ENTRAPMENT
BOOK – 1
Chapter 1
“You can’t possibly think that you can get away with this, Lila. You can certainly try to get away, but they will not let you go easily. They have invested a lot of time in you. What’s to say that the grass is greener on the other side?” Melanie was the den mother for the girls and felt a certain kinship towards them. She was also unique in that she came from the same kind of life that they were now living. She lived to serve and she taught these girls that life was better when their men were happy.
“I know that I’m probably making a mistake. I miss who I was a few years ago before they came and collected me. I fought them every step of the way, but you showed me that the pain that I would endure was not worth fighting back. I was stubborn and I learned very quickly that my anger and mistrust was only going to get me hurt in the long run.” Lila Ames was a part of the flesh trade and she had her fair share of men putting her down. Her love life consisted of being used for the pleasures of others. She had just recently learned that she is to take a husband. “I know nothing of this man that they propose that I stay with for the rest of my life. I’ve heard through the Grapevine that they’re only doing it to make sure that I am taken care of. I’m not exactly sure what they mean by that. It sends this cold chill down my spine every time that I think about it.”
“Give it some thought. I think that you’ll find that a good night’s sleep is all that you need to find another perspective. I don’t want you to do anything that you’re going to regret. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I think that I can say this on the behalf of the both of us that we are from the same cloth. I was exactly like you and I cringe every time that I think about that same girl living to please others. You have been passed around, but you have been lucky in one respect. I’ve made sure that you’ve gone to only those that have a firm hand. They’re also the only ones that don’t leave permanent marks on the merchandise. It’s too bad that Mr. Maxwell died, but I think that you know what that means. There is a proposal on the table from those that are controlling the flesh trade. They want to keep somebody in line and they need you to be their buffer. They also expect you to report back to them with anything that might seem suspicious.”
“I don’t know anything about spying on any one. If you’re asking that I take a look at his emails or check his phone from time to time, then I think that I could do that.” I wanted my mother and even though I was 25, I still felt like I was in need of a mother figure. Melanie tries to fill that void, but she’s just as lost as the rest of us. She tries to fake it by using her authority to keep herself from falling back into old habits. I’ve seen her flirting with danger with one of the guards. I don’t know what she’s thinking and that can only lead to disaster. My dirty blond hair was over my shoulders and I probably looked like I wasn’t a threat by standing at only 5’3 and 120 pounds soaking wet. I think that I had a strength underneath that I didn’t even realize. I wanted to bring that out in the worst way possible, but every time I tried, I would chicken out. It’s only now that I find out that I’m going to be married off that I feel that it might be time to make tracks.”
“I’ve done my best to protect you, but even I know that I have limitations. If you do this for them, they promise that they will finally let you go after a year underneath the same roof, as Jordan Holden. I do have to tell you that he is not your normal kind of man. He thinks that he hides his true self, but he’s sadly mistaken. I don’t want to over exaggerate, but Jordan is not a man that anybody takes lightly. It’s the reason why they want to keep a close eye on him. He’s known to go his own way, but mostly he does that for the benefit of those that he works for.”
“I really don’t like the sound of this. You have sheltered me from those more sadistic personalities. I am grateful and you have no idea how difficult it is to hear from the other girls about what they have gone through. I don’t know why you took a personal interest in me, Melanie.” “Melanie has been damaged and I can see the way that living in captivity has taken its toll. She has become prematurely gray down the middle. She wore it like a badge of honor, but it was probably the reason why they wanted to keep her away from the business at hand. She had served her usefulness and now has taken an authorative role within the organization. I’ve heard about the mafia and how they held a steel grip on the flesh trade and the drug trade at the same time. I’d also heard of some kind of enforcer that could do the impossible.
“I think that you should at least have a talk with the man. Get a feel for who he is and maybe then you can make an informed decision. By running, you’ll always be looking over your shoulder and I don’t want that for you. I don’t want that for any of you.” Melanie was trying to tell her that dying was not a good idea. By going against those in control, she would become nothing, but a liability. She had seen that time and time again. She had watched those that she called friend disappear in the dead of night.
“I suppose, I could stay for a little bit longer. I don’t want to be constantly looking over my shoulder. If I can get that in writing about them letting me go after a year being with this man, then I might reconsider my position.” “I’ve always wore my heart on my sleeve and maybe that is the reason why I get myself into these kinds of troubles. I’m attracted to the bad boy and Dylan had that personality down to a science. He was the one that convinced me to come along for a European vacation. I had no idea that he was the one that marked the targets. I never did see him again and maybe that was for the best. He had betrayed me. If I were to come face to face with him again, I have a feeling that things would turn ugly in a hurry.” Melanie had laid out a dress for her. It was blood red and very slinky and would form to her body like a second skin.
“I’m glad that you have finally seen reason, Lila. It wouldn’t be good to get on these people’s bad side. They take this business very seriously. I’m going to let you get some rest and I believe that you will be having a visitor sometime tomorrow morning. I would love to tell you that this will be like love at first sight, but I can’t do that. I’m not even sure that he’s capable of showing that kind of emotion. To be honest, I think that he might be dead inside. His finger on a loaded gun is not something that is for the faint of heart.” Melanie couldn’t do anything about whether or not Lila would take her advice to heart. She could only hope that she would be there in the morning and not become some kind of hunt for those that wanted to make a name for themselves in the organization. In the 15 years that she had been in this business, she had first hand knowledge that nobody had been able to get away with anything.
It was a known fact that Jordan Holden was the man that did those jobs that nobody else could do.
Outside looking over the area was Jordan. He was fully camouflaged in black. His face was covered in shoe polish and he had the scope up to his eye without the gun attached to see what he was getting himself into. He had no interest in settling down with anyone, but this spit of a thing that he could see through his viewfinder was something that he didn’t expect. She was hardened from this life, but there was also a softness in her eyes that he found compelling.
He zoomed in for a closer look. He saw the swell of her breasts and how young and impotent she was to those that were in control. He saw the exchange between her and Melanie and knew without a doubt that she was thinking about leaving in the middle of the night. He did not envy her position. He was grateful that he didn’t have to be in a position to take her out permanently. He was no fool and this was their way of making sure that he was never going to back stab them.
He had been pushing his luck, as of late and that had to make those that he called boss a little leery about his intentions. He had a keen eye for detail. He knew when to strike and when to hold back. He waited for the precise moment that would make history. He was very careful not to leave any evidence behind. He had been trained by one of the best in the business. He had actually killed his mentor, as a final test of his loyalty. Most would hesitate, but he saw that last moment, as his time to climb into the driver’s seat. He didn’t see the human equation. He only saw a target and that was all that mattered to him.
They were expecting him in the morning, but he decided to get a jumpstart. He was never one to go into something without knowing everything that there was to know before taking that leap of faith. His hair was shorn almost to the scalp with only the shadow left behind. He rolled up his sleeve to show the marks that he had sliced into his skin with his own knife. There were 35 in total. He remembered the faces like it was yesterday. He carried himself with authority and confidence with 250 pounds to call upon the enemy. His 6 foot frame was good to intimidate and his cold dead blue eyes were enough to strike fear in any man’s heart.