CHAPTER 20


 

BELINDA WASN'T SURE where she was but she knew the rocking sensation wasn't from the dizziness she was feeling. Opening her eyes slowly, she squinted into the darkness. The room was a dull metallic gray. Two other women sat on makeshift beds, while a third paced restlessly back and forth in the small cabin. The whore knew immediately she was on some sort of ship and by the sized of the room, it was probably a freighter. Sitting up, she took a mental inventory of her body, searching for signs of abuse but found none. It was obvious she had been abducted. Why, she wasn't sure.

"About time you woke up," grumbled the small blonde who had stopped her pacing to look at Belinda.

"Where am I?"

"Where the fuck do you think you are?"

Belinda shrugged, not in the mood to get into a confrontation at the moment.

"Look. I'm not into a pissing match. It's obvious we're all in the same boat so how about we try and get along?"

Laughing at the irony of the comment, a tall black woman slipped off the bed and walked over to the whore. Holding out her hand, she helped Belinda to her feet.

"My name's Smitty and it appears we're on our way to Saudi Arabia or somewhere near there. Seems there are some sheiks that are willing to pay high prices for whores."

"What the hell do they want women like us for? I thought they liked sweet young virgins."

"Apparently not all of them. One of the guys that brings our food is real informative when you treat him right. I do him a favor, he does me one."

"You'd fuck anyone!" the blonde said.

"Shut up, Carla. I'm tired of your pissing and moaning."

Carla was about to say something when Smitty took a menacing step in her direction. Swallowing, the small woman backed away and gave her a sullen pout.

"Don't mind her," Smitty said. "She's new to the business... scared silly. When she settles down, she's actually quite nice."

Belinda examined the two women closely and then looked at the third one who had remained quiet during the exchange. Nodding her head toward her, she raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"That's Mary Beth. She doesn't talk much. I think she's a little slow, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know. So why would anyone go to this trouble for women like us? It doesn't make any sense."

"Apparently, these guys appreciate our expertise and they know no one's gonna question our disappearance. Even if they did and called the police, the cops wouldn't do much. What's a few missing whores? Less work for them."

"Well, my bosses aren't going to like this and they'll do something," Belinda declared, remembering Agra's promise when she first signed up.

"You do your job and stick to the rules and we'll protect you, no matter what," Agra said toward the end of the interview. "You screw up and you're on your own."

Belinda believed her. The look in her eyes left no doubt the woman would search heaven and earth for her. Little did she know how true the promise had been.

"What can they do? We're outside the police's jurisdiction and no one knows where we're at."

"They'll find us. I know they will."

"Well, you got more confidence than I do. If you're bosses are that good, then they must have some powerful connections. Personally, I think we're screwed and are going to have to make the best of it."

"Maybe. Until then, I'm betting on my bosses."

The sound of someone outside the door interrupted their conversation. As the door swung inward, a young sailor stepped inside and looked around. Pointing to Smitty, he waved his hand for her to follow.

"Captain wants to see yah," he murmured.

Winking at Belinda, Smitty strolled out the door without commenting. Apparently, the whore was familiar with the Captain.

Walking to an empty cot, Belinda lay down and closed her eyes, feeling tired. As she dozed off, the image of Agra flashed through her mind, giving her a sense of comfort.