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I watched as Gavin stepped forward.
“That’s exactly why we brought her,” he said, gesturing towards me with a dismissive wave. “I fucked up, no denying that. But this little prize?” He smirked, and I had to fight not to shudder at the predatory look in his eyes. “This is my way of making it right. Arthur’s been after her for a while now, hasn’t he? Just imagine how pleased he’ll be when he gets back and finds her all wrapped up with a bow.”
Jackson’s eyes narrowed, his gaze flicking between Gavin and Fury. I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he weighed the situation. My heart was going crazy in my chest, every instinct screaming at me to run, to fight, to do something. But I forced myself to remain still, playing the part of the terrified captive.
“Arthur has been looking for this one,” Jackson admitted slowly. “She could be... valuable. But that doesn’t erase your previous mistakes.”
“Course not,” Fury chimed in, his voice gruff. “But it’s a start, ain’t it? Show of good faith and all that.”
I watched Jackson carefully, trying to gauge his reaction. Everything hinged on whether or not he bought our story.
After what felt like an eternity, Jackson nodded. “Alright. I’ll make sure Arthur knows about your... contribution when he returns. For now, we’ll get her settled in with the others.”
My stomach churned at his words. ‘The others.’ Venus had to be among them. We were getting close.
Jackson snapped his fingers, and a guard appeared in the doorway. “Take her to processing,” he ordered. “Make sure she’s secured properly. We don’t want any runaways.”
The guard nodded, moving towards me. As he grabbed my arm, I caught Fury’s eye one last time. The concern in his gaze was clear, but I tried to convey with a look that I was okay. That this was all part of the plan.
As I was led out of the room, my mind raced. We were in, but now came the hard part. We had to find a way to get Venus out, signal for backup, and get out of here alive.
The guard’s grip tightened on my arm as he shoved me down a dimly lit hallway. The musty smell of damp and decay filled my nostrils, a stark contrast to the opulent study we’d just left. My heart raced as I tried to memorize the path we were taking, knowing it could be crucial for our escape later.
We stopped in front of a heavy metal door. The guard fumbled with a set of keys, the jingling sound echoing ominously in the quiet hallway. As he worked to unlock the door, I caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye.
Was that...?
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Fury
I watched helplessly as the guard led Sienna away, every fiber of my being screaming at me to intervene, to protect her, but I knew I had to maintain our cover. As she disappeared down the dimly lit hallway, I forced myself to turn back to Jackson, schooling my features into what I hoped was a convincing imitation of Dodd’s cocky smirk.
“So,” Jackson drawled, leaning back in his chair, “tell me more about how you two captured our elusive Sienna. I’m sure Arthur will be very interested in the details.”
I exchanged a quick glance with Gavin, silently praying we could keep this charade going long enough to find Venus and get Sienna out safely.
“Well,” I began, channeling Dodd’s bravado, “it wasn’t easy. Girl’s slippery as an eel. But Ralf here had some connections, and we tracked her down at a seedy motel on the outskirts of town.”
Gavin nodded, adding gruffly, “Caught her trying to skip town. Figured we’d bring her straight here instead of risking her slipping away again.”
Jackson’s eyes narrowed, and I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my spine. “Interesting. And you didn’t think to call ahead? Let us know you were coming?”
I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “Didn’t want to risk her overhearing anything. You know how crafty she can be.”
“Indeed,” Jackson murmured, his gaze boring into me. “Well, gentlemen, since you’ve gone to all this trouble, why don’t I give you a tour of our operation?”
My pulse quickened. Bingo. This could be our chance to gather more information, maybe even find where they were keeping Venus and the other victims.
“Lead the way,” I said, gesturing for Jackson to precede us out of the office.
As we followed him through the winding corridors of the mansion, I tried to memorize the layout, keeping an eye out for any signs of where Sienna might have been taken. The opulent décor of the main areas gave way to more utilitarian spaces as we descended deeper into the building.
“This is where we process new arrivals,” Jackson explained, gesturing to a room filled with medical equipment. The clinical smell of disinfectant made my skin crawl as I thought about what “processing” might entail.
We continued on, passing by rooms that Jackson referred to as “training facilities” and “merchandise storage.” Each revelation made my blood boil, but I forced myself to nod along, playing the part of the impressed visitor.
As we turned down yet another corridor, a burly guard came rushing towards us, his face red with exertion. “Sir!” he called out to Jackson. “We have a problem!”
