Ava leaned over and shook Ellie, grabbing her attention.
“Hey, kid, I need you to help me with something.”
Ellie rubbed her eyes and yawned. She nodded, still sleepy. Ava decided to give her a few moments. The moment Ellie registered her surroundings, her sleep dissipated, and she clutched the sheets close to her chest. She turned to Ava, a guilty look on her face. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, and she wiped them away aggressively.
“I got us into this mess.”
Ava shrugged.
“No, no,” Ava assured her, “it would have been worse if I didn’t come with.”
Ellie’s eyebrows furrowed at Ava’s choice of words. She had made it seem like she chose to come with. Ava moved to step in front of Ellie when she heard a lock being turned. The sound of the trapdoor made Ava move in front of the girls subconsciously.
“Get up, now. Stand behind me,” Ava ordered.
The man stomped down the stairs, gun in hand. Unlike earlier in the morning, he had covered his face once again, thus concealing his identity.
He walked toward them until he was right in front of Ava. He towered over her.
“You smell familiar,” Ava blurted out.
The man took a few steps back, causing Ava to laugh.
“Don’t push me,” he warned her.
She had said it to annoy him and possibly distract from the fact Ellie was standing behind her.
“You want another one of those?” he asked, pointing at her bruises.
“No sir,” Ava replied, raising her hand in a mock salute.
The man ignored her and pointed at Lena.
“You, get over here,” he commanded.
Lena followed his order easily and walked toward him timidly. He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the entrance aggressively. Ava stepped forward on instinct which only irritated the man. He brought his gun to Lena’s head and she whimpered in fear.
“I will shoot her right in the head if you don’t stay where you are.”
Ava froze but that didn’t stop her from sending the man a death glare.
“More trouble than you’re worth,” she heard the man mumble under his breath before he closed the trapdoor on them again.
Ava looked at his retreating form thoughtfully. She knew this man, somehow. Now that she thought of it, he did smell familiar. She just couldn’t quite place it. His gait was familiar as well, although that could be attributed to someone who had more or less the same training he received.
Turning to the other girl in the room, Ava beckoned her to come closer.
“Does he do this often?”
Kate nodded silently and Ava bit her lip.
“Why does he do this?” Ava asked, curious.
“He wants m-money from our parents,” the girl said, soft enough that Ava had to lean closer to hear better.
Ava sighed; she had confirmed as much.
“And did he get any?” Ava continued.
“He says our parents don’t love us enough to pay the full amount,” the girl replied.
Her head had been bowed and Ava could tell that she believed her parents wouldn’t be so dismissive. The man only called them upstairs to hustle their parents for more money and if her suspicions were correct, he had no intention of ever letting them go. If he were successful enough, he could just keep them here forever as his personal cash cows.
Ava opened the bag again and called the others over to get some food or drink. Looking closely at the food in the bag, Ava frowned. Did he honestly think that a few bananas and three bottles of water was enough to keep everyone alive? Ava gave the food to the girls, saving some for when the third came back.
After some time had passed, from the corner of her eye, she noticed Kate rocking back and forth. Ava thought nothing of it until she heard Ellie gasp. Ava held Kate's body in her arms as she ordered Ellie to give her a bottle of water.
She placed the girl on a mattress and stormed up the stairs, pounding at the trapdoor until the man opened it. His eyes zeroed in on the unconscious girl and pushed past Ava. Ava stumbled back and almost fell, but she quickly blocked his path when he moved to carry Kate. He got one girl up there; she wasn’t going to let him take this one.
“She needs water and rest,” Ava called out, grabbing at the man’s sleeve roughly, “let her stay here for now.”
He shoved her with one hand, causing her to lose balance. Ava tightened her hold on the man’s sleeve and heard the sound of cloth ripping as she fell. Looking at his now exposed arm, Ava stood stunned. She held onto the torn piece of sleeve long enough for him to grab it from her hands. She’d seen this particular tattoo before.
“Fine,” he growled.
He was itching to get away and far from Ava’s scrutinizing gaze. Ava looked up at him and slowly smiled. It was far from friendly. Rather, it was vicious. Ava was dangerous with the right information in hand.
Thank you, Detective Murphy.
Chapter 7
Lena never came back and then Murphy called for Ellie. Ava had fought him but ultimately lost when he pointed a gun at Ellie’s head. Ava sat on her mattress, inconsolable as she waited for Ellie’s return. Her mind had been reeling with thoughts that, just like the other girl, she wouldn’t come back either.
The trapdoor creaked open, and Murphy shoved Ellie down the stairs. He followed after her and raised his hand to hit her, but Ava intervened. She positioned her body in front of Ellie’s and looked Murphy right in the eye.
“I dare you to try that again.” Ava seethed.
It would have been laughable, Ava trying to protect Ellie who was much taller and stronger than
