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Chapter Two

"Wake up girl!"

An angry voice shouts next to my ear, startling me. Instinct takes over and I attempt to run but I can't move. My wrists are tied and my ankles are chained to where I'm sitting.

The man who shouted at me unchains my ankles and grabs my arm, almost dragging me away from the van. Once I get my feet under me, and my senses come back I let out a scream that sends birds flying.

"Let me go! I demand you let me go this instant; you have no right!" His hand clamps over my mouth, the other on my throat.

"Shut up you whore. You'll get released as soon as we get you to the others. Fight me and I'll give you a preview of what's to come."

I'm torn on kicking him in the balls or doing as he says. But I don't want to know what's coming. I want to avoid it all together; so I stay silent.

  The space around me is off setting, seeming almost fake or animated. Insects sound unreal and the stars seem almost as if they're flashlights shingling through a black canvas. Yet it's cold like a December night, wind blowing hard enough to put my hair in my face.

  My mind is quickly cleared as we approach a large metal door guarded by two burly men holding simple hand guns, covered head to toe in military wear.

"I've got the last one. Careful she's feisty on the inside, you can see it in her eyes." The man says and pushes me into the guard on the right, who holds me by my wrists. 

  "Thanks Mark. Now get the fuck out of here before you end up in there with them." His voice is deep and husky, but not scary like the rest. It has an almost soothing tone to his sinister words.

  Mark doesn't take the answer well and begins shouting, demanding payment for delivering me. He lashes out at the other man, and is immediately shot through the chest. The bang causes me to jump, making my ears ring from the proximity.

  The body slumps to the ground, a small pool of dark glistening blood surrounds his abdomen. A small shriek escapes my lips as I watch his body become still, his breath no longer visible in the cold air.

What did I just witness. They just murdered that man for wanting money in trade. If they killed him what are they going to do to me?

  Various situations and thoughts flood my mind to the point where I no longer realize I have been lead inside to a new room. This one is large, filled with other women. Some of them as young looking as 12, or as old as 50; all chained to the walls. My eyes scan everyone and notice a door in the far corner, almost hidden in the wall.

  As the man takes the cuffs off, I shove him and run down to the other end of the room where I saw the door. His boots thud on the ground behind me, closing in faster than I can get away.

   "Get back here! God dammit I hate these childish girls!" He shouts behind me and I hear a click and a small bang before my entire body tenses up and I fall to the ground, painful shocks run all through my body, immobilizing me again.

  The man picks me up like a rag doll and tosses me over his shoulder. But instead of bringing me back to the chained up area, he carries me out into the hall. The jitters stop and I begin to kick and squirm, demanding to be let go, making sure I'm being heard.

  He slams me against the wall, my head banging off of it causing me to feel as if I'm spinning, blackness creeping in at the edge of my vision.

  His voice is quiet and deep, but settles my panic. "You need to be quiet. And you need to sit still do you understand? Now you're going to get put alone until it begins." He holds a hand on my throat, and brings a small damp cloth toward my face with the other. I already know it's going to put me to sleep, so I struggle and do anything I can to get away. My knee catches his groin and he crumpled slightly, moaning in pain. I swing my elbow into the side of his head, and he sinks to the ground.

  This is my only chance, so I take it and run down the hallway as fast as I can. My heart races as adrenaline fills me. I take a right and then a left, looking for any door I can find. Another right. A hallway of doors. Relief floods through me but soon vanishes as I realize all of them are locked.

  Boots follow me down the halls behind me, and I run again scanning for anywhere to hide. Next left and I run myself into a dead end. Shit. I spin on my heel and come face to face with the same guard.

  Angry. His face shows clear anger as he steps towards me with his hand gun out to his side. Every step he takes I take three back until I'm up against the wall.

He grins and steps closer until the barrel of the gun it against the side of my head. "If you fucking move, I will put a bullet in your brain. You're expendable. I'm not afraid to hurt you."

I scowl and spit in his face, and the gun clicks, causing me to tense up and feel more annoyed than angry. "I warned you honey. Don't fucking test me! Now walk."

  He grabs my arm and pushes me in front of him, the gun pressing to the back of my head like a shadow of death. Yet it doesn't scare me.

  When I speak my voice comes out stronger than I remember "Why are you keeping women in this place. Children. Those girls in there are too young for any sex trade bullshit."

  His laugh fills the empty hallway and echoes around, magnifying the sound. "Sex trade? Nah we've got a better plan than that. Fifty women. Fifty men. You'll have to find out the rest when you're sent in." Sent in? Where?

  We approach a door and he looks away for a moment to find a key. In that moment I duck and jab my fingers into his throat but I miss and he fires the gun next to my ear, temporarily deafening me.

  He hits me with the butt of the gun and I slump to the ground, almost loosing consciousness. The door next to me opens and he picks me up with ease and sets me inside on the ground, standing in the doorway facing me.

  Once my hearing is back, aside from a persistent ringing, I speak up again. "Why didn't you shoot me like you said?"

He shifts uncomfortably and looks up, then sighs. "Because of your strength and persistence. You don't take no for an answer. They'll need that in there. So I have to keep you alive until you're able to enter."

  I stand and watch carefully, as he does to me. My feet move quick and I attack him, my hands wrapping around his neck, squeezing tightly until he tears me off and pins me on my stomach with his knee. "Don't even think about trying anything because you will lose!" He's lost his temper.

"Then I guess you'll have to restrain me."