The girls were dressed in long robes and scarves, and all of them were terrified. They huddled together for comfort, red-eyed and snivelling.
The male prisoner, though, seemed entirely at ease. He examined me with frank appreciation.
“Khushamdeed,” he said cheerfully. Welcome.
“I don’t speak Urdu,” I lied.
“Hi there. Welcome to the party.”
He flipped smoothly into English, with barely an accent. I studied him curiously.
He was in his late teens, around my age. His skin was smooth and brown, but he didn’t look like a local. For a start, his clothes were much too expensive, well-cut and elegant on his lean frame. He had an easy grace about him, and his eyes sparkled mischievously. He appeared supremely unconcerned that he was about to be carted off to a meat market.
“You seem chipper,” I remarked, shifting position to get more comfortable. “What are you here for? To appeal to the gay market?”
“Oh no. I’m not part of the sex trafficking. I am to be given a hundred lashes and possibly stoned to death.”
“What?” I gaped, certain I’d misheard.
“An unfortunate consequence of poor timing. I was a little slow leaving the bed of a very beautiful woman.”
“That doesn’t sound like a stoning offence.”
“Her husband would beg to differ.”
“Ah.”
“He came home earlier than expected. Normally I would have heard him, but my focus was, ah, elsewhere. Still, it was worth it.”
He gave me a grin so beguiling I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You don’t sound very worried.”
“Being in the presence of a beautiful woman is worth any risk. It is what makes life worth living. And now you have arrived, an exotic flower with obsidian eyes and a serpent on her arm, as mysterious as an eastern promise.”
Exotic? With my dark hair and olive skin, I didn’t look that different to the local girls. Put me in a hijab, and you wouldn’t be able to tell us apart. I raised an eyebrow.
“You’re quite the charmer, aren’t you?”
He gave a little bow.
“One tries.”
“Well, today is your lucky day. Because I’m not just a pretty face.” I looked over at the other girls. “Sit tight, ladies. We’ll be out of here in a jiffy.”
They looked at me without comprehension. But it didn’t matter, they’d understand soon enough.
Holding out my free hand, I carefully uncurled my fingers to reveal the key I’d swiped from Lurch. My power may have been temporarily muted but I could still pick a pocket, especially when the mark had just been distracted by my mucus.
The man followed my gaze.
“How did you…?”
“I have skills.”
“Beauty and brains. My favourite combination.”
The key was in my left hand, making it marginally more awkward. And my right hand was cuffed above my head, which meant I was working mostly by touch. But with a bit of contorting, I managed to position the key above the lock. All I had to do was work it into the keyhole and…
The van jolted over a massive rut and the key flew out of my hands and into the lap of the young man opposite.
For a moment we stared at each other. Then I lunged for the key. He grabbed it up in a flash, and held it out of reach.
“Okay, charmer,” I said warily. “Ball’s in your court. Unlock your cuff, then let the rest of us go.”
“Do not fear, princess. I will have myself free in... how did you put it? A jiffy.”
He felt for the lock with deft fingers, and I got the impression he was no stranger to handcuffs.
I found myself gazing at the column of his throat as he tilted upwards, working the key into the hole. I caught the faint scent of his cologne; something citrusy yet masculine. It had been some time since I had been this close to a good-looking male, I mused.
I suddenly realised I was staring. Hastily I looked away, sighing in relief as I heard the snap of an unclasping handcuff.
He gave me a radiant smile as he rubbed his wrists.
“You are my saviour, princess. I give thanks to whichever god sent you my way.”
“Screw the gods. Get me out of here.”
I shook my tethered wrist and raised an eyebrow. He looked at me regretfully and slipped the key into the pocket of his expensive trousers.
“Alas, I am small fry to these people. You and your fragrant sisters here are the real prize. If I let you go they will hunt us all down, whereas if I escape on my own they won’t bother.”
My jaw dropped open.
“What? Are you serious? I’m the one who got the key!”
“And I will be forever grateful.” Before I could stop him, he leaned forward and kissed me, his lips moving expertly against mine. I was so stunned I didn’t even have time to struggle before he pulled away. “Ah, princess, you taste divine. I almost feel guilty.”
“Yeah? Feel this.”
I smacked him in the face with my free hand, and he fell back laughing.
“I deserved that.” He opened the door of the van and gave me a mock-salute. “It has been a pleasure, my princess. I sincerely hope we meet again.”
“So do I, you ungrateful prick. You’re no better than this Al Uddin bastard who trades in women.”
His expression froze and he stared at me wide-eyed. He seemed about to say something, but the van bounced over yet another pot-hole and he was flung backwards.
I gasped as he flew out into the road. I needn’t have bothered. He managed to turn his fall into a graceful roll and landed safely.
For a second I saw him staring after the van. Then another jolt sent the door swinging shut.
I turned to the other women who’d been watching the entire exchange with wide eyes.
“Men,” I explained helpfully.
Chapter Three
We drove for maybe another hour, jerking and bumping until I began to feel quite nauseous. I realised I hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since last night, which didn’t help. And there was no way to see where we were going; there were no windows in the back of the van.
We eventually came to a stop and the doors flew open. Lurch and his rat-faced friends dragged us from the van, handcuffing our hands together again. There was consternation when they discovered one of their prisoners was missing. Lurch grabbed me by the arm and shook me.
“Where is he?”
“He nipped out for some air, he’ll be back in a tick,” I quipped.
He snarled, and there was a hasty conversation among the henchmen. The others didn’t care; they’d been paid already by the cuckolded husband. Lurch decided it wasn’t worth worrying about. The girls were the real prize.
We were herded from a back alley into a seedy-looking warehouse-type building which had mould growing on the walls. Lurch shoved me through the door, and I nearly tripped and fell.
Just wait till I got my cuffs off, I thought viciously. I’d blow this thug into next week.
Inside was a maze of corridors, each one lined with iron doors like some kind of low-rent motel. It took me a moment to realise one important difference. These doors all had bolts on the outside.
Weasel opened one and I glimpsed a cell-like room with bunk beds and a toilet. He impatiently gestured the other girls in, unlocking their cuffs one by one. My heart soared. Finally!
I started forward, arms outstretched in anticipation, but Lurch grabbed me by my T-shirt and hauled me back. He slammed the cell door on the other girls.
“Not you,” he said in his guttural English. “These others will be taken across the border tonight but you are going directly to Al Uddin.”
“Never heard of him. Can’t he get a girlfriend the normal way? Maybe join Tinder?”
“Al Uddin wants girls like you.”
“Yeah? You think he’ll like my warm personality and sparkling wit?” Lurch hawked a gob of mucus from deep in his throat and spat it deliberately onto my boot. I
tried not to grimace. “And you’re still single, you say? So hard to believe.”
He scowled.
“You will not be so funny when Al Uddin has you. He is paying me handsomely to deliver you to him. He must want you very badly.” His eyes travelled up and down my body. “Though I could have provided women ten times more beautiful.”
“You’re a real charmer, you know that?”
He shoved me down yet another corridor. Everything looked the same, and I wondered how anyone found their way round this place. Maybe they all had google maps.
He stopped outside yet another door, and pushed it open. This one didn’t have bunk beds, or a toilet, just a bare floor covered in dirt. I was clearly not worthy of their more deluxe accommodation.
“Get in,” he grunted.
I raised my hands to him, trying to look innocent.
“At least take the cuffs off. My wrists are chafing.”
“Of course.” His face split into an ugly grin which I didn’t like one bit. “But first…”
“Ow!” Something pricked my arm and I turned to see Monobrow wielding a syringe. “What the hell was that? Did you just inject me with something? That better be a sterile needle you… oh… wha… wha’ happ’nin’… ev’ thing spinnin’…”
My tongue suddenly felt three sizes too big, and my limbs were heavy and floppy. I was dimly aware that the hated cuffs were finally being removed none too gently by Lurch, but everything seemed to be happening at a distance.
My legs buckled and the men hoisted me up between them, dragging me through a doorway and dumping me face-first on the floor. The door slammed.
Now was my chance, I thought groggily. The iron was gone. All I had to do was call up a whirlwind, maybe a tornado, and blast this prison door open. I would flatten anyone who stood in my way.
Just one problem. I could barely move a finger.
Shit.
I’d now been drugged twice in two days. This was so not good for my liver. And whatever they were using, it had put the whammy on my power. Even without the cuffs, I couldn’t muster enough air to blow out a candle.
“Move, you idiot,” I muttered to myself. “Move, dammit. At least get your stupid face out of the dirt.”
I passed out.
I don’t know how long I lay there. When I finally came to, my ears were ringing with a high-pitched tone that drilled through my skull. I clutched my head.
“Christ. Please, someone, knock me out again.”
It took me a second to realise the sound was actually coming from outside.
Groaning, I struggled to sit up, fighting down the nausea that threatened to overwhelm me. An alarm was blaring from the corridor, and I could hear loud shouts and people running.
I rubbed my forehead, desperately trying to clear it. If I could just focus, even for a few seconds, I could blast the door open.
But I knew even before I tried it was hopeless. Usually I could feel my power thrumming beneath my skin, where it lived quietly until I needed it. Now, there was nothing.
Clearly an overload of drugs and alcohol in the system had shorted it out. Another reason to improve my life choices.
The handle on my door twisted and I looked up sharply. Someone was trying to get in. I looked around for a weapon, but the cell was empty.
Staggering to my feet, I put my fists up. I might be as weak as a kitten right now, but anyone expecting to find a docile prisoner would discover I still had claws.
I heard the bolt on the outside draw back and readied myself, visualising the first punch as I’d been taught in all those self-defence classes gran had insisted I go to. Bend the knees and pivot from the hips. I really hoped I wouldn’t throw up.
The door swung back and I instantly recognised the lean figure in the doorway.
“You!”
I swung the punch and he dodged easily, laughing as I tumbled woozily into his arms.
“Is that how you greet your saviour?”
“It’s how I greet bastards,” I snarled, though to be honest it was probably a bit slurred. “You left me in the van!”
His amusement turned to concern as he examined me more closely.
“Have they drugged you? Are you alright?”
“No, I’m not alright.” I struggled weakly in his arms, trying to ignore how reassuring they felt. “What are you doing here?”
“I am rescuing you,” he said simply. “Let’s go.”
“What, we’re just going to walk out of here? What about the men?”
“I have created a distraction. They will be busy for some minutes.”
He let me lean on him as we walked out of the cell. In the distance I could hear a commotion, and suddenly the smell of burning reached my nostrils.
“What did you do?” I asked him.
“I opened every door I could find and let everyone out. Then I set a small fire outside the main entrance. I think that will occupy them.”
“At the entrance? So how will we get out?”
“Through the fire exit. How else?”
He gave me a grin, and I couldn’t help smiling back. If it wasn’t for the strength of his arm around me, he could have been a mischievous kid.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked.
“I am Raj Javar, at your service.”
“I’m Samira. Sam for short.”
“A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. You know, up close your eyes actually have flecks of gold in them, like sprinkles of… ”
“Is this really the time?”
I pushed his arm off me as my head started to clear. My stomach was finally settling, and I found I could walk without his help. We moved faster, down one corridor and then another, all seemingly identical. But credit where credit’s due, he did find the fire exit.
Unfortunately, it was padlocked.
“I suppose your skills don’t include lock-picking?” he asked, shaking it uselessly. They did, as it happened. But only when I had the right tools.
I looked around, but there was nothing I could use. If this was a movie, there’d be a handy paperclip in my pocket.
Note to self: start carrying paperclips around. I cocked an eyebrow at Raj.
“This is a crap rescue.”
There was a shout behind us, and my heart froze. Lurch rounded the corner, murder in his one good eye. He reached into the back of his pants to pull out an ugly-looking knife.
“Al Uddin is expecting me to deliver you. He is not forgiving of those who let him down.”
“Slave-driver, huh?” I eyed the knife. “I guess you’d know.”
“Get behind me, Sam,” Raj said. I didn’t need telling twice.
Lurch charged towards us and Raj feinted to the left, then pivoted and lashed out with his foot. He caught his opponent in the stomach, but it barely slowed him down.
Lurch lashed out with the knife, missing Raj by a hairsbreadth. He got an elbow in the ribs in return, but again he didn’t seem to feel it. What the hell was he made of? Titanium?
I flexed my fingers, finally feeling a slight tingle. My power was coming back, but slowly. Like me, it was still shaky.
Raj swung a punch at Lurch’s face, once, twice. Lurch just grinned, revealing a set of uneven dark-stained teeth.
“Is this thing even human?” Raj ducked nimbly to avoid another blow.
“Stop playing nice and kick it in the nuts,” I suggested.
Raj obediently flicked out his foot and this time Lurch doubled over. Raj brought down both fists on his back. With a roar, the giant straightened and ran at him, knife raised.
Desperately, I waved my fingers and sent a gust of wind at his feet. It wasn’t strong, I couldn’t manage strong right now. But it was enough to knock him off balance.
He crashed onto his knees and Raj kicked him square in the head. Lurch went down and his one good eye glazed over.
“Nice moves,” I commented.
“It was lucky for me he tripped. Whichever mad scientist created him should have given him
better balance. Erm… what are you doing, my princess?”
I had slid over to the giant’s comatose body and was busy searching through his clothes. The bastard had taken my stuff, and I wanted it back.
I struck gold in his inside pocket. My rings, including gran’s, were all there wrapped in a handkerchief. With a sigh of relief, I stuffed them into my own pocket.
Of my thick wedge of cash, there was no sign. But I did find something even better.
I held it up triumphantly. It was a key. I shook it at Raj.
“How much do you bet this fits the padlock?” I asked.
Chapter Four
There was a taxi waiting for us in the back alley, a beaten up old jalopy driven by a man who was even older than the car. He smiled gummily as we climbed into the back.
I looked through the rear window to see a column of smoke rising above the old warehouse we’d just escaped from. Sirens were coming towards us, and as we drove off we passed two police cars and a fire engine.
“Did the other girls get out?” I asked Raj.
“Do not worry, my princess. The fire was outside the entrance, not inside the building. The authorities will make sure they get home, and close this place down. And those scum will get what they deserve.”
For once, there was no levity in his tone, and I regarded him thoughtfully.
“That was pretty heroic, coming to rescue me. Begs the question why you didn’t just release me on the van when you had the chance.”
Raj had the decency to look sheepish.
“I apologise, princess. I swear on my life, I thought the van was heading straight to the border where it would surely have been stopped, because I would have tipped off the police. But once you mentioned Al Uddin, I knew I had no time to waste.”
“Who is the Al Uddin guy anyway?”
“He is a very powerful man. One who is at war with my family. The Javars and the Al Uddins have been feuding for centuries, but now it has risen to another level.”
“Centuries? Over what? Did one of you kidnap the other guy’s goat or something?”
“Close. They think we stole a valuable possession.”
“What does any of that have to do with me?”
Mark of the Djinn: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Romance Page 2