Page 1 of I've Got You

MISSY

The fog swirls around me as I watch the hotel room door. There’s something going on. I know it. I saw the men carrying the girl in the door. She didn’t look conscious. I should call the police.

But I’m worried about what they might do to her until the cops can get her out. She can’t defend herself. I need to make sure that I’m doing the smart thing. The best thing for her.

I slide my feet carefully, keeping my steps light and slow. Cautious. Moving closer, I pull out my phone, trying to open my camera as I approach the door.

Am I an idiot for what I’m about to do? Yes. Is that going to stop me? Nope. I don’t think they’ll hurt her. Maybe me. If I can distract them, it’s less time that their attention is on her. Maybe she’ll wake up enough to get away. Maybe I can get a picture of her and identify her. Get someone involved. Spread the word about her situation.

I lean until I can see in the window. Or I could if the damn curtain wasn’t pulled. The sheer and the blackout curtain. I can’t see a damn thing and my heart drops to my toes. This isn’t going to work.

Time for my final option other than running. Taking a deep breath, I walk past the window and throw my shoulders back, then knock as loud as I can. I hear movement and I get the recorder going on my phone.

The door swings open and the huge man growls at me. “What the fuck do you want?” He’s huge. Muscles on muscles. So many tattoos that they all blend together. His head is shaved but yet he’s got a big, bushy beard covering the lower half of his face.

He moves forward, trying to block my view but I dart around him. “What’s going on in here?”

I video the whole room quickly. The blond girl in the corner is obviously heavily sedated. She barely looks at me when I barge in.

Not so the men though. All of a sudden I’m surrounded by three huge men and I start rethinking my idea. I thought there were two men and hopefully I would be able to slip in and out fairly quickly. My own desire to catch everything on video just screwed me.

“Uh…I’m sorry. I appear to have the wrong room.” I back away and then right into the guy who opened the door. His big arms wrap around me and he tries to grab my phone. I quickly pop it down my dress shirt and dart out of his reach. But now I’m even further in the room instead of moving towards the door.

That’s a bad move and I’m quickly surrounded. Dancing back and forth on my toes, I try and get a closer look at the girl.

“Are you alright?” I ask her. No response though.

But it seems to set the men off.

“Gimme that camera, girl,” a suave-looking man with dark hair and eyes and a sinister scar that runs along his left eye, cheek and mouth.

I duck away from him and around the other men. Still backed into a corner, I grit my teeth. Sometimes when you’re really young, you think you can’t fail and you come up with some dumb ideas. This would be one of those times.

I tighten my muscles and get ready to run. I need to make a move, a big move to get the hell out of here. I’m no good to the girl if I get caught.

But I just can’t stop myself from running my mouth. It’s a failing I’ve dealt with for years.

“What are you doing with that girl? Why does she look like she’s on drugs? Are you human traffickers?”

All three of them glare at me. “You know you’ve got a big mouth lady. Someone needs to shut that for you.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

My muscles clench and I shift my eyes left and right trying to keep them all in view at all times.

Then I sprint for the door. I’m seconds from making it. I have my hand stretched to the doorjamb and the parking lot is in view. And then it feels like something’s slammed into me from behind and everything goes black.

* * *

I wake,shifting my body carefully. Groaning, I struggle to come back. My mind wants to shut down. My body is in so much pain it feels like I’m being torn apart every time I move.

Tears leak out of my eyes and I swear to god, even tears hurts.

Pushing my arms under me, I stumble to my feet. Every move feels like broken body parts are screaming in anger.

My eyes blur and I fall into the brick wall of the alley I’m in. Holding a hand to my head, I pull it back when I feel wetness. My eyes widen when I realize I’m bleeding.

“What the hell?”

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