She fingered the knife hidden in her sleeve for comfort. Surely she would have to use it before this night was through.
The people she had been brought in with had already begun to disperse. The stronger ones with a swagger went off to find a space for themselves, others breaking off into pairs or small groups for safety. She had no one, though, and had made no friends on the transport.
She eyed the room warily and considered her options. Standing here at the entrance, she posed too tempting a target and she would have to select some unoccupied corner soon. She bit her lip and attempted to marshal her courage. Surely she could handle whatever happened next, surely it could not be worse than what had happened to her already.
The very large room was divided into sections using makeshift tents out of large swaths of cloth draped over ropes, cardboard and other materials. Some people still peered at her from when she and the rest of her transport had been brought in, but most had turned back to what they were doing. She heard the low murmur of voices, rustle of bodies and other, more animalistic sounds deeper in the shadows. Several groups were huddled around small fires, cooking that things that made her stomach grumble despite its foul smell.
She eyed an empty space between two tents and hesitantly stepped toward there, holding her head up high to warn off anyone who might think to attack her. Whatever happened later, for now she had her strength, her dignity and her knife.
She turned her back to the cold stone wall and sank to the ground, grateful not to support her wobbling knees, but still she held her head high, eyes watchful. The noises around the camps died down and her stomach growled insistently, but with nowhere to go and nothing to eat, she began to doze off.
She was awakened by the jarring sound of laughter and jeering from across the way. She peered around a nearby tent to see 4 men circling a boy. The boy looked to be about 8 years old, and the fear on his face was evident. The men taunted and jabbed him, but didn't pounce, content to play for now. The leers on their faces and their crude, suggestive comments made it clear what their plans were for the boy.
She looked around at the nearby camps to see if anyone was going to intervene. Many people had already retreated into their tents and didn't emerge to watch the happenings. Those that were still out went on with their business, only looking over to ascertain their own safety before ignoring the boy's plight.
She gripped her knife tighter and crouched, uncertain. Perhaps she was too new here; she could not comprehend leaving the boy to his fate with these men. But then, she could not hope to protect him against those 4 men, even with her knife. If she tried, she would only end up brutalized by them as well.
She considered attempting to barter herself for the boy, but she knew that most likely they would take they wanted, her and the boy, if not now then soon anyways. She noticed one who had been watching the group of men from the beginning. He lounged on a crate in front of a tent that was probably his dwelling. His eyes were so dark as to appear black and his face gave away nothing. He made no move towards the group, either to join in or to stop them, just watched steadily.
He was tall and large, and his muscled torso was evident through his dirty, ripped shirt. Something in the set of his jaw and the glint of his eyes warned her that he was extremely dangerous, beyond his brute strength. The men who circled the boy were much thinner, emaciated even. They did not appear to have much fighting skill, relying more on their strength in numbers.
In just a minute she sized up the situation and came to a decision. She walked over to the man on the crate. As she approached and came to stand in front of him, he did not move from his relaxed slouch on the crate, but he did look away from the scene up to her eyes.
