Chapter 7
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Letti
The trickle of water dripping from pipes wakes the woman they brought down.
I’ve gotten used to it over time so it no longer invades my sleep.
She scans the room, confused about where she is, you can clearly see that with the way her face drops as she twirls her head from one direction to the other.
We’re in dog kennels that are only big enough for us to crouch down inside of.
It’s inhumane.
They’re lined up in rows, each filled with a woman. Me included.
“Where the hell am I?” the woman whispers the question.
I snort, remembering that first day I woke up after being snatched. “Hell. You’re in Hell now, courtesy of the Onyx Devils.”
Or is it Dragons? I don’t know and don’t think they do either, they keep switching back and forth, as if they’re testing out which one suits them better and isn’t bitter on their tongue.
I spit on them both because they’re ludicrous in my opinion and neither should exist.
The woman must be in the mood to chit chat because she introduces herself as if we’re meeting for the first time on the streets instead of locked in cages in a dingy basement. “What’s your name? I’m Zoey.”
“Letti,” I softly reply. “I’ve been here a month, I think.”
Since she’s right next to me, she notes the bruises that cover my naked body. They’re easy to see because these guys use a heavier touch method when it comes to us breeders.
“You fought back,” she states, steadily scanning my discolored flesh.
“Absolutely,” I confirm. “If they think I’m just gonna lay there while they defile me?
They’re out of their fucking minds. They might still accomplish their goal, but I’ve suffered enough abuse in my lifetime so the joke’s on them because I’ve got an implant.
It’s a newer one so it’s not visible like the others are.
I won’t get pregnant short of a flat-out miracle. ”
That was one of the first things I saw to when I got to Canton. If my family got their hands on me, I wanted to make it next to impossible to bear them any children to fill their coffers. When and if I have children, it’s because I want them not because they can give me anything.
Children are precious, they aren’t bartering chips to be used at the casino.
“Good for you,” she applauds me. “I wasn’t so lucky the last time.”
“They’ve taken you before?” I ask, wanting to know how she got away.
She hesitates to answer, but when she does, she blows my mind. “Yeah, several years ago at a party, they assaulted me. I nearly killed myself because of the emotional and physical damage I suffered until I saw two pink lines.”
Maldita sea. Goddammit. This is her!
“You’re the one they’ve talked about, Zoey.
They decided to set this up to breed women after they found out you got pregnant.
They’re doing it so they can build up an army or something like that.
They’ve got a school where they start training kids when they’re young to become assassins.
Also, they sometimes sell off those who don’t get pregnant right away, and I’ve heard them say they also plan to auction off the younger girls when they get older. ”
“Oh my God,” the woman says, her voice trembling. “Letti?”
“Yeah,” I answer, tears trickling down my cheeks.
“I’m part of the Kings family, they’re going to come for us,” she promises.
I sigh, because whereas that should give me some sort of warm feeling, it doesn’t.
“I wish that made me feel better, but it doesn’t because the question remains, will they make it before you’re violated again or I’m sold off because as I shared, there’s no way in hell I’ll be giving them any offspring. ”
“They’ll make it in time,” she swears, her faith in them—her family, bound by loyalty and trust, unwavering. Not for the first time, I find myself wishing I’d had that.
I’m startled awake as the metal door that leads to the lower level is slammed shut. Survival instincts have me scooting back, I’m flush against the chain link fencing on the kennel that is against the wall. I tuck my knees to my chest to cover as much of my flesh as I can from their viewing sight.
These guys are sick and twisted and get a thrill off scanning us from head to toe and making sexual innuendos to frighten us. They may try to steal my body but they’ll never take my soul.
One of the men comes barging down, a satisfied smirk on his face when he sees us all in protective balls. He’s swinging the key ring on his finger, whistling a tune.
When he glances at me, I grit my teeth and sneer at him. “Pendejo.”
“Call me all the names you want to, bitch. I’m not the one that’s gonna be tagged and collared,” he taunts. “Today, however, you’re safe. It’s our newest acquisition I’m here for.”
“Don’t touch her,” I grind out. This poor woman has been dealt a shitty hand just like me, and for some reason, I feel protective of her and don’t want their grimy hands to ever touch her again.
“You gonna stop me?” he asks, amusement on his face.
“You going to let me out so I can?” I counter. “Or are you scared of a five-foot-nothing Latina?”
The bastard rolls his eyes at me and snickers. “Not falling for your antics today. The boss wants his personal breeder hosed off and brought to him.”
Zoey snorts, asking, “So you’re the low man on the totem pole, huh? A dog on a leash doing his master’s bidding?”
I really like her and her sass. “The lowest man,” I confirm. “And I like the pun you used there, Zoey.”
“Thank you, Letti. I thought it was pretty witty,” she says.
“I’m not falling for your games,” the guard snaps.
Seems like we’re getting to him, but we need to tread carefully because unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to overpower him when he does take Zoey out of here. I don’t want to mess with his pride too much and have him take it out on her. I give her a warning look and she snaps her mouth shut.
When he puts the key in the padlock and I hear the mechanisms give, my heart begins to rapidly beat in my chest—it sounds like a bunch of galloping horses to my ears.
“Don’t touch me,” Zoey commands. The guard roughly yanks her out of her enclosure and begins leading her down the hallway. Her voice is faint, but I can hear her giving him hell. “Get your goddamn filthy paws off me!”
Good for you, Zoey. Keep fighting, Chica.
All of the air rushes out of me as I slump and fall to the ground, hitting my knees. “May God have mercy on all of our souls,” I pray.
I’m not a firm believer in God himself, I lost my faith a long time ago, courtesy of my mother but I do believe there’s a higher power out there, watching over us.
I look skyward and ask, “What’s the endgame here? Why must you test my resolve? None of us deserve this, it’s time for you to step up and find us some sort of resolution. Save us. Please.”
I close my eyes and let the tears flow freely. I cry for us all.