The child hunter chapter 1

The water ran down the man’s skin and washed away the dirt. Not even that water could cleanse his sins. His black hair dropped down to his shoulder. Only his eyes were darker then his hair, and his eyes were as black as his soul. I stood watching him shower. I was waiting for him to finish his shower so I could have my turn. As I waited I wondered, who had he killed this time? Was it the little hispanic girl down on Maple drive, was it the Irish girl on Oakly Ave. or was it someone he hadn't brought to the house yet?

Finally, after all the dirt and blood had been washed away he stepped out of the shower. When he looked over at me I handed him his towel automatically. He snatched it out of my hand and shoved me aside as he went into the master bedroom. I didn't question his nights roaming. I didn't dare. It was not my place, I was just property, I had no right to ask questions, no right to speak without permission.

After I showered I went into the kitchen of the penthouse apartment to find my master sitting there reading the paper. Silently I picked up his instructions for me for the day and skimmed them. For the most part they were pretty typical, clean, cook, don't talk to ANYONE unless given permission. But one thing caught my atention. Apparently in one of the guest rooms there was a child. I was to make sure she didn't leave the apartment, and when she woke up I was to call my master at work and let him know.

I could feel my master's eyes on me as I looked over my daily instructions. I quickly put them down and started making my master's breakfeast. After my master had eaten he pulled me aside. "Now listen here boy. When the kid wakes up she's gona be scared as hell. So you be... nice to her. Give her something to eat, give her toys, books, whatever. But do NOT let her leave! Do NOT let her make too much noise! We have to keep her nice and quiet like until the police give up looking for her. When that happens I can make good use of her. A lot of people will pay big money for pictures of a girl like her. So you be a good boy and take good care of her." Than my master's face hardened. "If ANYTHING goes wrong boy I swear I'll do to you what I did to your mother. You remember your dear old mom don't you boy?" He hissed.

My whole body seemed to turn to ice. A long ago memory surfaced in my mind. My mother was screaming, begging with a dark haired man who had her pinned against the wall. I sat curled up in the corner. A four year old child crying as my mother was brutally murdered by her Ex-husband, my father. When she was dead I was taken from her appartment, and I had been here ever since, a slave to my mother's killer. I didn't consider the evil heartless man who was gripping my shoulders my father. After all, he certainly never called me son. Just boy, or slave, but never son, never David, wich was my real name. He was master, and I was just slave.

My master leared at me evily and than he released me, picked up his briefcase and prepared for work. I staied against the wall where he had left me, I was still shaking slightly. As he left he said, "Remember slave, if ANYTHING goes wrong..."

The girl woke up about an hour after my master left. As I had expected she was indeed terrified to find herself in the presence of a strange boy she had never seen, in a strange room that looked like a photography studio. "It's ok, no one is going to hurt you right now. my name is David." I soothed as she started to cry. She was so young. She couldn't be more than six years old! I pulled her into my lap and held her as she cried.

When she calmed down I went into the kitchen and called my master. He reminded me to keep her quiet. I made a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich wich I brought into the girl's room and offered her. She took it and began to eat it in little bites. "What is your name?" I asked sitting beside her on the bed. The girl swallowed hard before she answered. "My name is Ashley. Please, let me go ho... home!" she ended on a sob. "I'm afraid I can't do that. I was told not to, and I don't know where you lived." Than remembering how young she was I asked, "Do you rememebr your address and phone number Ashley?" Ashley shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "How old are you?" I asked jently. Ashley wasn't the first girl my master had brought home. I knew that the best way to keep them from fear was to keep them answering questions. "I... I'm five. Yesterday was my fith birthday. Mo... mommy made a cake, and I got a new watch. It has minnie mouse on it. See?" She asked holding out a pink disney watch for me to see. "It is very pretty." I said kindly. Ashley looked like she might still cry so I searched despratly for another question to ask. "Do you remember what happened last night?" Ashley just sniffeled and shook her head.

Just then the door buzzer sounded. I left Ashley and went to the door looking out through a peep hole. Two police were standing there. I checked to make sure all the lockes were secure and crept away quietly. I was forbidden from opening the door when my master wasn't home. Especially when it was the police. As I was heading down the hall a thought struck me. I slipped back to the door with a stethescope in hand. I pressed the microphone against the door and listened. "The door man said Mr. Jackson's boy would be home. Said he only saw the kid a few times, but he was definetly home." One officer said. "Mabye he's in the shower or watching TV?" the other officer suggested. One of the officers knocked loudly on the door. David? Can you hear me? This is the New York City Police. We'd like to talk to you." The first officer called.

"Who is it?" Ashley asked me. I whirled arround. I haden't heard her leave her room. One of the police knocked again. I scooped Ashley up quickly and brought her into the kitchen, out of sight of the front door. "Arn't you going to answer the door?" She asked confused. I shook me head, straining to hear if the police had left yet. What did they want with me anyways? "Ashley, you stay right here ok? Don't make any noise, and don't go anywhere. Promiss?" I asked gripping Ashley's shoulders and shaking her slightly. When Ashley nodded I crept back to the front door with the stethascpoe. "Mr. Jackson's secretary said avid called the office this morning. She said it was Mr. Jackson's home number that called." One of the police was saying. "He could have gone out to a friend's place since than." The other officer suggested. "According to the door man the boy rarely ever leaves the appartment. They say he's unstable. He isn't enrolled at the schools, he has never been seen arround the city. He's home, I know it. David? You're not in trouble hun, we just want to ask you some questions. May we please come in?"

After several minutes the two police officers finally left. I returned to the kitchen. Ashley was standing where I had left her. I took a look at her in the light. She had blond hair that was falling out of it's braids and she was wearing blue jeans and a pink blouse. She had a nasty bruse on her forhead. That was probably caused by my master hitting her unconcious last night. Her lip was trembeling again, her eyes brimming with tears. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked stupedly.

It took almost an hour to calm her down. I had to put my hand over her mouth at least a dozen times when she got too loud. This girl really did cry a lot. I thought as I made her sit and drink a glass of milk. Than I remembered my first few days here. I had cried a lot too. My master had staied home those days to teach me my place, and he beat me when he caught me crying, telling me I had no right to cry anymore. He told me I wasn't David anymore, I was just a worthless slave. Yes, I had cried a LOT those first few weeks.

Ashley followed me arround the apartment as I did my chores that day. As I worked I told her stories I had learned from watching TV. She seemd comforted by my voice. I felt horrible stabs of guilt when she smiled weakly at me when I gave her some lunch. I knew it wasn't my fault that she was here. But I couldn't shake off the police's visit this morning. Ashley could be home by now if I had answered the door. She could be in the arms of those who must be worried sick about their little girl. Instead she was here where she would be filmed as a child porn star. But at the same time as I was thinking about that, dread filled me at the thought of what my master would do if he found us gone. I knew for a fact that the police couldn't protect me from him. He had proven that many times to me, murdering those under the police's protection so they could not stand trial against those who worked for him. My master had never been a suspect. He was a top of the line surgen who did a lot of charity work. He was a criminal mastermind in every sence of the word. If he had found out that I had given the police his newest porn star he would hunt both me and Ashley down. At least here we were safe and alive. Or at least, that is what I told myself.