Chapter 36
“Hey, are you there?” a girl’s voice stirred Kate from an attempt at sleep. Though the forfeiture of modern conveniences had not allowed Kate a consistent place to sleep, an arm under her head against solid concrete was still something she was getting used to.
Kate lifted herself up and looked around. Her cell was empty. She would say nothing was out of place, but that would require the presence of items that were able to be disturbed. Assuming she must have dreamt the voice, Kate laid her head back on the wall and closed her eyes.
“Hello?” the muffled voice came through again.
“Who’s there?” Kate asked.
“I’m in the room next to you,” the voice answered. Kate pressed her ear to the wall as the girl’s voice came through almost inaudibly.
Kate had known, of course, that other people were being held inside these walls. Sometimes, she caught glimpses of someone being transported or heard the guards speaking with them.
“I’m Kate. What’s your name?”
“Avery.”
“How old are you, Avery?”
“Fifteen,” Avery said, and Kate’s face fell.
Fifteen years old and locked away to be sold as a slave.
All this time, the despair of isolation had clouded Kate’s mind.
Not once had she stopped to think about the others here.
Not in any empathetic capacity, at least. To find that not only were there others in Kate’s position, but mere children, brought a heaviness upon her.
“Is he your boyfriend?” Avery asked.
The question caused a stir of worry in Kate. Avery must have heard Nick and her talking. Moments passed before Kate decided how to answer.
“Who?” Kate asked. Her tone came across as high-pitched and disingenuous. She had never made a capable liar.
“That guard. I heard you two talking earlier… yesterday? Whenever it was. I can’t tell what time it is anymore.”
Kate remained silent.
“Don’t worry, no one can hear us. I promise I won’t tell. It sounded like you knew him unless your plan is to be overly friendly with the guards. It doesn’t work. I saw a woman try that already,” Avery said.
In truth, Kate was unsure of the answer to her question. Nick and Kate had not placed any labels on the relationship they had formed. The closeness they had achieved and the trust they had built superseded one particular title. However, Kate supposed that would be far too difficult to explain.
“He’s my boyfriend,” Kate answered.
“I knew it.” Kate could hear the smile on Avery’s face in her tone.
“Is he getting you out of here?”
Kate wanted to say yes, that he was going to rescue her and everyone else here. It was a huge expectation, and Kate would not make false promises to Avery.
“I hope so,” Kate answered.
“Well, at least you don’t belong to one of those gross assholes,” Avery said in a voice that grew despondent. The thought of those men hurting and touching Avery made Kate’s flesh sizzle with fury. “I hate when he comes in here.”
“Which one?” Kate asked.
“Travis.”
Kate’s lips twisted in disgust. Travis’s long, greasy hair and knobby limbs, along with the underhanded smirk he wore so often, creeped Kate out. Yet, he was quick to back down when Nick threatened him. All bark and no bite. Maybe there was some way Nick could keep him away from Avery.
“I’m sorry you ended up here, Avery,” Kate said with genuine regret.
“It’s bad, but I’m more afraid of where I’ll end up next,” Avery said.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. We’ll focus on one day at a time, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.” Avery’s response was unconvincing.
“Try to get some rest,” Kate instructed, laying her head against the wall. She tried to think of Nick and focus on how thankful she was that he was here with her, tried to put out the fires of rage that had engulfed her.