No one had ever gotten away from Ajax. The fact that they hadn't found Selena disturbed him more than he bargained for. He had told Joe to handle it but Ajax hadn't gotten any good news from his end. It had to take a stranger to come to tell him about where he had seen the bitch last.
"Get Joe in here"
The boy that took his message ran to where Joe was and told him the boss needed him immediately. Joe sighed knowing that there was trouble on the mountain. He made a mental note that any trouble he was going to receive from Ajax, he would give Rex in the triple fold.
"You are useless. Do you know that?"
[Did he actually expect me to answer that question?], Joe thought.
"I am waiting, Joe. Answer me"
"Yes, I know boss". Joe was fuming.
"I have gotten a lead on where the girl is. Follow it. I'm stepping out for a bit". After he gave the information to Joe, he brushed past him and left the office.
* * *
Selena had taken off from the church with a map in her mind looking for the place she'd find Miss Jade. She was a very bold girl... doing this, she remembered when her mother came down with the pox. During her last days, her mother had told her that she was leaving her and she had to be strong. Selena's mother mentioned how fearless she knew Selena was. At that time, she didn't believe what her mother was saying, thinking she just wanted to comfort her because she was dying. But now, she knew she was actually a strong person who acted even in the face of danger.
She had wrapped herself with a large cloth she found in the church and stopped once in a while to ask people, especially women, for directions. She was getting close.
"Madam...", she stopped in front of a woman selling old baby shoes and asked her; "Good evening. Please I am looking for Miss Jade, the lady that helps people"
"Oh!!!!", the woman replied with a bright smile on her face, "Yes, her house is just three buildings away from here. When you enter the next building, just go upstairs. The first room on the left is hers".
"Thank you so much, ma'am"
"You are welcome. Good luck, dear"
* * *
Selena knocked on the door carefully.
"Come in, it is open"
She pushed the door and stepped into the room. Something she later discovered was incense, was burning at a corner and it smelled like the tropical forest and cinnamon. Selena was already feeling calm.
"Please sit"
"Good afternoon", Selena said as she took her seat on the chair opposite Jade, a table separating both of them.
"What can I do for you? You can take off that cloth and hang it over there... you are safe here. There are no judgments"
Selena didn't even know she still had that thing wrapped over her.
[Miss Jade was beautiful]. Selena knew what Jade was already, seeing how her eyes were. One had a rich gold color to it, the other was mixed with purple. It was the strangest thing Selena had ever seen.
"What do I call you, dear? Also, what can I do for you?"
[Her voice was full of concern and kindness. No wonder people liked her]
"I'm Selena...", she told Jade her story from when she had lost her mum till when she began to work for Ajax. Selena also told her how she had run away and how she had been on the road. How she heard someone talk about Jade during prayers which led her to find Jade.
"I need you to help me get away from here. I haven't eaten in days and I know they are on the lookout for me. If they find me, Miss Jade, they'll kill me. No question about that"
Jade knew exactly what this girl was talking about. This one had hit close to home. Hearing the name, Ajax made her blood boil. That was the boss of the boys oppressing the village, raping girls at every chance they got. Selena had escaped, Jade admired her bravery. She thought of how the girl must have been coping, sleeping in fear, not eating for days and it still didn't seem to Jade that Selena was discouraged.
[This is one tough cookie. She and I have lots in common]
"I will help you. First things first... let me run a bath for you then apply a balm on your injuries and your lip. There is a sore there that is infected. I'll get you some food and you'll take some rest. If you are up to it, first thing tomorrow morning, I'll send you to another town with some money to start afresh there. You can rest your head here this night. I will not be receiving any other person today till you leave here to safety"
Selena was astounded. She couldn't believe her ears.
She got up, rushed to where Jade sat, and gave her a tight hug, murmuring many Thank Yous.
Going back to her chair, Selena fainted.
* * *
Ajax entered his secret room where he allowed no one to enter.
He uncovered a mirror that was covered with a red cloth, sprinkled the blood of a cock he had killed in his kitchen just before getting to the room, and called her name seven times.
Hera appeared in the mirror.
"What can I do for you?"
"I need to know where a girl under my employ is"
"You know the process. Do you have something that belongs to her?"
"Yes, I do". Before he got to his house, he branched over at the brothel and asked Candy to clear out Selena's room. He had told her to give him the clothes saying he didn't want her to return here. No one had suspected anything. Candy handed over the little bag containing Selena's clothes.
"Drop them in the cauldron in front of you"
He did as he was told and the items disappeared before he could say her name.
Hera began; "Hmmm... she is being protected by someone with an amount of magic, a woman. Find the person, you'd find your girl"
Ajax knew exactly who Hera was talking about.