"Alright ladies, get up!" Alberto called as he and Ishmael came into the holding room. Some of the women were weak from days of sitting and were not getting up quickly enough for Alberto. "Ishmael. You got those chains ready?"
"Yes sir," Ishmael shouted happily.
"Good, link them together, if they don’t want to get up, we’ll just have to drag them."
"You can’t do that!" Jennifer shouted.
"Oh, I can’t?" Alberto said as he walked over to Jennifer and slapped her hard across the face. Jessica moved to protect Jennifer, but Alberto paid no attention to her and walked away. "Do it. I’ll be back in an hour, have them ready to go!" Alberto left the room as Ishmael started linking all the women’s shackles together with a long chain.
Ishmael paused when he reached Jessica. "Well, look at that. A little girl." He said with a sneer. Ishmael put down his chain and ran to the door. "Alberto, get in here!" He yelled. It didn’t take Alberto long to answer his call.
"What’s the problem?" Alberto asked as he came into the room.
"You won’t believe what I’ve found." Ishmael walked back over to Jessica and Alberto followed. When Ishmael went to touch Jessica’s arm Jennifer veered around and stood in front of her. "Move." Ishmael demanded.
"Leave her alone."
"You aren’t in much of a position for making demands Lady, now move!" Ishmael shouted louder as he prepared to push Jennifer out of the way. Jessica was very frightened. Her stomach was churning and she was beginning to shake.
"Ishmael!" Alberto laughed. "Don’t touch the merchandise! I can see the doe just fine from where she’s standing."
"What do you want to do with her?"
Alberto moved closer so that his breath was making Jennifer’s neck burn. "How old are you, little Doe-eyes?"
"She’s…" Jennifer started but Alberto interrupted her.
"I asked the kid! Now, how old are you?"
"Umm, I’m, uhh…" Jessica stuttered as the fear inside her came boiling to the surface. Her face turned green and she bent over as pain wracked through her stomach.
"What’s wrong with you?" Alberto asked while Jennifer turned around so that she was now facing Jessica. Jennifer bent down and touched Jessica’s head gently.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" She asked worriedly.
Jessica just nodded her head.
"Good, if you’re okay you can answer my question!" Alberto spewed.
Before Jennifer could protest Jessica told him "I’m sixteen." Jennifer winced as she saw the sneer appear across Alberto’s face.
"Oh, sweet sixteen? That wasn’t so hard now was it?" Alberto turned away from Jessica and started whispering to Ishmael. Ishmael smiled evilly and Alberto left the room.
"Come out of there kid." Ishmael directed Jessica.
Jessica became frozen with fear as Jennifer tried to keep Ishmael from getting to her. Ishmael grabbed Jennifer’s shackles and flung her across the room where she landed with a thud on the floor. Before she could collect herself Ishmael had picked up Jessica and carried her from the room. The rest of the women averted their eyes from Jennifer’s and hung their heads low. Carmen, who had not yet been chained to the rest walked over to Jennifer.
"I’m sorry." She said quietly.
"What are they going to do with her?" Jennifer whispered.
"No one really knows. They always separate the young ones. We think Alberto keeps them for himself."
"Oh God, no…" Jennifer cried.
"Alberto isn’t the big boss, but everyone thinks he is. He and Ishmael both work for a man named Xavier. We’ve heard things sometimes. Xavier, he lets Alberto have his pick of each group of women he sells. Alberto usually chooses the girls. No one ever sees them again." Carmen said; her face masking the pain she felt at having to say those words.
"How long have you been in here?" Jennifer said through her tears.
"Long enough. They take us out groups at a time. I keep getting overlooked."
"Why couldn’t they have just overlooked Jessie?" Jennifer cried.
Ishmael came back into the room and returned to chaining the women together. He chained Jennifer and Carmen to the rest of the group silently. After all but a few of the women were chained together he went to the front of the group and started pulling the chain. All the women were forced to follow him out of the room.
"We’ve got a lead on this Alberto Gonzalez." The Lieutenant said as he entered the room where Jonathan was sitting anxiously. Several officers followed him into the room. Jonathan looked up sharply and listened for the lieutenant to continue. "One of our undercover guys found out where his next auction is going to be."
"Do you think he’ll try to sell them there?" Jonathan asked.
"Possibly, there’s only one way to find out."
"What are we going to do?" One of the officers asked.
"Well, we’re going to go to the auction site. Senor Hart, do you think you can get a large sum of money together quickly?" Jonathan nodded his head. "Good, do that then we will meet back here. The auction is set for tomorrow at 3 am."
Alberto sat silently in the passenger seat of the van as Ishmael drove them to their destination.
"Is everything all set?" Alberto asked.
"Yes, the man who owns the land was very accommodating."
"Aah, good and you’re certain this meadow is hidden from public view."
"Yes, sir. We won’t need to worry about party crashers." Ishmael said as he pulled into a wooded driveway.
"Indeed, this is perfect." Alberto exclaimed as he saw the tree line that hid unknown treasures from the street. Ishmael continued driving the van until they reached a meadow surrounded by trees.
After Ishmael put the van in park Alberto proceeded to open the back of the van. The men who had followed in a car behind the van aimed their guns at the women who soon exited the van. "Don’t try anything rash my dears, these fellows know what they’re doing."
"Here comes our company now." Ishmael said as he saw a line of cars entering the wooded area. They had given their signal of three blinks of their headlights.
Alberto and the gunned men led their prisoners to the middle of the meadow where they lined them up side by side. The men in the cars got out and began to inspect the prisoners.
"Now, now Gentlemen, you will have to pay to do that!" Alberto said. "Shall we start the bidding?"
Jonathan was standing in the back of the bidders. He was searching the prisoners who had been lined up in the meadow and he gasped when he saw her. Jessica was standing with a group of girls and none of them appeared very healthy. It broke his heart when he saw her nearly collapse due to her extreme fatigue.
"Where’s Jennifer?" He whispered to James Ambry who was standing next to him.
"I don’t see her." James said quietly.
"Now, gentlemen let’s start the bidding on this little doe. She’s sixteen and in excellent condition. Shall we start at $1000?" Alberto announced.
"This is disgusting." Jonathan said before opening the bid to buy his own daughter. Jessica was staring at her shoes. She did not see who was bidding for her, and she was worried about where Jennifer was. The tears that she had been hiding started falling like rain on a window. Finally, Alberto announced that she had been sold. He unchained her from the other girls and pushed her towards one of the gunned men. The man with the gun pulled her towards her new owner. She never looked up from her shoes. Her new owner handed the man some cash and she jumped when someone grabbed her from behind and walked her towards a car. Once inside the car Jessica cried into her hands.
"What do we do now?" James asked.
"We wait. Jennifer must be here somewhere."
"What if she isn’t?" one of the plain clothes police officers asked.
"We arrest them all anyway." The Lieutenant replied.
"No!" Jonathan exclaimed. "What if they have her stashed somewhere? We’ll never be able to find her if you put them in jail!"
"We don’t know that Senor Hart. We must not lose this opportunity. There may not be another."
"And what happens to my wife once you’ve gotten your arrest?"
"We will find her, but first we must get these scum in jail." The Lieutenant replied.
Jonathan sighed angrily.
"It is time to make our move Lieutenant." One of the officers said. The Lieutenant nodded his head and the majority of the bidders pulled out guns and aimed at Alberto and his henchmen. After the police had everything under control they proceeded to free the girls in chains. They led Alberto, Ishmael and the rest of their group to the unmarked police cars in handcuffs.
Jonathan walked to his car in silence. His eyes filled up with tears when he saw Jessica crouched down on the floor of the car in tears. He had gotten the key to her shackles from the officer who had unchained the rest of the girls. He opened the back door and his face turned red with anger when he touched her and she started shaking. What had these monsters done to her? And what were they doing with his wife? He gently stroked the back of her hair and the softness of his touch startled Jessica. She looked up and into Jonathan’s eyes.
"Daddy!" She cried as she jumped from her seat on the floor. She reached to hug him, but Jonathan stopped her. He took her hands into his and removed the shackles, and then proceeded to unlock the shackles around her feet. After he had done this he pulled her to him in a tight hug.
"Are you okay?" He asked quietly as he kissed her softly on the head.
Jessica nodded her head. "Where’s Jennifer?"
Jonathan swallowed the lump in his throat. He didn’t know how he was going to tell his little girl that he didn’t know where her mother was. He wiped his eyes to try and block the tears that threatened to spill over. Jonathan held Jessica at arm’s length and looked sadly into her eyes. "I don’t know." He said. "But, don’t worry, I will find her."
Jessica didn’t doubt him. She had seen the power of Jonathan’s love for Jennifer work it’s magic before. It had saved her life many times and she knew, somehow that it would save Jennifer’s life again. Jessica hugged Jonathan tightly and whispered, "I know you will."
A police officer came up to the car door that Jonathan had left open. "We’re taking these guys down to the station now. We’ll need the girl to come down too and give a statement."
Jonathan nodded but said "Can’t it wait?"
Jessica interrupted him "No, it’s okay, I want to."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay, we’ll follow you back." Jonathan released Jessica from his embrace and got out of the car. He shut the door behind him and sat in the driver’s seat. He turned the car so that it was now behind the police cars and he drove to the station.
Jennifer and Carmen sat in a well-furnished room. Ishmael had separated the women into pairs and placed each pair into their own room. The rooms were plush with velvet drapes and silk sheets on the beds. Ishmael removed their shackles and departed. It was hours later and they hadn’t seen or heard from anyone. Ishmael said that he would be back, but he hadn’t yet returned.
"What do you think all this means?" Carmen asked.
"I know less then you do." Jennifer replied. Jennifer had been sitting on one of the beds but stood and started looking around the room. She went to the drapes and pulled them open. Behind the drapes was a window that looked out onto a garden. Jennifer tried pushing at the windows but they wouldn’t budge. Jennifer jumped when the door to the room opened.
"Trying to escape?" The man who entered the room asked. Before either Jennifer of Carmen could answer he said "Don’t worry, I’d try to escape from me too."
"Who are you?" Jennifer asked standing tall and hiding her fears.
"You may call me Hector." Hector answered then walked over to Jennifer. He placed his hand on her face but removed it quickly when she glared at him. "And what may I call you?"
Jennifer didn’t answer him and looked back out the window. Hector laughed and walked over to where Carmen was still sitting on the bed. "May I guess your name?"
"Carmen, it’s Carmen." Carmen answered quickly. She looked up long enough to tell her name and then began staring at her hands.
"Aah, Carmen, yes a beautiful name. What’s your friend’s name?"
Jennifer looked sharply at Carmen and with her eyes begged Carmen not to tell him. "Jennifer." Carmen answered without looking at Jennifer.
"Carmen and Jennifer? Good, very good. You both will be wonderful additions to my household. You will join me for dinner. You will find the proper attire in there." Hector pointed to the closet that stood against the wall. After Hector had left the room Jennifer and Carmen went to see the clothes in the closet.
Jennifer opened the door to the closet and pulled out one of the outfits. She smirked and rolled her eyes when she looked at the piece of cloth in her hands. It was little more then a sundress. It was purple and printed with yellow lilies on it. Carmen pulled out another outfit and sighed. She pulled out a two-piece, the top was bright pink and the bottom was green with pink lines on it.
"Mine looks like a mutilated watermelon." Carmen laughed.
Jennifer laughed as they tried on the dresses. Both dresses were snug around their bodies and made of an uncomfortable material. As they finished dressing they heard a knock at the door.
"It’s time ladies." An older woman said as she entered the room.
Jennifer and Carmen were surprised to see a woman.
"What’s going on?" Jennifer asked, "Who are you?"
"You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?" The woman sneered at Jennifer. "I’m Hector’s first wife Raya. What’s going on is dinner."
"You’re his wife." Jennifer balked.
"Yes, is there a problem with that?" Raya asked bitterly.
"You allow your husband to imprison women?"
"Hurry, Hector will not be pleased if we are late." Raya evaded Jennifer’s question.
"You’re just as much a prisoner as we are, aren’t you?" Raya ignored Jennifer and indicated that Jennifer and Carmen should follow her as she walked out the door.
Raya led the women out into the hall. When they entered the hall they noticed four other women standing along the walls. Raya pointed Jennifer and Carmen to the back of the line and in single file the women followed her to the dining area.
"Where are the rest of the women?" Jennifer asked Carmen. Carmen shrugged her shoulders.
"They are happy in their own new homes. I have no need for so many wives. Ten are plenty for me at this moment." Hector grinned as he noticed the look on Jennifer’s face. She looked around and saw three other women sitting quietly along a long table. Raya told them to sit down at the table. All the women complied, except Jennifer.
"We are not your wives." Jennifer said angrily.
"You are now. Whether you like it or not." Hector retorted.
"I don’t think my husband will agree with you."
"I have no care for whether your husband agrees with me or not."
"You will." Jennifer stated as she sat down in the seat next to Carmen.
"Well, something to look forward to, then!" Hector exclaimed as he started to eat. Raya and the three women who had been at the table first began eating after Hector. Carmen and the remaining four looked at each other solemnly and started to pick at the food on their plates. Jennifer pushed her plate away from her and folded her arms across her chest.
"My, my, looks like we have a stubborn one among us." Hector smirked. "I like stubborn."
The look on Hector’s face as he spoke sent chills up and down Jennifer’s spine.
Jonathan unlocked the hotel suite and walked quietly inside. It was late at night and Jessica should be asleep. He had sent her to the hotel in a police car after she gave her statement. He wanted to stay behind to see if the police had any leads on Jennifer’s whereabouts. They didn’t. Not trusting fate to have kept Jessica safe and sound asleep he tiptoed into her room. Jonathan knelt down beside the bed and watched her sleep. He touched the back of her head softly and kissed her gently on the forehead. Assured that Jessica would be okay for the night Jonathan went to his room. The room he was supposed to be sharing with Jennifer.
Jonathan took off his clothes and put on his pajamas silently. He walked over to the bed and stood by the side. Jonathan swiped his hand across the pillows and sighed. Sadly, Jonathan walked towards the closet. Wanting to be able to hold his wife in his arms desperately, Jonathan settled for clinging to her scent. He reached into the closet and pulled out one of her shirts. Fingering the material softly Jonathan brought the shirt to his face and cried.
"I will find you." He promised.
Jennifer tossed and turned in her bed until finally entering into a fitful sleep. She missed feeling her husband at her side, his arms wrapped around her. She missed hearing Freeway Jr. barking downstairs and Jessica moving around in her room. The everyday noises that comforted her had now kept her awake by their absence. Her dreams were jumbled and confused. She dreamt that she was trapped in a bottomless pit and that Jonathan was at the top of the pit but he couldn’t see her. One dream had her running through a forest, petrified. She kept running until she ran into Jonathan’s arms. The comfort that she felt quickly dissipated however, when Jonathan disappeared. Jennifer woke up from her sleep in a sweat and whispered the only word that could save her…Jonathan.
It took Jonathan what seemed like hours to fall asleep. His mind was reeling. He kept imagining what was happening to Jennifer at that very moment. He was picturing her being tortured, or hurt or dead. He clutched his pillow in his sleep as he dreamt of finding his wife bruised and battered. The stories Jessica had told him about her time in Alberto’s clutches re-played in his head, ending in Jennifer being thrown down a pit. He watched her fall and reached for her hand, but she had already fallen out of his sight. He dreamt that he saw Jennifer running through the woods, trying to find him. He ran towards her quickly and fell to the ground when she ran into his arms. His heart beat quickly and he panicked when Jennifer’s form slipped through his hands and disappeared. Jonathan awoke with a start and whispered the only word that came to him…Jennifer.
