In the Heart of the Storm

Chapter 2

Elena thrashed and tugged trying to loosen the grip of the two guys that held her, but it all did was make their hold tighter as they dragged her through the fisher's alley where she got the dirtiest looks from everyone there. She guessed that was what happened when her father was one of the most hated men in the area. She turned her gaze away looking at one of her captures who gave her the same look. God what had her father done to these people to make them hate her so much?

Finally after what seemed like an hour or so, they had finally approached the ship that would soon become Elena's new home for God knew how long as the men who held her shoved her down to the ground causing her to scrap her knee and cry out. What the hell?

Black boots meet her eyes as she looked up into the face of the man who she could only assume was her new owner. She narrowed her eyes at him gathering all the courage she could gather as she spat up in his face happy that she had hit her target with a smug satisfaction.

A boot hit the side of her face as she fell to the pavement and the strong hands had picked her up by her arms and started to drag her towards the ship where she was thrown on the main deck crying out in pain when the guy who had kicked her pulled her up by the roots of her hair so her face would meet his in a twisted smile.

"I must say I'm sorry we couldn't meet under better circumstances, but if your father had told me you'd be such a wretched bitch I would have reconsidered my generous offer."

He threw her to the ground as she laid down there hoping that he would go away if she just stood still long enough, but she knew that this was far from over.

"What do you not have anything to say to me? Does the cat suddenly got your tongue deary? Come on now. Speak up. I know a whore like you wants to."

She looked up at him with narrowed eyes. She knew for a fact that he owned her now, but that doesn't mean she would go with him quietly. She wasn't that kind of girl and she never would be.

"Your definition of Generous and mine are two totally different things."

"Alright. I'll bite. What would your definition of generous be Ms. Gilbert?"

"The opposite of yours of course."

"Well perhaps after you spend a couple of days with me and my crew your opinion might change."

Before she could figure out what was happening strong hands gripped her again as she screamed and thrashed as someone went to the center of the ship and opened the door. Her screams filled the stairs as they threw her down them causing her to crash down at the bottom. Stupid bastards.

Elena groaned as she lifted herself up and looked around to see where the hell they had stuck her in.

Walking forwards, Elena winced and groaned as the pain from falling and being handled too harshly coursed through her making it difficult to move forward even if it was a couple of inches. Gasping, she fell against a wall sliding down it and taking deep breaths to try and catch some air. What the hell had that fall done to her?

"Are you alright?" A voice said from the shadows.

Elena curled into the wall some more desperate to get out of there while she still had the chance to, but no matter how much she tried to move her body it was as if it had just given up on her. She cried in frustration as she peered out into the darkness where the voice had spoke again narrowing her eyes to at least seem more menacing than she looked. She could only imagine how pathetic she looked to someone at the moment.

"Stay away from me!" She shouted hoping that whoever it was would just go away.

"I'm not going to hurt you." the voice said sounding exasperated.

"How do I know that? Did you notice that I just had two very strong men throw me down a flight of stairs? Of course I'm going to be a little wary of anyone else I encounter at this point."

"And I get your point, but it still doesn't mean that you don't need our help. You must be in a world full of pain after that fall. Why not let us help you?"

"What do you mean by us? The only person I hear in those shadows is you."

"Let's just say the others aren't as fond as meeting new guest as I am, but it doesn't mean they won't help you given the chance to. They've been in your situation. They understand the pain you're in. You just have to trust me when I say that unless you want to risk dying in here alone."

"I don't feel as if I can trust anyone anymore."

"Well you're going to have to."

Elena sighed wanting nothing more than to shut out this new reality that she was living and ignore the guy that was in front of her, but when she sat there and really thought about it she realized that he was right. She couldn't just ignore this. She had to find a way to live with it. Even if it did mean trusting the wrong people every once in a while.

"I want to see your face first. It's the least you could do for me to get me to semi trust you."

"It sounds like a wager. After all if I'm going to help you you have to see my face for me to do it."

The floor creaked underneath the mans heavy foot falls as he was finally illuminated by the light. A small gasp escaped through Elena's lips as she took in the man that was before her. Under normal circumstances the dirt and grime on this man's face would not make her look twice at him, but beneath the surface Elena saw something more. His black hair was tousled as if he had just woken up and had not bothered to brush it as his piercing blue eyes bored into hers making her knees feel more weak than they already were. She imagined that if this guy would bother to shower the dirt and grim off of himself than he would be rather handsome. But she didn't want to think about that right now. Right now all she wanted to do was get passed her next step.

The man leaned down reaching out his hand as she studied him. He didn't seem dangerous, but than again nothing is ever as harmless as it seems.

"What's your name?" she whispered searching into his blue eyes.

"Why would I give that to you?"

"I thought we were supposed to trust each other?" She asked using his words against him.

"I suppose you must be right about that. Fine. I'm Damon. Now what's your name? Since we owe it to each other apparently."

"Elena." she answered hoping that she just didn;t make a grave mistake.

"Well I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, unfortunately we take what we can get in this world. Come on let's get you checked up and cleaned up you look like a mess."

"Like you can talk. You don't look that hot yourself."

Damon laughed as his arms scooped Elena up and he carried her to a small room where six people looked at her with curious eyes. He sat her on a bed where another guy rushed over to his side to possibly help him.

Elena yelped out in pain as Damon turned to the other guy in concern.

"Enzo get the supplies. This may take me awhile to examine her."

"Examine?" she asked searching his eyes as he took of his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

"I need to examine your injuries to see how hurt you are, which means I'm going to have to strip you down to your underwear. I know it's uncomfortable, but it is necessary in this case."

Elena looked around to see all the eyes starring at her before she looked back at Damon hoping he would understand her dilemma.

"I can't let you do that. There's too many people here."

"I didn't take you for a shy person."

"Well I am and I'd rather not have a room full of strangers see my brassiere if you don't mind."

"Of course. Whatever you wish."

Damon turned to the room full of faces and stood up looking rather authoritative.

"You heard the woman. Go and do your own things. You can meet her later. I'm pretty sure she'll be more than happy to talk to you all when she's feeling a lot better."

Mummers flew across the room as everybody shuffled out of the room leaving Elena, Damon, and Enzo there to take care of her. Damon took the supplies from Enzo as he nodded his reassurance letting Enzo know that it was okay to leave them alone.

"I need you to stand up so I can take your dress off of you. Do you think you can do that or do you need help?"

Elena shook her head as pain shot through her spine making her uncomfortable. Tears hit the corner of her eyes as Damon helped her up making her yelp out and pain and fall into hi to brace herself from falling. This pain was too much. She wasn't sure how she would survive her time here if she couldn't even be strong with these sets of injuries.

"Are you okay?"

"No, but I will be."

"So this may hurt you, but no matter how much it hurts remember the pain will be over soon enough."

Elena nodded as she took in a deep breath while Damon stripped away her clothing leaving her in just her underwear as he laid her back down on the bed.

"Is this okay?"

"Can we just get this over with?"

"As you wish."

Elena sighed as Damon examined her wounds cleaning them up with medicine and washing her wounds out with water. He examined her bones with gentle hands and poured a few make shift capsules into his hand and gave them to her for the pain.

"Thank you." she said as she put the capsules in her mouth and he handed her water to choke them down.

"Those should help with your pain. Just don't get too greedy with them. Wouldn't want Markos to notice that they're missing."

"Wait. Markos gave you these?" she asked suddenly wanting to wretch them out.

"Gave is kind of a subjective term. I tend to steal tiny bits of shipments from him every now and then. Enough to help us get through the day, but not enough for him to notice and retaliate against everyone down here."

"Aren't you afraid that he will find out one day?"

"Maybe one day he will, but until than I'm not going to worry about it. When he comes we'll be ready."

"I feel bad for requesting that they all be sent away for this. I mean we're probably going to get a lot closer in my time here. If they keep me alive long enough."

"They will, trust me on that one. We all serve a purpose to Markos and he is the only one who can carry out a sentence to kill us. If anyone defies that law than they're as good as dead."

"What does he want with me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked cleaning out one of her wounds with what she could only guess was some form of antibiotic.

Elena gave him a questioning look as he sighed thinking that she was oblivious in more than a few ways. What the hell had her father agreed to?

"I can't believe no one gave you a debriefing before sending you on this ship. Usually Markos's men will give at least a heads up to the woman slaves on this ship. Usually Markos has other uses for the women on his ship than the men on it..."

"Please tell me what happens."

"Well if you'd stop interrupting me than maybe you would know."

"Sorry. I always have the worst habit of interrupting people when they're trying to tell me something important."

"We're going to have to break you of that habit before you go back to tending to Markos."

"I'm sorry, but what do you mean by tending to Markos? I'm not going near that son of a bitch ever again."

"You're going to have to."

"Excuse me?"

"On this ship it's not a matter of opinion, it's a matter of survival and if you disobey Markos with whatever task he decides to stick you with that day then you're as good as dead."

"I take it his parents rarely told him no in this life time."

"Your assumption would be correct. Markos's family bought him everything that his heart desires even this ship was bought using mommy and daddy's money."

"Are they aware what their son is doing with their well earned cash? Do they know about the slaves?"

"They do. They just don't care unless their son makes a fuss about it or forgets to obtain his part of the deal which he takes great pride in keeping so he could get his heart's desire."

"Which is?"

"No one really knows. It's the one thing about himself that he hasn't bragged about. The one secret that no one has ever been able to get out of him."

"Do you think anyone ever will?"

"I doubt it. He's as cold as stone. Hasn't opened up to anyone in years. Now enough chit chat. We have to get you cleaned up and ready to go for when Markos does his daily rounds and you do not want to feel his wrath if you are the least bit disobedient."

"What will he do to me?"

"If you must know then ask the people who have received them. You should meet them in a short while. They'll be helping you from here on out."

"Thank you for what you've done for me today. I really do appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Just try to avoid getting thrown down a flight of stairs again if you could avoid it."

"I'll try my best. But I make no promises who knows who else I'll piss off when I'm here."

"I wouldn't tempt fate with that one. Now come on. Let's get you cleaned up before we're all late."

Elena nodded wondering if she would even survive the rest of the night.