by K. Webster
Koyn sits on the bed beside him. “But what?”
“Even though I couldn’t see him, I knew it was him.”
“Who?” I growl.
“Night Giant.”
“Night Giant?” both Koyn and I ask at once.
Katana grimaces. “He’s the one who…” A pained expression washes over him. “The one who really hurt Dragon.”
“Tell me more about Night Giant,” I order, already texting this info to Dan as I wait for him to continue.
“He’s a sadistic fuck. When Dragon saw him…” He winces. “The guy said something to him that had him…Jesus.”
“Had him what?” I urge.
“He knelt for him, Copper. Fucking knelt for him. And then the motherfucker hit him like it was his God-given right.”
My mind flips through all the sick shit I’ve seen in my years of being a Fed. I have a pretty good picture of what sort of fucked up shit this Night Giant put Dragon through—what he’ll soon put my girl through.
“So Night Giant isn’t Collins or Vidal?” Koyn asks. “Who the fuck is he? Is that why Dragon didn’t know who we were talking about at first?”
Katana nods. “Night Giant is one of their cronies who runs shit. Where Collins and Vidal recruit, Night Giant does…the rest.” His nearly black eyes pin me. “We have to get them. If Night Giant does what he did…” His gaze skirts over to Koyn. “He won’t survive it this time. Not up here.” He taps the side of his head. “I barely held Dragon together after the first time.”
Dan replies back to me that he’s running a list of men nearly seven feet tall who might be in the system, as well as the name Night Giant. It’s a start.
“Get some rest,” I tell Katana. “We’re going to find these fuckers and destroy them so we can get our fucking people back.”
I just hope they’re not too broken when we do.
Stormy
We’re shuffled down a dark hallway, no longer bound at our feet, that smells musty from mildew. As soon as we left Copper’s, I focused on which direction they were taking us and did my best to assess how much time had passed. The men driving were quiet, careful not to speak much in front of us. My best guess is we went east. I figured maybe we drove for two or three hours, but I can’t be for sure. It makes me wonder if they were set up in Arkansas considering that’s where they took Cove from.
Cove.
If there’s a silver lining in this, it’s that I’ll get to see my brother.
I hope like hell he’s alive and okay.
Calla whimpers from beside me, tripping over her feet and nearly falling. One of the men yanks her by her hair, righting her. Dragon is in some kind of trance, blindly walking without putting up a fight. The whole situation freaks me out.
We’re in an old, abandoned hotel. It was in a remote area. No other buildings or service stations. Just woods and a scummy looking building. They brought us in through the reception area and through a series of hallways. I’m not sure where they’re taking us, but it doesn’t look good.
“Here,” one of the men says, pointing to a door with several bolt locks that have been installed on the outside. “Night Giant texted to hold them here with the others until he comes for him.”
Dragon shudders, his head bowed. I have the urge to hug him and promise him we’re going to get the fuck out of here. Maybe even smack his head and remind him he’s Dragon, not scared little Chase.
They open the door and usher us into a dark room. The windows have been boarded up, not allowing light in, but the bathroom door that stands ajar offers some light. It’s an old hotel room, missing sheets from the stained double full bed mattresses. There’s no television or décor or lamps or even a phone. It’s sparse aside from the people huddled in one corner, all clinging to each other.
As soon as I see a familiar blond head, I nearly sob in relief. He’s here. Cove is here. This is good. If I can figure out a way for us to escape, I can save Cove too.
“Welcome to orientation,” one of the goonies grunts, ripping the tape off Dragon’s mouth. “Caught here can fill you all in on what to expect.”
Caught?
He shoves Dragon to the floor, who manages to twist his body just as he hits the stained carpeted floor, taking the brunt of his fall on his shoulder rather than his face. The man rips off the tape from Calla’s mouth too.
“You,” the man says, gripping my jaw brutally and angling my head up to meet his beady stare beyond the mask. “You’re a fighter. I can see it in your eyes. These guys in here already gave up, but you think you can save them.” He laughs, dark and demonic. “The bosses will love this. Maybe they’ll let me have a go at you. I’ll fuck the fight right out of you.”
“Hog,” the other guy growls. “Cut your shit before they do it for you.”
Hog holds me for another long moment before shoving me onto the nasty bed. Rather than pouncing on me and making good on his promise, he and the other goon leave. The sound of the bolt locks engaging echoes with finality.
A woman with scraggly brown hair prowls over to me. She wears a dress that’s stained with blood and ripped in several places. Slowly, she rips the tape off my face.
“Welcome to orientation,” she mirrors Hog’s earlier words, grinning at me.
Okay, fucking creepy.
“Where are we? What is this place?” I demand. “Can you get this tape off my hands?”
The woman snaps her teeth at me and cackles. “We’re in the Hotel of Whores. Or is it Horrors? I forgot.” She rolls me to my side and her hot breath tickles my wrists. “They like the pretty ones and you’re pretty.”
I hold my breath as she gnaws through the tape with her teeth like a fucking piranha. I’m praying she doesn’t accidentally bite me. As soon as my hands are free, I pull them away from her unreliable teeth and stretch my arms. I climb off the bed and make my way over to Dragon since he’s closer. Quickly, I rid him of his bindings.
“Dragon,” I say in a calm voice. “It’s me. Stormy. You have to get it together, buddy.”
He shudders away from my words, curling himself into a ball on the filthy floor. I’d hoped he’d be the one to help me out of this place, but it looks like I’m on my own. I rush over to Calla, who is whispering soft words to Cove. He stares straight ahead, his dirty face streaked with tears.
“Hey, kids,” I whisper in the same tone I used when I’d catch them giggling late at night while at Grandma’s house. “What are you two up to?”
They’re in their twin zone, ignoring me. With a sigh, I rip off the tape on Calla’s wrists. Cove doesn’t have any tape on him. I quickly scan the other four people in the room. All of them have their heads bowed and seem to be clinging to one another. Two more females and two males.
I stand up and glower at the crazy lady grinning down at Dragon. “What’s your name?”
“Smelly Melly,” she chirps. “That’s what they call me.”
Jesus.
“Mel,” I say instead of the horrible name. “What is this place? Stop talking in riddles.”
“We’re stars.” She leaps to her feet, hops onto the bed, and spins in a circle before bowing. “People pay good money to see us.”
“What do they see you do?” I urge.
“Whatever they want, we do it if we want the opportunity to star in the next film.” She drops to her ass and then proceeds to pose as though she’s a model at a shoot. “I’ve starred in many. Only a few since we moved here, though.”
“Where is here?”
“Arkansas, baby,” she hoots. “It’s nicer here than the warehouse back in Vegas. That place was a shithole.” She dramatically points at Dragon. “Caught is famous.”
“Who is Caught?”
“His name is Chase, but since they caught him, they gave him a new name.” She cackles again. “Caught is crazy.”
Pot, meet kettle.
“Hmm,” I say, unsure how to fucking respond to that. “What’s he famous for?”
“Night Giant l
ikes it when he pretends to be a dog. He’s a great actor, aren’t you, Caught?”
Dragon shudders from the floor. I want to smack this crazy bitch, but I need answers and she’s the only one talking. Again with the Night Giant name.
“He’s Night Giant’s favorite?”
She nods as she slips off the bed, crouching beside Dragon’s trembling body. “He does as he’s told. It’s what you do if you want to be a favorite.”
Fuck this crazy place.
“And what if you don’t do as you’re told?” I ask, because I already know I’ll fall into that category.
“They don’t like that.” She frowns, shaking her head rapidly. “Not at all. You better listen, pretty girl.”
“Stormy.”
“I’m Smelly Melly,” she snaps, rising to her feet like a freaky-ass ghost. “You can’t be Smelly Stormy.”
Don’t worry, bitch.
“I’ll stick with just Stormy,” I say in a calm voice so I don’t set this lunatic off. “Who are the others?”
“PeePee Pete,” she squawks, pointing at a redheaded guy who jolts at her words. “Beside him is Crybaby Charlie.” She giggles. “He cries so much.” Another giggle. “That’s Tuna Terri.” She whispers loudly to me, “Her cunt is infected and smells like fish.” She points to my brother. “That’s Silent Sap. He hasn’t said a word since they did his first movie this morning. Still new. He’ll come around.”
I swallow down bile at her words. First movie? I want to pull my brother in my arms and take away all his pain. But right now, I can’t think like a sister. I need to think like a Fed. “And the one in the corner?”
“She’s been around longer than me,” Mel grumbles. “Another favorite. That’s Glarin’ Erin.”
Erin. Erin. Erin.
It couldn’t possibly be her.
Rushing over to her, I kneel down and push the matted dreads from her face so I can see her face. Fiery brown eyes bore into me, no recognition in their depths. But it’s her. Erin. My Erin.
Fuck.
This is so bad.
“I’m Brenda Gale,” I say, hoping to spark something inside her hard eyes.
Nothing.
With a frustrated sigh, I stand and try to figure out what the hell to do. The windows are boarded up in a way I’ll never be able to pull apart without a crowbar and the door is bolted. We’re stuck. I make my way into the bathroom and try the sink. To my surprise, water sputters out. I splash it on my face and take a deep breath to calm myself.
Breathe, girl.
After taking a minute to calm my erratic heart, I put my mind to work. Watcher’s Group was Collins’s business name when I saw him in Tulsa. It makes sense now if they’re making videos. I’d thought it was run-of-the-mill human trafficking, but this seems worse. I wish I could brainstorm with Copper and Koyn. They’re smart and have resources. If Koyn knew about the videos, he could track down the source.
But, I’m alone.
I have one of the craziest, meanest bikers with me too, but he’s mentally shattered right now. I can’t rely on his help. I have to do this alone.
Absently, I rub at my stomach. I’m not showing, which is a good thing. I don’t want these freaks to have something to fixate on.
The locks on the door begin unengaging. I swivel around, ready to face off with the goons. When the man who must be Night Giant enters, I cringe. He’s huge. Much taller than the men from before. Probably seven feet tall. He has to duck into the room just to enter. Like the goons, he wears all black and a black balaclava. Piercing nearly black eyes bore into me. I suck in a sharp breath, stumbling back until my ass hits the counter. I’m of no interest to him, though, because he lets out a piercing whistle, his attention on Dragon.
“Caught, heel.” His deep, baritone voice makes my skin crawl.
Dragon whines, like a scared puppy, but crawls to this man’s feet, his head bowed and trembling.
“Good boy,” Night Giant rumbles. “Seems you didn’t forget your training.” He bends and runs his fingers through Dragon’s hair. “Let’s go, boy.”
“Where are you taking him?” I blurt out, my voice shaking.
Slowly, Night Giant turns his head to stare at me. “What, girl? You want to watch the boy in action?” He sneers at me. “Come then.”
My feet are frozen to the ground, but I’m not about to pass up the opportunity to case the rest of this hotel and possibly escape. If I can figure a way out, I can lead the authorities back to get the captives, including the twins.
“If you try to run,” Night Giant mumbles as he opens the door, “I’ll send my dog after you. And you do not want that.”
Ice chills me to the bone. Does he mean a real dog? Fuck.
“Right, boy? She doesn’t want you chasing after her,” Night Giant continues. “Your bite is worse than your bark.”
Dragon doesn’t look my way or up at this beast of a man. He’s gone deathly still. It unnerves me and makes the hairs on my arms stand on end.
“I won’t run,” I choke out.
“Good. Let’s get on with it then.”
Dragon continues to crawl out of the room like he’s an animal. I trail after him, casting one last glance at my siblings. They’re hugging and won’t look up, but I catch Erin’s glare. Night Giant closes the door and locks it before giving my back a hard shove forward. I stumble but manage to keep from falling. We’re in the same hallway as before. I can hear crying from a room as we pass. Another room, I hear smacking. Rather than taking us back toward the lobby, Night Giant orders us to take a left and then a right. Our progress is slow because Dragon is fucking crawling. Eventually, we make it to a set of double doors. The old sign says, “meeting room.”
“Caught is a star,” Night Giant tells me. “One day, maybe you’ll be a star too. You have the body for it.”
A face appears in the glass window, covered in a balaclava, and then unlocks the door. The man opens it, ushering us inside. In the center of the giant room is a cage, maybe thirty feet in diameter, with a stained mattress in the middle. All around, camera tripods and lights have been set up. There are several chairs littered behind the cameras as well as a few dog cages.
“Caught used to be smaller and younger. He appealed to a certain crowd,” Night Giant says to me. “Not sure how popular he’ll be now that he’s inked and bulked up. Only time will tell.”
I want to scream at him that the crowd he appealed to before were sick pedos because he was just a damn kid, but I’m not about to piss this guy off. I’m looking for a way to escape.
“Hog,” Night Giant barks out, his deep voice booming through the room. “Wolf said you wanted to play with one of our newbies.”
Hog emerges from the shadows, nodding. “I’ll break her in good and well.”
“Open the cage and get in,” Night Giant orders. “I’ll send in your newbie.”
I try not to shudder at the idea of being locked in a cage with the creep named Hog. His body is big, though not nearly as big as Night Giant, and I know I won’t fare well. My heart skips over itself as I quickly skim the room looking for an exit.
“Caught,” Night Giant says. “Get him, boy.”
Dragon makes a snarling noise as he rises to his feet. He walks into the cage and Night Giant closes the door behind him, pushing a lock through the latch. Night Giant whistles for one of his goons and motions for one of the dog cages. I scream and fight as I’m dragged over to it and shoved inside. I’m still able to see what happens in the big cage, but escaping is no longer an option.
“What the hell?” Hog demands. “I meant the hot bitch, not this fucker. I thought he was your favorite. The one we’ve been hunting for forever.”
Dragon circles him, his bright green eyes locked on Hog. I’ve known Dragon long enough to recognize the look on him. Brutality. Death. He wants to kill this man.
“You’re to assist but never touch the stars,” Night Giant tells Hog. “You’re a lesson to the others.”
“Fuck
you, man,” Hog sneers. “You can’t do this. I’ll kill your toy. What then?”
“Now, boy,” Night Giant barks out.
Dragon launches at Hog, a crazed scream echoing in the room. His powerful fists begin wailing down on Hog as he tackles him to the dirty carpet. He rips off the balaclava on Hog’s head and tosses it. Hog tries to shake him off, but Dragon is faster, quicker, meaner. Fists slam into Hog’s face, making bones pop and snap from the power of his hits. Hog groans and whimpers, trying desperately to push Dragon away.
“Stop,” Night Giant orders. “Come, boy.”
Dragon walks right up to Night Giant and leans his head against the cage. Night Giant sticks a long finger inside to stroke Dragon’s cheek. Bile rises up inside of me to see him so controlled by this man.
Hog, now covered in blood, staggers to his feet. He charges for Dragon, landing a sucker punch to his back. To my horror, Dragon doesn’t fight back. He clings to the fence, waiting for orders from Night Giant.
“Bastard,” I hiss out. “Why are you doing this?”
“Makes good money for the bosses,” Night Giant grunts out. And, finally, he barks out a command to Dragon. “Get rid of him, boy.”
Dragon, like a sudden tornado, turns on Hog with enough power to send Hog scurrying away in fear. I watch, shocked and unable to move, as Dragon beats the man to death. When Hog’s face is nothing but a bloody pulp and he’s no longer moving, Dragon rises to his feet and takes a bow.
“Wolf,” Night Giant barks out. “Get the trash out of here and find us fresh meat.”
“One of the newbies?” Wolf asks, making my stomach bottom out at the thought of my sister or brother or Erin in the same cage as Dragon.
“No,” Night Giant growls. “They have better uses. Send in one of the junkies from room twelve.”
And this is how I spend the next several hours.
Watching Dragon kill man after man while Night Giant controls his every move with powerful commands.
