A Species Guilty of Adultery: Chapter 2 – Prostitution of a Different Kind

Chapter 2 – Prostitution of a Different Kind

Heading out from my truck, Kathleen and I head into the warehouse where a majority of the food and drinks go out to the rest of the country, and I will work if I’m not working at the farm. Inside, people say hi to us and ask why I’m back at work so soon. Kathleen and I go to Asher’s office, knock, and enter when he says we can go in.

“Hello, Zeke and Kathleen. How can I help you?” Asher is a stocky, tall, tank of a man in an expensive blue suit, who has a soft, calming voice despite his intimidating appearance.

“Hey, boss. We are doing our own investigation into Kathleen’s missing husband and child. Catalina said you know more about it than she does.”

“Heh, did she now?” Asher stops typing at his computer. “Please, take a seat.” Kathleen and I do as he says as he continues, “I assume she gave you most of the background details about the human trafficking ring Kathleen’s husband was investigating and how he’s considered dead?”

“Yes, and we also talked to Ike, who apparently worked with him. Catalina said there isn’t a human trafficking ring, while Ike seems sure of it, despite not having any evidence.”

“Do you really believe that sex pest?”

“I always take what he says with a grain of salt, but Ike never talks seriously or gets mad about anything. For the subject of human trafficking to make him both means that there has to be some credibility to his belief.”

Asher takes his favorite custom Rubik’s Cube out of his pocket and starts playing with it. “Do you know who my family is? Their legacy?”

“Yes, they’ve helped run this town for generations in terms of industry and politics.”

“Yes. My family does a lot of the boring paperwork and legal things. Even though there are other powerful families and those who rise in rank, my family is the primary one who’s been pouring their blood and sweat into the soil of this town. If there was a human trafficking ring, then we would’ve personally hunted them down by now. Is there anything else you want to talk about?”

“Is that it? What about the disappearances and bodies buried in far-off spots in town?”

“Nothing more than serial killers hiding somewhere in the mountains, forests, or some nearby town or city. If you don’t believe me, then talk to Blythe.”

“We’ll talk to Blythe, not because I don’t believe you, but because I feel like there’s something we’re missing. Thank you for letting me know your side of this. Are we still going to go hunting this weekend?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” Asher looks over to Kathleen, who looks away. “Kathleen. I hope you find solace in there being no answer to the disappearance of your loved ones.”

“I-I’m fine with it. Have been for over a year.” Not wanting to argue with Kathleen about what she just said, I say bye to Asher and leave with Kathleen to see Blythe. For some reason, we’re surprised when we find her outside standing near her police SUV that’s parked near my truck.

Blythe looks nonchalant like usual in her brown police officer uniform with her badge on her chest and pistol at her hip.

Going up to her, I say, “Blythe? We were just about to go see you. What are you doing here?”

“I’m here because my sister told me that you wanted to talk to me, and she told me what you wanted to talk about. No, Kathleen’s husband and child didn’t disappear because of the so-called human trafficking ring that exists. An unfortunate reality of living out here is that people can get lost and never be seen again. Anything from crazies living in the wilderness to the animals we kill during our hunts can be the reason for their disappearance, so I suggest stopping now so you don’t go in circles, searching for nothing like Kathleen’s husband did.”

“I’ve been trying to convince him of that for a while and got nowhere.”

Blythe looks at Kathleen, who struggles to keep eye contact with her. “Yes, and again, I’m sorry that my officers failed to find them for you.”

“Is that it? You came all the way here to tell me something you could’ve texted me?”

“Well, there’s another thing. You’re wanted by Catalina. She wants me to bring you to her. Don’t worry about your truck. Just let Kathleen bring it back to your house, and Kathleen, you don’t need to worry about Zeke. Catalina just wants to talk.”

Ike’s words about the human trafficking ring getting people they take a liking to ring in my ear as if he’s speaking to me. I don’t like this. It’s too strange. “I can drive myself there. We already talked to Catalina, and if she needs to see me, Kathleen can come along.”

“She doesn’t even like being there. Come on, Zeke. You know and can trust me. I watched your back during all our hunting trips and saved you more than once, haven’t I? Kathleen, go on and head home.”

Kathleen looks afraid to the point of visibly sweating, her skin going pale, and breathing heavily. She must be thinking something is up, but is more afraid than me for some reason.

“Kathleen, I can pay you if that’s what will get you to do as I say.”

Kathleen’s eyes widen. Now, she looks mad. “Don’t you dare!” Kathleen grabs my hand, pulls me toward the forest, and tells me to run. Not knowing anything better to do, I do as she says, as Blythe looks annoyed.

Hiding in the forest, I ask Kathleen, “You felt it too, huh? Something is up with her. We have to figure it out and do something about it.”

Kathleen is really upset now and tries to hold back her tears. “No, we don’t! We need to leave this town and go somewhere they can’t find us!”

“Do Catalina and Blythe have anything to do with the human trafficking ring? I have a feeling they do. We have to tell Asher.”

“No, no one in this town can help us.”

Before I can question Kathleen any further, I hear Blythe say, “Come on, Kathleen. Money won you over last time.”

There’s another thing to ask Kathleen about after this is over. Drawing my pistol, I whisper to Kathleen to stay put and be quiet as I go over to try to get the drop on Blythe. Seeing nothing and still hearing Blythe talk and move makes me anxious, but I try not to let it get to me until shots ring out, hitting a tree and the ground around me. I scramble behind a large tree, peek my head out, and still don’t see Blythe anywhere.

“Do you really think you can take me on? I’ve taught you everything you know.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Carefully moving around the trees, I move between them. Seeing a bit of Blythe’s arm sticking out from the back of a tree, I immediately take a few shots and hear her yell in pain. She runs away, and the rest of my shots miss.

“Ugh, lucky shot, Zeke. You won’t get another off me. Hey, what took you so long? Get after him! It doesn’t matter what happens to Kathleen.”

I can’t see anyone else in the forest, but I hear another person running around. After hearing what Blythe said, I run back to where I left Kathleen, but don’t find her. Ah, shit, I hope she found somewhere safe to hide, and isn’t doing anything reckless. My worries seem to be realized as I hear distant shooting. Running to it, I find Kathleen shooting at a retreating Blythe.

“I got the bitch in the leg! Come on, Zeke. Let’s finish her!” I almost forgot she had a gun in her dress and that I trained her to hunt. I’m somehow both turned on and proud.

Following the blood trail, we chase Blythe to where she is leaning against a tree. She shoots at us, and we shoot back, landing another shot in her arm, one in her shoulder, and shooting the gun out of her hand.

“It’s over, Blythe. Tell us what you know.”

“I’m not telling you anything!”

Looking over to Kathleen as she put her finger on the trigger, I can tell what she’s about to do and push her hand away just as the pistol goes off. The shot nearly hits Blythe in the face. “What?! She’s trying to take you, doesn’t care what happens to me, and shot at us!”

“We still need information from her on the human trafficking ring. She needs to talk.”

“Heh, you’re in over your head. No one can help you. Not even your friends. Speaking of which.”

Turning around, I see Asher with a white and black revolver in his trembling hands.

“Kill Kathleen and keep Zeke alive.”

“I…I…”

“What is it? Don’t you want to keep your family’s reputation and wealth up? Do as I say.”

Asher trembles and struggles to speak. It’s weird seeing the usual strong man be like this.

“Fine then,” Blythe says as she throws herself to her pistol, grabs it, and aims it at Kathleen.

Before we can turn around, Asher shoots Blythe in the head and mutters, “I’m…I’m sorry. She wasn’t going to talk anyway. Not with what she’s guilty of…”

“Asher, I’m glad you saved us. You gotta explain to us what’s going on and what we can do about it.”

Asher cries and trembles even more. “My family isn’t what it used to be, not after what Catalina and Blythe did to the town with their friends. We’re not noble. We aren’t protectors. Blythe got to keep the town’s appearance of a safe place to be thanks to the waste the other criminals let her arrest. I’m hardly any different from her.”

“My family accepted the sisters’ offer for the same reason. We got a cut of the profit and made us seem like a quiet and safe town when we’re the furthest thing from it. We ourselves like street whores to worse whores. We don’t deserve to be honored. We deserve to be punished for what we allowed to happen. I deserve to be punished…”

Asher puts his revolver to his head and pulls the trigger, killing himself. “Asher! Fuck! You didn’t deserve to die, buddy…”

I look over to Kathleen and hold her, but she doesn’t look bothered by Asher’s death. She looks indifferent more than anything. “He wasn’t wrong about deserving it.”

I let go of Kathleen, hold myself back from slapping her, and say, “What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Kathleen doesn’t answer me. “Never mind. You have some explaining to do. I had my suspicions that you knew more than you let on, so spill it.”

Kathleen grabs me and says, “I told you we need to leave and go somewhere they can’t find us! Let’s hurry! They don’t leave anything to chance.” As I’m about to say something else, I hear a whistle and feel something hit me in the shoulder. I feel weightless as I uncontrollably fall to the ground. My vision blurs and my hearing goes muffled as I watch Kathleen also fall to the ground. The last thing I see before I fall unconscious is Kathleen struggling to hold me and several figures in black walking over and standing over us with guns in their hands.