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I am struggling to keep it together, the fear in my body is almost crippling.
“Keep going,” he orders, tossing the vest aside.
I undress until I’m only in my bra and panties and as predicted, he has me remove my boots and socks, too. When I’m standing before him, as ordered, he spins me around, checking me over to make sure I’m not stashing anything. He even jerks my hair aside, running his fingers through it.
It is almost too much.
But I hold strong.
“Clear.”
The two-armed men turn, pressing a heap of buttons on the keypad that locks the shipping container. Then with a large click, it opens. The men take the handles, turning it and pulling it open. It’s dark, and for a minute, I can’t see anything. Eventually, my eyes adjust to the dim light, and I see it is filled to the brim with boxes stacked on top of each other.
“Walk to the end, place it down.”
The firm voice has me taking a step into the container, moving past the boxes that I know are full of illegal things that are worth more money than I could ever wrap my mind around. I don’t care to even graze my hand against them, I just want to get out of here. Instead, I walk to the end and place the duffle down. Just as I’m about to turn, I hear a small squeak.
It's so soft, at first, it feels like I’m imagining things but when I hear it again, I know it’s not in my mind. Narrowing my eyes, I peer around in the darkness, but I can’t see anything. Taking a step closer to the noise, I lean down, squinting my eyes.
“Get out of there, right fucking now.”
The voice ordering me to move fades into nothing as my eyes lock on a young girl. She’s maybe twelve or thirteen years old, huddled in a corner, her knees to her chest and her hair falling over her eyes. Gasping, I press a hand to my chest, squatting down in front of her and reaching out.
“You have one minute to get the fuck out of this container before I close it, and you go with it.”
Staring at the girl, I ignore the orders as I whisper. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you. My name is Addison, what’s yours?”
“Beccy.”
Her voice is croaky, and I can hear how scared she is.
“Are you here against your will, Beccy?”
“T-t-t-they took me. I thought they were going to help me, but...”
I can’t leave her here.
I can’t.
“Your time is up. Get out now, or I’ll close these doors, and you’ll never see your fucking family again.”
The man roars as I straighten and stare at him.
Right now, I have a choice.
I can leave this girl here, to face a life of pure horror, or I can try to save her. I have a tracker inside my hand, and that will ensure that Cade can find me. I know he’ll come for me, I know he will, but I can’t walk out of here and let this girl go. I just can’t do it. I’ll never forgive myself.
I’m so sorry, Cade.
I have no choice.
“Time is up.”
The shipping container slams closed, and I’m left standing in darkness. The only light is coming in from a tiny hole above where the girl sits, just enough for a hand, if you have a small one. Heart skipping a beat, I turn and face the girl and kneel in front of her again. “I won’t let them hurt you. I promise. We’re going to get out of here.”
She makes a sobbing sound, and I reach out, taking her cold hand.
I know I’ve just made a massive choice, one that will change everything, but this is the only thing that feels right. I cannot turn and walk out of here, leaving this girl behind. She is being shipped away, and she will be hurt, or worse. How could I live with myself if I just turned my back on her?
