Myles Cabello, the “owner” of Maggie and the sex-trafficking cartel, left her lying on the bed. He had raped her three times that evening before getting dressed. He was in a hurry to catch a plane back to his hometown in New York, where his wife and three kids waited. As Myles left the bedroom, he told John William, “Don’t let anything happen to that one. I’ll be back to visit her. I don’t want to find one mark on her. You understand?”
Myles reviewed photos of all the new children who were brought into his concealed locations in the Northeast corridor. When he saw the pictures of Maggie, her beautiful, innocent eyes had caused a stir in his groin. He’d made a special trip to Pennsylvania to be the first to have the lovely child.
After John William returned Maggie to her cell that night, Cali went to her, carrying a bowl of warm water and an old T-shirt. She bathed the young girl as best she could in an attempt to remove all the reminders of Myles from her small body. The teen could see bruises that indicated that Maggie had been badly hurt. She told John William that Maggie would need a glass of whiskey to ease some of her pain so she could recover. Cali managed to get Maggie to drink most of the whiskey, and a short time later, the child slipped into sleep.
The next day, Seth ran into Maggie’s cell while she was still sleeping and threw himself across her body. As she woke slowly, memories of where she was and what Myles had done to her flooded back. Cali and Max walked into her cell just as the reality of what happened sank in. The teenagers sat on the edge of the cot. Maggie immediately wailed, “Cali, a man did horrible things to me last night. I think that he did something really bad to my insides. He hurt me so much.”
Cali’s throat filled with bitter bile, and she looked to Max for support as she began to console the child. “I know, Maggie. I know what he did to you. The first time always hurts the most. It’ll get better,” she said, trying to reassure her.
“No, it won’t get better! I’m never letting anyone do that to me again!” Maggie shouted.
Seth stared at Maggie with a confused expression, wondering why she was so upset. Maggie stood to use the toilet, but her small, thin legs gave out. Max jumped up to help his little friend over to the toilet.
“Maggie, we are all in this rattrap together,” Max said. “When you are with these scum-sucking pigs, you are alone in your own sadness, and nobody is there to care, but when we are together, you aren’t alone anymore. Get it in your head that we look after each other even though no one else seems to give a fuck about us. When it gets as bad as it did last night, you have to believe that someday, things will get better, and until that day comes, all us kids are family.”
Maggie wanted to hold onto Max and never let him go, but she was too weak even to respond. She wanted him to grow big, hard muscles so that he could beat up John William and get them all out of there.
Having lost all modesty, Maggie sat on the toilet to pee. She groaned when her urine passed through her like liquid fire.
She had just finished when John William walked into the cell. “Let’s go. Breakfast.”
Maggie looked over at the man who had stolen her from a life she adored, and anger welled up inside of her, giving her a small boost of energy. John William had made her leave the loving family she’d known and put her into this new life, one of fear and pain.
Maggie scowled at him. “I’m not hungry.”
“I don’t give a shit if you’re hungry or not,” John William said without compassion. “Get your ass out here. Everyone eats when I say they eat.”
Maggie’s newfound courage quickly dissolved when John William took a few steps toward her. She stood from the toilet and obediently followed Cali and Max into the hallway. Seth tagged along behind, his small hand firmly holding onto hers.
At breakfast, Shana watched Maggie closely. Finally, after John William had left them to eat, she said, “So who were you with last night? Huh? You were with Myles, right?”
Maggie looked up from her flavorless oatmeal. “Who’s Myles?”
“Myles owns us, you pea brain. He usually comes for me. But you’ve ruined all of that. I hate you!” Shana spat.
“Shana, stop it!” Cali cut in. “She didn’t do anything. She can’t help it that Myles wanted her. I’m sure this doesn’t change anything for you. He’ll keep you safe, just like he always has.”
Shana looked over at Maggie again. “Yeah, well, Cali better be right. Otherwise, I’ll kill you.”
Maggie looked to Max, who quickly shifted his gaze back to the bowl in front of him. Then he swallowed hard and spoke. “Shana, you’ve been here long enough to know how this works. It’s not like they gave her a fucking choice. Lighten up on her and try to remember back to your first time with Myles. Just because he protects you doesn’t make it any easier.”
“Whatever, Max. Fuck you, too! All I know is that Myles better come back for me, or I’m gonna fuck her up,” Shana argued, her bark way bigger than her bite.
What is Shana talking about? Maggie wondered. She didn’t do anything, and she never met anyone named Myles. She would ask Cali after breakfast. The last thing she wanted was for one of the kids not to like her. Worse yet, what if Shana really beat her up or even killed her? She didn’t want to die in this terrifying place. She wanted to go home to her family. Besides, being left out at school was one thing, but here, not being accepted would push her deeper into hell.