SHELLEY’S POV
She packed the last of the food in the lunch bag and slung it on her shoulder as she walked out of her tiny kitchen that could barely contain two people at the same time.
Rachel would kill her if she found out about what she was trying to do, but she couldn’t help it. This was not who she was, but her desperation to get money had changed her, and it was definitely not for good.
Sighing, she locked the entrance door to her tiny apartment as she stood, waiting for a cab to flag down. She sighed in impatience as she looked forward to a cab. After a few minutes of waiting, a cab arrived and she got in and told him her location.
She was lost in thought as the cab drove to the bus stop where she would take another cab going in her direction. She felt guilty about the things she had done in the last few months and hoped the almighty forgave her.
“We are here, ma,” the cab driver said, bringing her out of her reverie.
“I’m sorry I got carried away,” she apologized and fished out a few notes of books and handed it to him before alighting. She walked to the bus stop and got into another cab going to her final destination.
It was a three hour drive and she slept half way through the journey. She soon arrived and alighted. She waited for the cab to drive away and looked around carefully to be sure no one was looking at her before she began to walk away in a haste.
She soon arrived at her destination and walked into the building. At the entrance, one of the men sat on guard with his gun in his hand.
“Hey. I’m here to see girl 247,” she said.
He looked at her and the tensed muscles on his face relaxed in recognition. “Follow me,” he ordered and walked away.
He led her in the direction of the boss’s office. She could tell because she had been there a couple of times. After all, she was the one who contacted them for the job, so, why not?
“Boss, the lady is here to see girl 24/7,” the man said, from the doorway.
“Take her to her then,” the boss replied nonchalantly.
The man nodded and led her up to the floor where the girl was. He opened the door and they walked in. She stopped in her tracks at the sight in front of her. The girl was bound to the chair, battered from beating while one two men were sprinkling water on her.
“What’s going on here?” She asked, alarmed, as she ran to them.
“She lost consciousness, we are trying to resuscitate her,” one of the men replied.
“What did you do to her?” She asked again as she cupped the girl’s limp face.
“What the other lady ordered, of course?”
Shelley knew he was referring to Rachel. Has Rachel been there?
“What order are you talking about?” She asked, confused.
“She asked that we beat the girl until she lost the pregnancy,” the man replied, obviously irritated by her questions.
Shelley’s eyes widened in shock. Pregnancy? The girl was pregnant? How callous can Rachel be?
“And you listened to her? Have you no human sympathy or feelings?”
“You have no right to speak to us in that manner. She is the one who needs the job done, right? You are merely a stooge and have no right to give orders. You ain’t paying us,” the man sneered.
“But I bring jobs to you guys,” she retorted.
“And you get your percentage, don’t you?”
SHELLEY’S POV
Realizing an argument at that point was pointless as the girl was unconscious and needed to be revived, she opted for peace.
“Fine. But that is not the way to go about things like this. There are pills you can give her to get rid of the baby,” she said, hoping they buy the idea.
“Really?” The men asked.
“Yes. I can get the pills, but first, let’s revive her. Quickly, untie her and take her to the bed,” she ordered.
They were hesitant, but adhered regardless. The girl was untied and taken to the bed. She immediately administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation. At first, the girl was not responsive but after a few more attempts, she coughed and weakly opened her eyes.
“Are you alright,” she asked, heaving a sigh of relief.
The girl nodded and then murmured a low “water,” before coughing dryly.
She immediately reached for the lunch bag and took out a bottle of water. She cradled the girl’s head on her lap as she gave her the water.
“Do you feel better?” She asked and the girl nodded before bursting into tears.
“My baby, my baby, my baby,” she kept muttering as she reached for her stomach.
Shelley felt her heart break at the sight before her. How could Rachel make the little girl go through such a trauma. There and then, she vowed to make sure she got her out of there. But first, she had to act like she was not concerned, else the men might get suspicious of her intentions and that could spell trouble for her.
“You think fainting would save you, huh?” She asked, her tone hardening.
The girl stared at her in surprise, tears streaming down her eyes. “Please, help me,” she pleaded.
“No sweetheart. Help is far from you. We need you alive and conscious to receive your punishment. Don’t read meaning to the kind act I put up in reviving you. It’s all a facade,” then she turned to the men, “I will bring the pills tomorrow.”
“Please, I’m sorry. Tell them not to hit me again. My ba…by…” the girl kept pleading.
Her heart was breaking and she couldn’t stand the sight anymore. She got on her feet with a straight face. “I will be leaving now. Give her the food in the bag. She needs all the strength she can muster for the pills to work. And, don’t hit her again. The pill will handle that,” she said to the men, and with a hateful glance at the girl, she walked out without looking back.
She suppressed the tears until she was out of the building and in the lonely street. As the tears rushed down in torrents she felt terrible and disappointed in herself. How had she agreed to be an accomplice to such an inhumane act?
Even in the cab, she kept crying and the cabman could not help but offer her a tissue in consolation. She got home and still, the tears did not stop neither did the guilt in her heart go away.
At that moment, she decided she was going to set things right. She doesn’t care about the consequences, but she would ensure nothing happened to the girl and her baby.
She picked up her phone and dialed Rachel’s number.
“Shelley?” Rachel’s voice sounded over the phone.
“We need to talk, Rachel…”