Chapter 36

Evangelina

I try to open my eyes, but they feel heavy, swollen. The taste in my mouth is warm, metallic. Blood. It coats my tongue, thick and nauseating. Every inch of my body aches, my head throbbing with a dull, persistent pain that makes it hard to think.

I hear muffled sounds… sobs, whispers, the clinking of metal. My heart skips a beat as I try to focus, forcing my eyes to crack open against the pain. The dim light burns, but I manage to see shadows shifting around me. It takes a moment for everything to come into focus, but when it does, a wave of dread crashes over me.

There are women all around me. Dozens of them, some huddled together, others slumped against the walls. Their faces are pale, streaked with tears, and they’re all cuffed to the same metal railing that’s digging into my wrists. I glance down, feeling the plastic bite into my skin, and my stomach churns. I’m trapped. We’re all trapped.

A movement in the distance catches my attention, and I force myself to look up. That’s when I see them, a group of men, dressed in dark clothes, rifles slung over their shoulders. They move with a deadly purpose, barking orders at each other in low voices. Is that Russian? Leading them is Christopher.

My breath hitches in my throat, and a wave of nausea rises within me. Christopher . The man I once trusted, the man I married. Now he’s leading this nightmare. His face is calm, his steps deliberate as he surveys the room, his eyes cold and calculating. It’s like he’s a completely different person. Or maybe I’m finally seeing him for who he really is.

I struggle against the zip ties, the plastic biting into my wrists as I twist, but it’s useless. The more I pull, the tighter they feel. Panic sets in, and I can’t stop the tears from welling up in my eyes. I have to get out of here. Where’s Nate? Did Christopher do something to him?

I glance around, my eyes darting from face to face, hoping—praying—that Nate isn’t here, that maybe he’s safe, somewhere far from this hell. But all I see are terrified women, huddled together in despair.

Christopher approaches, his gaze sweeping over us as if we’re nothing more than cargo. His voice cuts through the air, cold and emotionless. “Keep them quiet. We’ve got a schedule to keep.”

The men around him grunt in acknowledgment, moving to stand near the exits, guns at the ready. I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe Christopher is the monster behind it all. My mind races, desperate to understand, to figure out how I ended up here. He was always controlling, always cruel, but this? Trafficking women? Selling us like we’re nothing?

The other women around me begin to cry harder, the realization sinking in for all of us. There’s no way out. No one is coming to save us. And Christopher, he’s not just selling us off; he’s destroying every last shred of humanity we have left.

I feel my chest tighten as the weight of it all crashes down on me. My vision blurs with tears, but I blink them back, forcing myself to stay awake, to stay alert. I need to think, to figure out a way to survive this. Because I can’t let him win. I can’t let Christopher take everything from me—not my son, not my life, and not the hope that maybe there’s a way out of this.

Even if it kills me, I’ll find a way to stop him.

I glance around, desperate to figure out where we are. The space feels suffocating, cold, and damp. It’s like an abandoned warehouse—concrete floors, rusted beams, and windows so high they barely let any light through. What little light does manage to filter in is weak, casting eerie shadows against the walls. Judging by the darkness, it must be nighttime outside, but I can’t tell how late it is, or how long I’ve been here. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat more frantic than the last.

I force myself to look at Christopher, my throat tight with fear. “Where’s Nate?” My voice is barely more than a whisper, hoarse from the crying and fear. My entire body tenses, waiting for his response.

Christopher glances at me, his face unreadable, but there’s a flicker of something, maybe annoyance or indifference, in his eyes. “He’s safe,” he says, his voice cold, devoid of any warmth. “I’d never hurt my own son.” He says it like I should be grateful, like that one act of mercy erases all the horror he’s orchestrating. “What kind of monster do you take me for?”

I stare at him, my heart twisting painfully in my chest. What kind of monster? The man in front of me is barely recognizable as the person I once married. The father of my child. How could I have been so blind? How could I have ever loved someone capable of this?

Tears well up, blurring my vision as I take in his calm, almost bored expression. He looks so detached, like this is just another business deal for him, another day in his twisted world. My voice trembles as I ask the question that’s been burning inside me since this nightmare began. “Why are you doing this?”

The tears I’ve been holding back finally break free, racing down my cheeks. I can’t stop them, and I don’t even try. I don’t care if he sees me cry. I’m broken, terrified, and desperate for answers. For any sign of the man I once thought I knew.

Christopher’s gaze flickers over me, and for a brief second, I think I see a hint of pity. But it’s gone just as quickly as it appeared. “This isn’t about you, Eva,” he says, his voice as emotionless as ever. “It’s about survival. Business.”

Business. That word makes my stomach churn. I choke on a sob, shaking my head. “You’re selling women. You’re trafficking them like they’re nothing! You’re destroying lives!”

He tilts his head slightly, his expression softening in a way that makes my blood run cold. “You don’t understand, Eva. This is how the world works. The strong survive, the weak get swallowed up.” His voice is so casual, like he’s talking about a stock trade and not human lives.

I stare into the eyes of the man I once called my husband, the father of my child. “You’re pure evil,” I whisper, the words spilling out of me. There’s no other way to describe him now.

Christopher smirks, the corner of his lips twitching into something that’s almost amusement. “I’ve always been this way, Eva. You just chose not to see it.”

Tears stream down my cheeks faster now, my heart shattering into pieces. How did I ever fall in love with him? How could I have let him into my life, into Nate’s life? And now, how do I get out of this alive? How do I save myself, these women, and most importantly, my son?

My crying finally stops, though it feels like hours have passed. My face is sticky with dried tears, and my throat burns from the sobs that had wracked my body. I blink against the dull throb in my head, trying to focus through the pain. My wrists are raw from the zip ties biting into my skin, and every joint in my body screams in protest as I shift, struggling to sit up straighter against the cold metal railing. I can barely move, but I know I can’t stay like this. I have to find a way out.

The room around me feels like a blur, but the steady pounding of footsteps brings me back to the harsh reality of where I am. Men rush back and forth, their movements brisk and calculated. Their heavy boots thud against the concrete floor, the sound echoing through the warehouse like gunfire. They’re too busy, too focused on whatever sick operation they’re running to pay attention to us—the women, the captives, chained like livestock.

I force my eyes to focus, scanning my surroundings, trying to make sense of it all. There are more women than I’d realized, each one bound like me, huddled in despair. Some are crying softly, their sobs blending into the background noise of this hellish place. Others are silent, their eyes wide and hollow, too far gone to process the horror anymore. I don’t know if they’ve been here for hours or days, but the look in their eyes tells me they’ve given up.

I can’t. I won’t.

Christopher’s words still ring in my ears, and the cold detachment in his voice makes my stomach churn. Business . That’s all this is to him. Selling women, trafficking them to the highest bidder, like they’re nothing but merchandise. My heart pounds against my ribs, and fear tightens its grip around my chest, but beneath the terror, something else starts to simmer. Anger.

How could he?

I grit my teeth, the anger giving me a sliver of strength. I won’t go down like this. I can’t let him win. I have to get out of here, for Nate. For all of us.

The warehouse is vast, the walls towering over us like prison gates. It looks like it hasn’t been used for its intended purpose in years. There’s rust stains streaking down from the metal beams, and cracks running like veins across the concrete floor. Old, broken machinery lines one side of the room, collecting dust and cobwebs. The only light comes from a few flickering bulbs strung haphazardly along the ceiling, casting everything in a sickly yellow glow. It’s not much, but it gives me just enough visibility to scan the exits.

There—along the far wall. A door. It looks like an old loading dock, rusted but intact. I make a mental note of it, though the thought of trying to get that far feels impossible with my hands bound and Christopher and his men patrolling the room like vultures.

As I sit there, trying to figure out a plan, Christopher moves back into my line of sight, casually talking with one of the armed men like this is just another day at the office for him. My stomach churns with revulsion. The man I thought I knew— the man I once loved —is gone. He was never real. And now, all that’s left is this monster.

My thoughts drift to Benedict. Is he really an F.B.I. agent? Or was Christopher lying?

I don’t know who to trust, or what to believe. Did Benedict lie to me?

What if I wasn't a priest? The words he said to me flutter through my consciousness.

I’d give anything to see his face once more. Those blue eyes, gazing at me with love. He loves me, right? I know I love him.

I’ve never felt that way about anyone before in my life, and fresh tears stream down my face at the thought of never seeing him again.

I shift again, my muscles aching, my wrists throbbing as I test the zip ties. No give. They’re too tight, and I’m too weak to break free. But I can’t just sit here. My mind races, trying to think of anything— anything —that could help me get out of this.

One of the men, tall and built like a linebacker, steps closer to me. His eyes scan the group of women, lingering too long on each one. I shrink back instinctively, trying to make myself small, invisible. But I know that won’t save me. Nothing about this situation is safe.

My thoughts go to Nate. I need to get back to him. I need to know he’s okay. Christopher said he’s safe, but how can I trust a single word out of that man’s mouth?

I close my eyes, just for a moment, and take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I have to stay sharp. I have to stay focused. Because if I don’t, if I give in to the fear threatening to swallow me whole, I’ll never make it out of here alive.