avoid? Now she was facing it all over again. It wasn’t fair! She felt faint, but managed to keep standing. Now, she just hoped that whoever Bored Man was, he would win.

  Anderson seemed to fluster and blubber from some-where off to Lucy’s right. “I bid…,” he started to say.

  “I don’t give a damn what you bid because I’ll match it every damn time and raise it even higher just because you’re pissing me off!” Bored Man now thundered. “You’re drawing this out when we both know that you’re going to lose. Go home, little man!”

  “Two thousand, five hundred and five!” Anderson persisted.

  “Three thousand! Want to keep this up? No? Then get out!”

  The auctioneer watched the exchange with amusement. “I got three thousand to Lord Michaelson. Is there a raise on that? Anyone? No? Then, going once, going twice, sold for three thousand gold!” The auctioneer banged the gavel to end the auction.

  The enormity of the situation now weighed on her more so than ever before. She was now the legal property of whoever Lord Michaelson was. The name was familiar to her, but she was too much in a daze as the guard returned to lead her off the stage. At least she wasn’t going to be owned by Overseer Anderson. That, at least, was a small relief.

  Another guard stepped out opposite from where she’d been led in, took her by the arm, and led her off the stage. Her mind whirled and spun as she was taken to a small, side room. The guard sat her down at a small desk, latching her collar to a chain to keep her in place. Then, she was left alone.

  Lucy shivered with apprehension as she could do nothing but stare at the point on the desk in front of her where her leash was locked. A multitude of questions flew through her head. What was her owner like? What was he going to expect of her? What was he going to do to her? She’d heard stories of what happened to pleasure slaves — voluntary or otherwise — but she just didn’t know for certain and it was tearing her apart inside. And how long was her new owner going to take to get here?

  A sudden rattling at the door to the holding room made her jump and she stared at it with wide-eyed fright as it creaked open. The Consortium official who had taken her information was showing in another man.

  “Here you go, Lord Michaelson. Lot five-twenty, Lucy Spence. Please confirm that the number on your copy of the contract matches that on her collar and then sign here above her signature.”

  Well, at least he’s handsome looking in a rugged sort of way, Lucy conceded as the tall, trim, dark-haired man took the contract. He was dressed as impeccably as the Consor-tium official. Without any preamble, he gently pushed Lucy’s head forward a bit so that he could get a good look at the back of her collar.

  “India sierra zero zero eight three one zero one zero five two zero,” he recited as he compared the engraved number to what was written on his contract. His voice was as smooth as silk and she found herself warming up to him with just that. “Yes, it matches.” He placed the signed contract on the small table in front of Lucy and scrawled out his name, which Lucy saw as Deacon Michaelson.

  Deacon looked her over with an appraising glare, rubbing his chin thoughtfully in the process. “I must say that you’ve got to be the most expensive slave maid I’ve ever purchased,” he commented as the Consortium official took his keys and unlocked the handle of her leash to hand to him.

  Confused, Lucy blinked as her manacles were then removed from her wrists. “You… you’re not going to use me as a pleasure slave?” she asked, shocked.

  Deacon cocked his head slightly and arched his eyebrow. “Do you want me to?” he asked, a twinge of amusement in his voice. “Don’t get me wrong, I would definitely have fun with it as you are all kinds of pleasing to the eye.”

  Lucy blushed and Deacon chuckled.

  “Let’s just say that I don’t intend to use you as purchased and leave it at that.”

  Now Lucy was
really confused; it was totally out of character for any man in the Theocracy to pass on sexual rights to a slave in their ownership. “Then why did you buy me?”

  His gaze and his voice turned hard. “Because I hate being indebted to someone and my agreement to buy you and look after you fulfills my long-standing debt to a certain Jaeger who we both know. Now, come along,” he said, picking up her leash. “We’ll get you to my estate where you’ll start learning your new job.”

  CHAPTER 9

  The next morning, Gabriel was in his Consortium office reviewing his reports and intelligence dispatches for the day before moving on to his pet project. The only problem was that his heart just wasn’t in the normal workload today. Reaching into his pocket, he took out Lucy’s garter. He held it up at eye level to study it while resting on one elbow. She’s Deacon’s now…, he thought sullenly. At least he’ll treat her decently like she deserves….

  The whole case stank. What was the deal with that judge? Something that was just a minor infraction and should’ve been a slap on the wrist at the worst, but he sentences an innocent girl to a breeder farm? Ten years, at that. Absurd! His thoughts were interrupted when Jake Walker came in and tossed a newssheet down in front of him.

  “Morning, Gabe. There’s another headline in there about girls going missing from New Mobile,” he said cordially. Jake looked at him and caught him staring at the garter and grinned. “You wind up going to a wedding yesterday as well? Or, is that from an admirer of yours?”

  “Huh?” Gabriel asked. “This? Oh. It’s uh… from a friend.”

  He barely gave the newssheet a glance as he had more pressing matters on his mind. He gave Deliverer a sideways look. He was being chipper this morning, but then again, he’d just closed a major case and been partying at a wedding.

  “Some friend if they’re giving you their garter,” Jake said with a smirk and a wink.

  “Actually, she’s an iSlave now,” Gabriel said defensively, with a little more bite than he’d intended. “She just got sold yesterday at open market.”

  “Oh,” Jake said, suddenly abashed. “Sorry. Do you, uh, want to talk about it?”

  Gabriel shrugged it off. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just pissed that I lost her case. By all rights, it should’ve been an easy win should'. Anyway, there’s a note there from Muller on your desk. He referred the case to you since you’re our resident expert on the matter.” Gabriel pointed while finally reaching for the newssheet to read the headlines.

  Jake thanked him and walked over to the desk that he used when he was in Atlanta. There was a bundle of pics tied together with twine waiting for his review. Jake turned over the note that fellow Jaeger, Coleton Muller, had left on top of it.

  “Last night, Director Ambrose Wain of the First National Bank of Dixie was assassinated,” he muttered as he read. “Son of a bitch. The other suspect is no longer at large. The attack has been determined to have been carried out by Cheyenne and her corsairs per the images captured by on scene security flashers. Damn,” he said, crushing the note in his fist.

  Jake pulled at the twine holding the bundle together and started sifting through the pics like a man possessed. Gabriel ignored him as Jake became engrossed in chasing down his career obsession.

  Every Jaeger had one. For Jake, it was Cheyenne. Shadow had brought down the Von Vyners and it’d made his career. Emancipator gallivanted along the Dixie-Corporate States-Wastelands borders hunting down a man named Auctor Frost. And, right now, Gabriel’s obsession was Judge Takacy. He tossed the newssheet aside, slid Lucy’s garter around his wrist, and reached for the telephone on his desk where he dialed up the office secretary. Jaegers typically worked alone, but they did have offices manned with support staff to help them wherever they went.

  “Yeah, Grace? Can you get me as many of the court cases that you can on Judge Takacy here in the Theocracy?” he asked. Gabriel came up from Elysium to the Theocracy so often that he was on a first name basis with everyone here. “And, while you’re at it, can you get Goliath on the phone for me, please? I need to call this one in to start a new investigation. And tell them to hurry so I can get started. Thanks.”

  As his fellow Jaeger was swearing and cursing up a storm over at his desk before he tore out of the office like the devil was on his heels, Gabriel hung up the phone and started making notes of his own while he waited for his call to go through.

  Ten minutes later, Grace called back. “Sir, Shadow is on the line for you.”

  Wow… the big man himself, Gabriel thought as the call got switched over. On the other end, the head of Jaeger operations for all North and Central America was waiting. “This had better be really important to get me up early,” Shadow said with a yawn.

  “I’m, uh, sorry sir. I wasn’t expecting you,” Gabriel admitted while glancing at the chronometer on the wall. “Umm, it’s actually the start of normal business hours… sir.”

  “I am entitled to a vacation on occasion, ya know.” Shadow laughed ruefully. “Huntress is out on extended patrol, Goliath is out on an investigation, and more of our Jaegers in your chain of command are out on various assignments. I was the only person that H.Q. could reach in such a hurry since your secretary said it was urgent. So, don’t stress over it too much. What’cha got?”

  “A Theocracy judge by the name of Takacy, sir,” Gabriel said. “He tried a case recently for a Miss Lucy Spence in which he rendered a guilty verdict and tried to override Consortium law by getting her sentenced to a breeder farm up north, despite her opting for iSlave status after the ruling. You, uh, might remember her from her older brother’s recent case, of which Deliverer and I were assigned.”

  “Yes, and as I recalled no charges were levied against Miss Spence,” Shadow said, sounding more alert.

  “True — that was a deal brokered by one of our accoun-tants who was here investigating the Carmichael finances. A one Lucas Wolverton.”

  “I’ve heard of him,” Shadow replied with a pained voice. “But, still, why was Miss Spence brought to trial? She turned evidence for us in exchange for immunity.”

  “She was brought to trial at the Theocracy level, sir. Not the Consortium level,” Gabriel replied. He heard Shadow let loose a tirade of swearing that’d make and airship crewman blush on the other end. Gabriel let him finish before moving on. “It was trumped up charges from her family’s former lawyer. I don’t have proof… yet… but I have a gut feeling that the D.A. and the judge were in on this. They sped the trial through so fast that I barely had time to get there to act as advocate.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Shadow groaned on the other end, sounding weary. “And you think this judge has something shady going on?”

  “Well, you do know the old joke, right? What do you call a hundred Theocracy judges at the bottom of the ocean?”

  “A good start,” Shadow chuckled. “Alright, Messenger, your intuition has served you well in the past. You’ve got a green light to pursue this one.” There was a pause on the other end. “Out of curiosity, what did happen to Miss Spence?”

  “I managed to get this judge to agree to iSlave status for her by threatening a high-level investigation. But, ever since I’ve said that, coupled with the fact that they’ve denied all my filed appeals in record time for the Theocracy, investigating him feels like the right thing to do. I know that I would’ve had to get approval after the fact to start the investigation right then and there, but I couldn’t let her be unjustly sentenced like that.” Gabriel involuntarily winced, glad that his boss couldn’t see him through the phone lines.

  “Think nothing of it. You were right in doing that. If the Theocracy creates an issue out of it, I got a few friends on their Security Council that’ll put an end to it. So, where is Miss Spence now?”

  Well, that was good considering that their Supreme Court was probably filing their protest as they spoke. “She was auctioned off yesterday as a pleasure slave, sir. I called in a favor to an old friend of mine to buy her since I kno
w that he’d treat her well.”

  “Some favor. You didn’t purchase her yourself?” Shadow sounded amused.

  “Not unless you want to authorize me one helluva raise, sir. A former noblewoman here in the Theocracy? There was no way I would’ve been able to come close to the opening bid, let alone the three grand that she sold for. That might not come close to what her bride price would’ve been for a free noblewoman, but it’s still a hefty amount.”

  “Fair enough. Tread carefully on this one. Minor nobles and the average populace is one thing up there. Going after a judge, though? Make sure your case is solid. If he is crooked like you think he is, then we should be able to get his ruling overturned and get your girlfriend free.”

  How the hell does he know that? Gabriel wondered. “I never said…”

  Shadow laughed. “You didn’t have to. I can hear it in your voice — you have a thing for this girl. Can’t say that I blame you. Lucy Spence is smokin’ hot.”

  “How?” He glanced around the office wondering if there was a flasher or even one of those new moving picture takers around, spying on him. Then Gabriel quickly decided that he didn’t actually want to know how Shadow knew. You didn’t get to be regional head of the Jaegers by being clueless, and that man seemed to know everything. “Never mind. Thank you, sir. Sorry about disturbing you on vacation, sir.” With that, he hung up the phone.

  Grace came in with a box full of files, and a couple of clockworks in tow carrying two more a piece. She put them on the corner of Gabriel’s desk with a huff before directing the clockworks to drop the other boxes there. “Here you are, sir,” she said, wiping her sweating brow that was matted with her raven hair.

  “Thanks.” Gabriel looked at her and the line of clock-works. “That was quick.”

  “This is just the first load of boxes, sir,” she said in her sweet Dixie accent. “These were just the ones that I could easily find here in the Consortium offices. We have more comin’ from the basement and more still comin’ from the Dixie court archives this afternoon.”