28

Malaya couldn’t stop shaking. His instructions had been clear when he’d stepped out of the car. If she tried to run or get someone’s attention, he would kill her. Just like Tala. He knew she wouldn’t run. How many times had they told her what would happen if she tried to escape?

There was nowhere to run.

Malaya breathed in the gas fumes seeping through the crack at the top of the car window as he pumped the fuel. On the horizon, dark clouds gathered, laced with narrow threads of lightning. The coming storm only added to her fears. When she was younger, she used to climb the twisted staircase to the top floor of their house, hand in hand with her father, until they reached the balcony, where they would watch the storms rumble across the sky. From their perch on the open patio, they could see the crowded alley below and smell mouthwatering scents of smoked pork and fresh prawns drifting up from the street corners, and she would forget her fear of thunderstorms.

That was a lifetime ago.

It wasn’t the first time she wished she could get lost in the sea of pedestrians and crowded markets home offered. There was so much she missed—hawkers singing on the streets while selling bread, the tiny café where she used to sip coffee with milk and egg white, and even the incessant honking of motorbikes.

Malaya gnawed on her lip as she studied the unfamiliar scene now surrounding her.

The promises of a better life were empty. Maybe she could hold her breath until everything went dark and she felt nothing. But all she could think about was Tala.

Tala had been promised the same things she had. Freedom, a job, and a new life. As much as she prayed, it wasn’t going to be any different for her. Mr. Chu had told her that the police would arrest her if they discovered she was in the country without papers. Prisoners were beaten and left to starve, and he’d given her a taste of what it would be like if they found her.

Rain began to splash onto the black pavement. Malaya shivered despite the heat. She never should have tried to talk to the policewoman. They wouldn’t help. Without the right papers, she’d end up in jail.

Unless that too was just another lie.

Despite the risk, she’d kept the card, because when she’d looked into the woman’s eyes, she hadn’t seen the hate or suspicion she’d expected. Instead, she’d seen kindness. But evil often raised its head disguised as benevolence. Maybe prison wasn’t any worse than the beatings and long hours she was forced to work. And then there was the way she’d seen Mr. Chu look at her the past few weeks. One day, when his wife and Teo were out, she knew he’d come for her.

She dug her hand into the pocket of her skirt and wrapped her fingers around the cell phone, surprised her captor hadn’t noticed it. She hadn’t planned to take it. She was only going to call the woman and Teo had agreed to help. It had been their secret. She owed it to Tala to help find out the truth.

Teo had turned off the ringer so his mother wouldn’t hear them if it rang, then slowly dialed the number at the kitchen table. By the time she heard the steps on the staircase, it had almost been too late. In a panic, she’d dropped the phone into her pocket before Mrs. Chu entered the room, then slipped out the side door. If she got caught, she’d planned to tell Mrs. Chu she was bringing in the garbage can from the street. It was the one time she was allowed outside the house.

That was when he’d grabbed her. She pressed the phone closer against her chest, praying he wouldn’t discover her only link to freedom.

She looked at the clock on the dashboard. Another minute had gone by. He’d left the car running while he stood out in the hot sun, pumping gas, his hat pulled low so no one would recognize him. Drips of perspiration ran down the back of his neck, under his arms, and through the shirt.

A fat man with a red cap on came near the car. She could hear him yelling at someone across the parking lot. She wished she could understand the words. What if she signaled him somehow? Got his attention?

The man turned and jumped into his beat-up truck, never noticing her.

Malaya’s heart pounded in her throat. She had to call before he got back into the car, but without Teo she only had a smattering of English words she could use.

Another minute passed. He would be coming back soon. She was running out of time. The woman wouldn’t be able to get here in time. And she might never have the chance to call again.

Malaya peeked out the window. There was a row of buildings in the distance. What if she ran to the building and hid behind it? She was strong and could run fast.

The door was unlocked. She pressed her fingers against the metal handle, weighing the risks. He was going to kill her anyway. She’d seen it in his eyes.

Malaya pushed open the door, slid from her seat, and ran.