Feral Revised (Weekend Treats Collection) (9 page)

Calvary

He waited impatiently as a car drove pass. Tobias quickly ran across the street and disappeared into the shadows surrounding Jason's mechanic shop.  He tried all the doors, but they were locked. He tried to peer into a window but boxes stacked from the inside blocked his view.  Tobias decided to give up and return to the restaurant when he noticed something familiar out the corner of his eye. It was a red car covered in old tarp. As he moved closer he recognized it was Shelby's car. He looked back at the building as he silently questioned himself about her possible being in the building. Is she a part of this or had she become a victim too? He questioned himself. His cell phone rang and it was his cousin Maxwell demanding him to return. The stranger got his food and was walking towards the door. Tobias hid himself in the shadows and waited for the stranger to cross the street and enter the mechanic shop. 

He wanted desperately to see inside the building, but did not want to do anything that would put his wife in further danger. They would have to wait however long it would take to see Jason return to the shop, without suspecting anything. 

His cell phone rang again, but this time it was the detective from Wyoming. "What did you find out?" Tobias questioned upon answering the phone.

"Jason has a business partner named Duke; the local detectives have been watching them for months. They believe that they are a part of a sex trafficking ring." The detective answered.

"They plan on selling my wife!" Tobias replied.

"We are working with them, but we need your cooperation to bring them down for good. The Orlando detective informed me that they met with a man in Miami. What we need is for the connection to be made." The detective said.

"You want me to allow them to play games with my wife's life!" Tobias growled.

"We have reason to believe that they will not kill her, she is
 worth more to them alive. They are sex traffickers "he reminded." We also believe that they are holding more than just your wife at that shop. An undercover detective investigated there about a month ago. He portrayed himself to be a customer and he took his car in to be fixed. He could not find anything that indicated they were holding women there. But when he was leaving he decided to take a look at the original floor plans of the building. It took him a couple days to get a hold of it and when he did he found out that there used to be a large room below ground."

Tobias had his back to the building, but turned around to take a second look at the detective continued speaking. He notices that building seemed a little higher than the others. The drive way leading to the garage was on a slight slope. "That guy Morgan. Are you sure he doesn't know anything? I mean how does a guy working there for so many years not notice anything?"

"That's a very good point" Tobias said looking back across the street to the restaurant. "Let me call you back." he said hanging up the phone before the detective could finish speaking.

Tobias struggled to hold on to his sanity as he stomped across the street, shoved the doors open and his eyes locked with Morgan's. He took him by the collar and yanked him out of his set ignoring Tamarius and Maxwell's protest. "How is it you know nothing about your bosses?"

"Wh-what! Bosses?" Morgan stammered.

"Jason and Duke!" Tobias shouted.

"I only have one boss; he is the owner of that shop. I've worked for him since I was sixteen; I think I would know if I have another boss!" 

"Tobias, what is going on?" Tamarius asked forcing his cousin to let go of Morgan.

"Let’s pay our tab and leave, this is not the place to be having this conversation," Maxwell said dropping a hundred on the countertop. "Keep the change," he said to the waitress who had served them. She stood stunned as she glared at the four men, then down at the one hundred dollar bill.

They all exited the restaurant quietly and walked around the back where the limo had been parked hidden from view. They all entered the limo and Morgan was asked to tell them everything that he knew, even if it seemed insignificant.

"How did you come to work for Jason?" Maxwell asked calmly as he sat off to the right of Morgan who was seated next to the door of the limo.  Tamarius sat next to him and Tobias sat next to Maxwell. It was perfectly organized that way by Maxwell and Tamarius to keep Tobias from harming Morgan.

Morgan looked upon the faces of everyone there. He had a deep dark secret to tell, but he figured he could find a way around it and stop them from digging too deep into his past. "I knew him since we were kids
  I guess," he began. "M-my father, when he was alive, was friends with his father. My father died when I was..." a violent memory surfaced of his father causing Morgan to lose focus. The silence became deafening and Morgan pulled himself together. "Our parents weren't good people. I was taken away from my parents at a young age and sent to live with my uncle. Jason is five years older than me and we remained friends. I always looked up to him even if I didn't always agree with what he did. I Just...he was the only person who I felt really knew me. He was my connection to the father I thought I had and the mother I never knew. We lost touch for a while, but when I turned sixteen he came looking for me. He wanted me to do him a favor, help him out around the shop. His father had just passed away and he needed the extra help. He taught me all that he knew about cars. I went to a vocational school to get certified and I became a full time auto technician for him. I never really noticed anything strange except this one time." Morgan paused for a moment then began to speak again. "I-I brought girl...she wanted to see what it is that I do? Everything was fine I showed her around and introduced her to Jason. He must of taken a liking to her, because...well...I saw something in his eyes when he looked at her. I was only nineteen at that time, I put it behind me, and we continued on our day. Later that night after I dropped her home, I found out that she was kidnapped in the middle of the night, while walking her dog. She was never heard from again. I didn't put it all together back then, but now...I see it differently."

"Did you ever bring Azura around your shop?" Tobias asked.

"No," Morgan answered.
 

"Now, what are you not telling us?" Tamarius questioned Morgan directly.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Morgan questioned quickly becoming annoyed.

Tamarius glanced at Morgan and with his gift of spiritual vision he caught a glimpse of Morgan's childhood, images of an adorable little boy being used to lure other children away from the watchful eye of their parents. He thought back to what he said about his parents not being good people and he leaned back in his seat. It was Morgan’s secret and had nothing to do with Azura's disappearance, and none of their business. Tamarius stopped Tobias and Maxwell from asking Morgan any further question. "It's okay, he has nothing to do with what happen to Azura." he glanced back at Morgan and smiled. "It’s okay," he said softly.

16 hours later...

Duke suddenly opened the garage and a white van pulled in. Duke, concerned about being followed, took a look around the area before closing the garage door. Jason's feet hit the floor with a thud, he groaned in pain from the knife wound on his thigh. 

"Where is she?" Duke questioned heatedly.

"We can't do this alone any more, we need to hire more people," Jason stated while walking towards the back of the van."I put her in the back, tied her up again. That one is a wild one, stand back!" Jason warned his friend.

"What happen to your shirt?" Duke asked.

"She was naked when I took her; it’s very hard to focus seeing a body like that. Can't tell you how bad I wanted to pull over for a while and break her in myself," Jason chuckled.

"I saw pictures of this one in the newspaper, what a beauty?!" Duke expressed.

"Yea well I don't know if you want to mess with this one," Jason mumbled.

"Oh, I'll break her in," Duke replied hearing his words.

Jason paused as he unlocked the door and looked at his friend. "Brace yourself in case she gets lose again."

"Just open the damn door!" Duke demanded.

Jason opened the door cautiously. He relaxed when he saw that Azura was still passed out. She lay in the remains of his torn and bloody shirt.  Her soft thick wavy hair encircled her bruised face. Jason grabbed her feet that sat close to the door and dragged her limp body to the edge of the van. He picked her up and slumped her over his should as he cried out in pain. Duke grabbed his arm as his knees hit the floor.

"You forgot your injury old friend," Duke laughed. He lifted Azura throwing her over his shoulder as Jason got back on his feet. "All together we have four girls. I don't think we can handle six right now."

"Just put her down," Jason said pointing to a section of the garage where an unusually large fridge sat. 

"Have you ever thought about bringing in Morgan?" Duke asked as he walked towards the fridge.

"Nah, every since his father lost custody of him he became useless. His uncle ruined him, turning him into some do-gooder," Jason replied doing his best to step ahead of his friend to open the fridge door for him. Jason reached into the fridge and pressed a button. They both step back as the fridge moved forward to the side, automatically revealing a door way leading down underneath the building into a chamber that held three cheap wooden bunk beds and toilet sat in the corner next to a faucet. As Duke walked behind Jason going down the stairs, Azura woke up, however she stayed motionless. The only light coming in was from the garage; however, Azura's eyes saw perfectly. The less light the better it was for her. She noticed something sticking out of Duke's back pocket. It was a pocket knife, a smile grew across her face. Slowly she reached down slipping the pocket knife out. Jason reached the bottom of the stairs and turned on a light.

Three other women sat quietly on their bunk beds while shackled to the wooden frame. It looked as if they had been there for days. They all shied away from the light as it hurt their eyes. Shelby sat on the floor hopelessly. Duke had beaten her and raped her repeatedly. She had no more fight left in her and now regretted all of her selfish actions. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the light, she cried out in shame and anger as they brought Azura further into the room.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as she looked at Azura.

"We move them first thing in the morning," Jason said out loud.

Azura opened the pocketknife and with all her might she plowed the knife deep into his back severing his spine. Duke fell to his knees taking Azura down with him; she quickly jumped to her feet running back to the base of the stairs and hitting the light switch making it dark. Jason spun around in time to see Duke Collapse and Azura heading toward the stairs. By the time it went dark he was moving towards her.

Azura ran up the stairs, Jason lunged for her but missed. She made it to the top of the stairs and shut the door closing herself in with the other. Although it was just a glance, Azura noted that she was not alone and she did not have it in her heart to selfishly save herself.
 

She turned to face Jason. She could see him in the dark struggling to get back on his feet. Duke was groaning and weeping pitifully, while crying out that he could not feel his legs. Azura looked past Jason quickly to access full situation. The three women stood from their bed as hope filled their hearts; one girl looked to be just fourteen years old. She was a pretty brown skin girl with light color eyes. Azura took a quick glance back at Jason who was now coming up the stairs towards her. As he got close she kicked him in the face sending him flying backwards down the stairs.
 

Azura rushed down the stairs and jumped of Jason who was still conscious, yet, confused and disoriented. She stood in the middle of the room about five feet from where Duke was laying on the floor crying over the loss of sensation in his lower body. She looked at all of the women's faces. "He has a key in his pocket!" one of the girls yelled.
 

Jason made it back on his feet and turned on the light. Filled with pure adrenaline he ignored the pain throughout his body and rushed towards Azura, she turned in time to see Jason coming towards her and she moved out of the way passing
 him. 

She turned to face him enraged by what she was seeing, women bound to bed and obviously raped and abused. The spirit of her wolf mother appeared in her peripheral vision, and the untamed her was released. She lunged at Jason knocking him down to the ground while digging her fingers around his throat.

Jason struggled to reach in his back pocket; he fought back then pulled out his hand gun. He shoved Azura off of him then pointed the gun at her. They now stood two feet from each other, unsure of who would make the next move. Azura glanced pass Jason and noticed Shelby staring back at her with tears in her eyes. She quickly refocused her attention on Jason. It was now going to be him or her. 

Indomitable spirit

"Why do you do this?" Azura finally spoke after what felt like an hour of ear piercing silence.

"I have a gun pointed at your chest and you want to question my judgment?" Jason replied with a slight smirk on his face.

"If you wanted me dead I would have been dead a very long time ago," Azura said as she boldly stepped around him and stood over his friend, intentionally keeping her back towards him.

Her indomitable spirit dumbfounded Jason. As much as he hated to admit it, he actually did like her. He turned around surprised to see that she had her back to him. It enraged him, he got the subtle message her body language was sending him. She was telling him he was nothing, that he had no power over her. Jason shoved his gun in his back pocket and picked her up, carrying her as she kicked and screamed. He slammed her down on the bottom bunk mattress. The shirt that she was wearing was now crumbled above her waist exposing her rear.  He began to unbutton his jeans, but Azura quickly regained her composure and swung her leg kicking him in his injured thigh. Jason fell back screaming out in pain. His gun slipped out of his pocket and slide across the floor. Azura ran to where the gun lay on the concrete. She picked it up and shot at the lights on the ceiling shattering the florescent bulbs and sending the room into total darkness. 

Again she saw the spirit of her wolf mother walking around the room. As Jason struggled to get back on his feet Azura moved swiftly to search for the keys on Duke's body.  He groaned as Azura tugged at his clothes. She found a single key in his pocket and knew it had to be the one. Jason was now on his feet, but he couldn't see in the darkness. This was the advantage Azura enjoyed. She ran to the closest woman to her which was Shelby. She slipped the key into the lock on the cuff around Shelby's ankle and turned the key popping the lock open.  "Wait here," Azura whispered to her. Shelby nodded as tears continued to roll down her cheek.

Azura rushed across the room to where the other girls were chained. She freed them and led them both to stand by the stair well. Jason began cursing at her as he tripped over Duke falling hard on his face. Azura eased her way pass Jason as he once again rose to his feet.  She reached Shelby taking her hand and pulling her to walk behind her. Azura made it pass Jason who was looking for something in his pocket. He pulled out a flashlight and got a glimpse of Azura and Shelby moving pass him. He suddenly reached out and caught Shelby's wrist, yanking her backwards. 

"Just go!" Shelby shouted towards Azura who turned back and began to pull her away from Jason. However, Jason would not let go. 

"No," I can't leave you behind," Azura shouted. 

"Help the others...I don’t deserve it!" Shelby sobbed.

"Yes you do!" Azura demanded. She kicked at Jason regretting the moment she dropped the gun after shooting the lights. 

Jason hollered out in pain and lost his grip on Shelby. Azura grabbed her hand and led her towards the stairs meeting up with the other girls. Azura and the other women held each other’s hands as Azura led them up the stairs. Azura struggled to find a way to open the mysterious door. "There's a button on the wall that he would push?" one of the women informed Azura. 

"Yes, found it!" Azura said as she heard Jason climbing the stairs behind them.

"Hurry!" Shelby cried out. 

Azura hit the small button on the wall and the doorway began to open. The girl at the end of the chain screamed out. Jason had got a hold of her and was trying to pull her backwards. Azura pushed Shelby and the other women out the doorway as she grabbed on to the woman that Jason was trying to throw behind him. 

Azura grabbed her free arm and pulled back using all of her weight, she pulled the girl towards her, causing her to lose her balance and fall on top of her. She pushed the girl to get back on her feet and get out. Jason grabbed Azura's legs preventing her from getting up. Azura yelled at the young woman to get help now.

Jason looked up at the young women disappearing into the garage and he knew that he had to stop them from opening the garage door and escaping...

"Mary!" Shelby called out to a young blonde hair girl that was captured before her. They were all acquainted with each other and had formed a bond from enduring the same repetitive abuse from Duke and Jason. "Get the garage door open!"

Mary flew into action quickly finding the wall unit to open the garage door. Shelby found a cordless phone sitting on its base. It was covered in dirt and grease, but apparently was still in use. She picked up the phone and dialed 911.

"She needs help!" Joana shouted as she ran into the garage.

"Joana here, speak to the 911 operator," Shelby demanded handing her the cordless phone.  Joana took the phone as Shelby began to run back to help Azura. 

Shelby could hear the scuffle as Azura and Jason fought on the stair well. She didn't think twice about helping Azura, especially after seeing all that she did to free all of them.  As she stepped on the platform, she found herself facing Jason's back. Azura was holding onto the railing Jason had a knife in his right hand and he was preparing to stab Azura with it.  Seeing that Azura was holding on the rail gave her the green light to shove Jason as hard as she could down the stairs.  Shelby took a large step back then threw all her weight at Jason, she lost her balance also and began to fall behind him, but Azura caught a tight hold of her arm. 

Sirens could be heard and heavy footprints were coming towards them in seconds. Their rescuer was now standing in the doorway. 

"Tobias!" Azura screamed out jumping over the first steps and into her husband’s arms. He immediately wrapped his arms around her while pulling her into the garage. "Wait; Shelby!" Azura shouted pulling away from him and heading back into the stairwell. Azura reached out for Shelby just as a gun shot was fired from the bottom of the stair well. Tobias was right on his wife's heals and reached for her as he heard the gun shot. 

Azura released a soul-shattering scream as warm blood spattered on her face. Shelby's eyes had the look of death as her body began to fall backwards into the inky darkness. Azura still held on to her hand. Tobias gasped pulling his wife back and grabbing Shelby's lifeless body. He heard the gun being cocked again and moved quickly to push his wife out of the door while lifting Shelby's body. Another shot was fired, but it missed. 

Upon hearing the gun shots, Tamarius, Maxwell, and Morgan were rushing towards them.  Azura walked in front of her husband sobbing and Tobias covered in Shelby's blood carrying her body. Morgan wanted desperately to console Azura, but knew that it would enrage Tobias to see him hugging his half naked wife. Tamarius gently took Shelby's body from Tobias; While Maxwell took off his overcoat and places it over Azura's shoulders. 

Upon seeing Shelby's lifeless body, Mary and Joana began to cry and scream.  Tamarius gently laid Shelby's body on the ground, he took off his coat and covered her body but while leaving her face uncovered. The EMT's approached slowly convincing Mary and Joana to allow them to take them to the hospital.

Tobias searched for his wife in the crowd of people. He lost track of her when he handed Shelby to his cousin.  He looked down at his shirt covered in Shelby's blood and couldn't stand the sight of it. He removed his shirt and wiped his bare chest of the remaining blood. He walked through the crowd of police, emergency response, and multiple reporters and news media crew, struggling to understand where his wife could have disappeared to; he stopped and took a deep breath. "Please let me find you," he whispered.  He took another deep breath and his heart led him to his wife who was seated on the ground besides the neighboring building. He ran to her scooping her up in his arms. "Baby, I thought I lost you forever," he said gently squeezing her as he sat down on the floor with her.

"I tried to save her," Azura cried. 

"Sweetie, you did, you did and you don't even know..." Tobias paused as he became choked up with anger and sadness concerning Shelby. He forced his anger down as he took joy in seeing his wife alive and then it hit him, the pregnancy, with all that Azura has just endured would the baby survive? He thought to himself "Baby we have to get you to the hospital now," he said standing to his feet then lifting her. Azura laid her head on his chest and continued to cry. He carried her to the ambulance an EMT' was searching for her and was ready when Tobias approached carrying his wife in his arms. He quickly informed them of her pregnancy and they placed her on a gurney. 

"You can ride with us," an EMT invited giving him a hand up into the ambulance. 

Tobias got in and sat close to his wife who was reaching out for him. "I'm here my love," he said gently kissing her hand.

"I'm sorry about Shelby, I know that she...she meant a lot to you," Azura said tearfully.

"You don't have to apologize for Shelby, and yes I felt responsible for her, but that was it. I am sad that she is gone, but I’m overjoyed that my wife, the woman that I love beyond my own level of understanding is here and alive." Tobias said planting a kiss on her lips.

"But, what about the baby, what if I lost the baby?" Azura cried.

"No, stop it, hey," he said gently placing a finger under her chin and making her look at him. "We can always have another baby, but you... I will never find another you." Tobias said looking into her deep blue eyes. He ran his fingers through her soft curly wavy hair. 

Azura was speechless, all that she ever wanted was to be accepted, and for the first time in her life she found someone who fully and completely accepted all of her. She wrapped her arms around her husband and for the first time in her life wept tears of joy.

 


Morgan watched as the ambulance carrying Azura and Tobias drove away. He wanted to see her and speak to her, but it would be pointless. Since the rental van pulled into the garage, it took Maxwell and Tamarius all of their strength to hold Tobias back from running across the street to rescue his wife, when the garage door opened to the shop. No one could out run Tobias, not even him who considered himself to be a great runner. When Tobias reappeared with Azura walking in front of him and carrying Shelby, Morgan could see by the look in his eyes that his only desire was to hold his wife.  Morgan had to admit that although he had a lot of strong feelings for Azura, he knew nothing about real love; he never allowed it to transform him. There were many times that he could have shown his true feelings to Azura, but he played a game with her certain that he would one day win. As the ambulance disappeared into the night, the bitterness of loss set in. 



Tamarius and Maxwell both sighed at the same time then laughed at each other. "What a day bro," Tamarius said patting his brother on the shoulder.

"I'm glad Tobias didn't lose his wife, but this young lady..." Maxwell replied looking over at the coroners truck that Shelby's body was being placed in. "Death...we deal with it so much in our line of work and yet it is just something I will never get used to."

"That's good; don't get use to it...That's apathy when you feel nothing for the injustice and pain that others go through. So I'm happy to hear that you have not become apathetic, you’re kind of hard to read sometimes," Tamarius chuckled. 

"That's because I know how to block you out of my head," Maxwell laughed and Tamarius laughed with him.



Seven months later...

"When are you going to speak to your family again?" Tobias asked his wife as he watched her reject another call from her mother.
 

"They lied to me just so that I would go along with their stupid plan," Azura replied as she slowly rose to her feet.

"I deceived you too," he said weakly helping his pregnant wife to stand.

"Don't remind me," Azura mumbled.

"So you’re still mad at me too?" he said gently pulling her into his embrace.

Azura smiled, "You accepted me and loved me even when I pushed you away. I can never stay mad at you."

"You never talk about what happened that day at Jason's shop," Tobias said.