Caught In The Shadow [Jenlisa]

Prologue

Revenge, Lisa reminded herself. That was the purpose of all this. Revenge, twelve years in the planning and only a few months away in its execution.

As a slave trainer, she had trained at least a handful of girls. Some were willing, offering themselves as pleasure slaves to escape destitution, sacrificing freedom for security. Others came to her as the coerced daughters of impoverished farmers looking to off load their burden in exchange for a dowry. Some were the fourth or fifth wives of sheikhs and bankers sent by their husbands to learn to satisfy their distinct appetites. But this particular slave, the one she eyed from across the busy street – she was different. She was neither willing, nor coerced, nor sent to her. She was pure conquest.

Lisa had tried to convince Jiyong she could train any one of the other types of girls. That they would best be prepared for such a serious, potentially dangerous task, but Jiyong would not be moved. He too, had waited a long time to achieve his revenge and he refused to leave anything to chance. The girl had to be someone truly special. She had to be a gift so valuable that she and her trainer alike would be talked about by everyone.

After years of being the sole apprentice to Choi Mohammad Jiyong, Lisa's reputation had slowly built, establishing her as a woman both efficient and single-minded in whatever tasks were entrusted to her. She'd never failed. And now, all those years had been for this moment. The time had come to prove her worth to a man she owed everything to as much as herself. There was only one obstacle remaining between her and vengeance. The last true test of her soullessness – willfully stripping someone of their freedom.

She'd trained so many she no longer remembered their names. She could train this one too, for Jiyong.

The plan was a simple one. Lisa would return to America and seek out a candidate for the Flower Sale. The auction would take place in her adopted country of Pakistan in a little over four months. It was sure to be littered with beauties from the typical male-run countries, where acquiring such women was limited only by supply and demand. But a girl from a first world country – that would be considered an accomplishment. Girls from Europe were highly sought after, though American girls were the crown jewels of the pleasure trade. Someone with mixed ethnicity would do to, like Asian-American or African-American, as they have this rare-unique features that intrigues most men, specially men in power. Such a slave would solidify Lisa's standing as a true player in the pleasure trade and gain her access to the most powerful inner circle in the world.

Her goal was to find someone similar to what she was used to, someone exquisitely beautiful, poor, likely inexperienced, and predisposed to submit. Once she made her selection, Jiyong would send four men to assist Lisa in smuggling the girl out of the country and into Mexico.

Jiyong had contacted an ally who would provide safe haven in Madera during the first six weeks Lisa would need to help her captive acclimate. Once she was reasonably compliant, they would make the two-day trip to Tuxtepec and board the private plane. Eventually landing in Pakistan where Jiyong would assist Lisa in the final weeks of training prior to the Flower Sale.

Too easy, Lisa thought. Though for a moment, it felt like anything but.

Lisa, from her vantage point diagonally across the street, glanced at the girl she'd been observing for the last thirty minutes. Her wavy hair was pulled away from her face, a heavy frown played across her mouth as she stared intently at the ground before her feet. She fidgeted sometimes, alluding to a sense of restlessness she was unable to hide. Lisa wondered why she seemed so anxious.