Your support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)The sweltering heat of the small Midwestern desert town beat down from a blazing sun and rose up from the black asphalt. It was the kind of oppressive heat that made one regret venturing out into the daylight before they even went outside. It seemed like each year it got worse and this was the hottest day on record that year, beating the previous one by more than a few degrees. It was the kind of place that people don't visit without a reason, and Ana Jorgenson had a very good reason. She was an influential investigative journalist with an impeccable record for exposing huge drug cartels, prostitution rings, black market arms dealers and all other manner of organized crime. If you were in the business of these unsavory things and heard so much as a rumor that she was sniffing in your direction, it was already too late.
It was already too late for the human trafficking ring that was stationed in this nowhere town, she thought. It was a massive meat market for human lives, being sold and shipped off to God knows where, never to be seen again. This particular ring was one of the largest and most aggressive; entering their territory was to gamble with your life. Ana, however, was undaunted. This was what she did. She was smart, confident and self assured. She was also extremely fit, routinely practicing Tae Kwon Do. She knew what she was doing - she had done it many times before. She was always able to get the information necessary to publish her findings and was clever enough to escape the eyes of the organizations she targeted.
On her second day in town, Ana pulled into a local diner to get a quick cup of coffee before she left for her intended destination, a small offshoot of the main trafficking facility where less security meant that she could take photographs without being noticed. Upon entering the diner she noted that it was completely empty, besides the waitress sweeping behind the counter. She cleared her throat and spoke, "Excuse me." The woman finished sweeping for a moment before looking up at Ana. Her expressionless face changed to one that seemed almost startled to see her. "Yes?", the woman asked, her face now completely clear of the look from just moments before. Ana looked down at the stained menu on the counter for a moment, thinking she might get a slice of pie, but decided against it. She looked back up and asked, "May I please get a large coffee to go?" Without saying a word, the woman walked to the far side of the counter where the coffee pots where, coffee mugs and styrofoam to-go cups stacked next to them.
She also slipped her hand down into her apron and hit the send button on the cell phone that was in the front pouch there. Slipping her hand back out she reached for a cup, set it down and grabbed a half empty coffee pot. "Ma'am, how long has that coffee been sitting there?", Ana asked. Without looking back the woman replied gruffly, "It's fresh.", and began to pour it without waiting to see if Ana would protest. Ana didn't protest. She was used to stale coffee, though she would have preferred it be fresh. Ana pulled her long brown hair back behind her right ear. "Good enough.", she thought. Walking towards the register now, cup in hand, she rung up the total. "Dollar twenty-five.", she said. Ana pulled out a couple of dollars from the pocket of jeans and handed it to the woman, as the woman handed her the cup. "Keep the change", Ana said. The woman grunted before walking back into the kitchen, leaving Ana alone in the diner.
Before Ana could even turn towards the door, it swung open and an extraordinarily large man lumbered in, making his way towards the section of the counter where Ana now stood. Startled, she swung around quickly, but the man was already upon her. Dropping the coffee cup, she threw her fists upwards towards his face, utilizing her training to react swiftly to defend herself. Her right fist made contact with his jaw, punching through the thick brown beard that covered most of his face. He didn't even flinch. She looked into the cold black eyes of this terrifying attacker and he smiled at her, just as she felt a sharp pricking sensation on her neck. In the confusion of the attack, she had failed to notice the smaller man with the black ponytail and pock marked skin that had come out of the restroom and snuck up behind her, swiftly planting the syringe in her soft flesh and depressing the plunger. She only had a moment to realize what was happening to her as everything began to melt around her and the world ceased to exist. The larger man caught her as she began to crumple to the ground, picked her up effortlessly and threw her over his shoulder. Ana was clearly fucked.
Overconfidence was her downfall, because this time they knew she was coming. They knew that their ring would be exposed and it would all be over if they couldn't get to her before she got those photos. With the equipment she had, it would be transferred instantly into the cloud and that would be it. Even though her disappearance would not go unnoticed, they had made comprehensive plans for an assortment of scenarios that might occur and would enact them accordingly. As it was, though, Ana was on her way to her new home.
After they had her, the two men had carried her out of the dinner and tossed her carelessly into the back of a beat up old white cargo van before speeding away. They traveled out of town on worn dirt roads that lead into the desert that surrounded the whole area. They continued for several miles before the roads kicked upwards, rising into the hills and away from any semblance of civilization. The sky had begun to darken as they descended downward now into a valley formed by two of the larger hills in the area. As they followed the road a shack began to reveal itself, hidden down in the valley on the east side of the hill. It was a plain building built of corrugated metal and one large garage door that opened automatically as the van neared it. There were no windows. The van drove through the door and stopped as it shut behind them. Flourescent lights flickered on. They turned off the engine, exited the van, slid open the side door and dragged Ana out. Her head slapped against the concrete floor before the larger man picked her up entirely and once again flung her over his shoulder.
On the far side of the shack, opposite the garage door, was a large lift that that two men were now stepping onto, before quickly hitting a button to lower it. It descended straight down into the earth. The walls on all sides were reinforced concrete initially, but as it went further down they transitioned into a sterile white ceramic tile. Bright LED lights lit their descent into this area hidden below that shitty looking shack. The men, with Ana, had reached the very bottom, where the lift opened into a new area that resembled a small hospital unit.
There were beds and gurneys, strange chairs with buckles and head straps, and tables filled with a variety of terrifying looking medical instruments. At the back of the facility there was a very large window that looked into an fully furnished room. It had everything you might expect to find in a rather decent hotel room, including a full bath, all brand new. The men made their way towards that room, where a third man sat on the couch waiting. After a brief exchange about the details of the abduction Ana was given to him, and the large bearded man and pony-tailed man with the pock marks left the same way they entered. Ana was now in the custody of Dr. Zellman, who laid her on the bed and waited for her to wake up.
Dr. Zellman was a stout man with thick limbs, covered by the blue surgical scrubs that he wore. A surgical mask covered the lower part of his face, revealing only the bright blue eyes with smile lines above it and the cleanly cropped black hair that covered his head. He was breathing heavily as he stood over Ana, simply staring down at her. As she began to stir his breathing grew faster in pace. With Ana finally coming to, his heavy breathing stopped immediately and he spoke to her as she struggled to lift herself up. "I am Dr. Zellman and I will be taking care of you. Because of the threat you posed to my associates, this was the only option. This is where you live now. This is your room and you may do whatever you like. There is no outside access, but you may watch TV. I will provide meals at set times. Do not try anything. I am always watching. There is no way out."
He paused to gauge her awareness and determined she could understand him, so he continued, "I need to know what you have seen and if you have taken any photographs. Your life depends on your honesty. In fact, everything that happens next will be determined according to your actions. I am leaving you now to allow you to recover. When you have fully awoken, press the button by the window and you may speak to me." He exited the room and a matte white metal door slid shut behind him. He disappeared somewhere outside of Ana's view.
It was already too late for the human trafficking ring that was stationed in this nowhere town, she thought. It was a massive meat market for human lives, being sold and shipped off to God knows where, never to be seen again. This particular ring was one of the largest and most aggressive; entering their territory was to gamble with your life. Ana, however, was undaunted. This was what she did. She was smart, confident and self assured. She was also extremely fit, routinely practicing Tae Kwon Do. She knew what she was doing - she had done it many times before. She was always able to get the information necessary to publish her findings and was clever enough to escape the eyes of the organizations she targeted.
On her second day in town, Ana pulled into a local diner to get a quick cup of coffee before she left for her intended destination, a small offshoot of the main trafficking facility where less security meant that she could take photographs without being noticed. Upon entering the diner she noted that it was completely empty, besides the waitress sweeping behind the counter. She cleared her throat and spoke, "Excuse me." The woman finished sweeping for a moment before looking up at Ana. Her expressionless face changed to one that seemed almost startled to see her. "Yes?", the woman asked, her face now completely clear of the look from just moments before. Ana looked down at the stained menu on the counter for a moment, thinking she might get a slice of pie, but decided against it. She looked back up and asked, "May I please get a large coffee to go?" Without saying a word, the woman walked to the far side of the counter where the coffee pots where, coffee mugs and styrofoam to-go cups stacked next to them.
She also slipped her hand down into her apron and hit the send button on the cell phone that was in the front pouch there. Slipping her hand back out she reached for a cup, set it down and grabbed a half empty coffee pot. "Ma'am, how long has that coffee been sitting there?", Ana asked. Without looking back the woman replied gruffly, "It's fresh.", and began to pour it without waiting to see if Ana would protest. Ana didn't protest. She was used to stale coffee, though she would have preferred it be fresh. Ana pulled her long brown hair back behind her right ear. "Good enough.", she thought. Walking towards the register now, cup in hand, she rung up the total. "Dollar twenty-five.", she said. Ana pulled out a couple of dollars from the pocket of jeans and handed it to the woman, as the woman handed her the cup. "Keep the change", Ana said. The woman grunted before walking back into the kitchen, leaving Ana alone in the diner.
Before Ana could even turn towards the door, it swung open and an extraordinarily large man lumbered in, making his way towards the section of the counter where Ana now stood. Startled, she swung around quickly, but the man was already upon her. Dropping the coffee cup, she threw her fists upwards towards his face, utilizing her training to react swiftly to defend herself. Her right fist made contact with his jaw, punching through the thick brown beard that covered most of his face. He didn't even flinch. She looked into the cold black eyes of this terrifying attacker and he smiled at her, just as she felt a sharp pricking sensation on her neck. In the confusion of the attack, she had failed to notice the smaller man with the black ponytail and pock marked skin that had come out of the restroom and snuck up behind her, swiftly planting the syringe in her soft flesh and depressing the plunger. She only had a moment to realize what was happening to her as everything began to melt around her and the world ceased to exist. The larger man caught her as she began to crumple to the ground, picked her up effortlessly and threw her over his shoulder. Ana was clearly fucked.
Overconfidence was her downfall, because this time they knew she was coming. They knew that their ring would be exposed and it would all be over if they couldn't get to her before she got those photos. With the equipment she had, it would be transferred instantly into the cloud and that would be it. Even though her disappearance would not go unnoticed, they had made comprehensive plans for an assortment of scenarios that might occur and would enact them accordingly. As it was, though, Ana was on her way to her new home.
After they had her, the two men had carried her out of the dinner and tossed her carelessly into the back of a beat up old white cargo van before speeding away. They traveled out of town on worn dirt roads that lead into the desert that surrounded the whole area. They continued for several miles before the roads kicked upwards, rising into the hills and away from any semblance of civilization. The sky had begun to darken as they descended downward now into a valley formed by two of the larger hills in the area. As they followed the road a shack began to reveal itself, hidden down in the valley on the east side of the hill. It was a plain building built of corrugated metal and one large garage door that opened automatically as the van neared it. There were no windows. The van drove through the door and stopped as it shut behind them. Flourescent lights flickered on. They turned off the engine, exited the van, slid open the side door and dragged Ana out. Her head slapped against the concrete floor before the larger man picked her up entirely and once again flung her over his shoulder.
On the far side of the shack, opposite the garage door, was a large lift that that two men were now stepping onto, before quickly hitting a button to lower it. It descended straight down into the earth. The walls on all sides were reinforced concrete initially, but as it went further down they transitioned into a sterile white ceramic tile. Bright LED lights lit their descent into this area hidden below that shitty looking shack. The men, with Ana, had reached the very bottom, where the lift opened into a new area that resembled a small hospital unit.
There were beds and gurneys, strange chairs with buckles and head straps, and tables filled with a variety of terrifying looking medical instruments. At the back of the facility there was a very large window that looked into an fully furnished room. It had everything you might expect to find in a rather decent hotel room, including a full bath, all brand new. The men made their way towards that room, where a third man sat on the couch waiting. After a brief exchange about the details of the abduction Ana was given to him, and the large bearded man and pony-tailed man with the pock marks left the same way they entered. Ana was now in the custody of Dr. Zellman, who laid her on the bed and waited for her to wake up.
Dr. Zellman was a stout man with thick limbs, covered by the blue surgical scrubs that he wore. A surgical mask covered the lower part of his face, revealing only the bright blue eyes with smile lines above it and the cleanly cropped black hair that covered his head. He was breathing heavily as he stood over Ana, simply staring down at her. As she began to stir his breathing grew faster in pace. With Ana finally coming to, his heavy breathing stopped immediately and he spoke to her as she struggled to lift herself up. "I am Dr. Zellman and I will be taking care of you. Because of the threat you posed to my associates, this was the only option. This is where you live now. This is your room and you may do whatever you like. There is no outside access, but you may watch TV. I will provide meals at set times. Do not try anything. I am always watching. There is no way out."
He paused to gauge her awareness and determined she could understand him, so he continued, "I need to know what you have seen and if you have taken any photographs. Your life depends on your honesty. In fact, everything that happens next will be determined according to your actions. I am leaving you now to allow you to recover. When you have fully awoken, press the button by the window and you may speak to me." He exited the room and a matte white metal door slid shut behind him. He disappeared somewhere outside of Ana's view.
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