The Devil's Masterpiece

Chapter3-Ava

“Kalispera kyrie” a short woman says. She looks to be in her sixties with a thick head of white hair. What language was that? Where am I?

When I’d heard my buyer’s American accent I thought for sure he was taking me to the US. But from the moment we got to his jet and now what seems like his home, everyone has been speaking a language I don’t understand.

“Evening Maria” Mr Drako says. That’s what the auctioneer had called him. Right now we are standing outside of this huge white modern mansion. The lights in all the windows are on and they are illuminating the darkness.

Maria opens one side of the double door and steps in first then Mr Drako follows and for a second I think of running but its dark out and the thick forest behind me doesn’t look very inviting so I follow him in.

“Maria have one of the girls take this one upstairs and clean her up” he’s already walking away. I almost call him back but let him go. I have a feeling that I wouldn’t like he’s attention right now. The man didn’t even look at me twice on our flight here.

“Tha paro ti Dafni” she blubbers pulling out a cell phone. Maybe I should fight her for it and call… Who would I even call?

“I don’t understand what you are saying” I say to her trying to initiate any form of conversation. She just looks up at me with a bored look on her face. She speaks some more gibberish into the phone and a few moments later a girl comes rushing through the front door. She’s pretty with dark hair and is wearing the same outfit as Maria. It’s probably a uniform. She looks to be my age.

They speak for a little while and Maria leaves closing the front door behind her.

“Hey, I’m Dafni” the girl chirps “I’ll be taking care of you for as long as your stay here is. If you have any requests or questions, just come to me and I’ll help you out”. She has an accent

I’m about to open my mouth when she grabs my hand and pulls me behind her walking towards the stairs and keeps talking. She’s way too excited for this.

“Welcome to Oikos tis Tara meaning House of Tara. This is Mr Luca Drako’s estate that he inherited from his great grandmother Yaya Cacau. That was her name by the way.”

We make it to the top of the stairs and turn left walking down a long well-lit corridor. There’s portraits on the walls and I find that strange since everything in this house seems so modern and the portraits are so out of place.

“Will you slow down, these heels are killing me.” I don’t mean to sound harsh. She stops, looks back at me and smiles.

“Oh, sorry I’m just so excited I’ve never met an American before, well there’s Mr Drako but he barely talks to us and I’m not complaining the man scares me to death”

“So, he is American?”. She starts walking again and opens a door and pulls me in closing the door. It’s a bedroom. Bigger than any I’ve ever slept in.

“Well only half, his mother is American and his father is Greek. Mr Luca and his siblings were raised in America because it wasn’t safe for them here back then or so I’ve heard.”

She moves to a closed door and opens it. It’s a bathroom and I spot a tub from where I’m standing. She opens a tap above the tub and steaming water starts pouring in. Oh how I would love a bath right now.

“Where are we right now” I sit on the edge of the bed and start undoing my heels. Oh sweet relief. Dafni walks back into the room.

“Athens”

“Athens? As in Greece?”

“Yes Athens Greece” she continues moving around the room opening a closet and picking up a pile of neatly folded towels. How the f**k do I get out of Greece?

“I’ve been so busy chattering on I forgot to ask your name”

“I’m Ava Brooks”

“Ava? What does it mean” she asks.

“I have no idea” I answer. “Hey Defni?”

“Yeah?”. I walk up to her and grab her hand cradling it in mine.

“I need to get out of here. I shouldn’t be here and I need to go back home” I put as much emotion into my voice hoping she’ll hear me out.

“I was drugged and kidnapped and….” The more I talk the more I start to lose her. The brightness that was on her face is fading and she’s receding into herself.

“I can’t do that Ava” she pulls her hand from me folding her arms over her chest. Hostile body language, I don’t know if I can convince her now.

“Dafni please I can’t stay here, what if he hurts me. You don’t know this man, he bought me at a f*****g human trafficking auction” my eyes are now watery not because of what I’m saying but because I can already see it in her eyes, she’s not going to help me.

“Ava I’m very aware of who I’m working for and what he is capable of. Consider yourself lucky at least you are still breathing now don’t try to get yourself killed. Mr Luca is not a man who easily tolerates or forgives.”

“Now get in the tub and clean yourself up Mr Luca is expecting you downstairs.”