Antedate | Bucky Barnes

Chapter Twelve

I see land in front of us as the captain steers the ship to a small dock. There is a small gathering at the dock, they're waiting for us just like she had said days ago. I notice that the crowd is mostly made up of men, only a few women are there.

As the captain pulls up to the dock, she throws a rope around an anchor point, keeping the boat next to the dock. I look at the crowd and see wide smiles on the men's faces as they look us all over. If I had anything in my stomach, surely I'd get sick.

"That one looks real nice." One of the men says to another and points to one of the children. What do they mean by that? Surely it isn't what I think, right?

Against my will, I hear the men discuss what they wish to do to some of these children. I can't believe what I'm hearing and I fear for the lives of each and every child on the boat. If I could help it, I'd return them all to their families. I can't imagine what their futures look like here.

"Oh look at that one." One of them points to Anastasia. She turns to me with wide eyes and I can see tears forming in her eyes. I reach out and touch her arm,

"It's going to be okay." I say, trying to hide the fear in my voice. She holds my hand and looks back to the crowd. The captain steps onto the dock and begins helping the children off the boat. I watch as the people reach into their pockets and pull out large amounts of American money.

The captain lines us up on the dock in a single file line and begins to auction us off to the highest bidder. I stand in the middle of the line, behind Anastasia, who still has a firm grip on my hand. The children begin crying again, screaming as they get carried off one by one. I can't stand to watch what's happening and keep my eyes trained on the weathered wood of the dock.

Anastasia is up next, and her grip on my hand tightens immensely. I listen as the bids go higher and higher for her, much more than the other children were sold for.

"Sold." The captain says once the bid reaches the highest amount. Her hand is ripped from mine and I watch as she gets dragged off by a man and woman. She's placed in the backseat of a car and as they drive off, she plasters herself against the window and I can tell she's sobbing. I step up next.

The bidding starts for me, and like Anastasia, I am sold for a large amount. I watch as my buyer hands the captain money and he grabs my arm roughly. None of this feels real.

The man leads me to a nice looking car and places me in the backseat. He quickly climbs into the driver's seat and speeds off. I don't know where I'm at or where we're going, all I know is that I'm at the will of this man. He looks at me in the rearview mirror and smiles,

"Do not worry sweetheart, we are not staying here in Alaska, we are going to my home where you will live with me." He says and I nod my head slightly. I look out the window at the snowy terrain as the man somewhat recklessly drives.

He takes us to what looks like a small airport and he pulls his car up next to a hangar. He steps out of the car and opens my door for me. I step out and follow the man, not having much else of a choice. I look to my left and see a small jet sitting on the runway. That must be for us.

Another man approaches us in a pilot's uniform and he smiles at my buyer. He licks his lips and looks me over, sending chills down my spine.

"Where to boss?" The man asks my captor.

"Let's go home, I want to get her there as quickly as possible. By the time we get there it should be dark." He says and grabs my shoulder, walking me towards the jet. I walk up the carpeted stairs and am sat in one of the leather seats inside.

The interior of the plane is very nice, everything looks state of the art to me. I wish I could be more attentive to my surroundings, but the exhaustion and starvation of the last few days is taking a toll. I feel tired, worn out, and not able to focus on much. The man who bought me sits in the seat across from me and tilts his head to the side,