A Penny For Your Tears

Twenty Two

"Elias," I whispered in shock, blinking as if the scene in front of me couldn't possibly be real. I was stood in the middle of a large warehouse and surrounded by girls, hundreds of them. Some were sleeping or chatting with each other in a part of the large warehouse which occupied hundreds of bunk bed while others were sitting in a make-shift communal area with a television and couches and lastly, there were a few who were eating at large dining table with hundreds of seating places. "Elias,"I whispered again as I stumbled backwards. I turned around abruptly, partially scared that he had locked me in here with the other women.

"Olivia-" He started but I cut him off.

"No, Elias, I don't want to hear anything else from you. You do realize how all of this is worse than drugs.

"Wai-"

"You're trafficking women, Elias, real fucking people and you had the fucking audacity to bring me here!"By now I was screaming, tears of anger and frustration running down my face. I knew that some of the girls were now looking at us, probably wondering what the fuck was going. Elias grabbed my arm harshly and pulled me back through the door. I was fighting him, violently yanking my arm away from his hold but he was too strong. We passed by Adam and the others, Adam trying to figure out what was going on but Elias had dragged me into another room with him, sitting me down a couch before going back to lock the door. I winced as I rubbed my arm that was already forming a bruise and I caught him glancing at it apologetically.I cried silently,panicking as my eyes searched for a way out of this room but there was no escape, it was just Elias and I.

"Hey, Olivia, calm down. Just please calm down while I try and explain what you just saw." He bent down in front of me but I refused to look him in the eye. "You've got it all wrong, Liv, we're not trafficking those girls. We're doing the complete opposite. Each one of the women you saw, we have rescued from other gangs, rich, powerful and abusive men and from the Mafia." I wiped my eyes as I tried to process what Elias was telling me. So overwhelmed with emotion that I didn't pick up the nickname he had given me.

"What?"I whimpered and Elias sighed, grabbing my hand gently as he sat next to me.

"Our whole purpose, the entire reason we exist is to locate and save girls and anybody else that is victim of human trafficking and gang violence. We keep them here temporarily, while we find any family they might have or a means for them to start at life again. Half of the women you saw today will be gone by next week, off to restart their lives. " I remained quiet, unsure if I believed him. I mean it did make a lot more sense as I knew someone like Adam or even Sander could never take part in an activity as illicit as human trafficking.

"What about the drugs?"

"Just a cover-up and a means to maintain all of this. Also, it gives a lot of intel as to where there might be people who need saving."

"Why didn't you just tell me all of this before I walked in there? Do you know how scary it is for me to see something like that after all I've been through?" I asked but my voice cracked and Elias' expression softened.

"All you've been through? Oh, you mean with your last boyfriend, I'm so sorry I hadn't thought about that." My boyfriend right, I couldn't tell him that it wasn't just a boyfriend, it was Luca Barletta. A man who didn't just abuse me but tortured me and took pride in my suffering. Elias kissed my hand before gently pulling me closer to me, a gesture I hadn't expected but needed. As I looked him in the eyes, I wanted nothing more than to tell him the truth. After all, he's made it his mission to help girls who are in similar position as mine so what was I afraid of?

"Elias?" I whispered, he didn't say anything but looked at me in a way that told me he was listening.Then, I recalled the night I asked him why he hated Luca so much; he never answered my question, instead storming back angrily into his house, the fact that he was so moved with rage at the mere mention of his name made me understand that telling Elias was a risk I wasn't willing to take, at least not yet. "Can I, can I speak to some of the girls?" It was an odd question to use as a cover up but it was genuine question nonetheless. I did want to talk the girls, I wanted to know what all of this was and if Elias was telling the truth.