Chapter 9

Living in Pico's sin palace was like an unending nightmare for Ruth and Paula. They spent the first night locked in an upstairs room. Some of the louder noises drifted up to them from the large bar below, where Pico had said they'd be working the following night. Horrified at the sordid life ahead of them, they lay huddled naked together on the bed. The rooms on either side of theirs were busy, one or the other of the beds nearly always rasping under the weight of fucking bodies. It went on until a faint light began to filter in through the one barred window, signaling that the night was drawing to a close.

It was then, at dawn, when Ruth broke the news to Paula about her father's death. Paula stared dumbly at her mother for several moments, then buried her face between Ruth's breasts and broke down completely. Ruth held her, both of them crying for over an hour before a hopeless fatigue set in, bringing a deep sleep with it.

They were awakened and fed at three the next afternoon, their first meal in the whorehouse dining room (one end of the main barroom) consisting of flour tortillas, bacon, scrambled eggs, refried beans, orange juice, milk and coffee. The food was good. Ruth wolfed hers down. But Paula, still numbed by her situation and the news of her father's death, could only force a few bites down. She sat sipping orange juice, staring blankly at the other whores, listening to them chatter away in Spanish as if all was right with the world.

There were fifteen girls in all, varying in age from midteens to late thirties, most of them in their twenties. One looked Oriental, two Indian, and one was black with flashing white teeth. The others were Latin American. Ruth and Paula were the only Anglo girls, and their light skin and blonde hair made a striking contrast. Their fairness set them apart from the others. A couple of the younger girls seemed friendly, but most showed amused resentment when Ruth and Paula saw them glancing their way.

Pico and a plump, bored-looking woman he called Rosa sat at the table with Ruth and Paula. Rosa was by far the oldest and least attractive woman in the house. She spoke fair English, but nowhere near as well as Pico.

At the table next to them sat Jose, watching Paula with a worried expression as he ate. Two Latin men, almost as big and muscular as Jose, also sat at that table. One had an ugly scar running the full length of his left cheek, the other showed three front teeth missing when he laughed or smiled.

Five of the girls hurried through their meal, then four of them stood hopefully off to the side as the fifth came to the table and spoke to Pico in Spanish. He asked her a question. She pointed to the scarred man as she answered. Pico nodded. The scarred man came over. Pico gave him some money, then he and the five girls left.

"They are going to a movie," Pico explained as the front door banged shut. He grinned at Ruth. "Perhaps you and Paula will earn similar privileges one day."

A ray of hope flashed in Ruth. If she and Paula could get out of the building, even with one of those men along, there was a chance of escape.

"But of course I'd never permit you both to go out at the same time," Pico added, smirking, exploding the hope just as suddenly as he'd raised it.

Ruth shivered and lowered her gaze from his cruel eyes. She knew she could never escape and leave Paula behind. But there was a way. There had to be a way she could get Paula and herself out of this terrible place once and for all! And she determined to find a way if it was the last thing she ever did.

"I can read your mind, rubia."

"What?"

"You're thinking of escape."

"No," she lied.

"No matter. Think of it all you wish... just don't be foolish enough to try it. If either of you should succeed, it will be at the expense of the other."

"What do you mean?"

"The one left behind will die," he said calmly, lighting a cigar. "Very slowly and very painfully."

Ruth gasped. "You wouldn't!"

He laughed.

A chill swept over Ruth. She hugged herself and shuddered.

"Both of you go bathe and make yourselves pretty. Two of my most valued patrons are coming shortly. They've graciously agreed to let you practice your new profession on them. Rosa will instruct you what to do and when to do it. I would advise that you eagerly obey her every command. Don't force me to punish you. Cooperate. Your lives will be much more pleasant for it."

The instant they were alone in their room, Paula dove onto the bed and began crying bitterly. Ruth sat down beside her, patting and stroking her, trying to console her.

"I don't wanna be a whore, Mommy!" she wailed. "I want to go home!"

Tears misting her own eyes, Ruth slapped Paula hard. "Get hold of yourself! Stop crying and listen to me!"

Sniffling and rubbing her cheek, Paula sat up obediently.

"We will go home, baby. I promise you that."

"But how? Pico won't let us!"

"Hush now! Don't start that again!"

Paula shook herself and wiped her eyes.

"I don't know how yet," Ruth went on, "but there has to be a way! I'll find it. I'll get you out of here."

"It's hopeless, Mother, and you know it."

"No, it isn't. It can't be! Believe that, Paula. We'll get out of here. It'll take time, though, and for now we'll have to do as they say."

"I don't know if I can," Paula moaned.

"You have to. There's no choice."

"I'll try."

"We'll act like we've accepted things as they are. Don't cross Pico in any way... no matter how disgusting it becomes. Make him think you're trying to adapt. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good girl. I know it's going to be horrible. But we have to go along for now. When he's convinced we're broken, they won't watch us so closely. We'll find a way, Paula. We have to. And when the time is right..."

"It could take months."

"Then help me, Paula. Study everything. Help me come up with a plan."

"But what if we can't find a way?"

"We can. Believe that, or we're lost already. I promise to get you out of this, and I've never broken a promise to you, have I?"

"But this is different, Mother."

"I'll get you out of here, even if I have to stay behind."

"No! I won't let you do that! Pico would kill you!"

Ruth smiled sadly. "If we can't both escape, you'll be the one to go. Do you understand me, Paula? I'd rather be dead than have my daughter live her life as a whore."

Paula gulped.

"But we'll find some way. We're more intelligent than they are. We can do it if we put our minds to it... if we think it out carefully and find the most logical plan before we attempt it."

"I'll help you, Mother. If Jose could only talk, I believe I might get him to help us. He's in love with me, I think."

"He does what Pico says, and he only understands Spanish."

"I'll learn Spanish as fast as I can. I'll feel Jose out."

"It can't hurt, that's for sure. Come on. We'd better get cleaned up and go back before Pico comes after us. We want him to think we've given up hope and are trying to make the best of it."

"I guess it's the only way, for now," Paula said resignedly, her mind already turning over what she'd say to Jose once she could speak enough Spanish to talk to him.

The men were sitting at a table with Pico when Ruth and Paula, both of them forcing smiles, came down the stairs.

"They're so old," Paula said out of the corner of her mouth as she and her mother approached the table.

Ruth took her hand and squeezed it. The two men were old, one of them bald and skinny, the other fat and round-faced, with his gray hair clipped in a stiff crewcut. Now that she saw the men who were to be their first customers, Ruth knew she'd never be able to go through with it. She glanced at the table. The door was clear across the room. No one was near it. "The door," Ruth whispered. "Let's try for it."

"Now?"

"Right now. Run!"

Their heels clicked rapid-fire as Ruth and Paula raced past the table and ran for the door. They could hear Pico laughing uproariously even as they approached it. Then, standing before the door, they realized why Pico was laughing and no one was trying to stop them. They couldn't open the door. There was no knob on the inside--just a hole for a key. All that was required for freedom was the twist of a key, then a push on the door. Ruth and Paula pounded and pushed futilely on the heavy door. Finally they gave up, looked at each other, then went defeatedly to the waiting men.

"You can't get out without these," Pico said, holding up his keys to taunt them... "And you have the only set, I suppose," Ruth said tiredly.

"Not at all, rubia. Everyone who needs keys has them."

"But none of the girls."

Pico grinned. "You're a smart one, rubia. You catch on very quickly. Now, I'm going over there and watch while Rosa shows you how to turn hesitant men into eager customers. Learn well the art of seduction, my fair ones."

For over an hour Ruth and Paula took instructions from Rosa. They approached the evil-looking men, both of whom were around sixty, time and again learning how to smile and slink up to them, caressing them, running their tongues in their ears and fondling their cocks. By the time Rosa called a halt to the preliminaries, Ruth's face mirrored the shame and humiliation seething within her.