Conduit - M J Marlow (best short books to read txt) 📗

speak to her grandfather as soon as possible.” He listened and nodded. “I’ll be there.” He hung up and turned to Jeanne. “Do I have anything on the calendar tomorrow at 10 a.m.?” “No,” Jeanne shook her head as she checked on the computer. “Give him hell, Dad.” “For all of us!” Jason chimed in, his eyes cold and angry. “Ditto that!” Jonas added. * I made my way to the bus station and noted the way several of the men inside were watching me. I could tell the ones to avoid; there was a look and manner a pimp trolling for new chicks had. I skirted around them and took a seat near the destination board. I ran through the cities to see how far I could get and still have money to eat and get a room. Not far, I sighed. I debated between my options and missed seeing Henry, the gentler would-be kidnapper, come up. He slid onto the bench next to me and caught my hand as I tried to leave. “Don’t make a scene, princess,” Henry said as he held on tight. “Just come along with me and no one has to get hurt.” “You wouldn’t hurt anyone, Henry,” I shook my head, even as I rose to go with him. “You’re not the type.” “I wouldn’t,” he agreed with me. “But they would.” He nodded to the door where two large, powerfully built men were waiting. They screamed ‘threat’ and I knew he had me. “They were sent by the man who sent us after you to make certain you joined us on the jet.” “You think you’ve won?” I asked him. Henry looked at me, startled. Especially when I started to scream. “Let me go, Mister! I don’t want to go with you.” “What are you doing to that poor child,” a sailor asked as he rose to his feet and came towards Henry. “Let her go, Mister.” Henry was forced to do so and the sailor turned to me. “Are you all right, girl?” “He – he said he wanted me to go with him,” I sobbed, the very image of a terrified innocent; I shot a look at Henry of triumph. “But I don’t know him,” I said as I looked up at the sailor, my eyes shining with tears and showing fear. “I was just waiting here for my cousin.” “You come sit near me, child,” the sailor said as he glared at Henry. “We’ll wait for your cousin together.” Henry knew he couldn’t make a scene. Trying to take me now, with the sailor and several other men watching his every move, would only cause trouble they had been told to avoid. He moved off and I relaxed and settled on the bench. The sailor took the other end and I was amused by his protective posture. He did not stop watching Henry until that man and his companions were on the other side of the building. I relaxed then and started to look around for a likely ‘cousin’. I smiled as I saw a street cop that I knew quite well coming into the station. “Neil!” I ran to the officer and threw myself at him. “I thought you’d never come!” I saw the sailor nod, he was satisfied I was safe. I looked up at the officer in relief. “I have never been so glad to see you in my life, Officer Gentry.” “Obviously,” the young officer blushed scarlet. “You can let go now. I think your crisis is over.” He followed my eyes to Henry. “I don’t recognize him. New pimp?” “Worse,” I said as I sank down on the nearest bench, shaking now that the shock was wearing off. “He and his friends were sent to take me to someone in Switzerland.” I gripped Neil’s hand. “I don’t know anyone in Switzerland, Officer Gentry.” “New tactic,” his older partner, Sergeant Wilson frowned, as he joined us. He heard his phone beep and looked at the text message. “Judge Davenport has an APB out for you, kid. You know anything about that?” “He just took my friends and I in as his wards,” I told him honestly. I never lied to Sergeant Wilson if I could help it. He and Gentry had made it part of their job to keep an eye out for the children on their beat. “I don’t think I should go there while these people are hunting me. I don’t want to bring him any trouble.” “I think the Judge’s house is the best place for you to be, kid,” Wilson replied. “He has security there.” He saw my stubborn look. “At least discuss this situation with him, Dulcie. He can decide if it would be better to put you in a safe house…” “How is that better?” I asked the Sergeant. “I would still be putting people in danger.” “Sweetheart,” Wilson shook his head at me; “these people put their lives in danger every day to keep children like you safe from harm.” He patted my shoulder. “Despite what you may believe, Dulcie, some of us actually do care what happens to you and your friends.” “You’re a good man, Sergeant Wilson,” I smiled up at him. I thought over what he had said. He had 15 years on the force; he knew how things were. I could trust his advice. “All right. Let me use the facilities and then we’ll go talk to the Judge.” I went into the bathroom and checked the windows. They were too high and too small for me to escape out of. I was going to have to find another way to give the Sergeant and his partner the slip. I used the facilities and washed my hands. I stepped out of the room and saw the officers talking to Justin. I turned to leave, shaken by the thought that men I had trusted were betraying me. Karen was standing there, smiling at me. I shook my head and tried to run and the two men Henry had indicated were behind me. They herded me out the side entrance where a car was waiting. “I finally found two cops who didn’t know where the nearest doughnut shop is,” Justin laughed as he got in front with Henry. He turned to smile at me. “You really thought they were working with us, princess?” He laughed. “We’re not that well connected.” He nodded to the men. “I think we should go for the sedative now. We have no more time for these little side trips.” The men held me as Karen got out a syringe and needle and gave me a shot; I began to feel groggy within seconds. The car moved away from the bus station and the men settled me down in the foot well and covered me with a blanket as we passed the squad car. Sergeant Wilson and Officer Gentry were looking up and down the street, frowning. Wilson’s frown darkened as he saw the person who had approached them, with the man who had threatened me earlier. He memorized the license plate and sent Gentry to put out an APB with a shadow but do not approach tag. He didn’t know why he did this; something just felt wrong about those people. I woke up to find myself in a room in a hotel; the kind of place I would never have been found. I got up and looked out the windows at a city I did not recognize. We were not in DC any longer and I began to feel fearful. Where had they taken me? Most important to me, however, was why had they taken me? What new torment was coded ‘being taken to Switzerland’? I could see airplanes taking off from this room; so I knew we were near the airport. I heard the door to the room open and saw the woman coming inside. “We’ll let you clean up a bit,” Karen smiled as she joined me, “and then you and I are going shopping.” “This is kidnapping,” I snapped at her as I looked at her coldly. “You have no right to do this to me.” “That’s not exactly true, little one,” Karen said as she pulled a document out of her purse and set it on the table by the door. “I have been named your guardian. You are now in my charge. Since I am currently employed as a research assistant on a dig in Switzerland, you are going with me.” “I don’t care what your fancy paper says,” I said to her, refusing to move. “You kidnapped me.” “You are an angry little thing, aren’t you?” Karen laughed and took the document with her. “In the eyes of the law, you are now in my keeping. That means, I am responsible for seeing to your care.” She grabbed my arm and caught the other one as I tried to slap her. “You will clean up now,” she repeated her earlier order as she shoved me into the bathroom. She met my angry eyes. “If I need to scrub you myself…” “No,” I cried in horror, remembering an event from my last foster homes. I grew quiet. “I’ll clean up.” “That’s a good girl,” Karen nodded. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes to check on you.” I watched her close the door and waited. I tried the door and she had locked me inside the bathroom. I slammed my fists on the wood and heard her laughter. She was in the next room, waiting. I knew if I did not start the shower soon, she would be in here forcing me to obey. I could not let anyone do such things to me again. I stripped and stepped into the shower, losing myself to the wonder of jet sprays and massage. As I washed, I did not hear her enter. When I stepped out of the shower, my clothing was gone. I dried and put on the robe hanging on the back of the door. “Come sit down here,” Karen pointed to the vanity. I did so and she took out a comb and began to work through my thick black hair. “You’re a very pretty girl when you’re not coated in dirt. You look like Catherine Zeta-Jones in those Zorro movies.” “I’ll kill myself before I let you turn me into a whore,” I told her fiercely. I saw the shock and then the amusement on the woman’s face. “Why are you doing this?” “We are taking you home, little one,” Karen replied. “To the place where your mother’s people come from.” She braided my hair in a single plait down my back and nodded. “Much better.” She stepped away from me. “I left some clothing for you on the end of the bed. It will be a little large on you,” she said as I stood up, “but it will do for now.” She saw my stubborn face. “I could leave you here, but I thought you’d enjoy picking out your own clothing.” “I don’t like you,” I said as I went to the bed. “I don’t want to go anywhere with you.” I shoved the clothing to the floor. “I had a home! I had a family! We didn’t need you interfering with us!” I slugged her across the face and ran for the door. “I don’t want to be here!” I flung open the doors and found myself running into a chest. I looked up to see Justin frowning down at me. “I won’t stay here! You can’t make me stay!” “We can, child,” Justin replied as he caught me by the wrists and made me sit down on the bed. “We’d prefer not to have to use force,” he continued as he pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket and dangled them in front of my face. “It is up to you. Karen,” he nodded at the woman