Chapter １４

Just as the rope comes off my wrists, the door opens behind me. I dive onto the bed, not sure what else to do. A light in the hallway silhouettes two people in the doorway so that I can't see their faces. When the door closes, their faces appear.

It's a man and a woman, each wearing a clown mask.

The woman walks to the bed, and I can't think of anything to scream as she takes my chin in her hand and forces me to look at her.

"Is she the one?" Her voice sounds metallic, changed by some kind of device.

The man nods. "She'll entertain tonight's guests." His voice is the same, though deeper.

"She's new. She has no training," says the woman.

"Give her the rundown." The man leaves the room, and it's just me and the woman alone together.

The woman goes to the table and opens a drawer on the bottom. She takes out a glass and a bottle of wine and pours herself some, then swirls it around by the light of the candle.

I lick my lips and start to say, "What is—"

The woman splashes the glass of wine in my face, and I sputter and gasp.

"Rule number one," says the woman. "If your mouth is able to talk, it's able to work." The clown mask is putting me off. I don't know what to think of it, but it certainly doesn't match her leather lingerie outfit and six inch heels. "My name is Medea. If you have something that must be said, refer to me by my name."

I jump from the bed and rush toward the door. I open it, only to find a huge shirtless masked man blocking my way. He plants a giant meaty hand over my face and shoves me back.

Medea grabs my hair and pulls me back to the bed. I scream out, knowing it won't do any good.

"You've gotten on my nerves, now," she says.

I pull my knees to my chest and put my back against the headboard of the bed. "Where am I?" I ask. She glares at me. Or rather, the clown glares at me. "...Medea," I add.

Medea pours herself a new glass of wine. "Did you have to start with such a silly question?"

"Who are you? What's happening?"

Medea walks to the center of the room and spreads her arms like a queen announcing that her reign will last forever. "You have ascended. This is heaven." She holds out her empty hand towards me and gestures that I should follow her.

Slowly, I get off the bed and walk toward her. She hands me the glass of wine and I take it, unsure what she wants me to do with it.

She opens the door and the huge man outside steps aside and lets us pass. I follow Medea down a dark hallway. Women and men walk past us, all almost naked. The men wear leather shorts and the women wear leather lingerie that covers only the parts that don't need covering. They nod to Medea as we pass.

A servant carrying a platter of fruit passes by and Medea plucks a cherry from it and pops it into her mouth.

"You can find anything here," she says after she's done chewing. "As long as you have...something to trade."

She slaps the servant's ass so hard that his knees buckle and a large red handprint appears on his cheek. And yet he stands up and says, "Thank you, Medea."

I frown. "You're out of your mind."

She puts a finger to my lips and shushes me. Her finger smells like a balloon. We come to another small door and she opens it, then forces me inside.

It's filled with equipment similar to what I saw on the table in the other room, as well as larger structures that look like they're meant either for exercise or torture. All over the walls are plastered pictures of girls, all of them young. I scan over them, wondering where all these faces are now, if they made it out of here, if they're safe.

Then my eyes stop on one of the pictures. It looks just like me, but it couldn't be. This girl is awake in the picture, and she's wearing a different outfit. Her hair is different than mine, though it's the same dirty blonde. I know it isn't me, but the resemblance is uncanny, and I can't bring myself to look away just yet.

Three muscular men, all wearing leather masks and not much else, enter the room and stand at attention to the side. Realization sinks in of what I'm about to endure.

Medea says to the men, "Break her in," and turns to leave.

"Wait!" I shout. "Wait, can't we talk? Isn't there—"

The way her voice sounds, I can tell that she's smiling at me behind her mask. "My dear, there's nothing more to be said."

I search the room, looking for anything that could help. I don't know what half of this stuff does, much less what I could use it for in order to escape.

Then I see a bowl of fruit and a paring knife. I dive for it and hold the blade to my throat.

"One more step, and I'll kill myself," I tell Medea.

She stops in the doorway and turns to face me. "Let's not be stupid, little dove. Do you think you'd be the first girl to die here? Do you think I care at all about your life, other than what your body can give me?"

My mind races. This has to be a mistake. Or maybe I'm dreaming. What was I doing before this happened? I was on my way to do something… What was it? I was walking… Going to meet someone.

Who was I going to meet?

Sterling.

"Would your boss be happy if I died?" I asked Medea.

"Little dove, I am the top of the chain around here. Please put the knife down."

I scream at her, "I'm Sterling Bellegarde's wife!"

Her mask hides her face, but I know that her stupid smile has just melted off her face. "What," she says. There's anger in her voice.