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My heart pounds in my chest as the realization dawns on me. I’ve been taken by The Brotherhood, just as I feared. These women—these girls—are being trafficked, and I’m trapped right alongside them. The realization makes my heart pound in my chest as panic rises in my throat.
“Oh, God,” I breathe, panic rising in my throat as I take in the terrified faces around me. “How long have I been here? What are they going to do to us?”
The woman shrugs. “I’m not sure how long. A day, maybe two? But I know they’re planning to auction us off soon. The door only opens when they bring in a new girl or food, and we’re heavily guarded.”
I swallow hard, mind racing. Damian, Edo, Nat—they must be searching for me. But will they find me in time? I can’t bear the thought of being sold, of suffering the unimaginable horrors that await.
And then a terrifying realization hits me. I’m pregnant. My unborn child’s life is now at stake as well.
The woman gives my arm a gentle squeeze. “I’ll leave you to rest. We’ll need to keep our strength up for what’s to come.”
As the woman moves away, I feel an overwhelming urge to break down, to give in to the paralyzing fear. But I force myself to take a deep, steadying breath. For my baby’s sake, I have to remain strong. I can’t let The Brotherhood break me.
Be the wolf.
Steeling my resolve, I force myself to take a deep, steadying breath. Damian must be coming for me, I’m sure of it. All I have to do is hold on a little longer.
Pushing past the nausea and fear, I begin to carefully observe my surroundings, searching for any possible means of escape. I have to get out of here, no matter what it takes. The lives of these girls, and my own unborn child, depend on it.
As I survey the other women in the room, I can’t help but shiver at the sight of their vacant, haunted expressions. Some look absolutely terrified, their eyes filled with raw panic. Others appear strung out, their eyes dead and devoid of any trace of humanity.
The sight of them chills me to my core. Is that my fate as well?
Pushing past the crippling fear, my gaze lands on a small figure huddled in the corner, face streaked with tears. It’s a little girl, no older than seven or eight, her once-vibrant eyes now dimmed with hopelessness, her mousy brown hair plaited into French braids going down her back.
The sight of her instantly tugs at my heartstrings. She reminds me of myself when my mom first died—scared, alone, desperately wishing for an adult to tell me everything would be alright and keep me safe. I know exactly how she feels, the overwhelming sense of vulnerability and the crushing fear of the unknown.
I’m filled with a fierce, protective instinct. This child should never have to endure such trauma, such violation of her innocence. I won’t allow it. Somehow, some way, I have to get her out of here, to shield her from the horrors that await.
Forcing myself to move, I make my way over to the child and crouch down beside her.
“Hey there,” I say softly. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
The girl sniffles, looking up at me with red-rimmed eyes. “K–Katie,” she manages, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Katie,” I repeat, offering her a gentle smile, hoping to convey that she can trust me. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Alexis. Are you hurt at all?”
She shakes her head, but the fear in her eyes is palpable. “I–I want my mom and dad.” She hiccups, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
My heart aches for her. “I know, honey. I know.” I reach out, gently brushing away her tears with the pad of my thumb. “But I promise, I’m going to do everything in my power to get you back to them, okay? You’re not alone.”
The girl clutches my hand, her small face fearful. “I was playing in my yard,” she whispers. “Mom called me to come back inside, but a car pulled up and asked if I wanted to see their puppy. I love puppies. Mom and Dad say I can’t have one yet.”
Fresh tears spill down Katie’s round cheeks. “Mom and Dad always told me I’m not supposed to talk to strangers, but he sounded so nice! But there was no puppy. T–they took me. T–they said I’ll make someone else v–very happy.”
As Katie buries herself in my side, sobs shaking her small shoulders, a swell of pure, unadulterated rages rises up within me. How dare they—The Brotherhood, Scarlett, all of them—prey on innocent children, tearing them from their families and selling them off to the highest bidder. It’s repulsive, it’s despicable, it’s the very embodiment of evil.
For now, I’ll be the adult she needs, the protector she deserves. I won’t let anything happen to this child, no matter what it takes.
My blood boils at the thought of the horrors these women and girls have endured, and the utter violation of their childhoods. They should be carefree, playing in their yards, tucked safely in their parents’ embrace—not huddled in fear, waiting to be auctioned off like cattle.
And Scarlett…
The mere thought of that vile woman makes my skin crawl. To think she and her father orchestrated this, that she takes pleasure in the suffering of these victims… it’s enough to make me want to scream.
If I make it out of this alive, I vow to hunt her down to make her pay for her crimes in the most brutal way imaginable. No other woman or girl will ever suffer such a nightmarish fate at her hands, I’ll make sure of that.
Clutching Katie tightly, I feel a renewed sense of purpose and determination. I have to get us out of here, no matter what it takes. This child—these women—deserve a chance at the life that was stolen from them, and I’ll be damned if I let The Brotherhood or anyone else take that away.
