WEST CROSS

Chapter four

West woke up to the powerful smell of bleach. The harsh smell squeezed his guts and he cringed, writhing his nose and retreating to the edge.

The first thing West noticed was that he wasn't in the office anymore. He was in a human sized cage. The next thing he noticed was that his clothes had been replaced with what looked like ragged fashioned to be wearable and smelled like body sweat from its former owners.

West tried to remember how he had ended up in that horrible, horrible place but he couldn't remember anything after taking the drink. He drugged me, he realized after a moment.

He tried to move in the cage but he was hit by vertigo and slipped down, panting hard. The effects of the drugs hadn't worn off completely.

West stayed there counting from zero to ten and counting down to zero again. He tried to stand again after a while but the world around him spun out of control.

On his third try, West was able to crawl around the cage and he discovered there was nothing inside the damn thing apart from him and the clothes he wore. He made another slow crawl around to confirm his suspicion.

“Is anyone there?” he said in a low barely audible voice.

West bit hard on his lip and tried again but it was no use. his mouth felt like rubber and even though he could speak it wasn't loud enough to get the attention he needed.

he tried until his voice became audible and after several attempts, he could hear himself. his voice sounded raw and it hurt his throat everytime he used it but he had to try.

“Hello! Anyone?” he yelled in the empty cage, his voice echoed.

Just when he was about to give up he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He wasn't sure what to expect but he kept his fingers crossed hoping whoever it was coming through the door would rescue him.

To his greatest horror it was the same man that had offered him the job. He looked menacing and cruel as he approached the cage and West crawled away sprawling into a fetal ball.

“Stop the ruckus or I'll get in there and shut you up real good.” The menace in his voice chilled West's joints.

“One more sound out of you and you'll be sorry.” He said and then spat into the cage.

“But why—” West cried. “Why did you do this to me?”

His smile was anything but friendly. “It's nothing personal. It's just business, baby and the only thing keeping you alive is the worth you'll have to my clients. So be a good girl. I wouldn't want to have to mess the merchandise up a little.”

West recoiled from the realization of what his words meant. He had heard about the increasing risk of falling into the hands of human traffickers but he never thought would become a victim too.

The realization that he was going to be treated as a commodity from that point on brought him great pain. He would have picked being handed over to the loan shark if he had a choice.

West tried to beg the man to let him go but he just mocked him and then broke his spirit by telling him there was no escape. The man left him crying his eyes out.

***

She arrived at the location earlier than she should and followed the secret passage into the most dangerous place on the planet.

The guards following her were trained killers who wouldn't hesitate to pull out their gun on a child if they perceived the kid as a threat to the safety of the woman they were tasked to protect.

She walked almost as if she was hovering above ground level, graceful and magnificent long strides. The men and women around watched her and some regarded her with respect while some regarded her with fear.

“You can stop here.” She said to her guards as she entered the room set out for the VIP members. She wasn't a VIP but she was the most important person in the room.

With a satisfied smirk she realized they had been waiting for her. The man in front of the screened glass said, “The auction starts now.”

A light came on inside the glass chamber and the specimens inside stirred. They were young attractive men but she watched one of them at the corner.

There was something about his striking brown eyes and slightly parted lips that made her feel a tightness in her throat. She dismissed him from her mind and focused on the other men inside the glass box but her eyes wandered back to him.

“I want that one.” A man gestured at the man she had been watching. “Five million.” He said the amount like it was the lowest sum.

“Fifteen million.” A woman said, raising her hand.

They were all interested in the man that had caught her attention—the man she couldn't get her eyes off. She knew she had to have him no matter what.

As if being pulled by a force she couldn’t understand, she moved closer to the glass. The man couldn't see them through the glass but when he turned it was almost as if he was looking directly into her soul. She felt a jolt of electricity move through her body and she knew there was no way around it.

“I'll take him.” She said decisively. “One billion.”