Chapter 6

One six nine. She couldn’t get the numbers out of her head. She shivered as her cut feet hit the cold black tile floor. The shirt the stranger gave her smelled so good, but, of course, she didn’t know what it was.

He kept his arm around her as she limped to a desk. His deep voice rumbled beside her, “I need to see Chief Michaels right now.”

She was secretly hoping it was a woman because she didn’t know how many more men she could deal with. She let out a shaky breath as the officer behind the desk rushed away.

She felt pulled into a pair of strong arms, and the panic began to set in. She pushed back from him, but he held her tighter.

“It’s okay, darlin’, we’ll talk to the chief, okay?”

She nodded a little, but she was still afraid.

"I also have better clothes coming for you.” He whispered against her ear.

She glanced up at him, this wasn’t what she was used to. She closed her eyes tightly as the echoes of yelling filled her ears, the repeated slaps and punches she received. Her body began to tremble but pulled away from the man, “I’m sorry.” She mumbled as she looked away from him and leaned against the wall.

She couldn’t depend on any man, and she couldn’t show any weakness. She already knew she had to pay for him helping her this much, and it would be expected. She stared at the floor when she first heard boots against the tile floor then a boisterous voice.

“This had better be good, P.I. This is the second time you’ve demanded my presence.”

She stumbled away, falling into a chair, hitting her hip hard.

The arms were around her instantly, “Easy, darlin’, it’s okay.” He turned to the man who yelled. “I ran into her in the woods on my search, someone was shooting at her, but she told me she was supposed to come here.”

The balding, heavyset man walked up to them and squinted his ice-blue eyes at her, “And why were you supposed to come here?”

“There are five girls, they’re in this building out there, you have to help them.” She explained quickly, glad her voice didn’t fail her.

“And who are these girls?”

“I only know one of their names, the others I only know their numbers we’re all assigned.”

“And your name?” he demanded.

“One six nine.” She whispered, feeling her fear envelope her again.

The chief burst out with laughter.

Tears pricked her eyes, and they slid down slowly.

Her savior pulled her against him, “I don’t see anything funny about this, Michaels.”

“One six nine for a name is ludicrous, what is your real name?” Michaels demanded.

“I don’t know.” She sobbed out.

“Awfully convenient you were able to escape, I’ll let one of the officer’s do an interrogation, while I’m trying to find your niece since you stopped looking when a scared, pretty girl apparently fell into your arms.”

The man holding her glared at the balding chief.

But the older man walked away and sent another younger man over to them.

The young man had a full head of black hair, and hard brown eyes, just like burly. His gaze raked over her as he walked closer. He snatched her arm tightly and yanked her from the protector she had found, and he seemed to let go willingly. Then again, who wouldn’t let her go besides the asses who kept her locked up?

She threw a glance over her shoulder but seen him coming behind them. She let out another yelp as she was yanked forward and shoved into a tiny room. She was shoved in a chair hard, and she heard the door slam shut.

She glanced around the yellow room, the other man didn’t come in with them. She bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood as the other man sat down across from her.

“So, how’d you get free?”

“Someone came to look at us again, I made the burly man angry because I bit the man when he grabbed me, they threw me back in the room they kept me in, they didn’t lock it.”

"What’s your name?”

“One six nine.” She whispered again for what seemed like the hunderth time.

The young man scoffed, “And why are you here?”

“One of the girls told me to come here to find her uncle, that you all would help me find him.”

“And who was that?”

“A Marnie Benson, I’m supposed to find a Justin Mathers,” she whispered. She jumped when she heard the loud banging against the door.

The young man let out a huff and headed to the door. He opened it, but he was shoved back when the door opened quicker from the other side.

“You’ve seen Marnie?” the man who helped her demanded.

She nodded.

“Is she okay?”

“She was the last time I saw her, which was the first time I saw any of them also, she told all of us that we didn’t belong there, I always thought it was my home.” She mumbled.

“I’m the guy she wanted you to find, I’m Justin,” he knelt beside her. “You really thought that was where you belonged?”

She nodded again.

“There were more, right? Do you know their names?”

She shook her head, “I remember their numbers that were hanging on their necks, two five six seemed to be the youngest, she was a blonde with green eyes, three seven two black hair, soft brown eyes, four two six blue eyes and brown hair, five six one a redhead, blue eyes, six two zero was Marnie, smoky gray eyes, and a blonde.”

“You are one six nine, God, they numbered you in the order they took you,” Justin cursed. He pulled his backpack from his shoulder, yanked out some folders and opened them on the table, “Are these the girls?” he asked softly.

Her eyes glanced to the pictures, she reached out a trembling handing, running a finger over each picture, “Yes, that’s them,” she looked back to Justin. “So you know who I am?” she asked, hope running through her.

“No, darlin’, I don’t, these girls have been taken over the last year, the chief only gave me those because they were so close to Marnie’s disappearance, we’ll try to figure it out though, okay?”

She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. Marnie was wrong about herself, she didn’t have anyone.

“You don’t know how old you are, do you?” Justin’s soft voice broke her thoughts.

“No.” she should have tried to get the other girls out, they at least had family, she did not.

Justin laid a hand on her back, “It’s okay, we’ll figure it out, darlin’, I promise, I don’t like the idea of calling you a number though, so you can pick any name for now, and we’ll call you that until we figure everything out.”

She shook her head, a nobody like her didn’t deserve a name.