Chapter 9

"Oh my god, Ranold, what happened?" I quickly grabbed my husband's shirt when I heard the familiar voice. We were still in the middle of the room, and although he was telling other people what to do, he was still clutching me loosely, while I was simply staring out into space and leaning my ear to his chest.

He handed me off to Jane firmly and said, "Jane."

I froze in place, grabbing onto my husband's coat as the warm woman hugged me around my shoulders. As Jane led me to the other room, I cast a quick glimpse at my husband before turning back. He didn't give me a second glance. He was engaged in a conversation with one of the men.

To escape the chaos downstairs, we went upstairs. There was calm. After entering the bedroom, Jane removed the polyethylene off the bed. On the bed, we sat down. My husband's coat was covering me when Jane tried to pull the collar back.

"No!" I yelled as I squeezed it even more tightly. "No."

I whispered, feeling the warmth and softness of the fabric on my skin.

Jane gave me another hug and led me to the bathroom, where she said, "You need to take a shower, come on."

I flatly refused to move back and shook my head when she made another attempt to remove the coat. Finally, she told me that I could do it on my own and then she left me in the restroom. I have not heard anything since that time. There was nothing I could feel. I felt as though everything inside of me had been abandoned in that hotel room. I had no idea how much time had passed, but I heard the leaving cars and then, at last, the silence. No more strangers, no more steps down, and no more other people.

I trembled when my husband entered through the abruptly opened door. I quickly got to my feet and put the warm coat on. He appeared to be minding his own business. He started to undress after turning on the water to fill the bath. I sat down on the floor once more and drew my knees to my chest. I heard him wash his face, shave, and piss. Finally, the water stopped, and I was back in my stillness. Ranold Hamilton was in the restroom, and somehow that let me feel more at ease. As though there were nothing to be afraid of. From the outside.

Still, he was present. I squeaked as he abruptly grabbed my arm and lifted me up. I attempted to shove him while leaning up on his chest, but he abruptly pulled me to himself, leaving the coat and towel on the ground. When he forcibly hugged me from the waist up, putting my head against his bare chest, I yelled in anguish with a deep voice.

"It's me. Everything is OK," he answered as I grabbed his arm again, tightly clutching it with my hands, sobbing. "It's me."

I started crying in his arms as he repeated it again. He dragged me into the tub, and we sat in the hot water together. I was lying on my side next to his warm body, sensing his breath and heartbeat close by. He was holding me while I sobbed, and all of a sudden, I felt his warm hand descend onto my belly and take my penis into its palm.

I shook my head and murmured, "N-no," while gripping his hand by the wrist.

My husband slowly began to move his hand, saying, "You need to calm down."

"No-o…" He put his other hand on my chest and lightly squeezed my nipple, which made me wince. "Huh!.. Stop!"

He would never, though. And then I noticed a weird excitement rising from deep within my gut. I didn't know why, but I was eager for him to go on. I just gave up when he kissed me so passionately and deeply as soon as I turned onto my back. I gave up only that evening. He was fondling my dick and my chest, and I was sighing a little bit as I felt the warmth of the water surround us and the slow, scorching movements of his hands. I nearly lost consciousness as I was shrouded in something soft, warm, peculiar, and incredibly delightful. I was so comfortable and at ease in the bath that I even lost track of how I had fallen asleep.

I was in the dream when I felt a touch on my knees. I quickly opened my eyes to find myself sitting up in a warm bed. My husband was holding my leg in front of me and there was a dim light.

"Did it hurt?" He asked softly, and I noticed that he had a bandage close by and a piece of wool in his palm.

He applied the moist wool to my scrape once more after a tiny head shake from me. I shrugged and jerked back a little. My spouse lightly kissed my knee after gently cleaning the scrape and applying a little bandage. My husband let out a long breath. I somehow felt sorry for him right then and there. Although I couldn't explain why or how, a nagging need to give him a hug or at the very least a pat crept up on me.

He remained in that position for a while before setting the wool aside on the nightstand and eventually lying down next to me. He held me from behind, hugging against me, as I instinctively turned my back on him. I put my hand on his, grasping it with my fingers, as soon as I felt his warm hand on my chest. I had not anticipated doing so. I shivered a little bit and was a little afraid of what I did.

"I apologize for what occurred today. You did a great job, but I wish I was there to assist you. I wish you hadn't suffered any harm at all, but it now seems to me that this is practically unachievable. You're going back to New Orleans tomorrow. Spend time with your family. You will have enough money for your needs." After that, he remained silent, but I spoke up.

I said softly as I dozed off in his arms, "Good night."

***

I was outside close to a large house's porch before the sun even rose. My husband's sweatshirt and some sized-up slippers were the only things I was wearing. Three dark automobiles drove up to the home. Then I spotted Jane's sports automobile. She appeared really worn out and serious for the early hour. With his hand on my lower back, my husband gently pushed me into the car. I sat inside, watching him slowly leave behind as cars drove away from the home.

"What do you think?" Jane started when the automobiles eventually concealed in plain sight.

Ranold replied, "Someone really wanted us to get out of New York.

"Then, I suppose, they carried it out. Will you later come to regret it?"

"Look for all the shipments that left the New York harbor two weeks ago, Jane."

She said, "Sure," as she combed through her phone. "Yes, there was one dodgy. It is transporting the cargo relating to our New York subsidiary. Arriving tomorrow evening in Donghae, South Korea."

"Fine. Now we're taking off for South Korea."

***

South Korea's Port Donghae.

"Where is it?" Ranold questioned as he passed by the port's numerous cargos stands.

Jane gave the response "Row 167. It's here."

They approached the lengthy metal box.

Ranold gave Jane his hand and uttered, "The key."

He received a long metal key from her. Ranold pressed the keyhole to unlock the lock, then pulled the lever to unlock the door. Many kids were seated close to one another on very worn blankets. Jane hurriedly turned around and covered her mouth with her palm as she swiftly moved away from the stinking interior.

"Los brasileños?" [1] Ranold inquired, and the kids nodded slightly.

One of the kids whispered, "Uruguayos," as he held the filthy Teddy bear in his palm.

" No se preocupe. Estarás en casa pronto," [2] Ranold said.

The child remarked, "Ese hombre nos dijo lo mismo cuando nos metió en este contenedor con mucha agua." [3]

The other answered, "Tuvimos que orinar en nuestras mantas."

Ranold nodded before addressing Jane. "What was the transmitter's name?"

She referred to the dead man in the photo with broken jaws as "Him."

Ranold enlarged the picture on Jane's phone and said, "Shit. That's the same crap that was in the nightclub."

"Should we increase security by twofold?" Jane asked.

After a brief pause, Ranold said, "No. They planned every detail to divert our attention while transporting at least fifty kids across the Pacific. They once made an attempt on my husband's life, but they failed. We will be unable to find any ends as a result. The only thing we can do right now is wait because they will likely keep quiet. We'll be careful the next time."

"What about the kids, then?" Jane asked.

Ranold saw the frightened kids and turned to the container.

"Call Justine and ask him to make an urgent plea to the embassy. Describe everything to him." Ranold said, putting his hands on the lid of the container.

***

"Wow, look at that! My sister pointed at the television in a cafe in one of New Orleans' districts and said, "64 missing children were found in the port of South Korea."

"Oh my God!" My mother put a palm on her chest and exhaled. "People who do such ought to rank among the lowest in society."

I coughed after choking on the tea.

"Oh, are you okay, my love?" Asked my mother.

I blinked. And I would have been, if I hadn't recognized the two people from the news broadcast amid the crowd.

***

The pleasant summer days in New Orleans came to an end. My university studies were about to begin. I was too busy preparing for it to reflect on recent events. I was initially married to Ranold Hamilton, after which we began having sexual relations, traveled to New York, and resumed our sexual relations there as well, before I later pretended to be involved in a gunfight in a luxurious hotel. I experienced madness, despair, and the utmost frustration, yet I remained in his New Orleans apartment because I was unable to leave.

My head was saturated with worry about the impending university day. I wondered what would happen and who I would meet. Along with my mother and sister, I visited the institution to check out the campus. It was quite good, and I wished I could live there with other students and experience the beautiful youth. I should take pleasure in the annoying apartment instead, which irked me every time I went inside.

I felt better after chatting to my mother and sister for some reason. They didn't know much about what truly happened to me, so I was relieved that they didn't ask me to tell them about my marriage. I also begged my mother for some suppressants because I knew neither Ranold nor Jane would ever buy them for me, and I would suffer from being in the heat close to Ranold Hamilton.

Since it was my first day at the university and I wanted to create a good impression, I was a little concerned that the heat would start from day to day. That's because I began taking my suppressants a few days prior to the scheduled date. My stomach, however, was eager to return them as soon as I took them, so as soon as I did, I puked in a toilet. That period turned into a nightmare. I vomited after taking the pill both in the morning and in the evening, but I felt better when it finally ended up in the toilet. I was so furious with myself that I felt powerless to act; instead, I constantly cried and begged my body to do what I wanted.

The day before my first day of classes at the university, I started to feel a little lightheaded and faint. I assumed it was my body, which was worn out and worried, pleading for sleep. When I heard the key lock open unexpectedly, I took the pill once more and went to bed. Ranold Hamilton returned to his house.

[1] The Brazilians

[2] Do not worry. You'll be home soon,

[3] That man said the same thing when he put us in this container with a lot of water.