Run (2 page)

Women had become almost as valuable as currency. Families in extreme poverty sold their daughters to the wealthy for whatever duty that needed to be fulfilled, be it domestic work or sex. The latter set would eventually end up in brothels once their wealthy benefactor grew bored with them. Some women went straight to the whore houses as a means to support their family. Despite those choices, they weren’t the worst options.

Aya shuddered as she thought of that disgusting game some women had to resort to in order to survive. It gave her another reason to hate the Elites. They’d destroyed the country with their greed and didn’t care how much people suffered as long as they could live comfortably.

If only she hadn’t seen that dress. She wouldn’t have had the confrontation with that bitch, but the lovely jade dress made of the sheerest material reminded her of the shade of green her mother used to adore. It was a favorite shade of hers, as well.

The second she’d walked into the upscale boutique eyes were on her. Eyes that judged her and the verdict was clear. She didn’t belong. With a brief glance at the price tag on the dress, she agreed. As she headed toward the exit, she tripped over something. Spiraling to the floor, Aya noted there was nothing on the ground she could have possibly stumbled over but she did notice a blonde walking away who glanced back her way with a smirk on her peach-tinted lips.

Her assailant would have walked away as if nothing happened but Aya had snapped. Once she was on her feet, she’d rushed over to the blonde and grabbed her by the arm. Aya had been so angry at that point, she wasn’t sure whether she would have physically assaulted the woman. But she never got the opportunity to find out. The blonde screamed blue murder and a burly store security guard appeared, roughly grabbing Aya away.

“He just assaulted me. I want him arrested! Why are you hesitating? Do you know who I am?”

“Maxine, I think that’s a girl,” one of Maxine’s companions pointed out while glancing in Aya’s direction with a clear look of disdain.

“I don’t care what
it
is. I want the enforcers here, now!”

Aya attempted to break the bruising grip the security guard had on her. She wanted to break free and teach the rude cow some manners.

The security guard held her tighter still, painfully pinching into her flesh. “You ain’t going nowhere. Shoulda known you’d be a problem the second you stepped foot inside this shop.” While still holding on to her, he pressed a button on his call device and briefly spat a code into it.

The more Aya struggled to get out of the guard’s grasp, the tighter he held her. In less than five minutes, two enforcers showed up.

“What’s the problem?” One of the black clad officers inquired.

Maxine glared at Aya. “That thing hit me. I want it behind bars like the animal it is.”

Aya wasn’t sure what made her angrier, the woman’s lies or the dehumanizing description of her. “I didn’t hit her. I barely touched her. She tripped me. I tried to get her attention and—”

“No one asked you,” the second enforcer cut her off.

Aya had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach about how this would end, especially when she noticed how the first enforcer casually looked her up and down as if he was imagining how she looked beneath her clothing. It was no secret that the enforcers did the bidding of the Elites and she stood no chance of getting a fair hearing. At this point, she wasn’t sure if she’d make it through the day without being inappropriately touched by one of the enforcers.

“Do you see?” The blonde pointed an accusatory finger in Aya’s direction. “They’re all animals. You know she must be up to no good. She, obviously, can’t afford anything in here.”

“There’s no law against looking. You snooty, bitch,” Aya shouted.

“We’ve heard enough. We’ll take it from here.” The second enforcer grabbed Aya’s arm and pulled her away from the security guard. “You’re under arrest for assault.”

Aya wasn’t sure how it happened so quickly but the enforcer clasped her wrists behind her back and slapped a pair of handcuffs on them. She’d never been close to crying in her life but she wouldn’t give these people the satisfaction.

As she was being led toward the door, a tall fair-haired man in a tailored suit that screamed money walked over to the blonde. “I see you still have a flair for the dramatic, Maxine. You know, you tripped this young lady and she barely touched you.”

Maxine turned beet red. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Everyone saw what she did to me.”

“Did they? Ashley, did you see this woman assault Maxine?” the stranger asked one of Maxine’s friends.

Ashley glanced away, embarrassed.

“How about you, Hoda?”

He was met with the same reaction. He smirked. “I didn’t think so. Perhaps, you officers should have let the young lady have her say.”

The first enforcer with the lascivious gaze seemed at a loss for words. And the other, who still held on to her tightly, changed course altogether. “Well, be that as it may, we’ll still have to take her in for trespassing and disorderly conduct.”

“I suppose you’ll have to do what you must. As long as you know, if you have to arrest this young woman for assault, you’d have to take my friend, Maxine, down to the station with her.”

“Whose side are you on anyway, Foster? You’re taking that Dreg’s side over mine?”

“I’m simply being a good citizen.”

“Well, like we said, we won’t charge her for the assault, but she’ll have to come with us.”

The man named Foster shrugged before walking off.

The next thing Aya knew, she was in the back of an enforcer vehicle.

Thus began her nightmarish stay at a downtown jail. She wasn’t given the luxury of a call to her uncle but thankfully, a frequent customer to the bar, who happened to work in the shopping district, had recognized her being taken away and had notified Uncle Arthur. When she was released, she was given her personal items back sans the money she’d saved for her uncle’s gift. The corrupt enforcers had laughed when she’d asked for her credits back.

Though her uncle had frequently chastised her for valuing her pride, she refused to ever let it go.

Dare never thought he’d be so unmoved from receiving a blow job but as he dispassionately watched the redhead working her cherry-tinted lips over his cock, he could barely maintain his erection. It wasn’t that his lover wasn’t good at what she did, in fact her technique was at a level most professionals took years to obtain, there was just something about it that he found lacking. Perhaps, it was because she was too eager for it. She worked his dick and balls with a finesse that had once excited him but now he could only glance at his watch and wait for it to be over. Obviously, it was time to make a change.

“Am I interrupting anything?” Foster Graham walked into his office without bothering to knock. He was one of the few people who could get away with doing that without repercussions.

Instead of pulling away, Susan raised her head to glance in Foster’s direction before taking him in her mouth again. She moved her mouth up and down his shaft in earnest. Susan seemed to enjoy that someone was watching. It was like she was an actress on a stage giving the performance of her life. Fucking whore.

He turned his attention to his friend. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

Foster glanced at the eager redhead. “Is that Susan Fowler?”

As if on cue, Susan raised her head again and winked before going back to work. Dare had had enough. “Get up. You can leave.”

She raised her head with a pout that looked quite childish. “But I didn’t get you off.”

“Goodbye Susan.” Her frown deepened as she wobbled to her feet and dusted off her knees before heading out the door.

Once she’d left, Foster took the seat in front of his desk. “Your new plaything is a bit of an exhibitionist, isn’t she? I didn’t realize the two of you were a thing.”

Dare stood to pull up his pants and buckle his belt. “We’re not. She’s just someone I fuck and she likes to suck dick.”

“If I’m going by the look on your face when I entered the office, she wasn’t doing that good of a job.”

“She’s actually quite good at it. I’m just bored with her. It’s hard to get into the act when you know the other person has an agenda.”

Foster raised a brow. “What do you mean by that?”

“If news hasn’t gotten out already, it will soon enough. Her father’s company is going under and she’s hoping to find a benefactor to take care of her. Maybe even marriage.”

Foster threw his head back and laughed. “She’s dealing with the wrong guy if she thinks she can lead you down that path.”

“Exactly. I’m sure she’ll eventually find someone who’ll take care of her. With her being woman, she’ll land on her feet. And if not, she could always register for The Run.”

“More than likely, she’ll land on her feet before that happens. Although a lot of patrons would pay handsomely if she were in the game. Worst case scenario, she’ll wind up in a high end brothel.”

Dare glanced at his watch. “Is there any particular reason for your visit? I have to be at a meeting across town in about an hour and I have to start heading out.”

“I’ve heard there’ll be more protests this weekend about The Run. Will it affect the game?”

“No. The enforcers will handle it.”

“The last time the enforcers handled a group of protesters, they opened fire into a crowd full of unarmed people.”

“Sometimes, that’s the risk you take when you break the law. Don’t worry about it. Your fun won’t be ruined.”

Foster nodded slowly. “I just wanted to make sure there wouldn’t be any civil unrest. I missed the last couple of Runs.”

The Run was a hunt that took place once a month. It had started out as a government program for men to find wives after nearly two thirds of the female population was wiped out. The men were given the opportunity to participate by a lottery system while every woman of age was required to participate. The Run for all intents and purposes was a legalized hunt where the men would hunt for their potential mates. A lot of controversy had surrounded the practice, mainly caused by the women but since their numbers were so few, they’d had no choice. As the years passed and more females were born, the budget for The Run was cut. It had gone from a weekly event to monthly then finally, annually. Eventually, the program went defunct altogether.

It was Dare’s father who snapped up the land the games had once taken place on when the government had put it up for sale. Aeden O’Shaughnessy had seen an opportunity to increase the profits of his growing empire by reopening The Run. But this time, it was pay for play system. An exorbitant fee was charged in order for participants to join the hunt. The prey were women who either volunteered, were sold by their families, or had ended up on the wrong side of the law and cut a deal with the enforcers in order to avoid being thrown in jail.

There were two major differences from the original Run. The women were given a pair of running shoes to wear and nothing else to add a bit of spice to the game. And second, most hunters weren’t marriage minded. Many of the women ended up as servants, sex slaves, or both. They were owned by their captors. Their only way to freedom was if their owners decided to release them. Some wealthy patrons joined the hunt each month to add to their personal harems and flaunt their wealth among their friends. Though their numbers had increased, women were commodities in a world where men still outnumbered them.

Dare had inherited The Run after his father died. He didn’t participate, but he would often go to the gaming grounds to watch. He had no need to join the hunt.  His sexual needs were well taken care of. Women offered themselves to him daily and if they were worth noticing, he obliged.

The Run, however, still had its problems. The bleeding hearts saw the game as inhumane, claiming that it placed women in desperate situations at an unfair disadvantage. He’d heard the arguments before, but they didn’t matter. As long as The Run remained profitable, it would continue. He’d learned from an early age that all a man had in the world was his legacy and his was one of the largest.

“Like I said, you have nothing to worry about. If need be, extra enforcers can be called in to guard the parameter. Since you’re participating this weekend, I take that to mean you’ve grown bored with your last conquest.”

Foster chuckled. “What can I say? I enjoy variety. But unlike you, I keep my women around for longer than a couple weeks and I only screw one woman at a time. I bet poor Susan didn’t know you were fucking that ambassador’s daughter as well as his wife. And that was only a few days ago.”

“You say that as if I made promises to these women. They got exactly what they wanted.”

“You almost sound like you have a disgust for the women you sleep with.”

Dare knew where this was heading and he wanted no part of it. Foster was one of the few people he actually considered a friend, so Dare allowed him some leeway, but not on this subject. “Fuck, Foster. I sleep alone. Besides, you know, I don’t have much use for women unless they’re on their backs or on their knees. And I sincerely hope, you’re not trying to turn this conversation into a ‘what’s wrong with Dare’ chat because I have neither the time nor the inclination. In fact, I need to head out.”

Foster stood up with a sigh. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

As they headed toward the garage where Dare’s chauffer waited for him, Foster asked, “Are you participating in the hunt?”

Dare shook his head. “No. I don’t have enough of an incentive to.”

“Maybe someone may catch your eye.”

“I doubt it. No one has yet.”

“Why have you stopped?” Dare asked without looking up from his holopad as he scrolled through his notes from the tedious meeting he’d just attended.

“I’m sorry Mr. O’Shaughnessy, but I believe one of the thrusters has lost pressure. The car isn’t hovering as high off the ground as it should.”

Dare looked up for the first time with a frown. “Isn’t it your job to maintain my vehicles so this doesn’t happen?”

“Y-yes sir, my apologies. I think some debris must have found its way inside as I was driving. But, I can fix it right away!”

Dare grunted. He had no choice but to wait for Steven to fix the thruster. He made a mental note of this transgression. He paid his employees to ensure these setbacks didn’t occur. Steven was one more mistake away from being out of a job. He glanced at his watch impatiently and then took in his surroundings for the first time.

The rundown buildings and abandoned businesses gave this street a depressed look. Unkempt children, who didn’t look like they’d seen water in days, ran in the streets. Men were gathered on street corners in groups as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Dare curled his top lip in disgust. These were the same people who cried about poverty, yet they hung out on corners as if they had nothing better to do. It was no wonder this town looked to be on its last leg. It finally occurred to him why this street looked familiar. One of his companies was in the early stages of buying up the properties on this street and the ones bordering it to build a new shopping district. He’d seen this piece of real estate through images via satellite.

He zeroed in on a building that didn’t look to be in as bad a shape as the surrounding ones. A few men came out of it while some more went in. The sign at the top read
Arthur’s
. He tapped the communicator button on the side of his watch to buzz Steven.

“Yes sir?” his chauffeur’s voice emitted from the micro speaker on Dare’s watch.

“Are you familiar with Arthur’s?”

“Um, it’s a bar that also serves food. I’ve been a couple times.”

Dare clicked off. He glanced at the building again. He wasn’t sure what compelled him but he wanted to see the inside. When he stepped out of the vehicle, Steven jumped to his feet. “Sir, the thruster has been repaired and the vehicle is ready for you.”

“Wait for me outside. I’m going to have a drink.”

“All right, Mr. O’Shaughnessy. I’ll be right here.”

Dare headed to the bar without acknowledging the other man. When he stepped into the bar, he crinkled his nose. There was a slightly stale odor clinging to the establishment. The room was littered with small tables occupied with patrons who appeared to be of the merchant class and others who looked like they’d be better off in a ditch. Dregs, some people in his circles would call them.

He surveyed the room for an available table and spotted one close to the bar. Once he took his seat, he eyed the dusty paper menu in front of him that listed a small selection of meals. Dare pushed it away and waited for service. He glanced at his watch after he felt like enough time had passed for someone to come and take his drink order. There was an older gentleman in a white apron, standing near the bar that Dare assumed worked for this dump.

He gave the man ten seconds to notice him before he walked out of the building and had this building shut down and demolished. Drumming his fingers impatiently against the scarred wooden table, he began the countdown in his head when from the corner of his eye, he noticed movement behind the bar.

Dare turned to see who was there and froze.

Standing behind the bar was the girl he’d seen getting hauled away by the enforcers. Though he’d only caught a brief glance at her before, his memory was one thing he prided himself on. He rarely, if ever, forgot a face and hers had been memorable from a distance but closer, she was nothing short of stunning. The short almost masculine haircut created a stark contrast to the refined feminine features that only enhanced her beauty. Large brown eyes, full lips, and skin like the dark rich beverage he enjoyed each morning. It was a pity half her body was concealed by the bar but from what he could tell, she had a petite frame.

She had yet to look in his direction as she went about some mundane task behind the bar. In an involuntary gesture, he licked his lips. Dare could practically taste her on his tongue. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as his pants seemed to tighten around his crotch area. He paused for a moment. His response to a woman in this dingy bar took him by surprise. It had been a very long time since any woman had garnered such a strong response within him. Regardless, he’d made an important decision in that moment.