Karen was, of course, not stupid.
She saw through the men's intention the moment they looked at her with barely disguised desire. Morons like that could be found everywhere; it was no surprise. But she was desperate.
"Really?"
The man Karen pegged as the leader muttered in surprise but quickly recovered. "Hahaha, I mean, come with us, miss!"
With the sleazy smile he tried to hide, he gestured for Karen to enter. "I give you my word, miss. We're going to tell you everything you wanna hear."
"Just what I asked is fine," Karen added to set the record straight.
"Of course!"
The three men exchanged knowing looks and followed behind her. Getting a woman like Karen didn't come around often. And although they could barely see her face, her figure spoke volumes.
Inside, Karen looked around, spotting a few drinkers here and there. The lighting was on the low end with soft music playing in the background.
Finding an empty area at the far end, Karen made her way there, making sure to lower her head to avoid the stares while ignoring the overt invites.
"Boss, did we really get her to say yes?"
Behind her, the three men whispered amongst themselves as they slowly moved.
"Getting cold feet or something? She's just desperate."
"Exactly my point. News of the Sorens is everywhere. So why say yes to our invitation?"
"Who knows? But there are all kinds of weird people out there." The leader, Danny, grinned with a flicker of desire in his eyes. "She might be one of those with strange fetishes.
"Hehe, this is going to be fun. Now stop wasting time and get the drinks. And get the job done when you bring the drinks. Tonight, we're feasting like kings."
Danny moved ahead of the other two, swiftly taking his place beside Karen in the half-circle booth. He tried to covertly place his arm over, but Karen moved away.
"Hehe, miss. Why don't you introduce yourself? People call me Danny." He proposed awkwardly, trying to get the conversation rolling.
"Anita," she replied. "So, you guys were talking about the Sorens. I've been out of touch for a while and just got back."
"Patience, sweetheart."
"It's Anita."
"Of course, of course. Haha." Danny laughed it off. "The others are bringing the drinks. We can't have a conversation with our throats, now can we?"
Karen didn't reply, but gave a curt nod instead.
"Excellent," pleased with his efforts, he looked towards the bar. "Hurry it up, would you?"
Soon, the drinks were brought. One of the glasses was passed to Danny, and another to Karen, who accepted the glass and placed it on the table.
Danny noticed Karen's actions but didn't comment, calmly taking a sip of his drink. Patience was key, after all.
One of the guys sat beside Danny while the other sat on Karen's other side, effectively locking her in. With a satisfied sigh, Danny introduced the other two.
"That one over there is John," he gestured towards the guy on Karen's side before glancing at the other. "And this one is Harris."
"Mm," Karen nodded and asked once more. "So about—"
"Don't be rude, lass." Danny cut her off. "You came to us for answers, and we were so kind to invite you for drinks. The least you could do is take a sip."
Danny insisted, looking at Karen's glass and then at her. "Come on, Anita. Make us happy with this little gesture."
Karen remained silent, staring at the glass on the table. Was the drink tampered with? She wasn't sure, as she didn't pay much attention to what John and Harris were doing at the bar.
And looking at the lecherous grins tugging at their lips, she wasn't so sure. She might be an integrator, but there were substances that affected her just as well.
With no way of knowing what, she was stuck between a wall and a hard place. 'Why did I even agree to drink with them?'
Looking around the bar, the patrons were mostly men, with only a few scantily dressed women.
'I can't afford any mishaps. Arthur needs me.'
"Thank you for your hospitality, Danny." Karen actually said. "But I don't actually drink."
"That can't be right," Danny chuckled. "This might be our first time meeting, but I can tell you're an integrator. A little booze won't hurt."
"That's right." John, sitting to her right, added coolly. "We're integrators ourselves. And although low levelled for now, our tolerance levels are nothing to scoff at."
The men tried to convince her to take a sip, but Karen wouldn't budge. She shook her and then stood up. "This was a mistake. I didn't know what I was thinking. I should leave."
She looked to John to make way, but the man looked to Danny, silently asking what he should do.
"Darling, Anita," Danny smirked, suddenly changing from modest to arrogant. He eyed Karen for a long moment and licked his lips."Things aren't that simple. You came with us of your own free will.
"Now, I don't know what's up with you, but I can tell you don't want attention being drawn to yourself. You're connected with the Sorens, aren't you?"
"..."
She was made.
She silently cursed her rash actions. Her situation could only go one of two ways. Either she submitted to them, or they sold her out.
When she looked at the other patrons in the bar, she realised the men were looking at her like she was cooked.
"You're making a mistake, Danny," Karen muttered in a low voice, her demeanour dangerously calm. "I came to you in good faith."
"No, you didn't." Danny coldly snorted. "You refused my drink, and you call that good? Sit your ass down!"
At his command, two bulky men stepped out of wherever they hid and blocked the door, effectively trapping her inside.
"You should just do as he says and take the booze offered." Harris leaned back and smirked knowingly. "Trust me, Anita. You don't want to get him too riled up."
For several moments, the bar went silent, tension slowly rising. Only the soft music played in the background.
Karen had already connected the dots. Danny was most likely the boss, or at least the man who watched over the establishment.
She could break out of the establishment with ease, but doing so would mean letting them contact the Intergalactic Council, and that would be bad.
Permanently putting them to sleep would also be too much. Despite their character, they hadn't forced her... yet. That option was not ruled out... just held back, and by a thin thread, no less.
"What makes you think you can keep me here?" Karen turned to Danny. "You said it yourself. I'm an integrator, but you have no idea how strong I really am."
"Strong, eh?" Danny sounded amused, chuckling. "Why would a woman as strong as you be in a place like this?"
His amused expression suddenly turned serious, "Don't take me for a fool, woman. I've been too lenient with you. And you might be strong as you claim, but all I need to do is give the hint to my men, and you'll be trapped here on Earth."
The trapping did not scare as much as the man thought. Her portal was of a different kind entirely. What troubled her was the future repercussions.