Chapter three

CHAPTER THREE

As I stood, my fingers continuously gripped the short ends of the dress I had been forced to wear, to pull it down but it kept riding back up my thighs. The dress clung uncomfortably to my body, pressing against my sides, making bouts of of pain erupt anytime I moved. The dress was a size too small that did nothing to hide the creases of my body. We were ordered to stand on a straight line again, during this time, Anna had found her way back to my side, she tried to apologize once but I ignored her, I was not in the mood for her chatter. I was still upset with her and I wanted to make sure she knew it.

In the distance, the auctioneer's voice echoed, announcing and describing us like objects to be bought and sold, which in this instance, I admit we actually are. I tried to block out his vile words, focusing on the faces of my fellow captives. Some cried quietly, while others trembled in fear. I prayed for my soul, wherever it may end up tonight.

From where I stood I was able to get a glimpse of what laid behind the curtain. Rows of chairs were arranged, men littered the place, I could tell that hardly any male in that room was less than powerful. At the front of the room was a raised platform where the auctioneer would put us on display.

Soon the auctioneer began calling us by our assigned numbers, I was number 8. After a moment of listening to the girls before me get sold, it was finally my turn. I stepped out into the podium, the bright lights momentarily blinding me. My fingers trembled and my body shook with emotions as I listened to the auctioneer list off my qualities.

I tuned out his voice and my surroundings, keeping my head low and eyes downcast. But the moment the word ‘sold’ rang in the air my head snapped up in search of my buyer but I couldn’t pinpoint anyone. I was led off the stage and back to where the other girls waited to be called upon. 

The bald man stood to the side talking animatedly with another equally intimidating man. Their voices grew louder as I neared them.

The man I did not know stopped talking as soon as he spotted me, “Is she the one?” The bald man nodded grimly, not even sparing me a glance.

“She will do, take her to the car, I’ll join you shortly.” One of my captors reached to take my arm but a gunshot rang in the air, stopping him and freezing me in my place. I looked to where the man had been standing but he was on the floor, clutching his wounded arm. He cursed loudly in Russian before retracting his own gun, aiming it at the man who had shot him and almost immediately he had more than five guns pointed back at him in return.

“Tell your man to stand down, or my men won’t hesitate to put him down,” the man calmly stated.

Boris, as he had been referred to, seethed in anger, “You shot one of my own first!”

The other man sighed as though he was bored, “You know better than to touch what belongs to him. Now, my men take her to the car while you and I have a nice chat.” Boris reluctantly retracted his weapon, and gestured for the injured man to do the same. 

A hand hovered over my waist an, guiding me out of the building and into a waiting black suv.

The car sped far away from the auction house. My thoughts jumbled together as I tried to make sense of the events unfolding around me. 

As we drove through the streets of the city, I kept stealing glances at the man sitting beside me. I assumed he was the one who had bought me at the auction, the same one who had shot the other captor who tried to touch me. His face was stony, designed with scars and a five o'clock shadow that told stories of a harsh life. His eyes, however, held no emotion, just like the men that had held me captive, and that terrified me.

The silence in the car was suffocating, only the distant sounds of the city at night seeped in. I swallowed hard, my mind running wild with imaginations of what lies ahead of me. The girls had spoken about the harsh lives after you are bought. Some are turned into paid prostitutes, maids, mistresses and sometimes even breeding machines. 

“Where are we? W-where are you taking me?” I whispered out, pressing myself further against the door, trying to put some distance between us. The thought of being trapped in this car with these men heightened my anxiety. My fingers curled into my palm, pressing down painfully.

Just when I thought he hadn’t heard me, he spoke, “We are in Moscow,” a beat of silence passed again before he continued, “We are going to New York.” That was the last we spoke throughout the car ride and even when we boarded the plane, no one spoke. The man kept talking in Italian to the other men around him and into the phone that stayed pressed to his ear throughout the ride. I must have fallen asleep at some point because I was shaken awake and led out of the plane and into an awaiting vehicle.

The vehicle came to a stop in front of a magnificent mansion. Its size was intimidating as well as captivating and I couldn't help but tremble as I was led out of the vehicle. The man signaled for me to follow him.

As I entered the mansion, I was met with luxury that contrasted the horrors I had experienced. Crystal chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, emitting a glow over the marble floors. Art hung on the walls, and the fancy furnitures displayed wealth. 

He led me as we weaved through the hallways until we reached a room at the end of the long hallway. The man opened the door, revealing a spacious bedroom.

"You will stay here," the man said, his voice unexpectedly gentle. "I will send someone to brief you on your duties, for now, take rest."

I couldn't find my voice to respond, my mind was still reeling from the succession of events I had just gone through. Shutting the door behind him, he left me alone in the room.

The truth was, I had been removed from one nightmare and forced into another.