Master B-1901 (Garden of the Gods #14)

Prologue

MASTER B-1901

Garden of the Gods

Colorado Springs underground facility

W hat did you get when you mixed savior and Satan? Martyr and mayhem? A former combat veteran…with little grip on reality? Easy. When you were elite, you got hell…and heaven. Special privileges sure had their perks, but were they worth it when your duty was seen as a waste to those who saw you as nothing but a title?

My demons were many and most evolved from childhood. They had little to do with war. That only fed and made them grow, and not in a good or an elite way. I may not have been someone big in the world of Wexlers, Whitlocks, or Waltons, but as the only surviving Pierce, I’d suddenly become important. Too important to be murdered above ground. I went from nearly homeless to rotting in prison to rolling in the finest underground equivalent imaginable. And that’s what this place was. The Gardens may have been dripping in luxury at every turn, but I was no more free or safe to leave this place than I was to leave my cell at Riker’s Island. My paranoia kept me more prisoner than the Main Master, but even free of the memories that plagued me, I still wasn’t sure how safe anyone would be. It kept me here, hidden away in my apartment. Hidden away from all the finery on my screen as I paced and watched the show play out on my giant flatscreen. Not that I was sure I’d go to the auction even if I could. I’d never been one to embrace the elite life. I sure as hell didn’t think I was capable now.

“Masters and Mistresses, welcome to the third auction for the Garden of the Gods. This is our first themed event together, and I’m happy to see you all had fun with it. Very creative.” The Main Master pointed toward the cameras at someone sitting in the first few rows.

“For those who didn’t make it to the first two auctions, I’m going to recap this as quickly as possible. Before you were permitted inside, you took classes to learn the rules. You underwent tests, and you’ve proven yourself worthy. Some of you are still in the Beta stage while others have moved up to become an Alpha. A lot of you have inquired why. I’ll sum it up right here. There can be many different reasons why I’ve advanced a select few. Perhaps the auctions aren’t new to them. Maybe they’re more experienced and accepting of who they really are than others. What it boils down to is: they’ve put in the time, and I trust them to be our foundation. It is not an easy rank to obtain. For some, it may take years. Only when I’m satisfied by your progress will I move you to Alpha.”

My eyes rolled. Alpha. Beta. I knew even though a B was attached to my title, I wasn’t going anywhere. Despite that the Gardens thought it could fix me, my track record proved it was a lost cause. I’d never leave this place again. Not because I actually enjoyed my role here, but because it was impossible to erase a past that was burned into my very brain. I wasn’t na?ve about the blank slates. I’d seen them. Talked with them. Hell…I asked to be one of the soldiers being prepared for the outside world. I was denied by my shrink, and not a candidate for that level of training…or so she said. That told me one thing. I wasn’t fixable; I was valuable. It had my lips twisting as I kept my stare stuck on the screen.

“Aside from the A and B attached to your name, there is a number. You are a number. Your outside status got you here, but that means nothing inside the Gardens. Your identity exists no more. Here, you have no power, nor will there be favoritism. This world is mine. If you follow the rules, you’re wildest, darkest dreams can come true. If not...” He looked around the room, finally letting his shoulders shrug. “You’re dead.”

“For those joining us for the first time tonight.” The Main Master stopped . “And there are quite a new number of us: new members, old members I’m giving a chance. Previous Main Masters.” He paused as his head tilted and he glanced up to one of the higher, private balconies I knew rested above. “I don’t think I need to go much into how this place is not Whitlock ? i . The rules are different. The location is different.” Again, he glanced up. “I am not Bram Whitlock ? ii . You cannot buy yourself out of trouble. You cannot buy me. I will die in this place, and I will never let the Garden of the Gods be taken over or fall. If you can accept that, welcome home. Just know, there is no special treatment nor any favors. I am no one’s friend. We have rules, and every single one of you will follow them.”

A sigh left me as I continued watching.

“Now that we’re all clear, let’s recap bidding. First, we have the white, or w ? iii ’s. These are the virgins. We also have the b’s: or blue ? iv . Not virgins. There are the d ? v ’s. These slaves are docile, trained, and good for those who are looking for a long-term slave. Lastly, come the black, or as we call them, the crows ? vi . These are the convicts. The disfigured. The old. Repulsive.” He looped back around, making his way to the middle. “In this category, you’ll also find the breeders. These are through contract only and cannot be bid on unless you’ve already met with me. If you bid and you haven’t followed the rules, your bid will be revoked, and I will fine you ten thousand dollars. Breeders are special and are for only those I approve of.”

“For those looking for our programmable, ‘blank slate’ ? vii males and females, your auction is just through that door off to the right. These slaves are for those who want someone they can control. A bodyguard. A companion. A sex slave you can use or defile by any means possible that will not fight back. They have had a portion of their memories erased. They’re aware. They know who they are, but they only remember what we want them to. The best part is they obey every order. And I mean that. Every order.”

I had seen the males…but a female blank slate? Now that would be interesting. I didn’t care much for the women I’d chosen to this point. Our conversations were awkward. The sex was forced on both parts. Wouldn’t getting a blank slate make the process easier? There’d be no finding them beaten and broken, so damaged I couldn’t even recognize them. Maybe I wouldn’t even feel anything after killing them from one of my episodes. The blank slates were already practically gone anyway, weren’t they? Gone like me?

“For those who are new, pay attention. I’ve said this before, and I’ll continue to repeat it. What you buy is yours. You can do whatever you want with it. Fuck it. Kill it. Share it. Marry it. Love it. Eat it. Destroy it.” Hesitation . “I don’t care so long as you follow the rules. Your business is your own. Keep it that way or you may come to regret it. I can’t stress that enough.”

“If you look down the arm of the chair, you will see a button. That is how you will bid. Do not press that button unless you are sure you have the money. There is no lay-a-way plan or loans. If the slave is too much for you to afford, don’t bid. At the Gardens, there are no such thing as accidents. If you bid, you will buy. If you don’t have the money, I will take my payment from you from the outside world, and you can stay here with me and the slave you so desperately wanted. This life can be simple if you just follow the rules. They’re easy. Complete acceptance into the Garden of the Gods is not. Honor your contract, abide by it, and Alpha status will be yours.”

Lights flashed, and the camera panned over, giving view to the entrances where the slaves were lined up in the back of the room. My heart was suddenly hammering away in my chest, and I wasn’t even sure why. What I wanted, I wouldn’t find on that screen. What I wanted…

My head turned to my counter as I took in the black binders the guards had delivered earlier that morning.

What I wanted was there . The perfect slave was inside those pages, and this time, I’d be safe to be myself. Whoever that person was.