"Something you will learn quickly; I don't allow mouthing off. However, you're new here. You'll learn the ropes first and then I'll expect you to fall in line," he said. His voice was even, without a hint of malice. His intended meaning was all he needed to enforce his will. Straightening, the Noble Lord turned to Clive.
"Take her to Coral. Tell her to get her cleaned up and presentable. Under all that dirt and blood, I can't tell what we have. Her body will fetch a decent price," he said.
The Noble Lord reached down and grabbed one of Alex's arms, pulling her to her feet. He shoo'd off the men that attempted to help him, clearly having no problem getting his hands dirty once in a while. He pulled Alex close to him, crushing her breasts to his chest. He stared down into her face and Alex was again struck by how handsome the man was, but it didn’t disguise the cold and ruthlessness underneath. She imagined he used those facts to feed his power over the people that fell at his feet. Without looking away the Noble Lord spoke.
"As my pet has been lost by Lewis, this may work as a replacement. We shall test her out after she's been cleaned up. No one else is to touch her, are we clear?"
No one argued with him. For the first time, Clive acknowledged her presence by taking her arm and moving her toward the door. The look on his face was one of disdain, as if handling her was far below him. His fingers were tight on her arm and Alex wondered how far she would get if she was able to break away from him. She couldn't run while her hands were cuffed. That would be a death sentence outside where the dead roamed. Alex wondered if that death would be better than what she could be facing.
Her mind conjured all the terrible things happening in the brothel. Clive walked her through the rooms again, winding away from the lobby where they entered. The screams from abused women and grunts of men taking their pleasure surrounded Alex. She longed to cover her ears and block out the horror she was walking through. In only two months this place had been created and women had been found to fill the rooms. Where had they all come from?
A blood-curdling scream stopped Alex in her tracks, causing Clive to run into her. They both turned to look back toward the sound. A woman, naked from the waist up, covered in blood, ran from a room. Her hand was held to her neck where blood continued to flow. Behind her the flaps of her room seemed to tangle and then a man stumbled through. It was clear how the injury had happened, his face was covered in blood. Alex could see from her vantage point that the man's eyes were black as night.
"He's turned. Let me go. Someone needs to kill him!" Alex screamed.
Her voice was lost in the commotion. Clive did nothing but turn them back to the hallway out of the brothel. He didn't acknowledge Alex's warning and she struggled to get away from him. Her thoughts whirled. The man was one of the infected. That meant the woman would turn next. The entire brothel could be a mass of death before they knew it. That was fine with Alex, though her heart hurt for the women. If she could get away from Clive, maybe she could help some of them before escaping herself. She was a sitting duck with her hands behind her back.
Before Clive began to climb the stairs, two gunshots rang out. Alex jumped and ducked slightly.
"Stupid woman. They don't shoot the merchandise. Climb," Clive said evenly.
"I'm not merchandise," Alex said.
Clive sniffed dismissively as was his habit and Alex fantasized about breaking his nose so he could never do it again. She decided that part of her escape plan should include that, and she felt a sliver of determination growing again. They would have to release her eventually if she was merchandise. And by then she would have a plan in place. A plan that would destroy the brothel, the Noble Lord, and get her back home.
The upstairs seemed to have escaped much of the destruction of the survivors. Where the downstairs walls were covered in graffiti, holes, and unknown stains, the upstairs was an off white. The color reminded Alex of walls that were painted long ago, a white that had darkened over the years as the building was used. But she was sure in the time before, the building was used for happy things. Happier than women being violated and sold, while armed men gunned down anyone that opposed. She tried to put herself in that happy place. It was a picture in her mind, she could almost feel it. Then a scream would reach her ears and she knew she was fooling herself.
A door opened after Clive rapped on it with his knuckles. A small grandmotherly woman held the knob and blocked them from entering. She looked at Alex, dismissing Clive as if she was used to the process. Alex looked between the woman and Clive, finding the man to look bored with the whole situation.
"Another new girl already? I just finished with the last. I need a break," the woman said.
"By demand of the Noble Lord, Coral," Clive replied.
"I figured that much out since you wouldn't bring anyone up here unless he demanded you do it. You tell him I need a break. I'll keep her here until I'm ready to get to work."
"He won't be thrilled."
"He'll deal," Coral said.
Without another word, Coral took ahold of Alex's arm and yanked her into the room. She shut the door in Clive's face, just as he looked ready to argue some more. For some reason, Coral didn't care about the Noble Lord and his demands. Alex wondered what power the woman had that she didn't fear retribution from the man. Clive didn't knock on the door again, leaving Alex in her care. Alex stood in the middle of Coral's room. She turned in a circle, taking in the vast expanse. The room looked like a dressing room, with mirrors, dressers, and makeshift closets full of clothes. A vanity sat against one wall, with a circle of lights surrounding a mirror. The table was covered with makeup, makeup brushes, perfumes, and many things Alex couldn't identify.
Alex had no idea what to say as she turned again to find Coral moving around the room as if Alex wasn't there. She used a small stove in the corner to boil water and pour a cup of tea. As the tea bag sat to steep, Coral dug a set of keys from her pocket. She went to the back of Alex and unlocked the handcuffs holding her wrists. Alex let her arms fall to her sides. She didn't have the strength in her shoulders to move them on her own. A screaming ache burned in her upper back, shoulders, and arms. She tried to rub at the areas, but she could barely lift an arm yet. She eyed Coral, as the woman finished making her tea. The question of friend or a foe came to Alex's mind. The old woman turned to look at Alex, a steaming cup in her hand.
"Tea?"
Chapter Thirteen
"Do you take sugar?"
Alex just stared at the woman in surprise. After what she had been through the last two days, the woman was offering her tea. The woman was older than Margaret if Alex was to guess her age. Her long gray hair was braided to the side and hung over her shoulder. She exuded a grandmotherly vibe, very different from Margaret. When Alex first met Margaret, she was pointing a shotgun at Alex's face. Thinking of the woman she had brought back to the compound with her shot an ache into Alex's heart.
"It's not drugged, if that's what you're thinking," Coral continued.
Alex hadn't been thinking that, but now that Coral suggested it, Alex didn't think it was out of the realm of possibilities. Drugs were flowing like currency in the brothel. Why wouldn't the Noble Lord use it to create more compliant women? Alex just continued to look at the woman warily. Coral wasn't fazed by it. She turned with the cup and added two sugar cubes to it. After stirring for a moment, she brought the cup to Alex and waited as Alex found the strength to raise her hand and take the cup. The warmth in the cup spread through Alex's fingers, causing her to sigh quietly.
"Why don't you sit down, girl?" Coral said, pointing toward a couch at the far end of the room. "You'll be here awhile."
"I'd like to leave," Alex said.
"I'm sure you would. But if you value your life, you should just obey orders."
"Is that what you do?" Alex asked.
"We all do what we need to, to survive."
"That's not really an answer. You know what is happening here. And you help," Alex accused.
"Sit
down. Before you get yourself riled and do something you regret," Coral replied. Her voice was still soft and non-threatening. But Alex detected something under it, a warning of what she was facing.
Weakness knocked at the door of Alex's mind, as she realized she couldn't fight her way out when there were so many men guarding the building. She sat on the couch, cradling the tea between her hands. She took one tentative sip, allowing the warmth to infuse her body. She couldn't remember the last thing she had to drink, and she wanted to gulp the tea down. Coral seemed to know the drill, because the next thing Alex knew there was a large bottle of water and a bowl of soup sitting on the coffee table next to her. The smell made Alex's stomach growl loudly and Coral snorted slightly at the sound.
"They never bring them here fed and ready to work," the older woman said.
"They shouldn't bring anyone here in the first place."
"Maybe not. But the world isn't what it was," Coral said.
"So, this is the solution?" Alex asked.
"I'm sure you don't think so right now. But behind these walls, you'll be provided for and kept safe."
"Didn't seem like the woman that just got bit was kept safe. You can't have a brothel with people coming and going like they do and not end up with the infection inside the walls," Alex said.
"Well of course the infection comes in. That's the idea. Why did you think this place was named the Death Brothel?"
Alex sat, in shock at what the woman was implying. The idea hadn't come to her, even after she saw the name outside. Her mind hadn't gone to that and she realized that was part of her problem. She couldn't think like the enemy.
"So, this is a place for men that have been bitten to get their last lay?" Alex asked, her voice incredulous.
"And women, I guess. There are a few men down there," Coral replied. She shrugged her shoulders. "It's what people find important. Drugs and sex."
"And the Noble Lord has made sure he can provide that in spades," Alex said.
"What do you believe you can do with this information? Asking questions isn't a safe practice here."
"Are you going to report me?" Alex asked. She looked at the woman, again wondering if she could think of her as a friend. Or if she was just an agent for the Noble Lord and did his bidding willingly.
"Nope."
Coral's response came without hesitation, giving Alex the sense that she could believe her. Setting the tea aside, Alex picked up the bowl of soup. She was surprised to find large chunks of meat in the broth. Remembering that she was accused of stealing from the Noble Lord, she realized they probably ate quite well in the brothel. Coral puttered around the room, but didn't bother Alex as she ate every bite of soup and drank half of the bottle of water. Once she was done, her body felt pleasantly sleepy. She wanted to curl up on the couch and sleep, knowing if she was going to escape at any point, she would need the energy for it.
"You're going to fall asleep sitting up," Coral commented.
The woman moved to a small curtained area that Alex hadn't noticed before. Behind the curtain sat a bed with a wrought iron frame. It was ornate and pretty, completely out of place in the brothel. The room's one small window showed the light outside was waning and it was like a button was pushed in Alex. She was tired. As Coral motioned for her to follow, Alex stood and met her at the pretty bed.
"This is usually my room. But when I have a girl here, this is where she sleeps. The frame is good for, well, for keeping guests," she finished.
Alex's eye was caught by additional metal at the foot of the bed. When she looked closer, she realized it was a length of chain and a metal cuff. She swung her gaze back to Coral. Alex knew her eyes were widened in shock; however, she couldn't decide why she was surprised. Of course, the prisoners wouldn't be left on their own, where they could wander out at any time.
"Do you often have guests?" Alex asked.
"All the girls are brought to me before they are given a room downstairs."
"To do what?"
"Prepare them. Clean them. Find them clothes to wear," Coral said. As she spoke, she pointed to different stations in the room. Alex could see it now. She was the stylist for the brothel members. Alex felt ill.
"How could you?" Alex demanded.
"How could I not? You've been outside for a while. I can't survive that on my own. The Noble Lord found me hiding in an attic. I'm too old to work downstairs, so he gave me this job."
"It's not a job. It makes you an accomplice to him."
"Maybe. But it's not the way I see it. Now lay down before you fall down. I'm too old to pick you up off the ground."
Alex looked back at the door. Could she get away from Coral? Did the woman have any weapons? Alex doubted the Noble Lord would trust her enough for that. With the cover of night coming soon, Alex knew it would be dangerous to be out in the open without a weapon or sense of direction. Was it more dangerous than being in the brothel?
"Don't make plans, girl. There are armed guards everywhere. They won't hesitate to come after you. I heard they didn't get that poor Leona back. She's probably dead now too."
"I hope not. I helped her escape," Alex said.
"Well then, you already have one strike against you. They don't take kindly to women that don't obey. You are better off just making your peace with things," Coral said.
Without another word, the woman prodded Alex to lay down on the bed. She immediately placed the metal cuff around Alex's ankle. The process was fluid, Coral having many women to practice on over the time she had worked for the Noble Lord. She ran her finger along the inside of the cuff, ensuring it wasn't too tight against Alex's skin. Alex laid stiff and nervous, waiting to see what the woman would do next. Coral pulled the thin blanket over Alex and placed another bottle of water on the table near the bed.
"I know this is rough, but try to get some sleep. Things will look better in the morning light," Coral said.
Doubtful, Alex thought to herself. She didn't answer Coral, just turned her back to the curtain and waited for the woman to leave. The sound of swishing fabric and footsteps retreating let Alex know she had a small amount of privacy for the moment. She sat up in the bed immediately and tugged on the chain, testing its connection to the bed and to the metal cuff. The chain was welded to the bed and without tools there was no way Alex could separate the two. The chain was connected to the cuff by a thick metal hoop. She tried to pull her foot from the cuff, straining and scraping her skin.
She stopped, breathing hard. Looking around the small sleeping area, Alex couldn't find one thing that could be used as a tool or weapon. The set-up was prepared for the exact reason of keeping someone confined. Someone that didn't want to be there. It wasn't there for saving people that needed help, like Coral. It was for the women that were kidnapped and kept against their will. With that in mind, nothing was in the room except the bed, one blanket, and a small stool being used as a table. Even as Alex thought about using the stool as a weapon, she realized it was plastic.
Slowly she lowered herself back down to the bed. The sheets were strangely clean and soft. Alex pictured other women locked in a room doing the brothel laundry. There had to be a large amount of it. Her mind circled the meaningless subject as she laid quietly. With her thoughts away from her predicament, Alex felt her eyelids droop. She was tired. Her mind didn't want to close down, in fear of someone coming for her. Her body had other ideas. She sank deeply into sleep, with dreams colored of torture and the Noble Lord laughing at her as she screamed.
"Wake up, girl."
A voice accompanied a light shaking at Alex's shoulder. Feeling groggy, Alex opened her eyes and looked up at Coral. A pale light seemed to filter into the room, and Alex couldn't believe she had slept through the night. She felt suddenly alert, remembering why she was chained to the bed. Sitting up immediately, Alex rubbed her eyes as the other woman unhooked the metal cuff from her ankle. She moved the curtain for Alex to exit first.
On the small coffee table, a plate of biscuits
and eggs sat, steam still rising from the eggs. A mug of black coffee sat next to it. Alex stood looking at it and Coral added a bottle of water as well.
"Eat up," Coral said.
"I'm not hungry," Alex lied.
Coral didn't say anything else, just picked up her own plate and began to eat. She watched Alex, waiting. Alex wanted to be stubborn. She wanted to throw the food at the woman and escape the room. But she still had no way of getting out. Her plan had stalled until she could get away from Coral and find her way downstairs without guards finding her. She finally sat down and took a bite of a biscuit. There was butter in the middle, making the biscuit soft and delicious. Drinking water to wash down the bread, Alex finished the biscuit in a few bites.
"So, you're going to be here with me a few more days. The Noble Lord had to leave late last night to handle business. I received a message that you will be kept here until he's ready for you."
"Why does he trust you?" Alex asked.
"Trust me to do what? Not help you escape?" Coral asked. At Alex's nod, she continued. "He knows I depend on him for safety. And he always has a backup plan."
"What's the backup plan?"
"Armed guards on this floor and at the foot of the stairs. They won't hesitate to kill you if you should escape. Then they would come for me, assuming I helped you. Which I wouldn't."
"What if you could be safe elsewhere?" Alex asked.
"No such place," Coral said.
An idea formed in Alex's mind. She knew it was a long shot. The Noble Lord didn't know about her home. If he did, they would have attacked them for their supplies by now, Alex had no doubt. Not to mention the women on the compound. Candace flashed in Alex's mind and she couldn't fight the shudder that ran down her spine. What would these men do to an innocent young teenager? She didn't want to know the answer to that. The idea of giving Coral sanctuary wasn't pleasant, but it could give Alex a bargaining chip. In the end, Alex decided to hold that chip close to the vest and not give away more information about herself than she needed to. Coral could turn around and tell the Noble Lord the plan and the location of the compound. Alex would die before putting her family at risk.
Sundown Series (Book 4): Torment Page 15