Defiance

CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “She isn’t for sale.”

  “Diablo. Everyone is for sale, it’s just a matter of price,” the man said.

  Amelia sat on the bed, her back against the cold wall. She watched the two men as they quarrelled. One of the fighters was for sale, just as Rose had told her. She recognised the man as the one who sat on the bench the day she was drugged. They discussed the cost and exchange rate at length but Amelia had tuned out minutes before. Eventually, the man sighed loudly, catching Amelia’s attention.

  “Five thousand pounds, and that’s our final offer.”

  Diablo, unable to contain his excitement, made a sound close to a screech. He grabbed the wooden railing by the staircase as though to steady himself. The pound currency after the War was stronger than it had ever been. With that amount, Diablo could easily afford to close the underground arena and live amongst the elite in the Central.

  “You should have started with that sum initially,” Diablo said through a broad smile.

  “When can we have the girl?”

  Diablo fumbled with the bundle of keys attached to his trousers by a silver chain. He walked towards Amelia, his eyes fixed on the keys.

  “I don’t want to leave,” said Amelia. She sat still and pale. Her eyes were glittering and she breathed with difficulty.

  At least here, she knew there were others; Rose was her friend, and that bought her some comfort. There was no comfort in the unknown.

  “My Angel, you have to understand I wouldn’t sell you willingly, but it is an offer I simply cannot refuse.” He traced his index finger across her cheek. Amelia flinched and moved her head out of reach.

  “I thought we had a deal,” Amelia said.

  Diablo paused, confused by her statement. Then suddenly, he understood what she meant. He smiled and gestured for the man to take her. He walked away as she struggled with the man.

  “You can either walk or I will drag you; which would you prefer?”

  With that, Amelia turned and scuttled to the staircase, then marched up as quickly as she dared. She knew there was no point in running. There would be no place for her to hide. Amelia reached the door, which was slightly ajar, and stepped out.

  “Wait.”

  She stopped abruptly, turned on her heel, and stared at him.

  “You forgot your bag.”

  Amelia shrugged as though it didn’t bother her, but of course it did. She ran down the stairs and swerved past him to get to the landing. She looked around eagerly. As she had anticipated, there was nowhere for her to run. Reluctantly she went into her cell and grabbed her bag and the small piece of paper that lay on the bed. As she stepped out, she glanced back. Rose waved at her, smiling as always. Amelia waved back, her sadness difficult to mask.

  She searched for Ace and found him lying on his bed on his back. She stepped forward to say goodbye but decided against it.

  She ran back to the staircase. She had become accustomed to this place. She had come to see this place as home.

  The man stood by the door, waiting for her, his face expressionless.

  “What shall I call you?” Amelia asked. She wasn’t even sure why she felt compelled to ask; she didn’t care.

  “You don’t need to know that.”

  “Maybe not, but I would like to know the name of the man who thinks I’m worth that much.”

  The man narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “I don’t think you’re worth a fraction of that, but I answer to someone who, for some strange reason, values your life.”

  Amelia felt a burning excitement seep to the surface and she stifled a smile. He was simply the middleman.

  She followed him through dark and entwined corridors. Eventually they came to a small metal door. She turned suddenly. She could have sworn she heard someone call out to her. Then she saw Elysia, standing in the distance, her face shrouded in darkness. Amelia shuddered as Elysia disappeared into the shadows.

  The metal door creaked open. The bright sunlight rushed through with such blinding force that she had to cover her eyes. She felt a hand grab her and pull her as she stumbled forward.

  The sun had come out from behind a cloud and shone bright. The fresh air was delightful. In the bright light, she saw the man’s face, a face only a mother could love. He saw the fear in Amelia’s eyes as she unconsciously retreated. In a feeble attempt to reassure her, he stretched out a large, pale hand.

  “No,” Amelia mumbled to herself.

  She looked behind at the dark corridor. Perhaps she was looking for Elysia, but this time, her gaze was met with emptiness.

  Amelia quickly buried the thought and her mind drifted. Rose. She had wanted to take Rose with her. She had come to trust her; even more so, she saw her as an ally in a place where enemies were in surplus. She stood there staring at nothing for a while until the man’s voice bought her back to reality. She didn’t respond straight away. She was not fully conscious of where she was.

  “Listen, I don’t have all the time in the world,” the man said irritably as he turned on his heel and walked away. He did not glance back to see if she followed.

  Amelia looked around. The house where she had been held was huge and unkempt. It was surrounded by acres of field and at the edge was a forest. She almost stopped breathing as she contemplated her escape. This would be her best opportunity. It was a long time before she ventured to try. As though sensing her plan, the man saw her sooner than she had anticipated, but she scuttled as fast as her legs would carry her.

  There was a small fenced passageway just behind the house. It was low and roughly made. She had to get away, out of this horrible circumstance. She ran without looking behind her. A pang of fear and loss stirred within her as she heard his pounding footsteps in her ear. He was close. Too close. A feeling of sadness mixed with horror welled up in Amelia’s heart as she reached the edge of the field. Within the luscious green grass lay shards of glass and metal. She gave a terrific squirm and stopped abruptly. She dared not glance behind her. His footsteps grew louder with each second she wasted.

  She extended a pale, dirty foot to check it for injury. The man grabbed her by the arm and yanked her towards him.

  “This is why I hate children.”

  “I’m not a child.”

  “I don’t like to be made to run unnecessarily.”

  He pulled at her forearm with great force, causing Amelia to squeal with agony. He let go of her arm and once more went on ahead without her. This time, Amelia knew better than to try to escape. Where could she run? Could she have escaped if she’d taken a different route? Did she still have an opportunity? Her heart throbbed and her chest constricted with pain.

  The man was now a little too far ahead and Amelia ran behind him, her chest still painful. An old grey car was parked by the road. The man threw a small black cloth towards her. She reacted slowly, and it fell to the ground. Amelia picked it up and stared at it, bewildered.

  “When you get into the car, wrap it around your eyes. You do not remove it until I tell you.”

  “Why can’t I see where I’m going?”

  “I don’t trust you.” He opened the driver side door and slithered in. The car jolted with his weight. Amelia reluctantly got in beside him. She placed the blindfold around her eyes but left a small peephole.

  “Put it on properly or I’ll do it for you,” he hissed. He didn’t try to mask the annoyance in his voice.

  Fearful, Amelia did as she was told and listened to the revving engine of the car. The engine rumbled grumpily as it turned over and finally started.

  The journey was bumpy and, every so often, she would ask, almost pleading with the man, to see the world. His answer was always the same, a simple no.

  “I’ll call you Bob.” Amelia was certain this last comment would irritate him. She wasn’t sure what her motivations were at this stage, but she still carried on talking.

  “I wish you wouldn’t call me that.”

  “Maybe if you told me what
to call you, then we wouldn’t need to have this conversation.”

  The silence dragged for a while.

  “James.”

  “James? Are you quite sure?” blurted out Amelia.

  “Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”

  “No—you just don’t look like a James.”

  After that, he didn’t speak again nor indulge her questions.

  Amelia eventually drifted off to sleep.