fallen | ✓

Chapter 36: "Knight In Shining Armour?"

Straight up, I said yes. It's not every day that a man asks you to marry him and stay with him for the rest of your lives. But at a time like this, alcohol is definitely involved. So, let's just call it celebratory. Mitch was happy for us, being the lone body he was. So yeah, he joined us for some booze.

We all climbed down, walking across to the bar. I felt refreshed, all my worries gone in an instant. Just like that. My guard was completely down and I should have had it armed and loaded. I sat down at the counter with Mitch and Connor, ordering our drinks.

"Drinks on me," Connor said, pushing forward a wad of PWDs.

"You ALWAYS pay, Connor," I said, shooting him a frown.

"That's cos he's a gentleman." The bartender said with a smirk, cleaning a glass. I took a swig from my bottle of scotch when the door suddenly swung open. I glanced over my shoulder and my blood ran cold. Of course, it was my fucking slavers.

They walked over, and Quinn was just about ready to order a drink when he looked down at me and sighed. "Oh well." Was all he said before grabbing both my arms and jerking me out of the chair. I lost it, kicking and elbowing him.

Connor grabbed his 1911 and shot Quinn's hand. Angus kicked him out of his chair, curb stomping his head. Mitch smashed a bottle on his head, then took cover behind the counter. I continued to try to fight from Quinn's grip when Angus finally recovered from the bottle and shot my thigh.

A blinding pain shot through my entire body and I screamed. It was sure as Hell effective because it caused me to stop fighting. But then I realized right there that they just ruined my high slave price. Even if they healed me. All I could hear was Angus purr, "Sorry about that, baby." Before I was carried out.

And Connor had broken his promise.

~~~

Quinn carried me, putting me in the back of their jeep. I sat motionless, the girl from earlier beside me. I brought my knees to my chest, fighting tears. There was another slave, though. Male. In the seat compartment behind us. Passed out cold. They started the engine, driving off. The girl next to me was breathing hard. I couldn't blame her.

Who the Hell knew who we were going to be sold to?

If Quinn and Angus saw Connor and Mitch again, they'd shoot them dead. Hope flooded from my body and the tears ran down my face. I buried my face in my knees, hugging them against me. The car trip was long and painful. Every time they hit a bump, a sharp pain struck through my leg. The blood stained the bottom of my shirt and soaked my skin.

When we finally got to our destination, Quinn picked me up again and carried me into the warehouse inside, as Angus and a few of their goons shoved the girl and man after us. He set me down and took out a med-kit, grumbling to himself. I glanced around the room, my senses tingling with fear. There were so many huge truck-ish looking boxes. One was open, the door wide. Quinn tended to my thigh as Angus shoved the girl and man into the open box, slamming the latch shut.

My eyes widened and panic flooded through me.

I was claustrophobic.

Once Quinn finished up, he lifted me. They opened the latch and I almost started fighting again. But it would hurt a lot more to move then be placed in that box. He put me inside and they slammed it shut again. My breathing immediately went uneven and I struggled upward, trying to stand. I slammed on the door and shouted, "Hey!" But of course. I was ignored...

I panicked, holding my head and trying to get my breathing straight. I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I was terrified. But then the girl walked up to me. "Claustrophobic?" She asked. I barely nodded. "I got some too. But you've got it worse..." She croaked. She was scared too. The man sat in the corner of the box, holding his head between his knees. "We'll all get out of here. We will. Someone will buy us." She put her hand on my shoulder. "Alright?"

I glanced at her. The tight bit of space made me think otherwise. Made me delusional. But I strangely believed her. She was right. We were going to be sold no matter what.

Days. We were stuck there for days. The slavers occasionally fed us, but they never let us out of that box. People came by on occasion, but they always thought to prices to be too high. The girl almost got sold once, but all the man was a few PWDs short and the slavers shot his brains out when he complained. I felt like I was rotting. Every ounce of hope was gone.

I had given up.

Eventually, the slavers lowered our prices. The man was sold and it was down to me and the girl. We sat by the lantern in silence, staring at the weak light, stretching through the truck box. The door suddenly slid open and a box of food was slid inside. I stared at it as the girl crawled over to it, avoiding hitting her head. She slid back to me and offered me some. I shook my head.

"I don't want any.." I mumbled.

"Why not?" She frowned.

"I'm not going to eat until I either die or get sold.." I said, rubbing my eye.

"They'll force feed you, and I know you don't want that.." She frowned. I sighed, gritting my teeth.

"I just.. Don't want to eat right now.." I said, laying down and rolling onto my side. Then the door swung open again and I peered, sitting up. Another buyer. My chest tightened slightly. Probably another one of those pedophiles. I grumbled in my head. My vision cleared and a head poked into the box.

"I like the one with the black hair." The voice rung in my head and it registered as Joa's. Relief flooded through me but I kept my tense appearance. I resisted the urge to squeal like a little girl receiving chocolate.

"Three thousand." Angus said. Jeez and I thought beer was over priced..

"That's expensive as fuck," Joa growled. "One thousand." Angus peered at him.

"One point five thousand is as low as I'm going.." He sneered. Joa grit his teeth and handed over the money. Angus ducked his head, walking in and snapping on my second collar. I gave a nod to the girl and she smiled. Angus violently pulled me out and shoved me at Joa. "Have fun, baby." He said, running his fingers across the wad.

I will. I growled in thought.

~~~

Joa dragged me out by my collar. Not going to lie, I thought he was actually mad. But once we were out of sight, he picked me up, carrying me. "The Hell is that all about?" He grunted, glancing at my thigh. I brushed my hair out of my face, keeping a tight grip on his neck.

"Shot my thigh to keep me from fighting them," I said gently. It was a long walk back to Crane, but somehow I knew that the slavers weren't coming back. They had that girl to sell, now. And Connor probably reported them. One step in Crane Town again and the CDF will blow their heads off. I was safe. At least for now...

I relaxed in Joa's arms, my thumb brushing over the ring on my left hand. Connor will flip when he finds out.