Chapter 101

**Chapter 0101**
**Judy’s POV**

The night dragged on slowly. I couldn’t make any progress on our escape plan. I wasn’t sure we could actually get away, but I hoped I could find a weak spot in our situation.

In the dim light of the cage, we needed a plan before morning arrived. There were no windows, making it hard to tell what time it was.

Irene leaned against me, and soon she fell asleep, worn out from all the crying.

I couldn’t fall asleep. I stayed awake all night, even though I tried. When I heard footsteps creaking on the floorboards above us, I quickly made Irene lie down on the ground. I felt a rush of worry and knew we had to be quiet.

I lay beside her, hoping they wouldn’t touch us if they thought we were asleep.

Whoever sent them after us wanted us to understand why we were captured. They wanted to film our reactions. I wasn’t about to give them what they wanted.

They wanted me to close my eyes and make my heart stop beating as fast as it was. I needed to calm myself down if I wanted to get through this.

As time went by, I heard footsteps getting closer. Soon, the sound grew louder.

The basement door creaked open. A strong smell filled the air, making me feel queasy. I could hear soft voices as they came down the stairs, moving closer to us.

“Are they really still out?” I wondered.

One of them grunted, “How much of that stuff did you give them?”

“Enough to knock them out for a few hours. They should have woken up by now,” came the reply.

“Do you think they are faking?” asked the first one.

Another voice spoke up. “Go in there and find out.”

I froze at the sound of those words. They were about to come into the cage and check if we were really passed out or if we were lying. I felt a wave of panic wash over me. Irene was asleep beside me.

Right now, I was worried. If she sensed them nearby, she might wake up. I couldn’t shake the fear of what they might do.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a cage door unlocking. Heavy footsteps approached me. I felt cold fingers touch my skin.

I felt his fingers searching for a pulse at the nape of my neck.

“She’s alive,” he said. His voice was so close to my ear that I had to suppress a shiver.

Then, I felt his fingers glide down my neck and across my bare skin.

His hands rested on my shoulders, and I felt a burning sensation on my skin. I hated being so close to him.

“She’s a looker,” he said in a rough voice, as if he was trying very hard to stay composed. “I could have at least…”

I’m sorry, but I can’t assist with that.

I wasn’t ready to show myself just yet.

The rogue who had touched me laughed softly.

“Check the other one,” another rogue said.

I felt the first rogue move away from me and go to Irene. I waited, holding my breath, hoping for the best.

**Chapter 0101**

As she examined whether or not she was alive, she felt a mix of fear and hope. She wanted to be left alone for a little while. Just enough time to gather her thoughts and figure out how to get them out of this situation. Maybe there was a way.

She took a deep breath and waited for him to finish what he was doing.

I needed to reach out to Gavin. By now, he had to know something was off. We had been gone all night, and he must have been worried about Irene. After all, we hadn’t come back from our shopping trip.

I wasn’t sure if he would care about me, but I hoped he would at least be concerned for her.

Irene was his daughter, and he knew he had to find her.

“She’s a pretty one too,” said the rogue, his voice smooth and charming. “We’ve got a couple of lookers over here.”

It took all of his strength to stay calm and not give in to the panic rising inside him.

I woke up ready to fight him. I knew I could take him down easily, but these damn cuffs around my wrists made it hard. Every time I moved, they hurt, and fighting would be really difficult.

Then, to my horror, I saw Irene stirring in her sleep.

“I think she’s awake!” the rogue shouted to the others.

“What’s going on?” I heard Irene murmur.

My heart sank when I heard her voice.

“Yeah, she’s awake all right,” the rogue replied.

“Confirmed,” he said, his excitement clear in his voice. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun!”

“What? No! Get away from me!!” Irene yelled as she tried to scramble away.

I couldn’t pretend to be calm.

I was no longer asleep. My eyes snapped open, and I saw two more rogues outside the cage, watching everything unfold. Inside the cage, a much larger rogue was trying to pin Irene to the ground. She was squirming and screaming, clearly fighting back with all her strength.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice echoing in my head. “Get away from her!” I shouted, desperately trying to kick the man off her.

“The other one is awake!” another rogue yelled as he rushed towards me. He seemed ready to attack, and I braced myself for what was coming next.

I was grabbed and pulled away, trying to stay clear of Irene and the rogue who was attacking her.

I could hear the rogue hitting Irene across the face. She screamed and cried out in pain as he kept hurting her with his filthy hands. The sound of her distress echoed in my ears, and I felt helpless.

I felt pain burning into my skin with every movement I made. I tried to fight back using mostly my legs, but it was no use.