12 Glass of Water

ORIGINAL CONTENT OF D.C. BLU. DO NOT COPY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE WITHOUT THE AUTHOR’S PERMISSION. PLAGIARISM IS CRUEL. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL.

12: Glass of Water

Cody woke, head throbbing. She groaned trying to remember what happened and why she hurt. A rush of memories had her shaking with rage. She moved and thrashed, but bindings on her arms and legs kept her from maneuvering like she wanted. This is not happen again…not again!

She roared frustration as she tried to pull her wrist through the confines with no success. She rocked, using the momentum to roll on her back. She lifted her legs to rock back on her shoulder, then jerked forward using the muscles in her abs, the push of her bound arms, and her legs to sit up on her butt. Breath ragged, she stared around into complete darkness.

Unable to see, she continued working on the binds of her wrists. It hurt like hell, so she knew getting loose would require skinning her hands maybe dislocating her wrists.

Sounds caught her attention and Cody stilled. Rustling noise. Mice? Rats?

Then it got louder. The rumbling of an engine. The screech of brakes as lights flickered through the corner of what could be the outline of a door. Doors slammed.

Murmured voices came next.

Cody lay back down and pretended to be unconscious as she listened.

“And you’re sure there were no cameras at that intersection?” A male voice said.

“Of course,” Another man replied. “But we didn’t have time to check if the guy following her was still alive. I don’t think he saw anything, he was out cold or already dead.”

“You made a mess of this. We were ordered to get her quietly and not leave a trail, but instead you’ve got police all over the scene.”

“We were getting desperate and she’s always watched where ever she goes. What else were we supposed to do?”

“Shit, we have to push up the time table and leave the country tonight.”

The lights came on when they entered. She kept her eyes closed.

“Damn, there’s blood. What happened?”

“She fought. She was taking out our people one by one. We tried not to harm her like ordered, but it was impossible.”

“She hasn’t woken up yet…this might be bad.” A hand swept her hair off her face and it was all Cody could do to lay faking sleep and not flinch. “Hello beautiful.” That hand traveled down to her neck and stayed. The touch had her insides screaming. “Her pulse seems okay. So she’s alive.” Then the hand kept traveling and Cody wanted to kick him when it reach her breast.

“So?” The other man asked.

“So you fucked up. Boss said no trail, you leave bodies. Boss said no harm comes to the girl. You crack her head open. How am I supposed to explain this to him?”

“I know, I know. But what else was I supposed to do?”

“Shut up and sit in the corner, dumbass.” His hand squeezed her breast before traveling down to her ass. There was a rustling sound and some silence before the man groping her said, “Mr. Kozlov, its Reginald, we had a problem.” The man began to explain everything that happened and when he finished he got quiet. “Understood, sir.”

“What did he say?” The other guy, who she assumed was now sitting in a corner, asked.

“He still wants her and is willing to pay for her. Of course we’re not getting the twenty million like before. It’s now ten.”

The man let go of Cody and stood. Cody opened her eyes just enough to see a bored face in a business suit. The blue eyed man was clean, shaven, and looked completely out of place in what looked like a metal shipping container.

“You stay put.” He pointed to the guy on the floor sitting in time out.

The blue eyed man walked out. Then two guys came in, the biggest one was about the size of her sister’s giant red-head fiancé. The big guy bent down and hoisted Cody up onto his shoulder effortlessly before heading for the door. The other smaller guy approached the guy in timeout and pulled out a gun.

Cody’s mouth opened in alarm to tell the guy to run just as the shot blew through his head. Cody clamped her mouth shut against the sight and horror. She wanted to scream, fight, but she had to be smart. Play it cool, Cody, play it cool… She told herself even as tears pricked her eyes…

What had she gotten into? Who were these men? Mr. Kozlov? Who was that? Oh shit…

Outside, the smell of gasoline made her blink away the tears and focus on every detail. She saw them dousing the large shipping container with gasoline, but couldn’t see any of the faces. She noticed shipping cranes and the sound of water. They were on the docks somewhere.

They dumped her into a truck bed and pulled off before the first match was lit to burn away the dead guy’s body.

She didn’t remember falling asleep, but Cody woke abruptly when something patted her face. She groaned at the pain. Her head felt like…like someone tried to brain her. She jerked awake remembering the gasoline, the men, the death…

“Hello Beautiful.” That familiar voice grabbed her.

Cody’s head jerked up to see the blue eyed man staring down at her. “Who…who are you? What do you want?”

He smiled though it looked more practiced then genuine. “Reggie. How are you feeling?”

“Hurts,” Cody said honestly.

“I know…we’ll get that cleaned up. You know, Ms. Delarosa, you were a hard woman to track down. No matter how many times we tried to trace your phone number, it was nearly impossible and then you went and had it changed. A lot of resources went into that project. Slowed me down. Didn’t appreciate it.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “But I figured you would show yourself eventually since you’re always seen around Miami. People don’t forget your face. I can see why. I just had to be careful of your benefactor’s henchmen. To think I went through all the trouble to be careful and it was wasted in a night.” He clicked his tongue. “Oh well, I still got you.”

“Who the hell would want me that damn bad?” Cody asked looking down at her bound ankles.

“You pissed off a powerful man. You should really be careful how you talk to people. But you’re in luck! He’s being merciful and has decided not to give you to his men.”

What…the fuck?

“As a business man, he thinks you’ll be very lucrative. Imagine a world were the most beautiful men and women are pampered and treated like vintage cars. Then sold to another wealthy buyer for millions. And the process repeats.”

Her stomach turned. “Human trafficking.”

“Not so slummy. More like a high priced consort.”

“With no fucking rights. So a damned pampered slave,” she said through clinched teeth.

“You’re pretty smart. And that mouth… Mr. Kozlov’s going to have fun breaking you.”

“News flash, dick weed, I’ve already been broken. This is the result.” She stared into his blue eyes and noticed the humor in his gaze.

“No. This is you with hope left. When Mr. Kozlov’s finished, not even hope will remain. Can’t have a slave with a mind of their own, can we?”

He stood up and Cody got a good look of the small room. It was a small compartment almost. She lay on a firm bed that was the size of a cot.

Cody swallowed back the pain when her head throbbed.

“Water.” She groaned. She wanted to ask for an aspirin, but with this bastard there was no telling what she’d get.

He wet his lips looking down at her. “Of course.” He patted her thigh and then smoothed a hand over it.

“If I’m so valuable, could you not grope the merchandise?” She narrowed her gaze.

He laughed while his hand slid up to her ass.

Cody tried to squirm away. “Bitch.”

“Tell me… Are you related to the De La Rosa?”

Cody stilled.

“The first tip off was your last name. No way could you, with your looks and appeal, be a normal Delarosa. A real De La Rosa is born tailored, carefully crafted to be beautiful and alluring, not just born by some random pairing, or so I’m told.”

What the hell did that mean? Selective breeding? Like some sort of animal?

“While I was digging up information about you, a lady in Puerto Rico said your picture looked like a young De La Rosa with green eyes. I spoke to another woman in Brazil who said the same. So not wanting to cross De La Rosa, I sent someone to ask her. Of course I didn’t get an answer from her, she’s too high up on the food chain. But I did get a reply from one of her people. They say you’re a nobody and refused to comment further.”

Cody rolled her eyes, not surprised in the least.

“But if you know the right people and follow the right chains of information, you learn some very interesting facts. Carla Morales, do you know that name?”

Cody didn’t answer even while her heart thudded with the memory of the only woman under her mother who tried to care for her.

“She died of a drug overdose about ten years ago. However, the little girl she had been seen with and had been taking care of, suspected as her daughter, disappeared, according to neighbors.”

Carla was dead? A tinge of sorrow touched her for the woman. Carla had tried so hard to protect her despite the woman’s own issues and Cody never got to thank her.

“It was suspected that Ms. Morales was one of De La Rosa’s most loyal girls. Could give the best head.”

Cody narrowed her eyes at the bastard’s crassness.

“Carla’s dealer, a Mr. Cortez, was found dead not long after that.”

She remembered that vile man. And good riddance. She hoped he suffered.

“According to reports, he was found bled to death with his penis in his mouth.” Reggie shuddered.

Cody gasped. What? Who would do that to one of De La Rosa’s people? Surely the organization would have retaliated.

“The interesting thing was, that whoever did it was an outsider. One of the locals believe it was someone more powerful than De La Rosa, because the organization fell quiet after that, working more in the shadows than they ever did. Around the time Cortez died, some foreigners were spotted in the area. The only thing I got out of one of the locals was two words Sadik. Bellini.”

Holy shit… Sadik was the name of Gabe’s mother’s Turkish connections. And Bellini was her maiden name. Her father’s people cowed De La Rosa? No way… No way!

“I haven’t finished connecting all the dots, but from what I’ve learned, Gabriel Walthour spent a lot of resources making you disappear. Resources that amount to nearly one hundred million US currency.”

Cody’s eyes widened as her mouth opened in shock.

“Ah, you didn’t know. Yes, it shocked me as well. That was a lot of money for one little girl. But why would Walthour buy and keep you…for what? You are one of four beneficiaries… All living under one roof. Why? Is he just interested in providing charity? But why is he so secret about it? Why make you disappear? You practically have no footprint on this world unlike the other three boys you live with. What is he trying to hide spending that much money?”

Now that she could answer, but no way in hell would she. No wonder Gabriel treated her like she was his property. She was. Freedom from her mother’s people bought for one hundred million. The surprise of it all sent chills through her.

“As for De La Rosa… I don’t know what is going on with that organization, but they have been quiet ever since. Well, quieter than they usually are. I don’t know how those people operate, but I plan to learn more. You intrigue me.” The man’s face lowered to Cody’s shirt as he lifted the material snapping her out of her shock. His tongue snaked out.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” She yelled, sat up, and tried to kick him with her bound legs.

He laughed jumping back. “Holy shit! They weren’t kidding. You are trained.” He breathed excited. “Why would your owner train you to fight? Unless…does he like that kinky shit where he wants you to fight him, dominate him? Or does he dominate you? Hold you down and rape you? Does he?”

What kind of sick fuck was he? She looked down at the bulge in Mr. Disgusting’s pants. “I’m guessing you get off on that sort of shit.” She curled her upper lip in disgusted.

“Look at my face. I don’t need to force a woman. But I like to watch. If I hadn’t promised Mr. Kozlov that we’d be delivering you unharmed, I might have you play with my guys. So what’s Walthour’s kink?”

She wouldn’t know. She’d never slept with him. And at that moment she wished she had. At least her first time would be with a man she cared about instead of whoever they decided for her.

As Cody considered Reggie’s words, she wondered if Gabe did have a kink? The man didn’t pursue Cody until she started rebeling. He left her alone as long as she was docile and obedient. But he proved how hard he got every time she became defiant. He even warned her…no she shouldn’t be thinking those thoughts, not in front of this fucker. Gabe was her private life, not to be tainted by this bullshit.

“You’re not going to worry about him coming after you?” She asked wondering if he would. Gabe was often cold and yet he spent time with her and came to see her when he could. Would he miss her? Was he even looking for her? Remembering how he reacted after she was almost abducted on the beach, she knew, he was not only searching, he was probably preparing a jail cell for her so that she’d never leave again. “He’s a very controlling man. Do you think he’ll just let this insult go?”

When the man didn’t answer, Cody lifted her gaze and saw worry in his face.

“He’d have to know who took you, first. I think I’m safe.”

“You don’t think he’ll find me once you start passing me around to your rich folk?”

He laughed nervously. “Not my concern. But if I know Mr. Kozlov, he’ll keep you a long, long time before you are sold. He likes to savor his toys thoroughly before he sells them.”

“You do know Mr. Walthour is feared for a reason. You think he’s just going to let one hundred million dollars walk out the door without him at least getting his money back. Someone is going to have to pay.”

He nodded. “I’m sure Mr. Kozlov has the money to cover the expense.” The man turned toward the door. “You need water,” he said rubbing the back of his neck. Was his forehead shining…sweat? He feared Gabe. Good.

He left and she heard a snick that had to be a lock sliding into place. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the throbbing in her head. It was hurting to think or move, but she’d move just to keep that bitch from touching her again. Then she thought about the water. Would they drug it?

The door opened and a women walked in carrying a glass of clear liquid. The woman only had to take two steps to get into the small closet of a room. She leaned down and put the glass to Cody’s lips. Cody began drinking as she watched the woman’s face. She was all business, not hint of caring or concern. She’d get no help from this lady. Some of it spilled down her chin to her neck and wet her t-shirt. At first, she thought it was an accident, but when more kept pouring until the front was totally wet, she wanted to spit the water out on her. The woman pulled back and left the compartment before Reggie came back all grins.

“Damn, look at you. She got you all wet.” He grinned not the least bit apologetic.

“Fucker.”

His grin widened. “Let’s get you some new clothes.” He rubbed his hands together. “You’re going to be perfect.”

The door swung opened and some guys came into the room. Panic rose inside of her without her permission.

They weren’t…not…now?

“A pretty thing like you, should be in something more suitable.”

She swallowed backing up on the bed as best she could with limited mobility.

“Dress her. But take care. I want to be the one to mark her skin. And keep in mind, she’s a fighter.”

She was about to scream when one of the men grabbed her shoving her face in the mattress pinning her there to muffle her cries nearly suffocating her. Pain shot through her head.

She felt something cold against her wrists. A knife?

Her mind cleared. This is it. They were going to cut her free to dress her. Maybe just her hands, but that was enough. Yet she didn’t know what was behind those doors. What if it was an army? Should she take the risk? But how else would she learn?

Then they cut her legs free. Steadying her breathing to keep from suffocating, she felt them pull her pants off. She knew it was a small room. Too big for three people, but it might be just enough to maneuver. Her mind went over possible scenarios as she formulated the plan she needed.

She began to struggle and the man pinning her down, pushed her harder into the mattress. With her air cut off, he expected to suffocate her unconscious, but he didn’t want to kill her. So she struggled, or pretended to for about five seconds before she let her body go limp.

Like a wet noodle, she lay lifeless letting them dress her. It was hard not to protest them pulling off her panties and tugging on more. But when they lifted her upper body to change her shirt, thinking she was unconscious she sprang to life. Her hands began to fly, striking at the soft hollows at the base of their throats. She jabbed one of them into his eyes, sinking fingers into soft moist eyeballs. Anger fueled, she ignored the squish and scream. Then she went for his gun. She turned, shot the other guy as the recently blinded one continued screaming. She took the other guy’s gun from him as his body slumped to the floor clutching his chest. Breathing past her queasiness from having eyeball yuck in her fingernails and from shooting yet another person, blood splatters on her shirt, she tucked the extra gun in the back of her panties… What the fuck? Red lace thong? Perverted bastards. She tucked the gun in the front of her panties instead, hoping the guy stayed put.

Betting that they wanted her alive instead of dead, she dashed out the open door and found three armed guys and a woman running toward her. She shot at them before taking off in the opposite direction.

As she ran she noticed two things. One, the windows in the place seemed to all be circular. And two, the scenery was all water.

Shit, are we out to sea? She cursed as she found herself coming to a long narrow corridor. She looked back and heard people still following. They would find her soon. But that wasn’t her biggest problem. How was she going to get off the boat? Because as long as she was on the boat, they didn’t really need to chase her. She was trapped.

She continued running down the hallway and started checking rooms.

Jackpot. One of the rooms had a guy sleeping on a couch, gun in one hand and a phone in the other. She closed the door and approached the guy taking the phone from him. When he jerked awake, she pointed her gun at his chest.

“Weapon. On the floor.” She ordered.

He did, slowly.

“What is the name of this boat?”

“Belladonna of the Valley.” He answered.

Word play on poisonous flowers. Cute. “Where are we going?”

“Portugal.”

All the way across the ocean. That was a long trip.

“Tell me about the layout of the ship.”

As he talked she dialed her father’s emergency line.

“Hello.” He sounded so…mean. Dark. Scary. Hot.

“Hey.” She replied.

“Cody.” Relief? Was that relief in his voice?

“Miss me?” Her heart picked up speed, cheeks heating.

“Where are you?”

“Belladonna of the Valley. A freighter. Now tell me you missed me,” she said, wanting…needing to hear it. “I know it’s’ fucking foolish at a time like this, but tell me you’re looking for me.” She damn near pleaded because more than her wanting off that ship, she wanted to know he cared. “I’m so stupid. Wasting time. Never-“

“I miss you,” He gritted out. “Now where the fuck are you headed on a fucking ship?”

A smile broke out over her face. He said it, even if he didn’t mean it. “Portugal I was told. Don’t know how true that is.” Her voice sounded so shaky and small. “I’m being taken to a guy name Kozlov. Don’t know his first name. Paul maybe.”

“Ruslan. Ruslan Kozlov.” He father growled curses. “How in the fuck did you get on his radar…? Are you safe?”

“Not really.” Coming down hard on the back of the guard’s head with her gun, she knocked out the stupid guy reaching for his gun.

“Cody?”

“Is Mick alive?”

“Yes.”

She sighed relief.

“Did they hurt you?” He sounded different. Worried?

“I’m tough. I’ll be okay. I’ll leave the phone on. Hidden. Trace it. Find me please. I want to go home.”

“Cody!”

“What?”

“Do you miss me?”

What? He sounded so playful…too playful. Was he teasing her? Now of all times? She laughed. “Hell no,” she said tucking the phone under the cushions of the floor mounted couch.

She looked around the ship cabin to find something she could use or for a place to hide. But other than the gun she picked up from the man, there wasn’t much to hid behind. Plus, most of the furniture looked bolted down.

Hearing voices outside the door, Cody began to panic. The only thing that might conceal her was the door. She dashed to it and flattened her back against the wall.

The door opened, shadowing her from immediate view. She silently cursed herself when she saw the man she had knocked out laying on the floor.

“She’s been in here!” A woman’s voice called entering the room.

“She might still be around here, spread out.”

The woman lingered, stooping over the unconscious guy checking his pulse. Cody listened as the others in the hall seemed to move around, checking other rooms.

“I don’t see any other signs of her, she may have gone above deck.”

After checking the guy over, the woman cursed then yelled. “Roger’s weaponless. Be warned, she may have three guns instead of two.”

She heard curses and then someone asked, “He was the last one with a SAT phone, is it on him?”

The woman checked again. “No.”

“Maybe she has it.”

“Or maybe he gave it to someone or lost it?”

“Don’t sound hopeful. Call Reggie.” The woman ordered.

She was the lead. Cody just knew it. She slid out from behind the door and slammed the butt of her gun on the back of the woman’s head before turning, preparing to fire at the open door.

But no one stood there. She went to the door and slowly peaked around, keeping cover behind part of the wall.

“I called it in.” Cody heard the voice coming from her right, so she poked her head out further. “Command is going to try to shut down all Satellite connections except for the comm room. That will be under heavy security so the girl won’t have a chance there. I’m going to join Steve’s search on the upper deck.”

The man turned to head the way she had planned to go. So instead she quickly, quietly went back the way she came.

She didn’t know much about ships or where the best place to hid was. She checked rooms and found nothing worth hiding behind for someone of her height and size. If she were shorter and pencil thin, maybe, but unfortunately she wasn’t.

When voices and footsteps caught her attention she darted down a dark corridor, leading to steps going down. She took them and found herself face to face with two armed men.

She shot them both and ran, trying to squeeze past them. One grabbed her hair even as he struggled to breath.

She turned and struck at the wrist of the hand holding her.

“Down here!” She heard just as she got free. She spun back to the hallway only for find a team coming into view from that direction. The men coming down the stairs pointed their gun as her, “Don’t move. Put your gun down.”

The team coming from the hall lifted their gun upon realizing she had been cornered. She dropped her gun and raised her hands knowing that if she pushed her luck, she wouldn’t leave the ship alive. They would killed her to survive.

Two men came to bind her hands and ankles with a hard plastic rope while the group held guns on her threatening her not to attack or they would shoot. They also gagged her with what looked a lot like a yellow pillow case. Bound like a hardened criminal, two big guys hoisted her up — one carrying her legs, the other her torso — and hauled her to a cabin on one of the upper decks. Though there was more light and the room was bigger, she didn’t feel at all comforted when she saw a digital video camera setup on a tripod and a large bed with the sheets pulled back, almost like turndown service without the complimentary chocolate.

They dropped her on the bed, which wouldn’t have jarred so much if her head wasn’t already hurting. Add the impact with an already throbbing head and she felt like her head was slammed all over again.

When her vision cleared from the agony she found the room crowded. Four men stood inside the room — two by the door while the other two approached her with knives. She screamed against the restraint in her mouth as she tried to squirm away. Her head protested the screams but terror demanded she fight. They held her down, securely.

The door opened and a woman entered with Reggie trailing behind her peeling an orange.

Though gagged, she raged at him.

“If you move too much, you might get hurt when they cut those clothes off you. And then our payday gets even smaller. If your worth keeps decreasing, I might just eliminate you because you’re becoming more trouble than you’re worth.”

“Fuck you” she screamed even though it was muffled.

“Well, I figured a bitch like you’d be hard headed. That’s why I brought the doctor here. She’ll make you happy.”

Cody’s head whirled to where the woman was setting some items on a table. Containers, cotton balls, swabs, syringes… of all the things the woman had pulled from her bag, the last thing she expected to see was a speculum. Cody stilled her thrashing.

“That’s better,” Reggie said as he popped a slice of the orange into his mouth.

She looked over at him horrified.

“Oh, did I not mention that we need to check you out and do a full examine to make sure you are healthy.” He shrugged, “I suppose it slipped my mind.”

Cody’s body jerked at the first feel of steel on her skin as they slipped the blade up her shirt and began cutting away her clothes.

She screamed and fought, not caring if she cut herself.

“Shit, hold her down! Doc, put her out!” Cody tried to violently force her way out of their hold until she felt a pinch in her thigh. She knew they had already injected her when they all backed away from the bed and just watched. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she scoot off the bed. She hit the floor on her shoulder and winced. She continued to wiggled like a naked worm, but it became harder and harder until she just found herself getting too tired to hold her eyes open any longer.

ORIGINAL CONTENT OF D.C. BLU. DO NOT COPY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE WITHOUT THE AUTHOR’S PERMISSION. PLAGIARISM IS CRUEL. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL.