Introspections

Hannah tried to blink back tears as she filled the cat's food and water dishes and gave the cat a final squeeze before it wriggled out of her arms and ran to hide under the couch.

"Trouble will be fine for a few days."

"What if we don't come back?"

"We're coming back Hannah. Look, I'll call my friend and let him know we are heading out of town for a few days, ask him to check in on her if he doesn't hear from me. The cat will be fine until then."

He loaded their bags into the SUV and reset the alarm as she climbed into the passenger's seat. Soon they were on the road again, on a much longer journey this time. At the first stop he helped her out of the car and put the keys in her hand.

"This time I am tempted to leave you behind. Hold on to these for me. Don't blow our cover."

In the bathroom stall the tears came suddenly and unexpectedly. She sobbed silently, cautious about being overheard. She realized staring into the mirror in the women's restroom that all she had to do to end this was turn to the woman standing next to her and ask to borrow a phone. For a moment she was sorely tempted to at least call home. But thoughts of other girls who could not escape as easily haunted her, so after splashing water on her face to hide her crying she emerged from the bathroom and waited for him in the car. He was on his phone when he came out of the gas station but hung up quickly when he saw her waiting.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's get back on the road."

She sat silently for nearly an hour before she finally decided to pry.

"If you are not going to tell me who you are talking to will you at least tell me what your plan is? I am trying to trust you James, but I feel like you are expecting me to walk into this blind and that's not fair."

He let out a deep sigh.

"Sweetheart I know it's not fair. You having to be in this position at all is not even remotely fair and believe me, if I could do this without you I would. There is a lot I simply can't tell you, but I can tell you what I need your help with. We need you to get me in the door and I need you to help me pick out the key players I don't know. Guards, handlers, anyone you recognize from your time there.

I also need to find out where they are keeping the girls before the actual auction takes place and I'm afraid we may need to go to the top to make that happen. I'm hoping we can avoid meeting the bastard but I can't promise you that. After we have the information we need my goal is to get you out of there before all hell breaks loose, but I honestly can't promise you that either. All I can promise is I will die before letting them take you again and remember dying is not part of the plan. Does that help at all?"

It didn't and her posture made that clear. She turned away from him and stared blankly out the window before giving him a gruff reply.

"Fine. Change of subject, how do you like the weather?"

He took the hint and went back to making small talk in hopes of distraction. It was a long drive and a lot of small talk, almost all of it one sided despite his repeated efforts to draw her out. When they stopped for dinner a few hours later she was still giving him the silent treatment, refusing even to order for herself.

"Really Hannah? Is this act necessary? It's not getting you anywhere."

She stared at him across the table while eating in silence. When he pushed her again she finally snapped.

"Eyes down, ears open, mouth shut. I'm just practicing for our final performance. Just doing as I'm told like you want me to, not asking questions you won't answer."

"Damn it Hannah, do you think I like this? If I could tell you more I would. Please don't make this harder than it has to be, it's already bad enough."

She stood and pushed past him, retreating to the restaurant's single bathroom this time and locking the door behind her before collapsing against it sobbing. It only took a couple minutes before he started pounding on the door.

"Open the door Hannah. Now."

She stood up, wiping her eyes and doing as she was told. She didn't expect him to push his way into the bathroom and lock the door again before pulling her into his arms. The unexpected move set her off again and the tears were soon flowing freely. She buried her head against his chest and sobbed.

"I'm sorry James. I'm trying to be brave. I swear I can do this."

"I know you can, I never doubted you. You are brave. You know what they say, courage is not the lack of fear but the ability to overcome that fear to do the right thing. You, sweetheart, are frankly the most resilient person I have ever met. If anyone can get through this you can. Let's get back on the road."

A woman gave them an evil glare as they emerged from the restroom, obviously presuming they had been doing more in the bathroom than talking. Hannah blushed and looked away but he simply stared the stranger down until the woman finally broke her gaze. They headed back to the car and he opened the door for her, waiting until she was settled before moving to the drivers side.

The crying jag had worn the girl out and the gentle hum of the cars wheels soon lulled her to sleep. He watched as the tension drained from her body and began second guessing the plan. While he did feel certain she could make it through whatever they would soon face together he hated himself for taking her back into the grasps of the very same man he had saved her from.

He had intended to drive the length of the journey in one trip but they had made better time than he had expected so he decided it would be best to pull over for the night and arrive at their intended destination well rested and with luck avoid the need for an overnight stay altogether. The girl awoke as he pulled into the lot of a major hotel chain. She chose to come into the lobby with him rather than staying in the car and looked through a stand of brochures while he paid for the room.

She entered the room ahead of him while he grabbed their bags and when he finally put them down he found her studying a map from one of the brochures. Feeling his eyes on her she looked up at him.

"You know we are only a couple hours away from my parent's hometown."

He nodded, he knew exactly how close they were and had actually thought of taking a longer route to keep her from coming to that realization herself.

"I can't let you go home Hannah. It's the first place they would look if we failed to show up. But it's still not too late for you to back out. I've got the money to make you disappear, you can start a new life somewhere else. Just say the word and I will figure out how to make that happen."

She stood and put her hands on her hips, stubbornly looking him in the eye and he was relieved to see the fire in her eyes.

"I am not going to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder in fear of the bastard tracking me down and I am definitely not going to turn my back on a group of girls we have the potential to save. So shut the hell up about making me disappear and focus on whatever plan you've managed to come up with."

He nodded, expecting the reply, and turned away from her, going through her bag and pulling out one of her nightgowns.

"Go take a bath Hannah. Relax while you can. I didn't bring your shampoo."

"It's okay, I don't want it." She yanked the gown out of his hand and headed for the bathroom, clinging desperately to her anger. Anger gave her strength while fear overwhelmed and petrified her.

When she emerged he had changed as well and was sitting on a bed flipping through the channels on the television. There were two queens in the room and she thought of claiming the other for herself, but it felt petty. Besides, even through the anger she craved the comfort of his arms. She settled on the bed next to him and within minutes she was enveloped in those arms. Much to the surprise of both of them she slept without dreams.

She rolled out of bed the next morning to find him sitting in a chair watching her. Glancing at the alarm clock she gave him a surprised look.

"Aren't we running late? You should have woken me."

He shrugged. "Checkout isn't until eleven. I like watching you sleep."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah I know. If anyone else said that I would find it creepy."

He chuckled and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm glad you don't find me creepy. We'll be there by late afternoon, plenty of time to get the information we will need."

She quirked a smile and he released a deep breath, relieved to find her seemingly less distraught than she had been the day before. That lasted approximately five minutes until he presented her with her outfit for the day, a scanty little gown he had ordered online and hadn't shown her previously. She didn't object outright but he knew her well enough to sense her slipping back into ruminating. He ordered them room service while she showered and changed.

He brought the breakfast tray in and

approaching her as she stood in front of the mirror brushing her hair he took the brush from her hand. Somehow the act of brushing her hair seemed as intimate as anything else he had done for her. After she had finished primping they sat down to eat the meal, the last they would publicly share as equals for awhile.

Back on the road yet again he kept up a steady stream of conversation and she was more responsive this time. She let him draw her out as they discussed the quickly decreasing amounts of snow. A couple hours into the middle of nowhere she drifted off again. He knew she found it creepy, but he couldn't help the feelings of wellbeing he got just watching her breathe and he was glad she was getting more rest. They couldn't risk the sedatives he would usually give her when she was restless so he was glad she seemed to be sleeping soundly.

Less than half an hour away from their final destination he pulled over and shook her awake.

"We're close sweetheart, it's time."

They had discussed this aspect of the plan and she didn't like it, but knew it was necessary. Reluctantly she left the comfort of the front seat to take up residence in a large dog crate in the back of the car. In the skanky little dress she was in it was hard to even remotely get comfortable and her thoughts drifted to a long night in a similar crate the day she had attempted her escape. She decided if she did ever get a dog she would do without the dog kennel.

She clenched her teeth as the car slowed and then stopped, heard him leave the car and waited in nervous anticipation for the kennel to open. He opened the hatch and grasped her arm, prompting her to crawl out and stand. She kept her eyes submissively focused on the ground while he pulled out their bags and handed the keys to the valet. He loaded the bags onto a baggage cart and lead her into the foyer of the hotel. She followed him obediently silent, staying slightly behind him as they had discussed.

She had been afraid her outfit would draw unwanted attention but he had chosen carefully and she was neither overdressed nor underdressed for the occasion. With her eyes still downcast she didn't have the chance to really check out the competition but it was apparent other women were similarly attired. The check in process went smoothly, much to his relief there were no questions asked. They were the only ones on the elevator and though he didn't dare comfort her verbally as he was sure the elevators were monitored he did take the opportunity to grab her hand and squeeze it reassuringly and for a moment she was able to relax. That moment unfortunately didn't last long.

As the exited the elevator they came across a man violently berating and beating his female slave. Hannah tensed involuntarily and he pushed the baggage cart between the spectacle and the two of them, moving close enough to whisper urgently in her ear.

"Stay calm, there's nothing we can do. Not yet."

A slight nod was her only response. With no further delays he swiped the key card for their assigned room, tossing the bags on the floor and hurriedly shutting and dead-bolting the door. She began to speak but he hushed her urgently and ordered her to sit on the bed. He turned on the TV and when he pulled up an adult pay per view option she looked at him confused, especially when he ordered her to pay close attention to porn flick. Understanding dawned as he pulled a small device from his bag and began sweeping the room for bugs, she nodded her head in understanding when he motioned toward the nightstand next to the bed. Their charade had to be ongoing, even in their own room they were being carefully monitored.

Leaving the TV playing in the background he unpacked what they would need for the upcoming dinner that evening. The auction was to be held the next day, but he optimistically hoped they could gather the information needed at the dinner party so he could spirit her away without keeping her in harms way any longer than was absolutely necessary.

"Come on slut, let's shower."

His words were harsh, but he was smiling at her reassuringly as she followed him into the bathroom. She wondered if he actually intended to shower with her and for a moment she thought she would like him to, but he simply used the running water to further muffle the sounds as he gave her instructions.

"When we get downstairs we are going to have to play it mostly by ear, but I want you inconspicuously to check out the crowd and if you see anyone you know squeeze my hand. I'll figure out how to communicate further from there. As soon as I find a way to identify where the girls are being kept we will make our escape. In the meantime stay as close as you can, I don't want any risk of getting separated. Got it?"

She sighed and nodded her understanding. Playing it by ear was not her strong point and she couldn't help but worry about what would happen if they did get separated but worrying wasn't going to get them anywhere so when he directed her to shower and then dress she did as she was told. The fact that even a hot shower wasn't able to loosen her tight muscles was not a good sign. She gave up on trying to relax and dried herself off then slipped into the evening gown they had purchased on their outing to the mall. After pinning up her hair and applying some simple makeup there wasn't anything more she could do to stall so she emerged from the bathroom to await his critique and any further instructions.

He had dressed himself in a standard suit and tie, not particularly concerned about his own appearance. Realistically he was not the one who was going to be on display. He turned toward her and looked her over from top to bottom.

"You look exquisite slut. See to it that your behavior is as acceptable as your appearance. Remember the consequences if I am prevented from bidding. If this buy isn't successful it's you I'll be fucking tomorrow night instead of my new slave."

She knew his warning was more for the benefit of whomever may be listening and not for her but even thinking about sharing him with another woman made her furious and she clung to that anger, silently vowing to do whatever it took to get the needed location so they could get away well before the auction was to take place.

The hall was empty when they left the room and again they were the only ones in the elevator, but as they emerged on an upper floor they were almost instantly surrounded by a crowd. She hadn't expected so many people, though James had previously told her many of the couples would be dominants with voluntary submissives. Only girls who had shown sufficient progress in their training to not give away the fact that they were takes would be paraded about publicly, so it was difficult to know exactly who knew the truth about the bastard's organization and the upcoming auction and who was simply enjoying a kinky get together.

She was wise enough not to stare but she did glance about subtly trying to get a feel for the people surrounding her. He was also checking out the situation trying to pinpoint exactly who he should approach with his questions. He didn't spy anyone he had previously dealt with immediately so he decided to find a place at a table and take advantage of the refreshments while he considered their options.

He found himself a seat and gestured to the floor beside him and she quickly knelt as directed, adjusting her dress carefully before sitting back on her heels. He soon began a conversation with the man sitting next to him, whose slave also knelt at his feet though her evening wear consisted of a latex bodysuit and a leather collar attached to a leash. As the two men chatted she carefully eyed the other girl trying to figure out if she was a voluntary submissive or a taken slave, but there were no glaring signs one way or another. Refreshments were served and without even glancing at her he held a cracker out to her, which she swallowed obediently despite the churning in her stomach.

The other man rose and left the table, his pet crawling obligingly behind her master. After awhile James stood and motioned for her to rise to her feet and after wrapping her hand tightly in his they began mingling in the crowd. She had thought it would be impossible to find anyone she recognized but suddenly she caught sight of a familiar face, one of the regular guards who had locked her away each night. Squeezing his hand she waited until he pulled her aside and a bit away from the crowd before she discretely pointed out the man and told his connection. Slowly they made their way through the crowd toward the man and near him she soon came across another familiar face, a handler she had come across on a couple occasions. Again she quietly explained the connection, they had stumbled upon a pocket of the bastard's finest goons. Suddenly she clenched his hand tightly and this time she didn't let go. He carefully followed her gaze across the room and set his eyes on a rather undistinguished, dour looking man.

"Shawn," he whispered quietly, it was a statement not a question but she nodded in response, not loosening her white knuckled grip on his hand. Quickly he pulled her aside into an alcove where they could have some semblance of a private conversation. He pulled her close and whispered in her ear.

"Can you handle it if we approach him? If not we'll try something else, but he's probably the quickest route to the girls who are up for auction."

With dread she considered their options before her mouth tightened and she gave him a determined nod.

"Good girl. Remember your favorite rule. Eyes down, ears open and mouth shut, let me do all the talking. You just stand there and look obedient and suitably nervous, that shouldn't be too difficult."

He pulled her across the room and approached his girl's previous tormentor, staring him down unceremoniously before speaking.

"You trained my slut. Do you have another girl here for this occasion?"

Shawn scowled openly at her before coming up with a response.

"No, that bitch has been my only take so far. I have to say I am surprised to see her here. With her attitude I would think you'd need an eternity to get her ready for a public appearance."

"She's only playing along because the alternative is less acceptable. I'm here for another acquisition and she's looking forward to getting out of the hot seat. In fact I was hoping to preview the merchandise but I haven't come across your boss yet. Perhaps you could arrange a viewing."

Shawn shook his head and frowned.

"Can't help you there, I don't have a girl going on the block. Tom over there may be able to hook you up."

He pointed to a muscular man a few feet away. Eager to get her out of Shawn's reach he thanked him before yanking her away and approaching the new target. This man was more helpful and after discussing the request he stepped into the hall to make a phone call. When he returned he approached James and offered to facilitate a viewing, the offer was readily accepted and they set a time to meet about an hour later.