Chapter 9: GABRIEL

"Mace, we'll be having two more for dinner, and they'll be around for the next little while. Have your staff fix up the two guestrooms for them, will you." I found my chef and Jack-of-all-trades in the kitchen concocting some shit that was bound to make me feel like a grazing animal.

This fuck had gone to some convention for kitchen hacks like himself and came back with new ways to torture my ass. Some days the shit he puts in front of me passed off as healthy eating makes me wish I'd left his ass to die in the desert instead of saving his life.

One selfless act almost seven years ago had gained me a lifelong sidekick and one of the few people I trust. "Who? I refuse to take care of that riffraff you've taken up with. When are we getting out of here anyway?" The six-foot-four African American man glared daggers at me as he chopped something green and no doubt tasteless.

"I told you before; we'll be here for a while. As to who's coming here, it's a young woman and her mother. Her old man likes to knock them around, so I figured I'd let them stay here for a while." He mumbled some unintelligible crap and then invited me in not so nice words to get the hell out of his kitchen, which I was only too happy to oblige.

***

BILLY

***

I need to make a phone call, but the two goons the new boss had sicced on me haven't budged since I was brought here. I thought the two who dropped me off were bad, but they seem almost docile compared to these two. No matter what questions I ask or how I'd blustered about my rights and such in the beginning, they never batted a lash.

Their complete silence was rather nerve-racking. I wasn't sure if either man knew how to speak, and I haven't seen them signing, but somehow they seem able to communicate with each other, which is even more frightening. My guts are tied up in knots, and I've had flop sweat running down the inside of both of my arms since I was shut away in here with these two. "Hey, look, I need to use the restroom."

I moved from leg to leg as if I had to piss real bad, which wasn't far from the truth but wasn't the real reason I needed some privacy.

One of them pointed in the general direction, and when I didn't move, immediately turned to glare at me over his shoulder. I actually stumbled back a little from that look. All of these guys seem to be of one type. Hard!

I've been suspicious of the boss' son since a few days after he moved here. Somehow though the other man gave nothing away, it always seemed like he was maybe more than he appeared to be. Now today, I think I'd proved it; fat lot of good that does me.

In the beginning, he seemed to be just what the guys and I had expected. A soft, rich boy who knew nothing of our way of life and would be happy keeping his nose out of shit that don't concern him. But ever since the old man died and he took over, he hasn't acted at all like one would expect someone of his caliber to. Forget all that now; my bigger issue at the moment is how to get out of this mess.

How had he caught on to me so fast anyway? Did Sam spill the beans? I know it couldn't be the wife and daughter who'd told because they didn't know shit about the deal. Plus, I wouldn't put it past the weak fuck. But why would he? He stood to make a pretty penny himself, and all he had to do was give up a worthless daughter who didn't even like him anyway.

As soon as I was in the bathroom, I looked around for an escape, but there didn't seem to be any windows anywhere in the small room. I looked for any sign of recognition but saw none. The two assholes who'd dragged me here had covered my eyes in the truck, so all I know is that we hadn't driven too far.

With the door closed and locked behind me, I headed into the stall and locked myself in before taking my phone from my pocket. Maybe these guys aren't the masterminds I gave them credit for since they didn't even check to see if I had one on me. That didn't stop my hands from shaking when I reached for my phone, though.

I was almost afraid to make the call, but it couldn't be helped. Maybe it would be a good thing to get out of town after I give these guys the slip. The call was answered on the second ring, and I had to clear my suddenly dry throat twice before I could find my voice.

"Billy, my man, are we still on for tomorrow night?"

"Listen, there's been a change of plans." I tried keeping my voice as low as possible so as not to alert the others in the next room, but my voice still sounded loud to my ears.

"What the fuck are you talking about? What change of plans?"

"The deal is off." I hissed into the phone. As afraid of him as I am, those boys out there is a clear and present danger. If I can escape them, then maybe I'll stand a chance of escaping this asshole as well. It's obvious I'm not cut out for this. My first time in the big leagues, and I get caught.

"Like hell it is. No one reneges on a deal with me."

"You don't understand; we've almost been caught."

"What the hell does that mean? Almost been caught by who? The FEDs?"

"No…"

"Listen, the only potential problem we had was the old man, and he's out of the way, stupid bastard; he could've made a lotta money if he wasn't so stuck up on morals. As far as I know, no one else there gives a shit, so what's the problem?"

"We'll have to get someone else."

"No can do, the client picked her specifically."

"Well, we can't, I'm telling you. The new boss is even worst than his old man when it comes to this stuff."

"What new boss?"

"The old man's son."

"Who is this kid anyway?"

"We don't know anything about him, other than that he's some college grad from out east."

The man on the other end of the line laughed and relaxed his shoulders. "Don't tell me you're afraid of some prissy snot-nosed kid with a degree. I thought your type had more balls than that. Have her here by seven tomorrow night."

"I'm telling you I…" The line went dead. I hurried out of my pants now because I really had to pee for real this time. Fear rode my bladder hard as I emptied it in the head before coming out. I was sweating more now than I was before I went in. Caught between a rock and a hard place.

Somehow I don't see the kid the same way Calhoun does. That Ivy League education seemed to hide a natural-born predator; I'd seen it in his eyes. I have to get the hell out of here. When I walked back into the room, the two men didn't seem to notice. Good, they hadn't overheard anything.

How could things just go to shit like this? I thought I was going to be set for life with this deal. Usually, the kids I bring in off the street get me a few hundred, sometimes a grand if the meat is fresh enough. But someone wanted to pay big money for Sam's kid. I mean like life-changing money.

That meant she wasn't meant for one of the brothels across the border like most of the runaways were; she was going to be some man's plaything or slave, whichever you wanna call it. I could see why someone would pay that kind of money for the girl. She's a knockout, all right. Like one of those supermodels, you see in magazines. I'm still not sure how Sam was able to produce something like her.

Whatever the case, someone had seen her and decided she was worth a few hundred thousand to procure. I'd planned to pocket most of the funds and give Sam the measly ten grand, which makes me hard just thinking about it. That dumb fuck was willing to give up his kid for a pittance while I was going to be making out like a lark, and all I had to do was get her to a certain place at a certain time.

Easy money all around, and I'd be sitting pretty for a while to come. But now, it looks like I might have to give up on that dream. No worries, I can set up shop somewhere else once I get out of here. Maybe I'll head to a big city next time. There're probably way more runaways to choose from on those streets.

I grinned behind the men's backs as my hopes started to rise again. For two people who were supposed to be watching me, they don't seem too interested. Then I heard their end of a conversation, and my blood ran cold in my veins.