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Despite the impulse to run as hard and fast as possible, Zuri halted in her neighbor's yard. I'm so stupid, she cursed herself. The click of a gun hammer forced her lungs to still. They're going to kill me anyway! I knew it!

"Turn around," the man ordered. "Slowly!"

She bit her lip and slowly turned to face him. The man who'd spoken stood fifteen yards or so away, but the man with the gun, his henchman, was much closer. Zuri gulped at the sight of the black pistol raised to her head. Two seconds would be all it took to end her short time on this planet.

"Come here," he ordered.

Her feet felt rooted to the ground, so all she could do was stare at him. As he repeated his command in a louder, sterner voice, Zuri's grandmother stumbled out of the house. Behind her was another man in black with a gun aimed at the back of her head. A sob wrestled free of Zuri and her legs suddenly launched into motion.

"Grandma!" she cried. "Don't hurt her! Please!"

"Stop," the man growled. He caught Zuri's arm when she tried to run past and jerked her against his side. "Enough. Stop moving!"

Zuri stopped squirming, her eyes slowly trailing away from her grandmother to the face of the man with his arm around her. The planes of his face were hardened from the sun and brutality. There wasn't even an inkling of patience or warmth in his umber eyes.

"Is she yours, Patricia?" he asked, addressing Zuri's grandmother without looking at her.

"Y-yes," the elderly woman stuttered. "S-she's my granddaughter. Please, Mr. Benson! Don't hurt her! She has nothing to do with this!"

Mr. Benson peered into Zuri's eyes, making her feel as if he was scrutinizing her soul. "How old are you?"

Zuri's mouth opened to speak, but words failed her. He gave her a single, firm shoulder shake.

"Answer me!" His bellow bounced around in her skill until her vocal chords shot into action.

"E-eighteen," she choked out. "I'm eighteen."

With that, Mr. Benson nodded decisively to his men. "We're taking her."

"What?" Zuri's grandmother began shrieking. "No! No, you can't! She's just a child!"

"She's a legal adult," he growled. "She will be your final payment to me. Consider your debts resolved."

The woman erupted in a fit of incomprehensible wailing. Zuri reached out for her again as her own eyes filled with tears. She was so scared and her grandmother's panic only worsened the situation.

Mr. Benson lifted Zuri off the ground, holding her against his body with notable strength. She pitched and flailed, but his arms kept her trapped in his grip. A white SUV rolled up to the sidewalk, and Mr. Benson forced the struggling Zuri into the backseat. She didn't fail to notice how he'd turned the child lock on.

"Behave," he warned, dark eyes burning like scalding charcoal. He shut the door and walked around to the other side.

Zuri whimpered. What was happening? It was all going down too quickly. Before she could even think or get herself together, the SUV accelerated down the street.

"Stop crying." Mr. Benson's piercing gaze silenced her. "Now tell me. What's your name?"

Her lip trembled as she quietly answered, "Zuri."

"Hmm. That's...different."

She looked out of the window, hoping he would just leave her alone. Of course, he didn't.

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