Hero?

15

Calum sets Ana on her bed and makes sure that she is comfortable. He then calls for the men to gather. He goes to the meeting room and waits for the others to show up.

When he first tells them what Ana said there were shocked murmurs throughout the room. They hadn't realized what all Ana had suffered and they started to think about how they would like it if they were in the shoes of the females and they become sickened at their actions.

"She's leaving tomorrow." That last sentence causes absolute silence in the room as they all look at Calum in shock.

"She's tired of it all. We are all guilty of it, we've made her feel unwelcome and unwanted. Damon, well when Damon made his deal with Gemma it was just too much. She won't stay here any longer. We've made it clear that we don't want her and so she's giving us what we want. Damon already knows. You should all probably avoid him for the foreseeable future." Calum says heavy hearted as he closes the meeting and leaves.

Before he can leave the room the third in command states, "I have some money I can put forth to free one of the slaves."

At his words the others clamor that they too have money they will put towards freeing the females. Calum stops and turns to face them, "Why?"

"Ana's right, no one should be made to feel like that. It may not make any difference in her decision to leave or not, but perhaps it will." The third says, speaking for everyone there.

"Fine, I'll talk to Damon about buying the slaves freedom. But I need to know just how much there is altogether." When the figure is given to him Calum shakes his head, "I don't know how much the combined debt is for the slaves, but I know this won't be enough to buy them all freedom. It won't even touch the debt the whores and strippers owe."

"Perhaps not, but it will buy the freedom of some. We want it to pay for as many as possible." The third says and the others nod at his words.

"Very well," Calum says sighing and heads to the study. He's not sure, but he thinks that is where Damon is.

Calum knocks and is more than a little surprised to hear Damon tell him to enter. He opens the door with trepidation, his heart in his throat. Damon could be very quiet before striking a death blow.

"What is it, Calum?" Damon has no emotion in his voice and this doesn't bode well.

"The men and I have put our money together and we offer it to you to buy the freedom of as many of the slaves as it will."

Damon takes the paper that shows the figures on it. Then he gets out the book that holds the slaves debts owed and adds up the debts owed. "You lack over two million to free them all."

Calum looks down in despair. "We want to free as many of them as we can. After paying off the lesser amounts apply the rest to those that owe greater amounts. Please Damon, we know that it might not make a difference to keeping Ana here, but we want to do this."

Damon looks at him searchingly. "Why are you doing this Calum?"

"You heard what she said, didn't you?"

"Yes," Damon says heavily looking down at the desk before him. "She'll never forgive me for that one. But you guys have resented her being here from the first. You have felt that she wasn't worth protecting, that she was a weakness to me. You should be the first one thrilled at her leaving."

He looks up at Calum sharply, "Tell me, what did Jackson say when you told him what she said? About leaving, I mean?"

"He turned white, I thought he might pass out."

"And Jacob?"

"He left the room. I don't know where he went to."

"Well he'll get what he wants too won't he?"

"Damon, will you let us buy the freedom of the slaves?"

Damon waves his hand as if the matter is negligible.

"Gather the slaves and send them in one by one. I don't have the facilities to house them all in servants quarters." Damon says heavily.

"What about the two million we're short?"

"Let me worry about that," Damon says dismissing Calum.

For the next several hours Damon interviews the slaves and makes arrangements for their futures as he gives them their freedom. They leave looking astonished and dazed. Not a few of them have tears running down their faces as they leave. Some of them accept offers of employment with Damon. Others will be taken back to their homes. Others will be given money and a ticket to wherever they want to go to start over.

"Sorry Miss, we are behind in the kitchens this morning due to the sudden shortage of workers." Gemma says after knocking on Ana's door. She finds Ana staring out of the window into the garden. It's obvious that she was exhausted and that she's been crying extensively.

Ana turns from her examination of the gardens to look at Gemma with little interest. "Why is there a sudden shortage? There a stomach flu or something going around?"

Gemma shakes her head, "No, Master Damon freed all the slaves last night. Only  a few of them chose to remain here and work for him. The others are waiting to be taken to their various drop off points."

"What do you mean drop off points?" Ana asks with a little more interest.

"The men pooled their money last night and paid for the freedom of the slaves. Master Damon spent hours last night interviewing the slaves and finding out where they wished to go. Some will just be taken to the bus depot or airport, but others will be taken to places where they will be picked up by family." Gemma is a little jealous of those girls. It would have been nice to have someone miss her enough to come for her. She isn't jealous that the other slaves didn't have to entertain the men to get their freedom though. She heard about why the men did it. She's satisfied that what she did was a catalyst for the others to gain their freedom.

Ana stares at Gemma incredulously. "Why the hell would they do that?"

"Master Calum, he told the men what you said yesterday. From what I've heard, it was Master Tony that came up with the idea to pool their money to free the slaves. Whatever you said must have gotten to the men. Some of them donated thousands. I heard Master Damon forgave more than two million dollars of debts owed so that all the slaves could go free. That's not to mention what he's spending by buying the tickets and money for them to start over. All told he's probably losing over three million dollars," Gemma says in wonder.

"Were you told to tell me this?" Ana demands.

Gemma shakes her head. "None of the masters have talked to me since yesterday. The others haven't said much either. Most of what I heard is from the gossip as I helped in the kitchen."

"Thank you, Gemma. Will you ask Master Damon if I could talk to him later?" Ana says thoughtfully.

"Yes, mistress I will." With that Ana's appetite that she had lost yesterday returns.