The Luna Queen

The Trafficking Incident

"Number 204?"  A man called looking up from his clipboard.

A woman with red hair and emerald green eyes matched forward and stood in front of him.

"What's your name?"

"Ava."

The man nodded, confirming something from the book in his hand. "Last name?"

"Steele."

"Alright. Do we have anyone that has not gone inside for their interview?" He asked, looking around. "Alright then, please come with me." He said to the lady and the two of them disappeared into the interview room.

Ava Steele looked down at her sweaty palms and rubbed them together. She was a bundle of nerves and the interview hadn't even started yet.

'Please let this interview go well. I need this gig for Kim and I. Please, please let me get it.' she prayed under her breath just as the door at the right corner of the room opened and two men in black suits walked in.

Ava sized them up with a frown noting how thug-like they both looked. The shorter one wore a white inner and had an angry scar running down his face from underneath his right eye down to the top of his lip.

Ava shivered as she took in the taller one. This one looked a bit decent with a black inner inside his suit. He had a clean face, devoid of scars or bruises but he did have bloodshot eyes like someone who had been partying all night. .

The hair at the back of her neck stood and she rubbed her arm with her hand as goosebumps started to form. She only ever felt this way when something was not right and although she couldn't put her finger on it, she could tell something was off about this audition.

"Uhn, could I please use the restroom? I'm sorry if it's unprofessional but I really have to go." She squirmed under their gazes and the shorter one whispered something to the taller one.

He nodded towards a door in the middle of the room. "Go in there and do your business."

Ava rose to her feet quickly and ran towards the door. She was stopped by the man's voice speaking again.

"Don't take our time. Hurry."

Ava gulped and opened the door, jumping inside and locking it behind her.

Something was definitely wrong. But what was it? Was this not an interview after all?

'No.' She banished that thought from her mind as she paced about the restroom. It was quite spacious and the WC was at the far end of the wall. There was a window at the top of the WC that led outside and would be a nice escape route just in case.

"Don't shout!" She heard and jumped in fright. She didn't shout or did she?

Ava realized that the voice was coming from outside the door and she leaned her ear against the door.

"You and I both know why we are here. I don't know why you still insist on conducting this stupid interview, Frank!"

"You know why these interviews have to be conducted. Do you want the girls to get suspicious?"

"They don't have anywhere to run to even if they do get suspicious, Frank." Jerry insisted and Ava gasped. "This is a drug trafficking job not a beauty pageant. We don't care about their abilities. All of them are going with us."

She made a move to open the door and screamed in fright when someone banged the door from outside.

"Lady. We don't have all day."

Ava flushed the toilet, color drained from face. This was not an interview, it was a cover for a trafficking scheme.

"What was taking so long uhn?" Frank asked as she walked out and she forced a smile, trying to hide how on edge she was.

Ava muttered her apologies and went back to her seat, clutching the handle of bag tightly.

"Where are you going?" She asked as they walked towards the door they had come out from.

"We just have a few things to take care of before we can conduct the interview. Liam, will stay here with you." Frank spoke pointing to a third guy she hadn't seen before who was standing by the door and Ava gulped.

Frank and Jerry went out through the same door they had come in from and Ava closed her eyes. She had to get out of here.

"Excuse me." She called Liam and he walked up to her.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes. Actually, I think I left my phone in the restroom. Could you help me get it?"

He didn't look convinced as he walked towards the restroom. Without a second thought, she picked up her bag and ran for the door, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

She slammed the door and ran in the same direction she had come through passing the room that was filled with the other girls.

She threw her bag around her neck and ran with all her might needing to escape from there.  

Ava picked up speed, adjusting her bag to prevent it from weighing her down.

"When I catch you, you're dead meat." Liam yelled from behind her but she ignored him, moving at death speed, her heart pushing against her ribcage. Her palms were sweaty and her chest was burning but she couldn't stop.

The hairs at the back of her neck were erect and goosebumps were running up her arm. Tears started rolling down her cheeks blinding her vision and she used her hands to wipe them off violently, not stopping.

"I will kill you!"

She took another left turn and then a right and ran straight ahead, her heart bubbling with hope when she heard car honks getting closer.

Her ankles were about to give out and her eyes were stinging from the unshed tears. Almost.

"Help me, please help me!" She screamed as she ran into the road, her tears blinding her vision.

As she was waving her hands in the air, she didn't notice the car that was driving towards her at top speed.