Chapter 595
Mara jumped out of her skin. She whipped her head around as the sharp stench of gunpowder flooded her senses. The man who had just sprinted for freedom was writhing on the ground, shrieking as he clutched his shattered legs.
It was the first time Mara had ever seen someone shot in real life. Pure terror gripped her chest, and she instinctively shrank behind the person standing next to her.
A guard casually strolled over. Aiming his rifle down at the screaming man, he squeezed the trigger again. This time, the bullet tore through the man’s ankle.
The man roared in absolute agony. “I’ll kill you p>
Riding a wild surge of adrenaline, he violently lunged upward, desperately swiping for the guard’s weapon.
But how could a crippled man overpower an armed guard? The guard merely took a calculated step backward, and the man crashed face-first into the dirt.
Bang. A third shot echoed through the compound. A sickening pool of blood rapidly bloomed from the back of the man’s skull.
His lifeless, glassy eyes stared directly at Mara as his body went completely limp against the pavement.
Mara trembled uncontrollably, silently thanking God that she had manipulated someone else into testing the perimeter for her.
At that moment, she had no idea how many times in the coming months she would envy that man for dying so swiftly, spared from the endless horrors that awaited them.
The guard unceremoniously dragged the corpse away like trash.
Just then, a man and a woman emerged from the main building. The man was dressed in a sharp suit, one arm draped possessively around the woman’s waist. She wore a tight pink dress and leaned heavily against him in a seductive embrace.
Mara’s eyes lit up. So, this place operated on primal rules. If seduction was an option, she knew exactly how to play the game. She instantly straightened up, striking her most alluring posture.
Mara had always been stunning. Despite looking completely ragged from the brutal journey, she was confident that with a little effort, her radiant complexion and natural curves would still turn heads.
“Lexi, why are they shooting people so carelessly p>
The man spoke up.
Though his tone held a hint of reprimand, his voice was remarkably smooth and captivating.
“He was a disobedient pig. He tried to run,” the woman replied.
“If your men keep killing off inventory, I’m not covering for you when the bosses find out p>
For a fleeting second, the captives thought this man might possess a shred of humanity, but his next words crushed all hope.
“It’s hard enough sourcing these people. We have to squeeze every drop of labor out of them before they die p>
Was there a single sane person in this godforsaken place?
“Welcome to the team, everyone p>
The man stepped in front of the terrified crowd. “My name is Vinnie. You can call me Boss Vinnie. From today on the going to lead you all to making some serious cash.
As long as you put in the work, I guarantee you’ll be living the high life p>
Despite his charismatic pitch, not a single person standing in that courtyard believed him.
Given the starvation and torment they had endured in the holding cells, this was clearly a deeply sinister operation.
The armed guards standing nearby began clapping and cheering in hollow agreement.
Vinnie raised both hands to quiet them and continued, “Work hard, and you get paid. But, if any of you get the bright idea to leave p>
Vinnie tilted his head toward the bloodstain on the concrete. “You’ll end up exactly like that guy p>
Just then, the woman in the pink dress seemed to lock eyes with Mara. Pushing Vinnie aside,
strutted over “Not bad. Yo Shel
got
some decent looks. fo
How old are you p>
A sickening knot formed in Mara’s stomach. She had been trying
seduce the man, not attract the net
attention of this woman This.
couldn’t be good.
Forced to comply, Mara answered, “Eighteen p>
The woman swept her gaze over two other young women in the line. “These two
look decent as well.
Take all three of them to The Scarlet Wing p>