by Paige Dearth
“Nah, you ain’t really sorry,” Armando told her. “But you gonna be.”
Armando pushed her back down on the mattress. By now, all of the other prostitutes were huddled on the other mattresses, watching with anticipation. Trinity had a smile plastered across her face, waiting for Maggie to get what she deserved.
Armando towered over Maggie, looking like Blunderbore, the giant in “Jack and the Beanstalk.” She thought he might trample her to death. She didn’t know what he was going to do and wished one of the other girls would say or do something to help her. Instead, they sat by, entertained by the drama.
Armando finally spoke. “Jeremy, here. He works for Rock. We heard what you were doing and thought we’d check it out ourselves.”
Maggie looked over at Trinity, who sat perched on a mattress victoriously. Then she turned back to Armando. “It was a mistake, Armando. I’m still new at this,” she wailed, trying to play on sympathy that he didn’t have for her.
Armando turned to Jeremy. “Go ahead, my brother. Take what’s yours.”
Jeremy dropped his jeans and was on top of Maggie in seconds. The other girls watched as she fought and flailed her arms and legs, trying to push Jeremy off. Then she felt the blade that Jeremy laid against her throat. “You best stop fightin’ and make me feel wanted, or I’ll slice you up like a watermelon,” he threatened.
Maggie believed he would do just that, so she stopped fighting and pretended to participate. When he was finished, he climbed off of her and left the house. She quickly sat up on the mattress, traumatized and embarrassed that Jeremy had just taken advantage of her in front of so many people, especially the other prostitutes.
Rock approached her on the mattress. “Maggie, Maggie, Maggie,” he chanted. “We can’t tolerate liars in our little family. It costs a lot of money to keep you warm and dry, living in this house. Nobody takes advantage of my generosity. Ya see, that’s what you did. Ya took advantage of me,” he continued, bending down to rub her cheek gently.
At his soft touch, Maggie began to beg. “Please, Rock. I’m sorry. It’ll never happen again. I swear.”
Rock smiled into her terrorized face. “No, baby. I’m certain it won’t happen again. Ya know, I haven’t mentioned recently how happy Seth is. I mean, Thelma can be a little overbearing at times, but all in all, I think he’s adjusted to his new momma pretty well. When he does act up, Thelma puts him in line. Now, if you were to do anything like this again or try to run, well then, that would really piss off me and Thelma, and we’d probably have to kill Seth just to get even with ya.”
Just hearing Seth’s name was comforting to Maggie. He was still alive; at least that was something. “I swear I won’t do anything to piss you off again,” she promised.
“No, I’m sure you won’t,” Rock said gently. “I have to go home. Armando’s gonna deal with all of this now. So, just remember what I told you—that is, if you don’t want to put Seth in harm’s way.”
As soon as Rock left the house, Armando commanded her to stand up. Still dressed in the clothes she had changed into, he told her follow him. They stood just inside the front door, and he slowly opened it.
The cold from outside rushed in on Maggie and Armando. They both stood watching the blizzard outside. The snow was heavy, and there was no visibility. Maggie couldn’t even see the houses across the street. “Quite a snowstorm we’re havin’ tonight. See, like Rock just said, it costs a lot of money to keep you. Now that we know you weren’t earnin’ your keep, you’re gonna have to stay outside tonight,” he told her.
Maggie seized the doorknob. “But it’s a blizzard out there. I’ll die in the snow.” She wept, gripped with fear.
“Yep, you just might. But I’m thinking you’re a pretty clever girl. I mean, you managed to fool us for a pretty long time. So, now you’ll have to figure this one out,” he stated and pushed her toward the open door.
Maggie hobbled, her steps tentative, wondering if she’d get an even worse punishment if she were to stay in the house of whores. As Armando pushed her over the threshold, she clung to him. Fed up, he shoved her. She plummeted hard onto the cold steps and slid down the icy cement on her stomach.
By the time she landed on the bottom step, she was covered in snow. She sat up slowly, her eyes darting up and down the street. Where would she go?
Then she looked up at Armando, still standing in the doorway, her eyes pleading for mercy. He watched her for a moment, as if he might let her back into the house. Then he turned and shut the door behind him. The sound of the deadbolt being thrown was all she could hear in the silence of the cold, wet night.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Maggie slowly stood and grunted in pain from her scraped knees and chin. Her limbs trembled as she walked away from the house, looking for shelter. The stores were all closed. The wind and snow cut at her exposed skin like razor blades. Her oversized sweatshirt was wet. The streets were empty. Even the bums had found refuge. Snow had buried the trash. Everything was white.
Maggie shivered more violently as she took labored steps, one at a time. Her eyes were watering, and her lips began to turn blue. She started to trip over her own feet and became increasingly clumsy as the minutes passed. Maggie realized, as if in a dream, that hypothermia was setting in. She’d read about it in one of the books that Dr. Barnes had given to her, and in one fleeting moment of clarity, Maggie knew she had to get out of the snowstorm quickly.
She turned down an alleyway that led to open field. In the distance, she could see a high mound of snow, and she stumbled toward it. As if an angel had guided her movements, Maggie found herself next to an abandoned car. The tires were gone and the rear passenger door was missing. She hobbled around to the opening, and with quivering breaths, climbed into the car. Then she shimmied into the front seat. The temperature inside the car wasn’t any warmer, but the broken-down vehicle gave her a safe haven from the wind and driving snow.
Maggie huddled, pulling her legs up under the large, wet sweatshirt. Her feet felt like two blocks of ice in the canvas sneakers, and her skin burned with pain instead of warmth. She could feel her body breaking down. Tears slid down her red, chapped cheeks. She curled up in a ball on the front seat, and with great relief, she thought, just a little more time and I can leave this life. She had reached her limit. She welcomed the hands of death to hold and comfort her.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Maggie was semiconscious when she felt herself being pulled from the car. She thought she was hallucinating, but someone was carrying her away from the car. She could feel her body wrapped in something warm and dry. She heard the snow crunch under the feet of whoever was carting her off. She tried to open her eyes, but her lids were heavy, and then everything went black as she slipped into unconsciousness.
When Maggie woke up an hour later, she was lying next to an Asian girl. They were both in their underwear. The stranger had her arms and legs draped over Maggie’s, and their torsos were pressed together. The girl was looking at her with anticipation.
“Fucking A, you’re alive. Thank God! I read that body heat is the best thing for someone who is freezing to death,” the girl said, snuggling even closer.
Maggie gave the girl a small smile and fell back to sleep. For the next two hours, the girl massaged Maggie’s limbs to increase her circulation. She kept Maggie covered in old towels and dirty clothes until she finally woke again.
When Maggie struggled to sit up on the edge of the mattress, the stranger rushed to her side to help. “How about a cup of hot tea?” she asked.
“I’ve never had hot tea, but I’d drink anything hot right now. Thank you,” Maggie said gratefully.
The girl came back carrying two cups of steaming tea. She rested them on the empty wooden crate next to the bed. Then she opened her dresser drawer and pulled out a sweat suit and socks. “Here, you should put these on. They’re dry. Your sweatshirt is still wet. I hung it in the bathroom. I took your shoes and socks off as soon as you got in her
e. I practically had to chisel the ice from your sneakers to get them off your feet,” she explained.
Maggie took the clothes and began to dress. Her mind and muscles were fatigued as she struggled to put the dry sweatshirt over her head. The Asian girl jumped up. “Here, let me help you,” she said with compassion. “My name is Juju. Lucky for you, I was looking out the window and saw you climbing into the car across the alley. I knew you’d die for sure if you stayed there. What’s your name?” she asked.
“Maggie,” she croaked. Her throat was dry and sore. She lifted the mug of tea and took a sip. As she felt the warm liquid coat her mouth and slide down her throat, she started to come back to life.
“How old are you?” Juju asked.
“I’m eighteen,” she stated.
“Where do you live?” Juju asked, testing her.
“I live with my boyfriend,” Maggie responded, as if she were a Stepford wife.
“Hmm. So, which one of those douche bags do you belong to? Arsen?” she asked.
Maggie shook her head.
“Diesel?” Juju offered.
Maggie shook her head again.
“It’s Armando, isn’t it?” Juju asked.
When Maggie hesitated, Juju knew she’d gotten it right. “Armando is a fucking dick. They all are. Rock is the biggest prick of them all. How did you get caught up with them?” Juju pressed.
“Rock bought me at an auction,” Maggie stated, feeling like a piece of meat.
Feeling Maggie’s self-loathing, Juju told Maggie her story. “Well, I work for Rock too. I’m one of his drug pushers. A couple of years ago, Rock was riding me hard to prostitute for him. I kept turning him down, and that was pissing him off something fierce. Then one day, I was in that convenience store down on Somerset. You know the one I’m talking about?”
“Yeah, I know it,” Maggie said, intrigued.
“Well, I was in there, and I overheard these two goons saying they were gonna take Rock out at a party he was invited to. The party was a cover-up, just to get him there so they could kill him. Anyhow, I left that store in a New York minute and ran nonstop until I found Rock. I told him everything I heard,” Juju explained.
“What happened?” Maggie asked.
“So, Rock went to the party, except he was ready for them. When they had Rock cornered, his men busted into the room and killed the guys. After that, Rock stopped bullying me about prostituting. I ain’t got no family, and I needed money to live, so he gave me a job selling dope. Not too many girls sell; it’s mostly guys. Rock’s always pretty decent to me. I’m like one of the only people who ever saved his life. He told me he’d always watch out for me after that. Doesn’t change the fact that he’s an asshole. I see what he does to the girls that work for him,” she finished.
“Wow, that’s insane. So you know Armando?” Maggie asked nervously.
“Yeah, I know all of Rock’s men. Armando is a total shithead. He’ll do anything to make money. He ain’t got no scruples. You know what I’m sayin’? Is he the one who put you out on the street tonight?” Juju inquired.
“Yeah, he found out I was only offering hand jobs to my johns,” she confessed.
The two girls sat and stared at each other. Instantaneously, they burst into laughter. The whole idea was so absurd. Armando had put her out into a blinding blizzard because she was only giving hand jobs.
“How come Rock lets you live here on your own?” Maggie asked.
“’Cause I deal. If I was hooking, he’d make me live in one of his houses. He pays me to deal, so I can afford my own place, even if it is the ugliest place on earth. So how old are you really?” Juju wanted to know.
“Fourteen,” Maggie said.
“Yeah? I’m fourteen too. I’ll be fifteen in two months.”
“I’ve been gone from home since I was eleven,” Maggie confessed.
“Man, it sucks, don’t it? I was twelve when my idiot mother ran off with some dude she met in a bar. Told me she’d be back in a couple of hours, and the bitch never came home. Eventually, I had to leave our apartment, and I slept at different friends’ houses. Then when their parents got sick of me always being around, I hooked up with Rock. I’ve been living here ever since,” she explained in one long breath.
Maggie let out a big yawn. “I’m sorry, Juju. I’m just so tired.”
“No worries. It’s time for some shut-eye,” Juju said and crawled into the bed next to Maggie.
In the seconds that it took for Maggie to fall into a deep sleep, a feeling of happiness swept over her. Maybe she’d finally found a friend.
Chapter Fifty
Early the next morning, Juju gently woke Maggie. “Come on, Maggie. Get up. You need to get back to the house. You don’t want Armando looking for you. That’ll just piss him off more,” she said.
Maggie rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, stood, and peered out the window. The sky was gray and twelve inches of snow covered every surface. With the city’s filth temporarily hidden under a pure white blanket, Kensington looked like a beautiful place for the first time since she’d arrived.
“I don’t want to go back there,” Maggie said sadly.
“Yeah, I know you don’t. But you have to. You don’t want these dudes looking for you. No tellin’ what they’d do if you tried to run off. I’ll walk you back. You can keep the sweat suit. I have a pair of old rain boots you can have. They ain’t warm, but at least your feet won’t get wet,” Juju offered.
When they reached the house, Maggie knocked on the front door. Trinity opened it slowly and scowled when she saw Juju standing next to Maggie. She turned and yelled, “Armando. Your stupid beotch is back.”
Armando walked to the door and looked at the two girls. “What’s going on, Juju?” he asked, clearly annoyed.
“Nothing. I was just walking Maggie back,” she stated fearlessly.
“Oh yeah, why’s that? You her fuckin’ guardian angel now?” he asked.
“Might as well be. She would have fuckin’ died in the cold half-naked last night if I didn’t see her wandering around. Is Rock here?” Juju pressed.
“Nah, he ain’t here. Why don’t you take your nasty ass back to that rat hole of yours? You know better than to be stickin’ your nose in other people’s business. You might wind up hurt or dead or somethin’,” he threatened.
“Ha! I sell more dope for Rock than anyone on the streets. You don’t fuckin’ scare me, Armando,” Juju threw back.
Maggie couldn’t believe the way Juju was talking to Armando. Surely, Rock would punish her new friend for being so disrespectful. But Juju didn’t seem scared. For a fleeting moment, Maggie felt powerful through Juju. She wondered if Juju might be able to help her get out of her rotten situation. Maggie turned to Juju and gave her a long hug. “Thanks for everything,” she whispered.
“No problem,” Juju murmured back. “I’ll see you around. You know where I live, so stop by, OK?”
Maggie nodded and followed Armando inside the house.
“So, you found yourself a new friend, huh?” Armando asked in a mocking manner.
“She helped me last night,” Maggie said tentatively.
“Well, just because she knows Rock doesn’t mean you’re gonna get special treatment. Get some rest ’cause once the snow is cleared, you need to get back out there—you and these other good-for-nothing bimbo’s,” he said, gesturing at the hookers sleeping on every mattress in the room.
“I had a lot of sleep at Juju’s last night. I’m not tired,” she said, forgetting to whom she was talking.
“Oh yeah? Is that right? You had a little adventure out there last night? Maybe you should spend another night outside, since it was so good and all,” Armando stated.
“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” Maggie explained, “I just meant that I’m not really tired. That’s all, Armando,” she said calmly.
“Yeah, well, I don’t really give a shit if you’re tired or not. Do what you want. But you better be ready to go out tonight an
d stay out for a while. You girls have completely fucked up our weekly earnings with this snow. You’ll have to work double time to make up for it. No free rides around here,” he said.
Except for you, Maggie thought. Every day of your life is a free ride as long as we’re out selling ourselves while you sit in here on your big blubber ass, sucking up everything you can get your hands on and treating us like a pack of numskulls, you big dick wad!
“Sure, Armando, whatever you want,” she responded.
Maggie sat on the floor, leaning up against the wall. She had a tiny bite of freedom the night before, and it tasted mighty good. She wanted to feast on freedom. Then her thoughts drifted to Seth and wondered if she could talk Rock into letting her see him.
Maggie liked Juju a lot, even though the night before seemed like a blur. Juju was so independent and strong. Maggie wanted to be just like her. The girl wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone. In some ways, Juju reminded her of Cali. They both had that take-charge attitude, which comforted Maggie and made her feel as if someone was watching over her.
Maggie’s thoughts were interrupted when Diesel, one of Rock’s other goons, came into the room. “Let’s go, you fucking cows. Get your shit together. It’s time to get out there and make up for last night,” he commanded.
Chapter Fifty-One
“It’s over three years that Maggie’s been gone, Lorraine,” Rob stated.
“I know how long it’s been. But she’s out there, Rob. I just know it. I can feel it in my bones. At first, I couldn’t feel anything, but now I know,” she explained.
“I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time for you to go back to work. Don’t you?” Rob said gently.
“Rob, if I go back to work, then who will continue the search for our daughter? You don’t think Detective Harker can keep looking on his own, do you?” she asked calmly.