Aggressive Negotiations

Sasha watched Alex run to the tower's base, holding the women before phasing into the building. She sighed and gripped her scythe tighter. She stood no chance in an all-out brawl, so she would have to delay them. Once Alex was finished, he could teleport to her, and they could all escape. The trick was staying alive long enough for that.

Sasha took a deep breath and walked to the front of the holding cells. She carefully and seductively walked out to the men gathering. She knew these men required beautiful women to run their business, so she used her feminine charms, especially the bulging ones on her chest, to keep them occupied. 

A couple of massive men came out to greet her. Once they got closer, she finally noticed a third man between them. She instantly recognized him. Uriel, 'The Peacemaker' Levers, stopped fifteen meters away from Sasha. Even though his nickname was 'The Peacemaker, ' he was a ruthless lawyer for the Company. He maintained peace by ensuring all legal enemies of The Company had no ground to stand on.

"Ah, hello beautiful, I recognize you. You were at the Blackjack tables most of your employment with us, correct?"

"I'm not sure employment is the right word, but yes, I mostly ran one of the Blackjack tables. My name is Sasha."

"Well, fair Miss Sasha, we have a misunderstanding here. One of the Guards contacted The Company, saying an attack on the control tower was imminent. However, it seems that the attack was on the farm and the warehouses. What is your goal?"

Sasha wasn't sure what to say. She didn't want to reveal everything to Uriel, but if she were caught lying, she wouldn't be able to stall him. She took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. 

"We just want to provide a better life for everyone and give them a place to live in peace without selling their bodies for profit."

Uriel didn't seem persuaded by her noble plea but was satisfied with the answer. He nodded and folded his arms.

"Well, the farm here is irrelevant; we just provide jobs to the families of our female employees to keep the peace. You may take them and any necessary supplies, but the girls stay."

Sasha straightens her posture and tightens her grip on her scythe. She glares ferociously at the man, hoping to intimidate him.

"You said it yourself: the farmhands are important to the women here. Taking them will only cause disorder."

Uriel smirks and clicks his tongue. "Exactly, sweet Sasha, I cannot be held responsible for the discipline required to keep the casino staff in check. You will have to decide if the consequences of your actions will weigh heavily on you."

Sasha wasn't used to someone pushing back so expertly. The Preservers never required negotiations like this, so she was outmatched. However, she also wasn't expecting to be able to convince The Company just to let their people go. She needed to stay strong and delay a little more. 

"You have seen our power and resourcefulness; we can pay you the profits you lose from the girls daily until their debts are resolved. The Company doesn't lose money, we can save the women from hardship, and avoid unnecessary conflict."

Uriel claps and lets out an amused chuckle. "Very good! Now, we are getting somewhere. I appreciate your enthusiasm toward a solution, but unfortunately, the army behind me and three warships with enough firepower to set the planet on fire are my counterproposal."

Sasha was racking her brain to come up with her next talking point when a rapid beeping sound emanated from Uriel's belt. 

"Excuse me for a moment, my dear Sasha. This is very embarrassing and unprofessional of me."

He lifts the device, and a cruel, evil smile forms on his face. The man looks up at Sasha with a stare that drains all the blood from her face. Her body feels cold, and her hands start to sweat. Whatever he said next was going to end this debate.

"It seems you have been trying to stall me, my lovely temptress. This device," He pauses to hold up a transparent screen with a flat line running through it. "The device is a heart rate monitor. Even your ally Skeeter isn't aware that the commander of the control tower is hooked up to one. Whoever is sneaking around in there has just killed everyone in that room, presumably to prevent alarms from going off."

Sasha couldn't move. She tried to control her breathing, but it came out quick and exaggerated. She had planned for Alex to be done saving the girls by the time anyone noticed, but he hadn't saved one. She would have to fight and attempt to escape back to the tower.

"Don't worry, beautiful. I don't wish to harm you, but I can't let you go either. Be a good girl and come with us. You were willing to pay an extraordinary fee for the whores in the tower. How much would your little friend pay for you?"

His wicked grin grew wider as the two large men behind him took that as their cue to advance. Sasha could hear Alex instructing Iona on how to handle the girls being brought to the base. If she could hold out for a few minutes, maybe he could save them and her in time.

"Don't resist. We wouldn't want to blemish that perfect body of yours."

"Enough, disgusting pig."

Sasha slashed out angrily at one of the men approaching her. Despite his size, he easily moved out of the way and grabbed the scythe. She jerked it back, trying to cut the man's hand, but he tightened his grip on the weapon and snapped it in pieces. Sasha leaped backward and looked at the broken stick in her hand. The blood-red hilt faded, and she felt its power disappear. 

With tears in her eyes, she held out her hand and started her spell. Although she couldn't replenish her magic, she could still launch a powerful blast. The two giants had other ideas. With blistering speed, they closed the distance on Sasha. Before she could finish preparing her magic, one hand grabbed her arm and held them behind her back. The other put his hand over her face.

Her nose was filled with a sweet, flowery scent. She forgot everything about her mission and trying to resist the hold she was in, and then only a peaceful sleep filled her mind. Her body went limp, and the man holding her let her fall to the ground. 

Uriel walked over to the men and pointed at the girl.

"Pick her up, you fool; we need her to bargain for the return of our property." He turned at looked at the second man. "I need you to find an engineer to fix the elevator. Let's get inside quickly."

Just a few minutes later, Uriel and his two bodyguards, with their prisoner, entered the elevator. He had access to the camera system and knew that a man's silhouette was taking his women one at a time from their cells. He smiled that same evil smile when exiting and seeing the man standing there, dumbfounded. Uriel couldn't see his face but knew the man was scared. Uriel confidently stepped forward, victory in his sights.