Chapter 3
I t was the third place Ania had gone looking for work, and, as she waited nervously for the old man in front of her to answer her request, she shifted uneasily from foot to foot.
Finally he sighed and said, “I shouldn’t.”
She looked at him hopefully. “But you will?”
“It’s bad. You should be home. You should not be here in this world,” he replied, motioning around at the barrels that the employees were busily packing. “It would be day labor, hard work at that, and you’ll be sore at the end of the day.”
“Yeah, but maybe there’ll be money to buy food,” she added.
He winced at that. “The men, they will bug you.”
She smiled. “I’m not worried about the men.”
“You should be,” he declared, glaring at her. “You’re an innocent, and they will take advantage.”
She hesitated and then nodded. “Thank you for the warning,” she murmured, “but I still need to eat.”
“I don’t like it,” he muttered. “You find a better job, you hear me?”
Her heart sank.
“But you can do that after today,” he said, studying her. “You work here today. I’ll pay you at the end of the day, and tomorrow you find something else.”
She nodded slowly. “Thank you.” She knew that he really was protecting her, didn’t want her to be here, but was willing to give her a day’s pay so she could eat. She almost felt bad about that because she did have a little bit of money. Yet she also knew that it wouldn’t last very long.
He nodded and pointed. “I need the inventory on those shelves counted,” he said, handing her a clipboard. “I don’t like doing it anyway.”
And, with that, she got to work. By the end of the day, she was sore, tired, and wondering just what the hell her world would be like from now on. However, that was a worry for another day.
The owner paid her in cash and repeated, “Don’t come back tomorrow.”
She nodded slowly. “Yet I didn’t quite finish the inventory. I did get most of it done,” she said, looking back at the shelving, “but you have those two racks left.”
He stared at her. “Only those two racks?”
She nodded. “Yes, I’ve done the rest. Are you sure I can’t come back just for tomorrow?” He glared at her, and she shrugged. “At least you’re making good use of me,” she shared, with a winning smile. “One more day is not a hard ask.”
He groaned. “One more day, you finish the job, and that’s it.”
“Agreed.” She smiled and thanked him.
He hesitated and then asked, “Where are you going now?”
She winced and shrugged. “To find a place to sleep.” He glared at her again, and she nodded. “I get it, but the world is not kind when you’re alone. And, when you’re in trouble, it is even less hospitable.”
At the word trouble he stiffened and glared at her, but she’d come to recognize the glare as a normal mannerism that didn’t really reflect the person on the inside. “I’ll be fine,” she stated. “You’ve given me enough for food, and, if I can find a place to sleep for the night, I’ll be okay.”
“It’s not safe to sleep on the streets.”
“No, but some places I can go aren’t very expensive.” He again winced at that. “I just might not get too much sleep because of the noisy neighbors,” she added, with a cheeky grin.
He chuckled. “You just be smart and don’t take any clients yourself.”
“I have no intention of that,” she declared, smiling up at him. “Thank you.”
And, with that, she took her leave, knowing that if she stayed a minute longer, she would probably get teary-eyed, and that would make them both uncomfortable. He was doing what he could allow himself to do, and she appreciated that. It was more than anybody else had done up to this point, so she could hardly judge him for not wanting to get involved, or for trying to send her off on her way to do something else. But she also knew that it would really eat at him if he saw her tears, since he was already worried that he was sending her away into a life of prostitution.
Definitely not in her plans. Neither had she wanted to use any of her energy for ill. She could if she needed to, but that wasn’t the way she wanted her energy to work. She would eventually find a job and would work properly, without being afraid of turning around. Yet, if her father was still after her, that would be her life from now on, and anybody who helped her would have the same problem.
She also needed to add minutes to her secret phone but hesitated, as that was another expense. Plus, she’d used that phone to call her aunt, so it was possible her father could track her if she used the phone again. She had nobody to call at this point anyway. If she could call anybody, it would have been Sanders, but he was long gone, and she was grateful for that.
Sanders had been her father’s pet research project, and that would never be easy. She’d spent considerable time trying to figure out how to rescue Sanders, and yet how does one do that when she couldn’t even rescue herself? Thankfully, someone else managed to get Sanders free.
She shook her head and walked to the cheap hotel that she had found while searching for a job this morning. As she walked inside, the clerk eyed her, with a cheeky expression.
“Not going to feed yourself if you don’t come home with clients,” he muttered. “If you need to make a little money later tonight, just let me know.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You say that now,” he pointed out a bit somberly. “Yet I’ve seen more than a few people start that way, but, mind you, it’s not a sin to do what you need to do.”
She stopped for a moment, realizing what he meant and nodded. “No, it certainly isn’t. But, as long as I can find other ways to keep myself in food and housing, I’ll try that first.” She paid for one night’s lodging, carefully counting out her cash.
“They all do,” he cried out, as she went up the stairs. “They all do.”
She tried to ignore him, but his words rang in her ears.
“It always ends up the same.”
His warning was a daunting echo in her mind, as she flopped down on her bed. She’d picked up a little bit of takeout, mostly starches because she knew that would fill her the fastest. It wouldn’t be easy being on the run. The clerk had been right. If she didn’t find more work, it would be hard to keep this up. She also didn’t want this as a life for herself. She needed to go to work in her own field, where she could make a real living, do what she had been trained to do. But she had to get out of this nightmare first, and, if she was living in a hotel, she also needed a phone that worked and couldn’t be traced, as well as a laptop to search for jobs. Having neither at the moment, she would have to go to the library.
That was the only way that she could check out what was going on in the world and could find positions to apply for. Although she wasn’t sure what she wanted, needed, or was in any shape to apply for work locally. Her father was likely to find her here, particularly when she had to start filling out the employment paperwork. She wouldn’t put it past him to put a watch on her ID numbers, just to ensure that, if she did try to do something here, he would find out where she was. With a sigh, she realized that she had to move on. She had to leave this country—on foot, if need be.
That didn’t mean he would instantly come in and grab her, but it didn’t mean that he wouldn’t either. Something was very daunting about a man who was prepared to tell people that she was completely incompetent, off her meds, and a danger to herself. His behavior had given her to wonder as to whether he truly was her father. Regardless, most people wouldn’t go against him, and that was unfortunate because she didn’t want to put them in danger. Still, she also didn’t have the means or the wherewithal to get where she needed to go without help from others.
Closing her eyes, she sent out several more telepathic messages, hoping that somebody out there would pick one up. She was still dealing with a clouded memory, but, this time, it seemed that her signal was a little stronger. At least she hoped so. She tried again and then again, realizing that it was getting weaker as she went on. She would try again, as soon as she got a bit better at this.
Thankfully she had a job for tomorrow, which meant that she would stay here tomorrow night. Plus, she would have food tomorrow as well. It was all a matter of making the good things work for her and trying not to get overwhelmed by the ugliness of this life. With that thought, she quickly sat up, grabbed the takeout, and sat down to eat, chewing slowly, not sure when her next meal would be. By the time she was halfway through, she realized she had bought enough for later as well.
She put it off to the side, wondering how to get a new phone and whether she could even afford that. Her father had taken her first phone a long time ago, back when she had been sick. She’d asked for it later, and he’d refused to give it up. At that time, he’d managed to cut her off from her friends completely. She hadn’t been allowed to go out with friends or to even visit the libraries. She did get a burner phone when she’d taken off for her aunt’s, but that was already out of minutes, and Ania was worried about using it anyway. She got up and headed downstairs, where she asked the clerk if a library was around.
He nodded. “Yeah, sure, but it’s not within walking distance. You would have to catch a bus.”
She pondered that and then nodded. “Maybe tomorrow night then.”
“Yes, maybe tomorrow night, but it’s not likely you’ll be any less tired then.”
She glared at him. “No, but I’m trying.”
He nodded again, but there wasn’t any sympathy in his tone or his gaze. He’d seen it all before, and he’d seen too much of it.
She knew that he didn’t expect her to survive this, at least on her current terms. She added, “I’ll see how I feel tomorrow. Maybe I’ll go there first.”
“Maybe,” he repeated. “Just remember you’ll have to pay for another night tomorrow.”
“I know,” she replied steadily. “That’s not the issue.”
“Maybe not now,” he said. “I just don’t want to evict you if I don’t have to.”
She didn’t say anything to that and headed back up to her room and had a shower. She sat on the edge of her bed, wondering what she could do when life had her in such a difficult position right now. She headed back downstairs and asked the clerk, “You know where I can get a cheap phone?”
He pondered that and asked, “How cheap?”
“Very cheap. My father took mine away.”
He glared. “I really hate overbearing parents.” He took a moment and then shook his head. “I’ve got an older one that still works.”
“How much do you want for it?” she asked warily.
He laughed. “Not that much. I don’t know, just a few dollars.”
She nodded. “Then that would be great. Is it the kind I can add minutes to?”
“It is. I think some minutes are still on it. Don’t you have a laptop?”
“I did, but my father took that away too,” she shared. “I’m feeling very cut off from the world.”
“Yeah, that sucks, but I don’t have a laptop for you. Sorry.”
She nodded. “It won’t be that easy to replace either. It’s hardly something that those of us without money can afford.”
“You can get used ones from the pawnshop a block down,” he suggested.
“You mean stolen ones?” she asked, with a half smile.
“Do you care where it came from?” he challenged.
“At this point, no,” she admitted. “I’m not a fool.”
“Good. Go tell him that I sent you, and they’ll see what they can do.”
“But how much money is it likely to cost me? By the time I pay for the phone and keep enough minutes on it…”
He frowned. “Right. You can borrow my laptop for now,” he stated, glancing around. “But it’s not something I like to do.”
“No, I’m sure you don’t,” she agreed. “The clientele here is not the easiest to trust, I presume.”
“No, they aren’t, and most of them would just as soon steal that laptop rather than bring it back to me. If that’s the case with you, you’ll be sorry.”
And just enough threat filled his tone that she believed him. “I just need to connect with the world, to see what is out there for work, how I can get out of the country, and a few things like that,” she shared, with a wave of her hand. “I’ll even sit over here, if you want.”
He brightened at that. “Yeah, that would be better for me. Internet is here in the lobby too.” And, with that, he set her up at the small coffee table.
She logged on, feeling relief when she could catch up on the news, her email, and send a few messages. She contacted her aunt, letting her know that she was safe but didn’t say anything else—in case her father was tracking her aunt’s emails too. Ania knew it made her sound as if she was obsessive and paranoid, but it was her father, and, when he wanted something, he didn’t hold back.
No answer came from her aunt during the time that Ania was on the borrowed laptop, and she wouldn’t necessarily get any answer down the road either.
When Ania found Vanessa’s email, she quickly sent her a message too.
Almost immediately Vanessa emailed her back. Two men were looking for you .
Ania’s heart froze, and she read the next line, just two words.
Call me .
Ania sent back an email reply. No access to a safe working phone at the moment, but I hope to have one soon. I’m borrowing a laptop to catch up on the world .
Her response came too quick. The world’s gone to hell, so you’re better off if you don’t catch up .
Ania almost laughed at that but asked instead, These men, what did they look like? Did they give you names? When Vanessa’s response came back, Ania smiled with relief when she read it.
The one looked like he cared about you, but he didn’t give me a name, just said to tell you that he was safe. I don’t know what that means .
Ania sighed. He was safe . She pondered that, realizing that the only person who would send a message like that would likely be Sanders. She sent another email message because she needed to know for sure. What did he look like?
She got a description instantly. Both of them were over six feet. The one looked hard as hell, and the other one looked injured and recovering. They were both upset . They were almost resigned to hear that you weren’t here .
She pondered that, wondering if Sanders had come after her. The thought made her almost giddy with excitement because, if that were true, she wouldn’t be quite so alone in fighting this nightmare, a nightmare she was acutely unprepared for. The emails went back and forth a couple more times, and then Vanessa got off with a warning, saying that she was deleting these emails, just in case.
No offense, but your father’s one scary dude. I don’t want to get on the wrong side of him. Meanwhile you need to get your ass out of here and get as far away as possible. I’ve got a new number too . With that last warning, Vanessa left her new cell number, along with a short postscript. Your SM followers are over 1M! Check it out .
Ania quickly wrote down Vanessa’s new cell number in her notebook, then quickly hit her SM account. She shook her head at her massive number of followers. While she had her murderous, abusive father and his goons on the ground here, at least she had people online who renewed her faith in humanity. It’s not just me and Sanders against the world , she thought to herself. She smiled broadly, as she returned the borrowed laptop to the clerk.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you. A few calls for help, a little bit of assistance from a friend or two,” she shared, feeling a lot better. “Checking up on email, all that good stuff. We’re so connected now that, when you lose that connection, it’s like you’ve lost your right arm.”
He nodded. “You’re not the first person to say that here. I wonder if I should set up a little rent a laptop for an hour deal. It might be a good arrangement.”
“You should,” she agreed. “A lot of people here may not have a way of accessing emails and the internet without your help. It’s a needed service you could offer.”
He pondered that. “You gave it back in good condition, so that’s good I guess.” Then he held out a phone. “This is what I have.”
She took the older flip phone and its charger from him, noting the phone still had bars and minutes. “Thank you. I’ll go grab some money. How much did you decide on?”
“No, don’t worry about it,” And then he groaned. “I shouldn’t even be doing this much, but seeing somebody who’s trying to do something with their life and getting out of whatever trouble they’re in, I feel you really need the help,” he explained, giving her a smile. “The phone?… Whatever. It’s not much, and, if you get a better one at some point, maybe you could return it.”
She smiled, and this time it was genuine. “Thank you. Does everybody here realize what a con man you are?”
He looked at her. “A con man?” he asked, as if not sure how she meant it.
“Yeah, you come off miserable and gruff, but, inside, you’ve got a marshmallow for a heart.” She could see that she’d surprised him, but he was also obviously pleased.
Leaning forward, he whispered, “Don’t you go spreading that around. I have a reputation to maintain, you know.”
She chuckled. “Oh, never. Your secret is safe with me.”
With a bright laugh, she raced up to her room, feeling the best she had in several days.
*
Early in the morning, and once again armed with several of her photographs, Sanders and Riff split up and headed down through the rougher areas of the city. Sanders would hate to see Ania here. Yet, if she used her energy work to keep herself safe from various predators out there, she might find a job and somebody with a soft heart who would help her. Her energy and her aura was too good to not catch attention that way. He didn’t know quite how she could use her energy, outside of that mind-reading, truth-saying part, but it was at least something that protected her.
He tried a few warehouses, went inside each shop down the street, even hitting delivery services, everywhere he could, using as much energy as he dared to burn through, trying to track her, even though he was a shitty tracker. Yet if he had any instincts that could lead him to her, it was worth trying. He needed to use them because Ania was a needle in a haystack.
It wasn’t long before he realized his approach wasn’t working. Hours later, he came to a hard stop outside a warehouse. The doors were open, and a lot of noise came from the inside, but it was all industrious, people busy working at whatever they were doing.
As he stopped, exhausted and almost panting from burning too much energy, an old man stepped out, gave him a hard look, and snapped, “What do you want?”
He smiled. “I’m trying to find a friend,” he began. “She got on the wrong side of circumstances, and I’m hoping to find her, so I can help her.” And he held up the picture.
There wasn’t even a blip on the other man’s features, but he took the time to study the photo and then shrugged. “No call for me to ever see somebody like that.”
“No, probably not,” Sanders conceded. “Yet her father is after her and is intent on making her life very difficult because he’s highly placed in the Russian government. He’s kept her drugged and incapable of doing a whole lot for the last few months, ever since her mother died. Ania managed to escape, and I’ve found out she made it here into the city. But she can’t work unless it’s under the table, and I know that she’s not in the best of health just because of the drugs that he’d kept her on. So I need to find her before he does.”
At that, the other man’s gaze sharpened, and he looked at him intently. “What is it you want with her?”
“We’re friends,” he replied instantly. “I was quite sick.” Even at that, he reached up a hand to the sweat pouring off his face. “As you can tell, I’m still not in great shape, but I knew she was in trouble.” Something nudged him to say more. “I’ve come to help her, if I can.”
“Doesn’t look as if you’ll be of any help to anybody,” the old man declared, his tone hard. “I hope you didn’t come alone.”
“Is there a reason why I need help?” Sanders asked, staring at the old man. “She’s a good person, and, if she needs help, I would like to be there for her.”
The old man sighed. “You’re too late.”
At that, Sanders stared at him. “What do you mean?”
“I told her not to come back tomorrow because I didn’t want her stuck in this life.”
“Stuck in what life?”
“This one,” he said, with a wave of his hand. “She obviously has an education and skills. She worked for me for two days. You missed her. I just sent her home not long ago.”
“Shit.” Sanders pinched the bridge of his nose. “So damn close.” Then he looked at the old man. “I don’t suppose you saw which way she went or know anything about where she’s been staying?”
He shook his head several times. “No. I don’t know anything about her, outside of the fact that she needed money and talked me into keeping her on for a second day because she was doing such a good job. I would hire her full-time in a minute, except that it’s obvious she won’t stay. She needed a bolt-hole and some quick cash. She was here, but I knew she wouldn’t be here tomorrow.”
“Of course, and that’s where you have to look after yourself and your business.” Sanders stared aimlessly around. “I don’t suppose… Did she say if she would go shopping or to the library or anything like that?”
The old guy looked at him. “Why would she go to the library?”
“I’m guessing she doesn’t have a laptop or even her phone. Her father took it all away, and she surely hasn’t had the opportunity to replace them yet,” he suggested, pushing his hair back. “Two of us are out here looking for her, and now we have to start over.”
“You found me,” the old guy pointed out, “and she’s not that much farther ahead of you.”
“Maybe.”
“Looks to me like you need to go crash though.”
“I will when I know she’s okay,” Sanders replied, his tone determined. “In the meantime, I know her father’s out here looking. He may send his goons, so please, if anyone else comes here,… please don’t tell him what you just told me.”
“Depending on who the hell he is and how he talks to me,” the old guy replied, “it’s likely I won’t even know the language.” With that, he gave a hard laugh and disappeared inside the warehouse.
Sanders dropped to a nearby bench, pulled out his phone, and contacted Riff. “Hey, she was here today. She worked in a warehouse for two days. He told her not to come back tomorrow because he figured she was in trouble and needed to get the hell out of here, instead of staying in this grubby lifestyle. He also mentioned how this warehouse of his was no place for a young woman.” He quickly gave Riff the address of where he was.
Then Sanders continued. “He doesn’t know where the hell she’s gone either. When I asked if maybe she’d mentioned that she was going shopping or looking for a library, he thought that was an odd thing, until I explained she likely had no way to communicate. Still, he didn’t know.”
“Give me the coordinates for where you are, and we’ll get Terk to hack into the city cameras and see if we can pick her up that way.”
Brightening at that thought and worried that his own energy hadn’t even allowed him to consider it, Sanders quickly gave Riff the address, then rose. “I’m heading your way,” he added.
“Don’t bother. Just stay where you are, and I’ll come pick you up. You shouldn’t be walking any more than you’re already doing.”
Sanders swore into the phone. “Yeah?” Yet he did sink onto the bench again.
“I can see the energy drain on your system,” Riff muttered. “Wait until Clary gets a hold of you.”
“Maybe,” he replied in exhaustion. “But we were so damn close,” he cried out in frustration.
“But the thing is, we’re on her trail, and now we at least have some ideas to go on. Don’t get upset. I’ll be there in five.” And, with that, Riff hung up the phone.