Page 131 of Elite Metal: Warriors

They stared at her, their eyes shining in the darkness. The warehouse was wreathed in silence and cold. The littlest one was shivering.

“What are your names?” Nat asked in Mandarin, wincing when, rather than answering, they huddled closer to each other. She tried Cantonese too, in case they were locals, but got the same result.

It broke her heart to see them so scared. And bothered the hell out of her that she had no right to try to comfort them. Aside from that, she’d never actually talked to children, so she wasn’t sure how to do it.

Clearly she wasn’t very good at it, because every question she asked was met with the same stonewalled silence.

With a sigh, she leaned against the bars and stared into the darkness. She tried to eradicate her own memories, memories of a frightened girl, held prisoner by heartless men. She tried not to think of the horrors that had followed.

It made her stomach churn to think these children could be headed for the same nightmare.

She didn’t realize she was crying until something warm and soft patted her knee. She turned to find the smallest child had edged over and reached through the bars to comfort her. She was a beautiful girl with large brown eyes and silky hair. With the hint of a lisp she said, “It will be all right.”

Nat’s pulse lurched. Her heart swelled. That this tiny child would comfort her—could comfort her—made her chest hurt. “Thank you,” she said, though she doubted very much it would be all right.

“They will bring us food soon,” one of the older ones said.

“Yes,” said another. “They usually don’t leave us alone for very long.”

“How did you come to be here?” Nat asked. She had to.

The children exchanged glances. “The men brought us here.”

“Did they take you from your home too?” the littlest one asked.

“Yes. Yes they did.” She scanned the huddle of humanity. “Do you have parents?” Nat knew that a lot of human traffickers targeted orphans, because no one would fight for them. But she had heard of cases where poor parents had sold their children too.

Five solemn faces stared at her. Five tiny heads shook. “We all lived in the orphanage far away. They came to our town,” the oldest said. “Came to our home in the night and took us away.”

“They say we are going to a new home,” another said and the others all nodded. They tried to look brave, but it was clear to Nat that they had their doubts. Then again, what kind of new home could be in their future when the men who took them kept them in cages like animals?

Sadly, Natalia knew.

She’d lived it.

Memories of big fat smelly men, on top of her, hurting her, swirled. As did the acid in her belly. Her resolve to escape—to save these kids—surged again.

Before they could continue their conversations, there was a clang from the front of the warehouse as the door rolled open. Natalia stilled. Her breath ached in her chest. Could it be Cooper and Gregor?

Or Ming Kow?

She didn’t have long to wait. The sharp click of shoes echoed off the walls. She knew immediately it was her old boss. Indeed, he rounded the corner, as though he’d been in a rush to find her. Three of his bodyguards fell in behind him.

He stopped and stared at her, a broad smile on his face. He crossed his arms and studied her, crouched as she was in the small cage and his laugh rippled on the air. His minions, the mindless monkeys, laughed as well.

“Excellent. Excellent. They told me they’d found you, but I didn’t want to believe it. This is delicious, indeed.”

It took some effort, but she held her tongue.

“I am very disappointed in you, my dear,” he said, stepping closer and circling the cage. “Imagine thinking you could get away with betraying a man of my power. You should have known I would find you again. And you must know you will be punished.”

She set her teeth to keep from giving him the satisfaction of her curses.

“Do you want to know what I have in mind for you?” He waited for a moment, but only just. “I thought you might be curious. While these darlings will be headed for Mr. Donovan’s party, you, my dear, will be going in a very different direction. A friend of mine has expressed an interest in you. No doubt, he can put you to good use.” His laugh was a sinister sneer. “In addition to putting you firmly in your place, I stand to make a tidy profit.” He leaned in and his fetid breath washed her face. “Think of it as a win-win.”

“You are a bastard,” she snarled. She couldn’t help herself.

Pity it only amused him more.