Page 95 of Rescuing Rebel

The musty dampness of the tunnel fills my nostrils as I take a deep breath. The unspoken resolve of my team never fails to astound me. They’ve trained for this, and now that it’s time to execute, there’s a shift in the air. An unspoken urgency.

Leaving Blake and Gabe behind, the rest of us head back upstairs, our footsteps echoing in the confined space. The main parts of Haven loom ahead, a maze of opulence and decadence masking the dark underbelly of this place.

Reaching the control room Kaufman gave us during our stay at Haven, we disperse to our assigned tasks. Jeb and Stitch get to work on the systems, their fingers dancing over keyboards. The others head off, their faces masks of casual indifference, but their eyes remain hard with purpose.

I take a moment, standing alone, the room filled with the hum of technology. The auction is tonight, a grotesque spectacle I must participate in. My stomach churns at the thought, but I push it aside. Those women are depending on us, and we can’t fail them.

I prepare for the evening, changing into the attire befitting one of Kaufman’s guests. My reflection in the mirror is a stranger, a facade I must endure to navigate this world.

THIRTY-FIVE

Rebel

The days dragby in a haze of endless training sessions as I push the Angels to their breaking point, desperately trying to hammer them into auction-ready condition. Despite the long hours and grueling demands I place on them, the girls remain hollow-eyed and fearful, shells of their former selves filled with trauma.

I pause the training and approach Leah, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. “I know this is difficult,” I say softly. “But it’s the only way. Becoming an Angel will spare you an even worse fate.”

Leah blinks back tears, unconvinced. “How can being forced to obey some man be better than this?” she asks tremulously.

I tilt her chin up. “You will want for nothing as an Angel. Fine clothes, gardens to wander, your every whim catered to.”

Leah searches my face. “It doesn’t sound like freedom.”

“It’s the only freedom left to us,” I reply. “And far better than the misery below. You’re stronger than Kaufman knows. Endure this training, and you’ll have an easy life pampered and protected. This life is better than the alternative.”

Leah absorbs this quietly. “Is he—kind to you?”

I consider the bruises hidden under my sleeves. “Kaufman can be difficult,” I admit. “But I want for very little. I have a comfortable room, leisure time, and access to grounds and gardens.” I smooth a hand over Leah’s hair. “The life ahead may not be what you wished, but it holds potential. With care, you can cultivate happiness even in captivity, perhaps even freedom.”

Leah listens intently, taking some solace in my experience. If framing it as us being in this together gives her strength, then so be it. I’ve carried darker deceptions than white lies meant to help these girls survive.

She hesitates, conflicted, but wants to believe me. I offer an encouraging smile before moving on, hoping my words sway her. She is bright and might understand in time. I pray I can convince them all before it’s too late.

“It’s not ideal, I know,” I say gently. “But you can make the best of it. You have some control over who buys you.”

Leah looks skeptical. I lean in close. “Be strategic—catch the eye of men you find appealing. You can ensure you end up with someone young and handsome, not old and fat.”

I squeeze her hand. “An Angel’s life can be quite luxurious with the right man, but you must be proactive and seduce the bidder you want.”

Leah considers this. “So, I’m not powerless?” she asks hesitantly.

“Not completely. It’s a game of influence,” I reply. “Play it well, and you may find contentment.”

Leah nods slowly, seeing a glimmer of hope. I pray my advice gives her the will to endure the trials ahead and guide her future.

Leah hesitates, then asks quietly, “Is Kaufman why you’re our trainer?”

I nod slowly. “Yes. He let me choose my role here, and I perform it willingly. It keeps my own life relatively pain-free.”

Leah absorbs this, reading the truth in my eyes. “I’m sorry,” she says softly. “That you had no choice either.”

Her empathy brings a lump to my throat. I have to turn away under the pretense of retrieving training equipment, not wanting her to see the sheen of tears in my eyes. She may retain her kind heart, even once it’s all beaten out. That innocent part of Leah gives me hope—that maybe, just maybe, some flicker of their souls can survive this place unchanged.

I turn to address all the Angels. “I know you despise me for what I do.” The words come with the pain of my heart breaking for these women. “I regret every cruelty, but preparing you for what’s to come is necessary.”

I meet each girl’s eyes. “But, I’m saving you from fates infinitely more horrific. The misery you’ve endured is nothing compared to where these men would send you without my intervention. Dark places fueled by sadism, where pain and degradation have no limits. Where death comes slowly, and part of you prays for its bitter release.”

The girls go still, faces draining of color. I continue more gently, “As Angels, you will know a far kinder life. What I do, I do to spare you indescribable suffering and keep you from the deepest pits of hell this world contains.”

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