The teary-eyed, petite Maria did as she was told. Once he’d written the information down in his book, she was sent to the barrels that stood waiting for us — our bath. We would be sharing the water until the stench of the last twenty-four hours was scrubbed off of us.
“Eva,” Syn said when it was my turn. His gaze ran the length of me. “Strip. Age and last name.”
“Twenty. Evangeline Roberts,” I lied. I didn’t even know why. Would it have mattered to them if they knew who I was? Would they try to extort money from my dad? Or would it possibly save me? Would I be more valuable to them then?
Syn studied me for a while and I wondered if he knew I was lying. I tried to keep my gaze upon his but could only manage to look at his forehead instead. I didn’t like lying and had never been very good at it. I just hoped he wouldn’t catch me doing it. I had on doubt the punishment would be severe.
Chapter Six
“She’s lying.” Syn said.
“I know,” Gabriel replied.
The brothers walked to the RV, which they used as an office as it was connected to a power generator. The girls were settled in one of the large tents and given something to eat. They’d stay there until a little before the buyers came, when they’d be collected and told what would be expected of them during the auction.
Gabriel and Syn sat down behind their desks and Syn opened his laptop. They’d go through the names to match up the girls, make sure no one had lied. Fortunately, lying was rarely an issue as the girls were too afraid to do it, but it paid to check anyway. They’d then register them and confirm there wouldn’t be any problems with the shipment of women.
They worked quickly and quietly, splitting the list of women. Gabriel was called out by one of the soldiers, and by the time he returned, Syn was finished with his half of the list and was already searching missing persons reports to verify what they both believed.
He wasn’t expecting to find what he found though.
“You aren’t going to believe this,” Syn said.
“What?” Gabriel asked, rolling his chair backward to where Syn pointed to his computer screen. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
“They just filed the missing person’s report. Press conference started a few minutes ago.”#p#分页标题#e#
“I don’t believe it.”
There on the screen was a picture of Eva’s pretty face all lit up with a wide smile. She was on the arm of her fiancé on the night of their engagement, according to the report. Then came another photo, this one of her with her family at the White House. Evangeline Roberts was actually Evangeline Webb, daughter of Senator Victor Webb of the Long Island Webb’s, a wealthy political family with ties to Arthur Gallaston.
And the closest ties of all were those of the girl the brothers now held captive. Evangeline Webb was Arthur Gallaston’s fiancée.
Syn and Gabriel watched in silence as the press conference began. Eva’s father was visibly shaken, but her fiancé looked a little too composed, as if he were affecting shock. And now they knew exactly why. This shipment was one of Gallaston’s. They had expected a dozen women, but there had been thirteen on board. Evangeline had to have been a last minute addition.
The reports claimed she’d gone for a run after the fundraiser the night before but had never returned to the hotel. Her fiancé had only discovered her disappearance in the morning when he’d woken to find she wasn’t in bed beside him.
“Please,” Gallaston spoke into the camera, his voice cracking with contrived emotion. “If you have her, please don’t hurt her. Bring her home. Please.”
Her father was unable to speak, his sorrow very different from that of Arthur Gallaston. The older man looked almost broken.
A spokesman came forward and spoke of the reward being offered for any information leading to Eva’s safe return.
This didn’t make sense. It was a set-up. It had to be. Or had Gallaston arranged to have his own fiancée kidnapped? This was much more complex than what Gallaston planned to do with the other women. When selecting women for the black market, it was easier to choose those who wouldn’t be missed, women from lower socio-economic classes, those without much family. Evangeline Webb would not disappear quietly. She would be missed. And her family held entirely too much power and too much money to allow her disappearance to be brushed under the carpet, no matter who was doing the brushing.
Neither Syn nor Gabriel spoke until the press conference was over. Gabriel stood, running a hand through his hair, and walked to the small window, gazing out onto the tent where the girls were housed. Syn switched off the computer and turned his chair to face his brother.