Chapter 13

The Castle
Grindstone Island
In the St. Lawrence River

January 2011

A moment after JD stepped out new voices were heard. "I still think this was a mistake." An older man said.

"Perhaps, but we've never had a breach of security." Another replied. "What's done is done."

Spencer kept his head down but glanced up. There were a handful of older men coming in, Caucasian, sixties or later, anywhere from grey to bald, with tailored suits that put Rossi's wardrobe to shame. They had the air of confidence that also spoke to money and power and lots and lots of both. "Well I won't have them on my farm." The first one said.

"Good." Another said. "One less bidder. Good lord." He said, stopping directly in front of Ashley. "Look at that filly!"

"I know." Another said as the others murmured their agreement. "That was a good find there, well done JD."

So JD was not an alpha in this killing gang, he was a lieutenant, and a high ranked one. That made him dangerous, he still didn't have the power he thought was his due but he also needed to impress the alphas with his obedience. He'd need to take out that dissonance somewhere. For now he gave a smile and nodded. "Thank you, Sir."

"I tell you I would not mind having that on my farm." The first man said. "She'd make a lovely housemaid."

"Yeah." Another said with a laugh. "Until your wife saw her."

"She'd have to see her first."

"He screwed up with this one though." One of the men lifted his glass in Spencer's direction. "What the hell are we supposed to do with that?"

"Are you kidding?" Another of the group, this one shorter with a find build, was looking over a computer tablet. He hadn't looked over at Spencer once. "Have you seen his file? Doctorates in Mathematics, Chemistry and Engineering, all from CalTech, degrees in philosophy, sociology and psychology from Georgetown, written a raft of academic papers on I don't even know how many subjects, IQ of 187, and that's just what we could find with a quick internet search...dear god he's magnificent!"

Another man looked skeptical. "And you want that in your stable? Do you have any idea how much trouble he could cause?"

"Of course I want that! He's the answer to a literal prayer, and just in time!" Now he gave Spencer a cursory look over. "Good bone structure too. JD you are a genius! How many credits do I have on the books?"

JD smiled again. "Thank you, Sir. At least thirty thousand."

"Good. I open on the male for fifteen thousand."

The other men laughed at him. "And close on him as well." One said. "Don, you are insane."

"Any other bids?" A man who had been in the back asked quietly. The other laughed and shook their heads. "Sold to Parson for 15,000 credits." Spencer watched JD walk around behind him, and tensed, only to feel something clip on to the chain around his neck.

One of the other men spoke up. "Now that Don's bought his folly I open bid on this filly here at two thousand."

"I see your bid and bid three thousand..."

The bidding went on for a few, but in the end the one who spoke first topped everyone. "Sold to Wilcox." The man in the back said. "For 12,000 credits."

Sold. Spencer swallowed twice as it hit him. They were playing some kind of slavery game here, and he and Ashley had just become the slaves. And worse, it sounded like they were going to different people. He dared to look over at Ashley and saw the fear in her eyes.

"All right, pack them up." The one who bought Spencer, Parson, said to JD. "He's going to be the new schoolmaster. Don't assign him yet, I have a plan for that."

"Yes, Sir." JD looked Ashley over, regretfully.

"Tell Housekeeper I want her on the house staff somewhere." Wilcox was saying to another of the lieutenants. "And assign her right away, the sooner we get everything planted up the better."

"Yes, Sir."

"Come on boys." One of the other men said, and most of the lieutenants followed them out. The one under Wilcox went off somewhere, and Spencer felt the pull on his arms slacken. That one came and let them out of their cuffs before JD threw bundles of cloth at them. "Get dressed. Put on all of it, it's cold out there." Then the two of them stepped out, and Spencer heard the door lock behind them.

"Filly!" Ashley hissed. "Filly!"

"I've heard worse insults." Spencer quickly unrolled the bundle, and thankfully found long underwear. He turned away and started getting in to them, he wanted to cover up as quickly as possible.

"So what do we do?" Ashley asked.

"Pacify the Unsub. They think we're slaves, keep your head down and act as obedient as you can without causing harm to yourself or others. Keep your eyes open for a way to escape or to contact the Bureau. I think we're being split up; we should try to find each other as quickly as possible. Remember, a profile is your greatest weapon."

"Right." She was quiet a moment. "What are my chances of being raped tonight?" Spencer didn't answer; he didn't want to think of the answer. "That good, huh?"

She sounded so nervous. Not that he blamed her. "I hate to say it but the best answer I have right now is to try to mentally prepare for it. You might be able to avoid some tissue damage that way."

"Great."

Long underwear, thick socks, rough canvas shirt and pants, knit hat, mittens, sweater...Spencer retrieved his jacket, coat and scarf, it was cold out there. He turned to Ashley and saw the fear in her eyes. "I want to say I'll protect you." He said, "But I..."

"I know." She looked smaller somehow, draped in loose dresses of some kind. "I just..." She looked at him for a long moment, then came over and hugged him tight. "Thank you Dr. Reid, for everything you taught me."

He held her close, not knowing when or if he'd ever see a friend again. Or hear his name. "Spencer...Ashley. And...thank you."

"Spencer."

They heard the door lock and jumped away just in time. JD came back with some other men, all bundled against the cold. "Come on people, let's go."

They were shooed out what had to be a back door to two utility trucks and made to sit on the cargo beds. When they got underway the wind was like a knife, it cut right through Spencer's clothing and brought tears to his eyes. Thankfully they didn't go far before they pulled up to a tall chain link fence. There was no way he was getting over that, not with his knee, but he caught Ashley's eye and she nodded. She could make it over. From there she could find a boat and go for help.

That thought lasted until they were through the gate. It operated on a lock code and came with a cattle guard in the road. As soon as they crossed the cattle guard they stopped. "Get over here." JD said, motioning for Spencer and Ashley to get down and stand in the road, their backs to the gate. "Now I'm sure you pigs are looking at the fences around here and thinking you can get over them, no problem. Unfortunately for you these gates run on what they call biometrics." He walked over to the podium, entered a code Spencer couldn't see, and then his fingerprint. But the gate didn't close. "This here's what happens if you don't open it right." He gave a nod to the other men. Then one of them gave Spencer a firm push, sending him sprawling over the cattle guard.

The world exploded.

Pain like he'd never felt before exploded over him. He couldn't see, couldn't think, for a moment he couldn't breathe. He felt his arms and legs jerking and scrabbling at the ice under him as he tried desperately to get away from the pain only he had no control over them at all. Dimly he heard Ashley screaming and past that laughter.

A moment later he felt them pull his useless body over the cattle guard, and the pain stopped. He lay there and just focused on breathing. JD loomed over him. "Try to cross a fence line without shutting it down and it'll activate the shock collar." He said. "Those are welded on."

Escape just got a lot harder.

"Get up." With a few not too gentle kicks the men got Spencer and Ashley back to their feet and back into the trucks. They set off up and around the hill, down narrow roads between fences. As they came around one hill the road broke into a Y, and Ashley's truck took the other arm.

He watched her as she watched him, as she went up the hill and he went through another gate, until he couldn't see her anymore.

"Welcome home, boy." JD said as the gate closed behind them.