There was a knock on Ajax's door. One of his boys stepped in.
"Boss, there's a man here to see you. Says he has important information for you"
"An important information? I will be the judge of that but send him in"
The boy left.
The door opened after another small knock, and the boy ushered a man dressed quite pleasantly into the office.
"Sit down"
"My name is David, sir". He stopped waiting for Ajax to either acknowledge his name, greet him or at least, ask what he could do for him. But Ajax said nothing and kept looking at the man directly.
David cleared his throat and continued, already regretting why he came here to offer this information. He had hoped for a little reward of some kind, but at this moment, he doubted anything of that manner would happen.
"Mr. Ajax, I saw a girl that works in your brothel on the streets a few nights ago. Her name is Selena. It appeared to me as she had run away from the establishment"
Now, the man had Ajax's attention. He hated being cheated or outsmarted.
"Mr. David, right? Where did you see her? Which location in particular?"
"I was of the opinion that I would be rewarded for bringing such detail to your notice, that is w..."
Ajax laughed, but it was a wicked, throaty laugh. David was already scared to his pants.
[Have I made a mistake by coming here?], he thought.
"Sure, you will be rewarded. Now, tell me where you saw her before I change my mind"
* * *
After Selena left the slaughterhouse, she hid in the village's church under one of the pews in the midsection. It was midweek so there wasn't going to be any services. She planned to stay there till midnight, then she'd move on again.
She didn't know where her destination would be but at the back of her mind. Selena hoped she would find a good samaritan that would give her some coins that would be enough to travel out of this town. Right now, that seemed farfetched but it was the only way out she saw in her mind.
Selena laid there thinking about the days that had gone by, the people that had bumped into her, especially that David man that recognized her at a glance. It made her angry.
Her stomach growled and it hurt at the same time. Her throat was parched, she needed water. Selena was beginning to feel dizzy. She had to do something fast otherwise...
She slowly crawled to the side of the pew and looked around the church. The sun had just set some moments ago. Nobody was in the auditorium. Looking to the altar, she found a bowl that was on a stand. She had attended services with her parents when they were still alive and she recalled the use of that bowl there. It was for christening babies-washing while praying and naming them.
[The least of my concerns. I will drink any water at this point]
Tiptoeing to where the bowl was, she saw that it wasn't empty.
[Thank God for miracles]
She cupped her hands and dipped them into the bowl.. .drinking to her fill and ran back to another few on the opposite side of where she had come from.
She heard the door to the church open.
"I had fallen asleep"
Crouching, she checked who must have come into the church. It was a woman with a dark-colored veil over her body.
She knelt down in the set of chairs directly in front of Selena and began to pray.
"Dear Lord, I have come to say thanks. You sent us a helper that has changed my story. I have a request Lord, please send me a husband. Someone that will love and cherish me. Do this for me and I will bring a hundred gold coins to your church for the progress of charity. Thank you, Lord"
Selena watched as she made the sign of the cross over her chest. As she stood up, Selena got up also.
"Good evening, ma'am"
The lady was startled but quickly collected herself when she saw it was just a girl that spoke to her.
"What are you doing here by his time of the night, girl? Why arent you at home?"
"I have no home. I used to work in the brothel on the other side of the village, I ran away recently. I was tired of what I was doing there. Now, I have nowhere to go, no one to help me. I heard you talking about a helper that was sent to help you. Please, can that person help me too?"
The woman studied Selena.
[This girl was pretty and young. What had life dealt her?]
She understood what fate could bring someone's way having just come out of a very ugly life. No one was there to help her. When her face began to deform, even the friends she thought she had stopped answering her greetings... talk more of talking to her.
"Yes, she can. Just go to where I will describe to you and tell her all you have told me, and what you need her to do for you"
"Thank you... thank you. May you be blessed, and what you came to pray for, answered"
The woman smiled and described where Selena could find Miss Jade.
* * *
Selena would have moved that night but knowing how Ajax's boys operate, she knew this was their time. The streets would be unsafe for her.
She went to another pew and hid. Early the next day, she would go in search of this Miss Jade that helps people.
[I hope she would be able to do something for me, all I need is shelter and food for a day, healing balms for the injuries on my feet and arms, and a little money for transport out of Cones]
She was full of hope and had a nice, dreamless sleep for the first time in days.