A collective gasp went through the room. Many of the girls threw their hands up to the collars and paled.
“They let her body just lay there for at least a day,” Tala said from her back, staring up at the ceiling. “By the time they dragged her out, she was cold and stiff. Bobby told his guys to dump her in the nearest landfill. Her boyfriend will never find her, now.”
I shuddered and resisted the urge to yank my own collar off. Bobby Caro and his thugs were even worse than I thought. They collared women like dogs and threw them in a dirty room, only to dispose of them like trash. I was sure Ruth didn’t know anything about this. If she had, there was no way she would’ve sent me in here blind and untrained. As soon as I found my mother, she’d send the whole operation on this place and extinguish them like the vermin they were.
At that moment, the metal door swung open and in marched Bobby Caro and his two thugs. They towered over the women in the room, skulking at us as we lined up on the opposite row. Bobby walked slowly past everyone. He paused when he got to me, reaching out his hand to turn my chin and inspect the bruise he’d left yesterday. It took everything inside of me to keep from spitting in his face. The way the rough pad of his thumb scraped along my jawline made me want to snarl and bite it off. But I held still, urging the bile in my stomach to stay put long enough for Bobby to finish his examinations and continue.
“Show me your teeth.” Bobby pulled at my bottom lip. “Come on, open up.”
I did my best imitation of an open-mouthed snarl and revealed my chompers. He wouldn’t find anything wrong with them – I was obsessive about oral hygiene. That didn’t make me feel any better, though.
“This one’s got potential,” Bobby said to Timur over his shoulder. “Livy might like her. She tends to go for blondes. Bag her and her too,” he said, pointing at Tala.
Timur clamped his big sweaty hand around my forearm and yanked me from my place in line. He didn’t have to force me. I was ready to get out of this cramped room which smelled like urine and desperation. This was the only way I’d find my mother. I was happy to go.
But the looks I got from the girls I left behind left streaks of worry in the pit of my gut. They all looked so weak and helpless. Even Tala’s eyes flashed a brief moment of desperation as she watched me go. What happened outside the room was a mystery. No one ever came back. To them, I was marching off to my death.
Chapter Twelve
They pulled Tala and three other girls from the room before sealing up the remaining seven behind the metal door. Beyond our cramped sleeping quarters was a giant warehouse. Cement floor and metal walls lined the entire space. Shipping containers lay on the far side, stacked high to the ceiling. On my right sat a few offices lit up by warm yellow lights, with glass windows that revealed computers and stacks of paper inside. And on my left, was a metal staircase that led to an upper story.
“Where are we?” I asked no one in particular.
It was amazing to think that a huge building like this could change locations every few hours. Whoever or whatever allowed that to happen would require a huge amount of magic. As far as I could see, Robert Caro was nothing but a dirty lowlife human. His giant buddy didn’t have magic. Jack was about as creepy as they came, but he didn’t look like a magician.
“The less questions you ask, the longer you’ll stay alive,” Jack whispered beside me.
The sound of his voice nearly fried my heart. He moved so quietly, I didn’t even know he was standing right behind me.
Despite his sinister warning, I swallowed my nerves and turned to him. “Where are you taking us?”
Jack grinned and displayed an overlap of his front two teeth. Blue veins pulsed on his temples through his translucent skin. “So many questions. Maybe I should carve out a piece of your flesh for every question. Would that shut you up?”
I pressed my lips together and swallowed. Obviously, he wasn’t the man to ask, especially if I wanted to come out of this mission with all my limbs intact.
Tala wrapped her fingers around my forearm and pulled me away from Jack. I hugged her nearer to my side, grateful for the friendly warmth of her presence. We were both shaking, although for different reasons. Tala was scared of what came next, and I couldn’t snuff out my anticipation.
If only we could slip away, we could go find my mother. Surely, she was being held somewhere in this building, forced to do labor like the woman with the bucket. A harpy as powerful as my mother would be useful to a man like Bobby. It was no wonder he’d kept her around all this time.
“Tala, I’ve got to get out of here,” I whispered into her ear. “I’ve got to make a run for it.”
She looked at me in horror, her eyes stretching wide. “Wait, no. Jack will kill you if you try.”
I shook my head. “Come with me. We’ll make a break for it when their backs are turned. They won’t find us in all this mess.”
The warehouse really was a mess. With all the offices and shipping containers, it would be a miracle if they found us at all. Besides, the first thought they’d have was that we’d make a break for the exit. I wasn’t interested in escaping yet. I needed to check out the rest of the building.
“You can’t. It’s not safe.” She grabbed my arm and squeezed tight. “I won’t let you.”
Pulling my arm away, I lowered my voice to a hiss. “I have to try. You don’t understand. I’m on a secret mission.”
Jack and Timur were leading the way to the metal staircase. Beside us was an opening that led to several shipping containers. The rest of the girls followed closely behind the Giant, rubbing their arms up and down as if they were freezing. No one was watching me. I could slip away now and it’d be at least a couple minutes before anyone noticed. Now was the time.
I had only taken one step in the direction of the shipping containers when Tala cried out. Her voice pierced my eardrums with a painful screech. She doubled over and clasped at her ankle, nearly falling to the cement floor in the process. Her scene drew the immediate attention of everyone in the group, including nasty Jack and meat-hands Timur.
I sighed in annoyance and kneeled next to Tala. She moaned in pain, but looked up at me through tearful lashes and pursed her lips slightly with pride. The girl was good.
“Are you okay, Tala?” I feigned.
She pushed my hands away and sat down on the ground. “Just twisted my ankle, I think.”
Timur rubbed a hand on his chin and looked questioningly at Jack. “Should we take her back to the room?”
Jack smiled and fingered the hilt of one of the daggers on his belt. “Not if she’s damaged goods. Maybe Bobby will give her to me as a Christmas bonus. I can think of a million ways to have some fun with her.”
At that, Tala jumped up and stood, bouncing on the toes of her feet. “I guess I just twinged it,” she said. “All better. No need to call Bobby.”
Jack’s face morphed into a disappointed expression, like a little boy denied his favorite toy. Timur shrugged at him and waved us forward with his long arms, taking the rear of the group this time.
Part of me burned with anger toward Tala. Her little show had ruined my escape plan. On the other hand, she thought she was saving me. I couldn’t hold it against her for too long. Who knew what waited for us at the top of those metal stairs?
We didn’t have to wait long to find out. At the top of the stairs, Jack and Timur marched us through a door and into a large room. Unlike the rest of the bare and cold warehouse, this room oozed warmth. Warm red tones coated the walls with dark wood trim. A shiny bar with a granite counter and bottles of expensive liquor was on the opposite side of the room. Plush brown chairs with large golden tabs lining the seams sat around an elegant glass coffee table.
In those chairs, sat four people. One, I recognized immediately: Bobby Caro sitting with his legs crossed and a glass of amber liquid in his hands. Next to him was an Asian man with dark rimmed glasses and an expensive looking suit. I couldn’t see the two people sitting across from t
hem. All I saw were the backs of their heads – a red haired man and a blonde woman.
“Ah, the assets have arrived.” Bobby jumped out of his seat, nearly sloshing his drink on the fancy Oriental rug under his feet. “I picked five of the best – you’ll see. I’m sure you’ll all be very happy with this lot.”
Jack prodded me in the back and marched us toward the bar. There was a large bottle of golden tequila sitting on the counter. What I wouldn’t do for a few gulps of that courage juice right now. The reality of my situation had my knees shaking. What if Bobby sold me to some whorehouse? I’d never find my mother and I might be put in even more danger.
Ruth had seemed so confident that she could be here the instant their charm went off, but what if it didn’t work? She and her team hadn’t been able to infiltrate this organization for years. What made her think this time would be different? What if the tracking spell didn’t work?
These questions and more raced through my mind while I was lined up against the bar with the other girls. Tala stood next to me and laced her fingers between mine. I squeezed her hand, not sure if I was giving her comfort or asking for it. Either way, we kept our hands clasped together as if that would save us from a terrible fate.
“They’re too skinny,” the red haired man said, approaching Tala and looking her up and down. “I need workers. I need strong bodies. I’m not sure any of these will suffice.”
Bobby blew out a frustrated breath. “Andrew, these are strong young women. They’re built for strong labor. See this one?” He grabbed Tala’s chin and yanked it up. “She’s a werewolf – a bloody werewolf! Her magic will be strong enough. Trust me.”
“Werewolves make great subjects for my research.” The Asian man took a step closer and peered at Tala’s face. “Their magic is more fluid, more obtainable than a natural-born supernatural. I wouldn’t mind putting her through a few tests.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from saying anything. Magical experimentation was highly regulated by a branch of the SI. It sounded like whatever he was doing, it went way past any law. And from the short time I’d stood here, it looked like he was nothing more than a human. It figured. Humans were always imagining ways to bottle up our essence and join the supernatural. Some would kill for it. This man killed others for it.
“Sure thing, Dr. Kim.” Bobby nearly tripped over himself as he oozed over Tala. “I think this little lady would be a great addition to your collection.”
Andrew took another step closer, blocking Dr. Kim’s view, and squinted at Tala, his dark blue eyes reduced to slivers. “Tell me,” he said. “How would you like to work in a fey mine? How long do you think you’d last?”
My stomach dropped. A fey mine? There were rumors of fey mines located in the rural parts of the world – the jungles of South America and the outback of Australia. But surely they were only rumors. Fey magic was dangerous and unpredictable.
The SI had outlawed its use over a hundred years ago. Too many supernatural creatures had gone bonkers from the deadly and addictive powder mined from the fey deposits deep within the Earth. Tala would die from fey poisoning within a few months if they forced her to dig it up. A human would die within hours. Only the supernatural magic flowing through her veins would keep her alive long enough to be of any use to Andrew and his operation.
“Back away, Andrew,” the blonde woman said. She set her drink on the coffee table and stood up. “The werewolf is mine. I have some clients who would pay top dollar to spend a night with her.”
My eyes trailed from her red leather stilettos, over her black hosiery, across the pencil skirt and up the silky white blouse. When I finally got to her face, my heart faltered. Time had added a few wrinkles and age spots, but it was my mother. The same dainty nose, sharp chin, and dark arched eyebrows. She even wore her hair the same way I remembered her curling it every morning. My mother was here – in this very room. She really was alive.
I wanted to jump and wave to her, but that would’ve put my whole operation in jeopardy. Instead, I waited for her dark brown eyes to meet my own. She was taking in every girl, scanning over their bodies with ease. When she got to me, our gaze met and for the smallest instant, I thought I saw recognition flare in her face. But whatever I saw, it was gone a moment later. Cool and calculating, she ran her eyes down my body and moved on to the next girl.
Grinding my teeth together, I closed my eyes and shook my head. Maybe she didn’t recognize me. Fourteen years was a lot of time. Back then, I had braces and tended to wear my hair in braids. My acne cleared up in high school and I shot up another three inches before graduation. The daughter she knew didn’t look the same anymore. That was the only explanation I had for her cold greeting.
“Shall we start the bidding?” Bobby pulled Tala forward, forcing our hands to drop. “Let’s start with the she-wolf. I’ll start the bidding at fifty.”
The bidders gathered round, flicking their fingers to bid on my friend like she was some piece of meat. My mother didn’t even look at me. She kept her eyes glued to Bobby the entire time, bidding with a ferocity that eventually won her Tala. With the bidding concluded, Timur yanked Tala from the line and escorted her to the room next door, leaving me with the three remaining girls.
Bidding went quickly. Dr. Kim acquired the elf. Andrew bought the two elementals. As I watched each girl exit the room, my face flushed with anger. All three of them were marching off to their deaths. The madness that permeated this room was too much to handle. And from what Ruth explained to me, Bobby Caro’s operation had been going on for decades. Who knew how many girls had already perished thanks to the callous and evil people in this world? And my mother stood among them, so cool and collected.
“And now, to the last.” Bobby stepped beside me.
With my heels, I stood a bit taller than him. He puffed up his chest and bounced on the balls of his feet, stretching to his fullest height.
“I believe this one’s a harpy.” He grabbed the back of my neck like a vice and yanked me down, pulling up the back of my shirt. “Yep, there’s the wings. Rare find for this part of the country. I suspect that only makes her more valuable.”
Bobby released my neck and I stood up to see both Andrew and Dr. Kim’s eyes gleaming with interest. A cold feeling in the pit of my stomach began to grow. If either of them took me, I was done for. I might be whisked away to some secret laboratory or magical mine, where they’d never find me. But I could do nothing but wait and see what would happen.
“Let’s start the bidding at seventy-five,” Bobby said with a greedy smile.
Andrew and Dr. Kim went back and forth with the bids, raising the number higher and higher. My mother took a step back and watched the scene, her thin arms crossed tightly over her blouse. I shifted and stirred, doing everything within my power to draw her attention without getting myself in trouble. But no matter what I did, her eyes remained glued to the floor.
“We’re at two fifty to Dr. Kim.” Bobby bounced on his feet, the glee clear in his voice. “Any other bids?”
Andrew shook his head and took a step back. I guess he’d reached his limit. My joy at not being sent to a magic mine was short-lived when I considered the alternative. Dr. Kim might not have looked like a typical mad scientist, but there was something in the impassive way he looked at me, as if he wanted to see my insides spread out across a table. I crossed my arms around my stomach in an attempt to shield myself from his prying eyes.
“I’ll take her for three hundred.” My mother stepped forward, her red shoes tapping against the cherry stained oak floors. “She’ll make a good addition to my team.”
Dr. Kim’s mouth fell open. “But Liv…”
She held up her hand. “You owe me this one, doctor. Don’t forget that Hungarian tree elf that I let you have last time.”
He nodded in disappointment. With that, the bidding was over. Bobby clapped his hands together, motioning for Timur to take me. The giant grabbed me by the arm and pulled me toward the door. I
stared over my shoulder the entire time, watching my mother’s slim figure as she chatted with the other buyers.
She may have bought me, but she didn’t know who I was. My mother had barely looked at me. And as far as I could tell, she was a willing participant in this awful place.
The mother I knew died long ago. The woman who had stood there bidding on flesh was a stranger. This whole mission had been a mistake.
Chapter Thirteen
Tala was pacing the tiny room when Timur dropped me off. She yelped at the sight of me and threw herself into my arms.
“You’re coming with us? You’re coming with…” She buried her head in my shoulder, muffling the rest of her words.
I wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be alright, but I wasn’t so sure I could make that promise. The only rational thing to do at this point was abandon the mission and make my escape. My mother didn’t need saving after all.
“We need to go,” I said, peeling Tala’s arms off my neck. “Quick, before anyone comes. We have to get out of here.”
She furrowed her forehead and looked at me with a great big question in her eyes, but there was no time to explain. The sooner we got out of here and got to a telephone, the sooner the HQ could get here and save the rest of the girls.
“Welcome, ladies.”
My mother entered the room. The clicking of her heels against the wooden floor made my heart flutter.
“You’ll be coming with me to the Ranch. I’m sure you’ll make wonderful additions to our team.”
Jack followed behind her. At the sight of his creepy smile and the knives around his belt, I pulled my hand away from my boot and straightened up. There was no doubt he’d sink a blade in me the moment he suspected any foul play.
“What exactly is the Ranch?” Tala asked. She swept her long dark hair off her shoulders and crossed her arms.
“The Ranch is a place where every fantasy can come true.” My mother checked the silver watch on her wrist, frowning at the time. “It’s home to two dozen girls, like yourself. Each with a supernatural ability. It’s run by a man named Wesley Blake. He is my superior. Don’t cross him, girls. He’ll sell you to Andrew or Dr. Kim in a heartbeat, for a bargain.”
Athena's Jewel: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Aya Harris Collection Book 2) Page 9