How Things Are

twenty six

It took less than five minutes to pick up the next guy. He walked out of the pleasure house smelling of booze and sex. It was too early to even give off that kind of scent. My nose scrunched up and Teedo gave me a look in the mirror saying 'Don't be stupid'. I looked away respecting these guys was getting harder every day. He hopped in the back seat with me and I cracked my window. Nobody said anything about it.
A few blocks later we pulled into another building. I remember this from the view at Lucas' place. It was harder to see than the other buildings so I've been wondering what it was. Teedo gave me his usual warning look before he opened the door with a key card. I wasn't prepared for what I saw. Little girls. I couldn't name what it was they looked like. As if pieces of them were missing. The price of being taken away from your family so young.
"They're not old enough to serve the Mafia." The new guy explains from behind me. There must've been a look on my face.
"That's enough Leo. We're not here for that." Teedo interrupts
"Why can't they stay with their mothers?" I ignore Teedo and talk to this Leo guy.
"Most of them came from pleasure houses or slaves who were bred by their masters," Leo said casually
"You breed slaves?" I whisper yell.
"It's frowned upon," Teedo said as we walked down a hallway " but some do."
Leo shrugs "It's not against the law and that's how you get the strongest, most loyal of them."
I bite my cheek. "None of them know their mothers do they?
"We're not monsters Tibby. The mothers who want to know them can see them." Leo looked insulted I'd suggest that. It was a surprise. Wait."Bred. So they breed boy soldiers too?"
Leo nodded. "When a soldier gets old enough, he'd like to leave his legacy behind to his heir."
Teedo led us down another hallway. "You said it yourself. We each have reputations. Who better to teach our skills to but our Sons?"
I looked at them both "Your daughters would do just as well."
Leo smiled. "Perhaps. But it's not the way of things."

We get to the end of the hallway and Teedo opens a door leading to the caretakers office. It looked thrown together with mismatch furniture. The paint was chipping off the walls. The computer screen was from the early nintys. It could possibly break the fragile desk with its weight. I looked to the corners and there were mouse traps set. Well I lived in worse conditions, however thinking of the young girls living in this rodent infested scumbucket makes my blood boil.
I think Teedo saw the vain popping out of my forhead because he drags me aside. "We have a job. This is part of it. Do something to jeopardize that and they'll be reproductions."
"maybe reproductions aren't such a bad thing." I mumble
He growls "I already had to deal with one of your mistakes. Behave or I go to Lucas this time."
Mistake? What'd I do? He rolled his eyes and turns away.

Soon after a nervous looking man with a little girl walks in. He sits at his desk as the little girl trys to absorb herself into the wall.
"This is the one you asked for Mr. Teedo sir." He says with pride
"You can go now." Is all Teedo tells him as he walks up to the little girl.
The man looks like he wants to protest but he leaves with one look.
"Where is your sister?" Teedo demanded
The little girl looks surprised. She wasn't expecting this. She probably thought she was in trouble with that shadey caretaker only to be questioned by someone even scarier.
I-i haven't seen Anna in months Mr." She whispers.
Leo started picking his nails with a knife"Your lying. She was outside this building yesterday before she ran away."
She shakes even more. "I swear I'm not! More tears rain down her cheek."
Teedo grabs her hair. "No games. You are old enough to know who your master is." She nodded. "Will I have to tell him he'll be disappointed she's not as pretty as she use to be?"
She cried harder "I don't. I didn't." She sniffed and sobbed.
"You're both doing this wrong." They looked at me. Her sister may have been outside to see her one last time but us runaways avoid talking to people we care about.
Teedo let go of her hair "she could still be lying."
"Yes" she looks at me now "but you're still doing it wrong."
I walk forward pushing both of them out of the way. "I didn't see her." Her lip is quivering
"Perhaps not. But that doesn't mean you don't know where she could go." She bites her lip. "You know, I ran away for a long time."
Her eyes widen. "You did?"
I get on one knee. "Yes. I traveled many places but I could never find anywhere safe for me."
She looks down "you just want me to tell you where she is."
I can feel their eyes on me. "I do. But only because I'm not lying. Her job here was much safer compared to what they make the slaves do in gangs."
She took a deep breath "no. You're lying!"
"It's true." I took off my shirt "You see these?" Her eyes watered again "These were from masters I had before boss Lucas let me stay."
"Why? What did you do?" She whispers
I shrug. Putting my shirt back over my bra. "Sometimes they were just in the mood to do it." Which was parshly true. "Your sister's in danger. If we don't get to her fast enough someone else will and they won't be as lenient as Boss Lucas."
Her lip quivered again "Will master Lucas hurt her too?"
"I can't promise anything, but it won't be as bad as what will happen to her if she's is someone else's hands."
She looks behind me. Whatever she saw must've convinced her because she relaxed. "There as these tunnels. She told me they're usually used for Mafia business but when they're not some slaves get together on their off time and have fun."
I look back at Teedo "Those tunnels go throughout the city. She could be anywhere."
She looks at him "she said her friends go to a place where they can hear the music from one of the night clubs."
"Which club?" Teedo asks, more patient then he actually is.
"She never told me." She looked around the room "You'll find her? Keep her safe?"
"We will." Leo says ominously.
I rise from the ground and tap her head. "We'll find her. You did well."