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“Who made the biggest score, who made the loudest noise. You know, like in the media. This,” I snapped a few photos, making sure the light was perfect, “is for braggin’ rights. You never heard of a tag?” When he shook his head, I pointed to the oval with my initials inside. “It shows she’s held by me,” I rubbed my finger over the engraving, “Eric Noah’s possession. Braggin’ rights.”
“Kinda like a signature on artwork without sharing your name.”
“Precisely, and if she isn’t art in our world, I don’t know what is.” I laughed and sent the photo to Castillo and a few others then flipped on the TV to an American news channel.
“Impressive.” He grinned and went to slap me on the back but thought better of it and backed off.
I dragged over a plastic tub and set it next to her bed. I pulled out some clothes, a water bottle, and a pair of flip flops.
“A tracksuit?” He looked at the black pants and oversized hoodie with a raised eyebrow.
“Do you ever shut the fuck up?” I’d kept enough women here to know they were more comfortable in sweats. Something warm that didn’t show their womanly shape. It was too tempting for the men around them, and I didn’t need the hassle. My part of the operation was to keep them as clean and safe as possible until they were sold off to Chili, who could do whatever the hell he did with them.
“I’m just sayin’ maybe something silky would be better.” He reached out and fingered her shirt.
“Know your place,” I warned him and batted his hand away. I wasn’t sure I could trust him with a caged woman in the place. “You touch her, and I’ll break your fingers, individually, with a hammer.”
“Sure, sure, I hear you.” He put his hands in the air. “I’m just sayin’.”
“Well, don’t.” I pointed at the door, and he left with a quick glance back at her. My gut told me he shouldn’t be allowed down there at all, not even with someone else. I had a reputation to uphold, and I wasn’t about to let some punk kid ruin it for me.
The woman stirred just as I stepped out and locked the cage using a five-digit code. I didn’t trust she couldn’t pick a lock, and at least she couldn’t see when I entered in the numbers. Only a few would know the code. One could never be too careful.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she shot straight up, then heaved over and gagged. I knew after the drugs she’d had, she might get sick. I could have warned her to take it slow, but I knew it would be pointless. Her feet hit the floor, and she tried to stand then fell forward on her hands and knees with a moan. She put a hand to her head and sat up.
“If you sit still and take small sips of water, it’ll help with the side effects,” I said calmly.
Her head whipped over to me, and her hair fell over one eye as she blinked her anger at me.
“Or maybe you don’t drug me at all.” She lowered her head and tried to fight it.
“Okay, look.” I eased onto the table and felt a weariness come over me. This part of the process exhausted me. “Let’s look at this from my point of view. You’re here in a cage, and I’m here outside the cage. Clearly, I’ve done this before. I’m very good at it, by the way. I know what I’m talking about. So, if you just sit back and drink some water, maybe you’ll see I’m just trying to make this easier on you.”
“Screw you.” She puffed and managed to stand for a moment then allowed herself to sink to the bed.
“Fine.” I sighed deeply. “Clean clothes are there, water is there, and there’s food on the table.” I pointed. “If you’re done trying to prove to me how tough you are, I’ll leave you be. In the meantime,” I stood, “smile for the cameras.”
I waved over my head and as I walked out. I eyed the cameras to see how they were being used.
“Wait.” She called me back. I almost kept going but thought about it and turned around, then as I walked toward the cage, I nudged a paintbrush forward a bit on the floor with the toe of my boot. “Can I get some sugar?”
“Sugar?” I pretended to entertain her odd request so I could take a moment to move the bucket that stood against the wall a bit closer to the cage. “Why would you want sugar?”
“I have low sugars, and I faint easily.” I could see the lie but used it to my advantage as I pretended to think about it. I scuffed a mark in the dust with my heel.
“I’ll see what I have.” She nodded, and I headed back toward the stairs.
Pedro, one of Castillo’s higher-ranked soldiers, watched me as I came toward him. He put his cards down on the table. I grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head back, and with the other hand I snatched the cigarette from his mouth and put in out on the side of his neck. He bucked straight up, but I used my weight to slam him back in the chair.
“Have some fucking respect in someone’s home,” I hissed and tossed him backward in his chair. He toppled onto his back then leapt to his feet where he was met with my gun in his face. “You’re here to watch over this place, so fucking do it!”
I pulled out my phone and called Castillo.
“How’s she settling in?” Castillo mused from wherever he was.
“If you insist on your dogs being here, they stay outside,” I seethed inches from Pedro’s face. “This is my house, and you hire me to do my job, now I have to have your pets and your cameras invading my space?” I shouted and knew I hovered the line of disrespect, but I didn’t care. “We had a deal, and you broke it.”
He went quiet, and I half expected him to walk through my front door with guns blazing.
