by Sandra Bats
“So you wanna fight unfair,” Jayden drawled.
He found a way to wiggle out from underneath me and I had to rush to scramble back to my feet. My anger was draining my strength. I couldn’t keep up with Jayden for long. It was a miracle I’d even managed to keep my head above water as it was. I blocked his arm when he tried sneaking it around me again and he blocked my kick to his side. I got close enough to hook my leg behind his, knocking him over and when he hit the ground I told him I’d won. His grin was the only warning I got before his hand shot out, pulling my leg out from underneath me and I went down. It was a blur really, but I thought he broke my fall, making sure I didn’t get hurt before he grabbed my wrists, restraining me. His mouth was right by my ear when I squirmed but knew I was defeated.
“I’ll let you up if you promise you’ll listen to me. I’ll help you get Maddy back, but we need a plan.” More quietly he added: “And we’ll talk about what I said.”
He let go off my wrists before I promised anything, offering a hand to help me to my feet. I ignored it, but at that point, sweaty and exhausted, I knew he was right. I itched to run to Maddy’s rescue, but we had to plan it to not endanger her more.
It wasn’t until then that I realized we’d attracted quite an audience. Not only the guys who’d initially been working out, but even more people. Information spread like wildfire there. I was about to step away when Alex called out my name.
“Would you spar with me next? I’m itching to have you beneath me.”
I turned, ready to say yes, because even though having him nearby almost made me nauseous, I was furious and wanted to embarrass him in front of everybody else. Jayden’s hand came down on my shoulder and he asked me to let him deal with Alex.
Before I could say more, Jayden made it sound like a dare, a taunt Alex couldn’t ignore without losing face. He still hesitated but then stepped forward as I moved over to Cam, standing by the crowd ready to watch the match unfold.
Jayden and Alex took position in the middle of the mat and I heard the hushed exchange of bets. Both were the same height and while Alex was broader, Jayden was leaner and quicker. Both stared at each other. Alex was the first to move forward, Jayden only a second after him.
They clashed into each other more violently than our entire sparring battle had been. Only then did it occur to me that Jayden had held back for my sake, but those two were fighting to wound each other. It was more of a fistfight than the technical moves Jayden had been trying to teach me. His fist connected with Alex’s jaw, making him stagger backwards but he caught himself quickly. They returned to carefully moving around in circles, eyeing each other and waiting for a chance to attack.
“Heard her sister looks just like her,” Alex spat. When Jayden didn’t react, Alex went on. “Bet it’s hard to decide which one of them to fuck. Maybe her sister’s less of a prude.”
Jayden jumped forward, but Alex’s fist shot out, hitting his lip. I couldn’t suppress a tiny yelp when I saw blood trickle down Jayden’s chin. Cam glanced over at me, telling me not to worry because Jayden knew what he was doing.
Alex was trying to beat Jayden into unconsciousness with brute force and it was hard to watch the few times his blows landed on Jayden. Jayden anticipated Alex’s moves though, sidestepping them more often than not, and retaliating immediately. It was a sudden blow to Alex’s side that sent him reeling back, then Jayden jumped forward, his fist connecting with Alex’s nose. I saw blood when Alex moved his hand to his face.
He snarled and called Jayden an asshole, and Jayden landed another hit to Alex’s stomach. Alex doubled over, and Jayden kicked his legs out from beneath him, a knee braced on Alex’s chest. When it was clear that he’d won, Jayden dragged Alex to his feet and wordlessly turned to walk away.
“You know, it doesn’t matter how often you beat me up. Someday I’ll have her pinned under me screaming with pleasure!”
Alex stared right at me. Disgusted, I shouted back that he could wait for hell to freeze over. Jayden remained wordless, but he shot around, quick as lightning, and sent another punch to Alex’s already broken nose. Alex hit the ground again and this time Jayden towered over him, his voice edged with venom, all mocking gone.
“You will stop speaking about Elin. I’m done with your bullshit. You leave her alone or the next time your nose won’t be the only thing I’ll break. Everybody here is my witness. I will have an eye on you and if you make one wrong move I’ll chase your sorry ass off these grounds forever.” He turned towards Ray and Pablo. “Take him to Jane and make sure he behaves. Tell her to not waste any painkillers on him. If he thinks he can provoke me, he can deal with the consequences!”
Jayden turned and looked at me, eyes softening a bit as he motioned for me to follow him.
◆◆◆
I locked the office door behind me as I entered. Jayden was already leaning against his desk, playing down his anxiety. He pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, glancing at the blood that had already started to dry.
“How’s your lip?”
He gave me a tight smile. “I meant what I said, Elin. I hadn’t planned to say it this way. I wanted to hold you close and look into your eyes, not have you angry with me, but I did mean it. I love you.”
His voice was so steady, so sure, and I felt like such a horrible person for not being able to respond appropriately.
“I can’t …”
“I know. I don’t expect you to say it back. Just needed you to know. I’ve felt it for a while and all this, my whole life, doesn’t mean much to me without you anymore.”
A tiny part of me wanted to respond the same way, wanted to tell him I loved him as well, but I wasn’t sure I would mean it, so I apologized instead.
Jayden grinned softly. “It’s fine, really. I’m a grown man. I can deal with that.”
He snatched my hand out of the air and tugged me a little closer, until our legs brushed and he could place his hand on my waist.
“So, did I scare you off by saying it?”
I rose to the tips of my toes and leaned in for a kiss. My lips moved slowly against his. He groaned into my mouth, while I reveled in the taste of him, something so purely Jayden, despite the coppery taste of his blood mixing with it.
“Does it hurt?”
“It’s totally worth it.” He winked and pulled me close again.
Twenty-Five
Jayden
Elin and I spent Friday night outside the brothel, while Josh and Pablo went inside for drinks. They would report what they’d seen later. We just had this one night to gather the information we needed because the following Friday we’d try rescuing Maddy. Even waiting to scout the place that one night meant Madison had to spend one more week as a prisoner.
The transport that day arrived two hours into our observing the building. Maddy was with them again. Elin stiffened next to me but didn’t run towards her sister.
We walked the perimeter, scribbled down notes of exits, windows and estimated ceiling heights. When the brothel closed in the wee hours of the morning, the girls left again, and I counted their guards. Meanwhile, Elin went to throw up in an alley.
Maddy’s eyes were empty and despite her cuffed hands, she held her shirt closed in front of her chest. It appeared to have been torn down the front. There was a slight limp to her walk. I could only imagine how Elin felt.
When Josh and Pablo reemerged from the building, Elin had returned to my side. Her composure was still shaken. We waited until the prisoner’s convoy left before we silently returned to our motorcycles and drove home.
◆◆◆
Elin, Cam, Josh, Pablo and I crowded around my desk that night. We’d drawn a rough plan of the brothel’s interior. The lower floor contained a bar and tables where the patrons waited. A heavily-guarded gallery upstairs led to the rooms lining the back of the building. It was in those rooms where the men could be alone with the girls. Elin sat silently in my chair, eyes fixed on our floor plan. We were throwing ideas back
and forth to figure out how we could get close to Maddy.
We’d already eliminated a few possible extraction techniques. Out on the streets, there were too many guards and civilians who could get hurt. Waiting for her inside the brothel didn’t seem a viable option, either. The clientele was mainly military guys waiting to have fun with the girls.
Elin hid the pain from her face while we discussed what might be happening to her sister. As Pablo described the guys waiting in line to get into one of the upstairs rooms with the girls, even my stomach churned. It sounded an awful lot like the labs. Just this time it was the guys standing in line, not the girls. Crazy stuff.
Josh explained that guards searched the rooms before allowing each new man inside. They had fifteen minutes with the girl and then the guard interrupted. Prepping a room seemed to be out of the question as well.
“So, our only chance is planting someone as a man who’s interested in her services. He’d be the only one possibly alone with Maddy. That way, we’d have fifteen minutes with her,” Elin pointed out. Her voice was flat and matter-of-fact. As if we were talking about a total stranger.
“Windows are boarded shut and reinforced from the outside,” Josh said.
I leaned forward to point at the floor plan. “How about the roof? We could hide up there and wait for a sign to get down to the window; open it from the outside. Get Maddy and our guy out. It’d be fast. We’d probably be gone before the fifteen minutes were up.”
Pablo agreed. Noise was an additional worry. We’d have to remove the boards over the windows quietly.
“Did you see any of the patrons bribe the guards for extra services, or anything?” I asked.
Josh clarified that some had paid for extra time with the girls or to be with two of them at once.
“You’re thinking about someone paying extra, pretending to be into beating girls up? So there’ll be no questions because of the noise?” Cam asked and I confirmed the idea.
Cam inclined his head in thought. “Could work. But you can’t do it. One of the soldiers might recognize you. I’d fit right in with the crowd if you lend me your old uniform.”
“You don’t even know what her sister looks like,” I pointed out. Wearing a military uniform without holding that position was unlawful assumption of public authority and was strictly punished. I didn’t want Cam to risk that.
“You described her to me and said she looks a lot like Elin. I think I’ll do fine. Besides, Josh can come with, point her out to me, then leave.”
I asked Elin what she thought.
“I’m thankful for the offer but are you sure? It’ll be very dangerous,” she asked.
“I can’t just stand by when I could help someone out of that awful place. Besides, you’d do the same, right? If Nigel or Josh were in trouble, I’m sure you and Jayden would help me out.” He winked at her. “We’re family, yeah?”
Elin reached across the table, squeezing Cam’s hand. She smiled and thanked him. Her eyes were glossy. I hadn’t expected anything different from Cam. Still, his gesture was touching, especially considering Elin’s need to belong to a family.
◆◆◆
I was outside, trying to clear my head. I should’ve probably been tired after staying up all night. What had my mind reeling wasn’t the possible danger of freeing Elin’s sister or our scarce resources; instead my thoughts continuously circled back to Elin. Before her nap, we talked about her sister and the kind of help she might need after we got her out. I offered to help Elin and Maddy with whatever I could. Elin had been touched by my offer. One thing led to another and we made out until we’d almost gotten foolish. It was noon, and I was still wound up. I could still smell her scent on my skin. I had many things to think about. With her close, rational thought was fleeting.
I’d been out for no more than ten minutes when Cam walked by on patrol.
“What are you doing out here without a jacket?”
I groaned. “I just spent an hour making out with Elin. Now she’s asleep and I can’t just lie next to her. If I do, I’ll only wake her up to do … things. So, I’m out here trying to cool down.”
“Well, that’s awkward.” Cam laughed. “Whatever happened to taking cold showers?”
“Cold showers don’t help shit!”
“Ok then. How long’s it been since your last trip to town so to speak?”
I rolled my eyes at him.
“Do I look like I count days?” I asked, then sighed. “About four months. Since I’ve met Elin.”
Cam laughed. “Oh man, you’re whipped. Never thought I’d see you settling for one woman.”
“Yeah, yeah. Glad my torture is enjoyable for you. Gets even better. I offered to help her with her sister. You know, if she needs help raising her and stuff. I mean what do I know about teens? I still am one. Got any advice for me on that?”
Cam raised an eyebrow. “What would I know? Josh keeps rushing into danger and tells me he’s a grown-up. I even found liquor under his bed. Moonshine he got from some girl in town. All I can tell you is you’ll always wish they’d stayed a child longer.”
I pointed out that at Josh’s age, Cam had already been raising Josh and Nigel. By those standards, Josh had had a pretty calm childhood.
“All of us grow up quick these days. Look at Elin and me. We’re barely one or two years older than Josh. You gave him all the childhood you could,” I told him.
Cam shook his head jokingly. “Ever think we’d be talking about raising teens and settling down? It seems surreal, man.”
Admittedly, it did. We’d come a long way from conversations about nightmares that had kept us up. Back then, during our first few weeks here, death had hung above our heads.
I knew the future always worried Cam. Of course it did — he had Nigel and Josh to care for. While I always understood responsibility, I’d lacked the knowledge required to care for someone out of love. The difference was massive; that sudden need to protect someone.
I’d always been good with thinking rationally. Things had become less clear when Elin entered my world; a lot more instinctual. The thought of her being in danger drove me crazy. When she bled in my arms after the explosion I nearly lost my mind. I’d have willingly sacrificed everything and everybody right there if her survival had depended on it. It scared me shitless.
◆◆◆
By the time Friday rolled around, Elin was tense. She blew up at the smallest things. She’d been on my case about every aspect of the plan the whole day. Her anger was a symptom of her being on edge. I’d feel the same way in her shoes.
I handed my old uniform to Cam before Elin and I drove into town. After nightfall, Cam and Josh were to depart and slip into the brothel, pretending to be normal patrons.
Elin and I stood in front of the brothel. We’d have to hurry onto the roof before anybody spotted us. Climbing up the back wall of the building — the wall adjacent to the upstairs rooms — seemed virtually impossible, as the outside wall was made of slick stucco. The front had windowsills we could use as footholds though. The brothel hadn’t opened yet so with a little luck nobody would catch us.
Once we’d made it onto the roof we were to wait for Cam’s signal. Using climbing rope, I’d get to the window, remove the boards and then we’d help Cam and Maddy down. If all went well, we’d be long gone before the fifteen minutes were up.
We had next to no cover, so Elin and I rushed towards the building. I bent down and Elin quickly climbed onto my shoulders. From there she could easily get ahold of the ledge above. My heart pounded with worry as she pulled herself up. She rose onto her tiptoes, balancing on the narrow windowsill. I glanced around. Luckily, it was a cold day and the streets were empty.
Elin dauntlessly jumped and grabbed onto the drainage. I almost didn’t dare watch her hang from that gutter. It took her a moment, but she pulled herself up onto the roof.
Being taller, I only needed a little extra leverage to get onto the second-floor ledge. I sprinted the last few steps towa
rds the building, making sure my last step hit a log right in front of it. I jumped and barely managed to grasp the windowsill. My legs slammed into the side of the building. I could only hope nobody had heard.
I scrambled upwards, hurrying to stand on the ledge. The upper floor seemed to have less ceiling height. Stretching upwards, I could just about reach the drainage without taking the kind of risky jump Elin had.
When I reached her side, I was a little winded from the hurry of it all. We lay flat on our stomachs, hoping to not be visible from the ground. Thirty minutes till sunset. I sighed and rolled onto my back. I offered Elin some water as I pulled the bottle from my jacket. She grinned slowly as she took it from my hand.
“Reminds me of the night we met,” she said.
“You were so mistrusting. You wouldn’t even drink until I’d taken a sip myself.”
“Yeah, well, for all I knew, you were trying to drug me. A girl has to be careful.”
Elin rolled onto her back as well, searching for my fingers and then interlacing them with hers. The setting sun dipped, coloring the sky an eerie yellow. My aunt used to tell me that there’d been a time when the sky over the city had been blue — just thirty years ago. Back then, there’d even been trees within the city limits. Aunt May often talked about an oak tree that stood in front of her childhood home. She’d point out how, when everything had gone downhill, she’d reminded herself that this tree had survived through the ages. The knowledge had given her the resilience to make it through another hour, another week, or month or even another year.
As the population had grown, trees had to go to make room for new buildings. The need for electricity increased. Scientists had come up with a new way of generating power. A by-product of that process was sulfur residues and those slowly started filling the sky. Now the clouds above the city carried a yellowish tint. Humans had managed to even ruin something as good as a blue sky.
We turned on our own kind. Ruined the whole world and still we weren’t done. Still preying on each other. Maybe we’d keep going until there was nothing left to destroy.