Until Time Stands Still (15 page)

            “People just let this happen?” She gasped, dumbfounded.

            “Who’s going to stop them?” A young girl asked. “No one cares about us.”

            “Someone will come for me. He will rescue me and the rest of you too.” Isabelle said firmly.

            “Really?” The young girl asked.

            “What’s your name, sweetie?” Isabelle asked.

            “Sharai.” She said.

            “How old are you?” She asked.

            “Fifteen.”

            “I’m not going to let this happen.” She promised.

**************

            Mykel looked down at the tracking device every few yards as they hiked, making sure she wasn’t being moved. They had tracked her across several miles going north toward the city. It wasn’t that hard to figure out where she would go. It was the only city for a hundred miles in any direction.

            When they came upon her makeshift shelter and the remains of her clothes, Mykel’s heart sank. It was obvious bandits had discovered her. They decided to wait until dark to invade the warehouse they had tracked her to. That afternoon, Graham infiltrated their organization posing as a potential buyer looking for young raven haired women and got himself invited to the auction, with Bryant. They would create a diversion while Mykel and Johnny got Isabelle out. Mykel spent the hours anxiously waiting for the sun to fall. He went into the town and purchased clothing for Isabelle, as well as food and water for the men. He needed something to do to keep his mind off what was going on inside that warehouse.

            If he was totally honest with himself, before he met Isabelle, he never cared if women were auctioned or not. He knew it happened. It was a part of the culture, because there were so many more men than women these days. Several had died of starvation, or had severe complications from childbirth because they couldn’t get any medical care. Others were simply murdered in the raids. Several men never married simply because they couldn’t find a woman. Incest was so common that it wasn’t shocking to anyone anymore, but it also caused more population problems because babies were born with unusual deformations. No one knew the exact numbers, but the estimate was for every twelve men, there was one woman. As a result, men fought over women, killed for women, and whenever possible, stole them outright. His worst fear had come true. Someone had stoln Isabelle from him. He would do anything he could to get her back, even if it meant killing every last man in there. It didn’t matter that she hated him. He couldn’t let another man hurt her. He would do whatever he had to do to rescue her and make her his again, even if she hated him the rest of his life. He would love her anyway.            When he got back to the group, he passed out the water and food, and they partook silently, all the while watching the warehouse for any signs or changes of routine. 

            “This has to go off without a hitch.” Graham said. “We can’t lose any more of our people today.”

            “I’m sorry guys.” Mykel said. “I know I’ve brought all this down on us.”

            “No worries man. You’d do this for any one of us too.” Bryant said. “We all love her just as much as you do.”

            “You better not!” He growled.

            “He means, she’s like a sister to us, Mykel.” Johnny said laughing.

            “Ok guys, get in position. We move in five.” Graham said.

            The girls were marched out in front of the crowd in groups of three, each of them naked. They each had a braided leather collar around their necks. Two of them never looked up from the floor, while the third woman stared straight ahead, seemingly unashamed of her nakedness. She had raven colored hair, olive skin and she was a true beauty, even with no makeup, hair a mess and covered in bruises.

            Bryant nudged Graham and nodded toward the woman. “I want that one.” He hissed.

            “This is just a diversion, we aren’t actually going to buy one of these women.” He said firmly.

            “I know. But while we are rescuing our girl, why not the others?”

            “Are you serious?” Graham was stunned. “How are we going to get all of them out of here?”

            “We can’t leave them here.” Bryant said.

            Graham sighed. “We can’t go off mission every time one of you yahoos sees a pretty girl.”

            “Come on boss man.” Hollister said. “You know it’s the right thing to do.”

            “We’ll get our girl and come back for the others.” He said.

            “And her too.” Bryant said, motioning to the woman.

            Graham sighed. “Fine. She’s your responsibility.” He raised his hand and began the bidding.

            Mykel came in through the back. There were only two men standing sentry, and he serviced them quickly and quietly. He slipped into the back of the warehouse while Johnny took up a sniper position. He could hear the furious bidding going on in the front. The guys were keeping the bidding for the women competitive, while he picked the lock on the door that housed the women. They could read several heat signatures in that area of the warehouse.

            He slipped inside and turned on the lights. He was shocked at the conditions the women were in. Several of them looked emaciated and beaten. “Isabelle?” He hissed. “Where are you?”

            “Here.” She said, standing and putting her hand through the bars.

            He ran to her. “Are you ok?”

            She nodded. “I knew you would come for me.” She said, relieved to see him.

            “I’ll always rescue you baby, because I love you.” He said, grabbing her hand. “But I swear woman, if you ever kick me in the balls and run away from me again, I’ll let you walk. No matter how it tears out my heart, I won’t chase after you every time you get mad at me and pitch a fit like that. If you want to be with me, you’ll have to come back on your own. Understand?”

            “I’m still mad at you for lying to me.” She said. “You should have told me.”

            “I’m sorry. Really. We can talk about all of that later. I need to get you out of here now.”

            “Are you here for all of us?” One of the other girls asked.

            “We have to leave you all in here for now, until the area is secured. Then we can come back and get you out. Hold tight ok?”

            He took a pair of cutters out of his bag and cut the lock on her cage.

            When the cage was open, she rushed out and threw her arms around him. He crushed her body to his and kissed her thoroughly. The other ladies cheered. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. He handed her his sidearm.

            “Take this. If you see anyone other than my guys, shoot to kill.” He said.

            She shook her head and tried to give the gun back. “I can’t shoot someone.”

            “Look. I hate to say it, but we are really outnumbered, and you may not have a choice if you want to get out of here alive.” He placed the gun firmly in her hands and showed her where the safety was. “Flip this, point, aim, squeeze, repeat. Got it?”

            She nodded. “Why do people keep trying to kill me?”

            “This one’s on you baby. I told you not to leave the base without me.” He said. “I was only trying to protect you.”

            “I would have been fine if those guys hadn’t found me. I told them to leave me alone.” She insisted.

            He sighed. “Now is not the time to get all prideful. Let’s go.”

            He lead her over to the door.

            “White Dove secure.” He told the others. “Are we a go?”

            “Stand by.” Bryant said.

            In the front, Graham signalled to raise the price by over a thousand dollars. There was a hush over the crowd.

            Bryant raised another hundred.

            Graham raised his eyebrow and the bidding war began, much to the crowds amusement.

            “I won’t let him take you, sweetheart.” Bryant winked at his raven haired beauty. “You don’t want a man all scared up like that. Some woman probably did that to him in retaliation.” He sneered.

            She stared at Graham in amusement. “He probably deserved it.” She said, haughtily. “I would have done worse.”

            The crowed howled with laughter.

            Graham pretended offense, and raised the price on her another two hundred, glaring at her.

            Bryant snorted. “Eighteen hundred.” He shouted, walking toward the front of the crowd to stand right in front of her. The other girls finally looked up from the floor to watch the bidding war.

            “Two thousand.” Graham said loudly, stepping up next him. “I’m taking this sweet thing home to teach her some proper respect for a man.” He growled.

            The crowd cheered. She glared at him, “No woman will respect a man with that kind of attitude.” She hissed.

            “Twenty five hundred.” Bryant said. “What’s your name, pretty lady?”

            “Not so fast buddy.” She said. “When you win me in the auction, you’ll earn the right to know my name.” She said, flipping her hair out of her face.

 Bryant laughed good-naturedly. “As you wish.”

            “Twenty six.” Graham said. “And I don’t care what your name is.”

            “Twenty eight.” Bryant said, turning to glare at Graham. “You’re an ass.”

            “Twenty nine.” Graham said. “I’ve got bigger stones than you.”

            “Three thousand!” Bryant growled. “I’ve got what it takes to please a lady all night long, unlike you…who doesn’t care at all if a woman enjoys it.”

            “You bastard!” Graham clocked Bryant square in the jaw. The man spun and threw himself at Graham, taking them both to the ground.

            The whole room erupted in cheers. Bets were taken on who would win, and the girls were temporarily forgotten.

            “Go Mykel.” Johnny said, waiting to signal him for the time when the crowd and the bandits were all watching the fight.

            Mykel opened the door. “Stay down.” He hissed.