Page 110 of Sardonic Burn

The main reason my family never dealt with these kinds of situations is because the Campbells always beat us to it. While my brother was alive, he was in charge of tracking down human trafficking organizations and putting a stop to them. Clearly, he wasn’t doing his job properly.

By the time Henrick or I caught the wind of it, Noelle had already handled it all. She never left any witnesses and made sure that the ringleaders met a death so torturous, cruel, and painful that they wished they’d never met her. She’s known for her brutality and ruthlessness, so I’m surprised to see her like this.

It’s not a pretty sight, nor is it something I want her to get accustomed to looking at, but it’s something she’s done many times before. What is so different about this one that it has turned her into a completely different person?

The Noelle in front of me is no different than a terrified child, and I’m uncertain how to act. She’s capable of defending herself, but she’s also overthinking, and she’s not cautious enough.

She doesn’t notice the hungry eyes that are on her. She doesn’t hear the mockery behind her. Coming in as Madam Giselle is possibly the worst decision Noelle has ever made, and I don’t want to know the consequences of that.

The muzzle is starting to get uncomfortable, but not the collar. The way she’s gripping on the thick chain makes all the intolerable sensations vanish. It’s not about me. If it makes her feel safe, then I’ll wear this collar until the day I die.

The masked man makes his announcement, and everyone waits eagerly. It makes my blood boil, but it’s not time to react yet. I need them to show every person they have in here before I make my judgment.

I know who the person behind all of this is.

All I need is concrete evidence.

And I think that Noelle knows, too. She just can’t admit it to herself. Not yet, at least. But soon, she’ll have to come to terms with the brutal, gruesome reality. I never wanted it to come to this, but she needs to have her eyes opened.

The masked man finally pulls the curtain, and it falls to the ground. No one makes a sound as he waves his hand. The cage is connected by a small hallway to the part of the building that’s located behind the curtain.

One by one, women enter the cage. They’re bound by shackles on their wrists and ankles, and the shackles look like they weigh more than the girls themselves. They’re all slim, withbones sticking out. Although their hair and makeup are done to make them presentable, I see outlines of bruises on their arms and legs. The marks are old, but not old enough to have healed by now. It probably happened last week, and, knowing these people, they don’t like their products damaged.

All the girls are between eighteen and twenty-five. Their eyes are dead; some are even sniffling. There’s no other emotion on them other than pure fear, which is slowly feeding into the crowd, and they’re enjoying it.

The powerless, helpless faces make the men in here go especially wild.

Immediately, the bidding begins. They’re offering hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some are even offering euros. I can differentiate between different accents; there are quite a few Europeans here, too.

The first two women are bought by two different couples. It’s only then that their fear kicks in, and they start thrashing and turning, screaming at the top of their lungs. Noelle starts shaking in anger but doesn’t move—not yet.

The crowd is loud enough for me to be able to speak undetected.

“Lucas.” My voice is low. “Have one of the teams intercept these two. Let them go for a mile before getting rid of them.”

“Lyla is on that.”

The masked man with the microphone hushes everyone, and the bidding resumes. The next two girls look alike. They’re probably related. One has a fierce look on her face, determined not to show them weakness. The other one is nearly falling apart, tears coating her cheeks.

One man offers two million euros for both women and immediately, the man with the microphone agrees. I only now notice the little wire sticking out of his mask. His boss is likely telling him which offers to accept and which to reject.

An argument begins because this one wasn’t done fairly. A woman jumps into the fight, saying she’ll offer double the amount. No one pays any attention to her, and the two women are escorted over to their new owner.

It’s only then that the masked man announces a little break. There are four women left in the cage and they aren’t relieved that there is a break. They’re terrified; each and every one of them is crying. They will be punished for that and if they aren’t bought, they will be tortured, sexually assaulted, and murdered before the sun rises.

The music resumes, and Noelle tugs on my chain. I stand up and take a seat next to her since the chair is now empty.

“Lucas, speak to me,” she says in a hushed tone. “What’s going on?”

He’s quiet for a moment, and all we can hear is his furious typing on the keyboard.

“Lyla caught the first two, and she had someone take the girls to safety. As for the rotten motherfuckers, she left them in a delightful state, but not before finding out everything about them. There are people right now searching through their homes, trying to see if there is anyone else in there.”

“And the two sisters?”

“Niko is on that. He’ll let me know once it’s done.”

“Alright.”

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