June 2010...

'Breathe Jamie' I whisper to myself.  My eyes move around checking the four walls of the cement dudgeon, I lift my face up to see what sort of ceiling this stinking place has.  I know I'm being watched by the two other girls sitting on the floor with me.  I need to make a plan in my head, seeing the two other girls look like they have no idea.  This is one of the first undercover jobs I've been assigned to...and I can't fuck it up.  I look over to the older one of the girls, she looks way older than me, surprised that she doesn't look worried at all.  Maybe because she is an experienced prostitute, if there is such a thing, probably takes something each night to get her thru her job...whatever it is she really looks calm, I need what she has.  I glance over to the other girl, she is younger than me.  She looks a little more scared.  She gives me a little smile.  'Don't make friends Jamie' I chant to myself.  '  

I stand up and look up at the small window that is about a foot above my head.  The moon reflects on the rusty steel bars that are securely embedded in the cement window frame.  I can only see sky and the tops of trees from this position.  I jump up, grabbing the edge of the window sill and pull myself up to see what is outside at ground level.  Trees, trees, and more trees.  I let my body slide down the wall, turn around and sit back on the cold floor.  

"Don't bother trying, you might as well sit back and let them do what they gotta do...if you behave they might not muck up that pretty little face of yours" I hear the older girl say.  I look at the younger one who is nodding her head in agreeance.  'Won't get that far' well I hope not anyway.  I go over to the door and try the handle, stupid I know but I'm gunna bother.  Might as well ask a few questions to the older one seeing she is being so talkative.

"You had this done to you before then?" I ask trying not to sound like a police officer.  

"Yep...years ago, when I first started this lifestyle.  Not the same guys obviously.  They usually can't be bother paying, or can't afford it, so they steel us from the street for a couple of days, have their way with us for free, then deliver us back...common occurrence around the streets."  I slump back down on the floor opposite her.  'I'm not letting any scumbag touch me.'  The younger one pulls her legs up to her body, trying to make herself smaller than what she is.  I can see she hasn't been selling her body very long.  I wonder why she is even on the streets, but I'm not going to ask.

"You sell your body stupid girl, it's the only thing you have to sell, so don't fight it...I'm telling you now if you fight them, your body won't be worth much, then where does your next pay cheque come from...no, so don't be silly, just lay back, give them what they want, and don't ask any questions."  Just as she has finished talking we hear the door being unlocked.  The light above us comes on and I instantly pull my hand up to shield the brightness.  I copy the others and stay sitting on the ground as three sets of boots stand in front of us.  The smell of alcohol hits my senses instantly.  'Good...maybe I will get a chance to run...the bush outside definitely doesn't worry me, thank god I was a tomboy, Dad taught me great outdoor skills, now all I have to do is control my temper.'    

"I'll take the older one, she looks like she is more my style" one of them says.  I dare not look up, I know my eyes will look defiant.

"I want the small one, looks like you get the fiery one Sash...she'll be feisty, keep her on a tight rein."  I watch one set of boots approach the girl who has been talking to me.  As she is getting pulled up off the floor she winks at me, then throws me a kiss.  Whether she is being a smart arse or giving me confidence I'm not sure.  I still keep my head down.  The younger one gets up herself and faces the chosen one.  She holds her head up high, not letting him know she is scared.  She picks up his hand gently.  She had listened the the older girl and is going quietly.  'I actually feel a little tear in my eye, she is giving in, defeated so easily.'  I have to decide here and now whether I'm going to fight this or do the same.  I'm not a virgin, but I have never been faced with such a dilemma.  I was only acting...I hadn't actually sold myself, jeez.  'Breathe Jamie.'

"Take my hand" I get told surprising me out of my deciding dilemma.  I put my hand in his, he lifts me off the floor easily.  My head still hung low, my eyes start at his boots, slowly they move up his blue jeans, black t-shirt tucked in, up chest level, very broad, across one tattoo'd upper arm, very muscly...nice tat, slowly up to a face.  I take another breathe.  Not what I expected.  Clean shaven, shortish hair, bright blue eyes, a really kind face.  And he is smiling at me.  I don't smile back, quickly looking back to the ground.  'Don't show any emotion Jamie.'

"Don't smile at the slut Sash, she will take advantage of you..." I hear from behind me.  I keep facing down to the ground, trying not to give anything away.  'Safer this way, for both of us.'  We are all herded up the stairs.  I can't wait to get out of that disgusting cement jail.  My eyes instantly scan around at the surroundings.  I take note of all the windows, doorways.  I even look up at what the ceiling is made of.  I see a man-hole above me in the hallway.  The beginning of a kitchen bench is to my right.  Before I can look at much more I'm turned left to walk down the hallway to the last door.  I watch ahead of me as the older girl is being shoved into a room, the door closing.  Then I see the young girl being led more gracefully into the next doorway.  I keep walking noticing a bathroom to my right, opposite it a closed door, assuming this is a laundry maybe, then lastly I stop at the door directly in front of me.  His arm fiddles with the door handle, pushing it open.  He invites me in, I jump a little when the door closes behind, hearing the lock click. 

The room is dark but I can see moon light coming in from the sliding doors beyond the bed.  'This could be my escape.'  I need to play this game for a little while.  I just stand in the middle of the room.  Probably not what a women in the business does.  But I feel really small.  A light switches on but it isn't as bright at the one down stairs.  He moves around to face me.  I keep my head down.  'Need to stay calm...breathe...'  

"I'm Sasha, what's your name?"  I still don't look at him.  I can't think of a fake name quick enough to tell him without him noticing anyway so I just answer him.

"J...Ja...Jamie."

"Is that your real name, or your working girl name?"  I'm a little bit pissed at him for calling me what I've actually been acting at, obviously successfully because he doesn't seem suspicious.

"No...yes...Jamie is my real name, I don't usually get asked, you know when I'm working" I answer him, looking up at him.

"It's a strong name, but pretty" he surprises me again by saying.  He seems easy to talk to, maybe this will be my way of getting out of this instead of kicking his head in.  I finally stay looking up at him.

"My Dad wanting a son, but when I appeared I got the boys name" I say loosening my neck a little.  He gently picks up my hand and guides me over to sit on the bed.  'Just go with the flow Jamie.'   I try and move my feet but they feel like lead balloons.  I trip a little before I finally sit/fall on the edge of the bed.  'So this is it...I better think fast.'  Sasha turns and goes to a little fridge, getting out two bottles of water.  He walks over and hands me one, then sits drinking half of his in one gulp.  'Is he nervous?' I slowly open the lid, while I suss out the rest of the room.  On the other wall is three large mirror wardrobe doors.  I can see the sliding doors that are behind me in the reflection.  As I'm taking a mouthful of water, Sasha gets up and pulls the curtains across the doors, closing my view outside, my freedom.  'Poo another obstacle to get thru if I'm gunna run.'  He comes and sits beside me.  I turn and lift my leg putting a little distance between us, trying to look relaxed.  He copies me, facing me, he talks to me softly.

"I...I don't usually do this.  I would never force a girl to do anything she didn't want to do.  I suppose with you girls, seeing it is your job, you don't get asked if it's okay hey?"  He leans towards me, with me leaning back, puts his hand to my hair and removes a piece of fluff.  He shows me the object before he wriggles his fingers to free the fluff off.  I lift my eyebrows, looking a little miffed at not only the question but the gentle actions towards me.  He seems like a really nice fellow.   I can either (a) answer like a prostitute or (b) answer it like Jamie would.  I stroke my hand down my hair where he had touched then I turn my head curiously, I mean where did this boy come from...I decided on (b) I'll talk to him like Jamie would. 

"Where did your name come from then Sasha? And how come your hanging around with the dickheads in the other rooms?"  I know I'm being a little nosy, maybe it's the police officer in me, but I'm truly curious why some one like him is doing this.  I wait for him to answer.  He gets up and walks over pulling the curtain back a bit and looks out.

"Let's just say it's a family duty...and my name was my Grandfathers, he was Russian.  Listen Jamie...I'm not going to um...use your services tonight, I like talking to you so don't worry about me touching or forcing anything on ya...just talk with me okay?"  I relax my shoulders a little, putting my hand to my neck to try and rub out the kink I have.  He is watching me as he walks back over flopping back down on the bed, looking way more relaxed.  

"Sorry about the cement cell down stairs...my uncle owns the house, he is...lets say, mixed up in all sorts of bad business."  He looks upset about it all.

"Doesn't mean you have to be but...how old are you anyway?  Arn't you old enough to find your own way in life yet?" I ask him.  He gets back up and goes and gets a chocolate bar out of the fridge.  He opens it and breaks some off for me.  At first I shake my head, not wanting to share it with him.  

"Come on...every girl loves chocolate" he says smiling at me still holding out the open packet to me.  I lean over and take the smallest bit.  'I'll need to energy later anyway' I think to myself.  We eat a piece each, and it is true, this girl does love chocolate, just not sharing it with my potential killers relation.

We both finish eating chocolate and drinking our water.  The room is silent, suddenly a little awkward.  Then we both hear noises from the room next to us at the same time.  Sasha leans towards me, making me worried for a second, then grabs the t.v. remote off the side table next to me turning on the t.v. in a hurry.  He turns the volume up slightly.  He smiles at me as he throws the remote back on the table.  He sits back.  He really is comfortable just sitting here with me.  It helps me relax a little bit more, but not enough to be forming a plan in my brain.  

"I'm twenty years old.  My parents were killed when I was fifteen, so I had to come and live with my Uncle.  The other two guys are my cousins.  I don't like their lifestyle but I don't have any choice...it is the way they were brought up, and it is sort of expected that I be like it, being related and all that...that I will just join in...but I wasn't brought up like them.  So when they planned this, you know capturing some street girls, having their way for free, they promised me there would be no violence, just a little fun.  I buckled under peer pressure, doesn't mean I like it."  He stops talking and looks at the t.v.  I glance over to him.  I can tell he is telling the truth. 

"Your still young enough.  What would you rather be doing then?" I ask him.  He climbs on the bed and sits up against the bed-head.  I move so I'm sitting next to him.  Funny but he doesn't make me feel uncomfortable one little bit.  He seems like he is sort of stuck in the rut.  I think I know how he feels a little.  I remember trying so hard to be a girly girl for my mum, but I loved going bush, learning to shoot, achieving a black belt in martial arts, driving a motor bike, wearing jeans and t-shirts.  I didn't want to learn to do make-up and hair, drink tea from a teapot, learn how to hold cup and saucer correctly, to dress elegantly, or learn how to ride a horse. 'I knew exactly how he felt.'  

"I wanted to be a navy seal.  I like regimentation, routine, the strictness.  My grand-dad was in the forces, then my dad, that was my destiny, until it got taken away from me.  I'm mean I did pretty good in school, probably could of got into university but when I was in the cadets at school, I was tested and qualified to have a suitable nature but then it all turned to shit.  I just lost my mojo, you know?"  

"Yep I totally understand.  You shouldn't let anyone stop you but.  Sometimes you have to leave people behind to succeed especially if your not happy, you need to chase your dream."  I look back to the t.v. hoping I haven't sounded too pushy.   I had to turn my back on my mum's dream of having a little mini me princess.  I loved being with my Dad.  I know it hurt my mum but I had to do what I had to do.  I joined the police force as soon as I could.  With my boyish ways I climbed the ranks quickly in a couple of years.  I'm one of the youngest female detectives in the state now, and I'm damn proud of myself.  'I just can't fuck this first assignment up.'  I lay down a little and snuggle in to the pillow, and yawn.   Sasha copies me.  I look at his face level with mine.  He is looking at me.  He looks older than twenty.  He talks to me face to face.  And it still seems really comfortable.  

"How old are you Jamie? If you don't mind me asking."

"How old do you think I am?"

"You look my age.  But you talk way more maturely, so I reckon your about twenty three or four."  I smile at him, I'm glad he doesn't think I look too much older than my true age.

"Good answer Sash...I'm twenty three."  I yawn again and close my eyes.  Before I pretend to go to sleep I hear him cough a little, then he talks to me again.

"The guys told me if I don't take you back down to the basement I have to tie you up.  I want you to choose which one...I really don't want to do either, but if I don't...they will choose for you and it won't be so gently."  I lift my head and look at him surprised.  'This is going to stuff up my plan.'  

"Tie me up...I would rather be here with you than back down there...it is a really awful place down there."  He gets off the bed and opens the draw, getting out some rope.  Before he tie's my feet up he talks softly to me.  

"Do you need to use the bathroom...I will need to escort you there before I do this."  I just nod 'no' to him.  He knows I'm upset at him.  He ties my wrists around my back.  He makes sure they are not too tight.  He pulls a blanket over me.

"Get some sleep, I think they have something planned for you girls tomorrow."

"Can you give me a little hint" I ask as I look up at him. 

"Don't worry, whatever it is I'll make sure they don't hurt any of you girls."

 He leans in and gives me a kiss on my forehead, like I'm his little pet or something.  I close my eyes, after a few minutes I start breathing heavy.  'There is no way I'm going to fall to sleep.'  I count to one hundred ten times before I open one eye slightly, looking over at Sasha.  He looks like he is in a deep sleep already.  I look at his face more clearly now.  He is such a nice kid.  The way he talks I can tell he was raised well, he is just so lost at the moment.  I really hope he escapes this life and pursue's his dream, it would be such a waste of such a nice soul.  I move a little to see if he reacts. 'Sash' I whisper close to him.  He stays still.  I start wiggling the rope around my wrists, moving my arms carefully, getting my wrists angled at the right degree to slip the rope off.  'Learnt this in scouts.'

Stealthily I slowly move my feet that are still tied together off the bed, quickly leaning down and un-tying them.  Without looking back I very quietly open the sliding door, looking both ways before I run straight into the bush.  I sit behind a bush looking back making sure there is not sign of life.