The fact is that it never stopped.
Americans fought for independence, to break free from England rule. Yes, they gained their independence but freedom wasn’t free. It cost money to maintain that independence and though the majority of Americans worked their asses off to provide for their families, some never strayed from the old ways.
Slavery or Human Trafficking as it is called now, actually began during the Ottoman empire era when under Muslim rule, Arab slave traders captured and enslaved Christians, white, black, it didn’t matter. The color of a person skin was inconsequential. The fact was these people were taken from their homes and sold into slavery. A trade that is still ever present today. Just hidden better behind government policies and black-market trades. Even today, in Libya there is an open market selling Sub-Saharan people and nobody does anything about it.
I didn’t lie when I once told Reaper and the others that a human being could bring a minimum of two grand on the open market. With a world population of over 7.9 billion people…Human Trafficking is a lucrative business.
Many people ignore the signs, ignore the facts because living in their oblivious cushy bubble is easier for them than facing reality. Most people wouldn’t understand. The outrage of it all would destroy the very fabric of reality. But for the small few, the ones who see the real horrors of the world, we do our best to stop it.
It’s never enough.
I was one of those delusional people once. I wanted to go out and save the world and for a while I thought I was doing something. I wasn’t. That became painfully clear when I was captured and spent two weeks in hell. That’s when I learned nobody gave a damn. Nobody cared about a missing woman. That the very people who were supposed to protect me were the very ones in leagues with the traders.
It was then I opened my eyes to the reality of the world I lived in.
That the world is a fucking scary place. Just like my nightmare who lived in that world. He flourished, made billions off the misery and torment of others. Someone I was never going to escape.
My nightmare, my demon was coming for me.
He’d set his eyes on me.
He knew where I was now.
I didn’t know when but I knew he was coming.
The waiting was the hardest. My whole life I never ran from anything. I faced every obstacle head on and conquered it. I thought it funny how one man could instill the fear of God in me. With one look, he could make me crumble at his feet. With one word, I would bend to his will and with one swipe of his hand, I would cease to exist.
Abdul Jamil Ascari was a monster.
There was no other way to describe him. Think of all the worst parts of the bible, then multiply that by a million and still no one would ever come close to the atrocities of that man.
I used to believe that there was a special place in hell for men like Ascari, then I realized no hell could contain him. Men like Ascari would make the devil cower in fear.
For the longest time I let my fear overpower me. Every sound, smell and thought would have me scurrying back to my room, where I would lock my door and hide in my closet.
I hated locked doors.
Never saw the need for them.
Until him.
There would never be enough deadbolts on the planet to protect me from what was to come.
A knock at my door made me jump.
Closing my eyes, I tried to stem my racing heart.
Nothing worked anymore.
Not since St. James told me he was coming.
Getting to my feet, I walked over to my door, placed my hand on it and asked, “Who is it?”
“Savage.” his familiar gruff voice said, easing my fears.
Unlocking my door, I opened it to find him smiling at me. “You look like shit, girl. You okay?”
“Rough night,” I admitted, then asked. “What’s up?”