c2083

G ilbert Marks was back?

I couldn't wrap my head around the news. There were worse things than being shot or killed. I grew up believing someday that would be my fate. It wasn't a bad way to die if you were doing the right thing. The noble, loyal thing. Somewhere along the way I got lost on the path of power. Noble wasn't what it was cut out to be. It didn't pay the bills. It didn't get you recognition when a man's name didn't come with a face. Where I was from, loyalty to Gilbert Marks was a prerequisite just to live. With a threat attached to a man no one ever saw, I lost sight of that. Power was all I cared about. I wanted it. Needed that fear of Walter Vanzetti to grow. And it had. But I wasn't doing it just for myself. I planned to do it ‘for him'. I could help at the top. I could be someone. At least, that's what I told myself. It's what I told them.

They say money was the biggest evil. That was a lie. Money was just another prerequisite. Power was the ultimate evil. Power corrupted and spread. My cravings grew for a more grandeur, secured lifestyle. The money was nice, but the power assured you kept it. I'd done everything in my control to win over those connected to me through my underground operations. His underground operations. It didn't matter in the end. Killing Manny, my boss, didn't put me in his position like I thought it would, no matter how many friends I'd made. My broken loyalty got me nowhere in the eyes of the countless who worked and followed Mr. Marks. I was ‘the fallen'. I was their enemy. I was dead to them. Dead for real this time if they managed to get their hands on me. The only reason I wasn't already in a grave was because my brother turned me in before Gilbert's men could hunt me down.

"Keep up, crow. You're falling behind."

I tried not to curl my lip at the title or order the woman so easily cast towards me. She wasn't even looking back, yet she knew my racing mind left me lagging behind. A shot rang out in the distance, quickly followed by two more. A good minute passed when the woman jerked up her gun and fired. Weight hit the ground and there was no order for me to do some grotesque act. We kept going and going. More shots. More slaves falling. Screams echoed in the distance, and I swore I could hear multiple people laughing. It was haunting and yet, I didn't feel fear like I should have. I couldn't. All I could think about was how far this game would go. What would happen to me after it was over? Did I truly think this woman would let me live? No way. Would she take me to see Gilbert? Was he even here?

I couldn't think about that. Not yet. But if…

No. I had to stay calm. I had to obey until it was too late. With numerous other killers shooting slaves for sport, I was safer with the three devils surrounding me. At least for now.

"I need a count."

The woman's voice was low, but I somehow still heard her through the guard's earpiece, a foot away.

"Four for me and Kelvin."

"Shane?"

"Five for me and Vera. Where the fuck are these slaves?"

The woman's head jerked to her husband, and she laughed.

"That went by too fast. They're gone. Game over. Let's meet at the front."

I froze, unprepared for this to end so suddenly. Or maybe it wasn't sudden. I was drowning in my thoughts. Sinking lower through fear and time.

"Fuck!"

It had been the man, Shane, who had cursed over the radio. It only had the woman not feet away from me laughing harder.

"Turn around. Let's head back, slave."

"Will you kill me in front of them and show them you've won?"

The smile didn't leave her face.

"I thought about it, but you see, you're the last slave. I didn't get a chance to buy one, so…I think I'll just keep you for a while."

"Keep me? For what?"

There was no relief in my tone as I began following them back towards the front. The woman moved in closer to her husband, whispering something before turning to look over at me with her night vision still in place.

"I haven't quite decided yet. There are a few options I'm going between."

"Do all of them leave me dead?"

"Probably, but I'm your Mistress now for however long you last. Luckily for you, your death won't come tonight. Maybe not at all if you prove yourself useful."

She grew quiet, and I couldn't help but scan the surroundings as we continued. Common sense was screaming at me to run. If I stayed with this couple I would die. If I ran…I'd still die, and a lot sooner if what she spoke was the truth. Cage. As crazy as it seemed, she had to be telling the truth. All the slaves released were dead. That only meant one thing: they couldn't escape. I couldn't escape. I had to keep it together and keep going no matter what happened or what they wanted me to do.

"I knew you'd fucking win. You did, didn't you? You're just playing with us."

" I told you ."

Crunching sounded as a small group walked out from around a thick cluster of trees. The voices were immediately familiar. It was the two men I'd heard before who'd shot Cody and Henry. It didn't take me long to see they had a guard with them too. One I hadn't seen or heard when I was up in that tree.

"Who the hell is this? Is that a crow?"

My Mistress made a sound, but I couldn't tell whether it was good or bad. She and her husband got closer, and I kept my stare alert as her hand wrapped over the top of my bare shoulder.

"That's right. I didn't think to buy one. He'll do. Surely, he still counts in my numbers. I have him here, don't I?"

"But he's not dead," the younger sounding one almost pouted.

"Percy, I could so easily put a bullet in his head if I wanted."

"So could I. So could any of us. He shouldn't count if he's still alive."

The Mistress's touch left me, and it was almost as if she appeared to shrug.

"Fine. That would mean me, Jack, Shane, and Vera tied. I can handle that. We still all know the truth."

"That you won."

"I didn't say that. You did."

"But." Percy got quiet and within minutes we were approaching a small clearing where we'd been led in. Red lights were on as we approached, and I didn't miss the way the man's eyes narrowed at me as we headed up. He had to be Shane. The other man they were talking about.

"What's this? You should have killed six. Georgie, you said the game was over."

"I'll settle for a tie. I want to keep this crow for a little bit. I mean… he's a Vanzetti ."

"A what?" Shane looked confused.

"Not what. Who. I'm tired. Let's have breakfast, tomorrow. Has anyone seen my cousin?"

Shane grabbed his phone, bringing it to his ear.

"You missed the hunt. Where are you?" A pause. "I see. We're having breakfast together in the morning. At eight, like usual. Will you be joining us?" Another moment of silence. "Everything's good?" The woman next to me stiffened, but not enough for most of the others to notice. "Alright."

He hung up, his forehead creasing as he took in my Mistress.

"I'm going to meet up with him for a minute over security issues. Seems they've been increasing lately. Georgie, you want to come along?"

Cool. Calm. But I had been in the game long enough to know she wasn't. Something was going on with whatever cousin they'd been talking to.

"Of course. Security is what I do." She turned, kissing her husband on the cheek, lowering her voice. "Vanzetti equals trouble. Don't take your gun off of him until you have him secure. If he runs or does something funny, put a bullet in him."

"This isn't my first rodeo, Georgie-baby. Go to work. Elec always appreciates your insight."

"Because I'm the best here." Again, she kissed him, and I watched as the man, Shane, pointed to the three guards who were awaiting his instruction.

"Get my wife to our apartment. Report to me when she's safely inside."

"Yes, Master One."

He leaned in, kissing her. "Vera, baby, take a shower and get in bed. I'll try to make it fast. Georgie." Shane's tone said things he wasn't. Something was definitely wrong, and I could tell it was bad as they took off at a fast, steady pace. As for us, I turned to Jack, taking in the way he held to his gun.

He may have been looking at the other two men, but his attention was on me.

"I'm headed in. Where are the two of you going?"

We all started walking to the elevators. It wasn't until we were riding one down that the men began speaking.

"I have a slave waiting for me." The older man shrugged. "I'm not as young as I used to be. I'll be turning in, I guess. It's way past my bedtime. Hell, it's almost two in the morning."

The other man, Percy, who had to at least be in his upper forties to early fifties, shrugged. His lips were twisted as he kept looking over towards me.

"I'm not tired. I'll hit up the Batting Cage. I have a slave, but…" Again, his shoulders moved. "It's not the same now that my wife is gone. I can't believe she's still divorcing me. Even after the case on the outside world was dropped. I just…I don't want to see my slave right now. I'll end up tearing her head off, and I didn't think of buying another. I should have. Can I have him?"

I stiffened, flexing my fists regardless that there was a guard within inches.

"You want Georgie's slave?" Jack laughed, shaking his head. "Really?"

"No. She'll be pissed. I guess not."

The doors opened, and I could barely get my feet to move. We headed out and walked through the massive golden doors that led into what I could only describe as a bright and buzzing city. But it wasn't just an orchard or roads with buildings where men and women were walking around. Above was black, like a void. It wasn't the sky. I could tell that much. It was more like a black hole that the circular building around us disappeared into. It went up so high that the darkness swallowed it whole. And women. They caught my eyes as I took back in the city. Beautiful women . Convicts? Slaves, like me? Or just women? I had so many questions with the more I learned and saw. And I was seeing plenty as we headed through the still buzzing crowd.

"Where are we?"

Jack turned to glance at me as we headed to one of the entrances of the towering building. A long moment passed before he spoke.

"We're at the Gardens."

"The Gardens? Where's that?"

He paused but continued forward as the older man held the door open. We headed inside and I could have forgotten what I asked. People in formal wear were walking around, some even looking at me enough to have me glancing down. I was covered in blood, but they weren't screaming. They weren't freaking out or racing to get me help.

"We're underground, under a military facility far away from anyone or anything. Escape is impossible. Death is encouraged."

"But who are all these fancy people?"

We headed towards the elevators not far from the entrance.

"They're just people. Masters. Mistresses."

"Like your wife?"

A hint of a smile appeared, but his face remained calm, if not a little hard.

"Like Georgie, yes. I'm your Master, and she's your Mistress. You are a slave. These ‘fancy people' are the rich and famous."

"And you buy people to…?"

His smile did grow at that.

"Depends what you're into. Some of us are content just to beat them. Some rape. Some kill. Some massacre or torture over time."

I swallowed hard.

"What does she do? Georgie?"

Fingers fisted in my hair, and the tip of a knife pushed into my neck before I could even react. The sharp blade split skin as I jumped from the pain. I could fight. I could take my chances and try to escape.

My eyes connected with two guards further in the room, watching us. One nodded his head to the other and they slowly began strolling our way, keeping their attention right on me. It had my heart racing. The guilt. The need to do whatever I could to survive. They were still coming.

Waiting.

Watching.

Not yet.

Not tonight.

"You call her Mistress. She'll never be Georgie to you. As for what she likes, Georgie's different. She's not like anyone else. You'll find that out soon enough."