The Auction Block

by Courtney Lynn Rose

  "You look lovely, Lily," Carmen says, stepping forward to plant a kiss on my cheek.

  "Yes, you're a vision," James says, taking her place to hug me.

  "Thank you."

  Blake's arm is firmly around my waist. I glance up at him, a tight smile pasted on his face. I've started to notice the tension his parents create in him since learning the true fucked up terms surrounding his family life. I wish there was a way I could make things better for him where they're concerned.

  Sorina, walks slowly to us. She's trying so hard to be proper for Blake. It's sweet and sad at the same time. She doesn't need to act a specific way for him. God knows I never have.

  "You look pretty, Mom," she says, slipping her arm around my waist, covering Blake's.

  "Thank you. So do you, kiddo."

  She blushes, gazing at the floor.

  "Shall we?" Dresden says, stepping toward us.

  He's in a tuxedo too, and my mouth falls open. His hair is slicked back. He's clean-shaved with a light in his eyes I've never seen before.

  "Don't you look dashing," I say playfully.

  "Shut your face," he snaps with a smile on his lips.

  We laugh, and walk toward the door. The Taurus has made no attempts since their last on the apartment, but tonight is a prime occasion for them to make a scene. Sammi has cameras in every available spots and she hacked the CCTV for the evening. If we're lucky, we can get through this without incident. My stomach's been in knots since I got out of bed, and the overwhelming sense of dread will not stop plaguing me.

  Something is going to happen, and I'm praying we can stop it.

  †††

  Vlad counted six Taurus members so far. Sorina's sitting at a table, close to the stage, with five other girls from the halfway house. They've been smiles and giggles all evening. I'm shadowing Blake closer than ever. He's in perfect spirits tonight, my arm draped through his, and smiles on our faces.

  The dinner is Italian influenced and amazing. Blake and I both pass on the alcohol. I need my wits tonight, and wine will only dull them. The team's quiet, with no side chat sounding in my ear. The Master of Ceremonies walks onstage as we stand next to the stairs.

  "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce tonight's host, Mr. Blake Mason."

  A thunderous applause echoes throughout the room, as we move up the stairs. At the top, I let go of his arm, and he raises his eyebrows at me. I shake my head slightly. He frowns, turning to strut across the stage. Several women in the audience whistle, jealousy boiling in my veins.

  "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for joining me tonight for this special occasion. As some of you know, five years ago, my beautiful sister, Shannon, disappeared from outside a local business," he pauses, taking a deep breath.

  I glance around the room, the attendees entranced as Blake speaks. My eyes fall on the members of The Taurus, scattered throughout the room. Each one angry, hate filling their eyes. I bring my communicator to my mouth.

  "Keep your eyes on the hitmen. If they're going to make a move, it'll be soon."

  "We got them, Viper, relax," Dresden says in my ear.

  "Shortly after her disappearance we learned that she had been kidnapped. Her kidnappers sold her to a human trafficking ring known as The Taurus. This ring is one of the most deadly, and for the past several years, my dear sister was lost within their grasp.

  "Recently, thanks to an amazing agent from Interpol," he says, looking at me with affection in his eyes. "Shannon was returned to us. Tonight, we celebrate her homecoming, and we celebrate the countless number of women and children who have survived this horrific organization."

  A round of applause sings through the audience, most of them getting to their feet.

  "Lily, can you hear me?" Sammi says in my ear, drowning out Blake's speech.

  "Yeah, go ahead, Boa," I say into my communicator.

  "We got a fucking problem. Get Blake, Shannon, and Sorina out of their now!"

  My eyes dart to Blake. "What's going on?"

  "Someone put an adapter on my computer and hacked my system. The transmission is rerouted to a warehouse five miles from your location. I sent the address to your cell phone," she hisses.

  "Gun!" Vlad screams from the other side of the stage.

  I look up as screams erupt throughout the room. Time moves in slow motion. Several men move toward the stage . . . we've miscounted the number of Taurus.

  "Blake, hit the ground," I scream.

  He drops as bullets hit the podium. I pull my guns from their holsters and send a bullet flying, hitting the closest man in the temple. He drops as I run across the stage and slide next to Blake, blocking his body with mine, and Vlad kneels on the other side.

  Vlad leans around us, and fires, the blasts vibrating my eardrums. I move to turn as someone grabs my ankle, knocking me on my ass. I pull my leg up, dragging them with me. Blake reaches out from behind the podium, grasping the person's head between his hands. The sick snap of bone reaches my ears as Blake twists his hands, breaking the hitman's neck.

  "Get him the fuck out of here," I hiss, as Vlad reloads his guns.

  "I'm not leaving without you," Blake says, grabbing my arm.

  "Yes, you are. Now go. I'll meet you back at the apartment," I say, quickly kissing him.

  I jump to my feet, side shuffling to cover Blake and Vlad as they move to the stairs. I hit another hitman in the shoulder as the guys dart for the main entrance. I crouch down behind a table, watching as they go. Another man jumps out from the other side of the door, trying to put Blake in a headlock.

  Blake jabs his elbow into the man's ribs twice, breaking the hold, and as he spins around Vlad puts a bullet in the guy's head. They dart for the entrance as the straggling guests' storm the front door.

  Impressive, baby.

  I stand and look around, the hall cleared and only Dresden and I remain with three members of the Taurus left standing. They eye us ruefully.

  "So, you guys really think you're going to make it out of here?" Dresden hisses, reloading his .45.

  "There are three of us, and two of you. The odds are in our favor," the one furthest from me says.

  I squeeze the trigger of my gun, hitting the guy closest to me in the forehead. He hits the floor with a thud. "Now you have two," I hiss.

  The guy's eyes widen. "You must be Viper."

  "And you must be stupid." I smile at him.

  "Oh, fuck this," Dresden says, rolling his eyes. He fires two rounds, hitting the last two hitmen, both in the chest. He turns to me, and smiles. "Let's go. I want to know who's in that warehouse.”

  Dresden and I run to the lone SUV still sitting out back of the event location. He jumps in the driver's seat and starts the car as I slide into the passenger's side. I pull my cell phone out, glancing at the text message Sammi sent. I give Dresden the address, and then dial Blake's number.

  "Lily, where are you?" he answers, his voice panicked.

  "Dresden and I are going to the warehouse. Tell Sammi. Get your ass home. Put Vlad on the phone," I say quickly.

  "Lily, it's Vlad," he hisses, breathless.

  "Lock that fucking apartment down until I get there."

  "You got it," he says.

  "Put Blake back on."

  "Lily," Blake breathes into the receiver.

  "I love you," I say with passion. I've never been so worried about him.

  "I love you, too. Get home soon, please."

  "I will, stay safe. Kiss Sorina for me."

  I hang up, and stare out the window, my heart pounding in my ears. Dresden drives like a bat out of hell, and within minutes, he pulls into the parking lot of an abandoned warehouse.

  41

  ~Lily~

  We enter the warehouse, pulling our guns. The first three rooms are empty, but the fourth room has a desk, holding a keyboard and six monitors. Dresden angrily sifts through the draws, looking for anything that might give us a clue as to where the remaining Taurus members are.

  So
mething white, hanging from the wall to my left catches my attention. I walk slowly toward it, my stomach sinking as I read the words, "GAME OVER" written in red.

  "Dresden," I say quietly, pulling the paper down.

  "What," he snaps.

  I turn around, holding the paper up. His eyes widen as his breath catches.

  "The apartment," I whisper.

  At full speed, we run back to the car. I pull my cell phone out, dialing Blake's number. No answer. I try Sammi. Again, no answer.

  Fuck!

  "No one's answering," I hiss.

  "Fuck," Dresden screams, taking a turn too sharp.

  My head hits the window and I growl. "Get us there in one piece for fuck's sake."

  "Alright, I'm sorry," he yells, running his hand through his hair. "I swear to god, if anything happened to Shannon, I'll lose my shit."

  He glances at me, tension pulling the corners of his eyes tight. My stomach drops, a wave of nausea rolling through me.

  "I'll kill every last one of them, I swear to it," I say, pulling my guns out to reload.

  †††

  "You ready?" Dresden whispers to me from the right hand side of the apartment door.

  I nod, pulling my guns from their holsters. I reach out and open the door. Slowly, firearms pointed forward, I enter the apartment, Dresden close behind me. It's quiet . . . too quiet. We round the corner toward the hallway leading to the offices.

  I suppress a scream, scanning the faces of Blake, Shannon, and Sorina, tied up on their knees, blocking the hallway. Duct tape covers their mouths, and Blake has blood running down the side of his head. His eyes widen as I step toward him.

  Something cold presses into the back of my neck and I freeze. "Drop the guns, Agent," a familiar voice whispers.

  I swallow the lump in my throat, letting my handguns clatter to the floor.

  "Turn around, slowly," he says.

  I do, coming face-to-face with Jahari Khoui. My blood boils as I lower my hands to my sides, clenching them into fists.

  "Let them go. You came here for me, not them," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

  "Oh, now that would ruin the plans, Agent."

  Two other men bind Dresden's hands and tape his mouth. In silence, they pull him over to the support beam, strapping him to it.

  "What do you want, Khoui?"

  "To have a little fun, Lily. You see, I've known you for quite some time, though I'm sure you don't remember me," he says, lowering his gun.

  "What?"

  "Yes. I was rather shocked to see you at that charity event a few months ago. I was barely an adult the day I traveled with my boss to acquire his newest sale."

  I narrow my eyes, trying to picture him younger. Mentally erasing the age lines and scars, his face swims in my memory.

  "You were there . . . " I whisper. "The day my parents sold me."

  "Yes! I'm glad you seem to remember. I was told you had memory issues with that part of your past."

  "Who the fuck told you that?"

  "You'll find out in due time. Until then, let's get the rest of our audience out here for the show, shall we?"

  He glances over my shoulder, I spin around as the rest of my team, and the other members of our party join us. All bound, mouths taped. They're forced to kneel in a semi-circle, joining the others.

  "Do what you want to me, just leave them alone," I say, locking eyes with Blake. "I love you," I whisper to him.

  Tears build in his eyes, and the realization of my failure hits me hard. I couldn't keep him safe. No matter how hard I try, loving him is my weakness, these monsters will use it against me, and I'll fall for it every time.

  Wood scraping across the floor pulls me back to the present. Two members of the Taurus drag the glass and oak coffee table to where I'm standing. They position it horizontally in front of me and walk to the kitchen.

  Jahari walks over, stopping next to me. He gently runs his hand down my back. As he moves around me, he trails his fingers across my stomach, over my breasts and around to my back again. Bile rises in my throat.

  "So, time for some new punishment, for you. I don't think flogging and caning will get my point across anymore. You're used to those by now. This however, you may not be," he says pointing to the table.

  I raise my eyebrows in confusion. Three other men join us, sitting large pails of water next to the table. I choke on my breath . . .

  "Waterboarding," I whisper.

  Khoui smiles in a sinister way. Muffled screams erupt behind me.

  "You can do as I tell you, or, I can shoot one of your friends. Now, lie on the table."

  I do so without hesitation. The men step forward and wrap a thick rope around me, securing me to the table with my head dangling off the end. My breath quickens as one of them kneels above me. Water sloshes in a bucket, the dripping echoes in my ears.

  I thrash my head back and forth, as he lays a soaked towel over my eyes. Without warning, he presses another towel firmly over my mouth. I breath in, water filling my throat and nose, as they pour a steady stream over my face.

  My body convulses, trying to break free of the restraints— I can't breathe. I sputter, sucking more water into my lungs, gasping, my chest tightening. The towel flies off and I cough, trying to rid my lungs of the fluid. I turn my head, my body begging for air.

  Someone grabs my head and straightens it, pressing the towel over my mouth again. The water refills me, burning my throat, constricting my airway. This assault continues, each time the length of torture growing longer, the moments of reprieve growing shorter.

  They pull the towels from my face and I fight to breathe. Second hand drowning is a possibility right now. I try to look at Blake, but someone is standing in the way. The ropes around me slack, and they hoist me off the table. I put my hands on my knees, trying to regain some composure, barely able to hold myself up.

  Fuck, my chest burns!

  The cane hits my back with a deafening crack and I scream, falling to my hands and knees. I push off the floor, kneeling. Sharp pain radiates through my body as a hooked flogger tears through the fabric of my dress, digging into my skin. The cane comes down across my skin again. Each hit stings more than the one before until my skin splits, wetness soaking the thin fabric of my dress.

  "Enough," Khoui yells. "Stand her up."

  On my feet, my back stings like hell. Khoui steps in front of me, his face impassive.

  "Now, shall we see if your name really suits you?"

  I straighten myself the best I can as one of the men steps in front of me.

  He rushes forward and I slide to the side, avoiding him by inches. I turn, planting my fist into the back of his head. Another man moves toward me, but Khoui holds up a hand stopping him. Adrenaline and rage build in my chest, sending fire through my veins.

  As the guy turns, I land another punch, hitting him in the temple. He staggers and falls to one knee. I grab the knife strapped to his belt, unsheathe it, and ram it through the top of his head, a sickening crunch reverberating through the room as his skull gives. His body stills. I pull the knife out, and he slumps face down on the floor.

  Then, there were five.

  Khoui nods and another man bounds forward, circling around me. I flip the knife, leaning the dull side of the blade against my wrist. He lunges and I duck, sweeping my hand out, running the blade along his rib cage. He screams, stumbling and holding his side. He turns, his eyes glaring into mine with fire and hate.

  I hold my free hand up, palm to the ceiling. Curling my fingers back, I invite him to attack, a sinister smile on my lips. His hands grip my neck. I lift my arm, sliding the blade just under his ear. He drops me and I twist the blade, slamming into the dip at the base of his throat.

  He spits blood, splattering my face. I grit my teeth and twist the knife as he falls to his knees. The slippery, sucking sound of blood and tissue hitting the floor brings a smile to my face as I roughly pull the knife from him. I turn without thinking, and dash to Dre
sden, sliding the knife up the rope binding him.

  It falls to the floor and he reaches up, ripping the duct tape from his mouth. We stalk to the center of the room, our eyes on Khoui and his three remaining goons.

  "I'm going to cut your fucking heart out," Dresden says, smirking at Khoui.

  I reach down, and slide the knife along the lace of my dress. Ripping the bottom off, and throwing it to the side. I bend my knees and smile at Khoui. He nods toward us, and the other three men stampede forward. I grab the man closest to me by the arm, and jerk him forward, ramming the knife deep into his stomach. I twist the handle, jerking the blade upward before pulling it out.

  He screams in pain, as I plunge it into his shoulder, remove it, and slam it into his chest. He slumps to the ground, blood pooling at my feet, seeping between my toes. Dresden has his arms locked around the neck of one guy as another grapples him from behind. Bounding over, I slide the knife in between the second guy's ribs. He releases Dresden, and falls to his knees, gasping for breath.

  Dresden squeezes his arms around the man he has in his grasp, and the slow, methodical crack of bones snapping seeps through the air. The veins in Dresden's arms bulge from the force, as the man slumps to the floor. I step back, as Dresden whips around and grabs the last goon, pushing him down.

  Climbing on top of him, he grabs the guy's head and slams it into the floor repeatedly. Sprays of blood in all directions follow the crunch of bone as he continues to smash the goon's skull into the floor. Dresden stops, climbing to his feet, his hands and forearms dripping red liquid.

  "Oh, Khoui," I sing, lifting my gaze to his.

  His face is ashen, eyes wide and flat. I stalk toward him and he drops to his knees.

  "Oh, that's so cute," I say sweetly, moving to stand behind him. I grab his hair, pulling his head back. "No one fucks with my boyfriend or my daughter," I whisper in his ear, laying the knife against his throat.

  The front door burst open, and Dresden rushes to my side, stopping short.

  "Lily, don't," Hyde says in a panic. "Arrest him. Don't give in to this. Don't let them turn you into a monster."