Catching Strays: Finding Remnant

POV: Remnant

Today had been a good day.

In the years since Shark bought me from Harpy, good days were rare. They weren’t about what happened at night—those hours belonged to him and whoever he loaned me to. Good days were about the stolen moments in between, the brief hours when I could pretend I was something other than merchandise.

Today I managed to lift three hot dogs and sit close enough to a mom and her kid at the park while she read fairy tales to her.

It even happened to be my favorite story about Cinderella.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not about to wax poetic about how my life and Cindy’s are similar, they aren’t. However, it’d be a lie to say I wasn’t hoping that one day someone would come rescue me the way prince charming rescued Cindy.

So yeah today was a good day.

Tonight however, is not looking up.

My teeth grit as Spider slams into me his cock throbbing with excitement. To be fair that’s a constant for him, I don’t think I’ve seen the man without a raging boner I don’t think he can get soft even after he empties his load.

This is his third round, and the only lube we have is his cum still dripping from me and my blood.

Shark only loans me out to Spider once a month at random for ‘good behavior’, his not mine. But he says he won’t give me more often because he can’t have his best toy broken.

Jokes on him, I’ve been broken for longer than I can remember. In the beginning I’d get hard after enough stimulation.

Now I’m forever limp as a dead shrimp. I can’t even get hard from things that excite me. Silver has to inject me with something at the base to get it up when a client wants to be fucked by me instead of do the fucking.

Shark seems fine with it because he can charge extra, since he has to use supply and because it lasts for two hours.

I jerk with a yelp as Spiders fingers twist in my hair and yank my head back at a painful angle his hand connecting with my thigh at the same time.

“Ah-ah no running away into that pretty little head of yours Cum dump.” He growls his foul breath fanning over my cheek and burying into my lungs pulling a whimper from my throat as he pumps his third load into my quivering hole.

My stomach flips at the feeling of him pulsing inside of me.

He shoves me to the ground with a laugh. “Alright boss said three rounds was your max still so you’re free to leave, but don’t shower until after I see you tomorrow got it bitch?” his voice is low and drags across my skin like sandpaper. I nod unable to look up as his boots come into view.

“Answer me Dumpster.” He growls out fingers knotting into my hair pulling a cry from me.

“y-yes’sir, I-I won’t shower until you permit me to sir.” I whine out trying to shrink down to the floor away from him. Which is apparently the wrong move.

The air leaves my lungs as the toe of his boot digs into my stomach the crunch of bone reverberating through my body as a high pitch gasp escapes my throat, it was supposed to be a scream, but my lungs aren’t working right and won’t pull air back in to let me scream.

His first slams into the side of my cheek, he’s yelling at me, but everything is muffled. Instinct is taking over everything in me and my limbs lurch into motion launching me away from spider’s abuse.

I never run from them, why am I trying to run now?

His fingers curl around my ankle his voice cutting through the fog of pain and panic.

“Fuck it, I’m already gonna get my ass kicked for snapping on you might as well fuck my fill right dumpy ol’ pal?” I whimper trying to hook my fingers into the uneven cement as he draws me toward him pinning my shoulders to the ground with his hand between my shoulder blades.

“No holding back this time, your little hole is gonna finally see what it was missing.” He crows slamming into me again.

Today was such a good day.

why couldn’t I have a good night too?

I wonder absently hours later as he picks up my pile of clothes off the shelf and leaves me naked on the cement floor muttering about cops interrupting his fun.

POV: Detective Grant Mercer

En route to the scene

I watch the city fly by as my partner, Sid Blackthorne, pushes the car as fast as it can go.

She has zero fear behind the will and a soft spot for sexual assault victims. I’ve been on the job long enough that I had to put up a barricade, I don’t do the interviews, I don’t get emotionally invested in them.

Why?

Because I can’t anymore. I can’t sit there and tell them its all gonna be okay when I know the statistics, when I know how many rape kits are sitting in a warehouse somewhere just waiting to be ran.

Not prosecuted, no, waiting to be ran. Because our system is so over saturated with depraved lunatics that there are too many to be processed.

And I can’t handle the seemingly inevitable call that lets me know that the victim has either been re-assaulted and killed or has taken their own life.

So when dispatch called in a code 35, sexual assault in progress and moments later called in a J-CAT, joint critical aid team, to assist us I knew this was one I needed to prepare for.

I grip the handle as Sid whips the shop around a corner, we were instructed to run lights no sirens hoping to catch the sick fuck in the act.

However, I already knew based on the location that they had people placed around that would see us coming and everyone but the poor whore that had been abused too far would be gone.

And if we were unlucky she would be too.

Sid slams on the breaks whipping the wheel tight as she slides against the curb with a scream of tires, she’s barely slammed the shop into park before we’re both out of the car.

Guns out and trained on the sidewalk as our eyes sweep the area.

A low keening noise comes from inside a small abandoned warehouse across the street, my eyes dart to Sid then to the warehouse and with measured steps I start to approach.

With each step I wrap layers of ice around my heart, preparing myself for what I’ll see.

“Show 7-adam-10 as 10-23, we are out of the shop and checking our surroundings.”

Sid’s voice is soft and low but firm enough to carry clear over the radio.

She catches up to me in a few controlled bounds. Her face drawn and tense. My shoulder bites into the door frame as I press myself to the side using my hand to press open the wooden plywood that had replaced the original door.

The hinges creak and the soft keening stops with a barely controlled whimper. The sound of flesh shifting on the concrete reaches us from the back corner of the dimly lit building.

Sounds that could only be someone trying to crawl away. I lock eyes with Sid then point towards the corner before splitting my pointer and middle fingers apart.

We’ll split up then pin them in place.

She nods

I creep forward pressing myself into the shadows along the wall and inching towards the soft snuffling in the back corner.

Only to pull up short, Sid does the same across from me. Both of us dragging our eyes across every surface confused.

The door had closed behind us and hadn’t opened again and nothing had darted across the dimly lit open floor and yet, Nothing. Despite having followed the sounds there was nothing but a puddle of blood and more questionable fluids.

The room seems to hold its breath as we sweep the area, following the trail of blood and worse things, the only thing close to the end of the trail is a low shelf pushed into a corner but nothing is on its shelves and the space beneath it is maybe a foot high.

Just as I start to question my sanity a soft wheezing gasp followed by a whine, I lock my eyes on the shelf, it definitely came from under the shelf.

I motion to Sid who trains her gun on the shelf as I move to the side staying clear of her line of sight.

I stretch up curling my fingers over the corner of the top of the shelf and with a soft grunt tip it towards me carefully walking it back until its laying on its side with a soft clang.

The whimpers and keening noise are back and Sid’s gun is already back in her holster as I step away and approach.

“Hey its okay Lad, shh we’re with the police we’re not here to hurt you.” My breath stills freezing in my lungs as my hands twitch to my radio.

“this is 7-adam-10 our code 35 may also be code 42-43. This kid looks like he’s maybe fifteen max.” I swallow. “How far out is J-CAT?”

My radio crackles catching background cursing from Matt and Jeff as their headsets crackle on “we’re two out Mercer, but we’re gonna try to get there faster.” Matts voice cuts out again.

Laying curled in a ball is the smallest boy I’ve ever seen if he’s older than fifteen I’ll be surprised.

It’s hard to tell with him curled up but I doubt he’s more than five foot, and with how sharp his hips and shoulders look I’d imagine he’s eighty pounds soaking wet, severely malnourished and underweight.

Scars crisscross his skin along with fresh cuts and deep bruises blooming on the pale skin right before our eyes, his auburn hair is matted with a mixture of filth and blood.

When his eyes flutter open I catch sight of the deepest emerald green shot through with fear and pain glittering in the low light.

My Ice chips away slowly as I approach hesitantly crouching less than an arm’s length away.

“My name is Detective Mercer, this is Sid she’s a rookie I’m training.” I smile softly and can see Sid doing a double take from beside me. “What’s your name kid?”

He glances up at me distrust dancing in his eyes as he tries to press his naked body back against the wall further.

“That’s alright kid but look in a few moments its gonna get really bright and really busy in here while my team checks on you and gets you treated. Do you know if you have any sensitivity to nanos?” I keep my voice gentle, steady. “They’re medical nanobots—tiny machines that’ll help heal your injuries faster. The medics will inject them and they’ll get to work on the worst of this.”

His eyes grew wide and his voice came out soft but fast.

“No! I can’t get Nanos! I can’t afford them. Shark, The Boss will kill me if he has to pay anything else for me.” He sobs his entire body jerking. As tremors run through him.

“Well, it looks like the boss already tried that,” I grunt looking him over again. “Look how about this, I’ll cover the Nanos okay?”

Sid shoots me a look, nanos used by the J-CAT team are covered by the police department. But this kid didn’t need to know how I was stretching that definition out.

By filling out my report and confirming that they were needed so I was in a way covering them.

I flash her a smile. I’ll explain to her later why I worded it that way if she still needs an explanation.

“So, in exchange for getting the nanos all I need is your name.” I smile as he bites his bottom lip

“Remnant” he whispers as his body starts to shake again, the adrenaline is wearing off, and his body is inching closer to going into shock.

I frown; Remnant that’s not a name that’s an insult. I sigh

“Okay Remmy, would you like to wear my jacket to keep you warm while we wait on the team?” he shakes his head immediately

“No, I’m not allowed.” Is all I can make out before his face buries itself into his arms and knees. I glance at Sid.

Then the door as it swings open to show the J-CAT team striding in.

Matt is a Detective like me. Jeff is an advanced medic, and Chris is a tech specialist.

Chris has the personality of a piece of stone, whereas Jeff and Matt are goofy and easy-going.

I hate when Chris is called for assault victims because of this.

POV: Remnant

The man pushes past Mercer and crouches right beside me immediately grabbing my arms and legs and trying to pull me out of my ball. I cry out as his grip tightens

“let go and let me treat you and make you feel better or I sedate you and you don’t know what’s going on got it.” His voice sent a chill down my spine

I go limp with a whimper the sound of my head thunking into the concrete pulling a frown from the man above me.

“I said to let me treat you not to ragdoll on me.” He grunted as he straightened me out and ran his fingers over every inch of me.

This didn’t give me nausea like it did when Shark sent someone.

This guy didn’t want anything other than to figure out what was an injury and what wasn’t. However, as his fingers probe at my back door I can’t fight the jerk of my hips away from him or the scream that rips its way up my throat.

In seconds I’ve gone from passive to his prodding to clawing for freedom, my fingers closing over his ankle as my feet scrabble to get traction at this odd angle.

“Chris! What the fuck!” Mercer’s form suddenly looms over the top of us, and he jerks the man, Chris, back. Swiftly catching me around my waist and pulling me into his chest just as I lurch to my feet to bolt.

“Do you not know how to be gentle? You have the bedside manner of a fucking cactus? God, walk him through it or something.” His grip on me tightens as if he’s using me to steady himself to hold his anger in check.

I whimper and his grip loosens a soft apology wafting down with his warm breath.

“My job is to assess and apply nano treatment Psych can deal with the rest of it.” Chris’ voice is cold and hard

I look at him and take a deep breath stepping or rather stumbling away from Mercer.

“I-I’m sorry for- for being difficult sir. It- I just didn’t realize it hurt so bad.” I wipe my eyes trying not to cry before crossing my arms and hugging my ribcage.

Chris frowns and then approaches, something shifting in his eyes as he looks at me. “How old are you?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug and look away, ashamed for the first time in a long time. “Nobody ever told me. Harpy bought me when I was small, and Shark’s had me for... I don’t know, a long time? I never learned to count years or anything like that.” I shrug again as if it doesn’t bother me even though I can feel the heat of a blush crawling up my chest and cheeks.

“Okay, do you know your blood type?” his voice didn’t hold any ridicule

“Um…. red?” I glanced down at my arm where Spider had left a deep cut and then back at him “but I’m assuming that’s NOT what that means is it.”

He snorts and shakes his head. I see the two who walked in with him exchange an incredulous glance for some reason before looking between the two of us.

He rolls his eyes. “How about we change this line of questioning before you run out of steam. What DO you know about your own history. I’m talking sexual partners, medical history like broken bones, illnesses your parents’ names anything kid.”

I blink a few times thinking “um.”

I frown as they all share the same look. The hair on the back of my neck standing at the silent communication.

Chris nods and calls in a stretcher before fiddling with his radio after strapping me in.

“this is J-CAT operator Wilson advising we have an eligible nano patient I’m issuing a code 66, while he is stable and talking he won’t heal fast enough without them to make it across the locks to a treatment facility that would help. I’m recommending nano usage and transfer to a local dock for further assessment and treatment as there may be a possible code 68 involved based of of verbal history.”

He glanced at me then reached in his bag strapped to his hip, “do me a favor kid, look at Mercer for a moment so he doesn’t yell at me okay.” I cock an eyebrow at him but comply looking at Mercer with a question in my eyes just as the bite of a needle presses into the soft tissue of my stomach just beside where Spider kicked me.

The air evacuates my lungs for a second time tonight as I jerk in the restraints my eyes rolling into the back of my head as the pain ricochets inside of my mind.

I can hear yelling around me but thankfully the blackness swallows me up.

~

I don’t know how long it’s been since Spider attacked me after he finished his session, but I do know it’s been too long.

My body doesn’t hurt, and my muscles feel better than they have in years. But I don’t know where I am, so I’ve been trying to take stock of myself with my eyes closed.

“HEY! GUYS I THINK HE’S AWAKE!” a woman’s voice shouts from next to me causing me to jerk away and almost fall off the narrow cot they have me resting on. My eyes fly open as I roll off the side I had almost slipped from and ease backward into the corner.

“Oh crap, sorry.” She apologizes softly holding both hands out in front of her. “I just got excited; you’ve been out for longer than normal after a nano treatment even with deep brain stim. And another round of nanos to heal the long-term brain and muscle damage that you’ve been living with for a while.”

She smiled at me, I frowned.

I know it’s rude, but who is she.

Why are they giving me all this stuff. All this expensive stuff that I can’t afford. And the cop only said he’d cover the first nanos to keep me from bleeding out.

I look around breath racing in and out. Where am I this isn’t Mercy Hospital in the center of the city this place is too clean, too quiet, too bright.

Just as my panic starts to claw at my chest Detective Mercer walks into the room and looks between the girl and me with a frown.

“Livvy what did I tell you? He’s been through a lot you have to tone down.” She sighed and flopped back into her chair crossing her arms and pouting. I look between them my eyes bouncing so fast I’m making myself nauseous.

“Hey kid. Or well I guess I can’t call you that anymore. I lost the bet. You’re not a kid your almost twenty-six, which is ten two times with six more.” I blink a few times.

I know how old I am.

And while that’s not a huge deal to most, its big to me. It’s the first thing about me that I know. My name Remnant was given to me by the Harpy because I was all that was left of my family, the last Remnant.

He smiles at me and then rubbing the back of his neck he adds.

“We also ran your DNA while you were out to see if we could find any family or... well, to check the registries.” His smile fades. “Turns out you’re registered with an SL designation—Submissive Legal—to a Mr. Caelum Hale. He purchased you seventeen years ago. You’ve been his legal property this entire time.”

My stomach drops.

“The people who had you?” Mercer’s jaw tightens. “They were holding you illegally. This wasn’t just a missing persons case—it was kidnapping. Trafficking. Mr. Hale has been looking for you since you disappeared.” He pauses, and his eyes go sad in that way that makes my chest hurt. “Congratulations. Mr. Hale is a very wealthy man. You won’t have to worry about being hungry or cold again.”

I frowned at him, his face was happy but his eyes were sad. That scared me. Was he sad because he wanted me, or was he sad because this Mr. Hale was a bad man and he couldn’t stop him because he owned me?