I Sell Bottled Water for Gold in Another World!-Chapter 221: Lucy In Danger!

The cave stretched deep into the mountain’s interior, a natural wonder created by the forces of water over many centuries.

The rough stone walls were damp in the flickering light of the fire. Shadows moved and twisted on their rough surfaces like living things.

The air was filled with smoke from the bonfire that was being burnt inside the cave at its center. This emitted an odor of burnt wood mixed with unwashed bodies and spilled wine.

The cave was still chilled despite the occurrence of the fire.

The stone absorbed heat faster than the flames could provide it.

Further into the caves, beyond the largest chamber where most of the bandits had gathered around the fire to keep warm, was a smaller alcove that was separated by rock formations.

In this area, away from the others, there existed but one torch, placed on the wall and providing faint, flickering illumination that struggled to repel the darkness.

And here, tied to a stone pillar with rough hemp rope, was Lucy Hartwell.

Her wrists were bound behind her on the pillar, with the rope tight enough to have left an angry red welt on her pale flesh.

Her ankles were tied in a similar manner, such that there was no possibility of movement.

A dirty cloth had been tied around her mouth to gag her, preventing her from making any noise she might have tried to produce.

She had been in this position for three days now, with the exception of brief moments when they untied her enough for food and for relieving herself while being watched.

Three days of fear and exhaustion.

Three days of uncertainty about whether she would live or die.

Three days of wondering if Alex even knew what had happened to her, if anyone was looking for her, or if hope was even a remaining option.

The beautiful dress, which had once been a fine piece of silk fabric was now torn and dirty.

Dirt marked her cheeks where tears had dripped to dry many times in these past days.

Her hair, well-combed and well-arranged, hung in unkempt tangles down her shoulders.

But even in spite of everything the ropes, the cold, the hunger, the fear that spark of defiance still lingered in her eyes.

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In the central chamber, around a roaring bonfire, four men were sipping cheap wine in clay vessels.

They were a rough-looking bunch, scarred and battle-hardened from a lifetime spent away from civilized society.

The oldest among them, a man with a thick beard and a missing front tooth, took a long drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Three more days," he grumbled to himself. "There are three more days remaining until the deadline runs out."

"You still think that man is going to come?" another asked.

This person is younger, maybe in his mid-twenties, and has a cruel face and ice-cold eyes.

"In my opinion, it is nothing but a fool’s errand, he has earned a fortune in the last few months since he revealed our secret hideout," he continued. "A person like that does not risk his neck for just anyone."

"The boss seems to think he will," the bearded man replied while poking at the fire with a stick. "Otherwise, why all this fuss? Why kidnap the girl and lay the trap and then wait in this freezing cave?"

A third man, lean and wiry with a jagged scar running down his left cheek, laughed harshly. "Well, if he does not grace us with his presence, at least we have ourselves a lovely prize to pass the time with in the meanwhile."

He pointed to where Lucy was tied up at the rear of the cave. His message was clear.

The fourth man, who had been quiet all this while, grinned fiercely, showing tooth-stained teeth. He was the biggest of them, and he resembled a bear with massive limbs and a massive chest.

"That one is too high class for the likes of us," he said with a clear appreciation in his voice. "You can tell just by looking at her. She has soft hands, nice clothes. I don’t doubt that this girl has never had to go to work in her whole life."

"Beautiful, too," the scarred man agreed, his smile faltering into lecherousness. "This face, this body. I have been thinking about her ever since we brought her here three days ago."

"Those curves," added the young one with a crude laugh. "I would not mind having a few hours alone with her. I bet she would be real entertaining once we untied that pretty mouth of hers."

The bearded man shifted uncomfortably. The discussion was going in a direction he was not very comfortable with. A look was given to the cave entrance, as if he feared someone might be listening in.

"You’d better mind your mouth," he warned in a low tone. "You’d get in trouble if the boss heard you making statements like that."

"The boss isn’t here," interrupted the scarred man dismissively. "Mei went out to scout... again. She won’t be back until dawn. She has been like that ever since we relocated here after our last site got blown, ever paranoid about security."

"But," insisted the bearded man, his voice dwindling to a menacing whisper, "you know the regulations. This has been made clear to us right from the start. Neither of us touches the girl. She’s only a lure for that man, that’s all she is to us. If we in any way damage her goods, we’ll be dissected by Mei for sure."

The large man spat into the fire with disgust. "Rules, always rules with her. You know, it was not like this under the old master."

"True enough," the scarred man agreed with nostalgic enthusiasm. "When Mei’s father was in charge, things were different. Even better we had freedom back then. Those were really good days,"

"Remember the raids?" said the young one enthusiastically, his eyes aglow in the darkness of the cave

"How we would hit a merchant caravan or a small village, and whatever we plundered, we were allowed to take back home. Gold, loot, and women anything.

The large man vigorously nodded in agreement.

"Those were the days for sure! I remember one raid on a farming village that was close to our eastern borders.

We confiscated everything of value, and the old master gave us three days of celebration afterward. We went through every woman of the village without sparing even one.

"Oh.. I remember that one," The scarred man said, grinning from ear to ear. "I had myself a pretty little thing from that village. She cried the whole time, but that just made it more..."

"Enough!" the bearded man hissed urgently, cutting him off. "Shut your damn mouths, all of you! You want someone to report this back to the boss? You want to end up with your throats slit while you sleep?"

The others were silent for a moment, but it was obvious there was resentment among them.

"I am only saying," the scarred man muttered sullenly while staring at the fire, "that things were better under the old leadership.

’The old master knew that men had to relieve themselves of all these tensions after a good raid. And Mei – she’s too meek, too obsessed with honor and with taking her revenge. She must have forgotten what it means to be a true bandit.’"

"She is not here now," said the big man slowly, as if the thought had just occurred to him. "And just look over there. The merchant’s girl is bound and helpless."

The bearded man’s eyes went wide with alarm. "Do not even think about it! Seriously, I am warning you:"

"Well, what is Mei going to do?" the younger one argued, warming to the notion. "The girl is going to die anyway after we use her as bait. Whether or not we have a little fun with her will make very little difference to her eventual outcome, won’t it?"

"Don’t worry we could take turns," offered the scarred man, "and keep it quiet, leave no marks that would show. The boss will never suspect a thing," he concluded.

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As a prisoner latched to the stone pillar in the alcove, Lucy could hear every word they exchanged.

Blood turned to ice water in her veins.

The gag kept her from screaming, from begging, from anything but listening to her growing horror as these men spoke of violating her as if she were nothing but a menu item to decide upon for dinner.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. They were hot and bitter.

She tried desperately to pull against the ropes binding her wrists behind the pillar, but they held firm.

The rough hemp scrapes against her skin, ripping open new wounds, but she no longer cares about the pain. She yanks harder, blocking out every other thought in favor of her need to escape.

Brother Alex, she thought in a fit of desperation. Please, Brother Alex, if you are out there somewhere, please come. Please don’t let this occur. Please.

But Alex wasn’t there.

She was alone and bound and helpless and at the mercy of men who had no mercy to give.

The bearded man was still arguing against it, his voice urgent and fearful. "You are all fools! The boss will know for certain! And when she finds out—"

"How will she find out?" the scarred man demanded aggressively. "You going to tell her? Are you?"

"No, but—"

"Then shut up and either help or get out of the way."

The large man stood up from where he was sitting near the fire, his intentions obvious on his brutal face. "I will go first," the large man announced, "because it has been much too long since I have had a woman, and this one is just too pretty to waste."

He took a heavy step towards the end of the cave.

Toward Lucy.

The bearded man stood up hurriedly and moved toward the entrance. "Wait! Just wait one moment! At least let me go outside first. I do not want any part of this. If the boss comes back early and finds me here, I am dead."

"Fine, go away like a coward then," sneered the scarred man. "More time for the rest of us."

The bearded man did not have to be told twice.

He grabbed his cloak and rushed towards the entrance of the cave, vanishing into the darkness outside.

Lucy watched him go with desperate hope that maybe, just maybe, he would do the right thing and report them to Mei.

But deep down, she knew he would not.

He was just saving his own skin from consequences.

The three remaining men advanced slowly toward her position in the alcove, their intentions written clearly on their faces.

Lucy pulled frantically at her bonds with renewed desperation. Tears streamed down her face. Muffled screams died behind the gag.

Brother Alex! Brother Alex, please come! Please!