by Lacey Silks
Really?
I finally opened the clinic door and sat beside a young woman. The nurse called me in within minutes.
“Hello, Ms. Blakely. We’ve been expecting you.”
“You have?”
“Your doctor sent in a requisition this morning.”
A fucking doctor who was probably on Infinity’s payroll. I had been forced to get this new “family practitioner” when I signed my contract. I wondered how many doctors in the city had been bribed. The nurse took me to the back room, and I pulled up the sleeve of my loose hoodie and gave her my left arm — the one without the new pink scar. Her fingers were cold and caused shivers to crawl up my arms. I’d done this so many times before, you’d think it would be routine. But today seemed different and more important. The atmosphere had shifted. My actions no longer served Infinity, but Cross Enterprises and all the women who had perished at Craig Harper’s hands as well as those who had no choice but to work for him — all the ones who, like me, felt like they were trapped in a black box. I would not let them down. I would not let down all the people who had faith in me, including my family and Cross Enterprises. I wanted Ace to have an actual reason to be proud of me.
She finished drawing my blood and said, “We’ll send the results to your doctor in the next five to six hours.”
“That quickly?”
“This was a special request.”
I bet it was. A Craig fucking Harper request.
“We also need to do an internal exam, and you’re up for your birth control shot.”
I knew I had no choice in the matter. It wasn’t my decision whether I got probed by the doctor or not. It wasn’t my choice to be safe and prevent unwanted pregnancies. Nothing was my choice.
“Can I ask you a question?” I connected my gaze with the nurse’s frightened one. She stilled and opened her mouth, and then closed it again, giving me a murderous look as if I’d just killed her first born. After a moment of ignoring me, she whispered, “No questions.”
“How long has my doctor worked for this clinic?”
Her lips thinned. “Ms. Blakely. Please stop.”
“I won’t tell,” I said. “I promise.”
“Then don’t make me be the one who does.”
Shit!
I shook my head, and Nurse Barb kept her mouth shut. I wondered how much they paid her to do so. She set the thin tubes of my blood aside, added a label to each, and set the speculum under a tap of running warm water. Before calling in the doctor, she turned to me and said, “You’re a great girl, Zoey. Take my advice and don’t ask Dr. Kohl any unnecessary questions. You’re not the first one to do so. But I haven’t seen any girls who did return to this clinic.”
What happened to them?
The fear in her eyes made me wonder whether she was forced to work here. Maybe they didn’t pay her that well after all. Instead, someone could have threatened her family. I could think of so many ways they could have forced her to sign some sort of a life sentence, the way they had coerced me.
“Thank you,” I said.
That physical couldn’t be over fast enough. There had been times when I’d had blood drawn three times each week, to the point where my veins were beginning to look like a druggie’s. During the past three weeks they’d healed, for which I was grateful. As Dr. Kohl probed me and took a sample, I felt sick to my stomach. No woman should have been subjected to this. No woman deserved to have her freedom stolen and her will to have a damn physical at her own discretion taken away.
Feeling like I’d just been raped, I left the clinic and took a bus home, the way I usually would have. The young lady I had seen in the reception area of the clinic was sitting three seats away. She kept looking at me, and I finally asked, “Can I help you?”
She shook her head.
“You were at the clinic, weren’t you?”
She nodded gently, smoothing her hand over her stomach.
“Are you expecting?”
“Yes.”
While her smile was genuine, her eyes were filled with sadness.
“Congratulations!”
“Thank you, I guess.”
“You’re not excited? Why?”
And then it dawned on me. How could I have been so stupid as to think that a woman from that clinic would have been a free woman? She was an Infinity girl. Just like me. Now that I looked closer at her, I could see it in her eyes and on her face. She had that look of desperation and no way out. I recognized it because I’d seen it in the mirror for almost two years. Our gazes remained connected, and I knew that she knew that I knew.
“Please, you can’t say anything,” she whispered.
Since there were only a couple of elderly gentlemen on the bus, I scooted to the seat next to hers and gently smoothed my hand over hers. “I promise I won’t. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Because if you say anything, they’ll… they’ll end this. I don’t know what to do.”
“Does anyone else know?”
“Not yet. But they will soon. I just had blood work done.” She sighed once again, smoothing her hand over her flat stomach. “I don’t want to get rid of it.”
“How did this happen? Weren’t you on a shot?”
“I was, but you know it’s not one hundred percent.”
Yeah, of course I knew. But each time I was with one of the Infinity members, I prayed I wouldn’t be part of that fraction of women who belonged to the wrong side of the statistic.
“I’m going to tell the father tonight. I think he’ll be happy.”
“Wait, you know whose it is?”
She nodded. “He’s a member but… well… we fell for each other, and he paid to have just me. It’s been the most wonderful two months of my life. For once it felt normal. I pretended my life was what it used to be; peaceful, safe and bright, with one man who actually cared for me. At least it lasted a little while. It just happened between us. He knew I couldn’t be with him forever, but we wanted to cherish as much time as we could. And then two days ago, I got a call for testing, and I’m not sure why because he promised he’d do everything to protect me and keep me for himself.” Tears streaked down her cheeks freely, and I wiped them with the back of my hand. “I know that sounds bad, but at least I’m with one man. At least it’s someone who won’t hit me or make me do things I don’t want to. Except now, I think I lost it all. And I don’t want to lose this baby.”
She gasped as if she’d just realized she’d made the biggest mistake of her life by sharing her secret. Regret shone in her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be telling you all this. I shouldn’t be jeopardizing your life too.”
“Of course you should. Whom else are you going to talk to? And I promise this will stay between us.”
Her hands were shaking visibly. “I’m scared.”
I wrapped my arm around her. Filled with fear of the unknown, she leaned into me.
“Maybe things will turn out OK.”
If I could only bring the Infinity cult down in time, she would have an out, and her baby would have a future.
“Is the guy still paying to have you?”
“He said he needs to come up with more money. But I hope so.”
“Good. Don’t go out with anyone else if you can.”
What if she has no choice?
“What’s your name?”
“Madison.”
“I’m Zoey.”
“What you’re saying is impossible.” She shook her head. “Even talking to you… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have, but I feel so hormonal now. And I put you in danger.”
“You did nothing of the sort. I promise you I’m not in any danger. Can I give you my number if you need to talk? I’d like to hear if the dad wants to help you.”
I prayed he would. I prayed he would be the kind of a father that I thought Ace would be. He’d be a good dad. A proud dad who put his family first, just like his father had. She removed her phone, and I added my number into her contacts list, and then typed hers i
nto mine.
“Madison, if you get a call from anyone else but the baby’s dad, you let me know first. Maybe I can help.”
“How?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure it out. We’ll figure it out.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. Who else is going to understand what you’re going through better than me?
She gave me a heart-warming smile, and I knew I’d made the right decision. I found out that Madison lived only a few blocks away from me. When I got to my empty apartment, I sat down on the couch and stared at the television set, not bothering to turn it on. In my mind, I saw that green light blinking in and out of focus, right at the intersection.
Something crashed upstairs, and I jumped up. Someone was in my apartment! I tiptoed to the kitchen and snatched up the biggest butcher’s knife I could find. My knees shook underneath me as I made my way up each step. I was pretty sure I’d left my heart somewhere downstairs because I couldn’t feel it or hear it as I concentrated on not making a sound. Hearing another swoosh and a click, I imagined the robber getting his gun ready. Shit! I should have called the police when I had a chance. I had to surprise him; ambush was the only option.
I was now on the second floor and pressed my back against the wall close to my bedroom, where I’d heard the movement. He was getting closer. Grasping the knife handle tightly, I extended my arms over my head. As soon as I saw an arm emerge from the doorway, I screamed and, closing my eyes, I drove at the body.
“Holy fuck!” Somehow through my scream I heard the familiar voice, and I ended up on the floor, holding the knife in my shaking hands.
“Zoey! It’s me!”
Ace must have jumped out of the way.
Thank God!
“What the hell are you doing? I could have killed you!”
“I’m fine, and I didn’t want to use the front door to enter. I didn’t want anyone to see me.”
I finally picked myself off the ground, shaking my head. “I’m a fool. I can’t even protect myself.”
“You’re not a fool, and I’m glad I’m still alive. That was a good try.”
But we both knew the truth. I sucked at combat.
“Look, we didn’t expect Harper to call, but if all goes well, you won’t have to do much to get that memory stick. Maybe it’s for the best. This means you won’t have to go to that party.”
“What party?”
“A mask party. He’s been planning it at his private island. We thought that was when we could infiltrate – get you there and have access to the data. But if all goes well this weekend, we won’t have to.”
It would be better if we could have this over within a few days. I didn’t think I could stand the anticipation, waiting for two weeks until Harper became one with history.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“To be with you. At least until the virus is up. I’m not letting you spend a moment alone if there’s a chance that Infinity is keeping an eye on you. And given that it’s Harper who called you, I’m pretty sure they have someone physically tracking you.”
“So you’re just going to stay here?” I looked around the messy room.
“Yeah.”
“What about Jules?”
“We’ll keep the doors locked. She wouldn’t invade your privacy, would she?”
“No, not intentionally at least. Okay.”
“Good. Let’s order some food, then, and relax before she gets home and you have to keep your secret boyfriend stashed in your room.”
I liked the sound of that: boyfriend.
Chapter 17
Zoey
During all my years as a daughter of a multi-millionaire, I’d never been to the Plaza Hotel, although I’d heard my father liked to spend his time there often – presumably with his whores. The exclusive penthouse we occupied stretched the entire width of the building. Marble-tiled floors, high ceilings, and detailed carvings in the moldings heightened the magnificence of the place. Ace’s family owned this exquisite suite. The grand hallway marble floors reflected my silhouette. It was a good thing I was wearing pants when I walked in; otherwise, you’d be able to see up a skirt. Decorative statues and vases stood by the wall and at the sides of a ginormous mirror. In the middle was a round table with a fresh floral bouquet. This was way more exclusive than a presidential suite. And while the penthouse felt rich and luxurious, it was also warm and inviting. The wealth of it all didn’t overwhelm me.
Ace guided me into the kitchen. I sat at the counter full of fruit and vegetable plates, antipasto dishes, and garden salads.
“I thought you might be hungry.” He grabbed a plate and started mounting everything onto it.
“I’m not sure I can eat.” In fact, my stomach had been upset since that morning. I wasn’t sure if it was my nerves, but yeah, it probably had something to do with the fact that I was about to walk into a hotel room where I had agreed to be drugged unconscious and fucked.
“You’re worried.”
“Aren’t you?”
“You’re in good hands.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Yeah, I’m worried. If I had it my way, you’d be on the other side of the world right now. But you’re our best bet at getting that memory stick.”
“I know. It’s just…” I thought about today’s plan for a moment. I wasn’t sure why I had that awkward feeling in my gut, but it wasn’t good.
“What?”
“I don’t know. Something’s off. I mean, you guys have been trying to get to him for so long, why would he have it on him now? Why not keep it in some secret safe? How do you know he actually carries the stick on him all the time?”
Ace’s eye twitched. I’d learned that it meant that he was keeping something from me. Plus, he had that odd look on his face that told me he wanted to end the conversation before it even started. And that only made me much more nervous.
“You know something.”
“I don’t want to worry you.”
“Well, it’s a little too late for that.” I started picking off the green pin-sized flowers on a broccoli head and lining them on the kitchen counter.
“There’s someone else we have on the inside. He told us that Craig’s been working on a plan to expand his business into more states, which Emma confirmed. He’s the one that gave us Crag’s itinerary. That’s how we know he’s been keeping his memory stick with him the entire time. Zoey, I know the plan was to proceed in a couple of weeks after you’d been trained, but we didn’t expect him to call you. If you pull this off, we won’t have to go away to the island. Now we’re able to do this on our terms, not his, and even though you haven’t gone through all the prep work, this is better because we’ll have more control here.”
I wanted to have the same faith in my abilities as he did.
“That someone else, the informant, can you trust him?”
“As much as I want to say yes, that’d be a lie. No, I don’t trust him. But it’s the only lead we’ve got for now.”
Emma, along with her team, was setting up in the dining room. In a few minutes, we were supposed to go over the plan to get Craig’s list of businesses. I was fitted with a camera right between my boobs, concealed as a little gem attached to my bra, as well as specially equipped jewelry.
People were shuffling between the rooms, double-checking and triple-checking wires, microphones, cameras, and whatever other systems they had hooked up in this penthouse.
Two nights before, Gabe had finally installed the virus in Infinity’s tracking network, which meant that we didn’t have to worry about my whereabouts – at least for now. The whole ordeal of coordinating the chip and my actual location was giving me a headache, and had forced me to stay at my own apartment the last two nights. But at least I’d had Ace with me. He climbed in and out my window as if it were a door, sneaking past the brawny guy whom I’d seen pacing up and down our street. When Ace took his picture and sent it to Gabe, he confirme
d that the guy worked for Harper. We slept squished together on my single bed, his arm curved underneath me, holding me close. Those were the two most peaceful nights I’d had in a long time.
“Everybody out!” Emma ordered. “Only Team One from now on.”
Team One must have included her, Ace, Gabe, and another guy I remembered from our meeting earlier in the week. I thought his name was James.
“Are you all right? Do you need anything?” Ace asked as everyone else left. “Come, I want some time alone with you.”
He led me to one of the penthouse bedrooms and sat down beside me on a chaise.
“I think I’m okay. Just a little nervous. It’s different now, you know.”
“Remember, no matter what happens, you do not drink anything or eat anything he gives you. You need to jab him with the ring so that he passes out before he gets to you. Do you understand?”
I twirled the jewelry around my finger. One twist, and a needle with a strong sedative would pop out of the middle. I’d been told to make the incision at his neck, close to the main artery, so that the tranquilizer could spread more quickly.
“Yes, of course I do. Drug him before he drugs me.”
“Jesus, I can’t believe I’m letting you do this.” Ace pulled his fingers through his hair. It was semi-long now, and with the number of times he’d been doing that gesture tonight, locks had clumped together, giving him a sexy and messy look. It was absolutely the kind of distraction I needed right now. The snapping of Ace’s fingers in front of my face woke me from my daze.
“Did you hear what I said?” he asked.
“No, I’m sorry. I’m just a little overwhelmed. It’s hard to concentrate.”
Ace took my face between his hands, saying, “If this is too much, just say so, and we’ll get you out of here.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s just that there’s a lot on the line here. I don’t want to screw it up, and I want to get it over with. Please tell me again how sure you are that he’s going to have his memory stick with him.”
“Yeah. Once we download the database, we should have all the locations where they keep the women. It will only take a few days until they’re freed and taken into witness protection. All of Craig’s partners, all the members and government officials who use the service, will be exposed and potentially charged if they’re able to link specific crimes. It won’t be pretty. We’ll have the full network down, and it will be the end for Infinity.”