Taken Away

Author's POV

Kayla stifled a yawn as she copied the detailed answer written across the white board. The Arithmetic professor stood near the desk at the front of the class room, going on and on about how the class needs to be prepared well for the test next week. Half of the students had already fallen asleep but Kayla couldn’t afford to slack off. Not after she found out that her father was a gambling addict.

Two years ago, she lost her mother and ever since, her father’s coping mechanism involved a lot of gambling and drunk nights. During day time he would find some small work around the neighborhood to gather money to buy food for both of them but the leftover money often went into gambling. Luck almost never favored him and he mostly returned empty handed.

But there were times in which he won. On those nights he would come home so drunk that sometimes he fell asleep at the front door. Those nights are the worst for Kayla. In his drunk state, her father would break and smash anything he encounters inside the living room. She would be locked up in her bedroom with her hands pressed against her ears, her tear flooded eyes trying to read through the notes for the exam next day.

And on one such day she decided to work hard on herself to improve her grades and get a job to support her father. As much as she hated his drunk side, she loved him more than anyone in this world because she knew that what ever he was doing was to forget her mother’s absence. She was now among the toppers in her class and one of the brightest students in the entire campus. All teachers knew Kayla and only had good opinion about her.

“All right class, that’s it for today. Don’t forget to do your homework when you get back after the weekend” the professor said and as if on cue, the dismissal bell rang.

“Thank God for the bell! I thought I was going to pass out” someone who sat behind her groaned as she fixed her bag and got up. Kayla didn’t respond but she also agreed with the girl. On Fridays the professor had two classes at the end and she sometimes felt like it was illegal to have such a timetable.

Clutching the bag tightly, she left the classroom and made her way through the sea of students. She had to make a stop at the locker to exchange a few books and that’s when she noticed Jake and his gang approaching her from a distance. Without betraying any fear, she quickly made the transfer of books and shut the locker door and just then Jake reached her.

Keeping her eyes trained to the floor, she tried to step past Jake but someone bumped to her from side, shoving her into Jake’s body.

“Whoa! Watch your step goldilocks!” Jake chuckled when he caught her by the shoulders. Kayla’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment as she moved away from him and ran through the crowd like her tail was on fire.

Jake was the school bully and went to great extremes to make the life of the students miserable. She was no stranger to his cruel games. More than once he had cut off her blond hairs for ‘fun’ and he had even dared to throw her books into the swimming pool. Kayla has always tried to avoid coming in front of him because she knew it won’t end well. However, that day he didn’t harm her. He must be in good mood, she thought.

None of it mattered anymore because soon she will be in the safety of her bedroom, taking a good nap while listening to one of her favorite Taylor Swift albums. With a sweet smile playing on her lips, she took a turn around the last corner to get to her home.

 Her footsteps abruptly came to a stop when she saw a number of black cars parked right outside her house.

Her heart jumped in her chest because she thought something bad had happened to her father. She resumed her steps and took off running towards her home. The little space outside her house was swarming with men that resembled the ones in gangster movies. Kayla felt fear creep up her spine when she felt their ominous gaze on her back as she passed each one of the bulky men and finally got inside the home.

The sight that welcomed her was one that she couldn’t have prepared for in a thousand years. One of the gangsters had their gun pressed against her father who was kneeling at the man’s feet. She had seen her father at his worst times but she had never seen him this broken.

Tears streamed tumbled down her cheeks as she cried out “Daddy!”

Immediately the gangster turned his face to her direction. Her father also looked up at her, but there was fear for his daughter’s life in the man’s eyes.

“What do we have here....” The gangster smirked and withdrew the gun from her father’s head, all of his attention now focused on her.

Kayla gulped and looked at her father before glancing back at the scary man.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us Brian?” the man asked her father with a mocking undertone.

“This is Mikayla, my daughter. Mikayla...this is Mr. Bradford. I..I owe him half a million dollars” her eyes went round when her father mentioned the number. Fifty thousand dollars? Why on earth would he owe that kind of money to someone who undoubtedly looks like a criminal?

“But coming to think of it... I think I found a way for you to repay the sum.” Bradford suggested as he moved towards terrified Kayla. “I’m taking your daughter”

Kayla gasped when Bradford grabbed her jaw with his clammy fingers.

“No! I won’t allow it” she heard her father protest but the next second a punch landed on the side of his head, knocking him off. The man who delivered the blow was none other than Bradford’s second in command.

Bradford let go of her jaw and gave her a once over.

“You are young and ripe. You will fetch me more than what your father could ever pay me” the man said and she her face blanched with fear. Was he talking about some kind of job that she could do to pay off the debt? Or did his words imply something else?

“Take her” Bradford ordered to his men before walking out of the house. Kayla stopped breathing for a second. Take her where?

She didn’t have much time to ponder as her gaze fell on the man who punched her father. That’s when she took note of a scar that ran across his cheek. With a triumphant smirk, he cracked his knuckles and sauntered towards her like a predator. Kayla immediately dropped her bag and fled towards the nearest room but he caught up with her easily and grabbed her hair from behind.

“Ah... please leave me please...” she whimpered as she lifted her hands and tried to free her scalp from the pain. But the man only tightened his hold, making tears wash down her face.

“Now be a good girl and come with me” he muttered through clenched teeth, clearly irritated by her. Knowing that resisting will only bring more pain, she dropped her head in sadness and began walking in the direction of the door. Only then did he let go of her hair.

On her way out she spared a glance at her father who laid unconscious on the floor. Kayla so badly wanted to run to him and shake him awake but she suppressed the urge and kept on walking until they reached a car that was parked on the sidewalk.  

Panick rushed through her blood when the car door was opened and the men gestured her to get inside. Kayla was frozen like a statue, thinking of various scenarios that could happen if she gets in. The moment she enters the vehicle, she will be lost from the world. No one will be able to help her. She will be trapped forever. And who knows what these men might do to her.

“Stop daydreaming and get your ass in the fucking vehicle!” the man from earlier bellowed and she flinched out of her thoughts before numbly climbing on to the car seat. The man with the scar also got in, but took a seat opposite to her. Unable to face his glowering orbs, she kept her eyes down cast.

Kayla wrapped her arms around her waist and concentrated on breathing properly or else she knew she would start hyperventilating soon. She hated cars because her mother died in a crash and being in the vehicle only bought her painful memories.

A few minutes ticked by and someone else joined them in the chamber and closed the door. Her eyes were glued to the floor, but through the corner of her eye, she could easily tell that the man was none other than Bradford.

“Do you not want to beg for mercy anymore little girl?” the scar face asked, amused at the way she had corned herself into the seat. The girl looked so tiny and breakable and if his boss wasn’t there then he would have teased her in his own twisted way.

Kayla bit the inside of her cheek and shook her head from side to side, earning a chucked from both the men.

“She is acting like a doll now. You should have seen her enthusiasm when I caught her hair. I hope she is that enthusiastic in bed too. It’s been a while since I’ve had young woman” Kayla’s breath caught in her throat when she processed what the scar face just said.

She began shivering at the thought of being at the mercy of the giant man. She was no match for his strength and if at all she manages to survive after the assault, she was sure that she wouldn’t want to live a day after that. Her dreams and hopes shattered at that very moment and she began hiccupping with utmost fear.

“Cut it out Bruce. You are not going to touch her. I’m selling her at the auction” Bradford snapped bitterly.

After hearing it Kayla began hiccupping even louder, much to the men’s annoyance.

“Of course you are going to sell her. You never let me have anything good” Bruce grumbled and threw a glare at her. She was a fine specimen and there was no way he was going to let her go without getting a taste.

The men fell silent after that and the only sound that resounded in the small space was her sniffling and muffled hiccups.