Fifteen Seconds of Mercy

Most of us were having a lovely time in the name of justice, but the others?

They were locked in a life-and-death brawl for a chance to crawl out of this place alive. Of course I never planned on letting any of them leave. Why would I care about their feelings when they don't care about anyone else's?

The man who had grabbed the dagger initially was also the first one out of this battle royal. Fists flew, teeth cracked, and screams echoed as each of them scrambled for their life.

Once one man was stabbed, another would lunge at the wielder, wresting the dagger from blood-slicked hands only to drive it into the next body. It became a brutal chain, a relentless storm of violence. The dagger passed from hand to another like a cursed relic, and by now, nearly every man bore at least one wound carved by its blade. It was a true bloodbath, savage and unrelenting.

Brutal didn't even begin to cover it.

Yet… it felt earned.

These were men who caged girls, stripped them of their dignity, and took away their freedom for selfish gain. They sold innocence for coin. What dignity did they deserve?

Kellan remained like a frozen statue, arms folded. Bors, on the other hand, had the most cheerful grin on his face. Like he was watching some sporting event meant just for him.

Noah hadn't moved either; he just remained still, allowing me to use him as my backrest. He would either rub my shoulders or hold me tightly, as if in his own way protecting me from the violence I was currently witnessing.

After about ten very bloody minutes, the room quieted. One man staggered to his feet, alone among the fallen bodies.

He could barely stand, swaying as if the wind alone might knock him over. Blood streamed down one side of his face, and his shirt hung open, revealing cuts across his chest.

A winner… Technically, I mean he was still alive, but it looked like he would die at any moment.

I stood and approached him slowly; Noah had followed me for safety purposes. The floor was blood-soaked, with one side of the parlor in a shade of crimson.

He flinched slightly as I stopped in front of him; I tilted my head and asked softly, "What was your name again?"

His face was visibly weary as he swallowed hard. "Varek… Varek Norren."

"What did you do again for this place, Varek?"

"I… I kept the door. Made sure no girls could escape, that buyers didn't get too rough…"

"Ah," I said flatly, cutting him off with a wave of the hand, "Never mind, I don't really care. It has no meaning to me whatsoever."

He blinked, stunned silent.

I leaned in just a little, enough to make my next words feel heavy in the air.

"Before I consider letting you go…" I contemplated my words. "I want to know one last thing."

His lips trembled.

I smiled… with obvious scorn for the man.

"Do you have a boss? Someone above you, or is this dump really the peak of your operation?"

There was obvious hesitation on his face, but honestly, does he really have a choice? On the other hand, the fact he didn't answer already gave me all the answers I needed.

But I tried to give him a chance.

"Think carefully," I said, my voice softening. "If you lie to me, I'll know, and if you do that, well…"

I glanced over my shoulder at Bors. He was already cracking his knuckles with an inhuman smile on his face. If I gave the order, he would rip this man apart; everyone knew it.

"Let's just say if you keep quiet, I will give this fella some quality time with you. To do whatever he wants, hehe." I couldn't help but giggle at the face this guy was making.

Varek swayed in place, chest rising and falling in shallow, panicked breaths.

It didn't take too much silence before he broke.

"There's someone," he said, pausing just long enough to show hesitation. "He's bigger than any of us here and runs most of the operations. We don't know his real name, but everyone calls him…" He swallowed hard, eyes flicking up to meet mine, "Big Daddy."

Um… what… The entire room fell silent for a moment. That kind of man… with such a name… Does this sick bastard try to play a father figure to these girls?

"Big… Daddy," I repeated, blinking, unsure if I heard him wrong. "Are you serious?"

Even Noah looked slightly caught off guard, showing obvious bewilderment on his face.

Kellan, on the other hand, just smirked, and Bors outright snorted, laughing to his heart's content.

"Bwhaha," roared Bors.

The girls who had once shown nothing but despair on their faces even laughed at such a name.

I put a hand over my mouth, still feeling disbelief. "I'm sorry," I said, my voice thick with confusion. "Big Daddy, that's the name of the guy running a human trafficking network?

Varek shrugged. "I… I don't know! That's what they call him! No one's met directly. He's in the southern capital somewhere. I swear it!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Is he slow?"

"Huh?"

"You know…" I tapped the side of my head. "…a few brain cells short?"

 "I… DON'T… KNOW! I NEVER MET HIM!" Varek stammered, realizing he was getting too hostile with his words.

I stared at him for a moment longer, unimpressed. "Well, you're just useless, aren't you? I could've come to that conclusion myself; obviously it's from the southern capital. No one gives a damn about anyone beneath their boots."

Turning towards the girls who were still huddled in a corner, "What do you think? Does this man deserve a second chance?" I thought it only fair they decide his fate.

One of them stepped forward, her eyes shifting from Varek to me. "He wasn't just a doorman. His job was to keep us trapped inside. I remember more than a few he killed, and he punished plenty of us just for trying to run."

I tilted my head at the young girl's words, watching her carefully.

"So you're saying?"

"Does he deserve freedom?" She shrugged with a calculated glance at her abuser, "Maybe fifteen seconds' worth?"

My lips curled slowly, completely understanding her intentions, "Ah… alright."

Varek looked confused. "Wait… what?"

I gestured to Bors, who cracked his neck and took one large, deliberate step forward, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Alright, Varek," I said with a sweet tone, completely catching him off guard. "You've got fifteen seconds to run as far as you possibly can, maybe even to freedom?"

His jaw dropped, "W-What?"

"The timer already started," I added with a grin.

I held up a hand and started counting off, much to his visible dismay.

"Four… five…"

Varek shrieked and bolted towards the front entrance, nearly tripping over his own feet.

"Six… Seven…"

He scrambled through the broken doorframe, shoved aside a shattered chair, and kicked up snow as he burst into the street at full speed.

"Ten…"

From the corner of my eye, Bors began to bounce lightly on the balls of his feet. Like a hound ready for the hunt.

"Eleven…"

Varek disappeared down the street.

"Twelve…"

I turned casually to Bors.

"Thirteen…"

He leaned forward, gazing off into the distance where that man had disappeared.

"Fourteen…"

Feeling the anticipation in the room, I smiled as I said the last number.

"Fifteen…"

Bors was gone like a bullet shot out of a gun.

The sound of thundering footsteps echoed like war drums as he gave chase, roaring with glee.

We all stood there in silence for a moment, listening as Varek screamed off into the distance.

Noah's voice broke the quiet. "Well, that was entertaining."

I giggle, "I do love closure."

Livia, who I saw outside, was looking in my direction, shaking her head, but at the same time a smile bloomed.

Once the room was cleared of the filth, only the aftermath remained. Broken furniture, blood-slick floors, and stunned silence by the victims of this place.

I turned my attention to those girls who never wanted to be here.

Some still hovered at the edges of the room, wary and uncertain, ready to run if needed. Most were barely out of childhood, their faces pale and their eyes filled with exhaustion. They stared at me, unsure of my intentions, wondering whether I was their savior or just another kind of monster.

Turning towards Noah, I held out my hand, palm open.

"Give me a few of those gold pouches you always keep hidden in your coat."

He raised an amused eyebrow. "You really have memorized where I stash my things."

"Obviously," I said with arrogance, but he knew I was just being playful.

Without another word, he pulled out three small, rune-sealed pouches, each one filled with gold, and handed them over.

I took the pouches, stepping forward, and called out to the girls. "Come here."

They approached slowly, as if expecting punishment.

Instead, I pressed the gold into their hands.

"No strings attached," I said to calm their nerves. "There's enough there for all of you to start a new life; look out for each other."

They gawked at me, the gold, and then each other.

"Be smarter next time," I said with a firm voice. "Don't fall for silver-tongued liars or pretty promises. You don't belong to anyone. Stay away from those who try to make you feel small."

The second they received the gold, they bolted for the door.

"Wait!" I yelled. They all instantly stopped and turned around with nervous looks. "Why don't you take the girl out there with you? She was almost put into your same situation before we got to her first."

After a little conversation between the girls, they nodded and ran out.

I have no interest in taking a girl in from the streets, especially when I don't know for sure I can even trust her. It's much better this way.

As they all vanished off into the distance after waving their goodbyes and thanks, Noah approached.

"You sure like helping people," he murmured.

"A good deed a day keeps the evil away," I said with a smirk.

He chuckled. "You've been working on your rhymes?"

"Maybe…" I smiled smugly.

Then, without any real warning, I hooked myself around his side, looping my arms around him and dangling like an extra limb. He didn't even budge.

"You're so annoying," I pouted. "Why don't you ever move when I do this?"

"Too light," he said with a shrug. "It's like a feather trying to knock over a mountain."

"Big words… Mr. Mountain!"

"I'm flattered you noticed." Noah picked me up high and held me over his head by the armpits. I instantly wrapped my body around his, keeping myself grounded, slightly afraid of being so high.

Then, without warning, he dropped me down into a princess carry.

I rolled my eyes at his playful tricks. "Let's go walk around and have some fun."

Noah smiled with a tilt of the head, trying to look cute, huh? Well… it's working.

"As you wish," Noah said softly, his eyes never leaving mine.

He gave in as usual, his elite soldiers already dispersing to who knows where. Kellan and Bors reformed around us, quiet and alert as ever, while Livia adjusted her pace to match mine, her presence a comforting companion at my side.

We left behind the ruined brothel, stepping out into a hopefully romantic afternoon date with Noah.

Coldmere got a little less dark today, with taking out some very deserving trash. In the future we must crack down on these types of people.

As we left, Noah put me down, and we locked hands, enjoying ourselves together once again after a small time apart.

"You did well." Noah commented. His eyes were telling me everything I needed to know.

"There's probably still plenty of filth out there that needs to be dealt with." My eyes locked onto his. "I hope you're ready, because our daughter deserves a better world than this."

Noah didn't miss a beat with a perfect response. "Then I'll burn down whatever's left of this rotten world to give her one worth living in."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his over-the-top response. "That's my husband!"