Redemption (The Restoration Series Book 1) (8 page)

 “Shhh. Nova, stay quiet.” He stepped forward, bracing a hand on the door as he listened intently to see if anyone had heard my outburst. I immediately quieted down and strained to hear. After a few beats of silence, he sagged against the door and looked at me.

 “Yes, Nova. Your family knows, and we’re working our best to try and get you out of here safely, along with Evie. There’s going to be a sale tonight. A big one. All the girls will be led into a showroom of sorts.”

 Shivers went up my body and I whimpered at the thought. The doctor took a few steps toward me, but kept his hands to himself.

 “Don’t worry, Nova. We have an inside guy. But you have to act your part.” I nodded, waiting for him to continue.

 “Nova, this is serious. You have to stay quiet, and try to hold it together. These men…these men are very horrible creatures. They are here to bid
on you and take you home. They want to own you and treat you however they see fit. Our goal is to purchase you before any of the other kings can buy you. If we are successful, and we have never failed yet, you’ll wait beside him as he settles up, so to speak. Once finished, he’ll lead you out and bring you to your parents. But you can’t react in a way that’s suspicious. Do you understand?”

 Hope began to blossom in my chest and I held his gaze fearfully. “What happens if you aren’t successful?” Fear crept through me and made its way out of my mouth.

 “We won’t let that happen, Nova. Even if it does, we’ll try to intercept you somehow. Just, be careful. Keep your head down. Help is coming.” He took a few steps toward the door.

 “Why can’t you just take me with you now?” I stood and slowly approached him.

 He shook his head. “I can’t, it’s too obvious. This is how it works. I stay undercover, which allows me to help more and more people.”

 I understood, but I wanted to run. Fear of what could happen raked through my body, and I sat down on the mattress again.

 “What’s your name?”

 “It’s better if you don’t know it. You can’t slip up and call me by my name out there if you see me. The guards can’t know that we’ve spoken. Do you understand?”

 I nodded and turned my face as tears formed in my eyes.

 “It’s almost over?”

 He breathed out a deep sigh. “I hope so.”

 With that, he gave me a quick smile and headed out the door. For the first time in days, I felt a little bit of peace inside. But an hour later, Demon walked into my cell, his face devoid of any emotion.

 “It’s time to go. Stand up.”

 I obeyed, my sore legs trembling as they struggled to hold my weight.

 “I will not be chaining you. These men do not want to be reminded of how you came to me, but do not forget who is in charge and how you should act. You know the consequences, and you better pray that you get sold tonight.” He chuckled. “Then again, if you don’t, that just means I get to keep you.”

 The fear trickled down my spine as I nodded. I followed him out of the door and took my place in the hallway. The line was smaller than usual, which I took to mean that not all of the girls were going to be sold tonight.

 The line began to move, following Demon down the long dark hallway, opposite the direction of the showers. The end opened to a large concrete room. In the middle of the space rested a wide wooden platform, covered
in red silk cloth. Placed
around the platform were large wooden high-backed chairs covered in red leather. Each seat sat empty for the moment, as Demon instructed us to stand in line by the far wall in the darkness. There were six girls ahead of me, each in a different colored silk gown. I reached down and grabbed the hands of each girl beside me. They glanced at me with tears in their eyes before turning at the sound of the large wooden door creaking at the opposite side of the room.

 We all watched silently as a line of men in suits walked into the room, taking their seats. We couldn’t make out their faces, but we knew they were wealthy men. They waited for Demon to begin the ceremony. I watched as Demon stepped up onto the stage and began explaining the rules of the bidding process.

 “Gentlemen, welcome. We have picked the best batch of girls for you tonight. Remember, these girls will be sold individually. We’ll bid
on the rest of the collection afterward for those of you who decide to participate in that war. Now, for our first.” He motioned to a tall, skinny, dark-skinned girl at the front of the line. She stepped forward, visibly shaking in fear. Walking in between the chairs, she stepped up onto the platform with Demon. She wore a dark violet slip that was held on by thin straps over her shoulders. It fell to her thighs and she stood there in the middle of the men, waiting for her fate to be sealed.

 “Bidding will begin at ten thousand,” Demon initiated. A hand flew upward, followed by a few more.

 The bidding lasted for about five minutes as the price skyrocketed up to nearly twenty-five thousand. Finally, Demon declared the girl sold to a Spanish-looking gentleman wearing a green silk shirt and black suit. We couldn’t see much of their features from our viewpoint, but it was clear he had an aura of danger around him, languidly relaxing in his chair as if he was a predatory cat that knows its prey.

 With every few minutes that passed, another girl was put on display and purchased for obscene amounts of money. I waited with baited breath as Evie was marched up to the stage. She squared her shoulders and stood tall, attempting to gather her courage and keep from shivering in fear. The bidding began and I caught her eyes with
mine, and held her gaze as seconds passed by until Demon finally closed the bidding with a winner. I couldn’t see the man she was sold to, but I hoped that I’d somehow get to stay with her. We couldn’t be separated, even if that meant giving up my chance to freedom.

 Demon’s voice interrupted my thoughts as he boomed to the group of men.

 “Our next girl is prime for your pleasure. Beautiful, rare, and American.”

 He turned his face to me and his cold hard eyes found my gaze, freezing me in place. My hesitation to move darkened his expression, and he took a step toward me. I didn’t want to find out what would happen if he reached me, so I forced my feet to move toward the center of the platform. He reached my arm and pulled me the rest of the way, pinching the side of my bicep, and leaned down and whispered in a deadly voice,

 “You better hope that you get sold, girl.”

 Tears formed in my eyes as I nodded and took my place at the center of the stage. I kept my eyes trained downward and prayed that I’d find myself with Evie. She couldn’t be left alone.

Chapter 6

(PRESENT DAY)

DAVIS

 My phone alerted me to a text. Rolling over on the dark green cot that rested in the small corner of my office, I snatched the device off the chair next to my head and swiped the screen with my fingertips.

 JARED:
9PM, 3657 CHESTNUT. COAL DOORS. PASSCODE: SILVER

 Checking the time, I realized it was nearly six in the morning. I must have crashed last night after getting back to the office to run all the scenarios with the team. I pushed myself up and stood, stretching to release the tension in my shoulders. After I felt more relaxed, I stepped over to my desk and sat, flipping open the laptop and hitting the power button. I pulled up my email account and opened a new document to Grant.

 Sir,

 Buyout is tonight at 9pm. 3657 Chestnut-Coal Doors.  There will be two known retrievals and an unknown  amount of rescues. I imagine it’s going to get a bit  excessive on cash, so if you could make sure there’s  enough for two plus a little extra, that would be great. I’ll  touch base with you before the event and coordinate with  the local authorities.

 -Davis

 I hit send and closed out the program. If I was going to pull this off, I’d need to take care of a few things before the time came. Giving a quick call to Officer Morrison, a local detective, I informed him we’d need to have an informational meeting and set up a raid for tonight. He agreed to meet me at the office with his men in three hours. It gave me enough time to begin my day properly. My truck waited for me outside of the shop, and I bounded down the stairs and out of the shop, hitting the button to unlock it before I gripped the handle. Slipping inside, I roared the engine to life and glanced at the traffic around me, waiting for the right moment to pull away from the curb and head in the direction of my first stop.

 I pulled my truck to a stop on the single lane paved path that twisted across the hills of the cemetery. Fresh flowers rested on the leather seat beside me, and I wrapped my fingers around them as I moved out of the cab, shutting the door softly behind me. This was my routine. For every girl I saved, I renewed my promise to Amanda.

 My feet pressed into the soft green grass as I stepped through the trees and into the area of her grave. Emotions filled me as I held back tears, letting myself remember her image. Her blonde hair sweeping across her shoulders as she turned her head to glance at me over her shoulder, her smile growing wider, eyes dancing merrily as we ran down the soft sand in one of our early morning jogs. I missed her.

 I came to a stop at her headstone, white granite with two angels etched on the front.

Amanda Salori

Daughter, Friend, and Fiancée

June 14th, 1982 – May 5th, 2013

 I cleared my throat as I bent down and pulled the old dead flowers from the small metal holder by the front of the headstone, and placed the new fragrant bunch inside. My fingertips smoothed across her name as I spoke.

 “Hi, gorgeous. I miss you. There’s so much more I want to say and I don’t even know how to begin. Life just isn’t as full without you. I know you’ve been gone for over a year, but since you’ve been gone, I feel as if my heart is missing. I thought maybe I might have had a chance to feel again, but I don’t think that’s going to work out. I’m going back in tonight. I promise to make it out and to pull this set of girls out with me. Ask the big guy up there to make a way for me. I love you, forever.”

 Using the back of my hand, I brushed away a tear as it was rolling down my cheek. After a few more silent moments, I stood and slipped my hands into my pockets, turning down the path toward my truck. I slid into the cab and shut the door before placing my hands on the steering wheel and leaning my forehead down next to them.

 
“Lord, protect me and guide me. Give your angels charge over me and grant me victory in your name. Help me to bring these girls to safety and protect my mind and spirit from the evil that surrounds that place.”
I breathed the prayer and waited until I felt peace come over me, stilling my soul. I leaned back and reached for the keys, starting my mental preparation as I drove back toward the beach house.

 The office was bustling with my team, the families of the girls, and the officers. As I walked inside, the table was already full and everyone was watching me, waiting for my instruction. At one end of the table sat an older couple in their fifties with graying hair, and a small-boned Spanish woman with dark curly hair that was pulled to the back of her neck. I walked over to them and offered my hand.

 “Hello, I’m Davis. Team leader for Corinth.”

 Mr. Drake stood up and reached his thick arms around my shoulders, pulling me into his embrace. I froze for a moment, but cautiously returned his action.

 “Thank you for risking everything to save our little girls,” he whispered at my shoulder.

 I nodded and released him. “I swear to you, Mr. Drake, we will bring them home.”

 Mr. Drake took his seat next to his wife and I moved to the white board, picking up a marker and writing as much information as I had into the planning area.

 “All right. This is what we have. The buyout will be taking place at nine o’clock tonight. The location is 3657 Chestnut. There’s an antique shop with cellar doors on the street that lead to an underground bunker. Jared has sent me the passcode for entry as a buyer. I was able to do a test visit and we were able to pull out a very young girl just two days ago. This is the layout.” I drew the extended hallway from the entrance and added the side rooms. “I imagine there will be an auction room of sorts, so be prepared. I’ll be wearing a hidden microphone so you can hear what’s going on. 

 “I’ve already coordinated with Jared. He understands that his job is to make sure the girls get outside after the buy. As soon as the girls are purchased and safe, I will speak the code phrase, which will alert you to begin the raid. Any questions?” I looked around the rooms as faces became still and ready for war. My eyes softened as they fell on Mrs. Drake and Ms. Palmer’s faces. Tears fell down their cheeks as Mr. Drake wrapped his arms around both of them.

 “I swear to you that we will bring them home to you.” I held their gazes for a moment before looking back over the team, ready and willing to move forward.

 A few questions tossed back and forth as we spent the next hour creating the master plan. When the time came for me to head out, I said my farewells and made my way to the truck once again, heading to the beach house to prepare myself for what was about to happen.

 I parked in front of the house and rushed inside. After a quick shower, I slipped into my dark black Armani jacket and secured the button at my navel. Straightening the silver silk tie, I tucked it inside the jacket and took a final look at myself. The character was everything I was not, but I knew how to play the part. I slipped on my platinum watch, clasping it in place around my left wrist, and checked my gun holster inside the jacket for my pistol.

 Perry arrived right on time. It was seven when I walked out of the house and toward the familiar blue taxi. Stage one of the infiltration was about to commence. He stood at the ready by the rear door and held it open for me. I slid inside and waited for him to go around to the driver’s seat.

 “Good evening, Perry.” I spoke with a cold, impassive voice.

 “Evening, sir. Where do you need to go?”

 “Please take me to Victor Street and 7th Ave.” Little did he know what waited for him at our arrival.