Guarding Hope

Two guards led her to the car where the driver waited with the door open. They helped her into the backseat. One stepped in behind her while the other dumped her luggage into the trunk, while the driver took his seat.

As they pulled out of the estate, she took a deep breath and asked them, “What makes you guys so willing to help commit human trafficking? I mean, that must make you all pretty depraved.”

Jimmy, the guard in the passenger seat, scoffed, while the one at her side answered, “A job is a job. You’re not going to get us to feel sorry. The last guy got capped for it. Relax and accept your fate.”

I knew it.

“You could always look the other way. Lie and say I escaped, running to a police officer or something,” she offered. She’d met these men before, and they were just as fucked up as her father.

The driver spoke up. “He owns the cops. Just calm down. It won’t be that bad. You’re going to give it up to a guy who will last two minutes in ya, then you’ll be lavished with all the finer things that even your daddy didn’t give ya.”

“Whatever, thugs one, two, and three. I hope you know how irrelevant you all are, you fucking cunts. I don’t know any of your names because none of you are important. You’re nothing more than human trafficking lackeys.” Hope glared out the window, silently enjoying their grumblings. She smirked, covering her face as she watched their expressions harden.

They raised the divider, cursing under their breaths, ignoring her for the rest of the ride. The guy at her side was playing with his phone. It looked like some game and made her laugh to herself. He should be keeping an eye on the surroundings and her, but instead, he was on his phone. She was sure her father would love that. While they ignored, she took the time to familiarize herself with the neighborhood they entered. The streets weren’t full of people, but they were busy enough for her to sneak away unnoticed if she got a shot.

Once they pulled into the lot next to the clinic, the guard on the passenger side exited and opened the door for Hope. She stepped out and immediately felt his hand on her shoulder. She hurriedly shrugged off his hand and glared at the guard.

“I can fucking walk on my own. Remember, can’t damage the merchandise,” she scoffed.

One held the door open for the doctor’s office, giving her no room to even try to run. The third thug remained at the helm for the all clear.

With a cool, calm breath, she approached the front desk and addressed the receptionist. “Hi, Hope Cummings. I have an appointment.”

“Okay, fill this out and have a seat.”

“Thanks,” she muttered, taking the clipboard with HIPAA forms attached. Hope rolled her eyes because none of that mattered. Her life wasn’t her own anymore until she could get away. She looked around the room, searching for a possible way to escape, accidentally catching the attention of Jimmy.

He came over and sat down next to her. He leaned over as she filled out the forms, checking to see what and how she answered the questions. It was evident that he was making sure she wasn’t leaving notes for the staff, warning them that she was being trafficked. With his breath grazing her ear, he threatened her, “They all work for Navarro. Remember that, bitch.”

With a smirk on her face, she gave him her own little advice. “I’ll remember to tell Navarro that you stole a kiss from me.” She winked at him and then stood like a queen with her head held high, walking over to turn the forms in.

The two men in their suits with sunglasses on were clearly out of place in a gynecologist’s office, but they didn’t care one bit. They looked like they belonged outside an expensive club guarding the door. Several of the women stole glances at Hope, wondering who she was to have these massive escorts with her. How she itched to tell them why they followed her.

Twenty minutes passed before she was called in back, but this was her one and only opportunity to make a break for it. Hope knew she didn’t have long to escape before the doctor or nurses would come looking for her. Thankfully for her, the rooms were on the first floor, making an escape much more manageable than she expected.

The nurse’s assistant led her down the hall and pointed a little further ahead. “Please use the restroom around the corner and pee in this cup. We only need up to this line, and let a little go before you start collecting. After you finish up, please go into room three. The doctor will be in with you a few minutes after they review your history and sample.” She handed Hope a sealed plastic medical cup and pointed again to the bathroom around the corner.