The Kingdom: Chapter 8 - Forbidden Fruit

[southrook]

CHAPTER 8 – FORBIDDEN FRUIT

 

It was a foggy morning and the air felt cooler than it had the night before. Shivering outside of the building I previously knew to be the call center, I rubbed my arms in an attempt to stay warm. The sign hanging above the glass doors to the building now read “TRADING POST”. I recognized it as the same sign that used to hang over the ATM kiosks at the front of the park. It was surreal to consider how a simple Renaissance-themed sign intended to help guests find a place to withdraw could now imply something as perverse as slave trading.

 

I glanced down at my phone to check the time. 7:57am. A sign taped to the inside of the glass door in front of me read “Business hours: 8am-6pm”. Inside, several women in burgundy uniforms could be seen working in their cubicles but nobody made eye contact with me or seemed to notice that I was there.

 

While it wasn’t cold enough outside for me to see my breath, it certainly felt freezing. I’d regretfully neglected to a heavier jacket when I was clothing shopping earlier in the week. Tapping my foot impatiently, I sat atop the hard black suitcase that I’d discovered on my doorstep the day earlier. I still had no idea what was inside, given the fact that it was combination-locked. But at least it was something dry to me sit on. Next to me was a trash bag with all of my other belongings. As per Murphy’s request, I had packed everything from the suite in preparation to check out for the trade.

 

I hadn’t slept much. I hated not having been able to speak with Katie the night prior before leaving the stadium. It made me sick not knowing if Murphy had explained things adequately to her. The thought of her wondering whether I’d abandoned her was upsetting, to say the least. I nervously glanced up and down the cobblestone street, eager to catch a glimpse of Murphy and Katie walking toward me. But the street was empty. At 8:00 on the ***, a woman unlocked the glass doors and held one open for me. I could see that her wrists were handcuffed in front of her.

 

“Welcome,” she said pleasantly. “Thank you for waiting so patiently,” I walked in, dragging my suitcase and trash bag behind me. I instantly relaxed as a gust of warm air met me. “Do you have an appointment with anyone in particular?” She asked.

 

“No,” I said. “Wait- was I supposed to?”

 

“Oh no,” she replied reassuringly. “We can see you right away. I just didn’t know if anyone had been helping you already.”

 

“No… I just made a deal with someone last night and he told me to meet him here,” I explained.

 

“Okay, great,” the woman replied. “Well, if you wouldn’t mind following me over to one of our notaries, she’ll get you taken care of.”

 

I followed the woman past cubicles occupied with handcuffed women tapping away at their keyboards. Everything in the building looked pretty much the same as I’d left it when I closed the Renn Faire for the season. Everything except for the BDSM-themed artwork that now hung on throughout the office. Each cubicle sported at least one of these.

 

To my left, hung a ***ting of clenched fists tied together in rope. The next cubicle showcased a photograph of an aproned 40’s style women kneeling in front of a modern-day skyscr.

 

The woman leading me suddenly stopped at the entrance of a cubical with a brunette woman sitting behind a desk. Over her shoulder on the wall hung a red “Keep Calm” poster. But instead of reading “KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON” like the famous British WWII poster, this one read, “KEEP CALMphh Mmm Mmrmph Mmph” with a line drawing of a ball-gag taking the place of the crown at the top.

 

“Laura here will take care of you,” the woman leading me said, ping me back to reality.

 

“Thanks,” I replied, dragging my stuff into the cubical.

 

“Hi there, I’m Laura,” the woman said reaching across the desk to shake my hand. Since her wrists were cuffed, she had to outstretch both arms. I shook her hand and gave a polite smile. “How can I help you today?” she asked.

 

“Um, I’m supposed to meet someone here about trading my suite for his slave,” I replied. I cringed inside. Somehow, saying it out loud made it sound even worse.

 

“Okay,” Laura said, unfazed. “May I ask what your name is?”

 

“Jodie O’Connell,” I replied. Laura began typing my name into her computer. I was pleasantly surprised that she didn’t seem to recognize me or know who I was. After appearing onstage last night, I was genuinely ***ful that I’d become a celebrity or something.

 

“Okay, Jodie,” Laura said with her eyes still on her screen. “I see that you reside in the castle suite?”

 

“Yes,” I answered. “Well, for now... That’s what I’m trading away.”

 

“Ah, I see,” she replied, typing away at her keyboard. “And will this be for monetary compensation?”

 

“No,” I answered. “I’ll be trading it for custody of… a friend.”

 

“Okay...” Laura replied, suddenly looking at me with a curious look on her face. “Where will you be staying, might I ask?”

 

I hesitated. “Um, I haven’t figured that out yet. I guess I’ll have to get a room at the Inn,” I replied.

 

Laura lifted her hands from the keyboard and folded them desk in front of her. “Unfortunately, those arrangements will need to be sorted out prior to a making a trade of this kind.”

 

“What? Why?” I asked.

 

“I’m afraid the rules dictate that custody may only be granted to a guest who has authorized living accommodations,” Laura explained.

 

I stared at her blankly for several seconds. “What?”

 

“Basically,” Laura continued, “-if your trade is contingent upon the forfeit of your suite, you will no longer have housing… which would make you ineligible to retain custody of a slave.”

 

“You have got to be shitting me,” I said, more ***fully than I’d intended.

 

Laura paused awkwardly. “I’m sorry,” she replied sheepishly.

 

“So… what do I have to do?” I asked. “How do I get housing?”

 

“At this point, I don’t know that you’ll have luck finding any vacancy,” Laura replied. “But let me check.” She suddenly began typing away at her keyboard again. “I know that this year marked the first year that The Kingdom reached capacity, so the inns may be completely full.”

 

I ran my fingers through my hair, looking up at the ceiling in frustration. After a few seconds, Laura broke the silence. “Yeah. Unfortunately, I’m seeing that all rooms and cabins are currently being occupied.

 

“Unreal,” I whispered in frustration. I just could not catch a break!

 

After another awkward pause, Laura interjected, “I can add you to the standby list, but there’s no guarantee of when a vacancy would become available.”

 

Still staring up at the ceiling, I merely replied, “Sure.” At this point I really was out of options… Unless I was able to renegotiate the terms of my deal with Murphy, I was SOL.

 

“If you were really interested in moving forward with this trade today,” Laura interjected, “-you could always enlist in our residency program.”

 

“Residency program?” I asked, dropping my head to face her again. I suddenly recalled hearing Annabelle reassign her receptionist to “permanent resident at the laughing place”.

 

“Yes,” Laura explained. “It’s pretty much an internship program that provides room and board at the residency center. This would essentially allow you to retain custody of a slave until a room at one of our inns or cabins became available.”

 

A pit suddenly formed in my stomach. An internship program? I was scared to even contemplate what that entailed… Sensing that I was clueless about what she was talking about, Laura continued into further detail.

 

“Basically, it offers people, both men and women, opportunities to experiment and gain experience in the BDSM lifestyle,” She explained. “Some businesses offer pay and perks, others simply offer housing credits.” Laura leaned over and grabbed a flyer off the corner of her desk. “Here’s a list of businesses that are registered participants in the residency program.”

 

I took the piece of paper from her and scrolled down the list. There looked to be about two dozen businesses named.

 

“If you have a smartphone, you can enroll via our app. From there, you can also see which businesses are currently hiring,” Laura added. “Most use a bi-weekly employment model. So, if you’re offered a position, you’ll be required to work for the entirety of those two weeks. In exchange, you’ll receive housing credits and whatever else your contract stipulates.”

 

I shook my head from side to side. I couldn’t believe that I was actually considering this. It was unbelievable that there was not a single room available for me to rent! It was unbelievable that I was even in this situation at all… I just wanted to do pay my debt to Katie! That was it! Return the favor for her saving my hide. It should have been a simple trade! Brandy for Katie. Done! FINISHED! But no, nothing here was simple! Even the smallest of hiccups seemed to trigger an unfathomably complex chain reaction.

 

“If you would like, I can set up an appointment to resume this trade for a bit later today so you can have time to think all of this over?” Laura offered politely.

 

The trade. I suddenly realized that I was still waiting on Murphy to show up. I glanced down at my phone to see that it now read 8:12am. Fucker!

 

“Is it possible to call the guy who was supposed to meet me here?” I asked.

 

“Certainly,” Laura replied. “What’s his name?”

 

“Tom Murphy,” I answered, feeling my *** pressure rise at the mere mention of his stupid name.

 

Laura began typing on her keyboard. “Hmm, I don’t see a room phone number listed,” she said quietly. After a brief cause, she continued, “Oh, I see. He’s staying in the apartment connected to his business. I’ll give his shop a try.” Laura picked up her desk phone and dialed the number listed on her computer screen.

 

I tapped my fingernails impatiently on the desk. After several seconds, Laura looked up at me and shook her head. “It’s going to voicemail. You can also send him a message from the app if you’d like.”

 

Silently, I motioned for Laura to hand me the phone. She placed the phone in my outstretched hand and pushed the receiver closer to me. As I pressed the phone against my ear, I could hear Murphy’s voice recording wrapping up. “-otherwise, please leave a brief message after the tone. Thank you.”

 

After the beep, I unleashed. “Murphy, where the hell are you? It’s 8:15 and I’m at the Trading Post. As of this morning, you are now one of three people who’ve expressed interest in the suite,” I lied. “So, if you want it, there’s now an expiration date.” And with that, I hung up.

 

“Would you like for me to schedule you an appointment for later today?” Laura asked.

 

“Um... I don’t know” I replied, trying to gather my ***tered thoughts. After a few seconds, I stood to my feet. “I’m just gonna go to his shop now. I’ll come back after I find him.”

 

“Of course,” Laura replied.

 

“Um, do you know if there’s someplace I can leave my bags for a bit?” I asked. “I’d rather not lug everything around if I can help it.”

 

“Oh, sure,” Laura said helpfully. “You know what- I can keep your things right here behind my desk until you return.”

 

“That would be great,” I replied. “Thanks.” Laura stood to her feet and helped drag the suitcase and trash bag across the carpeted floor. It was a relief to be reminded every once in a while that not everyone here was a fucking asshole. “Hopefully, I’ll be back soon,” I added, turning to leave.

 

“Okay. Good luck,” Laura called after me.

 

I was ***ed. ***ed and scared… What if Murphy was having second thoughts about trading Katie? What if he’d changed his mind? Despite my strategy to play hardball with him in my voicemail, Murphy really did hold all the cards. I couldn’t allow him to keep Katie. Abandoning her to a monster like him just wasn’t an option. After what she’d done for me- saving me from nearly a month-long stay in the kennel, I really was indebted to her. I needed to make this trade happen…

 

Leaving the Trading post, I s***d-walked toward Murphy’s Hall. As I walked, I rehearsed what I was going to say to Murphy. I couldn’t be too bitchy. My attitude had landed me in all sorts of trouble thus far. But I definitely needed to be ***ful.

 

Moments later, I turned into Cedar Square. The square was completely empty with exception a street cleaner who was spraying down one of the sidewalks with a hose. My heart began to race as I approached the building now known as Murphy’s Hall. I rapped loudly on the door. I waited about a second and a half before trying again. This time louder.

 

The lights were off inside the shop and the sign on the inside of the glass door read “CLOSED”. I tried knocking one more time before finally giving up and making my way toward the rear-side of the building where the apartment was. I hopped through what looked to be budding vegetable garden and jogged up the concrete stairs to the back door. I wasted no time to start pounding on the brown wooden door.

 

“Murphy! It’s Jodie, open up!” I yelled. I stood as still as I could, hoping to hear the slightest sign of movement. After a few seconds, I tried turning the handle only to find that the door had been locked and dead bolted. If only I still had my master keys, I thought. After several failed attempts to *** my way inside, I resumed to my strategy of pounding on the door. This continued for another minute until I remembered what Laura had said about messaging him through the app.

 

I pulled out my phone and opened up the Kingdom app. My hands were shaking as I typed his name into the search bar. Tom’s profile was the only result listed under the name Murphy. I tapped it and opened up a message window.

 

where the hell are you?! I typed.

 

After pressing send, I promptly returned my efforts to pounding on the door. But just as I opened my mouth to start shouting again, I caught something out of the corner of my eye. The breeze window about 7 feet off the porch was propped open…

 

The rectangular window was only about 24 inches high, but definitely wide enough for me to climb through. Scanning the area around me, I spotted a wooden barrel at the bottom of the steps next to the garden. Perfect. I jumped down and began dragging the rotting barrel up the stairs and beneath the window.

 

Moments later, I stepped on top of it and balanced myself by leaning against the wooden siding of the building. The window was still several feet higher than I’d have liked for it to be, but I wasn’t seeing any taller props to stand on. After a few deep breaths, I gripped the sill and jumped, hoisting myself through the small opening. It took a few seconds for me to lift my leg inside, but once I was straddling the windowsill, it was easy for me to pull the rest of my body through. I delicately lowered myself into the apartment, pointing my feet downward to make contact with the kitchen counter below. The rapid fatigue in my arm muscles served as a ***ful reminder of just how out of shape. Once my feet were on solid ground, I let go of the windowsill and hopped down onto the linoleum floor. And just like that, I was inside. I brushed myself off and straightened my shirt, suddenly feeling much more athletic than I actually was.

 

“Murphy?” I called out, scanning the room. “Hello?” On the counter next to the locked door, I spotted what looked like a small black stun gun. I stepped over to it and picked it up. It was a lot heavier than I imagined it would be. Thinking back to the handbook that I’d studied a few days prior, I thought I remembered reading that weapons of any kind were prohibited on Kingdom grounds. Murphy could get in a lot of trouble if he were caught with this... As a precautionary measure, I stowed it in my jacket pocket. The last thing I wanted was for Murphy to jump out and use it on me.

 

“Hello?!” I repeated. Still not hearing anything that resembled life, I began walking gingerly toward the bedroom. I’d been in this apartment many times before, but never in a situation that made my heart race. I suppose that breaking and entering tended to raise the stakes in any setting whether it was familiar or not.

 

I pushed open the bedroom door and what I saw next nearly made me leap out of my skin. On the floor, at the foot of the bed were two large cages side by side. One of them was empty and the other held none other than Tasha!

 

“Holy shit,” I breathed, as I stepped backwards in surprise at the sight of the naked and bound woman. The situation was made even more chilling due to the fact that Tasha merely stared up at me from the cage, not moving a muscle. She wore the same type of harness-style bit-gag that I had previously worn when I was in the kennel. The kind that resembled a leather peace sign covering her face. A strap extended up over her shaved head and was connected by a rope to the top of the cage. I noticed that she was restrained similarly to how contestants were on the subway train leaving the hunt. She wore a black latex thong and was bent over in a doggy style position with her legs spread to either side. Her ankles and upper calves were belted to the base of the cage. Her arms were restrained behind her back in an armbinder. But instead of pinning her elbows together, this armbinder looked more relaxed and appeared to keep her arms in a in a box-tie position.

 

With the rope that was attached to the top of her harness-gag, her upper body was suspended horizontally with her breasts hanging roughly about a foot off the ground. Covering each nipple was what looked to be a circular black patch that was connected to her collar by thin cords. Another cord appeared to extend down her spine and disappeared beneath her leather thong.

 

Unlike the predicaments of the subway crate occupants, however, there appeared to be no dildos in sight. Lucky her, I guess.

 

“Um... I’m looking for Murphy,” I said awkwardly as I stepped into the room. “Any idea where he is?”

 

Tasha shook her head as much as the restraints would allow.

 

“What about Katie?” I asked.

 

Tasha nodded toward the front of her cage, looking directly up at the latch inches from her face.

 

“Right,” I answered, picking up on her subtle request to release her from her prison. I knelt down to the ground and reached through the cage bars to remove the bit-gag from her mouth. Not wanting to leave too much evidence of my unlawful entry, I decided to limit my involvement to merely removing Tasha’s gag. Still leaving the harness attached to her head, I was able to bend the rubber bit-gag enough to pry it from between Tasha’s teeth and pull it beneath her chin.

 

Tasha sighed and worked her jaw open and closed as much as the harness would allow.

 

“Get me out,” Tasha whispered, almost inaudibly.

 

“Sorry, I can’t,” I replied. “I’m not exactly supposed to be in here.”

 

As I spoke, I could see Tasha’s face contorting in ***. I stared back at her confused.

 

“Unplug the cords from my collar,” she whispered.

 

I stared at her skeptically. “Why?” I asked.

 

“Please,” she whispered with her eyes closed. To be honest, as awful as Tasha’s plight undoubtedly was, her breathy whispers and winces seemed a bit over-the-top to me.

 

Nonetheless, I decided to humor her and grant the request. I reached back into the cage and disconnected the two cords from her collar. They looked identical to 3.5mm headphone connectors. Once disconnected from jacks in her collar, Tasha suddenly exhaled a long groan.

 

“Ugggggh!,” she groaned loudly. I cocked my head in confusion. “The collar detects sound,” she explained. “When the cords are plugged in, anything louder than a few decibels triggers electronic charges to my nipples and ass.”

 

“Yikes,” I replied, wincing in empathy.

 

“Help me out of this, will ya?” Tasha asked. “My back is killin’ me.”

 

“Um… I wish I could, but I’m just here to find Murphy and Katie,” I explained. “I can’t leave any evidence I was here.”

 

“C’mon,” Tasha pleaded. “I know we’ve got bad ***, but I could really use your help right now. I’ve been bound, gagged, and fucked more in the past four days than even the kinkiest women are in four years. I need a break. Help a sista out.”

 

“I need to know where Murphy and Katie are,” I pressed, ignoring her pleas. I felt guilty as hell refusing her requests for help. But intervening on her behalf during Murphy’s black widow demonstration was literally what put me in his crosshairs in the first place. I needed to prioritize. Right now, my main objective needed to be getting Katie back. Once I’d accomplished that, I could return to fighting for the wellbeing of womankind. But at the present, I needed to stay focused.

 

“If I tell you what you wanna know, will ya let me out?” Tasha countered.

 

I sighed. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll plug the cords back in and start clapping.”

 

“Bitch,” Tasha replied with a glare. “You realize, if it hadn’t been for me, you’d have reached Murphy’s booby-trapped dildo first and-” I reached back in and grabbed hold of the cord that was dangling from the patches on her nipples. “Alright, alright. FINE!,” Tasha said loudly as she tried to squirm away from my outstretched hand. I pulled my hand back out of the cage, allowing Tasha to relax.

 

“He said something to the girl about having breakfast before going to the trading post,” Tasha explained.

 

“Where does he usually go for breakfast?” I asked.

 

“Nowhere,” replied Tasha. “He’s cheap as fuck. He cooks all his meals here. Grows vegetables and shit in his garden out back.”

 

“So, they ate breakfast here and then left?” I asked.

 

“Probly,” Tasha answered.

 

“And how long ago was that?” I asked.

 

Tasha shook her head as if to imply that she wasn’t sure, “I don’t know. Like, an hour and a half ago?”

 

I looked down at my phone. It was now 8:32am. “So… around 7:00?” I asked.

 

“Bitch, do you see a clock anywhere? I have no clue what time it is, let alone what time it was when they left,” Tasha replied with attitude, clearly becoming tired of my Q and A. “Look, he took a shower, got dressed, let the girl out of her out of her cage, had her go to the bathroom, took her into the kitchen, and then a few minutes later I heard the door shut.”

 

I stared over Tasha’s shoulder, deep in contemplation. That didn’t make sense... He left the apartment with Katie at 7am for an 8am meeting at the Trading Post? Something wasn’t adding up.

 

“Are you sure he didn’t say anything else?” I asked.

 

Tasha sighed. “No. The bastard hardly says shit,” Tasha replied. “That’s probly the only good thing about being here. He’s a smartass in front of his customers, but when we’re alone, he doesn’t talk. He’s basically the same as one of those damn machines he builds.”

 

I hesitated before asking my next question, scared of what the answer might be. “Did he… do anything to Katie?”

 

Tasha blinked, studying me closely. “You mean anything sexual?” she asked. I nodded. “What? You sweet on her or somethin’?”

 

I ignored her last question. After a few seconds, she answered, “Nah, he didn’t touch her. After we got in last night, we both used the bathroom and were put straight to bed. If you can call this thing a bed.”

 

Tasha suddenly started twisting and squirming, seemingly in a futile attempt to find a more comfortable position. After a few seconds, she sighed and relaxed again. “This must feel pretty satisfying for you, huh?” she asked. “Seeing me like this after I drug your ass all over the woods?”

 

“No,” I said, somewhat offended by her mischaracterization of me. “Tasha, if I could help you without getting myself into more trouble, I swear I would.”

 

“Mm-hmm,” she replied in disbelief. “Well if you’re too much of a pussy to take the risk, you might as well just leave-”

 

Just then, Tasha’s eyes flicked over my shoulder toward the door. My heart dropped as I heard the same thing she did. Footsteps at the back door, followed by the jingling of keys. Frantically, I reached back in the cage and grabbed ahold of the bit gag beneath her chin.

 

“No-no-no! You don’t need toomph, nmm-nmmmph!!” Tasha objected as I ***d the gag back between her teeth. But even with the gag, she was still being too loud! I grabbed the cord dangling from her nipples. If I could get one of the cords plugged back into her collar, she’d stop making so much noise. But as I fumbled with the cord, I could hear the deadbolt being unlocked. There was no time! I dropped the cord and scrambled on my hands and knees beside the bed. Just as the door swung open, I dove underneath the mattress and held my breath. My heart raced as I silently prayed that I hadn’t been seen.

 

From beneath the bed, I could make out two sets of booted feet entering the kitchen.

 

“That’s her,” said a deep voice. The two sets of boots walked toward us into the bedroom. Tasha began screaming and hollering into her gag, almost as if she was trying to inform them of my presence. Damn, she really was a bitch!

 

After the men reached Tasha’s cage, I heard an electronic chime sound, seemingly from one of their smart-phones tapping against her collar. “Yep,” said another voice. “Tasha Porter.”

 

“Alright,” the other voice replied. “Let’s get her out.”

 

One of the men dropped to his knees and began unbuckling Tasha’s ankles and calves from the base of the cage. I could see that he was dressed in a security uniform. Tasha continued to yell into her gag, squirming wildly in her restraints.

 

“Let me activate the mute button here,” the other the voice muttered. I saw a hand reach down and grab the cord that dangled from her nipples. A moment later, Tasha fell silent, indicating that the cord had once again been reconnected to her collar. The sound-activated shock devices had been reactivated. I saw Tasha’s toes clench in silent frustration.

 

Moments later, Tasha’s leg restraints had been completely removed and was she being pulled to her feet.

 

“Alright,” one of the guards said. “Off to the kennel.”

 

I watched in silence as the two men walked Tasha out the same way they came in, shutting the door loudly behind them. I exhaled and remained still for several seconds. What had just happened?

 

I strained my ears, making sure that they had really gone before I pulled myself out from under the bed. My heart was still pounding. Why had security guards come for Tasha? And why were they taking her to the kennel?

 

I stood to my feet and walked back into the kitchen. Somehow, I was even more confused than I’d been before I came here! I pulled out my phone to see if Murphy had written me back. Nothing. Pacing back and forth, I suddenly had the sick feeling that something was terribly wrong. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Katie was in trouble. That she needed me…

 

I ***d myself to stop pacing and take a deep breath. Think Ally. What was my next step? What did I need? After a few moments, I decided that my best course of action was to look around the apartment for any clues about where Murphy might have taken Katie.

 

I began to scan the room. On the kitchen table was a glass of water and a plate with a piece of toast on it. A single bite had been taken from the toast.

 

I walked around the room looking for anything out of place but came up empty. I walked back into the bedroom and repeated the process. Murphy looked almost ex-military in his cleanliness. His bed was made tightly and his outfits were hung neatly in his closet. The bathroom looked and smelled pristine.

 

Walking back into the kitchen, I sat down in the chair across from the half-eaten piece of toast. As much as I wanted to go exploring his shop next, I knew that this was unwise. Large windows lined the front of his shop and I couldn’t risk being seen from the square. I’d be no use to Katie if I got carted off by security too. My detective routine would have to be limited to Murphy’s living quarters.

 

I stared blankly at the piece toast in front of me. The longer I stared at it, the more odd and out of place it seemed. Everything in the entire apartment was perfect. Everything was organized and stowed away. Everything except for a glass of water and a half-eaten piece of toast…

 

I picked up the toast and smelled it, like an idiot pretending to be a world-class detective. The jam spread smelt of peaches. After a few seconds, I sat upright in my seat. As ridiculous as it felt to be playing Sherlock Holmes with a piece of toast, I had what earnestly felt to be a brief moment of revelation.

 

I dropped the toast back onto the plate and pulled out my phone. The Kingdom app was still running and I typed in the name Katie Huff into the search bar. I tapped on her profile as soon as it appeared. Scrolling frantically down her stats, I stopped when I reached Allergies. Next to it read the word Peaches.

 

I stood to my feet, nearly knocking the chair over. Peaches! Murphy had fed Katie toast with peach jam! She was allergic to peaches! Before I knew it, I was out the door and running down the sidewalk. My gut instinct had been correct. Katie was in trouble and was most likely at the health clinic being treated for an allergic reaction! This would explain why Murphy was a no-show at the Trading Post. He was likely facing disciplinary action for having poisoned her! And that would explain why Tasha had been moved to the kennel! If an owner is sentenced to time in the kennel, so is their slave!

 

Moments later, I burst through the doors of the health clinic, making the two women behind the counter jump in surprise.

 

“Is Katie Huff here?!” I asked, out of breath as I stormed up to the front desk. “Was a woman named Katie Huff brought in for an allergic reaction?!”

 

“Um, yes. She’s resting right now,” one of the women answered.

 

“I need to see her,” I said, walking quickly toward the hallway to their left.

 

The older heavier-set of the two women jumped up and stepped in front of me. “I’m afraid that’s not possible,” she said.

 

“Horseshit it’s not possible!” I yelled. “My friend is having an allergic reaction because some asshole didn’t read her chart. I need to make sure she’s alright.”

 

“I understand,” the woman said in a patronizing tone. “But as I said, Miss Huff is resting right now. I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you once she-”

 

I didn’t wait for her to finish. I pushed the woman aside and s***d-walked past her down the hallway. I could hear the woman calling after me, but I couldn’t care less. I needed to know that Katie was okay. I needed to speak with her. Tell her that she’d be okay.

 

The first room I passed was empty. In the second room was a man in his boxers and a wife-beater sitting on a stretcher bed with an icepack pressed against his temple. Hearing the receptionist lady gaining on me from behind, I jogged to the next room down the hall and pulled the door open. My breath was suddenly ripped from my chest as my eyes rested on Katie lying on a stretcher bed.

 

She was wearing a hospital gown and was connected to an IV drip. Even though I was a good fif*** feet away from her, I could see that her face looked red and puffy. Her mouth was half-open and she looked to be sound asleep. Seeing her in such a state awoke something deep inside of me. I was worried. I was angry. Of all the breakfast foods Murphy could have given her, the dipshit chose the one thing that she was allergic to!!

 

I fought back tears as I stared at her. I had no idea why I was so emotional. I hardly knew this girl. We’d spoken for less than a total of five minutes. But deep down, I felt responsible for her. Like somehow, she was mine to protect…

 

The woman chasing me down the hallway finally caught up. She pulled the doorknob from my hand and closed the door softly.

 

“As you can see,” she said in a low voice, breathing heavily, “she’s resting.”

 

The woman grabbed me by the arm and began walked me back toward the waiting room. I followed her without a struggle. Having seen Katie sleeping in the hospital bed, the last thing I wanted to do was wake her.

 

“She’s been sedated, she’s stable, and she’s expected to make a full recovery in a few hours,” the woman continued. “If you’ll leave me your name, we can reach out to you once she wakes.”

 

Once we got back to the lobby, I saw two security guards standing at the front desk talking to the other receptionist. As we approached, they turned and stepped toward us.

 

“We’re fine here,” said the woman as she released my arm. “Just a misunderstanding.”

 

The guards stopped in their tracks looking unsure.

 

“She was concerned for her friend. Everything’s under control, officers,” she added.

 

Looking almost disappointed by the loss of an excuse to apprehend me, they merely turned and walked away.

 

“Thank you,” I said softly to the woman as the guards exited.

 

“You’re welcome,” the woman replied as she walked back to her desk and sat down. “Ever try that again and I’ll march you to the kennel myself. Understood?”

 

I nodded. “Sorry,” I muttered.

 

“Your name?” the woman asked, lifting up her glasses that hung by a chain around her neck.

 

“Um… Jodie McConnell,” I replied. “I mean O’Connell. Jodie O’Connell.” The woman cocked an eyebrow from behind her glasses. “It’s been a long day,” I explained, feeling my face flush.

 

“It’s not even 9 o’clock, sweetie,” the woman replied dryly as she turned her attention back to her computer screen. “But I’ll concede that a few hours in a place like this can certainly feel like a day. Room number?”

 

“Um… Right now, I’m in the castle suite,” I answered. “But is it possible to send me a message through the app? I may not be there to receive a call.”

 

“I’ll be off my shift in a few minutes,” she said as she typed. “But I’ll make a note here for whoever’s working to send you a message once Miss Huff wakes up. Deal?”

 

“Deal,” I replied. “And what about Tom Murphy? Katie’s owner?”

 

“Security escorted Mr. Murphy to the kennel shortly after Miss Huff was admitted,” the woman replied. “My guess is that he’ll be staying there for a few days.”

 

“Okay, thanks,” I answered, suddenly feeling more calm and relaxed.

 

“Word of advice,” the woman continued, removing her glasses from her face, “-You’re the champion of the hunt. The first one in Kingdom history.” Based on her stoic expression and unimpressed tone, her words sounded less complementary and more like a lecture. “The hunt wasn’t made to be won. The powers at be would love nothing more than to find an excuse to throw you to the wolves.” Leaning forward and lowering her voice, the woman concluded, “Don’t give them one.”

 

I nodded and gave a small smile. Whoever this woman was, I instinctually trusted her. In my experience, people who were blunt enough to say something straight were typically the most genuine. And deep down, I knew that she was right. It wasn’t hard to imagine the large target that I’d placed on my back. Especially after some of the unnecessary waves I’d created since the hunt had ended.

 

“Thank you,” I said again as I turned to leave. “Sorry again.”

 

The woman nodded, turning back once more to her computer screen. “Take care of yourself, Miss O’Connell.”

 

I exited the health clinic. The air was still cool, but the fog had begun to lift. Eventually, I needed a heavier jacket, but for the time being, I wanted nothing more than to return to my suite. I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to call it mine, so I figured I should enjoy it while I still could.

 

Placing my hands in my jacket pockets to keep warm, I felt my left hand touch something large and rectangular. I pulled the object out, suddenly realizing that it was the stun gun I’d grabbed from Murphy’s. I’d forgotten to put it back before I left!

 

I quickly shoved it back in my pocket, looking around suspiciously to see if anyone happened to see me holding it. Fortunately, it was still early and only a few people were out and about. A pair of joggers were running on the other side the street, and a couple street vendors could be seen setting up for their 9 o’clock shifts. Fortunately, nobody seemed to notice my presence, let alone the stun gun that I’d pulled out of my pocket.

 

I decided to take the shortcut behind the Log Tavern Pub and Grill which placed me toward the front of the castle. As I approached the moat, I could see that a large group of security guards had congregated at the far end of the cross-bridge. There appeared to be a sense of urgency about them as a taller guy wearing a beanie hat barked out marching orders to the others. Two by two, the guards split off from the group, heading in the direction that the beanie hat guy had pointed. Whatever was going on seemed to have them in quite a hurry.

 

I decided to jog the rest of the way back to my suite, hoping to avoid any interaction with them. The last thing I needed was a security guard to randomly stop and frisk me and find Murphy’s stun gun. I breathed heavily as I made my way up the staircase to my suite. I really did need to find more time to go to the gym. There was simply no excuse for being this out of breath after a mere 45 seconds jog.

 

I swiped my keycard through the door sensor and waited. Typically, a green LED bulb blinked followed by the clicking sound of the door unlocking. This time, however, nothing happened. I swiped my card again. Nothing. Gripping the handle, I pulled the door open. Weird, but I didn’t think anything of it.

 

Stepping inside, I took a deep breath of the warmer, chlorine-scented air. I honestly hadn’t anticipated returning to the suite. Had the trade gone through with Murphy, this would have officially been his at this point.

 

Once the door clicked shut behind me, it took me approximately one second to realize that something wasn’t right. Staring ahead, I could see that all of the kitchen cabinet doors were open and the furniture had been uprooted and tossed everywhere. The place had been completely destroyed.

 

The next events unfolded too quickly to even comprehend. I suddenly felt someone shove me from behind and slam me against the tiled wall. I let out a scream as I felt my wrist grabbed and twisted behind my back. I struggled, but to no avail. Whoever was holding me was strong.

 

“Where is the suitcase,” I heard a raspy voice say into my ear. I continued struggling against the person’s grip, and attempted to cry out for help. After a few seconds, the arms pinning me against the wall spun me around. “Where is the suitcase?!” my attacker repeated in a louder voice. It was none other than Brandy Michaels.

 

“Brandy?!” I shouted. She lifted her forearm and pressed it against my throat, swatting away my flailing limbs with her other hand.

 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said in a lower voice. “Tell me where it is, and I’ll be on my way.” Her voice sounded hoarse and scratchy. She looked terrible. She had dark rings underneath her eyes and her neck looked red and irritated where her collar had been. As I struggled to inhale, I noticed that she was wearing a security guard uniform. But seeing as how large it was on her, I surmised that it didn’t actually belong to her..

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied dumbly, suddenly sounding as if I had a frog in my throat. The suitcase, I realized, was still at the Trading Post in Laura’s cubical. Fortunately, I’d forgotten to pick it up on the way back to the suite!

 

“Don’t fuck with me. I know it’s here!” Brandy replied, pressing harder on my neck with her forearm. “You have no idea how dangerous its contents are. Just tell me where it is.”

 

I struggled to inhale again, trying my hardest to fight the stronghold she had on me.

 

“I don’t…” I tried to answer between gasps for air. This bitch was going to suffocate me! And something told me that Brandy wouldn’t lose a second’s worth of sleep if she did.

 

Suddenly, I recalled the object I’d found in my pocket only moments earlier. The stun gun! C’mon Alison, use your brain! It’s infuriating how poorly your mind functions when you find yourself in an *** situation. Even the most logical options tend to escape your thinking.

 

Discreetly, I reached into my jacket pocket and grabbed the rectangular device. Once I located the trigger button I withdrew the weapon from my pocket and lifted it quickly to Brandy’s neck.

 

What happened next was quite frankly horrifying. As soon as I pressed the button, Brandy’s eyes rolled back in her head and she began convulsing uncontrollably. Her legs gave out and I felt her body slump against mine. Scared of what would happen once I let go of the button, I continued pressing it as we both slid down the wall and landed a tangled heap on floor. I finally I let go of the button and scrambled to my feet. Brandy remained lifeless on the floor.

 

Holding back the urge to start hysterically sobbing, I turned and sprinted toward the phone hanging from the wall next to the fridge. My hands shook uncontrollably as picked up the receiver and dialed zero. Moments later, a female voice answered the phone.

 

“Thank you for visiting the Kingdom, how may I help you?”

 

“Help!” I croaked. “I was just attacked in my room! I’m in the castle suit!”

 

“Okay, stay where you are,” the woman replied, “I’m sending help right now.”

 

I dropped the phone, letting it dangle against the wall by its cord. With my back pressed against the refrigerator, I slid down into a seated position. I was still gripping the stun gun tightly in my hand with my arm outstretched towards Brandy’s lifeless form. I could hear the woman on the other line continuing to talk, but I couldn’t make out or care about what she was saying. Just so long as help was truly on the way.

 

I couldn’t take my eyes off of Brandy. Was she dead? I’d never used a stun gun before. I had no idea what the safe amount of time was for holding down the button. I silently sought to justify my actions in my mind. I wasn’t trying to hurt her! All I was thinking about was getting away alive!

 

Less than a minute later, the door swung open and half a dozen security guards poured into the suite with their guns drawn. I stood to my feet as they rushed toward Brandy.

 

“Is she alive?” I asked.

 

The guard wearing a beanie hat stepped cautiously toward me, holstering his weapon. “You’re safe now, Ma’am,” he said calmly, raising his hand toward me as if he was raptor training. “If you could do me a favor, and please put down your weapon.” I quickly laid the stun gun on the floor. “Perfect,” he replied. “Now, can you kick it over to me?” I did as he asked and kicked it across the slate floor. “Thank you,” he replied as he picked it up and placed it in a clear evidence bag.

 

“Is she alive?!” I repeated more urgently.

 

One of the men kneeling over her stood to his feet and said, “Pulse is steady. She’s *** but should be fine” Lifting his walkie-talkie to his face, he said, “Suspect fits description. Current state: ***. Requesting medical.”

 

The man in the beanie hat approached me and softly asked, “Are you hurt?” I shook my head. “Mind if we step over here and have a chat?” I nodded my head and followed him into the living room. Despite the fact that I was now safe, I could still feel my body trembling. I was still in shock. I’d never gotten violently mugged or attacked before. To say that I was rattled would have been the understatement of the century. I felt like I could break out in tears at any moment.

 

The guard proceeded to flip the couch right side up. “Care to have a seat?” he asked. I sat down and he joined me on the opposite end. “Do you mind walking me through what happened here?”

 

“Um,” I replied, clearing my throat, “I walked inside a few minutes ago and… out of the clear blue she jumped me from behind. She slammed against the wall and began choking me.”

 

“I’m so sorry. That must have been horrible,” the guard replied softly. “Is that when you used the stun gun on her?”

 

I nodded. “Well, I wrestled it away from her first,” I quickly corrected myself, remembering that it was a punishable crime to be in possession of a weapon. “Then I used it on her neck.” The guard seemed to the lie as he nodded his head intently. “Is she gonna be okay?” I asked

 

“She’ll be fine,” the guard assured me. “Did you know her?”

 

“Yeah, I uh… I captured her during the hunt,” I answered. “Then, I traded her away yesterday.” Looking up at him, I could tell that the guard wanted more details about our relationship. Not wanting to get into it, I merely replied, “I guess you could say we’ve got a bit of history.”

 

Suddenly, I heard a sultry voice over my right shoulder say, “That’s a mild way to put it.” I turned to see Annabelle walking toward us. “I’ll take it from here, Garret,” she added. The beanie-hatted guard named Garrett gave a slight nod before standing and walking away.

 

“I guess I owe you a big thanks,” Annabelle said as she walked into the living room. “Ms. Michaels escaped custody this morning during a service task I assigned to her. Took out two security guards in the process.” She stepped over to the wall opposite me and casually leaned against it. “Looking back, I ought to have hired you to keep an eye on her. Nice work.”

 

Not interested in having another heart-to-heart with Annabelle, I stood to my feet and turned to leave. Since Annabelle had arrived, the lump in the back of my throat had disappeared and my confidence had returned. If there was one person on the planet capable of transforming my emotional fragility into stone-cold loathing and resentment, it was Annabelle.

 

“Did she say anything?” Annabelle prodded.

 

“Nope,” I lied. “She just jumped me from behind. No warning, no nothing.” I started walking back towards Garrett and the other guards.

 

“What do you supposed she was looking for?” Annabelle called after me.

 

I stopped in my tracks and turned to face her. “I couldn’t tell ya,” I lied.

 

“Well she clearly seemed to be searching for something,” Annabelle mused as she circled an overturned dresser.

 

“Well, she didn’t say anything if she was,” I chided before walking away and rejoining the other guards in the entry hall.

 

Medical personnel had arrived and Brandy was now lying horizontal on a stretcher. Guards were busy restraining her wrists, ankles, legs and torso to the stretcher with black straps. Her collar had also been returned to her neck.

 

After a few seconds, Annabelle walked up beside me. “It seems I owe you one,” Annabelle said soft enough for only me to hear her.

 

“No thanks,” I laughed, crossing my arms defiantly. “The last time I accepted your assistance, you put Katie dead last on the auction list, causing her to for a million dollars.”

 

“Okay, I do feel badly about that,” Annabelle said matter-of-factly. “Not about putting her last, mind you. I actually had no control over auction placement. She was last to sign up, so naturally, she was last to be sold. I simply… made her situation sound more ideal than it actually was.”

 

“Look,” I interjected, turning to face her, “I really don’t care at this point. What’s done is done and all I can do now is learn from the past and not misplace my trust again.”

 

“That is a good lesson to learn. Very astute of you, I might add,” Annabelle replied. “But it doesn’t change one simple fact.”

 

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” I asked, turning away.

 

Annabelle leaned closer to me and whispered into my ear, “A little bird tells me that you could really use my help right now.”

 

Brandy’s stretcher was suddenly lifted off the ground by several guards and carried out the front door. I followed the last of the guards outside onto the stoop. As they walked down the winding steps, Annabelle waited behind with me on the stoop.

 

“I understand you have a bit of a housing dilemma,” Annabelle said.

 

I turned to stare at her. This was true. If I was to trade the suite for Katie, I desperately needed another place to stay. As much as I hated the fact that Annabelle knew this information, I couldn’t help but hope that she might actually have a solution…

 

“Unfortunately, I have approximately zero strings to pool with the housing and residency execs,” Annabelle continued. “So, securing you living accommodations is outside of my jurisdiction. But here’s what I can do-” Annabelle’s voice suddenly became much quieter and she leaned in towards me. “As I believe you’re aware, Tom Murphy’s been sentenced to a brief stay at the kennel.”

 

I blinked, finding myself increasingly unnerved that Annabelle seemed to know exactly what and what not I was aware of…

 

“Normally, that would mean that his slaves also serve out his sentence with him,” she explained. “But seeing as you were so instrumental in returning Ms. Michaels to her rightful owner, I’d like to offer you temporary custody of Miss Huff while Mr. Murphy serves his time.”

 

I paused, studying Annabelle’s face. “How?” I asked skeptically.

 

“I’m the head of corrections,” Annabelle answered. “I can do those sorts of things.”

 

“Can’t you just give me permanent custody?” I countered. “Murphy did nearly kill her, after all.”

 

“Unfortunately, I cannot,” Annabelle replied shortly. “She is still his property. And as irresponsible as his actions were, this incident marks his first and only health code *** in three years. Unless there’s a pattern of neglect, the judiciary would never rule to strip him of custody. Not even at my recommendation.”

 

I shook my head in disgust. He’d owned the girl for less than twelve hours before getting her hospitalized. Four days in the kennel seemed like little more than a slap on the wrist for such a serious infraction.

 

Sensing that I was still dissatisfied, Annabelle placed her hand on her hip and added, “How about this- in addition to awarding you temporary custody, I’ll even stretch Mr. Murphy’s four-day kennel visit to a solid week.” Annabelle recapped, “That’s temporary custody and seven days that you get to remain here in the castle suite. That’ll give you ample time to find a new living accommodations so you can complete your trade with Murphy upon his release.” Annabelle reached out her hand toward me. “What say you?”

 

“I don’t understand,” I replied skeptically. “What’s the catch? What’s in this for you?”

 

Annabelle shrugged. “I’ve always had an aversion to being in anyone’s debt. This should make us square.” Not by a long shot, I thought. But her offer did seem to solve several problems that I currently faced…

 

It felt so wrong to be making another deal with Annabelle. Especially after she’d screwed me over so badly in our last arrangement. But as untrustworthy as she may have been, this particular deal bore no apparent downsides. And as an added bonus, Murphy would be spending an entire week in the kennel. After a few seconds, I begrudgingly grabbed and shook her hand.

 

“Fantastic,” she concluded, withdrawing her hand. “I’ll send a crew by shortly to have this place put back good as new. Shouldn’t take but a few hours. If you’d like to go sit with Miss Huff in the meantime, I’ll make sure that the health clinic knows you’re authorized to be there.”

 

With her business now complete, she proceeded to take her leave. “Oh, one more thing,” she added spinning around at the top step to face me once, “Do the words delta november foxtrot mean anything to you?”

 

I suddenly felt a pit form in my stomach. Those were the cryptic words that Brandy had spoken earlier this week. While I had virtually no clue what they meant, I still felt distrustful of sharing the little I did know with Annabelle. “No,” I responded, shaking my head slightly. I could feel my ears getting warm. Don’t blush, Aly, don’t blush. “Should they?”

 

Annabelle stared at me for a few seconds before replying, “I would imagine not.” She turned once more and descended the steps with her heels clicking against the stonework. “Enjoy your week!” she called over her shoulder.

 

Damn, I thought. Even when she was being helpful, I still wanted to knock her teeth out. I turned and reentered the suite, closing the door behind me. What I wouldn’t have given for a dull moment… This place was literally going to be the death of me, I thought to myself.

 

Minutes passed where I stood silently in the entry hall, processing all that had transpired. So far today, I’d broken into Murphy’s apartment, nearly gotten banned from the health clinic, and been attacked in my own suite by a psychotic former slave… All before lunchtime!

 

My mind continued to swirl with question after unanswered question until I’d finally had enough. I wasn’t going to find answers right now and I was just going to drive myself insane by trying. I promptly exited the suite and began jogging down the steps. Despite the fact that I loathed the idea of acting upon a suggestion from Annabelle, being by Katie’s side was really the only thing I currently had any interest in doing.

 

Jogging once again through the cobblestone streets, I soon found myself reentering the health clinic. There were now two new women sitting behind the front desk.

 

“Miss O’Connell?” one of the women asked.

 

“That’s me,” I replied, out of breath.

 

“Here to see Katie Huff?” she asked.

 

“Yep,” I answered, once again, a bit unnerved by how much everyone seemed to know about my activities.

 

“This way, please,” the woman replied. She stood to her feet and led me down the hallway. I followed behind her, impatiently wishing that she’d walk faster. After a few seconds, we arrived in front of Katie’s room. The woman opened the door and held it open for me. “She’s sedated right now, but you can sit with her while she sleeps.”

 

“Thank you,” I whispered back. As I stepped inside, I instantly felt the lump in my throat return. Katie’s face still looked a bit puffy and she was hooked up to an IV drip and heart monitor. But to my relief, looked peaceful.

 

The door closed quietly behind me, leaving Katie and me alone. I slowly walked up beside her and brushed a strand of curly hair off her face. I couldn’t help but feel guilty for all of this. Everything that had happened to her was either directly or indirectly a result of my own actions...

 

Taking a seat in the adjacent chair, I reached over and took her soft hand in mine. To my surprise, I felt a tear suddenly roll down my cheek. I quickly wiped away the tear and cleared my throat. What the hell was wrong with me? Get it together, Aly, I thought. Leaning back in my chair and closing my eyes, I discounted it as nothing more than the emotional effects of another challenging and trying day.