Chapter 4

The back hall was dimly lit and smelled musky and stale. There were doors on either side; some small whimpers crawled through the thick steel frames. It was like being escorted through a prison, with rows and rows of cells leading towards the execution block, or in this case, the showroom floor. Julian’s stomach knotted tightly and his fists dug deep into his pockets to hide their frustrated trembling. Someone would save these kids, was all Julian could think to himself. It couldn’t be him right now, but eventually, someone would come and rescue them.

Bob smiled loudly as they passed each door, rapping on a few as they went. “We’ve got some really nice pros in today as well, if you’re interested. Times are getting tough and lots of pimps are trading in their more useless charges for a nice load of creds. They specialize in sexual services, but can be made into good laborers as well if needed. Good at taking direction, bad with initiative. Perfect slaves, really.”

Julian shook his head. “I’m looking for resale value. Not much profit in black sheep.”

“Doesn’t hurt to offer.” Bob shrugged and continued walking until he came to the last door on the right, proudly stroking the metal with his callused hand. “Now this, I hope, is what you’re looking for.”

Julian came closer as Bob unlocked the heavy door and opened it wide. He held his breath as he peered into the dark, closet-sized room, standing closer to his escort than he was entirely comfortable with to get a better view. There were no lights save those in the hall. Alone in the darkness, a small shadow of a child hugged its knees to its chest.

“This is Davie. His father’s got connections enough to make ransom a decent deal, but he’s also got a very good temperament. Not the brightest pixel on the screen, if you get my gist, but he’s obedient to a fault. Either way you want him, shouldn’t have a problem getting your money’s worth out of him.”

Julian nodded absently, seeing the first hint of shiny blonde hair as the child raised his head. Another dead end. Silently, he found himself thanking every deity he could think of that Bob’s top item was someone other than his brother.

“Daddy?”

His relief was short-lived. He looked down at the boy, finding his squinting blue eyes in the darkness as they tried to adjust to the limited light. The time for celebration was over. He forced himself to look away, glancing instead at Bob’s eager grin. “....How much are you asking for him?”

“Bidding starts at five hundred,” he stated, mater of fact. There was no limit to the amount of pleasure he seemed to take in showing off his frightened goods.

“I’ll give you seven hundred right now for him.”

Bob shook his head, thumbs dipping behind the straps of his stripped suspenders. “You want him, you can bid on him like all the rest. I start taking money behind closed door and people are going to start complaining. Gotta give everyone a chance to see the goods before I can accept anything. You understand.”

Julian looked down at the cowering child and gave a small nod of acknowledgment. “Guess I’ll just have to stick around then.”

Bob clasped him hard by the shoulder and steered him back towards the floor, spouting off some gibberish about having good taste and a fine eye. Julian heard very little of it. “That reminds me,” the man of ill repute said with a flourish. “When I approached you earlier, I couldn’t help but notice you were eyeing Rabbit. Perhaps your tastes extend to adult men as well?”

“Rabbit?” Julian blinked and returned his attention to his host. “Is that the name of the guy with the tattoos?”

“That’d be him. Hard-assed bastard. Not the friendliest of sorts, mind you. If it’s entertainment you’re after, I know a couple men who’d be more than willing to acquiesce to your desires,” Bob said with a hungry smirk.

Julian smiled back, but was quick to decline. “There’s more fun to be had in the acquisition, Bob. Thanks for the offer, though.”

“Well then, allow me to introduce the two of you, at least.” He gestured again for Julian to follow and cut through a couple of women discussing the finer points of bondage. “Who knows, he may be lonesome for company tonight.”

They crossed through the crowd, stepping around the myriad of factory owners and unsavory hosts and hostesses towards the otherwise unoccupied wall where the dark man still stood silently. He looked over at them as they came nearer but did not move to make himself more approachable.

“Rabbit, I’d like you to meet Carlos Brinkley. This is his first time at a live auction and I was hoping I could leave him in your care. Rabbit is quite the wall flower but he can answer any questions you may have, Carlos.”

Rabbit turned his deep chocolate eyes on Julian, looking over his face and body in a fluid but obvious motion. His eyes seemed more trained to assess danger than attractiveness and he gave a curt nod after his survey was complete. “Sure. Leave him here.”

Bob smiled at them both and made his escape, wandering back into the vile mess of spectators and sinners.

Julian was glad to be rid of him. He looked at Rabbit, who was an infinitely more pleasant sight and certainly the diamond in the present rough, and smiled a bit to himself, though the other man seemed to have written him off already. He looked much younger close up, with the shadows in the room no longer masking the subtleties of his features. His eyes were dark and hollow, though, as untouched by emotion as his face. “What kind of name is Rabbit?” he asked at length, trying to find some topic to talk on other than what was obvious around them.

The younger man raised a gold studded eyebrow at him. “A last name. It’s what I go by. What sort of name is Carlos?”

Julian smiled coyly. “A family name. I like Rabbit, though. It’s different.”

Rabbit shrugged, adjusting his stance against the wall. “So, what are you here for? Labor or pleasure?”

“I’m not into the kiddy pool.”

“Then you seem to be very, very lost.”

Julian smiled a bit, leaning against the wall next to him. “Guess I am. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Why are you here?”

Rabbit furrowed his brow, looking out at the crowd. “Consider it an investment.”

Julian smiled a bit more, leaning his head to the side to breathe in his companion’s scent: cigarette smoke and exhaust with a subtlety of spices lingering, perhaps, from soap. It felt like an elaborate dream, every detail set in motion to arouse and focus his attention. “I see. Any interest in the adult male variety?”

Rabbit paused and, moving only his eyes, gave him a hard and calculating look. “Even if I were, this isn’t the time or place.”

“Guess you’re right.” Julian stood up straighter, looking cautiously around the room. It was getting a little louder, an anxious rumble growing as the time drew closer. “So tell me, Rabbit, what’s the going rate these days?”

“Under a thousand generally. Couple of them can go for more. It all depends on the kid’s attributes.”

Julian pursed his lips. He had under three thousand in his account after parting with Riley’s share. Sure, there was seven thousand more on the way but he wouldn’t see the rest until he finally located and returned his brother. Even if there were rewards, the chances of them comparing to the price he’d pay at auction were slim. Still, with two thousand creds he could escort maybe four children out and make back perhaps half of it in compensation from the families.

The lights went low on the floor and brightened over the stage area, gaining full attention from all in attendance. An overweight but well-dressed man stood at the center, smiling broadly. “Welcome, everyone. In a minute, we will get started. First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Harkins for his generous contributions as well as the Jackson’s for their continued patronage.” There was a pause for applause as people on the balcony stood and bowed in acceptance of the recognition. It was unnerving how natural it seemed. “And now, if I can have all of your attention once more, we will begin the auction. Please make sure you call out loudly or you may miss out on our lovely offers.”

On cue, a line of children was brought onto the stage by collars looped around their necks, lined up naked and trembling before the eyes of the crowd. There was a brief moment of applause as the house showed favor in the selections brought before them and a moment of murmuring as attendees contemplated which one or ones they wished to take home. Finally the first was pulled from the ranks, her hands trying desperately to cover her pre-pubescent body. For their part, the crowd behaved professionally; no jeers or lewd remarks barked at the white angel tethered before them. The girl was drugged, as all of them were, but her face sparkled with tears in the stage lights as the auctioneer took her chin in hand to help demonstrate her fine points.

“This is Sarah. She’s got fine teeth, no history of broken bones or serious illness, and she’ll be ten years old in two months. Sarah can read and write and took gymnastics with her school. Bidding starts at four hundred.”

Julian watched, trying to keep his jaw firmly set as a wave of hands went up and amounts were called. Four hundred was soon four-fifty, five, six, six-fifty. Julian looked at the lead bidder, watched the way one hand caressed one member of his entourage’s back as the other hand announced his next bid.

“Seven hundred!” he felt himself shout, his right hand jutting up from his side. This caused the going bidders to turn their gaze on him, their penetrating stares all collecting to size him up among the rest of the competition.

“Seven hundred from the back. Seven-fifty, anyone?”

Of course there was. Julian’s hand and voice called back with every changing interval though, challenging the lecherous man in the front row till eleven hundred credits rolled off his own tongue. The man in the front pinched his chin in thought but shook his head in the end, declining to bid once more. The mallet fell and a victorious smile spread at Julian’s cheeks. Sure it had taken much more than he had bargained for, but he’d still won.

“Nathan!”

Julian blinked as the girl screeched and reached out for one of the boys in the lineup. The boy tried to go to her but the leash only gave him so much room to move, as did the attendant holding the other end. He cried and grasped at the air, trying to reach out to her. “Sarah! Please, not my sister!”

Julian watched as they pulled him back into line and the girl was pulled to the side to be claimed at the end of the night. They were both crying, practically moaning as they begged their heartless captors not to separate them. Julian felt his grip on his money slipping.

“Next up for bid: Henry.”

Julian looked at his feet and tried to drown out the rest. He didn’t want to hear it. He’d never have enough for all of them. He could see Rabbit’s hands out the corner of his eyes, the way they flexed and relaxed at his sides in a nervous manor before crossing back over his chest. Was this man really a pedophile? He felt so different from the others. He tried to put his attention back on the stranger beside him, letting the sound of the heavy mallet fade into the back of his mind.

“Next: Davie.”

Julian’s awareness snapped back to the stage as the blonde child he had seen in the back hall was brought forward. He looked terrified, searching the crowd for some familiar face. Julian could still hear his trembling voice calling for his daddy.

He purchased him for eight hundred credits. When the mallet fell his stomach did as well. There were only seven hundred more creds to his name and still one more child, rent, utilities, and food to think about. By the time they called for the bidding on Nathan, Sarah’s older brother, he’d rationalized just about every possible outcome.

Bidding started at five hundred. In a minute it was up to seven-fifty. Julian clenched his teeth and looked at the floor. He didn’t want to see who won. He punched the wall at his side, waiting for the mallet to drop once more though he willed it not to.

“Nine hundred!” a strong tenor announced, hand flippantly raised from it’s crossed position at the speaker’s chest. Rabbit felt the eyes on him at his surprising interjection and suppressed the desire to flip them off. Julian’s eyes remained on him longest, not even flinching to watch as the mallet fell and Rabbit was declared the highest bidder.

“What do you want for him? I can give you seven hundred for him now and the rest in a couple weeks.” The words were tumbling from his lips even before he could hear his own thoughts.

Rabbit shook his head. “He’s not for sale.”

“But...” Julian watched the other man pull a cigarette from his coat pocket and place it against his lips as the proceedings continued with the next item for bid. Rabbit lit the end and breathed in deep, letting the smoke drift slowly from his mouth rather than expelling it in haste. Julian watched, mesmerized by every detail of the man standing next to him. “Please...can’t we cut some kind of deal?”

“Mm.” Rabbit seemed off in another world, barely listening to him as he breathed in the soothing smoke. After only a few drags, he looked at his cigarette and put it out on the wall as though it offended him. The mallet fell again. “I rode my bike here tonight. It’s going to make it a little hard to transport him back to my place. Come on.”

Julian watched him walk towards the pick up area, uncomprehending. He followed him none the less. The table set up beside the stage stood before a door leading to a rudimentary changing room where the children were dressed for transportation. There stood a young woman and her nail file, paperwork set up for their signatures and a card reader ready for payment. Julian watched Rabbit run his cred card and readied his own.

“Now, they’re on a mild sedative so they should be complacent for about four hours. There’s a no return policy on all purchases, but you can feel free to put them back up for auction at any time if you’re displeased. Any other questions? No? All right then. On behalf of Mr. Tyler, thank you for your business. Have a safe journey home.”

Rabbit nodded curtly and took the hand of his purchase, Nathan, and exited the building. With a small hand in each of his own, Julian followed.

The night was colder than he remembered, the street more desolate than he could recall as well. Without the smoke and twisting lights all around him, it seemed the real world had set back into place, like the lion’s den was a figment of his messed up subconscious. He watched Rabbit intently as they stood on the sidewalk, waiting for a sign of his intent. Rabbit simply walked over to where he had parked his bike and kicked the kick-stand up. “The bus stop is this way. I’ll walk you down there. Wouldn’t want any of them running off.”

“Right...thank you.” Julian held on tighter to the children’s hands and pulled them along. They didn’t fight. Whatever sedative it was had them blank and complacent.

They passed several bus stops before Rabbit stopped walking his bike and put the stand back in place, nearly three blocks from the auction house’s front door. He dug in his pocket and passed his phone to Nathan. “Call your parents. Tell them you and your sister are catching a ride on the 245 and will be getting off at 332nd and 990th street. They need to be there to pick you up.”

Nathan looked up at him, his dead eyes sparking alive enough to display a look of disbelief. With shaking hands he took the phone and began to dial, the sedative making his fingers fumble against the buttons. Julian watched as he began to cry at the sound of his mother’s voice, his words coming out nearly unintelligible as he wept in relief. He pushed Sarah closer to him, watching tears spring up in her own blank eyes as she listened in to her family.

“You have a phone?”

Julian looked up at Rabbit and nodded, using his free hand to pull it from his pocket and turn it on. “Davie, you know your phone number, right?”

Davie nodded deafly and began rattling it off as Julian punched the numbers in. He passed the phone over, letting the boy do his own talking. Like the other two, the tears began immediately. Julian force-fed him the information through his gasps and hiccups, helping his parents know where to find him in an hour’s time. It was hard to take the phone away from him; he hugged it like a lifeline. Julian wiggled it out of his grasp eventually, though, when the bus came into sight. Rabbit set his bike back up and straddled it, revving the engine to get it warm.

“You take the bus with them. Make sure they get off at the right stop and the right people are there to pick them up.”

Julian blinked, surprised to suddenly be dumped with the responsibility. “You’re leaving?”

Rabbit was already gone, racing down the street with the choked hum of his engine, taillights disappearing around the next corner.

They boarded the bus quietly. It was late but that didn’t mean much so far as the amount of people riding. Julian ushered his charges to the back and wrapped his blazer around Sarah’s shoulders. With his weapons in full view, he felt a little safer in custody of the three young children as they sat on the bench behind him. This was probably the longest hour of these children’s lives, he thought. However long they had been missing, whatever had happened to them in that time, they were finally going home. To be so close had to be harder than anything at that moment. He didn’t envy them in the slightest.

Outside the bus windows the city began to get busier. People held hands on the street, walked out of coffee shops, or just cast their silhouettes against their windows. The worst of No Town was behind them now; ahead was the illusion of safety cast by its shadow. They stopped and picked up a happy couple sharing a treat bought of a vender’s cart and a few stops later let off an old woman whose cane had a depiction of Noah’s Ark etched into the metal. Taking in the small, happier things around him helped Julian digest the past few hours much more easily. No matter how many disgusting, vile creatures roamed the streets, there were still good, normal people in the world.

As their stop came, he helped the children rise, watching as their adrenaline fought hard against the heavily medicated states of their minds and bodies. He shrugged his blazer back on and walked them off the bus, holding hands with Davie and Sarah while Sarah and Nathan held on to each other’s. No sooner did their feet hit the pavement than they made a run for it. There were screams and cries enough that Julian felt his hand go towards his pistol instinctively. There was no threat, though, just extremely happy mothers embracing their lost children.

Well, maybe he envied them a little bit.

Julian ducked back, not wanting to intrude upon the happy reunion. Plenty of people had gathered at the sound of the commotion already and it was easy to push out of sight through the crowd. He didn’t need to talk to them; it was obvious they were the people the children really belonged to. Besides, their happiness was its own reward.

Maybe he could convince his landlord of that.

As he began to walk to the next northbound bus stop, he saw a single headlight flash at him. Turning his head towards the alley he could see a motorcycle with its occupant leaning casually over the handles as though he’d been waiting for some time. Julian paused for a moment then walked over to stand beside Rabbit.

“My name’s Julian Vaughn.”

Rabbit nodded, sitting up a bit. “Live near here?”

“Maybe half an hour or so north. 1337th and 340th.”

“Get on.”

Julian straddled the bike behind him, tucking his long hair down the back of the blazer to--hopefully--keep it from whipping around. Without another word, Rabbit turned onto the street and took off, Julian’s arms wrapped tightly around him. Red lights became suggestions, as did speed limits and all other traffic signs. There was nothing but busses and delivery trucks on the road and the closer to the residential areas they got, the fewer of both were visible. It was intoxicating. The feel of the stranger in his arms with the wind ripping at them and the lights of the city streets passing by like fragments of a memory was a high the likes of which he couldn’t recall. It ended all too quickly.

At the sidewalk in front of his building, Julian slowly slid off the bike and tried to regain his composure. It felt as though his hair might be in a million knots and twists and he flicked it over his shoulders, instructing himself to braid it next time around.

Rabbit killed the engine, his voice edgy and annoyed. “Next time, leave the undercover work to the professionals.”

Julian raised an eyebrow, still flicking his stray hairs behind his ears nervously. “What gave it away?”

“You practically said so. You only really looked at the wall, the floor, and me and you got too emotional during the auction process. You’re just lucky they were too busy to really notice you.”

“So are you a professional?”

Rabbit shrugged. He adjusted his fingerless gloves then gripped the handlebars tight, kicking his engine back on. “Just stay out of it.”

Julian watched him for a moment, knowing he’d probably disappear again in a matter of seconds. He couldn’t let that happen before he told him, though. “...I’m looking for my brother. His name is Phineas Maxwell. He’s 15, 5’2”, red hair and yellow eyes.”

Rabbit paused for a moment, the sound of his leather-clad palms clenching the handles swallowed by the rhythmic hum of his bike. “Any reason to believe he’s on the market?”

“None,” Julian admitted truthfully. “I’m working up from a worst case scenario.”

Rabbit nodded. “I’ll keep an eye open.”

Julian’s words of thanks were drowned by the sound of Rabbit’s escape, the motorcycle thundering away down the street. Turning to go inside, he smiled up at the security cameras positioned at the doors. Julian wondered briefly if whoever was watching on the other side could even grasp the magnitude of the night’s activity. With all he’d seen and done, he wondered if the person sitting in his chair watching the array of screens in front of him could even bear to ponder what Julian’s night had been comprised of. His was just another face, one of the hundreds of residents who called the building home. What a shame he couldn’t proclaim it to them all.

The man of his dreams now had a name, and his brother, thankfully, was still missing.