by A. L Inman
The email he has pulled up reads:
Jacobs,
It seems our deal has an expiration date. I need my product no later than May 5th at midnight. It ships out on May 6th and it needs to be packed properly.
King
Shit, they’re sending Abby out tomorrow morning, we need to move faster.
“Wait, wait, wait... I think I can track this I.P address... give me like... ten minutes and I’ll have a physical address.” Archer fires off, his fingers moving at lightning speed again.
Before he can finish we’re, all loading up our weapons, suiting up for a fight. Even Uncle Max and Ethan are strapping up for this epic blow out. I’m pacing the room like a caged lion.
“The emails were sent at the old Miller Farm! Let’s Go!”
ABBY- Chapter 39
I can’t believe my eyes. I knew my dad was an asshole, but Emilio just told me that dad... sold me?
“Dad, what’s he talking about?”
Dad shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly, “He was offering money... I needed it. So I sold the only possession I had that would be worth money to someone else. Emilio says you’ll do great in Bangkok.”
I feel sick... my dad, the man who’s supposed to protect me, sold me to a man he didn’t know. He sold me with the knowledge that I would be trafficked to a country outside of the United States.
“Why? Why would you do this? You’re my dad.”
“Actually, Abigail. I’m not. You were two when your mom and I got married. You’re actually the product of a supposed rape. Who knows if it was actually true because I suspect Nick is the product of an affair. Your mother was a vivid story-teller.”
“You’re... not my dad?”
“No you idiot, we look nothing alike. Don’t you see that?”
We really don’t look like my dad. He has light brown wavy hair and blue eyes, where Nick and I both have dirty blonde hair and green eyes.
We look like mom so I never thought anything about the fact of us looking nothing like dad.
“Then, that bitch died, leaving me with you two heathens. I would’ve let you two go into the system, but it was in her will that all of her money would go with you guys. Can you believe that? I took care of that woman and you two idiots for years, and she was going to give all the money to make sure you guys were taken care of?” He scoffs.
Everything makes so much sense now. How dad checked out after mom died... how he acted like he could care less. It’s because he couldn’t care less. We aren’t his kids.
“Where’s Nick?”
Emilio had been watching our exchange this whole time with a look of pure delight on his face.
He’s just now decided to interject in our heartfelt reunion. “He’ll be joining us too. He’s going to Denmark, though. You guys will get a last little reunion before you head out in ummm...about five hours.”
Just as he finishes speaking, I hear a door open and the sound of scuffling. Someone is struggling. I release a ragged breath when I hear Nick’s voice ring through the quiet.
“Let go of me you son of a bitch!”
“Nick!”
“Abby! Abby, where are you!?”
Just then he comes into view being held by Emilio’s henchmen Lil-J and Pato. They throw him on to the floor, causing him to cry out in pain.
“Nick!”
Lil-J stalks over to me and gives me a venomous smile, before kicking me in the stomach. I yelp through the pain and Emilio grabs Lil-J by the back of the neck, squeezing.
“No lastimes la mercancía estúpido hijo de puta.” (Don't hurt the merchandise you stupid son of a bitch.) Emilio scolds.
“Lo siento jefe. ¿Puedo al menos probar la mercancía?” (Sorry boss. Can I at least sample the merchandise?) Lil-J replies back to his boss.
Curtly Emilio replies, “No, no la toques.” (No, don’t touch her.)
Lil-J nods his understanding when Emilio tells him not to touch me before looking at me and sending me a wink. I’m not sure he’s willing to follow Emilio’s rules on this order.
They’ve chained Nick to the wall beside me. He’s far enough away that I can’t touch him but close enough I can see his face through the poorly lit cell.
He’s pale, but I think it’s from the events of the night, not from his head injury. There’s a lot of blood covering his shirt and down his face from the wound, but head wounds tend to bleed a lot anyways.
From what I can tell, most of the wound is superficial. He may need a stitch or two, but overall, he should be fine.
“Well kids,” Our dad starts talking, drawing our attention from each other to him. I had forgotten he was standing on the other side of the cell until just now.
“I’d like to say it was a pleasure watching you grow up and being your dad... but that would be a lie. So, I guess I’ll say thanks? For? Hmm... Making me money?”
“Fuck you!” Nick yells at him, which just causes him to chuckle at our expense, before he turns and walks out of our life.
To think, I actually felt bad about taking Nick away from that piece of shit. Now, I wish I would’ve done it sooner. It would have saved us from some heartbreak.
All I feel is dread, because the only man we’ve ever called dad, the man who is supposed to provide and protect us, sold us to a bigger monster.
ASHER Chapter 40-
We pull up to the old Miller Farm going ninety miles per hour. Brayden barely gets the car in park before Arch and I are leaping out the back seat, running towards the abandoned farm.
Uncle Max and Ethan head down to the barn to look around there.
Arch is directly behind me, covering my backside. I hear Jax call that him and Bray are going to take the backside entrance and will meet us inside.
Climbing up the rickety steps, I pause when the wood groans underneath my weight. I take a second and wait, because if someone is inside, I’ve just alerted them that we’re here.
When we don’t hear any movement, I slowly continue to climb the steps until I reach the front door.
The house and surrounding land is dark. There’s no movement what-so- ever. It doesn’t feel right. This isn’t the right place.
I don’t know how I know, but I can just tell. Abby’s not here.
“Arch- somethings not right... this isn’t the right place.”
“I feel it too Ash, let’s keep moving. We need to secure the building and look. If she’s not here we’ll reevaluate.”
I give him a quick nod before turning the knob of the front door. It’s not locked, so the rickety door swings open loudly.
We make our way through the rooms one by one, clearing them and looking for signs of Abby.
Jax and Bray had gone upstairs to clear the rooms, leaving the bottom floor for Arch and myself.
Meeting back in the kitchen, we all go down the steps of the basement, except Jax. He stays at the top to guard our back. We don’t want anyone sneaking in on us.
The old basement is musty and damp smelling. I see there are cobwebs on the stair case- no one’s been down here tonight, otherwise, the cob webs would be knocked down.
Looking around I see remnants of old canning supplies where Ms. Miller used to can at the farm before she passed away.
What catches my eye is the brand-new lock on the old rusty door that leads to the furnace room. That’s definitely strange.
I look to my brothers and they must find it strange as well. We all sidle up to the door; Bray and I have our guns drawn while Arch pulls the lock, swinging the door open.
There’s no way I would’ve ever been prepared for what I saw when we opened that door.
There are five dog cages along the wall, they’re big enough for a large size dog. When I crouch to look inside, I fall backwards on my ass.
Five sets of human eyes are staring back at me in fear.
“Shit!” I yell out.
I hear Arch already running to the steps, yelling for Jax to call for medics for five females. He’s yelling that we need police
presence and bolt cutters, immediately.
The women in the cages are whimpering, so I try to soothe them while my brother gets the cutters, so we can free them from their confines.
I yell to Arch for them to grab some blankets too, because every one of the women are naked as the day they were born.
It’s not long before Jax comes down with the cutters and blankets. Arch stayed upstairs to talk to dispatch to give them assistance with the finding the location of the farm.
As Jax cuts the locks on the cages, I help them out one by one, handing them over to Brayden- who wraps them in blankets. They’re so weak the can hardly stand, so he carries them one at a time up to the porch
Uncle Max and Ethan are up there on the porch, questioning the women, trying to get an ID on anyone who may have been involved.
I pull a pack of protein bars and some bottles of water out of the SUV that Archer and I keep in there for post-work out. The women gladly accept them with relief.
One of the women tell me it's been two days since the last time someone brought them food or water.
When the ambulances get there, law enforcement and medics take over. We all step back allowing them to process the scene and take care of the women.
IVs are started, pumping them full of fluids and antibiotics to fight any potential infection they have received.
Abby wasn't here. Don't get me wrong, I’m glad we were able to save those women… but I’m disappointed Abby wasn’t with them.
“Arch- what are we missing?” Jax inquires.
I’ve been wondering the same thing.
Emilio did a shit job covering his tracks and basically led us to these women. He is a smart man, we've seen him cover things up before. This was too easy. Why?
Did he suspect we wouldn’t think out of the box? Did he know I would be so out of my mind I wouldn’t be thinking logically?
Brayden is pacing, when all of a sudden he has an excited look flash onto his face, “ARCH! Did you check Abs headpiece? We have the tracker in it remember?”
Archer takes off running to the computer he has in the SUV, opening it up he starts typing furiously. “I can’t believe I forgot about that. That was the purpose of it.” he murmurs to himself, obviously irritated that he didn’t think of it.
“Shit, man. It’s off or broken. There’s no signal.”
I hear a throat clear behind me and when I turn I see an officer standing with one of the ladies we rescued.
She reminds me of Abby, petite with long dirty blonde hair, she’s probably in her early 20s. Although her skin is filthy, she's a beautiful girl. Seeing her makes my heart ache with want for Abby.
“Um, who is Asher?”
“That’s me.”
“I, um, I have a message for you from a man... I don’t know who he is... but it’s the man who bought us. He told us that the buyers didn’t want us. He was leaving us here to die. You saved us...” She finishes quietly.
“Okay sweetheart, what did he say to tell me?” I chide her. I really need to know what Emilio’s message is.
It's obvious he knew we would be the ones to find the girls. He's set us up, now we've lost precious time finding Abby.
“He said to tell you that he knows who you really are and you’ll never see her again.”
ABBY- Chapter 41
“Nick... psttt... Nick”
“Mmmm.”
“Nick, keep your eyes open.”
“I know Abs. I know”
“No, Nick, seriously. You have to stay awake. You probably have a concussion.”
“What’s the point Abs? We’re never going to be found. I’d rather die than go where they’re sending me. They're selling us for God's sake.”
“Nick, we have to stay strong. We’re chained right now, but if we’re smart we can escape. We just have to stay positive.”
“No, we can’t Abs, it’s not like anyone would be able to track us here. We’re in a basement in a warehouse in bum fuck Egypt.”
“That’s it Nick! You’re a genius. I have to make sure the headband is turned on! Do you see it Nick? Look around... it’s got to be in here somewhere. I didn't take it off so they either took it off or it fell off.”
“I don’t see anything Abs. It’s dark as hell in here.”
“Just look Nick. They would’ve thrown it out of my reach if they took it off and found the tracker. Maybe they threw it over there near your wall.”
“Or maybe they took it and destroyed it Abs, it’s a long shot to think they would’ve left it if they suspected it to be a tracking device.”
“Just look Nick!”
He grumbles and huffs. I know he’s tired and frustrated, but this is literally our only hope.
“I see it Abs!”
“Where Nick? Can you reach it?”
“I can try Abby, my leg may be long enough I can kick it towards you. I might can get to it.”
I hear him scuffling on the floor, the chains clanking and an occasional curse. I’m sure he’ll have marks on his wrists from trying to reach the headband, since he’s being pulled back by the restraints.
“Okay Abs, I got it pulled back just a little so I can hopefully get a good kick on it. I think I can make it to you.”
“Just try Nick, kick it hard. You can do it.”
He stretches his legs long and pulls the chains as far as they'll reach. Swinging his leg he knocks the headband towards me but it stops short of my reach.
Shit!
I lay on my stomach, sliding my belly across the floor, pushing myself as far out as I can. Stretching, I reach my leg out, missing the first two times that I try to lock my foot over the headbands edge, so I can drag it back towards me.
Third times must be the charm, because I’m able to pull it close enough to reach. Sitting up I grab the headband. I see it's in fact been turned off in my struggle and transportation.
I can’t pull my hands together to turn it back on though because the chains length isn’t long enough. So, I hold it in my right hand and drop my head to the floor beside it. Using my mouth, I’m able to latch onto the switch and push it up, flipping the switch to “on”.
I’ve done all I can do at this point, now we wait. Hopefully the thing can still be tracked.
I hope the boys haven’t given up on finding me yet. Either way, I need to formulate a game plan to get us free. With or without them, I’ll save us.
ASHER- Chapter 42
I’m pacing the dirt, digging a hole with the path I’m walking. Back and forth, back and forth.
Jaxon is on the phone with Uncle Max filling him in on our status; Uncle Max and Ethan went to the police station to set up a course of action with local law enforcement.
Brayden is interviewing the girls to see if there is any more information we can extract about who brought them here, where they were before or where Abby might be now. So far it’s a dead end.
Me. I’m being useless. My girls missing and I can’t find her, therefore, I can’t function.
My phone rings in my pocket with an unknown number.
I yell to the guys, who run over quickly. Archer pulls up his phone tracing system, ready to trace if it’s necessary.
“Asher speaking.”
“Ah, Mr. Badd. What a crying shame that I had to kidnap your girlfriend to show you a lesson in fucking with the cartel. Who would’ve thought her dear daddy already had plans for her anyways. I had no clue it was the same girl as your Abby. What a coincidence.”
“You see Mr. Badd, my business comes first. Your sweet little girlfriend will be shipped off to Bangkok in... A few hours, at most. Her little brother will make me good money in Denmark, too. In a few hours they will be nothing but a memory to you.”
“Listen here you sick bastard, don’t hurt them!” I’m frantic and I know it. Emilio knows it too, that's why he's probing me.
“Since we are such good friends Mr. Badd, I’ll do you a favor. I’ll let you talk to your princess one last time before I send her away.
Don’t you see? I’m a generous man.”
Just then I hear Abby scream my name; my heart drops in my stomach.
“Abby! Abby, baby, can you hear me!?”
“Ash! Asher! Help us!”
“I’m coming baby! Stay brave for me!”
“Asher I love you! We’re in a wareho...”
I hear a slapping noise come through the phone before Emilio’s voice rings through, cutting off Abby.
“Well, that was sweet. Now, this phone conversation is over. Oh, and Asher? Just for you and your brothers... I’ll make sure the nastiest, filthiest, most vile buyer buys our sweet little princess.”
With that the phone hangs up and I’m left there staring at it.
Tears are pouring down my face when I look to Archer to see if he got a location on the phone line trace.
He shakes his head, “no” and I crumple onto the ground. For the first time since my parents died, I cry.
Abby Jacobs just told me she loved me, and I may never get to hear it again.
ABBY Chapter 43-
I’m crying hysterically.
I finally got to tell Asher Badd I loved him, and it may be the last time I ever get to say it again.
ASHER Chapter 44-
I don’t know how long I lay there on the dirt in front of the Miller’s old farmhouse crying.
My brothers are huddled around me, holding me… holding each other. We’re all on the ground covered in dirt and grass stains.
When I look up I see every single one of them have tears streaming down their faces, just like I do. I’m not sure if they’re crying for my broken heart or for the loss of Abby. Or both.
By the look of devastation on their faces I know they think we’ve ran out of time too. They think we'll be too late to find her and Nick.
That’s what Abby Jacobs does- brings four grown men to their knees to sob for her.
Archer’s phone rings through the silence. The police and ambulance have long since cleared out and went to the station, so the Miller farm is eerily quiet.
The police told us to notify them when, and if, we got a lead on Abby. They know that we’re the best at finding people and that they would just get in our way if they stuck around.
I also suspect that they think it's futile to waste man power on a single girl, who is probably already on her way to Bangkok.