Once our feet were covered, the two men led us out of the building by our leashes.
No one uttered a single word. Becca limped her way to the older blue van that was parked a few feet from the door. The goddamn bastard fucked her leg up pretty badly.
I prayed Hector would shred his ass to pieces in front of us, but I knew that would never happen. We were nothing but objects now. To be used and abused by a bunch of depraved men. The thought chilled me to the bone, but I remained calm as they marched us to the vehicle.
It was much warmer here, unlike back in Rhode Island, where the temp was freezing. The outside of the place looked like an institution surrounded by nothing but green trees and shrubs. It looked as if we were in the desert.
An evil grin spread across Juan's face as he pulled open the large sliding door.
"Your chariot awaits. Now take a seat, whores."
They let go of our leashes and pushed us into the van.
Juan’s laugh was loud and sadistic, making the hair on my arms stand up. I wrinkled my nose once inside. The smell of sweat and old leather stifled my lungs.
The stench clung to every surface of the vehicle.
The thought of the many women who were trafficked in this clunker made my skin crawl. Becca pressed her cheek against the cool steel of the interior wall, trying not to breathe too deeply. She repeatedly rubbed the ugly bruise on her thigh. I watched as she winced silently, trying not to draw any attention to herself.
The back of the truck was dim and dismal, lit only by a thin strip of light shining through the small bars that separated us from our handlers. My eyes remained glued to the window. I was surprised they weren't tinted, considering the vehicle's purpose. The world outside blurred by. Flashes of desert shrubs and a large rusty wall faded as we moved ahead.
Even though it was dusk, I was able to see the plates before we entered this nasty cesspool on wheels. I can't believe we are in fucking Texas. We were out cold when they transported us here. I had no idea we were so far away from home.
Why Texas?
I was confused for a minute, then a thought crossed my mind. Of course! It makes sense to me now.
They’re transporting us into Mexico!
Atlas told me that a lot of the girls are taken to Mexico, where they are sold to wealthy men from all over the world. Beads of sweat pooled along my spine, sending chills through my body once the realization hit me.
I pray Atlas reaches us before they put us on the auction block. If anyone has the skills to flush us out of hiding, it's him. I don't want to be separated from Becca, sold, and shipped off to the other side of the world. The thought terrified me.
I glanced at Beck sitting across from me. She was still rubbing her thigh, lost in thought. She seemed much calmer now that we were out of that hellhole. I was relieved that she was no longer crying. My best friend will need to save her strength for what's to come once we cross the border.
"Beck, drink some water. You're going to dehydrate."
I whispered.
We both unscrewed the caps at the same time and took a few small sips. It felt good to soothe my dry throat. Beck turned and gazed out the window again. I kept my eyes on her, making sure she was okay. I cleared my throat, grabbing her attention. Her eyes stared into mine.
“They’re bringing us to Mexico,” I mumbled, keeping my voice low. She looked confused for a minute, then pressed her hand over her mouth, eyes wide and frightened.
Bringing my finger to my lips, I whispered, “Shhh.”
She settled down and just stared ahead in a daze.
Her fiery red hair was a tangled mess, hanging loosely past her shoulders. They didn't offer us a brush, and we didn't ask for one. I can only imagine what I must look like. Not that it mattered. I had much bigger issues to deal with.
She turned and stared out the window once more, as if trying to escape reality. I wasn't happy that I had to break the news to her, but it was necessary. I left her to her thoughts. My body felt bruised and ached like a bastard. Every bump we hit sent a jolt through my spine.
The seats had no padding or comfort. Just a steel bench bolted to each side. The cold, heavy silence of despair hung in the air. My lips felt cracked, even after hydrating them with a few sips of the water they gave us. A nice lip balm would be good right about now.
A girl can dream, can't she?
The thought made me smile.
If we ever get out of this nightmare, I will never take another thing in life for granted.
